In conditions where there is very little light Michael Martin uses Fuji Provia 400 which allows the aperture to be pushed two further stops to 1600 ASA. This means accepting a rougher grain and a drop in colour quality. The most important accessory is the tripod. Despite the limited space on the motorbike Michael Martin always takes a Gitzo tripod with him as it is relatively light due to its carbon composition. With it he uses the brilliant (if heavy) Novoflex MagicBall as tripod head.

Michael Martin does not use colour, effect or process filters. The only filter he uses is a circular polarisation filter to further enhance the colour saturation even in clear light conditions. The equipment is packed in two Lowepro camera bags, one of which is in the tank rucksack (the best place on the motorbike) and the other tied onto the right-hand motorbike box. The tripod is within easy reach in an aluminium-strengthened PVC roll which is fixed onto the side of the motorbike box.

For several reasons digital photography is of no interest to Michael Martin. Storage capacity and energy supply are a problem on long journeys but above all he finds projection with video data projectors quite unsatisfactory at present and he also sees problems for large format books and calendars. Apart from that with a slide you have in your hand an authentic picture which cannot be manipulated not just a set of data on a hard disk. In the end though everyone should decide for themselves which method they prefer. For a good picture you need more than just a good camera anyway!