OFF BRIEF is the commission from MPB and Production Paradise, built around one theme: take a detour. Three photographers residing in the EU will be selected for a paid, photography-only shoot, with €5,000 of MPB gear on loan. The camera you carry shapes what kind of detour you take, so we looked at five cameras tested by MPB's reviewers on real trips. Applicants propose the kit they would like to borrow, so treat these as ideas for your own detour, not a loan list. Each suggests a very different detour, and each comes with a tip to pack alongside it.
A detour doesn't have to mean a plane ticket, or a walk through the streets. For some photographers it is a change of subject, a lighter setup, an unfamiliar focal length or a format they've never tried. For a still life or studio photographer, it might be a new way of working at the same table: a different lens, a different sensor size, a slower pace. The right camera is the one that changes how you look.
Below, each camera is matched to the detour it suits, with one tip to take with you and a link to MPB's full review.
At a glance
Weights and battery figures are as listed in MPB's reviews; battery is shots per charge (CIPA).
The long walk: Sony A7C II
If your detour lasts more than a day, take the camera that won't make you choose between stills and video, or between small and capable. MPB Content Marketing Manager Connor Redmond carried the A7C II on a two-week pilgrimage across Spain to Santiago de Compostela and came back calling it "the perfect pilgrim partner". Before you go: pack a power bank, because it charges over USB-C.
Read the full Sony A7C II review on MPB
The pocket detour: Ricoh GR IV
This one is for the detour you didn't plan. At 262g it fits in a jacket pocket and is ready almost instantly, so it is there when the moment turns up. Connor says, "I have taken shots I may never have taken because of this camera." Before you go: bring a spare battery, as you get roughly 200–250 shots per charge.
Read the full Ricoh GR IV review on MPB
The one-lens city walk: Leica Q3 43
In a city, one lens is a gift: no deciding, just walking and looking. The Q3 43's fixed 43mm sits between a 35mm and a 50mm, and MPB Senior Content Producer Amy Moore took it around London and Brighton. The review calls it a "pure, distraction-free shooting experience". Before you go: in a crowd, keep an eye on the autofocus, as it can jump between faces.
Read the full Leica Q3 43 review on MPB
The slow wander: Sigma BF
Take this one on a day with no shot list. With three buttons, one dial and no viewfinder, it keeps your eyes off the settings and on the street, which Connor thinks leaves you more connected to your surroundings. He explains the name this way: BF stands for "Beautifully Foolish". Before you go: battery life is short at around 260 shots, so pack a power bank, since it can charge while you shoot.
Read the full Sigma BF review on MPB
The deliberate detour: Fujifilm GFX 50R
Pick this one if your detour is a slow one: a single subject, time to spare, maybe a tripod. That could be a view from a beach or a still life on a studio table. At 775g it is the heaviest camera here and the slowest, and Connor compares its pace to "switching from a word processor to a typewriter". Before you go: bring an ND filter, or bright sun and the electronic shutter will cost you frames.
Read the full Fujifilm GFX 50R review on MPB
Which camera for which detour?
- One body for everything: the Sony A7C II.
- A camera that never stays at the hotel: the Ricoh GR IV.
- One lens, top image quality, budget no object: the Leica Q3 43.
- A camera that makes you slow down: the Sigma BF.
- Detail over speed, and you don't mind the weight: the Fujifilm GFX 50R.
Ready to take a detour of your own? The open call runs until 30th of November 2026.
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