It’s that time again! I love reading posts and watching videos about the tools artists use everyday. I’m not really one for fancy specialty gear, I much prefer to see the stuff that photographers like myself use most often. And it’s been a while since I made something like this, so I’ve got a video to pair with this post about my everyday essentials as a film photographer. I dive into a bit more detail in the video, but if you’re looking for a readable, no-frills breakdown of my daily film gear, this is it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqszyVl-nn4&t=8s
Bag: Peak Design Everyday Sling 3L
Yep. I use a Peak Design sling. I’m sure you see plenty of photographers who do the same, but that’s because this thing gets the job done. I feel like this bag does almost everything right, so let’s talk pros and cons.
Pro
- Comfortable to wear
- Durable materials
- Quality, flexible organization
- Stuffed with thoughtful designs
- Tripod straps are clutch!
Con
- A little rigid
- Front pocket doesn’t do much
- Doesn’t fit a Nintendo Switch (my fault)
If your camera kit is small like mine is, I’m not sure you can really go wrong with the Peak Design Everyday Sling. Everything in this list fits inside this 3L bag. I can even carry my Sony a7iv with 24mm f/2.8 lens on and film camera at the same time.
Film Camera: Canonet QL-17 Giii
Speaking of film cameras, this is the 35mm film camera I carry with me every day, the Canonet QL-17 Giii. It’s compact a rangefinder with a fixed 40mm f/1.7 lens and full manual controls.
And that’s why I use this camera. It’s easy to take with me, it has a normal focal length and the manual controls let me genuinely experience shooting film. As long as I have a film stock that I trust loaded up, I know this camera will help me get some gorgeous photos.
These Canonets are readily available on eBay for just south of $200, just do a little research on condition before pulling the trigger.
Camera Strap: Clever Supply Co. Minimal Strap
Can’t hold any punches; Clever Supply Co. makes the best camera straps I have ever used. The leather is beautifully soft and it only gets better as you use it.
I use the Minimal Camera Strap on my Canonet and it is the sole reason I carry it with me as often as I do. Usually, I sort of wear it as a crossbody, which keeps it accessible, but not bouncing around.
I also keep the Anchor Wrist Strap with Peak Design Anchors on my Sony a7iv at all times. The quality and comfort of Clever Supply Co. cannot be overstated. As of the publication of this post, Clever Supply Co. just opened a Kickstarter for a 6L camera sling, check it out!
Phone: iPhone SE (2020)
The phone isn’t exciting, but I rarely leave home without it.
You can argue that the iPhone SE isn’t an impressive phone compared to flagship models, but it’s very hard to argue that it isn’t a bargain.
The iPhone SE series goes on sale somewhat regularly at places like Walmart. I got mine unlocked with 128 GB of storage for $250 in fall of 2020. I’m not one to care about the latest features and specs, so this phone works just fine for me. Plus, the 12 megapixel camera is still crazy good with quality light (i.e. outdoors). You can even make prints with the photos no problem.
I’ll admit the battery is lackluster and won’t last all day if you’re using it a lot, so I’ll concede that needing a charger more often is a bit inconvenient.
Phone Case: Pela Cases
Long story short, these phone cases are just okay. I wish they were better, or cheaper, because I like the mission.
Basically, they aim to reduce plastic created for phone cases by creating cases that biodegrade naturally. While this is good, the print quality, protection levels and price all leave something to be desired.
I really like the design on mine (this is the London Fog Cappuccino), but I was disappointed to see it start fading a week in. They’ll protect your phone from bumps and scratches, but that’s probably it.
They’re also regularly $60. I got mine buy-one-get-one free plus a coupon, so it was essentially $20 per phone case. If you can get them for $20, sure, but I wouldn’t spend the full $60 on these.
Wallet: Matt & Nat Cardholder
I love this tiny cardholder because it works just right for me, but it’s extremely minimalist. The website actually says it holds 1 card on the front and 1 on the back, but I stuffed mine a bit.
I carry my driver’s license on one side and 2 credit cards plus a metro card on the other. As a result, it’s a bit stretched out. So if I don’t carry all of those things, cards can easily fall out.
That being said, I very rarely need cash living in NYC, so a card holder works just right for me.
