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| Tree at sunrise, Jebel Akhdar, Oman
Fujifilm X-T5 w/ XF14mmF2.8 R | F2.8 R | 1/25 sec | ISO 125 |
DPReview community member Paulo Bizarro, known as biza43 in the forums, has taken up the challenge of writing about what he carries in his camera bag on photography journeys for our What’s in your bag? spotlight series. The series showcases the interesting gear and photography of our community members, and shares their stories of how that gear helped them to capture the perfect shot.
Check out Paulo’s gear and nature photography experiences below, all of which have built on his photography, which dates back to the early 1950s.
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Meet Paulo Bizarro (biza43)
Home base: Muscat, Oman
Favorite camera and lens: Fujifilm X-E5 with the Voigtlander 27mm F2 – a small, manual-focus combo that Paulo enjoys carrying everywhere, from family outings to long hikes.
Typical photo scenes: Landscapes and travel photography, especially coastal scenery, mountains and desert environments.
“I’ve been photographing since my university days in the 1980s. It started while documenting geology field trips, and it never really stopped.”
Paulo describes himself as a patient landscape photographer who prefers quiet places and often shoots alone. Originally from Portugal, he spent many years exploring the country’s varied scenery, from the mountains in the north to the rugged southwest coast. Hiking trips along the coast were often the perfect excuse to bring a camera along.
His career as a petroleum geologist also gave him opportunities to travel all over the world. Since moving to Oman in the early 2000s, he has continued documenting nearby landscapes, from mountain wadis to as far as the vast dunes of the Empty Quarter. One of his most memorable photographic experiences was visiting that desert for the first time, where the immense red dunes made him feel as if he had arrived on another planet.
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| Mutrah, Muscat, Oman
Fujifilm X-Pro2 w/ Voightländer Nokton 35mm F1.2 | F4 | 1/280 sec | ISO 160 |
What’s in Paulo’s bag
- Primary cameras: Fujifilm X-T5 and Fujifilm X-E5
- Lenses: Fujinon 14mm F2.8 for wide landscapes, Fujinon 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 for telephoto reach, and Voigtländer 27mm F2, a compact manual-focus lens that Paulo often keeps mounted on the X-E5 for everyday shooting and hikes.
- Tripod: A lightweight travel tripod that has been with him for more than 20 years and still accompanies him on many landscape outings.
- Filters and accessories: Spare batteries, a charger and a Lee Big Stopper filter, which he uses along the coast to smooth water and create long-exposure effects.
- Camera bags: For hiking, he prefers a simple Decathlon backpack rather than a dedicated photo pack. When traveling by air with his full kit, he uses a MindShift BackLight backpack. He also keeps a couple of shoulder bags on hand, including a classic Billingham Hadley and a Think Tank Mirrorless Mover for lighter outings.
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| Paulo’s MindShift BackLight camera bag.
Photo: Paulo Bizarro |
What other gear makes a difference?
“I tend to keep my setup quite simple, but a few small things always make a difference. I usually carry spare batteries and a charger, and I still use a lightweight travel tripod that I bought more than 20 years ago. It has been with me on many trips and hikes and is especially useful for landscapes in low light. Along the coast, I often bring a Lee Big Stopper filter, which helps smooth the water and create long-exposure images.”
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| Carrapateira, Portugal
Fujifilm X-Pro2 w/ XF16mmF1.4 R WR | F16 | 1/26 sec | ISO 160 |
How do you adapt your setup to outdoor challenges?
For long hikes or casual walks, he prefers to travel light. Paul will often bring just a small camera and a single lens. When heading out specifically for landscapes, he will add his wider lens, telephoto zoom and tripod so he can be prepared for changing light or distant details in the scene.
“Most of the time I’m hiking or walking long distances, so I try to keep my gear light and simple. I usually carry just one or two lenses, depending on where I’m going, and that helps me focus on the scene rather than the equipment. Weather and light can change quickly outdoors, so being prepared, arriving early and taking time to observe the landscape often makes the biggest difference.”
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| Milfontes, Portugal
Fujifilm X-Pro2 w/ XF50-140mmF2.8 R LM OIS WR @ 140mm | F5.6 | 1/3 sec | ISO 200 |
Paulo’s advice for other photographers
One lesson that keeps Paulo coming back to familiar locations is that there’s always something new to discover. It’s often a different lighting scene or a small detail previously overlooked. For Paulo, staying curious and attentive to your surroundings is what keeps photography rewarding.
If you’d like to share your photography setup, tell us about your main camera, lens choices, key settings and strategies. Your photos and story could be featured in the next article!
Editor’s note: This article continues a series, ‘What’s in your bag?’, highlighting DPReview community members, their photography and the gear they depend on. Would you like to be featured in a future installment? Tell us a bit about yourself and your photography by filling out this form. If you’re selected for a feature, we’ll be in touch with next steps.
Submit your story to be featured in ‘What’s in your bag?’
Our DPREVIEW Tribute:
After nearly 25 years of operation, DPReview closed on 10 April 2023. This difficult decision was part of the annual operating plan review that parent company, Amazon, shared earlier this year.
Over the course of 25 years, DP Review built up a reputation as being one of the most informative places to go for information about that new camera or lens you’re after. DP Review began as an independent reviews site based in the UK in 1998, the brainchild of Philip and Joanna Askey, but it was eventually purchased by Amazon in 2007 and relocated over to Seattle in the USA in 2010.
Cheers DPReview – thanks for the great work and content that guided photographers, videographers and techno junkies the world over!