There's an ongoing battle on whether or not photographer's should have a lot or a little bit of gear. Do you go commando and carry one body, one lens, and some cards or, have you ever considered having to get a pack mule to carry all your equipment?
Either way, how do figure out what equipment best suits you? How do you sort through all the BS to find real, factual information?
Well, we did sort through a lot of the BS! And these were the sites we either know and love, or came upon and found them really useful. Some of them are really cut and dry, some are really techy, but we've found that these sites are really reliable sources.
This site is really great for anyone who's looking into buying a new Canon DSLR (Nikon soon to come) or new lenses. He gives great reviews and has great examples of a camera's or lenses capabilities.
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-Digital-SLR-Camera-Reviews.aspx
Good site, really dense.
http://www.dpreview.com/
This site has a description of capabilities on almost every camera ever. Old school to now. Ever find an old film camera and have no idea how to use it? This site can help.
http://camerapedia.wikia.com/wiki/Camerapedia
This site compares camera's and is great for general knowledge. --Thanks Tiffany!
http://snapsort.com/compare
This is a good site for low key and hightech lighting situations. If you wanna go guerilla, go to this site. Lots of fun ways to use old equipment too!
http://strobist.blogspot.com/
We just came across this dude and already we like what we hear. The way he speaks is about as interesting as a rock, but once you get past that he actually says some good stuff. We just watched a few of the videos, but definitely check out the one where he talks about what extra things he brings on location.
If you guys have any review sites that you use please post them. We're always looking for new ideas.
"All you need is a stick and a can!" Very dry dude, but he has some great ideas. I would have never thought of going makeshift for a studio but then again I will probably have to, unless I win the lottery.
ReplyDeleteThe camera information and comparison sites are a good idea and will definitely keep them in mind once I am able to afford that new camera. If I had the money now I'd be using those site right away but unfortunately I don't. But in the past I usually have just compared the products I was looking to buy right on the site I was buying from. For example I've used B&H's compare tool to look at different equipment and such.
The more equipment you have is not always better. What is important is the knowledge of such equipment.(duh) well the obvious question is what you are shooting. In all fields of photography, similar to different forms of technology based professionals there are going to be things that are never necessary. Super high tech-this-and-that. But what there is also always going to be is an industry standard. Speaking from the very few paying jobs i've had as photographer, and the more frequent video jobs that I get, there is a bare minimum of equipment needed to complete the job. Obviously at least one body, for video the minimum is a Canon 7d, obviously the 5d if youve got one. At least one zoom lens, I usually use my 55-200 and rent an 85mm, and one 50'ish mm. The difference for the video is the lowlight situations. No flash in video. This means nothing higher than a f 2.0.
ReplyDeleteAll of these sites are a wealth of information and the insite into equipment that we dont have. The other site I use is a real low-key website called youtube. I use youtube for anything and everything. For more specific tutorials on how to use my speedlite, to what lenses to check out when shooting weddings, to my personal favorite, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xP1-oquwoL8 (you wont be dissapointed)
With all of that being said the best information that ive received on equipment is by talking to other photographers. Depending on the situation at hand, just talking to people is the best way to find out what you need/ dont need, what is a must have/ and what sucks. Another great way to find out wheat equipment you need, is by (unfortunately) my most common technique of trail and error. Not having the right lens/ memory card/ flash will really get your ass in gear towards what you really need.
I haven't had enough events or jobs for me to really say 'how I roll' on a shoot. If anything, I lack tons of equipment so I keep it minimal. Surely carrying back up gear is a good idea if you can afford it. Otherwise, the gear that you need seems particular to the type of shoot you have. You may need two bodies, a speed light, and an array of fast lenses for a wedding whereas you may need only one body, several strobes, soft boxes, grids, and a couple lenses for an editorial gig.
ReplyDeleteEither way, knowing the gear is important. Some of these websites listed here provide great information so that you can better understand what it is you're buying. If you're anything like me you will need this information, and someone to explain it to you.
Thanks guys, will definitely refer to some of these websites next time I'm purchasing!
Like Keristin I haven't had enough events or jobs to really determine what I necessarily need to carry at all times, or as she said really say "how I roll". I normally have in mind what I plan on photographing and take the basics (camera, lenses, tripod). Thus far I haven't really incorporated false lighting into my work as I normally shoot in daylight. Therefore, I can't really comment on decision making towards what I need to carry. I haven't shot events where lighting equipment would need to come into play.
ReplyDeleteAs far as what Christian said about talking to other photographers who have been out in the field for a while, I completely agree. I have found that to be most useful - I found Gabe's (the wedding photographer who came to speak to us) advice to be pretty beneficial where he talked about how he determines what he needs on shoots and what he tends to carry on every shoot.
After having a bunch of speakers come in to senior and each one says something different about how much equipment they carry with them, I'll admit I was having a hard time deciphering which way is best, a lot or the minimum. Like many of us I am still not sure what amount works best for me.
ReplyDeleteBack ups are a must but I still keep my equipment light when I have done weddings and other misc jobs. I recently purchased 2 alien bees but I haven't had the opportunity to use them on a job yet. Currently, I am in the market for a new camera. These sites are going to be my go-to spot when it's time for me purchase one. Thanks guys for these sites and videos!
So since I haven't had any experience shooting anything professionally or for someone yet I don't know how much equipment to have on me (also I'm so dirt poor i can barely afford living that I could never imagine my self buying equipment because I'd have to cut my arms and legs off). But I think its been really important that we see how other people work in the field. Though we may not want to work the same way or even carry the same load we learn that we will eventually have to find out on our own. I think that the only way I will learn is through trial and error. But any who on of the links up above was really helpful (or at least for me) because i have an an old agfa camera and i haven't been able to shoot with it, but after finding it on camerapedia i learned what it shoots with and how it works so I'm excited to try it out!
