← Blog Gear Talk 13 July 2020

Photography and me

Nine years of photography, a lot of cameras bought and sold, and how COVID-19 changed what I shoot and why.

By Dan Cook
Photography and me

I picked up my first serious camera in 2011 — a Sony A580. I had no idea what I was doing, but I knew I wanted to take better photographs than my phone allowed. Nine years later I'm still at it, though the gear has changed considerably.

The journey went roughly: Sony A580 → Canon 5D → Leica Q → Leica Q2 → Leica M10 → Sony A9 → Hasselblad X1D. I've shot professionally along the way — weddings, school photography, sports, theatre, orchestral concerts. The work shaped what I bought; the buying shaped what I shot.

The Hasselblad changed things. When you're shooting a 50 megapixel medium format sensor, you slow down. You think more. You stop firing bursts and start making photographs. I bought it partly for commercial work but found I enjoyed it most for personal projects.

COVID-19 cancelled everything booked for 2020. No weddings, no schools, no events. It was a financial hit, but it also forced a reset — more time for personal photography, street work, portraits of family. The Sony A9 is the professional workhorse. The Hasselblad is the camera I enjoy.

The lockdown photographs in my collection from that period are some of my favourites. Sometimes constraints produce better work.

1 Comment

Javed Ikram 16 April 2026
This sis separate message as I have recently got into photography and use a Canon 5d IV for work as a dentist an I am reading a lot about cameras and just read your blog which is great. The photography is beautiful especially the colour rendition but honestly they are all great shots. I had a d lux 7 which had great colour rendered jpegs yes love the Leica look( but it was a pain to use so I sold it!) I also love the Fujifilm colours as well. so now thinking about a low cost entry into Leica or Hasselblad or Leica SL range. I would love to know your thoughts as you have experienced both Leica and Hasselblad. I have started to experiment with the 5DIV but sometimes what I see isn't always what I get which is frustrating. I take family portraits, landscape and photos when I visit places, flowers with my work 100mm macro.
UsedLens
Hi Javed, Thanks for the kind words on the blog, A few thoughts on the gear question. Rear screen first, because it matters more than people realise. I use it more than the EVF for most of what I shoot, and the X2D / X2D II has the best rear screen I've used. EVFs vary; I haven't had a Leica SL for a while but even the original was decent, and the newer bodies will be better again. On Hasselblad, the X1D felt like a beta camera and I wouldn't start there. The X1D II was a proper improvement, but I'd still point you at the X2D, or the II for the tilt screen, phase-detect AF, and better IBIS. One caveat: don't adapt lenses to the X2D. You'll be stuck on the electronic shutter which has a very slow readout and isn't good for anything that moves. The first-gen Hasselblad 120mm macro is also slow to AF, though for flowers you'd probably be manual focusing anyway. On Leica, the Q series has been my favourite, I've owned the Q, Q2, Q3 and Q2 Monochrom and sold/rebought more than once. I'd have one now except I've consolidated to Sony for event work and Hasselblad for quality. If money were no object I'd add a Leica M too. The SL sits in between: slight hit on quality vs Hasselblad, but you get the speed back. One practical note, if a particular macro lens is non-negotiable for you, check availability on whichever system you're leaning toward before committing to the body. Can save some frustration. Thanks Dan

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