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Opinion: Thinking about buying medium format? Read this first

24 Mar

The recent announcements of Fujifilm’s GFX 50S and Hasselblad’s X1D have turned a lot of heads, and for good reason. To take the GFX 50S specifically (since it’s more likely to represent an affordable option for DSLR shooters), we love Fujifilm cameras. It’s hard not to – they offer excellent ergonomics with a level of direct control that photographers itch for, and Fujifilm’s color science renders images that harken back to the days of film, while retaining all the advantages of digital. Meanwhile, the X-Trans color filter array (CFA) offers a number of advantages compared to traditional Bayer CFAs, showing decreased false color and a slight noise advantage due to a (relatively) greater proportion of green pixels.

Ultimately, though, the image quality of Fujifilm’s best cameras was limited by their APS-C sized sensors, which simply cannot capture as much light as similar silicon in larger sizes. And if you’ve kept up with our recent technical articles, you’ll know that the amount of total light you’ve captured is arguably the largest determinant of image quality.

‘Fujifilm skipped the arguably saturated full-frame market and went straight to medium format.’

That left many of us wondering when Fujifilm would step up to full-frame (35mm). But Fujifilm went one better – they skipped the arguably saturated full-frame market and went straight to medium format. In a rather compact, lightweight mirrorless form-factor at that. That made a lot of sense especially when you consider Fujifilm’s heritage in medium format film cameras, and its experience making medium-format lenses for other brands.

So, finally, here comes the GFX 50S: Fujifilm ergonomics and colors, but with all the advantages offered by larger sensors. But while heads turn, eyes widen, and colleagues fight over who gets to take the camera out for a shoot, personally I’m in need of a little convincing. And think you should be too, if you’re thinking about plopping down a fat wad of cash for this seemingly drool-worthy system.

But what’s not to like, you ask? Bear with me…

Theoretical advantages of larger sensors

The potential advantages of larger sensors can broadly be split into four areas: noise in low light, dynamic range, subject isolation (shallow depth-of-field), and resolution. But zoom into the following 36MP at 100% – are any of those lacking?

ISO 64 on a Nikon D810 gets me medium format-esque signal:noise ratio (image cleanliness), along with subject isolation I can’t get on medium format just yet, not at this focal length anyway (which would require a non-existent 44mm F2.5 MF lens). The incredible sharpness of this lens means I get good use out of those 36MP even wide open at F2. Photo: Rishi Sanyal (Nikon D810 | Sigma 24-35mm @ 35mm F2)

The question is: does the GFX 50S currently deliver on all, or any, of these advantages over what the best of full-frame has to offer? Let’s look at each separately.

Low light (noise) performance

For the same f-number and shutter speed (or ‘focal plane exposure’), a larger sensor is exposed to more total light. The same light per unit area is projected by the lens, but the larger sensor has more area available capturing it. An image made with more light has less relative photon shot noise (the noise that results from the fact that light arrives randomly at the imaging plane). The more light you capture, the more you ‘average’ out these fluctuations, leading to a cleaner image (that’s the laymen’s description of it anyway; read about it more in-depth here).

That’s why a full-frame camera generally gives you cleaner images than your smartphone.* So if more light means better images, that’s a clear win for the GFX 50S, right?

Not so fast…

No, literally, not so fast. The lenses available for the GFX format simply aren’t as fast as those offered by full-frame competitors. The fastest lens on Fujifilm’s GFX roadmap is F2, which in full-frame equivalent terms is F1.56** (the concept of equivalence is out of scope for this article, but you can read about it in-depth here; for now, just remember the GFX has a reverse crop factor, relative to full-frame, of 0.79x). And most of the current MF lenses hover around F2.8 and F4, or F2.2 and F3.2 equivalent, respectively. That means that if they had the exact same underlying silicon technology (or sensor performance), a full-frame camera with an F2.2 (or F3.2) lens should do just as well as the GFX 50S with its F2.8 (or F4) lens. Even if were were to think ahead to the MF 100MP sensor Sony provides in the Phase One cameras, its 0.64x crop factor at best yields an F1.3 full-frame equivalent lenses from the one F2 lens announced, still not beating out the Canon 85/1.2, and barely beating out the plethora of available F1.4 full-frame lenses. So even if the newly announced G-mount lenses cover the wider medium format image circle (which I’d sure hope they would), things still aren’t so exciting.

But full-frame can do better than that: F1.4 and F1.8 lenses are routinely available for full-frame cameras, typically for less money too. An F1.4 lens projects twice as much light per unit area than an F2 lens, and 4x as much as an F2.8 lens, amply making up for the 1.7x smaller sensor surface area of full-frame.

That means full-frame cameras can capture as much, or more, light as the GFX 50S simply by offering faster lenses. But wait, it there’s more…

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Companies like Sony have poured a lot of R&D into their full-frame (and smaller) sensors, and the a7R II uses a backside-illuminated design that makes it more efficient than the sensor used in the 50S. It also offers a dual-gain architecture that flips the camera into a high gain mode at ISO 640, allowing it to effectively overcome any noise introduced by the camera’s own electronics. In other words, the a7R II’s sensor is better able to use the light projected onto it, relative to the MF sensor – ironically a sensor made by Sony itself – in the G50S (or Pentax 645Z, or Hasselblad X1D). This allows it to match the low light noise performance of the larger sensor in the GFX (and Pentax 645Z and Hasselblad X1D) even at the same shutter speed and f-number. See our studio scene comparison widget above.

‘The Sony a7R II’s sensor is better able to use the light projected onto it, relative to the MF sensor’

So if we start with parity, guess what happens when you open up that aperture on the a7R II to an f-number simply unavailable to any current medium format system? You guessed it: you get better low light performance on full-frame. Whoa.

Dynamic Range

Although the same f-number and shutter speed give a larger sensor more total light, they receive the same amount of light per unit area. Most sensors of a similar generation have broadly similar tolerance for light per unit area (technically: similar full well capacity per unit area). But a larger sensor devotes more sensor area to any scene element, so can tolerate more total light per scene element before clipping. That means that for the same focal plane exposure, despite clipping highlights at a similar point, a larger sensor will render shadows (whose noise levels define the other limit of dynamic range) from more total light. And the same logic that applies to low light noise applies here as well: more total light = less relative shot noise and less impact of any noise from camera electronics. That means cleaner shadows, and more dynamic range.

So another clear win for the larger sensor GFX, no? Well, no. Because someone poured a lot of R&D into the Nikon D810 sensor (noticing a trend here?), giving it higher full-well capacity per unit area than any other sensor we’ve measured to date: its ISO 64 mode. Each pixel can hold more total charge before clipping, relative to equally-sized pixels on any other sensor in a consumer camera. That means it can tolerate a longer exposure at ISO 64, longer enough (at least 2/3 EV, or 60% more light) to capture as much total light as the 68% larger sensor in the GFX 50S exposed at its base ISO (100). Don’t believe us? Check out our real-world dynamic range comparison of the Nikon D810 vs the Pentax 645Z, which ostensibly shares the same sensor as the GFX 50S:

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In this shoot-out, we exposed each camera to the right as far as possible before clipping a significant chunk of pixels in the brightest portion of the Raw (in the orange sky just above the mountains). The D810, in this case, was able to tolerate a full stop longer exposure***, which allows its (pushed) shadows to remain as clean as the 645Z. That’s the (scientific, not baloney) reason we claimed the Nikon D810 to have medium format-like image quality. Because its dynamic range and overall signal:noise performance at ISO 64 rivals many current medium format cameras their base ISOs (though not the huge new 100MP MF Sony sensor in the new Phase One). Just look at its massive SNR advantage (read: image cleanliness) for all tones at ISO 64 over the Canon 5DS R at ISO 100 – we intend to plot the Fujifilm GFX 50S on the same graph, and don’t expect it to show any advantage to the D810. Because science.

Read about this all more in-depth in our D810 review here, and check out Bill Claff’s quantitative data that shows a 0.22 EV base ISO dynamic range difference between the D810 and 645Z – hardly noticeable, much less something to write home about.

‘OK but it’s not fair to compare ISO 64 to ISO 100!’

Fair enough, there’s a little more to the story. ISO 64 does require more exposure than ISO 100, either via a brighter lens, or longer exposure time. But one might argue that under circumstances where you care about dynamic range – i.e. high contrast scenes – you’re typically not light-limited to begin with, and can easily give the camera as much light as needed. Either because you’re shooting on a tripod, you’re using studio lights and can just crank them up, or because there’s so much light to begin with (it is a high contrast scene, right?) You’re working at or near base ISO anyway, so you shouldn’t have trouble adding 2/3 EV exposure by opening up the lens or lengthening the shutter speed a bit.

‘You’re working at or near base ISO anyway, so you shouldn’t have trouble adding 2/3 EV shutter speed’

But, yes, if you’re in a light-limited situation (i.e. you’re not shooting at base ISO) and it’s high enough contrast that you care about dynamic range (have to expose for highlights then push shadows), then the GFX 50S will have the upper hand here. But dare I say, that’s quite the niche use case: keep in mind that most situations demanding higher ISOs tend to be in lower light, where you care more about general noise performance, not dynamic range (since low light scenes tend to have lower contrast). And if that’s what you care about, there’s the a7R II which, although it may clip highlights a bit earlier, can give you as good, or better, low light noise performance… [link back to Noise section above].

But I’ll concede – if you want both the base ISO dynamic range of the D810, and the low light noise performance of an a7R II (albeit with F2 or slower lenses), then the GFX might be your ticket.

