gwilliams6

I agree, image quality needs vary from photographer to photographer. Doing this as a hobbyist and for a living the past 50 + years I have used camera systems at all levels of image quality.

For me, I will never willingly go back to less image quality as I have now with my fullframe 50mp A1, and fullframe 61mp A7RIV.

I do also own the video-centric A7SIII which only has a 12mp sensor. I use that for impromptu still shots at family gatherings where I can quickly share shots that will never be seen larger than on a computer or smartphone screen. .

But when I make the extra effort to light and take family photos on scouted locations or in the studio that will be printed and are for posterity, I use my A7RIV or my A1. And when I shoot wildlife, portraits, sports, fashion, landscapes, weddings, corporate client work, etc., I want always to use the best image quality gear I can afford. Just the way I roll. I am 71 years old, how long am I supposed to wait until I graduate to the top image quality gear that I can afford? LOL

Here some family Xmas shots I made of my nephew and his family, along a stream in a public park location that I scouted out a week in advance. Knowing I would need to use three strobe lights to get the images and lighting ratios I wanted; and knowing I would need to trudge all my lighting gear, strobes, stands ,sandbags, plus cameras and lenses all out to the remote location, and knowing the effort they were also making with a young baby to get him ready, awake and alert, there was no way I was going to shoot these images with my 12mp A7SIII. Just the way I roll.

After they saw the images, they told me they will cherish these 150 shots forever. They deserved my best efforts and the best image quality I could give them.

Your choices and needs , and the choices and needs of the OP may vary, and there is nothing wrong about that for you both. I make my living with my camera gear, I want to use the best tools that I can afford to help me do the best job.

Here just a couple of the nearly 150 shots I made there that day, all shot with my 50mp fullframe Sony A1. Three Godox AD200Pro strobes, Sony 24-105mm f4 G OSS, Sony 135mm f1.8 GM , and Sony 24mm f1.4 GM lenses.

Cheers and best to you all. Use what works for you and be happy.

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gwilliams6

Click on download to see the best image quality of these three shots

Bill_de Loc: US

That makes sense, otherwise they would be shooting a different brand!

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ORpilot Loc: Prineville, Or

👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 As a photographer for the last 55 plus years with a BFA MFA and like you. I also use the best I can. I’ll bet you and I as well as other Old Timers and tell the difference in an 8x10 or even 5x7 shot by a m4/3 vs Full Frame.

chapin in utah Loc: Utah

Beautiful pics! Thanks for sharing them

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

And why is that a point?

I can tell that difference between FF and m43, and the difference between 120 6x9 and 35mm film. But in most cases I care about, it just doesn’t matter. And that’s okay. Just as it’s okay to use whatever you like that suits your need.

gwilliams6

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Right on,

I have the BFA from R.I.T. in 1975, and a MA from SCAD in 2009, couldn't afford the extra costs to get the MFA, LOL

Cheers and best to you.

gwilliams6

Thanks, you are welcome,

Cheers, and best to you

SuperflyTNT Loc: Manassas VA

I’ll bet you a whole lot of money that you can’t. I bet you can’t even tell with one of my 16x20’s.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

It's not the sensor, but the mirror. Mirrorless cameras are a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. Images captured from behind a mirror are cold, heartless and uncaring.

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

I have read all of the replies. There are two or three which actually address your question. The remainder are mostly pleas to spend your money on the same equipment as the writers have bought.

The fact that you have a camera, three fairly logically chosen lenses, and some additional specialized equipment tells me that you have at least a little bit more rational knowledge of what you are doing that what you are letting on. Your need right now is to develop your interest and motivation. And it may or may not come back. I was in exactly the same spot when I retired a little over six years ago. And I found that the market had changed enough while I'd been doing photography at a lower level that it was necessary to see just where I was in the world.

I suggest that you don't do anything about equipment right away. You may decide that it was silly or just wrong. Dust off what you have, make sure you have a couple of good batteries, and start carrying your camera with you where you go. I'd suggest the 18-200mm lens. It's not that heavy. Take some pictures. See if you enjoy it. Try the other lenses. See what happens. The D7200 is a pretty decent camera, but it does have some limitations. See if you bump up against them. Then decide what to do.

chapin in utah Loc: Utah

[quote=larryepage]I have read all of the replies. There are two or three which actually address your question. The remainder are mostly pleas to spend your money on the same equipment as the writers have bought.

The fact that you have a camera, three fairly logically chosen lenses, and some additional specialized equipment tells me that you have at least a little bit more rational knowledge of what you are doing that what you are letting on. Your need right now is to develop your interest and motivation. And it may or may not come back. I was in exactly the same spot when I retired a little over six years ago. And I found that the market had changed enough while I'd been doing photography at a lower level that it was necessary to see just where I was in the world.

I suggest that you don't do anything about equipment right away. You may decide that it was silly or just wrong. Dust off what you have, make sure you have a couple of good batteries, and start carrying your camera with you where you go. I'd suggest the 18-200mm lens. It's not that heavy. Take some pictures. See if you enjoy it. Try the other lenses. See what happens. The D7200 is a pretty decent camera, but it does have some limitations. See if you bump up against them. Then decide what to do.[/quot

Thank you very much!
I think I will follow your advise and dust off my dinosaur camera and have some fun

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

Have fun shooting.

By the way...I have substantially updated and upgraded my equipment in the 6+ years that I have been back. It's been a little at a time, based on new things I wanted to do, and with little to no counsel from others. As I learned, and as I ventured into new areas of photography, it became easy and comfortable to decide just what I needed or wanted. I've been very happy with my choices and am still happily using all of the new "toys." While those choices weren't radical at all, they were not always the ones that the masses here would have made for me. But they will last me for as long as I want to do photography.

azted Loc: Las Vegas, NV.

Gerald, in the middle picture (gorgeous photos!) all of the eyes have a single catch light, except for the baby whose eyes caught two strobes. Can you explain why? I am interested because I have not been happy when I take photos with two catch lights. Thanks, Ted

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

Removing extra catchlights is very easy, and routinely done by many photographers.