That D feels different ...

This is totally no shot to show off or the beginning of a "What's in my bag" story. First, the cameras and the glass in the picture are good for what they are designed for, but they are freely available for everyone and pretty affordable. And for the in-my-bag stories: I don't need those at all if it is really just listing all your gear without any explanation why you use that in particular and what you do with it.

What this is about is how cameras feel different regardless of their specs and price. And how I think that certain glass fits on one camera better than on the other. Again, not from a technical point of view, but considering emotions. And after all, that is something we as photographers need to consider more than anything else.

The D3200 with the 35mm / 1.8G was my first DSLR. I bought the kit with the 18-55mm, but after a month I got the 35mm prime cos I didn't want to zoom but walk around to find the shot. It made me feel more like a photographer and I guess I learned a thing or two about composition and working a scene this way. The 50mm prime doesn't feel particularly good or bad on this body. When I started out, the 35mm and the 18mm end of the 18-55mm was all I wanted. The D3200 feels too plasticky and light now that I got my hands on other cameras, but it has the nostalgia bonus of being my first camera. I tried to sell it, but I take it as a sign nobody wanted it.

The D7100 was my second and I thought long and hard whether to wait and invest more into full frame or go for this one that has almost all of the pro features, but I went for this DX camera and never looked back. It felt like a choice to be serious. It is heavier and bigger and even though everybody is going for smaller and lighter these days I was and still am happy with the 7100. The 50mm / 1.8G feels right at home on this one, but mostly these days I am using the 18-200mm with it as a walk around camera in the streets or out in the field.

The D300 was actually part of a deal when what I really wanted was the 18-200mm / 3.5-5.6G. When I got it, it sparked the thoughts about what a camera feels like. In some ways, it is like the D7100 as it has a lot of the features the D700 (which was a full frame camera), but with being 11 years old, it feels almost vintage. I am still trying which glass fits best, but I think it is the 50mm prime. The 12.3MP is great for portraits as is the 50mm.

When I go out I don't really know what to expect and I don't actually want to. The choice that would make the most sense would be the D7100 with the 18-200mm so anything could happen. But it's not that. Sometimes I like to limit myself by taking just one prime and I'd have to deal with that. And that wouldn't have to be the first choice for the particular body. So I could go with the D300 and the 50mm prime and it would feel so much different and have an impact on what kind of pictures I'd take.

I could also try combinations which don't make too much sense, to begin with. Say I'd take the mentioned D300 / 50mm combo out into the country. Or the D7100 with the 10mm/2.8 into the woods. I think we need to experiment with our gear to get to know it for real. And observe not only the data we produce but also the feelings we have using it as this directly influences the emotions that we convey with our images.