Zack Arias answers your "what gear do I need" questions, basically once and for all

[fjrabon]

Can't say I disagree with a single word here. Though I will say that black rapid baseplate screw in straps will keep you from ever going back to traditional designs.

Photography Q&A -Ask Me Anything About Photography • Hey-Z man! Quick question here. I just started to work for a free press magazine. I am a student.I own a d3100, 50 1.8, 35 1.8, 180-105 and a sb600. What is the next thing I need to buy?

Biggest one that I think kills beginners: buying Nikon/Canon branded flash, instead of investing that money in glass. Sure, the Nikon/Canon branded ones are a bit nicer, but the money you saved is much better spent in glass. If you've got a more or less unlimited budget, and don't have to think about 'can I afford this lens' then sure, buy a Nikon or Canon flash. If not find a good third party flash and avoid TTL crap altogether anyway.

 

[Overread19 7]

*hasn't read the article yet but*

I think when one is learning photography alone the ability to have a flash with a simple to operate auto mode is quite a powerful attraction to them. Further if they can get good success with it its more likely to have them learn how to use the flash for even more photography. On the flipside there is a lot of trial and error with learning manual flash and the powers that you need and how to meter for it yourself --- basically for anything that isn't slow studio work with an external flash meter its going to drive them to distraction and might have them drop the idea and go "All natural light photographer!"

Also some of the more advanced features of propitiatory flash units are just not present in the cheaper market options; I think having those options in the flash is a good way to give people growing space.


In the end though light is light and flash is at least one area where you can still get quality results with cheaper options.

 

[MLeeK]

That's an awesome post!!!
That needs to be a sticky. A big, bold sticky at the top of the beginner's forum.

 

[jamesbjenkins]

Great post from ZA. Thanks for sharing!

 

[fjrabon]

*hasn't read the article yet but*

I think when one is learning photography alone the ability to have a flash with a simple to operate auto mode is quite a powerful attraction to them. Further if they can get good success with it its more likely to have them learn how to use the flash for even more photography. On the flipside there is a lot of trial and error with learning manual flash and the powers that you need and how to meter for it yourself --- basically for anything that isn't slow studio work with an external flash meter its going to drive them to distraction and might have them drop the idea and go "All natural light photographer!"

Also some of the more advanced features of propitiatory flash units are just not present in the cheaper market options; I think having those options in the flash is a good way to give people growing space.


In the end though light is light and flash is at least one area where you can still get quality results with cheaper options.

Well, the article is more aimed at the "I want to turn pro and don't know where to start" crowd, instead of the pure beginner. Perhaps it would be better in the beyond the basics forum. Though I see the "I want to turn pro" posts on the beginner forum all the time, so...

I guess I never really used TTL, even in the very beginning (even though the third party flash I use will actually do it), so Ive just never really seen the point of it. Perhaps, I'm the wrong one to write badly of it, since i skipped it more or less altogether. Perhaps it is a good stepping stone, I wouldn't know honestly.

 

[Solarflare]

Fortunately, since I have no plans to turn pro, I can get whatever gear I like.

Just for the record, people who suggest to me buying a Mac live dangerous. M$ is awful, Apple is worse.

 

[Derrel]

I thought Zack Arias's computer recommendations segment was interesting:

"Great camera + crap computer = suck life. Buy a Mac. Forget the rest.
“But so and so uses PC!”
Buy a Mac. Forget the rest.
“It’s not about gear Zack. It’s how you use it. A good PC can…..”
Buy a Mac. Just buy a Mac.
Get a 24” or better iMac. Buy one used that’s a year or so old. Upgrade the RAM. "

Huh...

 

[fjrabon]

I thought Zack Arias's computer recommendations segment was interesting:

"Great camera + crap computer = suck life. Buy a Mac. Forget the rest.
“But so and so uses PC!”
Buy a Mac. Forget the rest.
“It’s not about gear Zack. It’s how you use it. A good PC can…..”
Buy a Mac. Just buy a Mac.
Get a 24” or better iMac. Buy one used that’s a year or so old. Upgrade the RAM. "

Huh...

I think he meant refurb'd. There's not a very big market for used 1 year old iMacs. I did like his rec of trading out the hard drive for a SSD, and then making the hard drive a secondary storeage by replacing the optical drive. Though you void your warranty doing that and you have to pay somebody to do it (unless you can do it yourself)

Though I own a mac and a PC and I prefer my mac for photo stuff, I don't think its as big of a deal as he makes it out to be. I mainly like his larger point of spend the money on a fast computer, because of how much time you spend on it.

 

[Sw1tchFX]

I've never seen a professional Photography or Design studio operate on PC....

 

[prodigy2k7]

I've never seen a professional Photography or Design studio operate on PC....

And this proves what?

 

[fjrabon]

I've never seen a professional Photography or Design studio operate on PC....

And this proves what?

That the people who do this sort of thing day in, day out professionally tend to prefer macs.

The studio I work for uses PCs. Its one of the reasons I dont work in the image editing department ever (though the bigger reason is once you get sucked into that hole you never get back out in the field shooting).