Does decent gear make you take photos?

bl0at3r

bl0at3r

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Alan
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Yes
I suspect the answer is no, but I thought I'd ask anyway......

Apart from birthdays (three nephews under the age of 7 and a mad dog) and a few days in Edinburgh, I have taken virtually no photos this year - sold all my m43 gear midway through the year in frustration and today I am left with a GX1 body and 20mm lens.

The thing is, when I enjoyed photography I used to make a special trip out to places JUST to take photos - so justified spending thousands of pounds on lots of gear to myself. Nowadays, it really only seems to be special occasions that I bother, and sometimes only take a handful of shots before I put it away again.

But now my old brain is playing tricks on me again - if I had a better camera, maybe a dslr, with blistering focus, amazing lowlight and machine gun speed - I would enjoy taking photos again.

Just maybe my 20mm Panasonic lens with sluggish AF is causing all the problems, making me feel my little old GX1 is substandard and the reason I get so many pics of my nephews and the dog with blurred faces (cos they never sit still for more than 0.5 secs!)?

What do you think? I reckon I am just insane, am looking for excuses to buy more cameras and should just use the camera I already have. :)
 
I think getting new gear can make you get back out taking photos. I know it does for me.
 
Looks like you've talked yourself into it and justified the expense - go for it.
New gear certainly inspires me to get out and take pics.
 
I sold all my SLR gear 20 years ago and regretted it. I spent years with point and shoot type cameras spending money getting better ones. 4 years ago got a DSLR and i am a happy photographer again, yes it is big yes i have to change the lens, do i mind, no i get the shot i want
 
The only decent gear is the one you have with you, taken some nice photo's on my phone.
Comes down to what you want to do with your photo's...
 
wave01 said:
I sold all my SLR gear 20 years ago and regretted it. I spent years with point and shoot type cameras spending money getting better ones. 4 years ago got a DSLR and i am a happy photographer again, yes it is big yes i have to change the lens, do i mind, no i get the shot i want
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I did that too, but it did not take very long before I realised that I had made a major error. The kit I sold was all film and when I got back into photography the D70 had appeared so that was me into digital.
 
I know exactly what you mean, I take pictures as a hobby and have far too much gear, some I haven't used, but there is something about buying it that gives me a good feeling, I tell myself that "its there if I need it then", I'm sure there is a medical name for this condition lol, what ever it is I've got it. but yes I'm sure a new kit will get you back out there, if it doesn't, I will buy it off you:D
 
I dont think it does, I had a d300s with some nice lens and now the Nex 7 but I still can't seem to take a decent photo, every time I decide to make an effort something happens that I have to go into work or something crops up I just don't seem to have the time to practice and make myself better, hopefully 2014 will be a bit quiter and I can spend more time practising my skills..
 
I had lost interest in photography when I was made redundant from my job. We had a darkroom and I would use it to print B&W. Loved it. Started working away from home and didn't take a pic for 5/6 years. Then bought a digital SLR to try and start again but ended up a few years later with a bagful of expensive camera gear that was hardly used.

It came to the point where I decided that either I used it or sold it. I still had an interest but was just basically lazy. I decided that I was going to go on a few trips away from home purely for photography. I now go on three each year and I have found that this has got me into the habit of taking the camera with me when I am at home.

Joining a camera club also helped a lot, meeting people with similar interests.

I still would like to do more but working away does limit what you can do. Even though I get good breaks at home Ihave to fit in all the mundane stuff in that time also.

Maybe starting to use what you've got is the first step. Setting yourself a small project based on something you're interested in and see where it goes.
 
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wave01 said:
I sold all my SLR gear 20 years ago and regretted it. I spent years with point and shoot type cameras spending money getting better ones. 4 years ago got a DSLR and i am a happy photographer again, yes it is big yes i have to change the lens, do i mind, no i get the shot i want
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....I did the same about 13 years ago - Sold my Canon EOS-1 SLR and lenses and bought a far too small Pentax Optima and hardly used it. Then I got a Fuji FinePix F200EXR and upgraded through to F500EXR which I have virtually worn out but taken some very good pictures with.

