Camera Gear I Regret Buying 

I think the greatest part about this video is learning that even photographer RU-vidrs get sucked into purchasing things from watching other RU-vidrs 😂

“It cause a lot of stress in my life to build this rig and I haven’t even used it once” Bro, this is the most relatable thing. I feel stress all the time from things I don’t use. I think it’s common with most folk, we just don’t like to verbalize it. Glad you made this video. Also I feel that 135mm is still worth keeping. It is a monster outdoors.

Ceilings are rarely perfectly level so a possible solution for your rail system is to level the rails utilizing shims or washers until the rails are perfectly level..

Manny, I'm about to be your new best friend if you read this. Put food grade grease (like Superlube) on the rails, and the wheels will stop rolling if the rail system is actually leveled properly. I fixed a $40,000 rail/light install in a studio in Seattle for a friend with a very similar problem.

Agree.... the 135mm is not really useful indoors. But outdoors it's my favorite lens. And for full body shots 1.8 is just great.

I think this video and videos like this is what a lot of people need. We might get false hopes on what the gear will do for us, and we might not know what the downsides are until it comes time to put them to the test. Showing the flaws can help to stave off that gear-creep or to go with a more time-tested solution.

Hi Manny! Love your photography💪 to fix your off level rails, get foamy wide thickish gasget(like foam insulation tape) and stick it inside of rails. This will create enough resistance for rollers to stay in place and you still will be able to move them around😉 keep creating you're very talanted🔥

Manny, I have just had surgery and when I saw you in the helmet/ camera set up I laughed so much I nearly burst my stitches😂😂😂😂 thank you for being so open 😂😂😂👍👍👍🙏🙏🙏

Love this kind of videos! Often on youtube it's all about buying guide and GAS, and it's refreshing to have true opinions after the purchase.

Bruh when I saw the helmet I was dying, thank you for this video 😂

The only thing from all these I own is the 135 GM and I don't regret buying it at all. It's probably because I don't have a studio so I don't shoot in a studio that often and also I don't have the 70-200. All I can say that outdoors it's just magical (I'd say that even more so than the 70-200 but I have tried it only for a short period of time). I love to use it for both close-up portraits and full body shots.

Such a refreshing idea! Honest, quality, diverse and numerous examples - love it!

Same comment as others for leveling the rails - spacers to shim it to level. Great video. Thanks for compiling the list. 😊

For the following cam I'm using the moza air 2, it has a system that works with the moza app that you can ve followed using the phone cam and not using the direct image of the cam. 300$ you have all.

Noooo! I love the Tamron 20-40. lol It's on my camera 90% of the time.

Hey Manny 🙌🏽, Love your videos, you’re content is the reason why I started doing photography, what I would enjoy seeing and hearing from you is a quick timeline on how you got to where you are now 👏🏾 hope you see this and have a fantastic day 🤙🏽

As a landscape photographer, those Portugal shots look amazing. Did you ever release a video on your time there?

Have you tried sticking some washers between the bolts and the ceiling of your rail system? Using a spirit level between both main rails and along the length of each individual rail you can essentially solve the issue for only a few squids.

I love these types of videos bc they just seem more honest then a review video that telling us how great a product is. Thank you for saving our wallets.

