Lets be honest...

As time goes on in my photographic journey I have come to realise as an active photographer; that is to say someone who takes photos EVERY day that the final image and its very content is the most important thing and NOT how I got there.
Like many people I have lusted after big expensive cameras and the best of glass but I wish I could go back now to my younger self and say "just take photos" or "time lusting after cameras is time wasted taking photos"
The other day when I was shooting some stranger portraits I happened across a guy who was only too happy to show me his latest Canon 5d mk4 and the host of glass that he had to accompany it. When I meet these kind of photographers I always ask the same "Wow, you must print really big - I wish I could get massive poster prints with my ----- insert camera name" However the photographer looked baffled (as they all do) and replied "oh no I only post on social media and look at the pics on my comp"

I hear this all the time and it makes you wonder - Why the *£$D do we lust after bigger sensors, better lenses with better bokeh when at the end of the day it only serves to please us and not a picture editor at a magazine or even the holier than thou people at magnum?

I'm bringing this up because I have recently dusted off my 18 55 kit lens and started to shoot everything with it again like I did many moons ago - even before shooting pentax.

Initially I thought, " I should really be using my mint film lenses or if only I could use a lower ISO right now....

What I am trying to say is that WE are the thing preventing us from shooting great images and even though I have shot compacts and film cameras in pursuit of artistic nirvana I still get hampered now and again by the "if only i had this or that gear"

The people at SRS wont like me saying this.... lol

BUT let me save you decades of time, shoot with what you have and to hell with K1's and FA 77's

Interesting argument, and if anyone doubts its validity, browse through your excellent gallery of photographs. It's all the proof that is needed.

Ronnie I am so glad it is you to respond first because one of the photos that you cited as being "better" has been shortlisted for a fairly respected local competition - and I took it with a Q!




That aside I think the epiphany is very real to me. The last two years of shooting has been the best in 15 years.

I can't agree more. Until I landed some unexpected cash (and bought a K3-ii) I was a right tight so and so because it's all I can usually afford, hence the collection of old glass that still goes on the front of even the K3. Lack of funds hampered me right at the start with a second hand Exa IIb but when every frame counts it makes for a wonderful teacher. And that Exa, with a 50mm Domiplan and Agfa slide film, produced some magnificent images.

Also totally agree......almost.

When I had my K5 and K10D combo I always used the K10D for taking pics for ebay etc, because taking them with a 16mp camera would have been be ludicrous, right?. Since the demise of the K10D the new K3II stays in the bag and the K5 is now used for the ebay pics and they still get cropped and resized to a maximum of 1000pixels high, if I ever aspire to a K1 I guess the K3II will become the underdog

However with such a good quality camera and glass (yes I use my DA* lenses) I can crop as much as I want for the best possible image plus I have the versatility of a DSLR. The higher the quality of an original image the more you can do with it so looking at it from that perspective the guy with the bagfull of kit has it just right

I agree with you on that even though I am shooting with a k3ii I still anchor after my k10gp

I couldn't agree more, Alistair. Perhaps we should all print this out and hang it on the wall.

Better cameras and more lenses can't lead to better pictures unless we take the time to stand in front of more interesting things. We're fooling ourselves if we think otherwise.

The thing is, when one has some spare cash, it's easier to buy new stuff than it is to get off our keyboards and go out and use what we have. It's also a fact that lots of people these days are (relatively) cash rich and time poor, having time to spend it but not to use what they buy (look at the very low shutter counts one sees in lots of second-hand gear).

I think magazines and the internet fuel the illusion that better gear results in better pictures. There are so many reviews and pictures out there which appear to offer the promise of photographic nirvana which is but a click away.

Maybe the spiralling prices caused by the plunging pound will cause some to pause but don't bet on it.

Of course, there's nothing wrong with wanting to own nice stuff which is surplus to requirements: we all have lots of stuff we don't need. I like using different cameras and lenses because photography is my hobby and it's fun but in truth my K5 with kit lens would do or even my K100D. They all look the same on a web page and I haven't printed anything for years, probably this century, save for a few shots of my son's graduation.

I think buying subject-specific kit is more justifiable (macro, water-proof housings, very long telephotos) because some branches of photography are hard or impossible to do with just a standard zoom but that's all I really need. And a good, small camera is nice to have for sheer convenience and portability.

