I see so many people chasing after latest and greatest gear and obsessing over technical perfection in their images. I personally believe that if you cannot get good images with your current gear, even if you upgrade to the next best camera, your images won't improve even a bit. You should upgrade your skills first before upgrading your gear. I also believe that using older, cheaper gear can help make you a better photographer. Going back to basics with simpler controls without the automated settings or 1000 different AF options, you have to truly master the basics and control the camera effectively to get your shots, without relying on the camera's "smart" features. Not having 1000MP or 1000fps burst shooting will slow you down and make you work harder around the camera limitations to get your shots. Using older cameras will sharpen your shooting discipline. I talk about this and more in my latest video here (click). I am sharing some of my latest work with the almost 20 years old Nikon D50 and Yongnuo 35mm F2 lens.
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Hello Robin - I love the photos - and the message that goes with them!
ReplyDeleteThat Nikon 6MP sensor does give wonderful colours and contrast when you get the exposures right!
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Another bonus with using older cameras rather than buying the newest isn't just that you have more cash left for travelling; the latest high MP sensors will almost certainly need you to buy an expensive new computer to handle large picture files for image processing - as well as spending more on extra storage memory; it's the same when you start to make videos beyond 1080p.
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And then printing - where it is good to ask just how big do I print my photos? When a large print photo is viewed at 1.5m distance in a gallery your eyes can't resolve more than 180DPI - so your 6MP Nikon can make a print at least 16″x11″ to put on the wall, and by 10m you need only 18PPI - so that older Nikon can easily print a roadside billboard!
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I got a secondhand D50 with the 18-55mm lens for £25 recently to start my daughter off on photography - thats about 140MYR - or the cost of 2 pizzas delivered to your house in the UK. The pizzas might last an hour or less - but the joy of making pictures could last a lifetime!