ReplyDeleteThis is definitely helpful. I always wonder what the equivalents are between Canon and Nikon. It's somewhat embarrassing when someone is trying to tell you how awesome their new Nikon is and you have no idea if it's a point and shoot or a the nicest dslr there is. It's also really nice to have some direct sites to talk about lenses. I feel like Tyler really prepares you for the conceptual side of shooting, but not so much on the technical side. Not to say that we don't have amazing gear and opportunities. It's just hard to get a handle of what's really out there and what will work best for you.
ReplyDeleteLike some other people, I don't have much experience shooting for other people, so I haven't yet had to make the decision of how much equipment to bring, nor do I have much to choose from. But this is something I have thought and worried about. Although I didn't thoroughly look through these sites yet, they seem very helpful and informative. I don't know as much as I would like to about different camera options, so when it is time for me to look for a new one, I will definitely revisit these.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree that knowing the gear is so very crucial. I personally like natural lighting and sun light lighting. It's difficult for me to have the urge to take out the extra lights, but when I actually do use lights, such as alien bees, speedlight, etc., I like the results. I dont LOVE the results, but I do like it. And it definitely depends what I'm shooting. Honestly, as of now i would use natural lighting all the time if I could. BUT going back to what most people said, i believe that if i were more comfortable with the lighting equipment, perhaps i would like using the equipment more. I totally agree with IVan's comment, "..Though we may not want to work the same way or even carry the same load we learn that we will eventually have to find out on our own. I think that the only way I will learn is through trial and error. .."
ReplyDeleteAnd I appreciate the websites : ]
as aspiring professional photographers, we need to be prepared for anything. that being said, we're going to need some gear to help us with that. of course there's the obvious, camera bodies, lenses, lights, etc, but I cant say how many times Ive gone looking for a white sheet of computer paper to use as a diffuser or a roll of tin foil to make a flash bounce. I found myself recently pulling the biggest rookie mistake- batteries. I put my camera battery on the charger and in the midst of packing all my gear- I left without it. after I got to the shoot, some AAAs in my wireless receiver died, and I did not have any backup. luckily I wasnt on the clock and it was a shoot for myself, but you quickly learn that having these small essentials is actually a big deal.
ReplyDeleteOne situation where gear is a biggie is weddings. after hearing some of our guest photographers speak, I really started thinking about the importance of a good rig. you're going to need the telephoto lenses in case youre not allowed past a certain point. you're going to need the low aperature lenses and bodies capable of high ISOs in case you get stuck in a low light situation, or they request you not to use a flash. you only have one chance to get these photos right, so youre going to need to make sure you have the arsenal to make that happen.
With the wide variety of jobs to pick from as photographers, it is impossible to know exactly what equipment we will need until we actually have the job. Unless you are one of the lucky few who know exactly what you're doing when you graduate, buying anything other than what you need right now is out of the question. But when the time comes (and it is fast approaching) knowing the gear and finding the best prices from reliable sources is going to be crucial. Websites like these are not only good for when we need to buy the gear, but also for right now when we actually have the time to compare different cameras and equipment. Snapsort.com was an awesome find. It is super easy and to the point. We might not know what we are going to need right now, but by doing some research on websites like these, we'll be prepared when we do.
ReplyDeleteEquipment and tech-y type stuff usually just makes me groan. maybe it's because I have felt like lots of teachers, speakers, etc always stress that you have to have this certain kind of camera, lens, computer, light meter, lights, etc. But then again it is very important to know the equipment that you need for your work, or for your job, and what kind of things you need to do the kind of work you are interested in. As I have never had a paid photo job, like some other people, and personally I'm not sure I'm necessarily interested in a commercial type endeavor, I don't know what equipment I would need, but when the time comes I need to provide those things for myself, having resources such as the websites listed are extremely helpful.
ReplyDeleteAs someone who literally just went through the process of buying a ton of new equipment, I can certainly confirm just how frustrating it is to sort through mounds of information and opinions. Ultimately, being smart about your research and being able to form your own opinions on what's best for you as an artist is the most important.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I'm a firm believer in the artistic mindset being far more essential to an image than having a top grade camera. If you're creative, you'll make it work regardless.
I just posted, and read yours after, and both second halves line up. Yes, the mindset of the creative will top it at the end of the day.
DeleteI've been sitting on this post thinking about how to respond to it. I don't think I really care enough about this sort of thing to really talk about it. Although I really wish I understood the differences between digital cameras other than the sizes of the sensor.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Tiffany, that having a mindset to create something is really important while working with what you've got (what you can afford!).
Don't packmule it but don't just take your camera. It's nice having a car or somewhere you can store a bunch of your equipment when you're on the job- so you can bring stuff with you but don't have to lug it everywhere. It depends on the job but also what you want to shoot.
ReplyDeleteI try to stick with the basics and work up from there and what Christian said - it doesn't mean the more the better. Michael Lewis told us a story about Annie Lebowitz and a model - they brought a huge van of photo equipment. She and the model went into the woods with just a camera and came out with the shot. That story always stuck with me.
The only thing I can quite say, as a generalization, is that equipment is your friend. There are downsides to having a lot of equipment, be it weight, trying to keep all parts living together, or just the sheer bulk which limits maneuverability, but is that such an issue really? When I'm heading into a project, and I really want it to get going, I'd much rather have the options of how to best go about it, and have the issue of choosing what's best. In reality that's more like complaining out of being spoiled in comparison to not having that option, due to lack of equipment.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to creativity, equipment is handy, but the honest creative will always find away to make work, even without having everything they's like to be working with.
Victoria