And to think, I spent yesterday agonising over the purchase of an EF-M 11mm-22mm for my tiny Canon EOS M, because we're off to the Alps next summer and I can't possibly take any decent shots there without one...

Artistically, you can shoot with just about anything. Professionally, it's another story. Why do a product shoot with a K100D and not a K1? The answers are rather obvious. And yes, there are very good photographers out there and the OP is undoubtly an example of one, that can take a good picture with a bucket....but that might very well not be enough for a client that needs his precious photo printed at 1million pixels wide.

Technology is a wonderful thing; why would anyone not want to benefit from better performance if one can afford it, is beyond me. Why would anyone risk putting his business in jeopardy because they practice the 'I shoot with what I've got' philosophy ? Very quickly, someone else will come along that does what you do, better; with better gear, that often facilitates better turn around time etc.

People pay for the most awkward things; from medium format wedding photos to genuine film pet shoots. A friend of mine had a client approach him for an iphone, post wedding reception, photo session. He paid, he got it. That included going out an actually buying an iphone as he did not own one.

And last, but not least; part of photography as a hobby, is gear. Even if you don't print big, post on social media, you may one day wake up and feel an irresistible urge to pixel peep your latest shot. And why not? If it makes you happier? Even if it touches on some insecurities you have and makes them smaller? Hell, why not? Will it make you a better photographer? Maybe, maybe not. Some will be motivated to live up to their gear, others won't care; still others simply won't be capable of being better. We all have different talents.

At the end of the day, it's the enjoyment it brings that counts if you ask me

Some of my best and favourite photos are ones I took with my K50. However there were a number of rejects where the light conditions were more demanding, which is where the K-1 really comes into its own. The benefit of the larger sensor is not just big prints but the much greater dynamic range available when lighting is poor as in church interiors, or contrasty as in dramatic sunsets.

Was my favourite lens on the M when I had one ... superb performer.

Thanks Mike. That's particularly helpful coming from you.

I will be honest .... no, I don't think the results are what matters most. I think the gear and all the technical / handling / physical aspects that go with using it are just as important.

If we were talking about professional work, then the gear is simply a tool needed to get what customers will pay for. But, for me, a 'hobbyist', my small collection of Pentax and related DSLR system accessories, are a source of pride and enjoyment in their own right. I would not be happy with anything far simpler, even if could still take decent pictures, because it is the gear, and the act of using it all, that is a big part of the pleasure and fulfilment. In fact, I would rather use special gear and a complicated setup, rather than something very basic, even if the basic gear led to easier and better pictures.

I actually can be perfectly happy messing around with camera and flashes testing out modes, wireless triggering techniques etc even if it only leads to worthless photos of boring objects. I gain just as much enjoyment from that sort of technical exercise, sometimes even more enjoyment, than I would from trying to capture actual images of interesting things ..... (of course, ultimately, such testing and experimenting can lead to becoming more practised and experienced and might lead to better photos of worthwhile things in the future .... but it doesn't have to lead to that in order to be self-fulfilling on its own right).

For me, the old chestnut saying about going out with a box brownie, or some other very basic camera, holds little interest .... that would be boring to do even if the results were artistically good. The gear is an intrinsically important part of the hobby ..... on some days when there are no decent photos to capture, then the gear can be the only part of the hobby.

I agree with most things said here ☺

When I started out I decided not to overspend as such.

My first Pentax was my k10, which I still use, my k5 was a it's my birthday so why not kind of purchase

I started buying mf lenses so I could try out different focal lengths but ended up keeping most of them.

I love using photography as a slow down and relax part of my life and getting out and snapping often with one lens and camera as I enjoy it, no other reason to be honest 😀

The latest this that or the other doesn't really interest me - I have recently treated myself to a new lens as my trusty old sigma 70 - 300 fails sometimes so I bought a lens to sort of replace itthat as it - I hope the new purchase will serve me as well as the siggy did.

I keep up to date with the new bodies just in case one packs in and I replace it.

I have used both k5 and k10 for weddings and never had any issues or complaints but understand why a pro would want the best kit - I just try to avoid weddings and refuse any requests other than family or friends.

Get out, shoot more of what you enjoy with what you have would be my advice and buy when you have to or if it makes you happy and you have the money

great thread and I think the other important photography aspect and my favourite aspect is just going out and meeting people, talking to them and taking their photo.