20 Years of Cameras: From Point-and-Shoot to Studio

This long retrospective began when I stumbled upon an old, humble post I wrote 15 years ago in a corner of my blog titled “The Evolution of My Cameras.” The young man who was then clutching a Canon 40D and dreaming of a bright prime lens has, over the past 20 years, become the owner of a desk studio filled with lights and professional equipment. Faced with those long-forgotten records, I felt a desire to calmly look back on and document the two decades during which countless devices have passed through my hands.

The evolution of camera bodies I cover here is not just a list of items from an Excel sheet. Following Professor Na Jin-kyung’s advice to “look further and think about the ‘why’ rather than getting buried in specific facts,” these cameras are traces that show how I wanted to view the world. Every choice I made—trying to reduce weight or making up for the limitations of image quality—has become the solid foundation for the content I create today.

At the End of GAS: A 20-Year Retrospective on Cameras, Lenses, and Studios

Part 1. From Point-and-Shoot to Studio: A Retrospective on Camera Bodies

Part 2. From 1600mm That Pulled the Universe to 1mm on My Desk: A Retrospective on Lenses

Part 3. From a Beginner Dreaming of Strobes to Mastering Lighting: A Retrospective on Studios

Canon PowerShot A70 (2003)

Canon PowerShot A70 sample shot. N Seoul Tower, Seoul.

This was the tool I chose to first approach the medium of photography. By using manual mode, I learned the correlation between aperture and shutter speed, establishing the basics of exposure. It was an essential process for learning to control light rather than relying on automatic settings.

FUJIFILM FinePix F10 (2006)

FUJIFILM FinePix F10 sample shot. Grand Canyon South Rim, USA.

Acquired after my military discharge, it recorded major milestones in my life, including a cross-country trip across the U.S. and my honeymoon. Its 1/1.7-inch CCD sensor and ISO 1600 noise suppression gave me the confidence that I could capture photos even in poor lighting conditions. This was a period when I focused on capturing the atmosphere of a scene rather than post-processing.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 (2010)

Panasonic DMC-LX3 sample shot. Canoe at Mullegil, Chuncheon.

I chose this device to reduce the fatigue caused by heavy interchangeable lens cameras and to approach everyday moments with more ease. The F2.0 Leica lens and the intuitive manual focusing using the joystick allowed me to maintain the sense of “creating” a photograph despite the compact body.

Canon EOS 40D (2011)

Canon EOS 40D sample shot. Veloster photo shoot event in Yongsan, featuring model Lee Ga-na.

This was my first mid-range DSLR, purchased to deepen my understanding of the physical handling of photography. The sturdiness of the magnesium body and the mechanical shutter sound provided an exciting opportunity to fall in love with the act of shooting itself, rather than just capturing images.

NIKON COOLPIX A (2013, 2019)

NIKON COOLPIX A sample shot. Coronarita & Berninirita.

This device, which packed a crop sensor into a compact body, was the result of my efforts not to compromise between image quality and portability. I was so deeply aligned with the camera’s philosophy that I served as a “Legend Supporter” when it first launched in Korea. I even re-purchased it in 2019 because I couldn’t forget the sharpness of its 28mm prime lens and its unique, heavy color rendition.

Canon EOS 6D (2013)

Canon EOS 6D sample shot. WuqueStudio Mammoth75 keyboard.

I expanded into full-frame territory for a wider field of view and deeper depth-of-field expression. That bold choice, made to overcome the limitations of crop sensors, remains the sturdy backbone of my work, allowing me to freely use various EF mount lenses to ensure high image quality.

FUJIFILM FinePix X100S (2013)

FUJIFILM FinePix X100S sample shot. Graffiti.

This camera was part of the process of refining my gaze toward street photography. Fujifilm’s signature film simulations added an emotional texture, softening the coldness of digital images and awakening the joy of the shutter click without the need for complex post-processing in front of a computer.

FUJIFILM FinePix X70 (2016)

FUJIFILM FinePix X70 sample shot. My son…

I chose this pancake-lens-equipped body to keep the satisfaction of the X100S while minimizing the bulk. The pocketable size and tilt screen effectively solved the physical dilemma of capturing natural expressions without intimidating the subject.

RICOH GR II (2016)

RICOH GR II sample shot. Seoil Farm, Anseong.

Regarded as a legend of street photography, this model secured its place as my secondary camera. Its vibrant “Positive Film” effect, secure one-handed grip, and instant startup time made it perfect for capturing fleeting moments while maintaining a fast shooting pace on the streets.

Canon EOS 1000D (2021)

Mobile photo. Canon EOS 1000D & 6D.

I bought this second-hand to share the joy of photography with my 8-year-old son by letting him hold it during our photo outings. The lightweight plastic body was comfortable for him to carry, and recording his pure perspective of the world taught me another layer of the communion that equipment can provide.

SONY ZV-1 (2026)

SONY ZV-1 sample shot. Hitsumabushi (eel and egg).

As my content expanded from still images to video, this became my current primary body. It’s for video rather than photos. The product review AF function captures the gadgets on my desk quickly and accurately. It is a reliable tool I’ve adopted to deliver my experiences to others as a continuous story, moving beyond mere recording.

Closing Remarks.

The physical limitations and disappointments I felt with past devices always served as clear criteria for selecting the next one. This 20-year journey, during which I changed bodies to suit the subjects and purposes I wanted to capture rather than simply chasing high specs, shows the maturation of my attitude toward photography. The fierce struggle to reduce the weight of my gear and the thirst for the expressive power of new sensors were ultimately the natural drivers that broke down the limitations of my perspective and pushed me into the next domain.

If the body is the canvas where an image is formed, the lens is a delicate tool that decides how to view the world. In the upcoming Part 2, “The Evolution of My Lenses,” I will unfold the journey of how I refined my vision from vast landscapes to the microscopic world of 1mm.

RetrospectiveOfAll

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