Shallow Depth-of-Field

As we calculated in our ‘Low light (noise) performance’ section above, the fastest lens on Fujifilm’s roadmap is ~F1.6 full-frame equivalent, with most current available lenses being F2.2 equivalent or slower. Since full-frame routinely has F1.4 (equivalent) lenses available, you actually get more subject isolation, and blurrier backgrounds, with full-frame than with medium format.

And, no, the ‘but larger formats have more compression because you use longer focal length lenses for the same field-of-view’ argument is false. Just say no to the compression myth. For equivalent focal lengths/apertures, there’s no extra compression. Compression is relative only to equivalent focal length and subject distance (or subject magnification), and its relative distance to the background. Not the format you’re shooting on. Don’t believe us, have a look for yourself:


Full Frame (70mm F4.5)	APS-C (46mm F2.8)

46mm F2.8 on APS-C is roughly equivalent to 70mm F4.3 on full-frame – meaning the two shots above should be virtually identical. And they are, save for a tiny bit more DOF in the full-frame shot because F4.5 was the closest I could get to F4.3. Now, of course, you can get shallower DOF on full-frame, for example by shooting at F2.8. But that’s because those faster lenses are available for full-frame.

They’re not in Fujifilm’s lineup, which includes two F2.8 lenses, one F2 lens, and a few F4 lenses – which are equivalent to F2.2, F1.6, and F3.2 in full-frame terms, respectively.

Without brighter lenses, there’s just no reason to get excited about medium format for subject isolation and blurry backgrounds. If you’re a bokeh fanatic, full-frame’s arguably the sweet spot.

Resolution

OK, finally, some good news. Well, theoretically anyway.

If you have two differently sized sensors with the same pixel count, the smaller one will be more demanding on its lens (it samples the lens at more lines per mm for the same scene frequency). Manufacturing larger lenses is also slightly easier, since the same relative tolerance level can be achieved, despite a larger absolute variance.

So if you’re looking for true 50MP of detail across the frame, you’re more likely to get it with the GFX 50S than with a comparable 50MP full-frame sensor, simply because of the realities of lens design and tolerances. That said, we’ve been told that some of the newer full-frame lens designs were designed with 80 to 100MP in mind, on full-frame sensors. And with the eye-popping performance of some of the newest full-frame lenses we’ve seen, from varied manufacturers, we’re not inclined to disagree. We’ve seen some 50MP files from the 5DS R paired with truly stellar lenses where we simply can’t imagine anything better, resolution-wise. In fact, at ~F5.6-6.2 equivalent, I’m not seeing a major resolution advantage of the medium format cameras over the full-frame cameras in our studio scene comparison tool, and the 50MP full-frame image below isn’t exactly starved for resolution, is it?

50MP Canon 5DS R image, shot with a Sigma 24-35mm F2 lens at F2. At F2 full-frame equiv., this image would have been impossible to shoot on the Fujifilm GFX 50S without a 44mm F2.5 lens, which doesn’t exist, nor is on Fujifilm’s roadmap. And despite the 5DS R’s smaller pixels for the same total pixel count sensor, this image isn’t exactly starving for resolution and sharpness at 1:1 viewing, thanks to modern lens design. Photo: Rishi Sanyal

Put another way: if you’re seeing eye-popping resolution at F2 above and here and here (and even at F1.4 on some new lenses) when viewing a Canon 5DS R 50MP full-frame file at 100% (do click on the above image and view at 100%), do you want or need a truer 50MP? Or do you want even more than 50MP, particularly if it’ll come at the cost of more depth-of-field, since there are hardly any F2 equivalent lenses that’ll give you the subject isolation and background bokeh you see in the full-frame shot above?

Only you can answer that question, but it is true that physics being physics, larger sensors will always tend to out-resolve smaller sensors with equivalent glass. And so this is the area where we most expect to see an advantage to the Fujifilm system, especially over time as we approach 100MP, and beyond. It’s probably easier for an F1.8 prime paired with the GFX 50S to out-resolve an F1.4 prime on a 5DS R when both systems are shot wide open, but whether that will be the case (or if Fujifilm will even make an F1.8 or brighter prime for the system) remains to be seen. I certainly don’t think it would be a cheap combination.

Thanks, DPR, for saving me money / killing my hopes and dreams

Still excited about the Fujifilm GFX 50S and Hasselblad X1D? Perhaps you still should be. You get Fujifilm ergonomics and color science in a body capable of far better image quality than Fujifilm’s APS-C offerings. But remember you can emulate much of that color science in Raw converters with proper profiles (we’re looking into a separate article on this). More importantly, remember that equivalence tells us that an F1.8 medium format prime is what the GFX 50S actually needs to at least match the performance from modern full-frames paired with F1.4 lenses, from the perspective of noise and shallow depth-of-field. And that’s before you consider the advanced silicon technologies we’ve seen in different full-frame (and smaller) sensors that we haven’t yet seen in any medium format sensor. These advances have, for example, allowed a Nikon D810 to catch up to the dynamic range of the Pentax 645Z at base ISO, and the BSI, dual-gain a7R II sensor to catch up to the GFX 50S in low light noise performance.

Still, as I’ve said, physics is physics. For equivalent apertures and final output resolutions, we do expect medium format to yield a slight resolution advantage, thanks to its lower demands on resolving power of lenses. But the extent of this advantage, especially given some of the tremendous progress we’ve seen in recent lens designs, remains to be seen: I’m not starving for eye-popping detail at 1:1 viewing of 50 and 42MP files when pairing a 5DS R or a7R II with stellar modern prime lenses.

‘as medium format evolves, the same gains we see in full-frame over smaller sensors might find their ways into the format.’

Of course, as medium format evolves, the same gains we see in full-frame over smaller sensors might find their ways into the format. But this will require both the silicon to keep up, and for the development of faster lenses. At least as fast as the fastest lenses full-frame offers. One thing does make us hopeful – recent conversations with some forum members alerted us to the fact that certain full-frame lenses, like the Zeiss Otus primes, actually project an image circle large enough for at least a square crop on Fujifilm’s new MF format. That would essentially get you high quality F1.1 equivalent glass on the GFX 50S. Cool, if you can focus it, anyway… (the GFX focus even with native lenses is anything but fast or intelligent, by the way). But if we see more and more fast full-frame lenses able to cover the image circle of the GFX G50S, then we’re more likely to actually experience the benefits of the larger sensor format, though native fast lenses (that aren’t slow unit focus, please) are really what we need.

Else, the potential advantages may be outweighed by the disadvantages: the extra weight, heft, price and severely lacking autofocus. And the GFX 50S has given up some of the noise and false color advantages their X-Trans cameras show…

For now, we hope that looking at the problem through the lens of equivalence at least gives you an idea of how big (or small) you can reasonably expect the differences to be. Maybe it even saves you a dime or two. Or makes you want to yell at us for bringing up equivalence, again.

But at the end of the day, equivalence has left me rather equivocal about medium format digital. What about you? Let us know in the comments below.

Editorial note: The headline of this opinion article has been updated to make it clearer that the points expressed are not intended to be taken as being specific to a single product, but represent discussion of the pros and cons of the emerging enthusiast medium-format camera class as a whole.

Footnotes:

* It’s also why ‘multi-shot’ modes yield cleaner images than single shots: these modes essentially capture more total light, averaging out shot noise. It’s also why brighter scenes generally look cleaner than low light scenes: more light = more photons captured = less relative shot noise = higher signal:noise ratio (SNR, or ‘cleanliness’ in laymen terms).

** The GFX 50S’ 44x33mm sensor has an effective 0.78x crop factor, so you can multiply the MF lens’ f-number by 0.78 to get the equivalent full-frame f-number.

*** We don’t control for T-stop, which could partially explain the drastic exposure difference. This doesn’t affect our experiment though, as we applied well-vetted ‘Expose to the Right’ (ETTR) principles for a fair comparison


a7R II or GFX?	GFX or a7R II?

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Thinking about buying a Fujifilm GFX 50S? Read this first

21 Mar

Fujifilm’s GFX 50S announcement has turned a lot of heads, and for good reason. We love Fujifilm cameras. It’s hard not to – they offer excellent ergonomics with a level of direct control that photographers itch for, and Fujifilm’s color science renders images that harken back to the days of film, while retaining all the advantages of digital. Meanwhile, the X-Trans color filter array (CFA) offers a number of advantages compared to traditional Bayer CFAs, showing decreased false color and a slight noise advantage due to a (relatively) greater proportion of green pixels.

‘Fujifilm skipped the arguably saturated full-frame market and went straight to medium format.’

But what’s not to like, you ask? Bear with me…

Theoretical advantages of larger sensors

ISO 64 on a Nikon D810 gets me medium format-esque signal:noise ratio (image cleanliness), along with subject isolation I can’t get on medium format just yet, not at this focal length anyway (which would require a non-extant 44mm F2.5 MF lens. The incredible sharpness of this lens means I get good use out of those 36MP even wide open at F2. Photo: Rishi Sanyal (Nikon D810 | Sigma 24-35mm @ 35mm F2)

The question is: does the GFX 50S currently deliver on all, or any, of these advantages over what the best of full-frame has to offer? Let’s look at each separately.

Low light (noise) performance

That’s why a full-frame camera generally gives you cleaner images than your smartphone.* So if more light means better images, that’s a clear win for the GFX 50S, right?