Then my daughter bought a Canon EOS 100D, I borrowed it, and decided I was going to go DSLR. I spent a couple of months researching what camera gear to get and a couple of weeks ago I bought a new Canon 70D having already bought not one but two Canon L lenses off TP's Classifieds BEFORE I bought the new body. I also replaced my FinePix F500EXR with a Sony RX100 II because I then ALWAYS have a camera on me on my trousers belt.

Although my pictures only get seen online as JPEG and it's a hobby, I now shoot RAW on both cameras. My favourite subjects are Dragonflies but also any wildlife I can capture.

So, does decent gear make you take photos? - YES ! Because you firstly recognise the potential for a photo, feel inspired, and have the gear which helps you capture it.

I loved my truly pocketable size FinePix F500EXR but had began to discover its limitations for my favourite subjects. So thousands of pounds spent just to see if I can take snaps of flying insects! But what enjoyment! No Dragonflies around until next Spring but I am as free as a bird and this is my most recent 'keeper' photo....

HerringGullseaflight_0555.jpg
 
Buying new gear will get you out more using it... However IMHO if the interest is no longer there as seems not then the new gear novelty will soon wear off . you will be back to now but a few quid lighter...
 
KIPAX said:
Buying new gear will get you out more using it... However IMHO if the interest is no longer there as seems not then the new gear novelty will soon wear off . you will be back to now but a few quid lighter...
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Totally agree with this. If you have an interest in something new kit can really boost that interest. But if your not really up for it any more then it will soon just gather dust.
 
I don't know if it makes me take *better* photos, but better kit lets me take photos that I otherwise might have missed.
 
Only thing that will make you take photos is yourself

Perhaps you are just not interested anymore especially when you say *make you take* It is a hobby, something you should enjoy, not a chore to be undertaken.
 
Gear that takes good photos (as well as nice snaps!) does get you shooting more. There's little more deinspiring than going out shooting, spending hours peering through the VF then looking at the results and wondering why you bothered. Getting home and seeing images leap out at you from the screen (or even better, off the paper) is a great way to keep the interest up.
 
I agree with the guy who said that constantly wanting new guy drains your ability to take decent photos as you end up blaming your own issues on the gear instead of critiquing yourself properly. I've spent numerous thousands of pounds over around 3 years and finally decided on a camera is actually enjoy using instead of what an mtf chart will tell me gives the sharpest photo.
 
My 18-55 and D5000 captured some of my best shots.

My LX7 compact captured my best shot which hangs on my wall.

Go figure.

I must admit - new gear (not necessarily expensive or exclusive to lenses) makes me get out a bit more.
 
I have a G1 and two AF lenses, a 14-42mm and the 20mm f1.7 and I find the focus performance of both to be very good. Anyway, I usually use manual lenses and I get great pleasure from using these lovely and usually very cheap lenses.

I have a busy life and I don't have as much time to take pictures as I'd like but when I do get some free time I really like going for a walk with my camera and just one lens, sometimes two or occasionally three. These days I have a Sony A7 but I'd be just as happy (if the light is good and I don't want to go too wide) with my G1, a 50mm f1.7 and a 28mm f2.8. My gear may not be the best (especially the lenses I use) but I get a lot of satisfaction from cheap lenses and really my A7 is just a digital FF to enjoy the cheap lenses in a different way to my G1.

Getting some "better" gear might revitalise you but what gets me interested is cheap gear :D
 
Phil Young said:
My 18-55 and D5000 captured some of my best shots.

My LX7 compact captured my best shot which hangs on my wall.

Go figure.
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....Easy to figure: "The camera takes the photo, but the photographer makes it" - Ansell Adams, 1902-1984
 
Irrespective of what standard of gear you own, it's worth nothing if you don't feel the inspiration to use it.

If you do feel the inspiration and make the time to follow it, then always buy the best you can afford.

When I was an amateur racing cyclist my custom made race bike (I had another for Winter training) was capable of winning the Tour de France - I wasn't!!

A professional racing driver friend (Le Mans 24hrs and other races) drives my car up the standing quarter-mile faster than I can and he can also do a faster lap on track in my car than I can, but boy-o-boy do I love driving my car!

In other words, buy the best you can afford which brings you pleasure - Enjoy life!
 
jerry12953 said:
You may know yourself well enough to realise that your interests lie with buying and selling equipment rather than making images. It takes a brave man to accept that.
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....Were you referring to anyone in particular when you wrote that, Jeremy?

