Psychological Impact of Large Lenses

[Overread]

If don't this in the past but it wasn't with a big lens. It was with a little 70-300mm. The key was I was using a TRIPOD (the tripod was also dirt cheap, but the thing was I was actually using it). Suddenly you're a photographer - not just someone taking a snap. Suddenly you're "someone".

So its not just the gear, but also how you present yourself. It can also depend on the area you're in. When I was down London way there were far more big lenses and big cameras around (esp at zoos and other popular places) so whilst you still have that "big lens/camera" influence its muted a little because you're not unique. Now shift to more countryside areas away from the big city and suddenly even smaller DSLR gear is suddenly quite "big" compared to all the point and shoots.

 

[rexbobcat]

It depends on the people. Try going to a county fair with a bunch of teenage mothers and obese rednecks.

I had to create a roadblock with me and my friends to get 3-5 second long exposures without having ghosts in the frame.

 

[Kolia]

In my case, I had my daughter in a back pack carrier. Not very professional looking !

 

[Mike_E]

Go to a beach and walk up and down it with a 50mm f1.x and then do the same walk with a 80-200mm f2.8. I promise you that you'll talk to more women with the 80-200mm.

 

[gsgary]

Is it just me or when shooting with a big lens in a public setting, people will just stop and not cross your field of vision ? More so than usual anyway.

We went hiking last week-end and I was trying out my new Sigma 105mm. Lots of people on these low impact trails, not once did anybody walk in front of me while I had the camera up !

Double upgrade ! Better IQ and better shooting opportunities !

Still didn't get a shoot worth sharing tho...

I thought we were talking big lenses

 

[runnah]

It not the size but the speed... no wait... the exposure...crap, come back to me.

 

[imagemaker46]

Go to a beach and walk up and down it with a 50mm f1.x and then do the same walk with a 80-200mm f2.8. I promise you that you'll talk to more women with the 80-200mm.

Do the same thing at a nude beach and you'll be talking to people with badges.

 

[Judobreaker]

Go to a beach and walk up and down it with a 50mm f1.x and then do the same walk with a 80-200mm f2.8. I promise you that you'll talk to more women with the 80-200mm.

Do the same thing at a nude beach and you'll be talking to people with badges.

Not sure if lens size will matter then though, you'll be talking to those people anyway... xD

 

[imagemaker46]

On the other side, walking around with a 400 2.8 will get you into a lot more places than walking around with a 50mm.