Not so fast…

No, literally, not so fast. The lenses available for the GFX format simply aren’t as fast as those offered by full-frame competitors. The fastest lens on Fujifilm’s GFX roadmap is F2, which in full-frame equivalent terms is F1.56** (the concept of equivalence is out of scope for this article, but you can read about it in-depth here; for now, just remember the GFX has a reverse crop factor, relative to full-frame, of 0.79x). And most of the current MF lenses hover around F2.8 of F4, or F2.2 and F3.2 equivalent, respectively. That means that if they had the exact same underlying silicon technology (or sensor performance), a full-frame camera with a F2.2 (or F3.2) lens should do just as well as the GFX 50S with its F2.8 (or F4) lens. Even if were were to think ahead to the MF 100MP sensor Sony provides in the Phase One cameras, its 0.64x crop factor at best yields a F1.3 full-frame equivalent lenses from the one F2 lens announced, still not beating out the Canon 85/1.2, and barely beating out the plethora of available F1.4 full-frame lenses. So even if the newly announced G-mount lenses cover the wider medium format image circle (which I’d sure hope they would), things still aren’t so exciting.

But full-frame can do better than that: F1.4 and F1.8 lenses are routinely available for full-frame cameras, typically for less money too. An F1.4 lens projects twice as much light per unit area than a F2 lens, and 4x as much as a F2.8 lens, amply making up for the 1.7x smaller sensor surface area of full-frame.

That means full-frame cameras can capture as much, or more, light as the GFX 50S simply by offering faster lenses. But wait, it there’s more…

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Companies like Sony have poured a lot of R&D into their full-frame (and smaller) sensors, and the a7R II uses a backside-illuminated design that makes it more efficient than the sensor used in the 50S. It also offers a dual-gain architecture that flips the camera into a high gain mode at ISO 640, allowing it to effectively overcome any noise introduced by the camera’s own electronics. In other words, the a7R II’s sensor is better able to use the light projected onto it, relative to the MF sensor – ironically a sensor made by Sony itself – in the G50S (or Pentax 645Z, or Hasselblad X1D). This allows it to match the low light noise performance of the larger sensor Pentax 645Z even at the same shutter speed and f-number. See our studio scene comparison widget above.

‘The Sony a7R II’s sensor is better able to use the light projected onto it, relative to the MF sensor’

Dynamic Range

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‘OK but it’s not fair to compare ISO 64 to ISO 100!’

‘You’re working at or near base ISO anyway, so you shouldn’t have trouble adding 2/3 EV shutter speed’

Shallow Depth-of-Field


Full Frame (70mm F4.5)	APS-C (46mm F2.8)

They’re not in Fujifilm’s lineup, which includes two F2.8 lenses, one F2 lens, and a few F4 lenses – which are equivalent to F2.2, F1.6, and F3.2 in full-frame terms, respectively.

Without brighter lenses, there’s just no reason to get excited about medium format for subject isolation and blurry backgrounds. If you’re a bokeh fanatic, full-frame’s arguably the sweet spot.

Resolution

OK, finally, some good news. Well, theoretically anyway.

50MP Canon 5DS R image, shot with a Sigma 24-35mm F2 lens at F2. At F2 full-frame equiv., this image would literally have been impossible to shoot on the Fujifilm GFX 50S, without a 44mm F2.5 lens, anyway, which doesn’t exist, nor is on the roadmap, for the Fujifilm. Photo: Rishi Sanyal

Only you can answer that question, but it is true that physics being physics, larger sensors will always tend to out-resolve smaller sensors with equivalent glass. And so this is the area where we most expect to see an advantage to the Fujifilm system, especially over time as we approach 100MP, and beyond. It’s probably easier for a F1.8 prime paired with the GFX 50S to out-resolve a F1.4 prime on a 5DS R when both systems are shot wide open, but whether that will be the case (or if Fujifilm will even make a F1.8 or brighter prime for the system) remains to be seen. I certainly don’t think it would be a cheap combination.

Thanks, DPR, for saving me my money / killing my hopes and dreams

Still excited about the Fujifilm GFX 50S and Hasselblad X1D? Perhaps you still should be. You get Fujifilm ergonomics and color science in a body capable of far better image quality that Fujifilm’s APS-C offerings. But remember you can emulate much of that color science in Raw converters with proper profiles (we’re looking into a separate article on this). More importantly, remember that equivalence tells us that a F1.8 medium format prime is what the GFX 50S actually needs to at least match the performance from modern full-frames paired with F1.4 lenses, from the perspective of noise and shallow depth-of-field. And that’s before you consider the advanced silicon technologies we’ve seen in different full-frame (and smaller) sensors that we haven’t yet seen in any medium format sensor. These advances have, for example, allowed a Nikon D810 to catch up to the dynamic range of the Pentax 645Z at base ISO, and the BSI, dual-gain a7R II sensor to catch up to the GFX 50S in low light noise performance.

‘as medium format evolves, the same gains we see in full-frame over smaller sensors might find their ways into the format.’

Of course, as medium format evolves, the same gains we see in full-frame over smaller sensors might find their ways into the format. But this will require both the silicon to keep up, and for the development of faster lenses. At least as fast as the fastest lenses full-frame offers. One thing does make us hopeful – recent conversations with our forum extraordinaire Jim Kasson have alerted us to the fact that certain full-frame lenses, like the Zeiss Otus primes, actually project an image circle large enough for Fujifilm’s new MF format. That would essentially get you high quality F1.1 equivalent glass on the GFX 50S. OK, that’s cool. If you can focus it, anyway 🙂 But if we see more and more fast full-frame lenses able to cover the image circle of the GFX G50S, then we’re more likely to actually experience the benefits of the larger sensor format.

But at the end of the day, equivalence has made me rather equivocal about the GFX 50S. What about you? Let us know in the comments below.

Footnotes:

** The GFX 50S’ 44x33mm sensor has an effective 0.78x crop factor, so you can multiply the MF lens’ f-number by 0.78 to get the equivalent full-frame f-number.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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10 Step Guide to Improving Your Photography Without Buying New Gear

17 Mar

Will buying that new camera or lens or travel to iconic places automatically result in beautiful images?

Landscape photographers often dream about the latest gear or traveling to far away places to capture great images. For example, places like Iceland, Patagonia, Lofoten Norway, or Tuscany. The problem is that we spend too much time in front of our computers seeing all those great images on social media platforms and dreaming about photographing those vistas ourselves.

10 Step Mini-Guide - How to Improve Your Photography Without Buying New Gear - leading lines

We believe that going to iconic places or buying the latest gear will automatically make us better photographers, or that this is the only way of capturing great imagery. As with any craft, you need to practice, practice, and then do some more practice. This way you’ll have the greatest possibility of taking that fantastic photo, either close to home, or once you finally go away on that travel adventure of your dreams.

Here are my 10 tips for how to improve your photography without buying new gear:

1) Learn the basics about your camera and photography

Start by reading your camera’s user manual. Yes, it’s very basic and should be obvious to everyone, but you would be surprised how often people buy a new camera and start using it right away, thinking that the camera is going to do all the work. Many camera stores also offer beginner courses. Ask your local camera store about this option before deciding to buy from them.

Learn about topics like leading lines, the rule of thirds, exposure compensation, and the relation between aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. I will not go into this in more detail as it would merit a whole book, but these topics are available in printed books, e-books and here on dPS.

Read more here:

How to Use Leading Lines Effectively in Landscape Photography
5 Simple Techniques for Leading the Viewer’s Eye in Your Images
How to Use Exposure Compensation to Take Control of Your Exposure
Mastering the Exposure Triangle for Newbies
Understand Exposure in Under 10 Minutes

10 Step Mini-Guide - How to Improve Your Photography Without Buying New Gear - leading lines

Using leading lines.

10 Step Mini-Guide - How to Improve Your Photography Without Buying New Gear - rule of thirds

Using the rule of thirds.

2) Do your photography under the right conditions

A word photography literally means drawing with light (from the Greek photós meaning “light”, and graphê meaning “drawing, writing”). I would say that at least 80 % of your most successful images will be taken during the sunrise or sunset when the quality of light is the best. The other 20 % will be taken during cloudy days when the light is much softer than days with direct sunlight.

Many photographers don’t consider this second aspect enough. When starting out, I would often photograph during sunny days with clear blue skies with hard light that produced too much contrast. Today I try to do as much photography when there’s a shift in the weather pattern from high to low pressure or vice versa. The reason is that during this period there’s often a build up of dramatic clouds and the weather shifts between rain and sun creating more drama in your photos.

I suggest that you regularly check the weather forecasts and try to plan your photography for these days.

10 Step Mini-Guide - How to Improve Your Photography Without Buying New Gear

3) Scout for new locations and return multiple times to the same place

The majority of my best photos are from places very close to home. Most of the time they were not taken on my first attempt, but rather I had to come back many times to the same location before the conditions were right.

Google Earth is a great tool for your initial location scouting as are social media platforms like 500px, Instagram, or Google+. Remember that you should use these sites for inspiration, and not try to copy the same images that have already been taken numerous times before.

4) Change your vantage point

Have you ever considered the vantage point of your photos? The majority of photographers always take photos from the exact same position as they are standing – at eye level. This creates boring photos that all look the same. It’s also the same vantage point from which your viewers see the world.

By crouching down low or shooting from a higher position, like a hill or even from the top of a rock, it will drastically improve your photos. The visual appearance of your photo can dramatically change by just placing your camera a couple of meters in another direction. You should “work the scene” by looking for different viewpoints and not be satisfied with your first choice.

10 Step Mini-Guide - How to Improve Your Photography Without Buying New Gear - low viewpoint

Taken from a low vantage or view point.

10 Step Mini-Guide - How to Improve Your Photography Without Buying New Gear

Shot from a low view point.

