🤠#023: 3 Cameras for Everyday Carry

Welcome, everybody! the list continues to grow, we just crossed over the 1500 and the 1600 subscriber threshold since last issue. That is crazy gratifying, and I’m super psyched you’re here.

In this moment, having my coffee and looking at a beautiful spring day out the window in Texas, I’m feeling pretty grateful at all the cool things that have come for me and my life as a result of picking up a camera. I feel brimming with optimism. Let’s get to it - PS here’s the song I’m listening to right now.

📸everyday carry film cameras

Real quick today: I thought it might be useful for me to hit my top 3 most-used “everyday carry” film cameras that I take with me, and when. You can find all these on eBay.

1. The Canon SureShot MAX: You should be able to find one on eBay for under $100 as of Spring 2025. I bought my first one for $36 on Mercari back in 2021.

   1. How/when I use it: This is my trooper when I’m going somewhere I don’t want to carry something fancy, or when I need to pack light. It was my very first film point and shoot.

   2. Positives: Cheap. Inauspicious. Dead simple to use - you’ve only got three options - flash, no flash, or automatic flash if the camera decides it needs it.

   3. Downsides: A little loud when you turn it on. They’re real plasticky so they don’t last forever - I’ve broken several. Just approach it knowing it’s a step or three above disposable. They also tend to miss autofocus here and there, so be ready for a roll where you get 20% of your images are a bit off focus.

1. Yashica T3 Super: You can likely find it for approximately $300 on eBay as of Spring 2025. I bought mine for $200 at a thrift store in Vegas in 2023.

   1. How/when I use it: This is my go-to point and shoot in most situations. It sits in my backpack/tote by default, so it’s always with me on trips, if I’m going to work, etc. The neck strap is fine and I often have it hanging around my neck. I find this camera useful and excellent in nearly every scenario.

   2. Positives: Much quieter than the SureShot, you don’t get that loud lens sound when turning it on. Significantly crisper images, slightly richer tones, it’s just excellent. I love it. Rarely misses autofocus.

   3. Downsides: Thick. It takes up some space. If I had to nitpick, I’d say I wish the flash selection was a little more like the Canon. It defaults to auto flash, so if you turn it off and then turn it back on absentmindedly, you’ve got to remember to set the flash the way you want it again. Pretty small issue.

1. Contax G1: This'll run you $300+ on eBay for the camera body only and that doesn’t include glass. Be prepared to be ~$800+ depending on what lenses you buy, as of Spring 2025.

   1. How/when I use it: This is the bad mamma jamma. I love this camera. I had heard the recommendations to skip G1 to G2 due to autofocus, and I get it, this thing misses occasionally, especially at close range (i.e. taking a portrait with the 28mm lens). But I’ve truly loved it. Getting rolls back from developer is such a treat.

   2. Positives: Excellent pictures. Great colors. Crisp images (unless you miss focus like I mentioned). Skin tones are super vibrant and lovely. Great feeling when shooting with it. Heavy, built like a tank. It’s so, so impressive.

   3. Downsides: I have that problem where I recognize how much I spent on it and I’m sometimes hesitant to take it in public. I also hesitate to throw it in a bag, I baby it a little bit, etc.

Hope that was useful - if you like this or want to see more stuff like this, feel free to reply.

Getting your feedback

Next week, I’ll hit my top three digital cameras that I like carrying with me. Spoiler alert, one of 'em is an iPhone.

📊PART THREE: TRACKING MY PROGRESS

📡 Fig. 1: Captain’s Log

Short update this week, in Texas for a wedding. You may be wondering: Did I make the Buc-ee’s trip?

Yep.

What’s next:

1. Next week, heading to Las Vegas for ShopTalk, a big trade show for brands, marketers, SaaS platforms, etc. Will take notes on what I see.

2. Shooting a couple of fun things in the next two weeks - a project in the desert, a runway show, etc. I’ve got a lot in the pipeline I’m excited to show everyone.

3. End of March is when I’ll have cleared the decks on all the projects I’ve got in the pipe, and I think the timing will be good. This first three months of the year has been breakneck pace. Will be excellent to take a breath, spend a little more time outdoors, + recalibrate on what’s gotta come next.

📸 Fig. 2: this week’s stills

🎬 fig. 3: this week’s videos & some learnings

We are back baby. Five videos this week, and my aspiration is to hit this pace consistently for the foreseeable future. 🤞

2025 #36: Lighting Tutorial #23 IG | TT 2025 #37: Ask A Model IG | TT 2025 #38: Art Direction - Gucci Dinner IG | TT 2025 #39: Compliment Attack 16 (12th Tribe) IG | TT 2025 #40: Diffusion Filters v2 IG | TT 

Let’s break down one learning from three of these:

This mood board video: Dead simple, not fancy, drove 50+ email signups. The learning: Maybe it’s helpful to share my art direction + mood boards with people. Some people will filter out and that’s okay. I don’t want to bother anyone. But my hope is that some stick around and find value in getting an email each week.

This “ask a model” video: This is a textbook example of why you just keep trying. My friends from short form video know, I’ve been struggling to find another format that consistently works. If you look at the last four or so months of videos I’ve made, you’ve seen me try a handful of things, to mostly low success. In fact, if you go back and look, I literally wrote “The hunt for another couple of consistently successful video formats continue…” 

I think I might’ve found one here. I like it because it’s showing part of working with people you don’t see in the finished photos: Getting to know people, learn their stories, figure out how to make something cool alongside them. More of these coming, just shot another this week.

This diffusion filters video: This may seem familiar to you, you’re not crazy. I posted a very similar video earlier this year. After putting it up, I thought I didn’t land two things: One, the hook wasn’t very visually interesting. Two, I thought I could’ve given away presets at the end of it and built my email list.

So I kept 80% of the video the same, reworked the hook to be more eye-catching, and added the presets bit at the end. It’s working alright. The lesson is if it sorta works once, you might be able to make it work even better with a couple subtle tweaks.

📈fig. 5: audience growth

Instagram: 14,416 followers, +176 (+1%) vs. last post, +41% YTDTikTok: 1,477 followers, +21 (+1%) vs. last post, +22% YTDNewsletter: 1,666 subscribers🤘, +106 (+7%) vs. last post, +66% YTD YouTube: 43 subscribers, +5, (+13%) vs. last post Threads: 728 followers, +8 (+1%) vs. last post

Good results on Substack, follower growth is slow, but getting in a rhythm in video and consistently that’s what matters.

Think I could help you 1:1 with your portfolio, lighting, short form, creative strategy, building mood boards, just being a sounding board? I’ve started taking a couple 1:1 calls here and there, so far they’re going great. Here’s a link if you’re interested.

📍Free mood board #15, satisfy running: LINK (and here’s a link to all free boards)🆓Five free Lightroom presets: LINK🛠️All the cameras + flashes I use: LINK

Everybody have a good rest of your weekend,

Garrett