You Don't Need That Shiny New Camera (Page 3): Solved my bad habit with a GH6. Now I can always severely remind myselves that I have indulged solidly beyond my actual needs. OTOH...

User ID

burkphoto wrote:

I had a need for a new system in 2015 when I bought my Lumix gear. So mirrorless was an easy choice. It still does what I need to do, although that Lumix G9 II Emily was waving around is in my sights. But... I need to live my own advice.

Solved my bad habit with a GH6. Now I can always severely remind myselves that I have indulged solidly beyond my actual needs.

OTOH, sometimes I think I might sell it, just so I can return to my bad habit !

DBell

Thanks for this down-to-earth, common sense discussion, Bill. Great video!

User ID

chasgroh wrote:

...I think the crux is "...not every photo opportunity requires the heavy iron..." which is inherently true. My thought, however, is that if you *have* the heavy iron, you, at very least, have a puncher's chance at success in most, if not all, instances.

Hawgsters seem to be in mortal fear of having to regret "the ones that got away". Then I see their images of those "ones" that did NOT "get away" and I think [unprintable].

The woman in the video clearly doesnt worry about that stuff in her personal work. OTOH, her G9 shows that she can TCB when its all about the money. And yet, some Hawgsters will use the FF equivalent of her G9 outfit for their walkabout or on a "vacation".

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

Manglesphoto wrote:

Not really!! People will settle for what we would call Crap as long as the price is cheap.

Or if they can't tell Crap from good work.

Curmudgeon Loc: SE Arizona

User ID wrote:

Hawgsters seem to be in mortal fear of having to regret "the ones that got away". Then I see their images of those "ones" that did NOT "get away" and I think [unprintable].

I can't speak for everyone but I don't live in "mortal fear" but sometimes I have great regret about tripping the shutter just an instant too soon or a moment too late on a wild life shot.

Why don't you post one or two of your best wildlife shots in the appropriate Forum and let your admirers and critics evaluate your skill for themselves?

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

JD750 wrote:

Consistency I think is the most important element in professional work.

One of our plant managers once said, "We must do what we say we are going to do, and keep records that prove we did it."

The last part was to keep the lawyers happy...

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

User ID wrote:

Hawgsters seem to be in mortal fear of having to regret "the ones that got away". Then I see their images of those "ones" that did NOT "get away" and I think [unprintable].

The woman in the video clearly doesnt worry about that stuff in her personal work. OTOH, her G9 shows that she can TCB when its all about the money. And yet, some Hawgsters will use the FF equivalent of her G9 outfit for their walkabout or on a "vacation".

She has another video where she went on an African safari with the Lumix G9 II and OM Systems OM-1 and a nice new 100-400mm zoom (200-800mm equivalent, much longer than that with a 1.4 or 2X extender). The others in her group were groaning about what they were lugging in the heat. Sometimes a pleasant trip is more important than a full frame body with a $13,000 lens.

PhotoMono123 Loc: Houston, Texas

Interesting stuff.

I have always felt that asking me about my camera is like asking an artist about their brushes.

My photos are displayed in both art and photo venues. At photo shows, folks want to know about my camera, my lens, all my settings, etc. The actual picture is almost secondary.

At art galleries and shows, viewers are interested in the image, the framing, the mood, and such. A "soft" corner is only a concern if it does not fit with the rest of the image.

The dichotomy is interesting. One group is interested in what while the other group is interested in how.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Michael Jordon got better in the gym, not in the shoe store.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

User ID wrote:

Solved my bad habit with a GH6. Now I can always severely remind myselves that I have indulged solidly beyond my actual needs.

OTOH, sometimes I think I might sell it, just so I can return to my bad habit !

Whatever you do, it's the right thing for you, right? I seldom regret, once I decide.

My wife (and her old friend from middle school in the '70s) just went to the Galapagos Islands for a ten-day small boat adventure. She took an iPhone 12 Pro Max and an Olympus TG-6. That was enough for her. National Geographic quality? NOT. But they gave her over 1200 great chances at memorable moments, about 200 of which are worth saving. She'll enjoy them for years.

She did not want to take any more cameras than that. She wanted to live in the moment. Their tour guide had a couple of cameras and shared his best photos and videos with the whole group of 18, so she came back with plenty of memories. I get to see the highlights, and feel good that I can still afford my next camera. And I didn't get violently ill with motion sickness.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

PhotoMono123 wrote:

Interesting stuff. br br I have always felt that ... (show quote)

Sometimes it is hard for people to realize that we are trying to communicate with our tools, and not to advertise for our tool manufacturers. Yet there's this tendency to think, "If I only had this gizmo, I'd have better pictures." The proper retort is, "Probably not unless you have the appropriate knowledge and skills and experience to guide your use of the new tool."

GrannyAnnie

CHG_CANON wrote:

Michael Jordon got better in the gym, not in the shoe store.

Absolutely true!!!

terryMc Loc: Arizona's White Mountains

User ID wrote:

I have no complaints at all about her imaging.

Yeah, but acoarst, nobody cares what you think.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

CHG_CANON wrote:

Michael Jordon got better in the gym, not in the shoe store.

I wish someone had told that to my twins when they were in middle school and wanted every new pair of Air Jordans or whatever shoe was announced each week... There was a huge teen shoe craze in Charlotte in 2009-2014.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

An ounce of practice is worth more than 30 megapixels.