DIVE INTO ALISTAIR’S KIT BAG

1 Samyang 12mm f/2 NCS CS

New price: £329 MPB price*: £244 (Excellent condition)

Is this the best wideangle lens you can buy? Probably not. Yet you would be hard pushed to find anything better for less than £250.

With size and weight being a key factor for me, this lens is a perfect example that great things come in small packages. Sharp and durable, with a fast aperture, this lens is a lot of fun. If you don’t own a wide-angle, buy this one.

2 Fujifilm X-T2 New price: £N/A

MPB price*: £514 (Excellent condition)

Sometimes it’s not about the technical aspects, but the feeling you get from using something. This highly customisable camera feels like a best friend that’s always helping you out: you can pretty much ask it to do anything you want, and it will deliver. Combined with the fabulous Fujifilm colour rendition, the X-T2 is compact and light, with modern tech inside its vintage-style casing.

3 Fujifilm XF 16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR

New price: £999 MPB price*: £689 (Good condition)

When I moved to Fujifilm, this was the first lens I bought. I tend to use primes most of the time, but while I could shoot any professional job on a mid-ranged zoom, I couldn’t on a fixed prime. I’ll use this workhorse lens for a full day of shooting fashion. It’s weather-sealed, reliable, sharp and versatile. You’d be pushed to find better build quailty in any other camera system.

4 Fujifilm XF 56mm f/1.2 R

New price: £879 MPB price*: £649 (Excellent condition)

Extremely sharp – even wide-open, which is where it stays most of the time – this lens is small but solidly built, and feels like a great weight balance on an X-Series camera.

Producing beautiful bokeh, it gives you a decent reach for street shooting. I originally bought this lens for a trip to Asia, and just couldn’t give it up afterwards. It’s now a key item.

5 Fujifilm X-T2 Vertical Power Booster Grip

New price: £319 MPB price*: £52 (Good condition)

I really like this grip; if anything, it just makes the camera feel better in the hand. It gives you two extra batteries (plus the one in the chamber), meaning you can pretty much shoot all day without worrying you’ll run out of juice. When you’re not out in the field shooting, it’ll also charge up both batteries at once in a much faster time. Other great features include Boost mode.

6 Fujinon XF 35mm f/2

New price: £389 MPB price*: £334 (Excellent condition)

My favourite lens of all. You can barely feel it on the camera, and it’s so small that it will fit in a decent- sized pocket. The autofocus is lightning-fast and rarely misses a beat. If there was such a thing as an ideal travel lens, this is it.

If you’ve only ever used a zoom lens, I’d recommend picking up this prime, as it could completely transform the way you shoot.