I'm sure there are photographers out there whose work you admire and whose creativity and aptitude you aspire to. And you might wonder if you should buy the same gear they use. This great video examines that exact question.
Coming to you from Tony Northrup, this helpful video addresses an interesting question: should you buy the gear your favorite photographer uses? It's of course natural to want to emulate people we idolize; when I was a kid and got my first electric guitar, I chose a sunburst Stratocaster because that's what John Frusciante primarily played at the time. Of course, I didn't sound a lick like him, because I had no technique and no idea how to make my way around the instrument. The same carries over to photography: if you read the comments under popular photographers' photos, inevitably, the most prominent question is: "what gear did you use?" I think Northrup makes a great point: most high-level photographers really don't care what they're shooting on as long as it gets the job done for them; they don't obsess over specs and the latest and greatest. Once they find something they like that performs at the level they need, they stick with it.
In b4 "only if Sony" crowd.
The only gear I've ever consider buying soley (?) because one of my heroes owned it, is gear that I'd only use for nostalgic reasons. Because photography is not just a profession or a serious pursuit, it is also a fun hobby that I enjoy goofing around with, and using certain gear just for the novelty & fun of it. Some guys have a mid-life crisis and tinker around with cars or motorcycles, I "tinker" with classic camera gear.
I'm speaking, of course, of Galen Rowell and his Nikon 20mm f/4 AIS + 24mm f/2.8 AIS combo. Two lenses that took almost all of his favorite photos, and both can be found cheap on eBay. I also have an eBay notification for Gitzo 1228 Mountaineer tripods, since they often pop up for as little as $100-200. (The tripod was discontinued years ago, but who cares?)
Oppositely, whenever a modern "famous" photographer loudly proclaims that they're switching from this to that, or that they're madly in love with this-or-that new lens, ...I pay approximately zero attention.
That takes me back, I have the 1227 Mountaineer, have had it for... well however long it's been since it was out.
Really well said and I completely agree. Gear helps but does not a photographer make.
Been recently heavily inspired by nostalgia. Reverting back to film, using legacy lenses and shooting super 8. All because I came across my great grandfathers 8mm travel reels from the 60’s and my late grandfathers old SLR lenses.
I always wondered where my natural attraction to the camera came from and finding these totally nailed that for me.
I have both of my grandfathers' 35mm film SLR cameras sitting on a shelf right next to me, and they get rolls of film put through them once or twice a year just for fun. If only Agfa Scala were still around, B&W slide shows were THE BOMB.
Speaking of bombs, LOL, I recently inherited a bunch of old negatives from one of my grandfathers, and a few of them are actually pictures he took from the side gun or belly gun of a B-17 or B-29; you can see other planes flying on formation, and I swear that in one of them you can actually see bombs dropping.
Whoa...
Only use the best gear possible. You can never go wrong with a9 a7r3 or D850.
Do you mean only pros or photography enthusiasts too? For the latter i would say buy some gear and invest money and time to master it.
Your favorite photographer probably doesn't even care about what camera they use
Unless of course they are sponsored ;)
2:45- 3:15, best part of the video.
Thank you for sharing this. :)
No. Use the brand that works best for you. For me, it is Canon down to a mix of ergonomics, lenses and longterm usage from the FD mount days. I rarely look to see what brand of gear is used for a shot. Focal length, aperture and shutter speed are more important and interesting to me and say much more about what might have been going on in the photographers' minds when they composed and took the shot I am admiring.
I think, it's the other way around, and my favorite photogs would like to use the gear I can use. :)
Tony makes good sense. To change system is time consuming and I know, I just sold all my Fuji gear. I was thinking about how much time and attention it took, and what a waste it was. Anyway I was happy when it all was gone.
Alex, you've done a terrific job for a long time already, continuously adding interesting articles. This is a pertinent question that a lot of people for sure have thought about.
I'd love to see an article on the importance of learning photography, be it in a university, workshops with other photographers, learning 1-on-1 with a photographer etc.
In the world we live in now, there's so much info online. So a lot of people decide to learn on their own. This is great of course and you do learn a lot, but i think more emphasis should be given to experience with other professionals who have done this for a living.
I honestly think for people learning, this is THE most important step, even before deciding "which camera should i go to?".
Let me know your thoughts on this.
cheers, keep up the amazing work! Fstoppers are for sure very proud of what you produce here!
Hi, Pedro Pulido! Wow, I really appreciate that; thank you so much. I think that's a great article idea, and I'll put some time into it later this month when I'm free. Thank you again!
I can be as gear obsessed as the next person, but the outlets for what we do (print, digital) are largely unchanged in the last few years. My 5d ii is going on 11-12 years old now and still ticking. Annie was shooting vogue and vanity fair covers with the Mark 1 when that was new. Honestly, ask yourself if your gear is really getting in your way of executing your vision. Or is it just your lack of skills? That said, if anyone has a rz67 w/ a credo 60 back for a reasonable price......
No you shouldn't, especially when starting out because it will ruin you financially.
Listen up people! Gear means *nothing*. Once you own a D850, an Hasselblad, a 5D Mark IV, a Sony A7R III, a Fuji HX-1, a Panasonic GH5 or an Olympus OMD-EM5 Mark II, you can photograph *anything*... and if you can master those cameras then you can *still* photograph anything with a freaking cellphone!
Starting with one of those = big mistake because those cameras are too complex to master for a newcomer. Framing, lighting, choice of subject is *everything*. Gear is *nothing*.
Some pro photographers working for National Geographic use point-and-shoots and cellphones sometimes, because the *best camera is always the one you have on you when the moment is happening*.
Digital is so advanced right now, you can produces images that are absolutely tack sharp and gorgeous and mind-blowing with details even on a micro-four third sensor (which is sharp corner-to-corner BTW). So don't bother with gear! Even a basic Canon Rebel can make you able to take amazing photos!!! Rent better gear when your client gives you $$$$ and then eventually upgrade.
Lots of top pros still have a 5D Mark II or a Nikon D750.
My favorite photographers use Canon - love their work. But I prefer Sony and been looking at Nikon lately.
If you have the money and can dedicate the time, buy every piece of glass you can get your hands on. Would anyone really tell me they wouldn't grab a copy of that .7 Kubrick-NASA lens if money wasn't an issue? If Zeiss put out a crazy f2.0 zoom or something, you wouldn't want to shoot with it? Crazy gear can do crazy stuff and most of it is crazy cool as well. Don't get hung up on it...mostly because you don't want to mortgage your house, but don't knock it tech and glass are incredible stuff.
Ansel Adams is my hero, so I should go out and buy an 8x10.
My first SLR camera was an Canon A-1 that I bought in 1980, which I still use. In 2013, I added a used Canon New F-1 and a EOS 5D Mk III.
Mamiya RZ67 and 645 are on my bucket list of cameras to buy, as well as a 4x5.
Yea, I would like to have a 1Dx II, but I wouldn't use the firepower of that camera all the time.