Quick note: this card holder is a “vegan leather” which feels an awful lot like a plastic material with some imitation leather grain. While it doesn’t have the feel of real leather, it does have a clean look and after 3+ years of use it looks almost brand new.
Notebook: Leuchtturm 1917 Pocket
I’ve always been a pen and paper guy, but I just recently started carrying a smaller, pocket-sized notebook. I figured I’d try a new brand with a smaller size first.
So far, so good! I don’t know the details of it, but the paper feels a touch better than the Moleskine notebooks I’m used to.
Anyways, this is a good spot for daily thoughts, sketches, ideas or exposure notes. I’m sure any pocket notebook would do, I just like this one right now.
Pen: Pilot Metropolitan
A little background info: I bought a pack of Copic Multiliner SPs sometime in 2017. They’ve been life-changing. Excellent ink, incredible line consistency, refillable, replaceable nibs and a nice metal barrel.
But, I initially bought them for drawing. 6 years later, I’m doing a lot more writing than drawing, and they’re not super comfortable for long writing sessions. Even worse, the fine nibs get destroyed faster than they should when scribbling notes for hours. Ink and nib replacements for Copic Multiliner SPs are $2.95 each, so I wanted to find an alternative.
I really wanted something similar to the Copic, maybe just a bit comfier and less expensive to refill. After some research, I found fountain pens, specifically the Pilot Metropolitan. Let’s talk pros and cons quick:
Pro
- Refillable
- Fine tip (0.5mm)
- Metal barrel
- Can use any fountain pen ink
- Comfortable for writing
- Affordable
Con
- Less consistent lines than Copic Multiliner
- Requires maintenance
- Can be messy
The Pilot Metropolitan checked all of my boxes, though it added some new ones to leave unchecked.
Copic Multliner SPs are incredibly reliable, so I didn’t anticipate having a pen that occasionally doesn’t work or needs to be cleaned. That’s not ideal, but for the most part the Pilot Metropolitan has been a good addition to my everyday carry kit.
Keys
Self-explanatory.
Microfiber Cloth
Doesn’t really matter which one, but I use a big one from Zeiss. There’s plenty of good ones microfibers out there, including the ones that come with Warby Parker glasses. Just need something to keep my glass clean!
Chapstick
Again, doesn’t really matter, but I’ve recently been using chapstick from Sun Bum.
iPhone Cable: Aukey 6″
I keep a 6″ USB-C to Lighting cable in my bag. Whether I need it to charge my phone or connect my phone to my laptop, it’s convenient to have a cable accessible that doesn’t take up much space.
SD Card
I don’t think SD cards matter too much for what I do. I keep a 128gb SD card in my Sony a7iv and then I keep a backup 256gb card in my bag. Should I have 2 in my Sony and 1 or 2 backups? Probably, but I don’t right now.
ND Filter: Hoya 6.6 Stop
I use a Hoya 6.6 Stop Neutral Density Filter pretty regularly. If I’m recording anything outsdie and want the wider aperture while shooting 1/50s, it’s essential.
It fits natively on my Sony 24mm f/2.8, but I noticed that my Canonet QL-17 Giii is 48mm in diameter, so I bought a 48mm – 49mm step-up ring. With this, I can use my ND filter on either lens. Especially convenient since those are the two lenses I’ve been using most for the past year.
Multi-Tool: Leatherman Style PS
I’m not much of a handyman so I rarely need tools, but the Leatherman Style PS is always worth having around. You can’t tell in pictures, but this thing is tiny. Just under 3 inches closed.
To make it travel friendly, there’s no knife. But it still has plenty of useful tools including: needle nose pliers, regular pliers, wire cutters, scissors, flat screwdriver, tweezers, nail file and bottle opener.
This thing is always ready to help out in a pinch while I’m on the road. But for home use and non-air travel, I’ve been considering the Leatherman Skeletool. It seems fairly similar but has a knife as well.
Wrap Up
And that’s everything! All the gear I carry every day as a film photographer. Obviously there’s a lot of little things that help me out on the daily, but don’t get it twisted; the most important thing here is my Canonet.
Got any ideas on things I’m missing, or potential upgrades? Follow me on slide into my Instagram DM’s or drop a comment over on YouTube!