Question: I’m looking to get into photography, but don’t want to spend too much money. What SLR should I purchase? Answer: For most people, I actually recommend NOT getting an SLR. They’re bulky, heavy, expensive, and likely something you won’t take with you very many places. It’s like having to bring an extra purse...
Tag Archives: camera
Wednesday, January 11, 2012 8:48 am
Posted in FAQs
Tags: camera, san francisco wedding photographer
January 11, 2012 - 4:07 pm
FAQ: What kind of camera should I buy? » Junshien International Photographers | San Francisco Bay Area Wedding Photography - [...] For the rest of the answer to this question, click here. [...]
Wednesday, November 11, 2009 10:30 am
Our equipment list Canon 5D Mark II Canon 16-35mm f/2.8 L Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 L Canon 50mm f/1.4 Canon 85mm f/1.8 Canon 100mm f/2.8 macro Canon Speedlight 580EX PocketWizard Plus II Post processing Adobe Lightroom 3 Adobe Photoshop CS5 I get the sense that this question comes most often from those who think that there’s something...
by Junshien
1 comment
November 14, 2009 - 9:05 pm
Alisa - I’ve always wondered what your equipment consisted of. It’s sort of exciting to know :0) I’m a fan of your work so I guess it’s just a normal curiosity? Besides, true fans know that it’s your talent that lies behind the photos, it’s not the camera. Though I must admit, I’m a little excited about this list because you’re a Canon user and you use the same equipment I use :0) Bit childish but hey, it makes my day lol.
Friday, May 29, 2009 6:22 am
Answer There was once a shoot-out between a group of professional photographers. Among them was Yervant, one of the world’s top wedding photographers. Unfortuantely for him, he did not bring his camera and had to borrow an old Rebel from a friend. He picked it up, took a look at it, and said, “Good camera.”...
by Junshien
17 comments
June 12, 2009 - 4:19 pm
Junshien - @Heather: Thanks for your comment. And hi back to you and Kim! :)
June 12, 2009 - 8:45 am
Heather - 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!”.
June 11, 2009 - 10:59 am
Matthew Saville - 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=
June 9, 2009 - 7:28 pm
Junshien - @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. :)
June 1, 2009 - 11:20 am
Tammy - 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 …
June 1, 2009 - 5:35 am
Ted - 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.
June 1, 2009 - 5:29 am
Ted - 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.
May 31, 2009 - 11:01 pm
Ellis - 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.
May 31, 2009 - 5:14 pm
Gerald Ho - It sure does help! Thanks….:D
May 29, 2009 - 2:13 pm
Dot - 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! =)
May 29, 2009 - 9:12 am
Kat Forsyth - 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!
May 29, 2009 - 9:03 am
Shang - 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!
May 29, 2009 - 8:39 am
Wm Eric - 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.”
May 29, 2009 - 8:17 am
Timmy - 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!
March 25, 2010 - 2:18 am
Tweets that mention FAQ: What kind of camera should I buy? » San Francisco Bay Area Wedding Photographer — Topsy.com - [...] 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 [...]
November 11, 2009 - 10:35 am
FAQ: What equipment do you use? » Junshien San Francisco Wedding Photography - [...] 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 [...]
June 1, 2009 - 1:10 am
“FAQ: Which camera should I buy?” | Raymond Chou’s Photoblog - [...] 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 Junshien
1 comment