Motorcycle Blogger: My Camera Equipment
Ostensibly, blogging is in large part about writing things down. But you can’t overlook the impact that photos have on supplementing those writings. Images fill in the gaps where words fall short. Maybe you’ve heard this whole 1,000 words thing?
While I don’t profess to be any sort of photography aficionado, some folks think the snapshots I post come out sort of okay. A couple readers have asked what I use for taking pictures. So with that, this is my fancy camera equipment.
iPhone 14 Pro Max
The majority of my photos simply come from my phone. I might give them a little tweak here and there with the native camera roll editing features. And sometimes if I am feeling crazy, I might run pictures through the Snapseed app nut that’s about it.
In general I find that the iPhone is pretty good at managing light and detail, at least for my limited purposes. Someone who knows their way around the finer art of photography might think I’m nuts. My pics are memories and not art. There seems to be a conceptual difference.
Phones are so convenient and really do a good job allowing you to snap and manage photos on the go. If you look around on social media it seems like everyone takes pretty good pictures.
Canon SX720 HS
Where the iPhone falls short is with zooming. That’s where my little point and shoot camera comes in. For the most part, it doesn’t get a whole lot of action. I bought it 7-8 years ago I think, mostly because I was riding in motorcycle rallies then and needed something with a memory card versus a phone.
The reasons I picked the specific camera were probably a balance between price, physical size, and zoom level.
Just for reference, my glasses give you an idea of how petite this little camera is. I wear it on a lanyard around my neck and tuck it in my jacket for ease of use. I have fumbled and broke several cameras over the last 15 years, so not having it tethered to me is a recipe for disaster.
Hope that helps the curious minds. What are you using for sharing your images on your socials and blog?
Rachael, living in Arizona I’m greatly enjoying your posts on Riding the American Southwest. I found this post on your camera equipment especially interesting. Per your request the cameras I’ve been using on my motorcycle road trips have been (1) pocket friendly 2016 Panasonic Lumix ZS50 (30X optical), (2) 2014 Panasonic Lumix LX100 (for the 4K video capability and framegrabs), (3) 2016 iPhone SE (for quick shots and GPS), and (4) DBPOWER N6 action camera (for helmet cam). I now have a newer iPhone (iPhone 12) and newer action camera (Osmo 1), but haven’t made any new rides since COVID-19 hit.
Looking forward to your next post on Riding the American Southwest.
I mean to add that I love that Snapseed app, I use it quite a bit, the “POP” feature and the “Drama 1” feature
These days just about all photos are taken with in iPhone 13 mini. And I’m amazed at how well it works. The limitations are low light and zoom.
I’ve always admired your photography. Especially what you accomplish with an iPhone. My own iPhone pictures fell woefully short because I was too cheap to spend any money on a good one instead living years behind the curve with ancient phones.
Last week I bought an iPhone 14 Pro. Wow. What a difference in capability and quality. And those 3 lenses solve a lot of problems. I still carry a Canon G5X Mark III camera with me for all those situations begging for a longer lens but already I see how it may be supplanted by the iPhone.
We’ve both been blogging for a long, long, long time. And as you’ve said in past posts, there’s an evolution that takes place. Especially photographically. I’ve gone round and round from cheap point and shoot cameras to big DSLR ones with a host of lenses.
And most recently I’ve branched out onto a YouTube channel. I was running out of steam and words to write the essays I once did on the blog and have found producing riding videos an enticing creative challenge. So now I have added two GoPro Hero 8 cameras and an Insta360 X2. But the new iPhone and its high quality 4K video will allow me a lot of flexibility. I ordered a gimbal for it last night and expect it will expand what I can do.
I always look forward to seeing the stuff you share. Safe travels on the road ahead and in life!