Sam Abell, renowned for his poetic storytelling in National Geographic, embraces a minimalist yet potent approach to photography gear: Minimalist Philosophy    Abell prefers “ less gear ,” typically carrying just one or two camera bodies  with different prime lenses to stay fully “in the moment” Classic Minimalism: Leica & Olympus (Film Years)    He carried two Leica rangefinder bodies  (M-series primarily, with some use of R-series SLRs) .    His go‑to “walk-around” lenses were a 28 mm wide-angle  and a 90 mm  for more focused shots.    Occasionally used Olympus bodies  (notably models with spot-metering, like the OM‑4T) with the same lens pair  .    Abell avoided flash and heavy gear, preferring available light  and micro composition  to create “short‑story” images Sam Abell with Leica R4 Transition to Digital: Canon Setup Currently, when he collaborates with Canon, his gear includes:     A Canon EOS 5D Mark III  body with battery pack and charger  youtube.com usa.canon.com .    ...
"The camera is an instrument that teaches people to see without a camera" - Dorothea Lange