I really believe in photographers helping other photographers. I have been blessed to have people in my life who have shared with me, and I feel very strongly that I should pay it forward. It makes my day to receive e-mails from other photographers asking for advice. I am still learning myself, so I can only share what has worked for me personally, but if at least one person finds it helpful, then that’s good enough for me. I have received a lot of e-mails in the past few weeks asking questions about what camera gear and lenses I use. Although I try to answer each e-mail individually, I thought it might also be nice if I posted it all here for everyone.
I’m not sure where my love for Canon began. I think it must have been some sort of deep-seeded, unconscious brand recognition from an old film point-and-shoot I had as a kid. But when I first got my first “nice” camera two Christmases ago, I asked for a Canon PowerShot SX5. Canon has upgraded the model several times since then, but it is my number one recommendation to anyone looking for a good, quality camera in the $300-500 range. I’ve single-handedly sold at least five in the last year!
When I wanted to become more creatively involved in the images I was taking, I upgraded to the Canon Rebel XSi. I didn’t know anything about lenses or accessories at the time, so I just bought a kit (a camera body and lens combo). It was a wonderful camera and jump started my business. But I quickly realized that I needed to take it a step further if I was going to go pro. Six months after the Rebel came into my life, I sold it. This time I did my research and bought the Canon 50D camera body separate from the Canon 17-55 2.8 lens. This proved to be a better value for the money and has been my main gear since last March. Ninety-nine percent of the images posted on this blog before today were taken with this combo. The few exceptions include close ups at wedding ceremonies and really wide angle shots.
So what lens should you buy? To be honest, I think there is too much hype over prime/fixed lenses. Yes, they can be sharper, and yes, they do have crazy-low aperture settings, but I feel like they may be slightly overrated. I’m sorry, I’m just being honest. Like I said before, I can only speak from my personal experience. If I had to do it all over again, I would still get the 50D 17-55 2.8 combo. It has been an absolute workhorse and taught me so much about the inner workings of a camera. The only thing I don’t like about the 50D is the amount of grain in my images at a high ISO. The zoom lens has a lot of flexibility and makes it great for everyday use, both professionally and personally! If you are unsure about what to buy, I totally recommend renting a few. You can rent top-quality equipment for amazingly low prices. I rented the Canon 70-200L 2.8 lens so many times this summer that Paul at LensPro To Go began to feel like an old friend. (I ended up buying this lens for myself in September when I realized I was about to reach a point where renting was no longer cost effective — I was going to end up spending as much renting it as I would just buying it!)
Sometimes I think there is too much emphasis put on the right gear. Yes, more expensive equipment can equal better quality, but not always. The truth is, everyone is different — our styles are different, our shooting techniques are different and our photographic needs are different. You have to find what works best for you and embrace it. Don’t give in to the pressure of wanting what all the cool kids have. A better camera and better lenses do not equal a better photographer. Focus on improving your technique and learning your camera inside and out. And practice, practice, practice, practice, practice, practice. The rest will fall in line. Promise!
Ok, so tell me. Was that completely boring and awful? Did it make you want to take a nap? Are you considering never coming back because I didn’t show beautiful pictures of beautiful people? Or did it maybe, just maybe, help you understand my crazy camera/lens logic just a teeny tiny little bit? Did I leave something out? Do you want to know more? I’m a huge photo geek and love stuff like this, so I really have no perspective. Let me know!
by Amanda
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