"The camera does not make the photographer, it’s the eye that sublimates the image."
― Dominique Hanneuse
Did you know I'm still using the same digital camera I purchased back in 2012? Yep ― a Nikon 1 V1. This is the mirrorless camera that I use for digiscoping, macro photography, landscape photography, and even astrophotography. Pictured above with my Tamron SP 60mm DiII 1:1 f2 macro lens, my primary insect lens. As a mirrorless with removable lenses, this is the most versatile camera I've ever owned. I'm sure I could find something better to replace it, but why ruin a good thing?
Then you have to go back all the way to 2006 to my Nikon Coolpix 8400, which was my main digiscoping camera until I retired it for the Nikon 1 V1. This camera wasn't the best with macro photography, so I continued to use my Nikon Coolpix 995 (below). However, I did some pretty decent lanscape photography with this camera combined with a fisheye lens.
And there it is ― my first digital camera: the Nikon Coolpix 995. The purchase was inspired by Ann Cook of Manitoba and her digiscoped work with a Swarovski 80mm spotting scope and a Nikon Coolpix 990. By the time I became aware of digiscoping in 2001, the 990 was already discontinued. Thankfully, the 995 was a worthy successor with its massive 3.3 megapixel sensor! Incidentally, I have no idea what happened to Ann Cook and her website. She was one of the world's best digiscopers of the time and inspired many to the technique.
My first semi-serious camera ― a Yashica FX-3 Super 2000. This was a film SLR that I purchased in 1998 primarily for learning astrophotography with my Celestron 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope. With it I learned several techniques including prime focus, eyepiece projection, piggy-back, and guided long-exposure deep sky celestial photography, all with this diminutive and basic camera. As a student-style SLR, you could say my Yashica was what taught me to make the most out of the very minimal. To this day I strive to push the boundaries of what any given camera is capable of doing, always attempting to exceed my expectations, which I still do!
"You must have a really good camera!" said no photographer, ever.
All images © 2021 Mike McDowell