Taken from a high vantage point.

5) Use your lenses creatively

Use your wide-angle lens for creating depth in your image and your telephoto lens to compress the landscape. Both techniques are very effective and create totally different effects. By trying to pre-visualize how your want your photo to look, your choice of lens will be much easier. This takes time and comes more naturally as you gain greater experience.

For landscape photography, you often want to maximize your depth of field by taking photos between f8 and f/16. You could go higher than that but then you risk having softer images as most lenses have a “soft spot” between these parameters.

You could also try to zoom or move your lens during the exposure. This technique is more a trial and error basis and often you need to take many photos before you’re satisfied. Luckily all your frames in digital photography are free.

Use of a wide-angle lens.

Use of a longer or telephoto lens.

Created by intentionally moving the camera or lens during the exposure.

6) Use the elements in your surroundings to your benefit

Is there is a rock, a tree, strong colors, some leading lines, etc., that you can use to create interest in your image and lead the viewer’s eyes throughout your image?

Because we are fed daily with thousands of images, it becomes important to immediately catch the viewer’s attention and make sure that their mind is stimulated. Therefore, the image should have a clear object, this could be a person or a landmark, which the viewer can quickly identify.

If the photo is too busy with too many conflicting elements, the viewer will become confused and move on to the next image. Less is often better than more. Consider excluding elements that do not add to the image. It could be annoying things like tree branches entering the photo from the corner, paper bags and other waste in the photo, etc.

10 Step Mini-Guide - How to Improve Your Photography Without Buying New Gear

7) Invest in good quality accessories instead of buying the latest camera or lenses

There are some camera accessories that are more important than the latest camera or lens.

The single most important one is a good quality tripod. You should not waste your money buying a cheap aluminum tripod that will shake every time you put your camera on it, resulting in useless blurry images. In the end, you’ll be forced to buy a more expensive tripod anyway, adding unnecessary extra costs. Instead, spend the extra money on a quality tripod from Manfrotto, Gitzo, 3 Legged Thing, or any of the other top brands. Trust me, in the end, you will end up saving money.

Another very important accessory for us landscape photographers are filters. You definitely need a good polarizing filter to reduce the reflections on water and other shiny surfaces. Polarizing filters work the same way as your sunglasses.

Cameras are also limited in their ability to handle dynamic range. In short, this means the ability to register the darkest and lightest tones and everything in between. An example of this cis when you’re photographing a landscape and the foreground looks good, but the sky is too bright. This is where the graduated filters come into play. They have a dark and light part with a soft or hard transition in between. Generally, you should use a hard transition filter when photographing seascapes, as there is a clear definition between the sky and the water. A soft transition filter is preferred when photographing landscapes where there are trees, hills or mountains.

I’ve tested many different brands and would highly recommend LEE filters, They are expensive, but in my opinion are worth every penny. Lee also produces two neutral density filters called Little Stopper and Big Stopper. These filters enable you to slow down your shutter speed. When you see those photos with silky smooth water or clouds, most likely the photographer used such a filter.

While these accessories will cost you some money, they will be more of a one-time expense. Taking good care of them means you can use your accessories for many years to come.

8) Photograph in RAW format and learn to use a photo editing program

When photographing in JPG mode you let the camera do all the processing of the image. This means you have less control over the final outcome. It’s better to photograph in RAW format and then use a software like Adobe lightroom to post-process them yourself.

For me, the main reason for shooting in RAW is to have a greater dynamic range so that I’m able to save many images that are otherwise too light or too dark. Of course, it’s important to get the exposure correct from the start, but RAW files definitely give you some room for errors. There is a lot of information about RAW format and post-processing, read; RAW Versus JPG – Why You Might Want to Shoot in RAW Format and How to Use Adobe Camera Raw and Photoshop to Make Your Landscape Images Pop.

9) Learn to focus manually

This is crucial for landscape photography. As mentioned above, you’ll hopefully be taking most of your photos in low light during the morning or evening. You will also be using a tripod to avoid camera shake.

10 Step Mini-Guide - How to Improve Your Photography Without Buying New Gear

During long exposure photography, it becomes very important to focus manually in order to avoid having the focus move during your exposure as is the risk when using autofocus. You should use a small aperture like f/11 and focus about a third of the way into the scene if you desire to have sharpness throughout the frame. Make sure you use your camera’s Live View mode or focus peaking if you own a mirrorless camera, for manual focus assistance.

10) Think before you shoot and study your photos afterward

Often I see photographers arrive at their location, take out their gear, and do the “machine gun “photography approach, taking dozens of photos from the same location over and over again. It’s important to work the scene, moving around looking for the best viewpoints.

The same applies when you’re done editing your photos at home. Try to study your photos and look for improvements. Compare your work with other established photographers to see how you can do things differently next time. This takes time, but after a while, you’ll certainly notice better quality in your work.

Conclusion

These 10 points are just the very basics to get you started. Make sure you search dPS for more information, study photography books, and feel free to leave a comment below or ask any question you might have. Good luck!

The post 10 Step Guide to Improving Your Photography Without Buying New Gear by Jacek Oleksinski appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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Buying a second lens: what lens should I buy next?

15 Jan

Why do I need another lens?

So you’ve just bought your first interchangeable lens camera? That’s excellent. Whichever camera you’ve bought, it’s likely to be able to support you in taking some great photos. Your camera probably already came with a lens and it’s likely to be totally fine, so why would you need to buy more?

Essentially, the different lenses can extend the kinds of photographs you’re able to take. Different lenses can allow you to take better photographs of different subjects or in different circumstances. It’s all a question of what you want to shoot.

What are the options?

At first glance, looking at additional lenses can be daunting: there are lots of options, their names appear to be written in an obscure code and it’ll quickly become apparent that seemingly small changes in these numbers can equate to a vast difference in price.

An important thing to remember is that you don’t need a ‘complete’ set. So don’t worry about that huge pile of lenses that probably appears on the camera maker’s website or in the back of the sales catalogue; you’re not going to need to buy them all.

You don’t need to collect them all. Most people will only benefit from having a couple of these lenses. The question is: ‘which ones are right for you?’
Image courtesy of Canon

Your specific interests and photographic style will dictate which lenses you need (or, at least, want). And, though there’s always some risk that your photography gets shaped by which lenses you have and haven’t got, there’s nothing that says you need lots of lenses to achieve everything you want to achieve.

The effect of focal length (and aperture) depends on the sensor size you mount it in front of. We’re only going to discuss general classes of lenses in this articles, not specific examples.

The two main properties of a lens are its focal length/s (which defines the view of the world it gives) and the maximum aperture value/s (which defines how much light it can let in). Here’s what different focal lengths look like on a Full Frame camera, shot from the same position:


Ultra WA	Wide Angle			Normal	Telephoto
21mm	24mm	28mm	35mm	50mm	85mm	100mm	200mm

Prime and zoom lenses

Most common lenses, including the ‘kit’ zoom that probably came bundled with your camera are zoom lenses. These have complex mechanisms that allow them to offer a range of focal lengths, meaning they can be zoomed in and out to change the magnification of your subject and what you include or exclude from your image. Zooms are highly flexible.


A zoom lens will list the widest and longest focal lengths it offers (eg 18-55mm), and will also list how wide and bright the aperture can go, first at the widest focal length, then at the longest (eg F3.5-5.6), the lower the number, the more light it can let in.

The alternative to zooms are prime lenses. These only offer a single focal length: the lens can’t been zoomed in or out. Why would anyone want such a restrictive lens? From a practical perspective, it’s easier to design a prime lens with good optical performance and a bright maximum aperture, to let in lots of light, since the design only has to do one thing. And, from a creative perspective, many photographers find a prime lens forces them to consider the composition of their images more carefully.

What’s a telephoto lens?

Although the term has a specific meaning, most people use ‘telephoto’ lens to mean anything longer than about 50mm equivalent. Essentially, anything significantly more ‘zoomed-in’ than looking at the world with the naked eye.

Telephoto lenses with long focal lengths can make your photos seem closer to the action, so they lend themselves particularly well to wildlife and sports photography.

Many camera brands offer a telephoto zoom lens that can be bought as part of a ‘twin lens kit’ when you buy the camera. Like your standard kit zoom, this is likely to be an F3.5-5.6 variable aperture lens. Like your kit zoom, this will be perfectly effective in a lot of situations but won’t necessarily be the sharpest lens or the most effective as the light starts to fall.

A short to moderate telephoto lens can be perfect for portrait shooting.
Photo by Dan Bracaglia

Telephoto lenses can be used for all sorts of things. Short to moderate tele lenses are great for portraiture, allowing you to stand a sensible distance from your subject while including your subjects head or head and shoulders. Longer telephoto lenses can be ideal for various types of sports shooting, and super-long telephotos tend to be specialist lenses for birding.

If your budget will stretch to it, the best quality telephoto zooms tend to be the ‘constant aperture’ models, which maintain the same F-number throughout their zoom range.

If you find that the long end of your kit zoom doesn’t get you close enough to the action, it’s worth looking into a telephoto lens.

What’s a wide-angle lens?

As you can probably deduce, wide-angle lenses are the opposite of telephotos: they are lenses with short focal length that offers a wider view than you see with the naked eye.

Wide-angle lenses let you capture a wide field-of-view, making them ideal for landscape work or shots that give a dramatic perspective on the world.

These lenses can be used for all sorts of landscape and environmental photography and can lens a dramatic effect to your images. If you often find yourself shooting at the widest setting on your kit zoom and backing away from your subject, you might find a wide-angle lens is a good first choice.

