For about six months, my a6700 had one job. It recorded my videos and nothing else.
Somewhere along the way I decided the X100VI was my camera, the one I shoot with and love and carry everywhere, and the a6700 got relegated to the part of the desk where the video gear sits. I'd stop thinking about it the second I wasn't filming.
Then this past month I picked it up again and really used it, leaning into S-Log3 and the cine side of it, and I sat there a little surprised at how good the footage looked. There's a depth I'd been ignoring, mostly because I'd already filed the camera under "just the video one" and stopped paying attention.
And then it happened again, with my phone. I'd been shooting video in Apple Log 2 for the moments when I don't have a camera on me, half expecting it to look like a compromise. It doesn't. It looks great for what it is, good enough that I've stopped reaching for an excuse.
That's the thing I keep relearning. I decide a camera is the lesser option, I stop looking at it, and then it surprises me the moment I actually use it. The a6700 didn't get worse sitting in the corner. My phone isn't a toy. The limiting part was me, not the gear.
I think any camera I own is a good camera. The X100VI, the a6700, the phone in my pocket. They all make images I'm happy with when I actually commit to them. The best one isn't the most expensive or the newest. It's the one I pick up without overthinking it.
Which matters more than usual right now, because summer's here and I'm about to be moving around more. When I travel I want to carry as little as possible, and believing that any of my cameras is good enough makes that easy. I don't pack everything "just in case." I bring the lightest thing for the job and trust it. The X100VI for stills, the a6700 when I want video that holds up, the phone for everything in between.
One thing that worked
Keeping the kit almost stupidly minimal.
For the X100VI, I've stopped adding things to it. The only accessory on it is a UV filter, and that's only there to protect the front element. No grip, no thumb rest, no strap situation. The whole point of that camera is that it's frictionless, and every accessory I bolt on chips away at that.
For the a6700, the rule is one lens. Just the Sigma 17-40. It's heavier than heading out with the X100VI, no question, but it's a fraction of what I'd carry if I let myself bring "options." One body, one lens, no decisions to make once I'm out the door. The biggest win isn't the weight saved. It's that with one lens I stop fiddling and actually shoot.
What I'm using
The Fujifilm X100VI* with a K&F Concept UV filter.* The filter is the only thing on it, purely to protect the lens.
The Sony a6700* with the Sigma 17-40mm f/1.8.* My one-lens travel setup when I want video and a bit more reach than the Fuji.
My iPhone in Apple Log 2. The camera for when an actual camera isn't on me, and it holds up better than I expected.
Pearla on my phone. A camera app with film simulations and recipes, basically a Fuji-style experience on the phone, so my shots come out looking how I want straight out of the camera.
*Affiliate links. If you buy through these, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Still shooting,
Cesar
P.S. If you've got an X100VI (or you're thinking about one), I made a free one-page cheat sheet with the exact settings I use to stay invisible on the street. You can grab it here.