My brother and I planned a trip to Boquete these past few days with both our families, kind of a way to go back in time to a place we shared when we were kids. People who know me, know I love Boquete, and I though it'd be a great opportunity to try a minimal travel camera gear hoping to do some landscape, some street, and of course some family pictures.
Well, forget about the minimal, I over did it.
I took three cameras: my beloved analog Nikon FE2 with the 35mm lens, the Fuji X-T2 camera for landscapes (that three way flippy screen is a must), the Fuji X-E2S camera for street and candid family shots, and a bunch of lenses for every occasion (tele, wide angle, prime, zoom, you name it). Not minimal at all. It only shows my insecurities and the stage in which I still find myself in photography… lesson learned.
After looking at over 900 pictures, comparing metadata, and running percentages of shots I realize one true thing: for this kind of family trip one camera and one lens would have been enough, and I have it, it is the Fuji X100T! This camera provides a 35mm field of view, with macro capabilities, nd filters, leaf shutter, basic video, all the works. Another lesson I learned is that mixing the intent of landscapes with family travel is very difficult if I did not include the proper planning well in advance. The few shots I took were largely improvised with little know how of the area, and the results were poor and uninspiring.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed playing with all the gear, but it is important to question one self and see areas of improvement and this is one of those: pack light, carry less. So looking back I'd have brought a light tripod (for family shots), the Fuji X100T, and probably the Yashica Mat 124 G for a few memorable pictures.
Having said all that, truth is spending time with my family was a blessing, and I got God to thank for it.