What’s a macro lens?

Macro lenses are specialist lenses that are designed so that they can focus very close-up, enabling high magnification photography. These are especially popular with photographers who want to shoot insects, flowers and other small, fine detail.

Macro lenses allow you to shoot small objects close-up.
Photo: Wenmei Hill

If your kit zoom refuses to focus and your chosen subject always ends up looking tiny in the frame, it might be worth looking more closely at a macro lens.

What about your kit zoom?

A common mistake is to assume that because you already have a zoom that covers the moderate-wide to moderate-tele range, there’s no need to buy a new lens in this range. Actually, the opposite may be true.

Kit zooms let you to go out shooting, the moment you open the camera box but they’re often built to very low cost. This can mean patchy optical performance and slow maximum apertures that can limit your camera’s low light capability and little opportunity to shoot with shallow depth-of-field.

‘Normal’ lens shows approximately the view you see with the naked eye: neither zoomed-in nor zoomed-out. They’re great for capturing the world around you, so you may find it makes sense to buy a sharper or brighter lens that covers the same range as your kit zoom.
Photo by Dan Bracaglia

For many people, the ‘normal’ range covered by the kit lens ends up including the focal lengths that are most often useful, so there’s an argument for buying a better lens to replace or augment your kit zoom. For instance, many companies make relatively inexpensive prime lenses in this region that have a brighter maximum aperture than the kit lens. These can provide a first taste of shallow depth-of-field and are ideal for low light work.

The prime lens used here gives more ability to blur the background than the zoom lens that comes kitted with most cameras.

Alternatively, companies such as Sigma, Tamron and Tokina make constant F2.8 zooms that are often sharper and more versatile than the lens that came in the box.

Get out there and try it

If you’re worried about whether you’ll find it useful, try renting a copy before you buy. Alternatively, search around for second-hand options (though this often entails doing increased research to ensure no nasty compatibility surprises).

Whichever choice you make, it can take some time to adjust your minds-eye to ‘see’ the photos that your new lens will let you take. Give it some time, keep shooting with it and you’ll find you start to get an almost instinctive feel for a new angle-of-view.

And, even if you change your mind, a good lens will tend to retain a good portion of its value if you look after it, so you can always sell up and try again, if your mood or style changes.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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5 Critical Mistakes to Avoid When Buying New Camera Gear

05 Sep

The day you’re finally in the market for a new camera gear is certainly an exciting one when you’re a photographer. Visions dance in your head of all the killer shots you’ll be capturing with a sleek new set-up. You get excited about finally having gear that not only meets your current needs, but that you can grow with into the future as well.

However, it goes without saying, that the buying process can be daunting to say the least. There’s a lot to choose from out there! You want to make absolutely sure that what you buy is actually worth the investment you’re about to make.

Buying New Camera Gear mistakes

In this article I’ll go over some of the most important (and most common) mistakes to avoid when shopping for a new camera or any other piece of photography equipment.

Mistake #1. Taking advice from the wrong person

It’s normal, and wise, to ask for other people’s advice before you finalize a major buying decision. However, it’s important to get it from the right sources. It’s not enough for someone to simply sound like they know what they’re talking about.

Do they actually know what they’re talking about? Is this someone that really knows their way around a camera, and could be considered an expert when it comes to photography gear? Do they actually understand all of the features associated with the item you’re shopping for well enough to have an informed opinion? You should be able to say “yes” with assurance to all of these questions. You need to make sure the person actually understands your unique needs, and the many ways they might differ from theirs.

I need this camera for the work I do, but you may not need one so large. Get what’s appropriate for your needs.

Avoid buying anything just because another photographer you know has one, or because all the online reviews say it’s the one to have. Definitely don’t buy on the say-so of one person, who may or may not really understand photography. Ask for advice from trusted experts and take it for what it’s worth – a great tool that can help you make a decision. Even the best advice isn’t a proper substitute for research and careful comparison shopping.

Mistake #2. Assuming quality is equal to price

Yes, good quality gear should be considered an investment. It’s most definitely a purchasing decision that should be made with care, especially if you’re a professional photographer or hope to become one. However, it’s important not to simply assume that a higher price tag automatically equals a better item.

Do your research and due diligence.

Even if money isn’t personally an issue for you, paying more money doesn’t guarantee that your purchase will actually meet your needs. It doesn’t guarantee you the spectacular photos you’ve been dreaming about either. Even great photography equipment is only going to be as good as the person actually taking the photos.

Focus less on the price tag, and more on whether or not a given item is right for you, especially when buying a camera. Does it fit your current skill level? Are you familiar with all of the functions and tools it comes with? According to your research, is it a good fit for the type of photography you do? Lots of bells and whistles, and tons of different settings won’t do you any good if you either won’t use them, or don’t understand them.

Buying New Camera Gear mistakes

Mistake #3. Failing to budget properly

Proper planning is the key to success when it comes to many endeavours, and shopping for a new camera or photography gear is no different. A big part of that is budgeting, and there are a number of ways people can stumble in that arena.

Many drastically overestimate what they’re likely to get in exchange for their money. An outrageously expensive camera won’t magically allow a beginner to somehow start pulling off National Geographic quality images. Nor will world class photography skills make up for a cheap camera, that’s incapable of taking professional quality pictures.

Buying New Camera Gear mistakes

A lot of shoppers also fail to factor the full cost of all the accessories they’ll need into their budget. Okay, so you did your homework when it comes to the camera you’ll need in order to take your landscape photography to the next level. But, did you also remember to consider the lenses you’ll require? What about the batteries, tripods, memory cards, and everything else? It’s important to be thorough from the get-go.

Mistake #4. Becoming distracted by bargains and specials

So you’re finally ready to walk into the photography shop and make your purchases. You’ve done your homework. You’ve figured out which camera is right for your needs, both present and future. You’ve even picked out the accessories and other tools you’ll need to go with it. You’re sure you know exactly what you’re looking for.

Buying New Camera Gear mistakes

Then you get inside, and see all the signs advertising special deals on this, and bargain pricing on that. Do you lose your focus, or do you remind yourself that item isn’t really what you went there for? Hopefully it’s the latter.

Never buy any piece of photography gear just because it’s displayed under a flashy sign, or a salesman insists that it’s what you really want. If something sounds way too good to be true, it probably is. Keep your eye on the prize, and make sure you walk out of that shop with what you actually need.

Mistake #5. Not being realistic enough

Buying New Camera Gear mistakes

Most of us entertain really big dreams that we hope will come true someday, when it comes to our interest in photography. However, it’s important to ask yourself whether those dreams are realistic as far as the near future goes, before you actually sink your money into them.

Are you brand new to photography, but already picture yourself traveling the world, making big money as a travel photographer within a couple of months? Are you shopping based on a desire to jump straight into professional photography with a ton of new, expensive gear, even though you’ve never used anything more complicated than the Instagram app on your iPhone?

Buying New Camera Gear mistakes

Make sure you’re not getting ahead of yourself when it comes to what you think you’ll accomplish, by spending lots of money on new camera gear right now. Shop according to what your needs and skill level are currently, not what you’re hoping they’ll be “someday”. You’re that much more likely to be happy with your purchases not only now, but in the years to come as well.

If you have any other gear buying tips, please share in the comments below. What is your though process?

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More Ways to Create Better Images Without Buying More Gear

28 Jul

Jay Maisel has to be one of the most interesting photographers alive today. He is 85 years old and he still makes a point of carrying his camera with him every day, everywhere he goes. I recently watched a few videos where Scott Kelby spent a few days with Jay, just wandering through the streets of New York and later, walking through Paris.

In these two different videos, Jay imparts his photography philosophy, and how he makes his images. The remarkable thing I noticed is that Jay almost never talks about photography equipment. Rather, he speaks about technique, about getting it right in camera, and making sure you spend time getting the best shot possible.

This article is a follow on from an article I did a while ago, which had a similar title to this one – 5 Ways to Create Better Images Without Buying More Gear. I now want to expand on that and add 5 more things you can do to improve your photography without buying more gear.

#1 Show the viewer something different

This is something really important that, but we don’t often think about. There are so many things being photographed every day.

5 more things image 8

Think about this: if you go to Paris, you will no doubt want a photo of the Eiffel Tower. Of course, every photographer does. The challenge is, we have all seen photographs of the Eiffel Tower, so, how will your image be different from anyone else’s? Better still, how will you make the image look like it is taken from a new vantage point or angle.

These are the tough questions, the things that we need to think about as photographers. You could try a few things, go in really close and get some detailed shots of the metal structure, find an area of it that is looking old and grungy, maybe try and shoot it from a very extreme angle, work hard to show your viewer something they haven’t seen before.

Think of the photos you have seen of the Eiffel Tower. If your image looks like any of those shots, then you need to try something different. The goal here is not to be different for the sake of being so, but to try and be unique.

Of course, you should shoot the usual postcard shot, at least you have that, but then play around, walk around, lie on the ground, shoot straight up, put your camera lens against the structure, try anything to get an angle that you have never seen before.

Show me something I have never seen before. – Jay Maisel

Look for something you have not seen before

This is one of Jay Maisel’s key messages, “Show me something I have never seen before”. He is not being flippant, we have all seen a car, a tree, a glass building, and people on the street. What he is looking for is to be shown these everyday subjects in a different way, that’s the key to this principle.

#2 Practice patience

In the video with Jay Maisel, he mentions that he was once out doing street photography with another well known photographer. As a typical New Yorker, he was walking at a pretty quick pace. After some time, the other photographer turned to him and said, “Jay, do you know why you aren’t getting any good shots? You’re walking too quickly”.

