Many cameras on the market are made for specialised shooting – and they’re perfect for when you know the exact time and place that you’re going to take a picture. But as we all know, most photo opportunities don’t wait for you to be ready – so being a true picture maker means being ready for anything, any time, anywhere.
Specialist cameras only get you so far, but these three jack-of-all-trades setups are ready to react to whatever the world throws at you – so you’ll never be caught short in the right place with the wrong gear.
Crucially, having an all-purpose shooting setup doesn’t have to break the bank. Whether you want a pristine pro body or a slightly more well-worn camera for knockabout use, shopping at a used gear specialist like MPB means you can create exactly the kit you need – and in the exact condition you want.
Let’s take a look at these setups that enable you to go anywhere and shoot anything…
Prime time
To really put my money where my mouth is, here’s a setup that’s ready to shoot everything at an unbelievably low cost. I’ve picked one of Canon’s best ever DSLRs, the EOS 6D Mark II – a camera I bought brand new when it first came out. There are plenty of reasons to go mirrorless these days, but DSLRs are just as good as they ever were – and they also offer fantastic bang for your buck.
I paid almost £1,500 for this camera at launch, but by shopping used at MPB you can get it for up to £1,000 less! That’s a fantastic full-frame camera with a 26.2MP sensor, a fully articulating touchscreen, 6.5fps burst shooting and sensitivity that goes over ISO100,000.
DSLRs have way better battery life, too; the 6D Mark II gives you 1,200 shots per charge, compared to just 450 with the mirrorless R6 Mark II.
Ask photographers what lens you should buy, if you can only choose one, and most will tell you to get a nifty fifty – because its perspective is similar to that of the human eye, giving your images a naturalistic look that can be used for almost any genre.
I’ve taken that to the next level with the Canon EF 50mm f/2.5 Macro – which is even niftier than most because it can shoot super close-up shots.
With this setup you can shoot everyday shots, travel photography, portraiture, low light imagery, macro photos… and all at a fraction of the cost of a modern mirrorless equivalent (and Canon doesn’t even make a mirrorless version of this lens!).
Super shooter
The best picture makers need a camera that sees what other cameras can’t. Which is why I’ve chosen a very special setup for my second choice, built around one of the best jack-of-all-trades cameras you can buy – with a suite of features that nothing else can match.
You’ll notice two things from looking at the OM System OM-5, and the first one is that it’s just plain cool – I love how it looks like a vintage film camera. And that’s one of the joys of buying used kit at MPB; it gives you a reason to try new toys and fall in love with photography all over again.
The second thing is just how small this camera is. They always say the best camera is the one you have with you, and unlike a bulky full-frame camera this one is small and light enough to carry everywhere – so you never miss a shot.
That size is possible thanks to the smaller Micro Four Thirds image sensor, and this is where one of the OM-5’s superpowers comes in: its 2x crop factor. In effect, this doubles the focal length of your lenses.
So when I pair this camera with the Olympus M.Zuiko 12-200mm superzoom, it becomes the equivalent of a 24-400mm megazoom. That covers everything from indoor and event photography, landscapes and architecture, travel and social photography, right through to sports and wildlife.
Throw in clever computational photography features like High Res Shot (which enables the 20MP sensor to capture 80MP RAW images) and Keystone Compensation (enabling you to correct converging verticals in-camera, when photographing things like tall buildings) and this might be the best all-purpose setup I’ve ever used.
All-weather wonder
No matter how capable your kit is, it’s no good if you have to stop shooting when it starts raining or it gets cold. To become the ultimate picture taker, you need the premium performance of a professional camera and lens. However, while pro cameras can be prohibitively expensive when bought brand new, shopping used at MPB means you can get cutting-edge kit at pocket-friendly prices.
Accordingly, I’ve built my final setup around the mighty Nikon Z7 II – a 45.7MP full-frame mirrorless camera packed with top-tier features like eye detection autofocus, dual memory card slots, sky-high ISO capabilities… and, most importantly, weather-sealing, so you can make pictures in all conditions.
Not only can shoot in rain, sleet or snow, this camera keeps working in temperatures all the way down to freezing and all the way up to 40° heat.
Just remember that you also need a weather-sealed lens, otherwise your setup will NOT be sealed! To go with the Z7, I’ve gone for the weather-sealed Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S – a workhorse that’s widely considered the essential lens for pro photographers, because it enables them to shoot virtually any genre.
Its “standard” zoom range goes from 24mm at the wide end – great for landscapes and events – covering 50mm in the middle – giving you that nifty fifty versatility – all the way to 70mm – giving you light telephoto coverage that’s great for pushing in on the action or taking portraits.
And its fast, constant f/2.8 aperture lets in loads of light, enabling you to shoot at fast shutter speeds, working in lower light conditions, and create subject separation and background blur.
So don’t just settle for taking pictures; arm yourself with the right setup and start making pictures the next time you go out shooting. For more information on buying, selling and trading up used gear, head over to MPB.
