$50 Versus $5,000 Camera in a Car Shootout

We've all heard the age-old adage that gear doesn't matter and sometimes that's true. However, it's sometimes hard to visualize how that plays out and so videos like this one are a great demonstration.

One trend that has been taking the younger generations is the interest in early digital cameras. Although it's a little baffling to me, I can also see the allure. This video essentially uses one of those cheap point-and-shoots and shows what it can do. Anyone older than around 25-30 will remember most families having one of these sorts of cameras sitting in a drawer awaiting the next event!

What is most interesting about this video is that it demonstrates that the limitations of these cheap point-and-shoot cameras aren't simply across the board. That is, the limitations are mainly pertaining to tricky situations where there is a lack of light or a lot of movement. If the scene is well-lit and you can control the settings, composition becomes king and it's possible to walk away with some superb shots. The only images that really "failed" for me were the ones where the camera could not handle the low light and made the details muddied or filled with artefacts.

Rob Baggs's picture

Robert K Baggs is a professional portrait and commercial photographer, educator, and consultant from England. Robert has a First-Class degree in Philosophy and a Master's by Research. In 2015 Robert's work on plagiarism in photography was published as part of several universities' photography degree syllabuses.

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4 Comments

I'm no prude about language and have used some of that language myself (usually if I hurt myself or some idiot on the road almost causes me to be in an accident). But dropping the F-bomb ever fourth or fifth sentence is not professional. Does Fstoppers need to post videos like this? Makes the site seem unprofessional. The guys in the video can do what they like with language.

What's the deal with the scene on the public road? In the garage with little to no traffic, that's OK. Cars are moving slowly, or they should. Shooting on a public road that is not closed off is unprofessional and just plain stupid. It also can encourage others to behave stupidly.

I called a coworker on this issue years ago. Their age group uses it frequently although I have noticed that diminishing. I wanted to say that that language is offensive and rude and crude. I probably would have been chuckled at.

I simply said it's really unprofessional. And it stopped that day.

Experience with a plan beats guessing with gear every time.

Good point, but I think no plan is part of the challenge in a video like this.