Does Expensive Gear Matter?
"You’re photos are awesome, you must have a nice camera.” It’s a neg I’ve heard for the umpteenth time. It’s innocent enough a statement not to take personally but it’s certainly easy enough to. Having said that I’ve certain fallen into the trap of complimenting a photographer on their kit rather than their work ethic; it’s a victimless crime that I’ve committed too, so I make these remarks humbled by them. On face value I’m grateful for any kindness expressed toward me.
So I thought I’d discuss the mindset I hold pertaining to what is and isn’t important about the contents of a photographer’s camera bag. Photography is, as we are all aware, an expensive vice. It’s not for the faint of heart and shouldn’t be pursued by anyone who has the tendency to get discouraged when they don’t see a correlation between expense and image quality. It’s my opinion that a talented and disciplined chef wouldn’t need an expensive kitchen to create a delicious meal, by the same token I don’t subscribe to the idea that an expensive camera and lens combination will bear any fruit without the requisite knowledge.
Why is it that most photographer’s purchase top of the line, expensive camera gear? Including yours truly. I can’t speak for anyone else but myself, and I have three reasons:
Creative Freedom
Quality of Hardware for high resolution print
Long term financial and creative investment relative to to short term image potential
1. Creative Freedom:
Expensive, top of the line equipment buys you one thing above everything else: creative licence. To use the chef analogy, Gordon Ramsay can cook an awesome meal without an oven, but with an oven he has more potential to get creative. In my field a camera and a single lens will certainly suffice to create beautiful images if you have the creativity to make that work. In fact each image in my collection is created with exactly that, however I have the luxury to amend my lens choice at will. This is a very powerful ally to have at wedding or social function: candid’s are easier to capture from afar and group images are better handled by a wider angle lens. Having both in my arsenal makes me versatile.
This inevitably leads to the conversation of what lens is best for you? What camera is best for you? What tripod/ camera bag/ lighting equipment. That’s something I can’t answer for you, however what I’ve done throughout my career is purchased equipment that’s allow me to take the images I want to be able to take. I think this is the first question one needs to ask themself when faced the myriad choice of equipment available in 2021. I needed a wide angle lens, high pixel quality and a sturdy tripod for my landscapes, so that’s what I shopped for. I needed a telephoto lens when I wanted to shoot sports and weddings and I needed a body that could handle the demand of both those fields. Understanding what it is you’re shooting and what that demands both creatively and technically will tell you whether what you have will suffice you or not. This doesn’t mean I’d advocate for one brand over another, or a product over another. If you’ve decided you need a 50mm prime lens for parties and the like then it needn’t be the most expensive option offered by your preferred supplier. I personally shoot with the Canon 50mm f1.8 II , I’ve used the 1.2 and the 1.4 and as much as I’ve noticed the difference between them, I’ve never been limited by any of them. Shop for what you need at your price point. Needing a 50mm lens means you need a lens that says 50mm on the side. Take it from there; everything else is negotiable.
2. Quality of Hardware for Higher Resolution Prints
In my years I’ve shot exclusively with Canon. I started with the 1000D in 2010, upgraded to the original 7D after a year then upgraded to the 5D MkIII two years later which has lasted me since. I currently own four lenses but have purchased in eleven years as many as 10. Each time I’ve made a purchase it’s been to upgrade equipment I was dissatisfied with or replace equipment that was either broken, lost or stolen. Currently I’d be willing to invest more in a quality piece of hardware simply because I need the quality elements to be able to produce printable and saleable imagery.
I’m at a point in my career where printing tangible versions of my images is becoming more important. Soon I’ll have a store and I need to know my images can handle the requirements of my printing needs, as well I need to know my supplier will meet the expectations a landscape photographer requires when printing fine art. One of these things I can control: my equipment. Bouncing from cheap camera to cheap camera is a short term strategy that ultimately ends up being more expensive. It’s a good way of testing the water whilst you learn; a £600 camera is a better waste of money than a £3,999 camera. It’s a tactic for the unsure.
But for the hardcore amongst us, the ones that take this as a vocation rather than a hobby. £3,999 is cheap relative to image quality. The expensive camera will be smart, intuitive and designed to be reflexive. It’s sensor will be reliable and dense, its connections will be air tight and it’s materials durable. The lenses will have fewer elements making them lighter, the glass will be crisper and kind, the metals will be durable and the design will be secure to dust and sand. All of this translates in some way to better images, and better hardware translates to better prints. Most of your work will end up being viewed on a screen, but when you see your work printed; you’ll see the returns on your investment.
3. Long term financial and creative investment relative to to short term image potential
Eventually you’ll hit a point where you’ll confront yourself about whether photography is a serious passion or not. I can’t tell you what will determine that decision, however if you decide to yourself that photography is a passion of yours: the smart financial decision is to invest is something reliable long term. These cameras and lenses will be something that will be built with higher quality (for Canon these are the full frame cameras and L series lenses), the glass will be crisper and the sensor will be reliable in print. These are things that were important to me to make sure my replacement purchases were minimised. The 5D that I bought in 2013 I still use, the 200mm f2.8L lens I bought in 2015 I still use, the 17-40mm f4L lens I purchased in 2012 I still use. These were all expensive investments, that have yielded in that I haven’t replaced them. By contrast I’m on my 4th 50mm lens. My 6th one will likely bring me across the marked cost threshold of the more expensive 50mm f1.2L.
Learning from the maths of this, the 100mm f2 lens I lost several years ago will be replaced by the 135mm f2L lens. It’s twice the cost, but the build quality will make it a long term investment rather than a stop gap.
So in the end, expensive gear matters… If it matters to you. These are my reasons for investing in the more expensive equipment, and I’d be curious to hear your thoughts otherwise. However the images I’m taking now, I know how to take them on the very first camera I purchased in 2010. If you can’t say you could take your best picture with your worst pieces of kit; then expensive gear doesn’t matter. Learning the techniques and and craft is what will pay dividends in your photography experience.
