How I approach Buying Cameras (avoiding the gear traps)

My links:

Music:
"Where you come from" by Silver Maple
"Emulsion" by Gavin Luke
Licensed through Epidemic Sound

In this video I share some thoughts on buying cameras and lenses, and how to avoid 3 particular traps as photographers where we begin to make the gear more important that the photography itself.

Share it on if you found it helpful.

#photography #cameras #thegeartraps

[wesjones]

I came to photography after 25 years of fine art background. One thing that always stood out, was how blown away most other photographers here were to find out I had only been shooting a couple of years when I first started. The reason was my understanding of lighting, composition, and emotion from that art background. My approach to gear has been heavily shaped by this: If you believe the gear will make you a photographer, then you'll be replaced when that gear becomes obsolete. But if you are the artist that creates, and the camera is just the tool, then no new gear can replace you.

People have never asked what camera those photos were shot with when they see my work....they ask who the photographer was. For that reason.

Create, and always grow. You'll be irreplaceable.

[viveknamdev]

I waste so much time watching camera gear reviews but Whenever I want to see a photographer talking about the art of photography, I come to Sean ❤

[WatchThatFirstStep]

Started with a Sony crop sensor and moved to a Sony full-frame a couple of years later. (Yes, it highlighted how much I had to grow.) The best decision I made after purchasing the full-frame and three lenses was stop watching YT videos on camera gear. I stopped reading reviews and purposely ignored all new releases for more than a year. Once there was two or three new cameras/lenses past what I already had, the fear of missing out and the need to have "better" equipment... just disappeared. It made me happy and I appreciated the camera in my hands much more.

Still, I do baby my equipment so gotta work on that. Thanks for another great video, Sean.

[Jwitherow]

I needed this I have bought over 150k in gear, now I have so much it’s overwhelming that I am stuck, I now have 5 full systems, and I don’t even have a photograph business yet, I will say my wife is so understanding with me, I love her so much

[YouNeedMyVoice]

Well, you've hit me with points 2 and 3 :)))
I've sold my fancy Canon gear (nothing to complain about them, they were nice jewelry) and got myself and XT-3 and 35mm because I was thinking of smth light and sticking to only one lens.
It changed everything, so dear people: Sean has really valid points.

[photographicamateur]

Hi Sean, it has taken me about 45 years to arrive at the points you raised. Thanks for summarizing this points. Since concentrating on creating compelling images with what gear I have with me, I am a less frustrated photographer 😊

[ahoyhere]

you’ve obviously got a great point about gear not making you a better photographer (and sometimes making you worse), but caring about ergonomics isn’t shallow. some people can live without caring and that’s great! those of us who need good ergonomics aren’t shallow tho, it’s no different than some people needing color and art in their life and others not really caring about their interiors and being comfortable everywhere. neither one is superior.

i can’t work under fluorescent lights. good lighting makes me want to work more. that doesn’t mean i’m leaving my motivation to lighting. bad ergonomics make everything a struggle. struggling with a tool isn’t noble and it doesn’t make my photographs better.

and if you study art history… great painters are often inspired by materials. they’re often inspired by asking “what if…?” and “what can i do?” saying that is a negative thing is like saying photographers can’t be inspired by light. it’s a medium. of course it can be inspiring.

also, i buy gear for the fun of using it and the images it gives me that i can’t get anywhere else. therefore the only thing i can’t get enough of is quirky old lenses but luckily they’re cheap.

[wesleycardinal]

Yes, totally agree. Well mostly agree. I come from a musical background and Im new to photography. But I recognise the problem here, it's GAS - gear acquisition syndrome. The forums are full of experts who will tell you which guitar you need etc., but a real musician can make music from cheap gear. I said I mostly agree, because I don't see anything wrong with a bit of reverence for your gear. Have you ever looked at your cameras up close, maybe through a macro lens? And as we know even a macro lens isn't going to reveal the intricate level of engineering inside the chips or on the sensor. They're incredible things and even old mechanical SLRs hidden in your cupboard have layer upon layer of beautiful precision. so yes, they are tools, but it is a mistake to dismiss them. If we don't love them, who will? Thanks for the video 👍🇦🇺

[marridesign]

I love this. This is how I approach any piece of equipment in any medium I do. So nice to hear someone share this. ✌️

[Alexed.w]

You're definitely on point about the fetishization of commodities like the camera, I just don't know if I'd say ergonomics and UIs are connected to that consumerist tendency. A good camera won't motivate you to use it more, but an uncomfortable/ annoying camera will definitely motivate you to use it less.

[stu-ax]

Eventually, you realise that your art is what matters, not the specific brush you used to create it.

I love these discussions. I was having one with a friend last night comparing analogies of being a photographer versus a musician. There are so many transferable lessons between creative fields.

Nice work as always, Sean!

