If It Is The Photographer And Not The Gear That Is Important, Then Why....

Water falling on rocks (click to enlarge)
Olympus E-M5, Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 lens @ 33mm; 1/3 sec. @ f/14; ISO 400; handheld
I wouldn't have been able to make this image with a lesser camera.  The IBIS in the Olympus cameras
is superb and I was able to handhold this at 1/3 second.  In this case, gear mattered.

We constantly hear from photographic experts that "It is the photographer and not the gear that is important."  The person behind the camera is more important in the chain of photographic creation than the camera or lenses used.  Okay, I can buy into that but let me ask you this...

If it is the photographer and not the gear that is most important, then why don't we see workshops in which the instructors are using inexpensive consumer grade cameras, average kit zoom lenses and flimsy tripods?  When was the last time an African safari workshop leader shot with a point-and-shoot camera instead of a much larger sensored camera with an expensive top quality zoom lens?  When was the last time you saw a western U.S. landscape photography workshop instructor lead a workshop with a 1" sensor compact digital camera or even a Canon Rebel or a Nikon D3400?  Why are podcasters, bloggers and You Tubers who provide photographic instruction only buying top of the line Nikons, Canons, Sonys, mirrorless cameras and such?  Why do the photographers who put out these coffee table books consisting of absolutely gorgeous photographs using only the most expensive cameras and lenses?  Why are wildlife and birding photographers using lenses that cost ten thousand dollars or more? Why do fashion and studio photographers use medium format cameras with a hundred megapixels some costing $40k or more?  

For the images made in all of these examples, how much of it is really just the photographer and how much credit do we need to give to the gear each uses?

I think what we are seeing are two things.  First, too many people rely on cute sayings which often times don't provide a complete picture of the issue.  Sayings are easy to remember but may do a disservice to the novice.  This is case in point.  Second, I think there is a "do as I say, not as I do" philosophy prevailing as well.  The experts are telling you that you don't need tens of thousands of dollars of gear to make great images but they are using tens of thousands of dollars of only the best gear.  Kind of like your parents would tell you when you were a child when teaching you a lesson, "Do as I say, not as I do."  LOL

Okay, I think I've made my point.  Here are my thoughts on this issue.

Great Horned Owl (click to enlarge)
Nikon D810, Nikon 70-200mm f/4 lens @ 200mm; 1/2000th sec. @ f/10; ISO 200
Another example of gear making the difference between capturing an image you wanted to make
and not getting it at all.  A lesser camera may not have been able to focus as quickly and as accurately
on this fast moving owl as this one.

The fact is that it is both the person and the gear that are important.  An inexpensive camera is capable of producing good images, but it may be limited in its capability and versatility.  The inexpensive camera may work well for some types of photographs but fail miserably when trying to make other kinds.  The inexpensive camera lacks features, speed and potentially a quality lens that may not allow you to make the kind of images you want to make.  For example, a top notch birding photographer should be able to handily make a beautiful landscape image with an inexpensive and basic camera but may not be able to capture a Bald Eagle at precisely the moment the eagle grabs a fish from the water.  Why? The camera itself is the limiting factor and may lack the technical ability to execute the exposure precisely when the photographer needs the image to be created.  It may be because of shutter lag or even a kit lens that is not long enough. The gear in this case is the limiting factor for success.

On the other hand, give an unskilled photographer $25,000 worth of gear to capture the same image of the eagle and that unskilled individual probably won't be successful.  Why? In this case, the gear is capable but the person is not.  The skill set and experience may not be there to be able to frame, focus and execute the shot.  The unskilled photographer may not even know how to set up to the camera to make images like this.

On the other hand, almost any camera and lens will allow almost anyone to capture an image such as this (click to enlarge)
Nikon D800E, Nikon 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 lens @ 70mm; 1/800th sec. @ f/8; ISO 200

A parent may want to capture his or her child in a soccer/football event but shutter lag with the inexpensive camera used won't allow a precise timing or even sufficient ability to follow focus with any sort of speed or accuracy.  The camera gear is just not capable of it no matter how good a photographer you are.  Or, the 24-80mm kit lens on that inexpensive DSLR isn't long enough to isolate the child.  Lots of limitations with inexpensive cameras.  Lots of disappointment.

You can't wind a Formula 1 race with a dirt track midget car even with Sebastian Vettel driving it.   It is a function of the tools used.

I think the point I want to make is that gear does play a role in photographic success.  Yes, one's vision, skill, knowledge and experience are generally more important, but the wrong gear can limit your success in making the images you desire to make.  When you artifically limit your success because you are using the wrong tools, you can become frustrated and give up photography.  It comes down to the right tools for the right job.  Just like in any other craft or creative endeavor.

I think it is time to get beyond slogans and catch phrases and let people know the reality of making the kind of images any particular individual might want to make so we can help them achieve success and not suffer frustration and give up on photography because they believed they could make any image they wanted with their inexpensive and limited capability gear.

Just sayin'.

Thanks for looking. Enjoy! 

Dennis A. Mook 

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