I went Paris probably for the 4th time. I felt also like going back to the place that I know, although I don’t think I know Paris. I had no expectation on places to go, so I went with the flow.
Couples of day before we visited Paris. Duke showed me his new Nikon Z5ii camera. At first, I doubted why ones would use ‘real camera’ nowadays when iPhone 16 is a very very capable camera. The sensation of a clicking shutter sound, looking into the viewfinder, composing the frame, going through the hassle of exposures reminds me of those days when photography was fun. Photography was my hobby. On the same day I came back and undusted my Canon M50 with Meike prime 25/1.8. I almost forgot I had a camera.
Duke the sommelier opening ‘the orange wine’
It’s crazy to look back at the cameras I used to have:
- Sony P30
- Sony F828
- Nikon D70: Nikkor 18-135, Tamron 28-75/2.8, Sigma 12-24
- Nikon EM: Nikkor 50/1.8
- Olympus E-PL2: 14-42, 50-150
- Olympus Pen EE-3
- Canon 6D: Canon 24-105/4L, Canon 50/1.8, Canon 430EX2
- Canon M50: Canon 15-45, Meike 25/1.8
It’s strange that I used to enjoy photography so much but then one day I stopped for no reasons. Cameras are heavy. Phones are getting better with the dynamic ranges, wide-angle lens, selfie lens, quick share. But then it’s missing the feeling of being serious so all my pictures from the phone serve less intent.
Dinner at nous4, Paris
Taking pictures used to be laborious works - thinking about story to tell, calculating exposure (with eyes and brain), choosing aperture size, choosing shutter speed, composing, focusing, press shutter at the right moment. Then, iterate for many more times until satisfaction. It’s at least 1 minute of constant works and practices that were replaced by intelligent smart phone cameras.
Okish coffee
These hard works were probably 5 times harder every 10 years we go back into the history of photography. The learning speed when film photography was the only option was indefinitely longer than 1 minute iteration cycle of digital photography. Probably 1-minute digital cycle was equivalent to 1-week film cycle.
Jardin du luxembourg in spring 2026
It’s the physics behind sensor size / lens / depth of field that the phone cameras can’t give. This APS-C sensor size with 25mm lens has a lot to offer for its very portable size and weight.
In the Paris metro
The technology has become so good that high ISO noise is irrelevant for amateur like me. Since my previous Canon 6D, it was already too good 10 years ago. Lens distortion, flare, color accuracy, vignette becomes less important for the same reason. Getting better (qualitative) picture quality wasn’t the goal of today’s photography anymore.
On the train
On the other hand, some camera imperfections are what we are after when every pictures is perfect. I don’t take RAW. For now, I don’t think I like spending time on post-processing. I started to appreciate more on the on-camera picture profiles, every options that the firmware offers. Embedded software on the camera used to be great. It gets you what you want without being nuanced by good UX designs of today.
Icecream
I spent 4 days with the camera. I like how portably it’s and the ability to work on your hobby while traveling is great. Cameras make it fun to take pictures again.
The umberllas, Renoir, Musee d’Orsay
I like my camera. But maybe it’s time to upgrade :)
Look closely at her eyes. She’s looking at you! - Mademoiselle Gaschet, Van Gogh
