Your 2025 Gear Wish List

[Tim Mayo]

So what's on everyone's wish list this year? Maybe something that's on the shelves already that you are saving for, or perhaps something that has not yet been announced? And if money was no object what would you purchase?

Thankfully my GAS is pretty well controlled right now. The Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN has been on my list for a while so I think I'll probably pick this up at some point to pair with my A6700. Otherwise I'm not really tempted by any other lenses or new cameras.

However, if our mortgage was paid off and money was no object, then I'd probably pick up all of the big Sony primes along with the A9III and A1II. It's nice to dream!

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

Realistically, my only gear "want" right now is a real macro lens. The Sony 30mm macro for APSC is just a teaser for the world of Macro photography. So that Tamron 90mm is looking VERY tempting as soon as I have enough pocket change saved up.

 

[Unframed Dave]

Honestly, I don't need anything. If a moment of madness came over me, I might pop a grand on a kingjoy goliath tripod. It's an absolute beast of a thing and would get very little use if I'm honest.

Landscape photography is a weakness for me and it might provide the motivation to get out more and play. That said, my attention span is low and I'm not sure I can really be bothered with all the faff.

I'll sleep on it, siesta time is rapidly approaching.

 

[Loke]

This year i will buy more gear around the camera. I want some camo clothes, maybe a new backpack for longer walks, battery bank, maybe a CF card. Things like that. Not really looking too much at lenses because i feel i have a pretty decent range. Sometimes i crave a lens wider than my 24mm for landscape, but i havent researched to much down that road yet.

If money was no object i would buy a big sony prime, either the 400mm or the 600mm, and pick up a better camera than the A7IV.

 

[iamdlewis]

Been really considering more doing macro stuff, so I will probably be looking at some cube lights and some gardening pads.

I already have the A1ii ordered (no ship date yet ) so unless I also trade in some lens I don't think I'll be adding anything else this year.

 

[spudhead]

Wouldn`t mind an a9iii and a 400 2.8

 

[evacguy]

I'm looking for a good tripod head. I want one that I can use for night sky shots, that is quick and easy to adjust in all kinds of positions (for astro) and that I can use for landscape and pano. All suggestions welcom.

 

[iamdlewis]

I'm looking for a good tripod head. I want one that I can use for night sky shots, that is quick and easy to adjust in all kinds of positions (for astro) and that I can use for landscape and pano. All suggestions welcom.

Since all suggestions are welcome I can suggest the Benro Polaris. I got this when it was a kickstarter project and it was about 40% cheaper. For panos this things a fantastic, in the app you set the focal length, the overlap you want then set the starting and ending points and it goes to work. For astro I know people have had excellent results, I so far haven't put in enough time with it. I did use it for the eclipse and it work fantastic. I was able to set and basically just let it run for several hours and let me experience the event.

There are a number of 3-axis geared heads out there as this list shows (don't how good the list is just example). There are also other equatorial mounts for basically just the astro tracking stuff.

 

[evacguy]

Since all suggestions are welcome I can suggest the Benro Polaris. I got this when it was a kickstarter project and it was about 40% cheaper. For panos this things a fantastic, in the app you set the focal length, the overlap you want then set the starting and ending points and it goes to work. For astro I know people have had excellent results, I so far haven't put in enough time with it. I did use it for the eclipse and it work fantastic. I was able to set and basically just let it run for several hours and let me experience the event.

There are a number of 3-axis geared heads out there as this list shows (don't how good the list is just example). There are also other equatorial mounts for basically just the astro tracking stuff.

Thanks David, that's really helpful. With the geared mounts, I appreciate that they can turn on all three axes, but what I'm not clear about is what angle can they tilt vertically up to. Most seem to be able to go to -90 deg to shot straight down to a table top, but can they tilt up to + 90 deg. For sky photography I may want to get to targets that are high in the sky. Some of the geared heads say that they 'tilt' to 15 deg but I'm not sure what that means, is that tilting up to the sky angle, in which case it wouldn't be very high.

 

[AlphaWorld]

I utterly demolished my gear budget over the past year (2 cameras and 3 lenses). So I’ll be stashing away a bit each pay packet to rebuild it. I hope Sony holds off on exciting new bodies and lenses for a bit

I can resist the A7V, the A7SIV, and any of the FX or ZV cameras, so that’s what I hope Sony releases this year.

