Barcelona and the Joy of Photography

I am in Barcelona, Spain, right now on a family vacation. My wife Hanna mandated that I not make this a photo-centric trip, which started me down a long path of reconsidering my chosen kit of a Canon 5D and a few lenses, plus the Panasonic GF-1 and a single, 20mm f/1.7 pancake lens. At the end of the path, I found myself considering leaving all the Canon gear at home, and streamlining everything by taking just the Panasonic GF-1 with two lenses: the 20mm f/1.7, and also a 45-200mm f/4-5.6.

Though I fully plan to honor my wife’s wishes, asking me to travel to Barcelona and the Costa Brava without taking some serious photos is sort of like asking me to not breathe for a week, or to not be me. I’m not going to interrupt mealtimes or family times for photos opportunities for the most part, but I’m not going to miss some opportunities, either.

What I have found so far are more praises to sing about the GF-1… no, it’s not a perfect camera, but it damn near is, especially for the type of photography I like to do on a trip like this. It is discreet, small, light, quiet, and the image quality is superb. The 20mm f/1.7 lens really shines, the 45-200 is serviceable, though not excellent. I know the GF-1 is no Leica M rangefinder, but I better understand the Gestalt of rangefinder photography. With each passing day I am more and more glad I brought the GF-1 and left the heavy gear behind, and I find fewer and fewer restrictions with it each day. There are things it can’t do, but that’s true of every camera, every lens, and every system. What’s important is that I am absolutely loving using it, and loving photography.