That comment caused Jay to slow down. Not only did he slow down his walking pace, but he slowed everything. He would stop in a place for five or 10 minutes. He would find a scene he liked and then, like a theatre stage, he would wait for the actors to appear, the people on the street. So he stands in a particular spot sometimes, for up to 20 minutes, and just waits for something to happen.

Sitting and waiting can result in some great images

Give it a try. Next time you are out photographing in your city, stop for a while. Observe the scene in front of you. Make note of how people are moving through that scene, and start looking for an opportunity to make an image. It may take a while, if you can, sit down and just watch, pretty soon, the right person will enter your “stage” and you will have your image.

#3 Change your composition

We all know about the rule of thirds, very often it is our first introduction to composition. It’s a good starting point for creating good composition, but there are many other ways to make your images look compelling.

Composition is one area of photography that can make a vast difference in your images. Simply changing from landscape to portrait orientation for example. More than that, look a little deeper. There are some great techniques you can use to enhance your composition.

5 more things image 10

One of these is using depth of field. A shallow depth of field will isolate your subject and make the background less distracting. Speaking of backgrounds, make sure that you have looked at the background in your image and that there is nothing distracting that will take the viewer’s eye off the subject.

You could also try and frame your subject using a door frame, a window, or some overarching trees. The frame will point the viewer to the subject and, if done correctly, framing can be a very powerful compositional tool.

Remember to change your viewpoint. Lie on the ground, get as low as you can, or maybe get up as high as possible. If your viewpoint is unusual, your subject will benefit immensely.

Shooting from a different viewpoint can make all the difference

#4 Go out empty

Another piece of Jay Maisel wisdom is to go out empty, and let your images fill you up. What does that mean?

Very often, you may go out on a shoot and are “hunting” for a particular image. Maybe you are looking for a man with a blue shirt riding a red bicycle, which is pretty specific, and really difficult to find. The challenge is that if you are looking for only that one type of shot, you may miss all the others that are out there.

By going out empty, you are open to whatever comes into your viewfinder. You may get a shot that you never thought of before or have seen before, that’s the point. Sometimes it is good to shoot with constraints, it forces you to be creative.

By going out empty, you may be surprised at what you will see

At other times, go out without any limitations, simply look at what unfolds in front of you and shoot whatever you find interesting. That’s one way to get some great shots. Also, be open to what happens while you are out shooting.

I was photographing in an old area in the East Side of Vancouver. A lady came up to me and asked what I was doing, and I told her I was looking for some great shots of the homes in the area. She asked if I wanted to see inside her home, I am so glad she invited me. Her home was amazing, and it was a great opportunity to see inside a true heritage home.

#5 It’s not about cropping, but about framing

As photographers, we can become a little lazy. We will compose the shot, look at the scene, and realize we need to move a little to the left because there is something distracting in the shot. Many times, we might think, “It’s okay, I can crop that out later”.

5 more things image 9

Yes, that is true, you can crop it out later, but it may change the whole perspective of the shot. I might mean that you lose another important piece of information.

Jay Maisel reminds us that it’s about framing, not cropping. He says that it is the photographer’s responsibility for what is in the frame and, sometimes more importantly, what is NOT in the frame. Instead of assuming you can crop something out later, maybe move around the subject a bit, look at it from different angles, and then decide what needs to be in the frame and what doesn’t.

As Jay says, “The photographer is responsible for everything in the frame”. Make sure that everything that’s in the frame is there for a reason, otherwise, change it.

You are responsible for everything in the frame.

Of course there are no rules in photography, there are only guidelines. These ideas are simply suggestions that can help you improve your images, and to see more clearly. Once you begin practicing these things, you won’t have to think about them as much. You will do them instinctively, and that’s when your photography will change and become more mature.

So get out there and give these ideas a try, practice one of these suggestions on each photoshoot or photowalk you do. Keep making the changes and slowly working on your craft, and you may look back in a year and be astounded at how much your work has improved.

The post More Ways to Create Better Images Without Buying More Gear by Barry J Brady appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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5 Camera Bag Hacks to Help You Curb the Temptation of Buying More

04 May

There has been quite a parade of camera bags launched on the market recently. Peak Design’s latest in their line of products with the Everyday Messenger Bag, achieved an incredible target on Kickstarter.

Check out Simon Ringsmuth’s review of the bag. ThinkTank Photo followed with the Lily Deanne bag, in the same price league but targeted more for women. Another Kickstarter venture by Progo gear successfully launched their carry-on/camera backpack in January of this year.

5 Hacks to curb the temptation to buy another camera bag

But, this article isn’t about reviewing yet another camera bag. Instead, it got me thinking no matter what camera bag that you may have, one fit doesn’t suit all. I’ll admit, I have a weakness for camera bags. There is such a vast array of camera bags on the market to suit every photographer’s needs. The types range from shoulder bags, backpacks, and rolling cases, to name just a few. However, when choosing a bag, the following factors should be considered:

Materials: I have a preference for man-made, hi-tech materials like ballistic nylon as opposed to natural fabrics, such as cotton or leather – simply because they are lighter and generally offer better water resistance.
Protection: Obviously, you want the best protection for your gear. This will mean a bag that has sufficient padding on the inside, and a material on the outside which protects against inclement weather. This can be the inherent material that the camera bag is made from, or a waterproof cover which you can pull over the bag if it rains.
Capacity: This will be very subjective to the type of photographer you are. A travel photographer’s gear and bag(s) will be in sharp contrast to a photographer on a fashion shoot in a studio.
Comfort: This is a very important factor. If you have to carry your bag at all, it should feel comfortable, and you shouldn’t really be aware of it. If you are, it’s a nuisance.

I do like features on so many different bag, and I wish that the sum of all these features were all rolled into one bag. But I am asking a lot here. So I thought, rather than buying another bag, why not customize or hack a bag that you already own?

Here’s my five hacks that may help you curb the temptation to go out to buy another camera bag – at least for now:

#1 Tent repair tape

The bottom of my camera bag isn’t really at all abrasion resistant, or waterproof. This was an initial concern for me when I was buying the bag. Most camera bags should, in my opinion, offer some degree of ruggedness to ensure the bottom of your camera bag will be protected for a number of years.

However, in the end, I decided to buy it, as it ticked most of the boxes for the type of bag I wanted. I came up with my own solution to safeguard the underneath part of the bag for general wear and tear.

Tent Repair Tape – found in most camping outdoor retail outlets.

I cut 3 strips of the tent repair tape to suit the dimensions of my camera bag.

Cut strips of tent repair tape the same length as your bag and apply them length ways across the bottom. This tape is super strong and waterproof. I also added feet to the bottom, like you would see on most bags, not just camera bags. I have a neat way to add feet to the bottom of your bag, without taking away from the aesthetic look. See #5 below for more details.

Tip: By putting another layer of cell foam dividers flat across the inside bottom of your camera bag helps to give more padded protection. I seem to have gathered a collection of these over the years!

I added another layer of spare foam cell pads at the bottom of my already padded insert.

#2 Carabiner Rings

These aluminium rings are so versatile for attaching extra accessories, that you simply can’t fit inside the bag. For example, side pockets are great for adding a flash gun or a drink bottle. But, what if your camera bag doesn’t have a side pocket?

This solution should work for any type of drink bottle. You will need two cable ties, one longer than the other. Secure the longer one around the neck of the bottle and the smaller one acts as a ring to attach to the carabiner, which is then looped around one of the metal rings on the bag’s strap.

Water bottle attached to the camera strap, via the metal ring using two cable ties.

Tip: Water bottles can also serve as an extra weight to stabilize your tripod.

#3 Paracord

I wish every camera bag would come with at least two key fob straps. Of course, I don’t use mine for keys. Key fob straps are great for attaching the likes of SD/CF memory card wallet holders or other items that you may need to hand, without looking like a badger who is burrowing out of his nest.

My hotshoe adaptor and spare SD card attached to my paracord strap, which also doubles up as a wrist camera strap.

This is a very simple method to add an extra key fob strap to any bag. Measure a length of a Paracord, in my case 27 inches. Tie both ends together. You will need to burn the ends of the cord, after the knot, to stop it from fraying. Loop one end around the bag’s strap ring on the outside and secure a plastic carabiner to the other end. See photo.

I used a plastic carabiner, as I don’t particularly like metal rings inside my camera bag. I have my business cards secured in their holder, attached to the carabiner. These are quick and easy to hand. No foraging around in your bag for what seems like an age looking for them!

A key fob strap made from paracord, using a plastic carabiner (even though it looks aluminum) attached to my business cards.

Tip: This strap can also double up as a camera wrist strap. See my other article for this tip and other DIY hacks.

#4 Insulation Foam Sleeves

I like the option to be able to carry my travel tripod with me, as it also doubles up as a light stand. But there isn’t a designated tripod holder on this type of bag. However, as it has a big front flap. I came up with this idea of using a foam insulation sleeve.

My travel tripod which I also use as a light stand.

These Economiser Polyethylene Pipe Insulation sleeves can be purchased at most DIY stores. Their function is to insulate heating pipes. I bought this 1/2″ Cosy Sleeve, 1 Metre length (3′ approx.) for less than $ 2.00 USD. It has a pre-cut slit down the length. To cut to the desired length is simple and quick.

Foam insulation sleeve for heating pipes, found in DIY stores.