The one thing I’m tempted by at the moment is the Godox V100, even though I don’t use on-camera flash much.

 

[Richard A]

I looked into geared tripod heads a while ago. Apparently, they do wear quite a bit so be wary of any reviews that aren't long term ones. I know that Manfrotto do supply spare parts for theirs. I was thinking of the MF405 geared head but at over $1,000 just for a tripod head I decided just to stick with what I have and to be honest, it's perfectly fine. I want to try to do a bit more astro this year but want to see how I go before I get any sort of tracker. As far as Panoramas go, I just hand hold them & I've never had a problem with that.

 

[alexpler]

I'm still hoping for new compact prime lenses. I find it a little odd that they are focused in releasing rather compact cameras but then there are no new light, compact lenses to accompany them.

Apart from that, I'm more than happy with my current equipment so I don't plan on buying much this year. I'm considering the 90mm f2.8 macro but I'm undecided yet.

 

[iamdlewis]

With the geared mounts, I appreciate that they can turn on all three axes, but what I'm not clear about is what angle can they tilt vertically up to. Most seem to be able to go to -90 deg to shot straight down to a table top, but can they tilt up to + 90 deg. For sky photography I may want to get to targets that are high in the sky. Some of the geared heads say that they 'tilt' to 15 deg but I'm not sure what that means, is that tilting up to the sky angle, in which case it wouldn't be very high.

Not trying to sound make this sound like a "duh" moment but if a head can have the camera point straight down doesn't that mean it would be pointing straight up if faced the other way?
My only experience is with the Polaris so I really can't say what others can do. I would assume that the equatorial mounts have a full range since those are what most astro photographers use.

As far as Panoramas go, I just hand hold them & I've never had a problem with that.

I was doing that with ok results but too often I would find that when it would come time to crop some of the larger ones I would always end up with a crop that would chop off something or be too tight. Since using the Polaris I have gotten panos that I never would have even attempted by hand. I have gotten great night panos that required multi second exposures or even ones that just required lots of images because I was using a long focal length.

It isn't that you can't be successful doing panos by hand, it is just that you can do so much more and not have to worry about missing an overlap or not leaving enough space for the crop.

I'm considering the 90mm f2.8 macro but I'm undecided yet.

Love the Sony 90mm macro but it is now the oldest Sony lens that doesn't have an update. I hear the Tamron is just as good and cheaper.

 

[evacguy]

Not trying to sound make this sound like a "duh" moment but if a head can have the camera point straight down doesn't that mean it would be pointing straight up if faced the other way?
My only experience is with the Polaris so I really can't say what others can do. I would assume that the equatorial mounts have a full range since those are what most astro photographers use.

Not necessarily, the mount itself could get in the way of the camera body. If the movement I’m interested in is called ‘tilt’ I.e., the vertical angle, then most geared mounts seem to do -90 deg to about 15 deg. But I’m not sure what they mean by tilt as it is not defined.

Yes, an equatorial mount can do what I want, but I want a general head that I can use for anything. The equatorial mounts usually come with motor drives which I don’t particularly need for general photography. I will eventually get a motorised equatorial drive for Astro, but I’m looking for something that I can use now for general applications and some (non-tracked) Astro.

 

[Richard A]

In my experience with tripods (I have had a lot of tripods in my time) they do generally tilt down a lot more than they tilt up for some reason.

Also, the Sony 90mm macro lens is quite a bit cheaper than the Tamron here at the moment.

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

I'm still hoping for new compact prime lenses. I find it a little odd that they are focused in releasing rather compact cameras but then there are no new light, compact lenses to accompany them.

Yes, the f2.8 trio that Sony launched around the same time as the A7C were a great idea, I guess Sony was focused (no pun intended) on building lighter zooms, which they have done, but they did so by cutting the zoom range in half.

 

[alexpler]

Yes, the f2.8 trio that Sony launched around the same time as the A7C were a great idea, I guess Sony was focused (no pun intended) on building lighter zooms, which they have done, but they did so by cutting the zoom range in half.

Yeah those were great and I kind of wished they released more G prime in the same line. Maybe a 85mm or so (I know there's the 85 1.8 but it doesn't have the same build).

 

[alexpler]

Also, the Sony 90mm macro lens is quite a bit cheaper than the Tamron here at the moment.

Here in Spain it's discounted 200€. Now I'm thinking maybe they're discounting it because there will be an update "soon"?