burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Joy of using or motivation to learn are both "needs" if you have them. I get that. What I don't get is the automatic twitch reaction that some people have to equate gear with skill.

Gear equates to POTENTIAL to solve problems or improve efficiencies.

Skills are acquired by study, observation, trial and error, constructive feedback, and repeated application of same.

The vast majority of people who like to eat don't ask a chef what pots and pans they use. They just eat the food and (hopefully) compliment the chef. The right kitchen utensils do make cooking and cleanup easier and more efficient. But until you know how to cook, the $10 pan from Walmart and the $100 pan from an industrial kitchen supply house will burn a dish just as easily.

What Emily is saying is the same thing I stress with newbies: For that base set of needs, a decent adjustable camera with a modicum of common features will suffice. As you learn and grow, you will reach a point where subject matter may demand better gear, or you realize what the next level device can do for you. Until then, improving knowledge has a greater impact on output quality (viewer response to your work) than does a new camera.

Professional camera use is different from enthusiast/hobbyist use. Professionals can justify expenses and write them off, and have a genuine need to use equipment that is current enough to qualify for [Brand] Professional Services service and repair. Pros don't want cameras that can't be repaired quickly, or that don't qualify for loaner bodies to be shipped while waiting on repairs.

The well-heeled enthusiast may be able to throw thousands at equipment. I recall a high school friend whose father was a heart surgeon. He had the Corvette for weekend jaunts to their beach and mountain houses they owned, and one day he decided to take up photography. He bought two new Nikons and six lenses with leather bags for everything, along with a supply of film.

After exposing a couple of rolls of film, and getting it back from the lab, he realized his results were no better than from his point-and-shoot rangefinder Yashica. He hadn't read the manuals. He didn't take a course, or subscribe to a magazine, or try anything further. He stashed the gear in a closet in his foyer.

Years later, after he died, my friend found it all when she and her Mom were cleaning out the house to sell it. The receipts were in the pocket of one of the bags, along with two rolls of expired film from the initial purchase. The brainy heart surgeon had decided it was too much trouble to learn to use that "sophisticated" Nikon F2AS! He fell back on what he knew, which was the compact rangefinder.

If the good doc had just taken a short course, or read a couple of books, or even asked me for help, he would have been able to use it. Heck, his daughter had taken a course and knew how to use all that stuff. But of course he wouldn't let her touch it.

Until there is some knowledge behind the camera, results are not assured.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

At your age, it's perfectly justified. I told my wife in December that life is too short to buy crappy equipment. I just bought her a new Mac that cost more than she thought it should. But she knows I get stuff that we can use for a reasonably long time. It'll still be fine in five years.

Otterbug

👍👍

BebuLamar

When your age is upthere 5 years is quite short.

Bridges Loc: Memphis, Charleston SC, now Nazareth PA

If that is what you are referencing, you may be spending too much time on FB!

huyenguyen408

Just ordered and received an XQD memory card from a used camera on line store: MPB. New, the card cost around $200, used only $87 including tax, free shipping. It works well but physical it misses half of the top cover broken off.
I can't email, can't call to voice my complaint ! Lucky I didn't purchase any expensive item like a camera or a lens. So, the point here is never buy anything second handed that you can't return or contact the seller ! For me, no more MPB from now on ! Hope you guys learn my lesson !

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

You must not have looked very hard at MPB's web site. I found an e-mail, sales@mpb.com and they also have chat support.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

whomp
whomp

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

I have never been on Facebook or TikTok or MySpace or X.

joecichjr Loc: Chicago S. Suburbs, Illinois, USA

Second is absolutely magnificent 🌈🌈🌈

mudhen

The sky could be blue or red or grey... Whatever.
The last two pictures were taken with a Nikon D700, the other ones were a D810 and a D850. All awesome
camera bodies. I still use all of them. I couldn't come to the realization that I paid over $3000.00 for the D700 when new and now it's only worth a few hundred dollars. For that price I'll keep it. Only has about 9000 shutter clicks.

Camera bodies seem to devalue quite quickly. A good lens however seems to keep it's value much better. Like Leica or Zeiss lenses. Some of the much older ones seem to have astronomical prices.

A high quality lens is needed to take advantage of the high pixel count sensors in some of the camera bodies. What's the point of buying the greatest new camera when you put on a cheap lens and end up with poor image quality. You put a great lens on an older DSLR and come up with fantastic image quality.

If you look at the DXO Mark ratings of the D850 against the Z9 or Z8, The D850 scores higher. The only thing going for the mirrorless cameras is better or faster focusing. Oh, I almost forgot, no mirror slap or shutter slap. Since I shoot mostly landscape and use Zeiss lenses, among others, auto focus is not important to me. Image quality is.

I did buy a Lumix mirrorless micro 4/3 camera. Used it a few times and it's been sitting unused for the last couple of years. Can't seem to get used to the EVF and don't care for the noise levels it provides in the images.

So I prefer my DSLR's that I have, including a D200. I have a library of lenses and that's what I always look at to add to my stable. One great advantage of mirrorless cameras is that the price dropped on F mount lenses. More for me.

As far as mirrorless cameras goes. I don't see myself buying that shiny new camera. I prefer the shiny new lens.

Chris

mudhen

Thanks Joe, That one has won a few awards.

Chris

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Photography is easy when you don’t know how, but very difficult when you have to buy the best equipment.

Alafoto Loc: Montgomery, AL

Your dragonflies are exceptional work. My admiration for your skill with them.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

I understood the post to indicate the results were 100% the camera being used ... isn't that the entire UHH community's assessment?