jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

The photography club that I belong to invites a "feature photographer" to do a 10 minute presentation of their work every month. What that is is one of our members is asked to choose about 25 photos to put up on the projector and do a little talk about how they got started in photography and to talk a little about some of their photos. It's to help us get to know some of the members. Not all are good. But I remember one in particular that got up and put on her presentation and I missed the very first part where she explained about the equipment she used and only saw the excellent work she projected on the screen. I was new to the club so I didn't know what was happening and didn't know that she was just a regular member of our club. I thought she was a pro photographer. Her work was so good I really thought she was a pro. At the end she held up a point and shoot camera and said, "this is the camera I use for all these images". I was blown away.

That's when I knew that spending money for the best equipment isn't necessary.

Another little story is that once a month I meet at the Canon Learning center in Costa Mesa CA along with about 60 others to participate in what they call "Critique & Print" where each person brings in an image on a thumb drive and they put it up on the big screen and the whole group critiques the images. You can stay anonymous and just let them talk or you can own up to your work and answer a few questions about your work like where the image was taken or what your settings were etc... After they critique your 2 images, the group votes on the best one and then a person from Canon prints that image on 22x17 paper on their Pro-1000 printer for you to keep. They also buy dinner for the group so it is a pretty big draw.

Now to my point; I met a woman at this event and she would always speak up about her images and her equipment. Her husband is very well to do and bought her the best equipment Canon makes. I'm talking about the 1DX Mark II body, and just about any and all the L series glass Canon makes including the $12,000 600mm f/4 Mark II lens. I'm telling you, she is the worse photographer I've seen with such fine equipment. She would probably get better pictures if she put the camera in the full auto mode and clicked away. I've known her for a few years too. So she isn't a total rookie. I went on a model shoot at the beach one time and when the sun was setting she was kneeling next to me as I was shooting a backlit model with the setting sun behind her and I was using fill flash. That woman asked to see some of my pictures and she was really impressed and asked me for my settings. So I tried to tell her how to do what I was doing but she just couldn't get it. She kept using the settings that she "knew" were best and couldn't get a single good shot.

Even the best camera Canon makes wouldn't make her into a good photographer. My step daughter does better with her cell phone than the woman with $20,000 of Canon Equipment.....

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

These discussions almost always include a response referencing the sculptor or the chisel. I never bought into that one. And I can't quickly find that anyone has brought it up here. But I don't care who you are, if your chisel won't sharpen, or if it bends or rolls or breaks, you can't do the sculpture. And for that matter, if the marble isn't right, you can't do the sculpture either.

philo Loc: philo, ca

One other factor that i think is very important.......Being at the right place at the right time and having your camera ready. Some of the greatest and best know photos were taken by amateurs and not pro. the luck of the Irish.

woodworkerman Loc: PA to FL

As Artie used to say, "Verrrrry Interesting."

LFingar Loc: Claverack, NY

It isn't a question of whether or not a poor photographer will do better with expensive gear, even though many people seem to think that is what it is all about. It's about whether or not good quality high performance equipment will allow a competent photographer to do a better job and the answer is, unquestionably, yes. It doesn't have to be the very top dollar equipment either. It just has to be equipment that the photographer can get the most out of. A good photographer can get good results from most any camera but having a more capable camera gives that same photographer more options in how and what they shoot. I defy anyone to take their cell phone or point-and-shoot out to shoot wildlife and then compare it to the work Regis does with his cameras. Sure, he could no doubt get some good results with cheaper cameras, but if you were to ask him I would bet he would have good reasons why he uses the equipment he does. Of everyone on here I consider him one of the best examples of an excellent photographer using excellent equipment to get shots that few others can. Lesser equipment just provides fewer opportunities to do that kind of work.

Glenn Harve

This whole thing is circular, obvious and silly. Photographer needs camera, camera needs photographer. Sometimes a mirror helps.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Tony and Chelsea are gearheads. They’re essentially right: In the hands of a reasonably knowledgeable and experienced user, a better camera consistently will yield *technically* better image quality (sharpness, smoothness, color, contrast, etc.).

What a better camera will NOT do by itself is to make a better *photograph*. Users do that.

By photograph, I mean an “image of significance,” where technical quality takes a back seat to, but supports, the message, moment, historical or sentimental significance, instructional value, composition, lighting, perspective, social meaning... in short, the qualities other than technical image quality that make it special.

A distinction some of us make is similar to the old adage that, “If you give a room full of lower primates a typewriter, they might produce a work as good as Shakespeare.” It’s unlikely, but there’s some infinitesimal chance it could happen.

In the hands of an untrained user, a top tier camera might record a technically good image. It’s less likely it will be an outstanding photograph. Take that camera off of its Auto modes, and it’s also less likely an untrained user will record a technically good image.

Somehow, I don’t think Tony or Chelsea would disagree with me on this.

In full Auto, anyone with a Sony A9, Nikon D850, or Lumix S1R can take phenomenal quality snapshots. But it takes a photographer to make something more.

A top pro or enthusiast wants to use the best gear available for the job and genre. But in a pinch, that person most probably can produce compelling images with lesser tools.

philo Loc: philo, ca

i marvel at some of the images taken with a cell phone. However i have never taken a photo with a cell phone, i guess it goes against my nature.

stanikon Loc: Deep in the Heart of Texas

Ability to visualize the final result and the ability to see the potential of the subject, all wrapped up in what we refer to as "talent."

BebuLamar

The ability to visualize the final result has now been replaced by the EVF according to the "Mirrorless Advocates" .

10MPlayer Loc: California

I hang out at a forum devoted to saxophones. Sax music, sax playing, buying and selling saxes, you name it. The guys there have the same arguments about GAS. The endless search for the one perfect mouthpiece that will make you sound like your favorite jazz artist is referred to "chops in a box". It takes a sax player years to develop a sound that he/she is satisfied with.

Why so long? Because it's really hard. It's just human nature to want to take a shortcut to becoming an expert. Great gear makes it easier to get there but there's no substitute for study and application of great technique.

cbtsam Loc: Monkton, MD

Just a nit to pick: as I recall, that Hawkeye I had took 620.

chasgroh Loc: Buena Park, CA

KISS works. Especially in this case. Bravo.

Dr.Nikon Loc: Honolulu Hawaii

Nice examples .. and post well made ..

chasgroh Loc: Buena Park, CA

...kinda the same with my tuba brethren, but, really, we just browse each other's mouthpieces, shrug, and try to stay in time. ;0)