Many of us are 'gear sluts' but I think mostly as part of our efforts to give ourselves every chance in creating the images which excite us the most and as part of the inevitable learning curve about which horse is best for the course - Which combination of camera equipment best suits our subjects.
 
I do find that new gear makes me want to get out and use it but the effect soon wears off. My most recent purchase was a Canon EOS M which I am really enjoying using and am trying to convince myself to try some different stuff with. My problem is that my real passion is wildlife photography and due to many reasons I haven't been able to get out doing that for over five months... Which doesn't help with depression and retail therapy offers a quick fix!

I know that what I need is to get out and use some of my long lenses again but as I haven't been able to new toys have been bridging the gap. I have had your set up in the past (still have the GX1, it's a great little camera) and used to love the 20 f1.7. However when I got the EOS M I also picked up a 22 f2 which gives a very similar off and dof and is so much better at AFing, so I ended up selling the Panasonic. I should have stopped there but instead added the Canon 40mm pancake which seems really good but has not been out of the bag since the day I bought it! Must give it a run out over Christmas.

New gear always seems appealing to me and over the years I have been through silly numbers of cameras and lenses. Each new toy seems like a great idea at the time but most have ended up being sold on through lack of use or to fund the next new thing. I will openly admit that I do enjoy the process of getting new gear and selling on the stuff I don't use to fund it. But if I could be out with a long lens every day I would soon stop as I know that I want I really want. I would say that if you want a new toy and can afford it then go for it. It might be that the new thing is just what you need to get you inspired again, and if not you can sell it on and try again. As you know buying and selling second hand gear gives you the opportunity to give gear a good testing with little or no net expense. If you find the gear that does suit you then make sure you keep hold of it, I have regretted selling a few bits and ended up rebuying them.

Not sure that any of that helps you Alan but I think I have worked out what I need to do for next year. I need to get out and use my long lenses a lot more, and possibly more importantly I need to try and buy a lot less gear. I have enough cameras, lenses, tripods and bags... I'm sure I do...
 
Totally depends what your interest actually is. I got a Canon 7D on launch and loved it, as I was into Motorsport back then and once I'd figured out it's focusing quirks there was no stopping me and it's 7fps saw me grab some awesome action shots... Then I got bored of cars - and photography along with it. Then I loaned it all to a pro who fell on hard times and had to sell up. Seeing what he took with my kit got me interested in landscapes and bang, I was back on it - but then my interest moved to dark landscapes, golden hour... But in the lakes in December that meant VERY windy conditions and that was the first time my kit truly limited my images - the subject was a lone tree at sunrise in a 70mph cross wind. I couldn't get the shutter speed AND the ISO I needed from the 7D. But I wasn't kidding myself, I genuinely knew it was kit limitation, not me. I knew I wanted F8 for depth and around 100th second shutter or more to freeze the tree, but that meant ISO comedy levels! and the 7D turned out unhappy images for me. :(

Next week I bought a 5D3 and took a great image at the same spot with ISO 10'000 and justified my purchase with one shot. :)
 
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On a related note - the thing that inspired me the MOST to get back out taking photos lately, was joining this forum and also meeting a local old mate who is also into visiting locations at 5am awaiting a sunrise. Sometimes it's nice not to be alone in your daft endeavours.
 
Buy a manual camera, film or polariod, Pentax spotmatic or a TLR, maybe a folder
 
RedRobin said:
....Were you referring to anyone in particular when you wrote that, Jeremy?

Many of us are 'gear sluts' but I think mostly as part of our efforts to give ourselves every chance in creating the images which excite us the most and as part of the inevitable learning curve about which horse is best for the course - Which combination of camera equipment best suits our subjects.
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Just responding to the OP ........kind of agreeing with him really.......
 
bobleeuk said:
I know exactly what you mean, I'm sure there is a medical name for this condition lol, what ever it is I've got it. :D
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Yeah it's called the "gimmes" I have it too :)
 
bl0at3r said:
... sold all my m43 gear midway through the year in frustration
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I think that phrase should be expounded upon and explored in great detail before you buy any new kit.

What type of photography were you shooting? What do you like to shoot? What was wrong with your images that made you actually become 'frustrated'?

