Comments on: FAQ: What kind of camera should I buy?

By: Tweets that mention FAQ: What kind of camera should I buy? » San Francisco Bay Area Wedding Photographer -- Topsy.com

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 09:18:33 +0000

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Heather M. Smith. Heather M. Smith said: timeless advice from a photog i admire….gotta keep reminding myself. http://tinyurl.com/ybjvmdq [...]

By: FAQ: What equipment do you use? » Junshien San Francisco Wedding Photography

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:35:44 +0000

[...] one of those people, this list is unfortunately useless to you. Instead, let me direct you to this other post and the corresponding comments; it will be much more helpful in leading you where you want to [...]

By: Junshien

Junshien — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 23:19:56 +0000

@Heather: Thanks for your comment. And hi back to you and Kim!

By: Heather

Heather — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 15:45:26 +0000

wow! this is SO true and so encouraging! I too have been sometimes ashamed of having “lower quality gear”…but, i couldn’t agree with your statements more and it REALLY makes me want to keep going and becoming more proficient and actually much more worthy of having a nicer camera when I can afford to upgrade. anyway, this is just inspiring and I thank you. BTW, Kim Nodurft is my teacher and she says “hi!”.

By: Matthew Saville

Matthew Saville — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 17:59:17 +0000

I take it one step further and tell amateurs that, if they REALLY don’t ever see themselves needing to upgrade to a $3000+ camera body, they can actually do well by staying AWAY from Canon and Nikon. Why? Because all the other companies are putting features into their beginner / amateur cameras that they know Canon and Nikon will never be able to. Pentax’ entry level cameras are weather-sealed and have pro-level cross-type AF points, if you’re an adventure, wildlife, backpacker-type photographer who needs that. Olympus’ also offers a killer system for those adventure-y types who want as light a system as possible. And Sony, along with the others, offer certain things that Canon and Nikon may NEVER adopt, like in-camera stabilization.

Something to consider. I only ever advise that people consider buying a Canon / Nikon entry level camera if they really are into certain kinds of photography, such as low-light or portrait photography. Because feature-wise, really the only reason to buy a Canon / Nikon beginner camera is so that you’ve got the professional system to grow into. Otherwise, the D-Rebel and Nikon beginner lineups are kinda limited feature-wise…

But hey, that’s just the ramblings of a know-it-all camera geek! Don’t listen to me! (But you gotta also promise not to listen to any dumb sales pitches from anybody else!)

=Matt=

By: Junshien

Junshien — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 02:28:39 +0000

@Dot: Sorry for the late response! Hmm… off the top of my head, I can’t think of any workshops aimed at beginners. Maybe check your local camera shop, because some of them occasionally host workshops at their store, sometimes free, sometimes for a small fee. Also, remember that beginner workshop I held earlier this year? If you can get at least 4 people together, I can hold another one and cater it towards the needs of the attendees.

By: Tammy

Tammy — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 18:20:33 +0000

THANK YOU for writing this! I agree 100%. I was actually peeved when some “photographer” told my friend that her budget wasn’t enough (it was more than the cost of my own start up) and should increase it by however many times. To be honest, I thought that was a snarky thing to say …

By: Ted

Ted — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 12:35:25 +0000

But really, I think it is both the person and the camera, not really either or. The camera and tools will set the parameters of what you can do, within its own limitations, but it is up to the person to actually actualize what the camera can do. So for a pro, sure he/she can do without, but many times he/she needs a better equipped camera to get closer to the vision he/she envisions.

By: Ted

Ted — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 12:29:08 +0000

Great post, Junshien! I take offense to you referencing the 5D mk II. haha!

btw, a hassalblad is really great for studio work. MF cameras, used right, give awesome and breathtaking results. But you don’t see action/sports/photojournalists using them often because of its responsiveness.

By: "FAQ: Which camera should I buy?" | Raymond Chou's Photoblog

"FAQ: Which camera should I buy?" | Raymond Chou's Photoblog — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 08:10:47 +0000

[...] are scratching your head about which camera to buy, I had recently come across a very well-written article from a very talented wedding photographer and acquaintance of mine based out of San Fransisco. I [...]

By: Ellis

Ellis — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 06:01:42 +0000

As an experiment, I was shooting with a Hasselblad H3D last week. Was it any better than my Nikon D200? It has the capability of capturing technically better image files, sure. But, the camera itself won’t make fantastic photographs, the photographer does. In any case, I always tell people the best thing they can do is upgrade the nut behind the viewfinder. Oh, and the Hasselblad is a porky slow camera. Slow AF, slow fps, slow workflow. It’s a *nice* camera, but is a difficult tool to work with, especially for wedding photographers.

By: Gerald Ho

Gerald Ho — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:14:40 +0000

It sure does help! Thanks….:D

By: Dot

Dot — Fri, 29 May 2009 21:13:24 +0000

Thanks for this post! I’ve actually been contemplating a DSLR the past few months and keep getting sucked into wanting to get the latest and greatest! Are there any photography workshops that you would recommend for beginners? And I do mean BEGINNER. I’m not looking to become a professional. I just want to capture better our travels and do some of that gorgeous scenery justice! =)

By: Kat Forsyth

Kat Forsyth — Fri, 29 May 2009 16:12:32 +0000

Thanks so much for this! I’ve seen some very average stuff out there that I know was taken with top of the range equipment, while a photographer I know shoots beautiful stuff with her 400D – hardly top line, but she knows how to get the best results!

By: Shang

Shang — Fri, 29 May 2009 16:03:16 +0000

Totally agree. I clunked around for a while with a mid-range Nikon and felt really self-conscious when rich guests showed up with their D300/D700/D3s and whatnot, but I only upgraded once i had the money AND I felt technically limited by the camera. Love this post!

By: Wm Eric

Wm Eric — Fri, 29 May 2009 15:39:03 +0000

So right on Junshien. Sure we need to have the equipment to bring forth our vision and if the equipment is what is limiting you, then you must also make that investment at some point but as you said the knowledge is the power. I had someone ask me about what would be the best thing to do if they really wanted to get serious. I recommended a workshop. Their reply was “Oh, that would be nice but for the price I could get a nicer camera.” My thought “Yeah, so you can take nicer bad pictures.”

By: Timmy

Timmy — Fri, 29 May 2009 15:17:29 +0000

Thank you Junshien for paving the way for me. It has changed my life. And yes a camera is just a tool. I love your work. Keep it up!