It’s the Christmas shopping season and photo equipment peddlers are working tirelessly to convince you that all of the gear you bought last year or the year before is no longer what you need. The new stuff will make you a better photographer and you have to get it. This is a truckload of crap.
It’s no wonder people remain in a state of confusion on what gear they should buy when starting out or when they’re thinking about upgrading gear they already own.
Here’s my thoughts on the subject.
Before we start, keep in mind that I shoot Nikon, so many of the references I make are about that brand. That doesn’t mean that Nikon is the best or preferred or what you should be buying. There are many other manufacturers of cameras out there just as capable as Nikon.
Here we go.
Don’t listen to camera marketers and YouTube “pros”. Their jobs are to sell their client’s cameras and lenses. Do your research and only buy what you need to produce the photography you want to produce. If you’re not a paid professional photographer, then you don’t need a Canon 1D or a Nikon D5. Period. Only purchase gear that best fits within your budget and suitable for where you are at as a photographer.
If you’re new to photography, start slow and learn the craft first. Don’t go overboard on gear and save the money. You’d be better served by spending your savings on experiences. Take trips. Go on weekend getaways. Visit other cities, states or countries. Take a lot a pictures along the way, make mistakes, learn from them and grow.
You don’t need a high end camera at the beginning. If photography is a new hobby for you or you’re a casual shooter, the lower end cameras will be where you’ll want to start and, maybe, stay. Spending five grand for a kit when you don’t know what you are doing is a waste of money. A Nikon D3500 kit is an entry level camera and will capture thousands of quality pictures, only costing about $400.00 for the camera and lenses. Canon has a similar price-point kit. If you own a smart phone, you have a great beginner camera already. Use it. Learn how to shoot in manual mode, learn composition, learn how your camera works.
New gear will not make you a better photographer. In some cases new gear makes things worse. There’s always a learning curve with every new piece of gear you buy. That goes for both camera bodies and lenses.
Don’t upgrade your equipment until you outgrow the gear you own. Don’t worry, you’ll know when it’s time to upgrade.
I bought my first digital camera in 2003, a Fujifilm S5000 at a cost of $400. It was a 3.1/6 mp camera. It wasn’t until I started chasing storms that I outgrew the capabilities of the Fuji. Because of that, in 2007 I upgraded to a Nikon D80/10.2 mp. I learned a LOT while using the D80 and produced some great images. In 2012, I upgraded to the D7000/16.2 mp (it did video), and in 2016 I bought the camera I use today, the D500/20.9 mp. Technology advances are the only reasons I’ve upgraded at all.
My D7000 is still a very capable camera and I occasionally use it when I don’t want to haul around my heavier body and lenses. This old camera and a 35mm prime is still a great setup for street photography.
You don’t need a 50 mp sensor to get great images. Most people share photographs online, in an email, or they print 4×6 images. A 12 mp camera will do the job just fine. Don’t stress over the mp.
To put this into perspective, the photograph in this post of my D7000 was shot with the D80 six years ago.
Lenses are another bone of contention with me. Yes, I have picked up a few expensive lenses over the last decade. But there’s nothing wrong with affordable prime lenses either. A Nikon 50mm/f1.8 lens or a 35mm/f1.8 can be purchased for less than a couple hundred bucks a piece. The expensive lenses, such as a Sigma 50mm/f1.4 Art lens costing about $900 today, are not only more expensive, but they’re bulkier and heavier than other primes. But, if you insist on spending some cash on gear, buy good lenses. You don’t upgrade lenses like you do camera bodies and you’ll probably have them long after you’ve upgraded your camera a few times. They also retain a lot of their value over time.
Only buy lenses you’ll use. I purchased the Nikon 70-200 lens a few years ago for over $2,000. I’ve used it a few times over the years, but it’s not something I grab every day. It’s heavy and not wide enough most of the time. I then bought a Nikon 24-70 the following year at a cost of $2,300. Over four grand spent on two lenses. Not something a beginner or casual photographer should even consider at the beginning. Start with the lenses that come with your camera and then buy additional lenses when you need to fill a void.
The bottom line? “The best camera is the one you have with you.” There’s a lot of truth in that. If you have a kit that you don’t want to carry around because it’s too heavy, then it’s not going to do much for your photography. In some cases, showing up to an event with a D5 and a 70-200mm lens will get you kicked out of that event. For that reason, I still take a lot of photographs with my phone. It’s about the photographs you take and share, not the gear you own.
If you really want to be a better photographer, enjoy the gear you have and practice, practice, practice. It’s like learning a musical instrument. You’re not going to pick up a violin and play like Itzhak Perlman. Photography is no different. Get out there often, experiment and keep refining your skills. That’s how it’s done.
Happy shooting!