Maybe you don't need the best glass after all...

[MrChad]

I'm lucky enough to own the digital negatives from our wedding, the photographer that did our wedding gave them to me after the fact. I was bored earlier this week and pulled up the EXIF data from all our pics. Wanted to see how he constructed the shots, etc.

Pulled up the data on the lenses he used, as I recall he didn't own any L's but I was a tad busy that day to care about his gear. Well I was a bit shocked to see the lenses he did use because the pictures are amazing. We had an evening wedding as well in a dark church.

He used only 3 lenses:
Canon 100mm f2.0 EF
Canon 75-300mm f4-5.6 IS USM (he hand held this in very low light, amazing results.)
Sigma 28-105mm f3.8-5.6 (f4-5.6)*
550EX flash, manual settings.
And a D60 (this was in Dec 2002 BTW)
most church shots at ISO400, very low noise?

He had lots of other lighting gear as well and such. (and he was a full time photographer with a studio.)

Maybe you'll scoff but the photos are great. So maybe we should stop wanting all this ubber gear and just take more pictures

[defordphoto]

So, how much are you selling your L-lenses for?

[LightRules]

Which is why Reichmann rightly said that 98% of all lenses are better than 100% of all photogs. But what the heck...forums would be no fun without all the squabbling!

[MDJAK]

I've always been the first to admit that a "good" photographer could take a much better picture with a P&S than can I with my 1dsmkII.

That said, I need every advantage I can get. Also, it wasn't until I got lighting that I saw what this camera can really do. In the studio it's beyond reproach, and I was ONLY using my 24-70 f2.8.

Michael Reichmann, author of www.luminous-landscape.com, is one of my favorite people to read on the internet. He owns a panoply of L lenses, including the 500 and the 300; yet, when he publishes shots from his expeditions, he rarely uses anything but his zooms and his results are fantastic.

I truly think lighting, whether outside via natural light, or studio light, is the be all and end all of good photographs.

[tim]

Originally Posted by MDJAK

I truly think lighting, whether outside via natural light, or studio light, is the be all and end all of good photographs.

I think shadows are at least as important as the light...

[RandyMN]

Don't judge a photographer by the L lenses. You never said that the shot's were bad, but then good lenses don't make a good photographer...

How big are you getting your shot's blown up? How much wide angle clarity did you lose by the photographer not having L glass?

You know it used to be that if a photographer was not using a medium format camera that was not considered professional. I'm really not sure how much that holds true today but that could be another critism as I'm sure there are still many very professional's out there criticising us using digital. Do you know a 35 mm negative is equivelant to 20 mb of digital space. So what's a medium format negative and what sort of digital negative will equal that? I know advantages of digital can be argued against that 20mb by contrast, color etc, but my point is that good photographs are taken by good photographers and sometimes average equipment is all that's needed.

But you ain't taking my lenses away as they only make a great shot better!

[MDJAK]

Originally Posted by tim

I think shadows are at least as important as the light...

I completely agree. Thought that was obvious from my statement regarding light.

[ed rader]

i guess that's the difference photography being just a job or a hobby that we pursue when we aren't working.

ed rader

[Tsmith]

Originally Posted by fStopJojo

Which is why Reichmann rightly said that 98% of all lenses are better than 100% of all photogs. But what the heck...forums would be no fun without all the squabbling!

LOL ... 10-4 to that.

[Sean-Mcr]

Originally Posted by MDJAK

I truly think lighting, whether outside via natural light, or studio light, is the be all and end all of good photographs.

Photography comes from a combination of two Greek words φως "phos" & γραφις "graphis" (meanin stylus or paintbrush) It translates as "drawing with light"

I'm a big fan of Mike Johnston over on Luminous landscape, shame his column came to an end

I'd have to give shadows a close second place to light, as you can't have shadows with out it

[Zepher]

Originally Posted by MDJAK

I've always been the first to admit that a "good" photographer could take a much better picture with a P&S than can I with my 1dsmkII.

I also agree with that as well. same as in motorsports, ie. Auto-X racing.
Good driver in crappy car will most likely run faster than lousy driver in a race prepped car.