The friendly FedEx delivery person dropped off a new tripod for me today. I bought a Peak Design travel tripod, which I first saw used by Potato Jet, a video guy and vlogger who I find interesting because he's not another guy in a home studio with blue lights in the background. The quality of his work is pretty solid for all the run-and-gun he does, so when he showed that tripod, and shoots on a Canon C70 no less, I was totally sold.
I didn't get the carbon fiber version, so mine is a little heavier, but it's compact enough that I could take it with me and not feel burdened by it. That's a far cry from lugging around my very heavy but indestructible Manfotto sticks! The camaras are getting more manageable in size too. My first two pro-ish cameras, the HVX200 and the AF100, were not huge, but not small either. The C70 (which I still have not formally reviewed) is like a chunky SLR camera, and I love it. Compared to the giant pro gear I used around the start of the digital transition, this stuff is tiny!
That's not the only thing that I've managed to get smaller. I scored a tiny wireless mic system from Saramonic that even has a case that charges the units. Compare that to the enormous Azden UHF system I have where the receiver required 6 AA batteries and each of the two transmitters needed a 9V, plus the mics themselves. They worked great, but they weren't convenient. You can get field monitors now that run on cheap NP batteries and they're super bright. Same with inexpensive LED panels, and they're a fraction of what they used to cost, and super portable. Can you believe I have a small teleprompter that works with my cell phone?
Speaking of which, for everyday non-professional use, the best camera you have is the one you have with you. I still have some photos out there from my Samsung flip phone. The OG iPhone and my subsequent 3G were game changers. When I got my Nokia Windows Phone at the end of 2012, I could see a possible amazing future, at least when available light was good. Then when Google started making phones and Apple started to really pay attention to their cameras, everything changed. I can't wait to get the Pixel 6 Pro next week to see what it can do.
Blink 182 was right to sing about all the small things, because they're awesome.
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