My camera isn't good enough....

AAGGHHH!!!!

I really wish people would stop saying this! I have a few friends who have DSLRs (along the lines of 1100D, 1000D, 450D etc) and complain that they can't get 'the shot' because their camera isn't good enough. Yes i know i have a 1D3 and a 5D2 but i also have a 350D and can capabily shoot on that too!

I have to thank the forum for being here as i have sent people over this way to look at the sample shots from members just to prove you can pretty much shoot anything with anything.

Why do people instantly blame the kit? Nikon is better than canon or vica versa?

At the end of the day buy what suits your NEEDS and what you can afford. My friend wants a flip screen but then is saying about moving to a different camera because the pictures look better exposed but there is no flippy screen....

MAKES ME GO CRAZY!!!

sorry, rant over.

Very true, happens in all walks of life. I used to shoot pistol and we had a guy who was always blaming his gun for his poor marksmanship, I shot in the low 90's with it.
But look on the bright side , its people like that who keep buying new kit that keep the manufacturers in business and keep the costs down for the rest of us

True,

Trouble is they keep asking me what about this cam or this one and i really want to say... just learn to use what you have.

I know that feeling and I usually tell them to just go buy the camera they want, figuring they'll learn soon enough - as we all did

Try shooting in low light, requiring something like 12800 ISO with your 350D, oh wait.... I do love shooting with my 350D, though there are times when it just won't do what I need so I reach for a different camera

Funny you should mention shooting in low light.. i'm actually going out with my 350D and 18-55 Kit lens to go take some long exposure night shots over this weekend Just to prove a point to some people! lol

I agree there are certain times that you may NEED another camera to suit your needs. I required a camera with a higher fps to do some sequences and as such i got the 1D3 with 10fps up from my 700D which i bought for it's flip out screen and better battery life.

I know what you mean.

There was a joke posted on the old forums that I 'borrowed' one day and I think it's the best way to handle the situation.

I was shooting around a bunch of folks and this one person (hey, don't won't to get into the male/female discussion) kept stealing glances at my LCD and commenting on how nice my 'pictures' look. This person kind of snooted the nose in the air and said that they could get 'good pictures' if they had my camera.

I informed this person that I was also releasing a best selling, iconic novel later in the month. She asked how I knew it would become iconic and a best seller. I informed this person that I had purchased Ernest Hemingway's pencils and blank legal pad.

This person stared at me for a couple of moments, lightning struck and I was never bothered again.

Ill have to remember that line, as long as the person who hears it isn't so dense it goes right over their head...

I have also heard a lot of the opposite, " I have a digital camera with a kit lens so now I am a photographer!"
" Bring on the weddings!"

Technologies will never replace the need for basic fundamentals of composition & an understanding of exposure. With the evolution of cameras progressing at such a fast rate, it is becoming nearly impossible to "master" the camera you currently own before you are shamed into buying a new one. I am still using my 1D Mk3 from 2007 and I really know that camera.

And they could be a gormet cook if they just had a better oven.


People need to look at the iconic images that have been taken over the years and decades with camera's that don't have near the capabilities of today's lowest-end Rebels and even phones. Then maybe they'll figure out where the problem lies.

urbanfreestyle wrote in post #17324229
Funny you should mention shooting in low light.. i'm actually going out with my 350D and 18-55 Kit lens to go take some long exposure night shots over this weekend Just to prove a point to some people! lol

This is probably as good a place as any to point it out....when people talk about "low light" challenges, they probably are not thinking of long exposures. I bet they are trying to stop action in low light. And low ISO, high noise bodies coupled with slow kit zoom lenses are really not ideal for that.

And that's the point. Sure, I get it. Better cameras will not take a complete tyro and make them into a master. And people do tend to obsess about some differences in lens performance that probably make little difference in real use. (An aside - I just saw a post where someone was asserting that the 200/2.8L is sharper than the 70-200/2.8 IS II....I bet they are too close to discern a difference). But once people do learn a bit more than the basics they will pretty quickly realize that some photography topics become a lot easier when you have better equipment.

Want to shoot indoor sports or field sports at night? The difference in images between high ISO capable bodies and fast lenses over low ISO and slow lenses is going to be significant. Want to shoot small birds in the wild? The difference between an 18-55 and pretty much any 400mm lens is going to be significant. Want to shoot formal portraits, or glamor shots? Having lights, modifiers and triggers is going to be a ton faster and give better results than homemade reflectors using tinfoil and cardboard.

I'd put it this way.....once you can clearly state what it is about your current equipment that is limiting you and you can also identify a piece of equipment that will resolve that limitation in a specific way, you will see a definite improvement from the better equipment.

Show up with a film camera and to show them some shots afterward. That should solve their problems.....

Yeah i hear what you say about 'low light' this particular person got a bridge cam an said 'hey i'm a pro photographer' then 'upgraded' to a 1000D, decided kit wasn't good enough for long exposure night shoots. Slowly over time i've seen their work progress with the same camera and seen an improvement as they learn to use the cam.

Not to argue with you, but if you believed the camera didnt make a differnce then why did you buy a 1d and 5d? I see these a lot and understand to a point, but a camera does make a difference.

supaman wrote in post #17345039
Not to argue with you, but if you believed the camera didnt make a differnce then why did you buy a 1d and 5d? I see these a lot and understand to a point, but a camera does make a difference.

They are tools. A carpenter with a chinese hammer, well multiple hammers because they will break after three strikes, can hit that nail much better than a housewife who's never wielded a hammer in her life. He needs a REAL hammer.

It's not the tool, per se. It's knowing how to use it. Those who know how to use it, like better built, more functional...tools.

I'm not one of those people. I'm the houswife.

No argument at all I buy my kit for a specific purpose.

I started with the 350D as it was a cheap deal at the time ( i think i paid about £100 for the camera and a kit lens) to see if i enjoyed digital photography.
I then got into it a bit more and purchased a 700D. This was due to wanting a better resolution and image quality. I also liked having the touchscreen, rotating screen and eyefi connectivity options.
Next i found my 'niche' and decided i wanted to shoot more Motorsport. I sold the 700 and got my 1D3 as i realized that i could get a much higher fps shooting speed which has proved invaluable for my close up action sports. I used the touchscreen and rotating screen less and less and eyefi was a waste of time so i thought 'why have it if i don't use it?'
Finally the 5D2 came about as i had a bonus from work and a friend recommended using FF for portraits. I was looking for a 2nd body anyway as i was fed up of trying to shoot with one body and having to change between 24-70 and 70-200 whilst tyre dust flew around.

Each time i have had a specific desire or requirement in mind and not 'just because i want a better camera because mine is rubbish'