Why do we use more expensive gear than needed?

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Leen Koper
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Why do we use more expensive gear than needed?

Post by Leen Koper »

Sometimes, when it is quiet, I sit down, have a glass of wine, and think a little about the meaning of life and how to make it as comfortable as possible.

Lately I wondered why we all use -at least most of us- expensive cameras in the studio like the D3 where we could easily use a D700, a D300s where a D5000 would do. It is not the focussing system, because that will do on both cameras, it is not the sealing against bad weather, because it is in the studio and so on and so forth.
In the studio the camera is just a black box and we don't use or need any fancy features.

I use a D5000 in the studio, set to ISO 200, M, 1/125, usualy F6,3 and that is it. Nothing to it, but it does what it is supposed to do. That is to take images up to 60x90 cm (24x36 inches) and that is more than sufficient for my normal practice as a professional portrait photographer.
I know, I've tried a few shots with a 24 mpx Nikon camera, but did not notice any substantial difference . So for just a few hundred euros I am a happy camper and I never saw the need to upgrade.

Could it be just camera lust? Or are we trying to impress the customers?
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Stany Buyle
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Re: Why do we use more expensive gear than needed?

Post by Stany Buyle »

Leen Koper wrote:Sometimes, when it is quiet, I sit down, have a glass of wine, and think a little about the meaning of life and how to make it as comfortable as possible.
Lately I wondered why we all use -at least most of us- expensive cameras in the studio like the D3 where we could easily use a D700, a D300s where a D5000 would do. It is not the focussing system, because that will do on both cameras, it is not the sealing against bad weather, because it is in the studio and so on and so forth.
In the studio the camera is just a black box and we don't use or need any fancy features. I use a D5000 in the studio, set to ISO 200, M, 1/125, usualy F6,3 and that is it. Nothing to it, but it does what it is supposed to do. That is to take images up to 60x90 cm (24x36 inches) and that is more than sufficient for my normal practice as a professional portrait photographer.
I know, I've tried a few shots with a 24 mpx Nikon camera, but did not notice any substantial difference . So for just a few hundred euros I am a happy camper and I never saw the need to upgrade.?
Someone could prefer a D3X for studio work because of native iso 100, detail and DR I guess, A D3 or D5000 at iso 200 won't make any difference for this work though...
Pictures out of a higher Mp camera appear natively sharper, which might be important for the eyes... I guess...
Leen Koper wrote:Could it be just camera lust? Or are we trying to impress the customers?
In the above case I think it could be important to impress customers... People "think" the big camera will do better ;) ...

For wildlife, sports, action, landscape, lowlight and soo many other applications there is no doubt though that better, more sofisticated gear offers more opportunities for capturing better pics.
kindest regards,

Stany
I like better one good shot in a day than 10 bad ones in a second...
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Leen Koper
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Re: Why do we use more expensive gear than needed?

Post by Leen Koper »

You are right, for normal studio portraits etc. we don't need any more than a 12 mpx camera. A camera like Hasselblad offers more, but not any customer will notice it. Any more mpx than 12 will just serve the pixel peeping photographer at 'normal' print sizes.
If you need an expensive camera to impress customers you are a) not worth it and b) you have considerably overspend. :D
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Stany Buyle
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Re: Why do we use more expensive gear than needed?

Post by Stany Buyle »

Leen Koper wrote:Could it be just camera lust? Or are we trying to impress the customers?

StanyB wrote:In the above case I think it could be important to impress customers... People "think" the big camera will do better ;) ....
Leen Koper wrote:If you need an expensive camera to impress customers you are a) not worth it and b) you have considerably overspend. :D
I just imagine that nowadays you can run into a situation during a wedding that, -based on the equipment- nobody knows who is the professional photographer... ;)
kindest regards,

Stany
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Leen Koper
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Re: Why do we use more expensive gear than needed?

Post by Leen Koper »

Qh, sure you can! By his attitude!
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Re: Why do we use more expensive gear than needed?

Post by BNikolai »

Hi, Leen Koper. I don't like to talk in a foreign language, we all have translaters for that. We live in the same country. But I know photofriends; they want impress us with there big arsenal of camera's and lenses. They forget, that the picture is the most important thing in our world of photography. My camera, my only best camera is Nikon D700; for me it's enough. My older D200 can be used, when the Nikon D700 is out of order. Sometimes I look with a smile to my Photofriends in the street, that they are not quick enough in there reaction caused by so different camera's. It's a nice fealing to be rich with so many camera's, but I feel myself rich when I am quick enough for THE photo of the day. In april I was a short time in Beijing with 5 other friends making photo's of the Hutongs, modern centrum, Chinese Wall, Lama temple and forbidden town of the last Emperor. I had to say, I met very friendly Chinese people, not all, but much more friendly then here . They were happy with much less then we are here in Europe. I learned of my teachers(photography) long time ago, that you have to work with tools,as it is spinal marrowwork (ruggenmergwerk). We are spoilt. But you have to earn with photography, I stayed an amateur. And very happy with my book made by Blurb over Beijing. I hope you have your rhythm back; I read your story
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Re: Why do we use more expensive gear than needed?

Post by pam.meier »

I never thought of it this way. Maybe that´s because I´m such a gearhead and I have always tried to buy the best camera I could afford. So I like the D3 - it is a great camera, I love the handling and I don´t mind it being rather big. I wouldn´t want to drag it around a whole day, but if I did weddings, I guess, it builds muscles and you get used to it.

I get hired as a photographer because of the work I did and get recommended, so it is not the cameras, I hope ;)
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Re: Why do we use more expensive gear than needed?

Post by Steve Bingham »

1- More reliable - paramount as a pro.
2- Who knows if I will need a HUGE print later - I want the best glass just in case.
3- Because I can!?!? If you can afford a new (or decent) car, why drive a junker that might fall apart at any moment? Life is short.
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