People always asks so I will go ahead and share with you:
I use a Sony A7iii Mirrorless camera body. It’s not the latest and greatest by any means but I’m a firm believer that the camera itself has very little to do with how the images turn out. I’m not saying go buy the cheapest body available - the body does have to have certain functionality but it doesn’t need to be the newest to hit the market and buying used from a reputable source is an excellent option here and then you can spend more money on lenses.
Do you have any idea how expensive camera lenses are? I didn’t have a clue until I started down this photography path and I want to own them all but major decisions go into choosing which lenses to own.
I don’t use any native Sony lenses. Do I want to own and use them? Absolutely I do, but I just can’t justify the cost when the third party lenses have come SO far in the last few years. My favorite is Sigma. I have some Samyang lenses as well and I’m super impressed with them. I do tons of research before purchasing a lens so I don’t ever think I will make a terrible decision. Sigma makes some of the best lenses available and for over half the cost of the native lenses so that’s a no brainer for me.
I don’t use zoom lenses, which always shocks some people. Zoom lenses are great and way more efficient because you can stand in one place and get several different types of shots but I am a prime lens user. Prime lenses have a fixed focal length and I have to be the one constantly moving around, but they always make for a better photo - at least in my mind. I may get a zoom lens one day - we shall see. Sigma just came out with the 70-200mm and it looks rather dreamy. Sony has a 16-35mm g-master lens that I want but that goes back to the cost justification issue. I believe that the lens is much more important than the camera body so if you’re going to spend some money…a really good lens is the place to do it.
Using off-camera flash is my favorite way to take photos. Natural light can be fun too but there is something magical about the drama in a flash/strobe photograph. I use the Flashpoint/Godox system, which works perfectly fine for what I need! I know some people love their Profoto system but I could buy all the lenses that I want for how much I would spend on that lighting system.
With all of that being said - I think the photographer and learning how to shoot in manual mode is by far the most important piece in photography. The camera lens comes in second. Knowing and using Lightroom Classic (or something like it) is probably third. The rest of it - the lights and the stands/tripods, straps, bags and the light modifiers - that’s all just equipment that we sometimes need to use.
Photography is a super expensive hobby and career!
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