As a professional photographer for many years, I have shot everything from editorial portraits to mass product and landscape photography, weddings, travel and street photography in my personal career. And if you’ll let me blow my own trumpet, I’ve also been shortlisted for major industry awards for my work in those areas. As far as I know, I have read that there are three types of cameras that all photographers should have in their photo setup. And I’m not talking about brands, like Sony or Canon, or types of sensors, like full frame or APS C. Even Seriously Level of camera choice — camera types that offer very different ways to approach your photography and allow you to create your best work, no matter what genre of music you like to use.
Although these models may imply three separate physical cameras, they may also be covered with two cameras, or just one. Let’s dive into the first-of-its-kind camera.
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A workhorse
This is a camera that makes things happen. It is almost full of modern camera technology. It’s quick to use, shoots at high speeds, has lightning-fast autofocus, possible image stabilization, and probably uses interchangeable lenses. It may be a full frame. It’s a great all-round camera for all kinds of photography — like I do — from weddings to cars to products to pets … whatever. A jack-of-all-trades camera you can count on to do whatever you need it to do whenever you need it to do it.
I used my Canon R5 for many photos and videos. It is a very efficient all-rounder.
For me right now, that’s the Canon R5. Fast, high resolution. Tons of features. Flickering screen. And it captures amazing video. Infinity lens and accessory options. It’s a camera I trust in most of my professional work because I know it can deliver and I know I can deliver when I use it. Previously it was the Canon 5DIV and before that it was the Canon 6D. For you, it might be the Sony A7RV, Nikon Z8 or Panasonic Lumix S5II.
It may not be the latest model, but whether it’s launched in 2026 or 2006 it will tick all the boxes you need for a busy day of photography whether you’re a pro or a keen novice. A workhorse is a camera that will do everything you need it to and do it well. But it is also likely to be quite large and possibly very expensive. While it’s great that there are so many lenses to choose from, sometimes you just don’t want the burden of choice. So that’s when you need to…
A compact, fixed-lens camera like Fujifilm’s X100VI is great to have with you, always ready to shoot.
Everyday wear
Small digital. Point and shoot, appropriately. Almost certainly a fixed lens. Fuji X100VI or Ricoh GRIII. Even the classic Sony RX1R or Leica Q3. The Q3 is not that small but I actually like my Q3 43 as an everyday carry. It will be the kind of camera you can grab quickly when you’re out and about in a hurry without thinking about lenses. If you don’t want a backpack full of gear while camping, but want lots of fun pictures of you and your mates around the campfire. A camera you can always carry. A social media camera you don’t mind getting into the chaos of life. It could be your phone’s camera.
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It’s probably the easiest camera you have that allows you to wear it comfortably around your neck while walking through the streets of some old Italian city. Maybe it’s small enough to fit in your pocket when you go to the pub and easily out when the light is shining through the pub window and you want to take a quick shot.
Having my Leica Q3 43 with me always allows me to capture scenes whenever I see them.
A quick-shooting and social photography camera — maybe even a grubby from-the-hip or spray and pray shot. It’s probably the camera you’ve taken the most memories with but it’s also probably not the camera you used to take your favorite fine art photos. Well, it will be this one.
Artistic
It may not happen technically speaking be your best camera. It may not have many features. It may not be the smallest, fastest or easiest to use. But that’s the camera it is encouraging you very much. It’s the one that makes you feel smart just by looking at it. It’s the one you choose to take when you’re driving for hours to one place with the slim hope of having good lighting that night.
It’s a camera that makes you slow down and think about the art in your photos rather than scrolling through thousands of media. It’s a camera responsible for the work you’re proud of.
Hasselblad 907X — a wonderful, mysterious camera.
This camera can be many things. It could be a film camera, either 35mm or 120 medium format. That alone can slow you down and make you take a more systematic approach unless you’re happy to spend a lot of money on film. Or maybe something like a modern digital format like the Fuji GFX or my personal favorite, Hasselblad’s 907X 100C — that weird little box made so much noise when I used it that it was really hard to part with it when I had to return it.
I found the panorama mode of Hasselblad’s X-Pan incredibly inspiring. This image was even shortlisted for a major UK photography award.
It’s a camera you probably don’t have and maybe you don’t even know you want. I didn’t know I was interested in photography until recently, however I gave a man a fistful of money in a car park to buy his medium format Mamiya 645 Pro, which I’ve had the pleasure of putting on many film roles. Life throws things your way sometimes. So maybe this camera is one you’ll need to keep an open mind about. But it’s also one you’ll be very glad you got in the years to come.
Three models, one camera
Between workhorse, everyday and creative gear, fit yourself into any part of photography, whatever genre you like to fit into.
I took my Canon R5 to Sicily where it performed all the roles of a workhorse, daily carry and inspiration camera. You don’t really need three different cameras.
Of course, some cameras can be two things; that’s an artistically inspiring camera again daily carry. Well, some cameras can be all three rolled into one. And that’s perfectly fine — as long as that one camera ticks this one of those three boxes. It’s really up to you to interpret whether your camera is small enough for everyday carry or inspiring enough to be a personal masterpiece. But this rule doesn’t mean you need to go out and buy two more cameras.
My Canon R5 with a compact prime on it would certainly be one of the three. It was a beautiful day trip to Sicily and it inspired me to take artistic photos that I loved and later I got a license to enter a luxury travel book which means again my workhorse. So on that one trip alone it ticked all three boxes for me. But not all those things last.
My Leica Q3 43 was the everyday camera on my recent trip to the Swedish Arctic and Barcelona. It was the camera I took on many boat trips to remote Scottish islands and it was the camera I took when I stayed with my brother for his 40th birthday. And yes, it is also a camera that makes me happy, inspires me and urges me to be more creative with my shooting. Because it’s a beautiful Leica and what photographer doesn’t enjoy taking pictures with a Leica?
My Leica Q3 43 was a wonderful daily carry and professional workhorse for my work in Sweden. Did it also inspire me creatively? You bet.
But it’s my recent foray into film that has taught me more about slowing down and making a picture and the end of that has led me to get the Mamiya 645 as my art camera, completing my holy trinity.
And of course, as my work and style evolves and other cameras come along, those three cameras will likely change over the years but the basic building blocks of a working, everyday carry and artistic workhorse will always need to be met by whatever cameras I own.