On Professional Equipment

[William Michael]

<p>The 1 year old can press the shutter release all day on a 1Series camera and not much will happen if the infant of random patterns does not take the lens cap off . . .</p>

<p>I like your metaphor, but IMO it is not a convincing argument regarding better camera capturing better pictures.</p>

<p>The cameras we have been discussing are not the metaphoric 8 times difference as the violins in your example.</p>

<p>The original question cites $1K vs. $5K - that's only five times by money to begin with . . .<br>

Now realizing that spending 1K (for the camera) and then a few hundred each, for couple of Fast Primes (in today's market place) that gear, in capable hands could get up to ISO1600 and a very good technical quality coverage . . .</p>

<p><em><strong>The composition and “seeing the light” is irrelevant to the difference between the cameras' quality . . . that’s all about the six inches behind the viewfinder - not random patterns.</strong></em></p>

<p>I think this is a better last line, for good measure.</p>

<p>WW</p>

 

[eric merrill]

<p>Seth:</p>

<p>A competent craftsman produces superior product *with more ease* when using superior tools.</p>

<p>If I were starting out today with a tight budget, I'd buy a couple original Canon 5D bodies. You can find these for about a thousand dollars apiece. Add a 35/1.4, 24-105/4, and 200/2.8, and three 580ex flashes. You'll be able to photograph just about anything you need to at a wedding once you learn to use this equipment.</p>

<p>You don't need to drop 5 grand on a body to take good wedding photos. On the other hand, I'd shy away from showing up with the lowest entry level body, too. :)</p>

<p>Eric</p>

[kelly_flanigan1]

<p>Compared to older eras; a modern dialog about photography has a more leming approach tending to focus on equipment brand/type compared to results a customer pays for.</p>

<p>Excessive focus on the tools used seems to be a modern trend.<br>

<br /> If a wedding has goofed up images many folks tend to blame the equipment instead of their lack of skill, being prepared and understanding a tools strengths and weaknesses. Once whining was considered the sign of a child; today is seams to be a slackers excuse of failure to deliver results.<br>

<br /> Many folks will never "get" what matters is delivering results; ie what a customer pays for.<br /> Every era has its favorite tools to use to shoot images with; rarely do customers care a rats bum about what tools are used; they care about results.<br>

<br /> Great wedding images have been shot with a Yashica D TLR 40 years ago and a P&S digital today; and also poor ones with Canon 5D's and Hassleblads too. I have done printing for wedding shooters with a Canon 5D that have never heard about raw and always use JPEG; and some Olympus 3030 P&S shooters who use TIF and bracket to not blow out wedding dresses. Oh; I forgot; the concept of craft and understanding ones tools is taboo to many on photo.net .:) :)<br>

<br /> Blaming the equipment versus oneself is the hallmark of many folks. If you buy 25K worth of gear and screw up a weddings images; one might have to blame oneself too.<br>

<br /> One can go back 1/2 century ago and find folks scared about shooting weddings; they took an extra body; extra lens; extra flash cords; they talked to the church about whether and where a flash was allowed; if it was a weird dark church they shot sample shots to learn too.<br>

<br /> If you buy the latest canon or nikon of the moment and it dies during a wedding and you have no backup; how will this stand with a client; or Judge; when having a spare was normal 1/2 century ago?<br>

<br /> One could take Marc Williams here and go over to Kmart on Telegraph/8 mile/Grand River and buy two 200 buck P&S digitals and he could shoot a decent wedding; IF he had to. He probalby would not want to at all.! BUT if he had to; he probably would be alot more radically concerned; do tests; understand the lessor tools and deliver far better results than an assumer type. By concerned I mean holy cow I am using a totally unknown lessor tool thus I better do some experiments in actual church the week or two before with the flower girls; same lighting; etc to see what dare I have gotten into. Even with top notch tools a pro will do this going into the abiss of an unknown job; to reduce the chance of a failure. If there is NO photos allowed in church and the couple wants formal done inside lit by 1 candle; a pro has to say this is insane/nuts and say one has to use more light; use a flash; shoot outside. ie you know your limits of the Kmart camera; or Canon 5D with iso 3200 and F1 lens.</p>