I have a few things I bought and never used. so I feel for you. but that helmet is almost comical. with your ceiling rail. I feel like you could use a leveler to see what is not level. or you probably already know what is not level by the direction the light is sliding in. and you could just take some washers or something where it mounts to the ceiling to change it a few millimeters on one side. seems like it could be an easy fix. this is a little off topic maybe, but many years ago when I moved up from apsc to full frame. I really wanted to go mirrorless because I tried my friends Olympus OMD EM5 which had just come out. and I loved it. I could not believe it showed me my exposure before taking the shot. and I could just touch the screen and it would take a picture. which was amazing for street photography. you could flip out the screen. and point the camera at someone. without actually facing the person. and then touch the screen and get the shot. and they would never know you are taking a picture of them. just an amazing street photography feature. which still isn't on a Sony Camera. and I was like this is the future of cameras. it made my Nikon D80 feel like a totally antique camera. but there was no full frame mirrorless at the time. and I really wanted to go full frame. so I moved from my Nikon D80 to a Canon 5Dlll. and on the first day of buying the 5Dlll and some expensive glass. it was a little of a let down. because I felt like I was spending allot of money buying yesterdays tec. and I feel like all the nice glass I bought for it was just a short term investment. until some company came out with a full frame OMD that did everything right. and it took like six years. and the entire time I was arguing with idiots over mirrorless being the future. because so many people didn't seem to get it. they would say things like. the battery life sucks. the focusing sucks. the view finder sucks. mirrorless sucks. it will never be as good as a DSLR. and I would say to them. what do you not get about the word future. in the future all that stuff will be great. anyway I bought the Sony A7r lll when it first came out. and I finally got the camera I wanted when I bought the 5Dlll all those years ago. so I almost feel like the entire Canon investment was not a good investment. even though I did use it for six years. and to this day I am pissed at Nikon and Canon for not having what I wanted when I bought the 5Dlll. and then taking so long to admit that mirrorless was the future. what is funny is that Nikon and Canon put on this act like mirrorless wasn't the future to protect their DSLR market. but then all of a sudden when they went mirrorless. they touted the long list of the benefits of mirrorless. including the ability to make better glass. and it wasn't just Nikon and Canon. you had big influencers ( some with big hair ) saying that mirrorless will never be the future. and now 99% of all of those people have ditched all there DSLR's. anyway I know this is a little off topic. but my 5Dlll and glass are all collecting dust now. and I think to this day Sony doesn't have the touch the screen shutter. unless they added it and I am not aware of it. ( I have never bought a 135 because of the working distance. but lately I have been thinking about getting one. even though I would probably use it as much as you use yours ) sorry for the long comment.

Maybe a quick fix for the ceiling rails: How about a small C bracket, attached to the end of a short pole. Just something with an opening that would wrap around the rail and block the rolling bracket for the modifiers. The pole would keep it accessible from the floor, without a stool, ladder, etc. It wouldn't be sexy - but it might keep you sane. Again - appreciate your work and videos!

I'm sorry, but every time I saw you in that helmet, I couldn't help but laugh. The only thing that stopped my laughing was realizing that the thing cost $1,500.

Binge watching the channel all morning 💯

Love your content mate! you’re my go to camera guy in RU-vid all your content is so honest

I have the Sony 135mm 1.8 GM, it is a great Lens with outstanding image quality, but now I have the Voigtländer Macro APO-Lanthar 110mm 2.5 which is a bit more compact and lighter, I do a lot of Macro Photography, so many times the Sony 135mm stays at home or in the car. I do not regret buying the Sony 135mm, I will keep it.

Happy to see you making content! You've inspired me a lot and I can't wait to see what else you've got in store

RSc2 is my biggest waste of money too 3 years ago. NEVER used the RavenEye, Never used it outside, turned it on just twice. Still procrastinating to sell it ;D

That’s sad about the 20-40. Is the Tamron 17-28 a better video lens?

Hahahaa I should go through my closet 😂though I probably don't have anything that big not having a studio :D

🤣The helmet. I'm literally sweating from laughing so hard. Whew! Anyway. 'Preciate you taking a few for the team, Manny! Oh man - now I'm watching you follow your diffuser across the ceiling. Cracking up again!

You've come a long way since your Zeiss 55mm!

The tamron 20-40mm f2.8 has been great for me as an all-rounder with it's form factor. Video AF's on point most of the time with current gen of AF a7r5/zv-e1.

great video. another one on diffusers would be welcome, on camera flash and off camera flash.

you can fix the rail system and level it even on uneven ceiling but I get it tho frustrating

What would you recommend for a beginner camera

Manny Ive been watching you for ages now and even bought some of your Presets. Man the gear you have is insane! ehem .. Mira bro, Id gladly take the 135 gm off your hands. I would use it.

Hey bud , may I plesse have your lenses and gimbal? Thanks 😊

Manny on a roll this week!

For the rails, my contractor added spacers between the ceiling and the rails and he measured the distance (using a laser measuring tape) between the floor and the rails so that it is completely the same in the height at all points so that the rails do not slide on its own. You may get a contractor to reinstall it and you would be very happy.

1:06 I AM LAUGHING MY ASS OFF

Yooo. I just bought a cheap Helmet from Amazon and made a bunch of holes for adding counter weights and a mount. Tbh. It also sucks

PI love photography and I love this type of video❤

Respect for calling out these things even some sponsored products.