Place the sleeve around one of the tripod legs. Cut two small strips of self-adhesive velcro strips and stick them onto the foam sleeve and then under the front flap of the bag. The tripod is resting on top of the removable padded insert. When the front flap is closed, the sleeve acts as a cushion to keep it place.

Foam insulation sleeve attached to one of the tripods legs. Velcro adhesive strips are used to secure to the underneath part of the front flap.

The tripod felt very secure, as it is resting on the inner padded insert, and when it is closed the sleeve acts as a cushion for a snug fit.

Tip: the foam sleeve can also be left on the tripod while in use to act as a cover (nicer on fingers in cold weather).

The foam sleeve can be left on the tripod when in use to act as a cover.

#5 Sugru

If you haven’t come across this product before, it’s simply brilliant, a DIYer’s dream. The company’s tagline is, “Mouldable glue that turns into rubber”. The methods or ways that it can be applied as fixes or hacks, are only limited to your own imagination.

You can create your own rubber feet for the bottom of your camera bag, to protect it against general wear and tear. I used a three pack ($ 13.50 for 3 packs) of pitch black Sugru to create these feet. Roll each one into a ball, and with a sharp kitchen knife, then cut each ball in half. Allow these to cure (set) for a day or two. In order to secure the feet to the bag, you will need some extra Sugru. (You can buy 8 packs for $ 22, which works out cheaper than 2 x 3 packs).

Rubber feet moulded from Sugru, for underneath my camera bag as added protection.

The rubber feet attached to my camera bag along with the tent repair tape.

Here’s another tip for using Sugru. If your camera bag strap has a cushion pad but no silicone strips to prevent it from sliding off your shoulder, or they have simply worn away, you can make your own by rolling out strips of Sugru and stick them firmly on to the pad.

Do you any other camera bag hack ideas that you would like to share? Leave a comment below.

Disclaimer: I was not approached or sponsored by any of the companies mentioned in this article. All opinions are by the author.

The post 5 Camera Bag Hacks to Help You Curb the Temptation of Buying More by Sarah Hipwell appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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Beginner’s Guide to Buying Filters

14 Apr

Use of neutral density and graduated neutral density filters

Neutral density filters help you achieve extreme long exposures, while graduated neutral density filters help balance exposure between a bright sky and a dark foreground. Both were used in this image. The exposure time was three minutes.

For most photographers, their first experience with a filter is when it is suggested they purchase a UV or Skylight filter to protect their lens. It’s usually much later that beginning photographers find out about the other filters available to them, and what they can be used for.

Once you’ve decided to add a filter or filters to your camera bag, however, you’ll be faced with a myriad of choices regarding the various brands, materials, and types of filters that are available to you. Many times, the gut instinct is to purchase the cheapest filter that will do the job. The reality is, however, that there are many factors to consider when purchasing a filter, and buying the cheapest one on the rack that does what you want, it to is not usually a good idea. There is often a difference in the quality of the materials used, even when both filters appear to be made of the same things.

In An Introduction to Filters for DSLRs, you’ll find a breakdown of the different kinds of filters, and their uses. Here, I’d like to try and demystify the differences between filters, and why similar looking filters might have drastically different price points.

Screw-in versus drop-in filters

Drop-in and screw-in filters

First of all, there are two basic types of filters: screw-in and drop-in. The former mount directly onto the lens via the threads on the front, whereas the latter drop-in type are square or rectangular in shape, and require a filter holder and mounting ring that attaches to the front of the lens. Certain types of filters are available as both a screw-in and drop-in filter.

Screw-in filters are constructed of glass with a metal ring. The quality of the glass can vary, even within the same brand, depending on whether you’re going with a high end filter or a value priced one. The metal of the ring can vary as well, as they can be made of brass or aluminum. Cheaper filters usually have an aluminum ring. It’s a soft metal that is more easily dented if dropped, or bent if put under pressure. This could cause the filter to jam when mounting it to your lens. The most popular screw-in filters tend to be polarizers, UV, and neutral density filters.

The other type is what’s known as a drop-in filter. These are square or rectangular pieces of glass that are typically inserted in a holder that is mounted onto the lens. Often, the holder, or mounting ring, can also accommodate a screw-in polarizing filter, as well as two or three drop-in filters in front of that, allowing you to combine the effects of a polarizer, a neutral density filter, and/or a graduated neutral density filter.

While graduated neutral density filters are available as both a screw-in or a drop-in, the drop-in style allows for more precise placement of the gradation, and thus allows for more creativity. Drop-in filters are generally part of system, or have compatibility with one. Some examples include: the Lee filter system, Vü Sion Q system, Formatt-HItech, and Cokin P and Cokin Z filter systems. You’ll want to ensure that the system you invest in has the filters you need available, and that it’s compatible with your size camera.

Materials used

You may notice when shopping for filters, that there is a wide range of prices, for the same types of filters. The primary difference in cost is related to the material used in the filter. Other materials used to make filters include optical resin, which is more of a plastic material, and polyester. Polyester filters are generally used for color correction or soft focus effects, while optical resin is used as a more cost effective option compared to glass, especially in the case of drop-in filters such as graduated neutral density filters.

The more expensive filters often use a top quality glass, such German Schott Glass, which is generally color neutral and distortion free. Some filters by their nature need to be made from glass, such as polarizers. The differences in the material are related to the chemical makeup of the glass, thickness, and coatings used. Where thickness is concerned, the thinner the filter the better, as thinner glass reduces any possible distortion.

A polarizing filter not only helps make the sky bluer, but also controls reflections on shiny surfaces, such as buildings.

In the case of polarizers: in cheaper filters, the polarizing material is sandwiched between glass; while the polarizing material is bonded directly to the glass in more expensive ones. This reduces the chance for air pockets, and other irregularities that could affect the image quality in a negative way. Again, the quality of glass can vary widely between a budget-priced filter, and top quality one.

I have used both high quality glass filters, and optical resin ones. While the glass is more fragile if dropped, it tends to resist scratching more effectively than resin. However, optical resin can be considerably less costly than glass, for the same type of filter. For instance, a Formatt Hitech 3-stop soft edge graduated neutral density filter lists for about $ 80, while Vü Filters 3-stop Soft Edged Graduated Neutral Density Filter, which is made of Ultra White German Schott glass, retails for $ 224. There are different grades to optical resin filters as well. This Lee 0.9 (3-stop) Soft ND Grad Filter, made from optical resin, lists at $ 146.

While any of these filter will provide good results, with higher end lenses, you may notice a distinct difference between a higher quality and thus higher priced filter, and one that cost less.

Coatings

In the days of film, filters did not need to be coated in the way they do for the digital age. Film was a more forgiving medium, which didn’t pick up flare or reflections the way a digital sensor does. For this reason, multi-coatings have become incredibly important in filter manufacturing. Higher quality filters will use these coatings to reduce flare, and increase light transmission. An uncoated filter will suffer from a loss of light. Some filters have a single coating, which is better than nonr, but not as good as a multi-coated filter. For digital if you were to take the same shot three different times, with an uncoated, a single coated, and a multi-coated filter, the difference should easily be visible in the image. In addition to minimizing flare and increasing light transmission, coatings also help maintain good contrast and color reproduction. Filter manufacturers will also use coatings that help make the filter easier to clean, and more scratch resistant.

Many photographers will debate whether or not filters are necessary, with those who say no doing so out of fear that the filter will degrade image quality. I use filters often, especially in my landscape work. There is no true digital substitute for a polarizing filter, and neutral density and graduated neutral density filters provide for effects not easily duplicated in post-processing. The key is to ensure you are using a quality filter, that is free from color shifts and distortion, and properly coated for digital. I’m not saying you have to spend top dollar on a filter, just understand what the differences are, so you can make an educated decision.

A drop-in filter system allows use of square or rectangular filters. This is advantageous when using graduated ND filters, so you can adjust the placement of the gradation.

So do you own and use filters? What buying tips do you have for newbies? Which are your go-to and favorite filters? Please share in the comments below.

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A Beginner’s Guide to Buying a Camera

05 Oct

Sadly, you may one day grow out of your cell phone camera.

So you’ve decided it’s time to buy a real camera? Maybe the cell phone camera just isn’t cutting it anymore, or you read an inspiring travel blog bragging about how they quit their day job, and now roam the planet selling snapshots they take along the way.

Either way, the decision has been made, and now it’s time to take the next step and figure out what gear you’re going to need to support this new endeavour.

The photographic gear market isn’t lacking in options, and it’s all talk about megapixel this and shutter speed that, but without a bunch of technical experience, how do you know where to start? There really isn’t a one-camera-fits-all option or we would all be using it.

Let’s take a look at some of the considerations you are going to want to keep in mind as you attempt to navigate the consumer minefield of cameras and photographic equipment when selecting and buying a camera. We will look at the major features shared among most cameras, and how they may influence your decision.

Price

Brace yourself: High-quality photography equipment often requires a significant investment.

That’s right, cameras all cost money, and sometimes lots of it. This is a logical place to start, unless, of course, money is of no consequence, in which case order a couple of Leica M Series cameras – one for you and one for me.

The easiest approach to budget is to come up with as narrow a budget window as possible. If you think you want to spend under $ 1,000, you will likely be overwhelmed with choices, while if you decide to look at the $ 800-$ 1,000 range, your options will be much more manageable to compare.

While you’re mulling over your photography budget, note what other accessories you may need or want. Don’t blow your entire budget on a camera body with no lens to mount on it. Do you want to acquire a tripod, external flash or even extra batteries and memory cards?

Types of Cameras

Generally speaking, there are point-and-shoot style cameras, mirrorless cameras and DSLRs (digital single lens reflex), but keep in mind that the lines can be pretty blurry between these.

