Ten Thousand Hours Photography

10,000 Hours Deliberate Practice Learning the Art of Photography

Cameras and Lenses for 10,000 Hours of Deliberate Practice

“Sony Alphas: a7c with 35mm f/1.4 GM, a1 with 70-200mm f/2.8 GM ii, and 99ii with Zeiss 24-70mm f/2.8”

The reason I shoot Sony owes more to historical inertia than anything else. My first proper camera (purchased sometime in the noughties, i.e., 2000 and something) was the crop sensor, Sony Alpha a350, which represented outstanding value for money at the time. Generally, I have been pleased with this choice and have seen no reason to change. I bought a full-frame a850 in 2010, then an a99ii in 2017, more details in the My Kit at Hour Zeros

In 2021 I bought the a7c with the 35mm f/1.4 GM lens, which is great for street and travel photography. The “c” stands for “compact” which perhaps it is compared to the a99ii but, particularly with f/1.4 35mm lens on the front, it’s hardly discrete!

In 2022, as a 60th birthday present, I acquired the massively indulgent a1 with the 70-200mm GM ii lens. This is a very advanced camera. See my notes for setting it up made on the 11th September 2022

Current Camera Bodies: a7c, a1 and 99ii

For day-to-day outside work, I use either or both of the cameras to the right. Usually with the lenses as shown. In particular, the autofocus and image stabilisation on these camera/ lens combos is incredible

The a7c I use with the little hand strap shown. This provides maximum flexibility with a sense of security

I usually carry the a1/ 70-200mm combination on a BlackRapid strap which makes the weight more manageable for longer periods. The strap attaches to the tripod mount on the camera body, and the lens has its own tripod mount which is great

The 99ii is a great camera and still my go-to for studio work, mainly because of the glass I have acquired over the last few years. Left to right from the back:

  • Sony 70-300mm G
  • Zeiss 24-70mm f/2.8
  • Zeiss 135mm f/1.8
  • Zeiss 16-35mm f/2.8
  • Sony 100mm f/2.8 macro
  • Sony 50mm f/1.4

The lens I use least is the 50mm prime as the 24-70mm is as sharp and more flexible. I have a love-hate relationship with the macro lens, as the autofocus is slow whiny and generally unusable. I love the others

Long lens for wildlife and landscape work1:

  • Sony FE 2.8/400 GS OSS prime lens

Absolutely superb

See: “Setting Up the Sony a1 – Safari Update“

  1. This is what I use the lens for. In fact it was bought with intimate, abstract landscapes in mind. The lens is actually designed for sports photography, but I don’t do a lot of that ↩︎