Reply To: you're not a real photographer because your camera is too small/ not full frame

[CPowers]

Frankly I’ve never really cared what cameras others were using. Those photographers listed above (and I’ll admit I don’t know most of them) likely gained notoriety with their work prior to being endorsed by any manufacturer or anyone caring what they used for equipment. Personally, I look at a body of work and hire someone I really don’t care what tools they use, it’s the results I care about.

That said, they are more of the exception and not the rule. You can find incredible photos shot on smartphones.

I started on a D60 with a 35mm prime and found another photographer to start mentoring me. He started me on shooting manual within weeks of owning it. I soon found the lack of a front control wheel a hindrance to quickly adapting to changing conditions. I also found I shot a pretty fair amount of low light and the AF system and high ISO performance was unsatisfactory. I made the rounds through Nikon’s crop bodies in an effort to get greater ease of adaptation to changing conditions and to have versatility. Eventually those things that I needed, precise AF, Hi ISO, all the cameras functions at my finger tips without taking my eye out of the viewfinder, led me to the full frame body I currently shoot. I’m not a full-time professional, that’s just my course of evolution and why. I think many photographers would site a similar set of reasons they went to full frame.

I’m not going to lie, if I see the photographer at a wedding I’m attending shooting an entry level body with a kit lens etc I’m going to wonder just what kind of work this person is producing. I’m going to ask for a card, check out their website etc. Actually I’ll probably do that regardless of what they are using. But I’ll suspect the person shooting an entry level body to be producing less than professional work and be pleasantly surprised when it’s better. At the same time I’ll expect the person shooting the flagship body should be producing some decent work or better.  I can’t help that perception be cause though it’s not 100% true, the equipment is an outward sign of what’s goin on inside. If I see a guy with saggy pant, I figure he likes rap music…. 100% true? Probably not but I’d be right more than I was wrong. I’d take those odds to Vegas any day.

Correct me if I’m wrong. We are discussing  comments and perceptions about photographers by non-photographers/beginning photographers that are based on the type of camera/equipment the photographer is using? Seems a bit pointless. Like trying to explain algebra to a parrot. He’ll repeat what you said, but will not understand it. Those are just my thoughts no one asked for.