Cameras & lenses

The first question most aspiring photographers ask themselves, is not what kind of photography they want to do, but mostly which camera do they want to buy. And what lense(s) will they need.

The answer to this would deserve an entire document in itself, but I’ll try to cover the basic points here.

Camera selection

Contrary to the general belief ‘the more megapixel the better’, the maximum amount of megapixel is less relevant than you may think. A very high resolution is mostly relevant for print and even there it really depends on the size and type of your print (and things like viewing distance). If you mostly share pictures online, then a 5MB camera is more than enough. I won’t go into the topic of different file formats and their pros and cons here, but a JPG of only 5MB would be more than enough for digital sharing and even for most amateur print requirements.

The general rule (as hard to accept as that may be) is that a good camera does not automatically make a good photographer (or in turn a good picture). Even the most sophisticated DSLR won’t produce solid photographs if the operator doesn’t know what he or she is doing.

A good camera is one that fits the purpose of the shooter (depending on what kind of photography he or she mostly wants to do) and factors in things like size, weight, build quality, features, cost, available accessories, compatibility to other systems, etc. 

Some famous photographer once said "the best camera is the one you carry with you all the time". There are really awesome photographers out there who exclusively shoot with Smartphones (Check out the awesome Jason M Peterson and your concept of camera cost vs image awesomness will forever be thrown upside down). 

I find myself often in situations where I have perfect light and a great scene and my beloved Leicas are home in a cabinet and ‘all’ I had was my smartphone. Smartphone cameras today can produce fantastic results if you know how to use them and a lot of the magic anyway happens in post production. 

Having said that there is something I truly enjoy about using my ‘professional’ cameras. I like the build quality, weight and handling and something I enjoy handling is something encouraging me to use it a lot. A 20.000 USD Hasselblad will not create better photographs. I guarantee you. I’m not making a case against buying good or expensive cameras. If your budget allows it, knock yourself out. But don’t be fooled thinking that spending top dollar will create top results. 

The setup I use is smartphones for everyday things and Leicas for dedicated ‘me time’ (mostly on vacations). I found that to be a good compromise between both worlds. Most of us unfortunate souls who don’t photograph for a living, are having busy lives, busy schedules, kids, families, shit to do….and carving out dedicated photography time is hard enough. So why not use the one tool we literally carry on us 24/7. 

If you do go pro, think well about your use cases. 

Are you into fashion/studio/portrait photography? If yes, choose a camera that lets you use a wide range of lenses, adapters, tethering products, flashes, triggers, etc

Is street photography your thing? Go for something small and inconspicuous. Nothing to scare an unsuspecting passerby more than if you stick a full on DSLR with a monster lense and flash in his face. Rangefinder cameras are usually really small (both body and lense) and are ideal for candid street shots. 

Are you into wildlife, water sports, action photography? Get a rugged camera with fast shutter and a Telelense.

Lense selection

On the question of lenses, the answer is also ‘it depends’! The two main types of lenses are:

·      Prime lenses

·      Zoom lenses

Prime lenses are lenses that have a fixed focal length that you cannot change. Contrary to zoom lenses where you can adjust the focal length within a certain range (depending on the lense). Prime lenses are usually better in build quality because they don’t require additional parts for the zooming. If you are interested in paparazzi style photography, a huge tele lens with a good zoom would be your go to lense.

Focal length

The focal length also depends on the type of photography you would like to do. Lower focal lengths have wider angles (great for landscape and street photography) and higher focal length are ideal for portrait photography (they are more flatering for the model)

Next chapter: Digital vs Film

Previous chapter: The Power of Light