Why your Camera doesn’t matter

Your Camera doesn’t matter

Tests, new releases, relentless marketing, and a lot of megapixels aren’t a problem. None of this will have an impact on your photography, and no new camera will exacerbate the shortcomings of your old one.

If a photograph does not work for you, don’t go out and buy new equipment; instead, practice and improve your talents.

Go out and use your camera, no matter what it is. Observe nature or people with your eyes open and your heart open. Take pictures and tell stories. Because that’s what photography is all about.

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Why it doesn’t matter what camera you have

Today is the last day to be concerned about your equipment. Assume you want to learn to play the guitar and purchase a guitar to do so.

Is it important what brand it is or how old it is? Does it make a difference? Isn’t it more vital to practice a lot and have pleasure while doing it?

What’s more, guess what? It makes no difference what camera you use. Yes, we’ll say it once more: it makes no difference what camera you have or what camera you acquire. Don’t be concerned about it.

If you don’t already own a camera

If you don’t already own a camera, get one. Really. It makes no difference. Choose a brand that feels good in your hand or one that your friends have so they can assist you. But, as we say in this tutorial, you can’t go wrong.

Every camera on the market today satisfies all of your needs! There are no more faulty cameras.

Let’s take another look at it: Every camera on the market now, in every smartphone, is technologically decades ahead of the old masters of photography (like Henri Cartier Bresson).

If you’re not convinced that vintage cameras can handle harsh situations like sports, check out this series by Joshua Paul, who shot Formula 1 races with a camera that was over a century old.

It’s amazing how much spirit and power these images possess! Do you really believe that having a 2- or 6-year-old camera will be a drawback? Not really!

By the way, your smartphone can also shoot massive great photos

All the tests, all the reviews, and all the pros and cons

People that are interested in technology enjoy taking tests. They are produced by magazines and websites because they are the most popular articles.

People like to read tests. Camera A will perform better in terms of noise reduction than camera B. Camera B will have sharper details, camera C will have a touchscreen display, and camera D will have WiFi.

The problem is that none of these things will help you improve your photography skills. And in almost all shooting situations, none of these factors are important.

We find that more than 90% of the photographers we meet use less than 10% of their camera’s capabilities. That’s not at all a terrible thing. But that’s like spending months comparing Porsche and Dodge Viper and then only driving in second gear around the city.

Of course, you’re free to do so. It doesn’t matter, choose the one that appeals to you more visually.

Try not to become overwhelmed by all of the tests and advice. Everyone has a different recommendation, and every photographer has his or her own camera and brand or the camera brand he is sponsored by.

Your ability and enjoyment are thousand times more significant than the camera. Just think about it.

 

There are situations in which your camera does matter

These are special scenarios that you, as a beginner, are unlikely to encounter, and a higher level of expertise and experience is needed.

For instance, when shooting quick-moving sports activities in low-light situations or even indoors. You’ll need a camera with decent noise reduction and a fast lens for this.

If you’re a wedding photographer, for example, and you need to shoot in really dark churches with pinpoint accuracy and outstanding clarity – without using flash – an expensive full-frame camera is the way to go.

It’s even more recommended for a newbie photographer to purchase a “simpler” camera rather than a highly specialized professional device.

When learning to drive a car, you don’t start with a Formula One car, which requires a great deal of skill and would totally confuse you.

Can an expensive camera take better photos?

In short – No. Sharper photographs can sometimes be obtained with a more expensive camera (when matched with the appropriate lens!). It enables more images per second or has larger focus fields, for example.

But what are your objectives? “Look, that photo is nice and has low noise,” a viewer would say. Why do you gaze at childhood photographs or photographs of your siblings? Because they’re so incredibly razor-sharp?

Have you ever given them any attention? Or do you adore them because they tell a story or have a personal impact on you?

If the first thing a viewer compliments about an image is its sharpness, the photograph is terrible, according to a great photographer. Because there’s nothing further to say about it, you’re not moved by the image.

Photography is far more than sharpness and noise characteristics. If a photograph isn’t perfectly sharp, it’s because the settings were incorrect or the focus was off.

The fact that professional photographers’ photographs are so perfectly sharp and the colors are so vivid is due to their ability to shoot photos, not their equipment.

You must be able to operate your camera

These manual settings must also be mastered. When you first begin photography, the most important step you can take is to abandon full-auto mode and try to manage your camera manually (this includes aperture and shutter priority modes). No camera, no matter how costly or well-marketed, will ever take this ability away from you.

The camera’s lens

Clearly, the lens is more significant than the camera. In fact, there is one lens type that we strongly discourage you from using: The superzoom lens is a zoom lens that allows you to zoom in and out.

What you intend to photograph will determine which lens is best for you. If you’re like most people and want to shoot “a little bit of everything,” here’s a clear suggestion: The most ideal travel lens or perhaps you’ll be quite content with a fix focal length like a 50mm prime lens.

Smartphones can also be sufficient

It’s completely fine if you don’t want to learn manual photography. In such a situation, the best camera for you is your smartphone camera, because it’s small and light, you always have it with you, it doesn’t cost you anything extra, and it has a pretty nice automatic mode with loads of gimmicks.

The cameras in modern smartphones are already so good that they can be used to take really good photos that also look good in print at typical photo sizes.

Here, too, you can rely on helpers if necessary. For those who own an iPhone, DxO ONE is recommended. However, you can also buy add-on lenses for a few euros that deliver quite good effects and help you take great photos.

Summary

Tests, new releases, relentless marketing, and a lot of megapixels aren’t a problem. None of this will have an impact on your photography, and no new camera will exacerbate the shortcomings of your old one.

If a photograph does not work for you, don’t go out and buy new equipment; instead, practice and improve your talents.

Be the piano player who spends all of his time practicing on his old piano rather than the one whose master piano is collecting dust.

Go out and use your camera, no matter what it is. Observe nature or people with your eyes open and your heart open. Take pictures and tell stories. Because that’s what photography is all about.