What is the need for the biggest and best most expensive gear? I was out and about this weekend and saw protesters for the Black Lives Matter movement in my town and made photographs in both digital format with a Nikon D610 and 35mm and 120 film in a Leica M3 and a Rolleiflex 2.8C.
The film photographs were limited to a normal lens view, since I only had a 50mm Summarit on the Leica, and the 80mm f2.8 on the Rolleiflex.
The digital photographs were made mainly with a Nikon 70-300mm f4-5.6 AF-D, a non-pro, slow zoom lens that I keep in the car. I didn’t bring a Nikon 70-200 f2.8 to the shoot, which is a constant-aperture pro lens. I used what I had. That Nikon 70-300mm sells for $95 used at B&H photo–it’s not an expensive lens.
This link [kennethwajda.com/blmlongmont/] will show you the gear doesn’t matter.
It’s not about the gear, but the story. Content is everything in photography.
I believe just like screenwriters want magic formulas to writing a great script (hint, there is no formula, no magic secret), photographers want a camera that guarantees them best results, and for a lot of people, it’s more fun to do camera tests than shoot photographs.
So, for some, photography is a technology hobby. Sort of a science–“What can I get that will do something so perfectly if I pixel-peep into the corners?”
And for others, photography is a creative expression. A communication form–“What story can I tell with this image?”
It’s not about the gear. You and I have all the gear we need. And a $95 lens can do plenty, with a worthwhile subject to photograph. We just have to go out and make the pictures.
Here’s a link to the film photographs, too.
Happy shooting. Here’s to good light!
