Equipment Recommendations

Loosely basing this short article on the previous blog entry The Right Equipment, I am going to offer my opinion on some of today’s equipment.

What I would look for:

· A camera of at least 10 megapixel, to ensure sharp images and the ability to reasonably crop images and maintain a high resolution.

· A camera that has anti shake built in or anti shake built into the lenses this helps ensure much sharper images when taking hand-held shots.

· A camera that allows you to have complete creative control over every image when set to manual mode. This meaning, ISO, White Balance, EV correction, Shutter Speed, and aperture primarily.

· Ability to go from auto focus to manual focus very easily, along with exposure and focus lock.

· A camera that allows you to set you focal area from a very small area to very wide.

· Ability to shoot bracketed shots, with as wide ranges of selection in that the better. This meaning ability to shoot 3, 5 or more images at 0.3, 0.5 and 0.7 EV steps.

These are the things I can think of right of hand, and I believe some of the most important things when considering a new camera. Of course there is always budget! I make this recommendation, 1^st find the camera you want and then worry about the money. If you cannot afford the camera you really want right now, I recommend saving up your money until you can. In the end you will be much happier, and if you get the fever in your blood you’re going to eventually purchase the camera you really want anyway. I do recommend entry level cameras for beginners but, from there get what you want.

Something else I would like to mention here is a question I often am faced with. More megapixel means better picture s right? Not necessarily, if you go with 10mp you should be fine; the primary thing is learning how to correctly use the equipment. My honest opinion anything over 18 megapixel is really a waste of money. The only real benefit you are going to get is the ability to enlarge your photos to massive sizes. The image quality and resolution will change very little if any beyond that point. Anthony Poston Photography

The Right Equipment

I have so many people ask me what type of equipment I use, and more often than that to review a piece of equipment they are thinking of purchasing or already have purchased. Something I do not mind doing at all, and will continue to do when asked.

This inspired the idea for this article. I would like to start out by taking you through some of the steps I take when before I purchase a new piece of equipment, whether it is a camera body, lens, flash or anything else related thereto. I know a lot of other photographers and the types of equipment they use and have used in the past. Some have been taking pictures since before I was born, and I put a lot of stock into their opinions on certain brands. If you’re like me I usually start with a very wide range of equipment I would like to have and then narrow it down from there by, budget, need, and quality along with what I like. If I have used a certain brand or piece of equipment with success; I tend to stick with it and recommend it to others.

If it is something I have never owned, or know anyone else who has owned a similar model I turn to the internet and places like DP Review, Consumer Reports, along with photography blogs and forums. There are tons of websites that review equipment everyday some are motivated by sponsorship and some not. I like to look at sites that sell the equipment and see if they have real customer reviews these tend to be very informative. I am a stickler on getting the best product I can for the amount of money I want to spend. I spend hours and sometimes days reviewing equipment specs, reviews, and reports. Some might say I overdo it when it comes to my research of certain items but, that is just how I am. I understand that all people are not that way. That is why I recommend sites like DP Review; this is a very informative and mostly unbiased review of almost any piece of photography equipment on the market today.

Nothing really substitutes the use of the equipment by people you know. There is going to be problems with all any brand of equipment from time to time. Even advice from experienced photographers can often be biased though, as you use a piece of equipment and perform well for you, or does not. There can be factors such as handling, the conditions it was used under, or just a dedication to a particular brand.

So what would I recommend in today’s market? Unfortunately that question is very hard to answer. The digital age has changed the face of photography so much, and it is an ever changing market. Most all manufacturers are focusing a lot of attention on consumer based DSLR cameras, (Some more than others); which I don’t see as a major problem unless there professional lines suffer from it. Some of the supposed new DSLR cameras are as easy to use as a point and shoot, in essence that is all they are with a detachable lens. If you are serious about your photography like I am don’t settle for cheaper equipment and hope to get the same results as you will from a professional line, because you never will. You might get lucky but, in order to consistently produce high quality images you will need high quality equipment to do so. In saying that, when it comes time to make your purchase make it based on research, ask questions, but also buy what you like if that makes sense. If you do not like your equipment you will never achieve the same results from it that you would with that you feel comfortable with.

I am going to mention this, just because a piece of equipment is very expensive does not mean it is always the best choice, and just because it is a popular brand the same does apply. Don’t pay for a name, get the most for your money by using the techniques I mentioned above. I hope this helps anyone who is thinking of a new purchase and if not, hit me up and I will try to help you with your next purchase. Thank you for reading my blog! Anthony Poston Photography