In 1998 I started with the Olympus Camedia 800. I have an engineering background and realised then that there was no future in film/slide. Digital was the future. 810,000 pixel resolution sensor, and with only a built in memory (no expandable RAM cards), you still had to be careful with photo choice.
Slovakian MiG-29 at Mildenhall Show in 1998
Turkish Phantom at Waddington Show in 1999
In 2000 I upgraded to the Casio QV-3000EX. An amazing 3 Megapixels, plus the ability to take a 340MB IBM Microdrive, carefree shooting was available.
Saudi Hawk at Farnborough Show in 2000
15 Sqn Tornado landing at Lossiemouth in 2001
Italian G.222 mishap at Fairford Show in 2002
By late 2002 I upgraded again, to a Nikon Coolpix 5700. This was a great little camera for the time, 8x optical zoom, pretty fast, great handling.
RAF Tornado departing from Marham in 2003 for the Second Gulf War
USMC AV-8B visiting Williams, AZ in 2004
By the end of 2004 I had taken the DSLR plunge. Canon EOS20D and ubiquitous L-series 100-400 IS lens. Very bulky and heavy gear to lug around, especially when you needed to take an additional body with wide angle lens on your travels too.
Mildenhall NAF UC-12 landing at it's home base in 2004
54 Sqn Jaguar touches down at Coltishall in 2005
43 Sqn Tornado F3 over the North Sea in 2006
FAA Merlin arriving at Yeovilton in 2007
Sentinel circuit bashing at Waddington in 2008
Beech 200 circuit bashing at Waddington in 2009
Edwards AFB Test F-16 in 2010
Tornado F2 landing at Boscombe Down in 2011
AAC Apache overshooting Marham in 2012
FN Rafale departing Leuchars in 2013
Pave Hawk returning to Lakenheath in 2014
Saudi Typhoon overshooting at Warton in 2015
B-1 turning in at Nellis in 2016
HL F-16 returning to Albacete during a TLP in 2017
This equipment lasted me a few years but I was becoming increasing disillusioned with my ageing DSLR kit. So, in late 2017 I traded it all in for the magnificent Sony DX10M3, with a phenomenal 24-600mm lens. My backbreaking RIATs and overseas packing woes are now a thing of the past.
F-22 landing back at Lakenheath in 2017
King Air ready to depart Cranwell in 2017
Hope that lot stirs some memories of places and types lost, and shows a bit of insight into developments over the past few years. What will the future hold?
