H
Hikari
Guest
Well, in my career, I have not always had the luxury of having the cash or time because, at a particular moment, I did not have the "right" gear. That never prevented me from being successful. I have also found that with specialized equipment, you are going to have to meet the gear halfway--no piece of equipment is perfect, and the more unusual, the more quirks.
Naturally, there are very specialized form of photography that are very gear dependent--I can't get from a macro lens what a compound microscope can give me. But the difference in ergonomics between a Hasselblad and Mamiya or a Linhof and Alpa is not going to prevent me from doing the same work no matter what annoying foibles those models may have. I have even used a Linhof to do the work more suited to a Mamiya. While I agree that having the "perfect" gear (very subjective) is ideal, I can't really bring myself to blame the equipment if I cannot do my job--that would be my failure in skill, experience, or imagination.
Naturally, it brings up the related question--what is the right gear? What if I am going to be halfway up Tuckerman Ravine on Saturday at 10:34am. What should I have? I cannot be ready for every possible event. Nor could I get a bag that would let me carry all that stuff. But I would do what I always do, shoot with what I have. My skill will be the determining factor on whether I can make a successful image or not.
Naturally, there are very specialized form of photography that are very gear dependent--I can't get from a macro lens what a compound microscope can give me. But the difference in ergonomics between a Hasselblad and Mamiya or a Linhof and Alpa is not going to prevent me from doing the same work no matter what annoying foibles those models may have. I have even used a Linhof to do the work more suited to a Mamiya. While I agree that having the "perfect" gear (very subjective) is ideal, I can't really bring myself to blame the equipment if I cannot do my job--that would be my failure in skill, experience, or imagination.
Naturally, it brings up the related question--what is the right gear? What if I am going to be halfway up Tuckerman Ravine on Saturday at 10:34am. What should I have? I cannot be ready for every possible event. Nor could I get a bag that would let me carry all that stuff. But I would do what I always do, shoot with what I have. My skill will be the determining factor on whether I can make a successful image or not.