Photography, from beginning to end, is about the image. Thats it, nothing more. Whether its for documentation purposes, reportage or Art the reason one shoots is to create an image. Preferably one that is capable of moving the human soul, generating some type of emotion or at least making a person stop and look at it. At the very least it should be an image you find pleasing to look at

Google 'photography definition' and you will find variations of this...
pho·tog·ra·phy- n.
1. The art or process of producing images of objects on photosensitive surfaces.
2. The art, practice, or occupation of taking and printing photographs.
3. A body of photographs.

Every single definition of photography points to the image. Gear collection and (as someone above rightly called it) Retail Therapy is not what photography is about.

You need to honestly ask yourself if your desire for photography is to create beautiful images, or is it rather to own cool kit and make gear related post to forums that scratch the surface of real photography but doesnt delve to deeply into the actual creation of the image.

If the former, buy new kit. Discover what was lacking that frustrated you and move forward with your Art. Learn something new every time you shoot and practice, practice, practice.

If the latter, dont buy the new kit and save your money. You will most likely become locked in the "I need just one more better lens, or camera, or filter, or tripod, or strap, or memory card, or wife, or lemur or whatever to take better photos!"

Its the image. Its always about the image. The gear is just a tool to make the image. Find which images excite you, figure out the gear you need to create them. Simple as that. Gear purchases should fulfill your inner vision.

You know what gear I last got excited about? The Metabones Speedbooster. It promised to let me use my old manual focus lenses on my NEX 7 back at almost their original angle of few for their focal length. Basically it made my crop NEX 7 a full frame camera. This would significantly change the way I could use my beloved lenses to make images. I took a chance on it.

The results http://www.flickr.com/photos/8539414@N07/sets/72157633126249795/

Edit: I just realized I didnt answer your original question directly. Decent gear doesnt make you take photographs, but it can definitely inspire you. Which is part of the creation process, and photography is definitely creative. I use old, all metal manual focus lenses because I love they way they handle and feel as I shoot. I love turning a metal aperture ring to choose my depth of field and help create the photo I am looking for. I love turning an old lens by hand to bring my photo into focus instead of relying on a plastic tube and an AutoFocus microporcessor to do it for me. These are things that I have discovered I enjoy doing while I am out doing what I really enjoy, which is capturing the image. Its the way I have chosen to practice my Art. But its still about the image. Put a crappy toy Holga in my hand and I will still make a compelling image. Put a plasticky, cheap DSLR in my hand with the latest wunder-zoom and I can still take nice images, I will just be bitching about it the whole time. :)
 
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I think it does up to some level. When I bought 1ds II and top lenses I made a conscious decision I can't shoot and post / publish snapshots. It was just too embarrassing to produce junk with that gear. I think it transformed my landscape technique.
 
Decent gear doesn't mean expensive. People get confused there at times.

So yes, decent gear helps a lot. It'll allow you to take pictures in situations where 'bad' gear will not. You don't have to spend a fortune to get good gear. Just make a list of what you'd like/need, and stick to it.
 
RedRobin said:
Irrespective of what standard of gear you own, it's worth nothing if you don't feel the inspiration to use it.
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:agree:
Straight to the point.

There are plenty of folk with thousands of pounds of gear that display crap images. There are plenty of folk with cheap gear that take amazing images.

The question was - Does decent gear make you take photos ?

The answer is no. It's your enthusiasm.

Decent gear doesn't need to cost the earth
 
Wow - have read through all your responses - thanks and Merry Xmas :)

I guess my photo taking requirements now are just special occasions and the odd holiday - in a nutshell I have gone from photography as a hobby to simply wanting to record the memories - back to basics if you will.

This has taken a year or two to admit to myself, but I no longer get excited by going out specially to take pictures and don't need lots of camera gear.

The problem that remains for me though, is that having had high end gear, now using a camera just to take snaps I still become a little critical over the quality of the 'snap' or the speed of focus for example.

Maybe I need to get over that final hurdle and accept the photo for what it is, not what it could be, but I think this little spark is what makes me desire better kit?

For 'snaps' the GX1 is more than capable, but I look at the photos afterwards and think that the 'snap' could have been made better if it had better bokeh or been sharper etc.

Thanks again, and may you all have a great photographic 2014.

