i’m mike…aka mem. i’m a photographer by trade, but dabble in it all. i run @mem_projects from my home here in Utah, making absurd bumper stickers and t-shirts.
here is some of the gear that i use or carry
a lot of folks ask. i’m really hesitant to talk about gear as i change my mind regularly. i might get rid of something even if it’s excellent or i might say something isn’t great when it could be awesome for you. take it with a grain of salt.
| camera/lens | Ranking | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fujifilm XT4 | 4/5 | radical camera that can be had on the second hand market. ergonomics are great but i set it up to avoid the aperture ring and shutter speed dial. i use the two function dials to adjust that. fujifilm images have fantastic color. battery life is okay. as per usual with most cameras, there are too many buttons. too many buttons that can be accidently pressed. |
| FUJIFILM XF 35mm f/1.4 R Lens | 3.5/5 | super sharp, fantastic color. from that standpoint, i love this lens. i have two big beefs with it. the aperture ring does not lock leading to it being bumped often. i wrapped tape around the ring and do not use it. there is also no autofocus/manual switch. weird and annoying. otherwise this is a banger of a lens. a must have for this platform. |
| Godox IM20 Flash | 4/5 | very useful little flash for that nostalgic family photo quality. i’ve tried a bunch of mini flashes and this one is what i prefer. it charges with USB-C to USB-C cables. i’ve had some that only charge with the old USB to USB-C. it also has adjustments on the back which is radical and i haven’t seen that one a unit this small for real. |
my only beef with it is the build quality is…ehhh. it’s $35 so whatever. | | canon 5D MK III | 5/5 | i will always have this camera. it’s what i built my career on and i think it makes some of the best images. if you’re just starting out, these could be had for cheap. this ranking is based on emotional ties to this particular camera. | | sigma 50mm 1.4 art canon EF | 5/5 | the lens i’ve used since 2014 when it was given to me by my mentor at the time. sharp, fantastic color. it was a game changer for me all those years ago and i still use it to this day. this ranking is based on emotional ties to this particular lens. | | sony a7iv (day job camera) | 3/5 | sony’s are like an f-150. they’re work horses. super robust with a good feature set for most situations. the images you get out of the camera are fine although i find them to be uninspiring…just kinda bland. there are also far too many settings/buttons/options on these cameras. i find myself randomly changing settings on accident while on shoots. really frustrating. also sony cameras have THE WORST hot shoe design on planet earth. they’re constantly jamming up and regularly losing signal because of their stupid pin design. if this was fixed i’d rate this camera higher. | | sony 50mm F1.4 GM (day job lens) | 5/5 | awesome lens. love it. sharp as a tack, fast focusing, perfect focal length. if you’re shooting sony full frame, this is the one to have. | | sony 70-200 f2.8 GM (day job lens) | 2/5 | weird color, horrible auto focus. i hope to replace this with prime lenses. |
this list changes constantly
| number | item/s | notes | link if available |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | dsptch unit sling bag | the dyneema is a bit loud but hoping it wears in. cool bag with some quirks. inside pockets are weird. has the best fit of any sling bag i’ve worn. | dsptch |
| 2 | fujifilm xt4 w/ 35mm f 1.4 lens | about as big as you can go for an EDC camera IMO | keh |
| 3 | batteries for the fuji, im20 flash, apple usb c sd card reader, sd cards | ||
| 4 | sony bloggie mhs-cm5 | just for the vibes. takes old SD cards, not new stuff | ebay |
| 5 | idc industires x supdef stuff sack | we made these alongside supdef. hope to make more soon. | |
| 6 | zeiss lens wipes | amazon | |
| 7 | glock 19, zev duty slide, acro p2, x300, zev tigger, zev compensator tier1concealed axis elite | i bounce between holsters a lot. | |
| 8 | iPad Mini, apple pencil, lacie harddrive | need to replace the lacie and probably the old ass ipad | |
| 9 | anker battery, chubby cable, charger | ||
| 10 | half face blades knife, leatherman |
probably the rifle i shoot the most right now. I have a write up about building this rifle here
| number | item/s | notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Geissele ICM 20 rd 6 Arc Mag | wildly overpriced but i have not had a single issue with them |
| 2 | noveske gen 3 14.5” / geissele SD-E trigger | elgin noveske built me this rifle and that’s rad. plenty accurate and super fun to shoot at 1k-1.2k yds. i haven’t had any reliability issues except the Q trigger that I got rid of. that trigger was causing light primer strikes. no issue since the SD-E. this will go down as one of my favorite rifles of all time |
| 3 | magpul str | it was given to me by my dude JB. no complaints really. works fine. |
| 4 | vortex strike eagle 3-18 ffp rad | for the cash, these are great. objective lens is small but whatever they’re like $500. if you’re ballin’ on a budget, this is a rad option. i will replace it at some point |
| 5 | reptilia AUS | my favorite mount. simple as that. minimal in design and works as it should. |
| 6 | vortex defender | works. dot is crisp. dpp footprint is lame but whatever. |
| 7 | unity axon switch w/ usb c | seems to work fine……for now….. |
| 8 | civ peq-15 | it works. it looks like shit and the IR looks like a petri dish. can’t complain. |
| 9 | silencerco scythe STM | best 30 cal suppressor on the market. |
| 10 | arisaka | honestly i’ve had this light for so long that i don’t remember all the details. it’s bright and it’s never failed me. i love arisaka stuff and will continue to give them my money. light is mounted on an arisaka cantilever mount. |
| 11 | atlas bi-pod 3523 | too much movement. it’s built well but i would not order it again. i want tilt and that’s it. |
| 12 | grave sol sling | he’s the man so i’ll always run his slings. |
ahhh yes. this rifle is non negotiable. i will never get rid of it.
| number | item/s | notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | noveske gen 1 quad rail 10.5” 300 blk SD-E Trigger | i will never get rid of this rifle. it’s sick and i’ve killed a lot of critters with it. at one time it had an 11.5” 556 barrel in it but I had noveske swap it out with a 300 blk barrel. love this config even more. it’s a special one for me. |
| 2 | magpul ctr | best stock magpul ever made. slim and comfortable. |
| 3 | aimpoint comp m5 reptrilia 1.53 mount | i’ve had this optic for probably 5 years. it’s always worked and never given me issue. internet operators care about the battery being on top but i don’t really care. i’m an aimpoint guy so whatever. |
| 4 | unity axon switch | it works….for now…. |
| 5 | surefire mini scout pro | chill. tiny and bright enough. i have the fancy tail cap with the button. works great. |
| 6 | laser devices CQBL | very little time using it. looks cool as fuck though. |
| 7 | silencerco scythe stm | no content, best 30 cal can on the market. |