By Nikolaj F. Rasmussen

Point-and-shoot cameras are mostly compact and convenient. The constant with them is that the lenses are built-in and non-interchangeable, but usually cover a wide zoom range. Quality-wise they run the gamut from cheap with uninspiring quality, to pretty sweet ones like the Canon G1.

Mirrorless systems are all the rage and most of them have interchangeable lenses like the big DSLRs, at a smaller size. They are a great compromise of quality and versatility. Some are super classy like the Olympus OM-D and others deliver high resolution like the Sony A7S.

DSLRs are the classic, fancy-looking cameras, with all the buttons and big lenses (sometimes). Lower-end ones offer good quality, and give users a ton of control. There is a mind-boggling assortment of lenses and flashes available, as well as a myriad of other gadgets to achieve all sorts of creative effects.

Sensor

This is the part of the camera that replaced the film. The reason we care about these is because they range in size, resolution (megapixels) and sensitivity to light.

By ZEISS Microscopy

As you’ve probably already deduced, big sensors with high resolution that are more sensitive to light are pricey. The biggest sensors in the camera types we are talking about are called full frame, and are the size of a 35mm negative (film). The majority of cameras on the market use a variety of smaller versions that we usually call cropped frame (DX for Nikon and APS-C for Canon). There are other size but these two make up the lion’s share of the market.

Right now camera companies are in a death match to out-resolution one another. While the average camera might boast 16-20 megapixels, some models are double that.

What do all those megapixels get you? You can think of it as the same as film grain, or the resolution of your TV. If you have a 36-megapixel camera, you can crop out 2/3 of the photo taken with that camera and still have a 12-megapixel photo. Higher resolution=finer grain.

Sounds like the more the merrier, but not necessarily. Lower-megapixel cameras are often more sensitive to light and work better in dark conditions. Also, resolution is directly correlated to file size so you will fill up your memory cards, and computer hard drive much quicker. Often times lenses for full-frame cameras are more expensive as well.

High-megapixel cameras come at a price as they eat up storage on your memory cards and hard drives.

ISO

This may sound familiar because when you had a film camera (if you are old enough) you probably used 400 ISO film. This is a measurement of the sensor’s sensitivity to light (short meaning, the long one is very technical).

If you want good results shooting in low-light conditions without a flash, you want to look at cameras that not only shoot at high ISO (1600 or greater), but can do so while producing decent shots. The Fujifilm X-T1, Nikon D800, Canon 5D Mark 3 and Sony RX100 get high marks in this category, but be warned, it’ll cost you.

Lenses

A sensor is only as good as the lens that you put in front of it. I just made that up but it’s true. Everything has to pass through the lens to get to the sensor.

If you’re going to go with a point-and-shoot camera, compare the zoom range (a number in millimeters) between several cameras. There are some that cover ridiculous ranges like the Nikon Coolpix P610 which zooms from 24-1,440mm. However, don’t be fooled by big numbers as you may never need that kind of range and another camera may have other features that are more useful to you.

Some cameras are equipped with a permanent fixed-focal-length lens like the Fujifilm X100T. Some photographers prefer simplicity.

Be aware that there are two types of zoom: optical and digital. Optical zoom is what the actual lens is capable of, while the latter digitally crops the photo and image quality is degraded significantly.

Some cameras like the Fujifilm X100T and the Sony RX1 are quality cameras which have permanently attached 35mm lenses. No changing lenses, no zoom. Some people love them, some people think it’s a stupid idea. In the end, it depends on your shooting style and your personal preference.

With DSLRs, the options for lenses are nearly endless. Original manufacturers make plenty, third party brands abound, and you can even get adapters to attach almost anything to almost anything else. Many DSLRs are offered as kits that come with the camera body and lens. Usually the lenses are of lower quality but can certainly produce good results.

Image courtesy of Canon

Some lenses are big and expensive because they let in a lot of light and work better in low-light conditions, produce very sharp undistorted images, have long focal lengths allowing you to take pictures of far away subjects, and are built to more exacting and durable standards or any combination of these features.

The lens department is where mirrorless cameras fall a little short. For most casual photographers, there are enough good choices to fulfill your needs, but fewer choices for professionals, or those wanting to focus on niche genres like macro or sports.

The Other Stuff

I know you wish the things mentioned thus far were the only things to consider, but there is plenty more. With so much competition out there, even simple cameras keep getting more complex. On that note, if you find a camera you’re interested in, find out how long that model has been on the market as the manufacturer might be about release a new version.

By Raymond Bryson

Other features to look for in a camera:

WiFi connectivity
Built-in flash
Hot shoe (for an external flash)
Touch screen
Articulating screen
Dual memory card slots
Image stabilization (in-camera or in-lens)
RAW file support (gives you more control in post-processing)

Video capabilities (HD, 4K, etc.)
External microphone support
Shooting speed (frames per second)
Minimum focus distance or macro mode
Shooting modes (for creative effects)
Weather sealing
Battery life
Weight

Conclusion

Of course this is not an exhaustive list, but it’s a good place to start. These days there are cameras as varied as the photographers using them so it will really pay off to do your research.

The post A Beginner’s Guide to Buying a Camera by Jeremie Schatz appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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How to Improve Your Photography Without Buying New Gear

11 Sep

It’s not the camera that makes good photography; it’s the photographer. How many times have you heard that? Probably a lot more times than you can count. It has become a bit of a cliché than anything, but it’s one that still rings true. You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on brand new, state of the art camera systems and lenses, to be able to create great photos. You know that by now. There’s just one problem. All of those lenses and cameras are so, so shiny.

Most of that shininess is just a product of the camera manufacturers’ marketing departments churning out a constant onslaught of, “Buy me! Buy me! I’m so shiny! Buy me now!”

Shiny lenses are great, but are they the best investment for your photography right now?

Shiny new lenses are great, but are they the best investment for your photography right now?

The best advice? Ignore it as much as possible.

A bad photo made with a $ 5000 camera, is no better than a bad photo made with a $ 700 camera. It may be sharper and it may have a higher dynamic range, but it’s still a bad photo.

It’s okay to want new and better things, and depending on how fast you progress in your photography and what you want to achieve with it, you will eventually have to upgrade and buy new pieces of kit. There may be a few exceptions in genres like macro and wildlife photography; however, the chances are that you don’t need that several thousand dollar lens right now.

Grow out of your equipment

If you take the time to really learn and put into practice all of the various skill sets, you will eventually come to a wall you can’t pass with modest equipment. That’s when it’s time to upgrade. Take your time getting there though, and enjoy the experience. With well rounded skills, you will know that moment the instant it arrives.

Other ways to invest in your photography

However, there are places where you can invest your money that will not only help your photography, but also speed up the process quite a lot. These are education and experiences. Really, they’re both the same thing, but it’s easier to describe them in terms of two sub-categories.

Education

Everybody needs to learn. Constantly. Never stop learning; otherwise you’ll get left behind.

The Internet is full of free resources, and you should absolutely use every bit of it to your full advantage. To quickly rise to the top of the learning curve, however, you should consider adding things like books, online courses, and workshops to your shopping list.

Workshops can be great value for money and provide a boost to your skills as well as introduce you to new locations.

Photography books tend to be focused on a particular subject. They also tend to go much further in depth than other resources. Most importantly, they’re relatively cheap. Try to avoid books that try to encompass everything about photography, and stick to specific topics like lighting, portraits or food.

How big of a library can you put together for the cost a lens that you’ve been after?

In the same vein, workshops and seminars can deliver a huge amount of information in a very short period of time for a reasonable cost. They also have the benefit of giving you face to face tuition with someone who’s experienced in the field that they are teaching. This is often invaluable, particularly if you learn better with a hands-on approach.

When considering workshops, please do your research and be sure of what you’re buying. Just think, would you buy something from eBay without first checking a seller’s feedback?

Personally, I feel one of the most overlooked, yet one of the most valuable tools, to learn photography is monographs and coffee table books. Studying the work of accomplished photographers will show you all of the things you’ve learned in theory, put into practice. It can also help you discern your likes and dislikes and give you ideas on what to try for your own portfolios. Don’t just stick with the old masters like Edward Weston and Imogen Cunningham; include contemporary photographers like Martin Parr and Mario Testino for a more thorough reference.

Experiences

Spending money on travel can help to force you to use the gear you have.

Spending money on travel can help to force you use the gear you have.

If education is learning, then experience is the actual doing. Do you want to be a travel photographer? Then don’t upgrade your lenses, buy a plane ticket instead. Do you want to be a fashion photographer? Hire experienced models and make-up artists. Wildlife photographer? Go photograph wolves on a workshop and rent the lens you need, rather than buying it.

If that’s a bit too expensive, then consider buying things to photograph. Food, toys, flowers, whatever fits in-line with your interests, and gets you up and using the camera you have now.

Purchasing things to photograph will help you build a portfolio which is far more important in the long run.

You can read all the theory in the world, but if you don’t put it into practice it just stays theory. The bonus here is that by actually working toward your goal, you will probably wind up earning a bit of money to put towards that fancy kit when you do need it.

It all comes back to the “grow out of your equipment” idea discussed earlier in this article.

You already have what you need. If you have read this article through, then the chances are that you already have everything you need to go out and make photos and develop your skills.

Now, I don’t presume to know every situation out there, and my experiences are only mine. I cannot, and will not, tell you what to do, but if you’re yearning for a new piece of gear I can only encourage you to honestly answer the question, “Do I really need this for my photography to progress or do I just want it?”

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