Articles about gear and whether it matters

[Iron Flatline]

From Ken Rockwell, who I don't hold in super-high esteem:
Your Camera Doesn't Matter

From Michael Reichmann, whom I like but always ends up writing something poorly worded and then wonders if his readers are stupid:
Your Camera Does Matter

From Sean Reid, who is the smartest writer covering photography today:
Yes, It Matters

 

[JIP]

I think the ironoc thing about the Rockwell article is he is comparing his 5D to his cheap P+S. If he thought he could do just as well with a P+S why would he even have a 5D?.

 

[Helen B]

There's the ancient, pre-Al-Gore-interweb, notion that beginners are obsessed with gear, intermediates claim that gear doesn't matter, and old dogs realise that having the right gear does matter.

Best,
Helen

 

[Battou]

Still, I feel that the ideaology that gear does not matter should be pushed harder now than ever. Old dogs that know how to utilize that in their hand one thing, but every beginner today thinks that it's all about the gear. Marketers who don't always know what their doing or have little experiance in photography filling the heads of todays beginners that this multi-million dollar setup is what they absolutely have to have to create professional results are saturating the field with crappy professionals and even worse amatures.

The ideaology that gear is relevant should only be tought to those who have an understanding of their roll in the creation of a photo and of how to properly use a camera in the first place.

 

[Helen B]

Digital has changed things. The camera matters more, though that is offset by there being far fewer types of digital camera than types of film camera.

Best,
Helen

 

[Battou]

I won't argue that at all, Digital has changed things, Lenses have changed over the years, But that is no excuse. Wal-Marteers who push a Rebel XTi to some one who really only needs a PowerShot A550 are finding sucess because this ideaology is becomming so widespread.

The fact that gear has revalency should be learned by trial and error and not read from a book or internet article. The "best gear" depends on the hands it it in and what it's uses are. Skill level aside, Not everyone has use of particular features of a camera in their daily use. My self for example, I have what is arguably Canons most popular SLR and turned down one that you your self pointed out as one of the best, I brush them off as crap. Why, Because they do not cater to my shooting paterns. At the same time the lesser known Canon I own is far superior to the both of them, I can do things with that that neither the AE-1 and the F-1 can in my hands. This is something I learned threw ownership not reading.

If I fell for the old "obsolete gear is obsolete" I would not get some of the pictures I do get, I would be just another gear list siged wanna be. It burns my butt to see people just brushing off something better suited to their applications for the steriotypical best because they believe that it is the best and that having the best makes them good.

 

[mrodgers]

If gear didn't matter, everyone would be taking pictures with a cellphone camera. Nearly everyone has a cellphone with a camera in it (except me). Why not just use that as it is difficult to buy a cellphone without a camera built in?

Some people call photography art. Some people call it taking pictures. I don't call it art. You are taking a photo. It doesn't matter how you take the photo if it is taken the way you want it to. The art thing is a crock in my eyes. Anyone can learn it as all it takes is a little reading.

Before someone starts ranting on that comment and spouting about Ansel or whatever his name is, I haven't seen anything better from the various "famous artist photographers" than I have seen from some people on here. I think it is ridiculous the amount of money that some people can make for taking pictures. It is nothing more than taking a picture, same as everyone does.

I certainly can't take the same photograph on my Fuji S700 as someone else can with their dSLR. I also can not take the same photo on my old Fuji 2650 as I can on my S700.

If all you want to do is take pictures of your family birthday parties, your kids, vacation, you will still benefit to using a D40 or an XTi over a lesser advanced model. The dSLR will take a better snapshot due to the quality of the sensor over a lesser camera for this person as well as take a better shot for a "photographer" due to the advanced features. If you are looking at the quality of the image, then the gear definitely matters.

I think all the "it's the photographer behind the camera, not the camera" is untrue. It is all relative on what you want as a result. If you want a picture of your kids at the beach, a dSLR in automatic mode is going to be much better than an $80 ultra compact in automatic mode. As well as, someone who is looking for a particular result such as DOF or sports shooting, will achieve better results with not only a dSLR, but with a better lens as well.

 

[schumionbike]

I can shoot better with a point and shoot in manual mode than with a DSLR in automatic mode. Now, give me a DSLR in manual mode, then it will beat the point and shoot due to higher quality sensor and glass and all that. But you can definitely make up for the camera with your skill for the most part. So in short, the camera does matter, the photographer matter matter quite a bit more. Some situations require both the best photographer and the best camera though, that's why professional buy the best camera, they tend to get into those situations.

 

[Iron Flatline]

I really like my cameras, I know the way they work and I don't have to think about the technical stuff anymore - I can focus on taking pictures. But as such I'm reluctant to move beyond my two choices. I do occasionally use a back-up, but I find it confusing and I miss shots because I'm not used to the lump in my hand.

 

[Battou]

I really like my cameras, I know the way they work and I don't have to think about the technical stuff anymore - I can focus on taking pictures. But as such I'm reluctant to move beyond my two choices. I do occasionally use a back-up, but I find it confusing and I miss shots because I'm not used to the lump in my hand.

I have lost a handful of shots using a back up....sadly I don't have the body style issue as my backup and primary are so similar it ain't funny.

 

[Socrates]

There's the ancient, pre-Al-Gore-interweb, notion that beginners are obsessed with gear, intermediates claim that gear doesn't matter, and old dogs realise that having the right gear does matter.

Best,
Helen

Beginners incorrectly see the gear as an enabler. Intermediates think that the photographer is the enabler. The old dogs realize that both the gear and the photographer are limiters. The final photo can be no better that the ability of the gear AND also the final photo can be no better than the ability of the photographer.

 

[abraxas]

There's the ancient, pre-Al-Gore-interweb, notion that beginners are obsessed with gear, intermediates claim that gear doesn't matter, and old dogs realise that having the right gear does matter.

Best,
Helen

"In the future, artists will only have to point to create art."
~Andy Warhol

 

[THORHAMMER]

Beginners incorrectly see the gear as an enabler. Intermediates think that the photographer is the enabler. The old dogs realize that both the gear and the photographer are limiters. The final photo can be no better that the ability of the gear AND also the final photo can be no better than the ability of the photographer.

What ,
something we actually both agree on !!! What the.....

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Heres a question that takes no sides, (but its own)

If you were banished to a desert island and you could only take a 500 pictures with you. would you rather have :

A) Henry Cartier-Benson - With a 2.5mp cell ph camera take the 500 shots, or ;

B) 'you cousin vinny who works at the arcade and wears an eyepatch and thinks "road house" was a moving drama; take a H3D and every lens hasse ever made to take the 500 shots.
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just something to think about. I think its like race car driving, youve got a car and youve got a driver.
you can have many types of cars and drivers, but if the car dont start or the guy dont wake up in the morning your race is over....
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[Battou]

just something to think about. I think its like race car driving, youve got a car and youve got a driver.
you can have many types of cars and drivers, but if the car dont start or the guy dont wake up in the morning your race is over....
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Photography should be like IROC That way none of this would matter.

 

[Garbz]

The people who say "The camera doesn't matter" are ultimately the ones that complain about the noise in their dark photos, or the lack of range in their 100mm zoom.

The camera doesn't matter until you can't get the shot out of it that you want. Yes a good photo can be taken by any camera, but a good photo of a very shy Lynx can only be taken with a camera and a 600mm lens, or a photo handheld of a couple kissing under the streetlighting while a band is serenading them can only be captured using a D3 or similar such exotic things.

There has to be a middle man. I refuse to think that any professional (and high earning) photographer would be where they are today if they were using only a camera phone. Wouldn't that upset the balance of paying someone $5000 for your wedding.