Hi Manny, I have a question from you my main camera is canon 90d with 2 aps-c lenses. So if i want to switch to anything else in near future there is nothing to loose if I pick anything rather than canon. I get headache when i think about canon and sony. What ecosystem you prefer to go with? Im going to be a photographer (mostly portrait and street) and a little bit video (mostly RU-vid) so i searched a lot and i watched so many RU-vid videos, thay all talking about "is switching worth" but nobody talk about "which one to go if you don't loose anything" At the end of the day i know there is no serious difference between them but which one is better in long run? Can we hope canon come back from bad Introduction of R5 and R6 and closing mount to 3rd parties or sony will be better investment considering it's future.

Such a massive studio

OMFG that helmet 😂 JC you got to be joking... 🤣 😅.... That company must be outta business... 🤣 🤣 🤣

Bummer about the rail. With an accurate level and lots of shims you should be able able to level the tracks.

thank you for this video!

I literally saw all your videos, You are making amazing content, but still can't understand why you prefer Sony over Canon for studio photography or any type of photography?

3:30, dampen the wheels / bearings / rail. I'd have to see it in person to really tell you which one to try lol.

What is your favourite wide angle zoom for video?

make another video for sigma 105mm 1.4 please 😍😍

YO MANNY, get a ladder and get your ass up to the rail system and while I may have a different brand of rail system, I too have a crooked ceiling. So get your ass up there and find a screw on those carts with the wheels, there must be a screw that tightens the tension so those things won't roll on their own. Find the sweet spot so you can still move them but that they don't move on their own.

Great video Manny, this was fun and funny to watch.

I actually screamed at the helmet 😭

Building out camera rigs. Only fun the first 3 times you do it...the next 5 times is a pain in the ass. the other times after that...they sit as decoration on my shelf and provide great conversation starters with noob gear nerds that have yet to acquire such a mess. lol

Haha that helmet and rails 😂 You should do a video with things you regret selling

Yeah, the helmet is crazy! Thanks for sharing.

"Building this Frankenstein" 😆😆😆

Lol the helmet had me fall out my chair

Is the video on a7s iii better than a7rv?

7:27 you are so used to marketing products (respectfully lying) you had to catch yourself from going into character where everything is your favorite and perfect. Hahaha

I will take the gimbal much appreciated lol . but i see what you mean a lot of regrets hermano

Haha, Manny I thought I was bad! Great video man!

Love your work hermanito! I am 61 and still love learning , learned lots from your tutorials, 👍🙏🦾

I have bought so much I didn’t need 1000s on 1000s I can relate

Sorry to say that iam more interested in who the model is? Am talking about the thumbnail

1:06 LOL hahaha

Super claps for the rails

Laughed at the 135 I did the same mistake. Super nice paperwight though

Can I buy your Caleb setup?

The roof system only need a washer or two on the right side. So easy to fix

That Magneto helmet tho! 💀🤣

That squarespace segue though lol

I think we've all bought camera gear we regret. Trouble is, until you actually use it, you can't be sure what it's actually like and if it suits you.

That face you make when you’re irritated something isn’t working is so relateable

3:58 Why don't you level it with washers? should be great then...

Can I actually buy the Helios 85?

WTF, is that RunbenGuo? That helmet... Man 🤣🤣🤣

Now if only you'd taken all this unwanted camera gear with you on your recent Venice trip, you could have claimed it back on the insurance.

Man!!! You nailed it. 😂😂😂😂

Manny I trade you a Sony 20mm1.8 for that Tamron 20-40

That helmet bro😂😂. I love your video though. It's informative ❤

"Chiropractors when they see me wearing this helmet 🪖 “ 😂😂

is the audio panned to the right in this video or am i crazy

Space balls, you went ludicrous speed!

That's a hell of a thumbnail you got there buddy lol

Jeeze man, you have bought some shit. Makes me feel really good...

"red headed step child"? 😳😆😆

I bought the Tamron 20-40mm. five minutes into zooming in and out I thought to myself, “No way this is worth $699” lol

1:44 crack

Bro, the helmet rig I AM DYING.... 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

woooiiii.... You bought the prototype. That's the only one the company made....🤣

Yo that helmet 😂😂😂, let me try it out 😅

I was laughing at the helmet until Manny mentioned the price. 😐

oh we knew bout that helmet

I mean, if you don’t want the Helios anymore, I’ll take it…I love my 58mm Helios 😅

I don't mind you sending me the 135mm f1.8 to me in Nigeria I need it ASAP.

Bro let me shoot in your studio one day and in exchange I'll level out your rail system 🙌🏼 I work construction as my day job 😅

I can't imagine wearing that helmet around LOOL