*sneaks off to the MX5Parts and Apple websites to see what he can spend his money on instead of on camera gear......
 
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It happened again over Xmas :(

Struggled to take decent sharp images of the nephews whilst they were running around in their present fuelled insanity.

:eek:
 
"No photographer is as good as the simplest camera" Edward Steichen.

The answer to your question has to be both an unequivocal "yes" and an unequivocal "no". Why? Because different people get different things out of photography, and make use of it for different purposes. If I have a paint brush in my hand, I might end up with a magnolia wall or I might paint the ceiling of the Sistine chapel. In both cases I'm a painter.

It's the same with photography. If you want to go out and use it as a means of self expression, then possibly the equipment will help you. If on the other hand your interest lies in using fine equipment for the joy it gives you (as perhaps vintage car drivers have more interest in the machine than the journey) then a better camera will give more pleasure. It might be true that the dictionary definition of "photography" is severely limited to creating images, but there are a lot of photographers for whom the equipment is the important thing, and what it produces (in art terms) almost irrelevant. Some people enjoy using cameras, and playing (for example) with old ones; some people enjoy the technical aspects and worry about resolution, high ISO performance (for its own sake, not as a means to an end) and frame rates. As a hobby, for many photography is perhaps more about using a camera than creating an image. OK, this forum may not be an average cross section, but for many out there the results aren't the primary source of pleasure. It's the thrill of the chase, not eating the prey afterwards.

All cameras have limitations, and the trick is always working within them. There's no such thing as the perfect camera, or even the perfect camera type. For my photography, a DSLR is supremely limiting (both from the point of view of sensor performance and even more from the limitations of a rigid body camera). You can take fine photographs with any camera if you work within its limitations - even a box camera. But without knowing what different camera types can make possible for you, your imagination is limited. If you don't know that something is possible (or believe it to be impossible) you won't try it or switch to a camera that makes it possible for you.

"Decent" isn't an absolute term. What is "decent" for one type of photography is positively indecent for another. I could (but won't for space) give examples. But it's certainly the case that some cameras are better suited to some types of photography than others. You wouldn't (for example) use a 10x8 film camera to capture a series of photos showing how horses gallop would you? Or perhaps you would - the first such photos were made using that sort of camera. Which serves to indicate that even equipment that seems unsuitable can be used with imagination and dedication.

Different camera types influence how you view the subject, and how the subject views you. Conditioned as most people are to eye level cameras (usually reflex) they never notice this. Possibly you don't get on with eye level reflex cameras - I personally don't. They make it more difficult for me to approach things the way I want, and I prefer total control (which means more than simply manual settings).

If you bought a new camera, the odds are great that you'd go out and use it. If it suits you, you might enjoy it enough to keep using it. But it will always beg the question "what do you want to get out of photography?". Do you want the pleasure of using fine equipment or the pleasure of viewing a fine print - no matter what camera was used?
 
I don't think having the best gear will give you the BEST photos - but I do think having 'New Toys' to play with would inspire you to play more with them and produce more and maybe better photos
 
I would say new gear would not make you go out and take "better pics" if your not interested in it in the first place. I started with a 350D and took that every where as I bought it second hand, had a 50mm lens on it and no bag! So there was hardly anything to it! However the things I like taking pictures of are my family and any occasion we go to. Now after 3-4 years I have upgraded to a 6D, 24-105mm F4L, 70-200mm F4 L and a decent flash which allows me to take brilliant shots of my family in my house and any party or wedding we go to. However the extra bulk of the kit and cost of it, I usually weigh up if its worth taking with me! Half the time, me and my wife decide not to bother and do with our camera phones.
 
vimto2000 said:
I would say new gear would not make you go out and take "better pics" if your not interested in it in the first place. I started with a 350D and took that every where as I bought it second hand, had a 50mm lens on it and no bag! So there was hardly anything to it! However the things I like taking pictures of are my family and any occasion we go to. Now after 3-4 years I have upgraded to a 6D, 24-105mm F4L, 70-200mm F4 L and a decent flash which allows me to take brilliant shots of my family in my house and any party or wedding we go to. However the extra bulk of the kit and cost of it, I usually weigh up if its worth taking with me! Half the time, me and my wife decide not to bother and do with our camera phones.
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Maybe be time to look at ccs ? :)
 
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