It Ain't The Camera
Posted: Tue 04 Jul 2017, 09:01
I would not usually highlight an article like this, except that is by Ion Paclu who runs courses Rose has recommended in the past.
https://petapixel.com/2017/07/03/swappe ... available/
Overall, what he says is mainly correct. Most contemporary lenses, especially when closed down by a couple of stops, produce decent results. What Paclu does not mention is the benefit of a larger aperture to isolate the subject. To an extent, this can be achieved with a longer focal length provided it is possible to have sufficient distance from what you are shooting.
I have my own variation on this policy. Typically, with a couple of exceptions, I have either purchased low end camera bodies or those which have been heavily discounted. Bodies depreciate rapidly, lenses less so and that is where I make the investment. True there re times when a more expensive camera will have features which make it easier to get the shot. Continuous autofocus for action photography is one such example. In many situations, though, the performance of the lens will have a greater bearing on the technical quality of the final image.
Occasonally there are inexpensive lenses, such as the Panasonic 14-45 f/3.5-5.6 that I got with my first m43 camera, which perform better than their price would suggest. Apart from a smaller maximum aperture and a difference in focal length, it holds its own against the more expensive Olympus 12-40 f/2.8. The 14-45 was Panasonic's first attempt at a kit lens and produced at a time when they were first entering the interchangeable lens camera market. I have sometimes wondered whether they made it better than it needed to be in order to create a favourable impression. Certainly the 14-42 lens which followed it was not as good.
https://petapixel.com/2017/07/03/swappe ... available/
Overall, what he says is mainly correct. Most contemporary lenses, especially when closed down by a couple of stops, produce decent results. What Paclu does not mention is the benefit of a larger aperture to isolate the subject. To an extent, this can be achieved with a longer focal length provided it is possible to have sufficient distance from what you are shooting.
I have my own variation on this policy. Typically, with a couple of exceptions, I have either purchased low end camera bodies or those which have been heavily discounted. Bodies depreciate rapidly, lenses less so and that is where I make the investment. True there re times when a more expensive camera will have features which make it easier to get the shot. Continuous autofocus for action photography is one such example. In many situations, though, the performance of the lens will have a greater bearing on the technical quality of the final image.
Occasonally there are inexpensive lenses, such as the Panasonic 14-45 f/3.5-5.6 that I got with my first m43 camera, which perform better than their price would suggest. Apart from a smaller maximum aperture and a difference in focal length, it holds its own against the more expensive Olympus 12-40 f/2.8. The 14-45 was Panasonic's first attempt at a kit lens and produced at a time when they were first entering the interchangeable lens camera market. I have sometimes wondered whether they made it better than it needed to be in order to create a favourable impression. Certainly the 14-42 lens which followed it was not as good.