[ThePhotographyHobbyist]

I like gear/new stuff and I've probably switched around too much, searching for the right combo that made me as happy as my old D700 DSLR did, but I think I'm to the point where I'm very happy with what I have and don't truly need anything else. I admit I do have two different systems (Nikon and Fuji) and 3 camera total, but it's just a hobby for me and something I enjoy, so I don't mind having two different systems. I have minimal lenses though because I just don't need too many lenses. There's a comfort in getting to the point where you are definitely happy of content with what you have. I think the biggest trap people need to be careful with is not worrying about what the OTHER person has. If it's what you need and want, OK...but you don't need it just because someone else makes nice photos with it or they tell you THIS brand or that is the right one for you. Nonsense. What's right for you is what's right for you...and don't worry about what anyone else thinks, if you know you can use that camera to make the images you want or need.

[lennyvlaminov]

One of the best videos I have seen in the subject. I'm one of those people who bought a lot of expensive stuff and found myself learning a lot from that journey. The conclusion was exactly the one you brought up: I have nothing but me to blame my shortcomings in photography. My tale on it is, that if you're not able to produce fantastic images with gears from 2013, no gear in the world will help you. While I still use all of my lenses, even 70 y o ones(!), I don't recommend walking the path I did. After 20 years of shooting, I'm still curious and trying to improve myself. But that I didn't know when I spent A Lot of money on gears. Most people loose their interest in hobbies quickly. My standard advice is have fun, explore, try everything, and if you still like it after five years - shoot!

[brettmansdorf]

Still one of my favorite people on YouTube - LOVE the philosophy. I'm a hobbyist - and new to it all - so for me - bargain shopping for vintage lenses is part of the hobby - then figuring out if I like and when I like a lens. On the flip side - in the world of vintage - the ergos and functions (for focusing and framing) do count - but the vintage world is a niche. Noted in similar fashion - I still have and use a Sony R1 (slowest of the slow) - and get a huge kick out of using it to create something special. The camera might just be a tool - but for those who have ever freehanded a dove tail or planed manually - having the RIGHT tool does make a difference. Shaun is a PRO - he sets a threshold based on performance and specs - then selects. I'm a hack - thereby certain items make a huge difference (In time savings and often in functionality) - tomorrow if someone took the Alpha 1 EVF, chunked it on a good sensor (Sony 24), ELIMINATED AF and the rear screen (CEPA rating of what - 3000), and gave dual display (Fuji) - and then the same dials/nobs for the triangle - I'd be in line because I'll get to shoot more because the tool FITS. He never used the word FITS nor ADAPT - but I think those are two items that are critical and SUPPORT his point.

[jillmayes]

Love this … I bought an XT2 some years ago now. It does everything I want (and more, I’m still learning). I’ve had a long slump, but am going out with a friend today to see if I can remember what to do!

[asianshrimp]

having a coffee in the morning before my day starts and watching/listening to ur videos is kinda therapeutic

[JessDemant]

After I got the Ricoh GR II and GR IIIx, which I used to see as boring cameras, but now they have completely changed my perception of cameras, as they just make me concentrate much more on the subject, and I don't care about they don't look as professional as my Sony equipment. Don't get me wrong, I'm still happy with my Sony equipment, but it's like I work in a different way with the small cameras that I enjoy a bit more, so now I'm also more motivated to photograph more 👍

[camerontolman]

Best advice I’ve heard. I hate the culture big YouTubers create of always updating for every new item. It’s so unrealistic and unhealthy. If they just abandoned the gear content they’d hardly have anything left, because they love gear more than the craft in what they show their audience.

[gnuhapi]

"Oh, Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz?" pleaded Janis Joplin in the 60s. Now that I've dated myself I have to explain that I am a rangefinder addict. Been through most types of cameras from large format view, TLR and SLR, but when I stumbled on the Fuji X-Pro 2, I had to have it. That led to an X-E3 for a back-up body, then an X-100V for daily carry. But, I always fancied a Leica, so I fell for a Q2 Monochrome and eventually an M-10R. I got my "Mercedes Benz" and use it alternately with all the others, enjoying each immensely and producing images that satisfy me. Moral of the story: Life is fragile and brief-do that which makes you happy.

[daysofgrace]

Restrictions are the mother of creativity. Being a photographer is being a problem solver, getting creative to overcome limitations of hardware. To me having the perfect camera is recipe to losing creativity. Choosing gear is looking at the output which is closest to the look I want for my style in terms of colour, contrast, tonality & sharpness. The gear that gets me as close to that in camera. That leaves me more time in the field to create a compelling image - composition, perspective and structure. Affordability is important as it’s a hobby and there will be no ROI, it’s just art for arts sake…You have skills and talent and have put in the blood sweat and tears to be able to leverage high end equipment…