In your bag No: 1677 – William Iuliano

William has finally cleared the GAS and is thoroughly satisfied with this carefully curated carryall.

Hello my name is William, digital learning manager by day, amateur photographer on weekends.

I have been taking photos and collecting photobooks seriously since 2012. In truth I have always been interested in photography, and I live with the regret of not having taken up this craft earlier in life. I have had my fair share of cameras, both digital and film, but I would like to think that I am now almost cured of the dreaded Gear Acquisition Syndrome (GAS). I have tried everything from luscious Leicas, to luxury point and shoots, and pretty much every medium format system of note. What I am left with now (as you can see from my picture), are four cameras that I would find hard to part with.

They have all helped me to take pictures I am quite proud of. Allow me to briefly introduce them to you:

Rolleicord Vb

My second film camera was a Rolleiflex T, also my first ever film medium format camera. I loved the timeless quality of the Tessar lens and regret selling it. I briefly owned a 3.5F, but despite its pedigree I never warmed to the photos it produced. I then got my hands on a beautiful Rolleicord Vb, which I intend to turn into a family heirloom. I think the combination of its lens and Ilford FP4+ film is simply magical. I shot a series on Regent’s Canal in London exclusively with this combination, and am very pleased with that I produced. I hope one day to turn these pictures into a self-published book.

Zeiss Ikon ZM and Canon 50mm f/1.4 LTM

I had brief encounters with a number of Leica M bodies and lenses, all sublime and highly desirable objects, but I never found it particularly difficult to part with them, when it was time to experiment with something else. I do miss the buttery rewind lever of the M3, and the ergonomics of the M5, but when I finally got my hands on the Zeiss Ikon ZM, I felt I had found the perfect balance of all these features. I don’t think I would be able to part with my Ikon as easily. I also find the combination with the most excellent Canon 50mm f/1.4 quite unusual and exciting. It was actually JCH’s blog that got me interested in this lens. After only one developed roll of film, I knew this lens was a keeper. Bye bye Biogon!

Pentax 6×7

I borrowed a friend’s 67 and did not enjoy the physical experience. I found it so heavy and cumbersome with that wooden left-hand handle. So I went to play with Mamiyas instead. When I recently joined Instagram I discovered some amazing work shot with Portra film, and you guessed it Pentax 67s. So I managed to find a good 6×7 specimen and must-have 105mm f/2.4 companion lens. I am a big fan now! My fridge is full of Portra film and I always hope for some sunshine on the weekend so I can walk along London’s canals with this kit. My new hand-made Ebony handle from Snapu (Thailand) has made it even more fun to use this magnificent, if somewhat heavy camera.

Olympus XA 4

The XA4 macro is the latest addition to the family. It tends to live in the pocket of my jackets, rather than in my camera bag. I previously owned the XA3 and XA models, but sold them after returning from summer holidays. However, having found myself in situations where I had wished to have a film camera on me, I went shopping again. I realised quickly that few cameras would be sturdy enough to live in pockets and bags, tick all the boxes from a quality perspective and not cost the earth. I like to push HP5 or Tri-X to 800 or 1600 to get grainy but in sharp candid shots with the XA4.

Ok, now it’s time to talk about my camera bag. You would be excused for thinking that I have also had a number of bags before settling on this one. And you would be right! I settled for the Millar rucksack by F-stop, because of its neat, separated compartments, but most importantly because its design helps distribute the hefty weight of my Pentax 6×7 when on the move. Although I could probably fit all my cameras at once, I usually will settle for one medium format and one 35mm.

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/volcaremos/

Flickr – https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/

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Thanks for sharing with us your bag shot Will. Can’t argue much with your selection!

Keep them coming folks, we need more submissions, so get your bag on Japancamerahunter.com

Send me a high resolution image of the bag. Optimum size is 1500px across. Please ensure there is a bag in the shot, unless you don’t use one. The more you can write about yourself the better, make it appealing and tell us a story. Snapshots of your gear with a camera phone and no words will not be featured.
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Cheers
Japancamerahunter