CANON, NIKON SONY!!…Does the gear really matter? Cameras and memory cards and tripods. Oh wait let me not forget the crown jewels….LENSES! Everybody drools over the latest and greatest of gear from the big companies. Sony has really been gaining major ground on Nikon and Canon with their emphasis on pushing camera technology forward.
You have to respect what Sony has been doing. Mirrorless cameras went from being a joke and not taken seriously to really making tradition DSLR juggernauts stop and take notice. If you’re a millennial that’s jumping face first into a serious interest in the photo game surely mirrorless cameras are up their on your list. Mirrorless cameras are a little smaller and lighter than DSLRs but their prices sure aren’t small in size.
Image quality of mirrorless cameras and even smaller sensor sizes are closing the gap on full frame cameras…Well at least until the sun starts to go down at least.
To the question at hand. DO I need the newest of camera tech in order to express my creative passion. Stills photos don’t require a huge amount of megapixels in order to create great images although it seems you have move flexibility for being creative and recovery from making mistakes. You have a huge choice to make if you plan on investing in a system because a pro level camera body with the latest tech will run you well over two grand!!! WOW.
Now of course you have niche photographers of all skill levels that use the almighty iPhone for photography and you can check all over Instagram to see for yourself the high quality stills that are being produced. The working professional or YouTube videographer however definitely seem to prefer tool of a much higher dollar value. Sometimes I scratch my head and wonder how people can even afford all these fancy toys. I myself have made a hefty invest in a small amount of gear myself so I know it can be done with a little sacrifice.
Understanding of ISO, Shutter speed and aperture are the most import things that a good photographer need to understand right? You hear all the time it’s whats between your ears that determine the quality of work that you produce. As I look at more and more work though it seems the best photos come from the masters of editing and post production spending hours and hours in front of a glossy screen before they press send.
Hard work on your craft surely will land you in a skill set that will satisfy yourself and possibly others as well especially if you plan on making a living off of your work. It’s up to you to choose whether you need to sharpen your skills behind the camera or in front of a computer screen. A good combination of both is probably the best choice and anything you need to learn has a free video readily available on YouTube.
Most cameras now I feel have more than enough horsepower to get the job done. Comparing images even side by side don’t show much of a difference until you zoom in times one hundred and what does that really do to help the photographer or the client? NOT MUCH. There is a growing demand to slap a HD label on everything including stills and a desire to record everything in shiny 4k video. Our computer screens and TVs are ready now to handle such large formats of information.
You can get left behind in technology too far though when it comes to gear and an upgrade is necessary if your slightly older gear holds you back from satisfying the demand of your client. I believe this is the main reason you should upgrade when your gear holds you back and you start having to compromise in order to finish your projects.
Shooting, shooting, Shooting is the main thing anybody will tell you is the reason their photo or video skills have greatly improved. Just pick up the gear you have, find a location and use your mind and imagination to create and bring your vision to life.