Honest discussion:What gear do you really need for any job?

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jurgvonschmurg
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p.3 #1 · Honest discussion:What gear do you really need for any job?

Camera body, flash, ultra-wide zoom, tele zoom, fast prime in between the two.

In terms of actual lenses, I'd go with:
16-28mm f/2.8 tokina (maybe 11-16mm f/2.8 tokina for dx)
50mm f/1.8G nikon (maybe 35mm f/1.8G nikon for dx)
70-200mm f/4 nikon

Body-wise, I'd say D300s or D700, if external controls are important to your experience (they are for me). D7000 or D600 if you don't care so much about that. Minimum reqs would probably be a top LCD panel and a screw drive. SB800 flash would be ideal, but SB600 would easily suffice.

Jan 31, 2013 at 03:15 AM

mshi
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p.3 #2 · Honest discussion:What gear do you really need for any job?

Gear only matter to the extent that your clients are willing to pay for the quality. If your financial means allows you to procure the best possible equipment to fulfill your passion, then go for it because ultimately you're your own client in that case.

Jan 31, 2013 at 03:16 AM

MarcG19
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p.3 #3 · Honest discussion:What gear do you really need for any job?

mshi wrote:
ultimately you're your own client in that case.

Excellent way to put this. And the "deliverable" to the client is not just the final photo, but whatever enjoyment you got out of the creative process.

Edited on Jan 31, 2013 at 04:16 AM · View previous versions

Jan 31, 2013 at 04:14 AM

popinvasion
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p.3 #4 · Honest discussion:What gear do you really need for any job?

mshi wrote:
Gear only matter to the extent that your clients are willing to pay for the quality. If your financial means allows you to procure the best possible equipment to fulfill your passion, then go for it because ultimately you're your own client in that case.

As a guitar player, I think I play better when I am inspired by my instrument so gear definitely applies to me. Great point.

Jan 31, 2013 at 05:12 AM

sjms
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p.3 #5 · Honest discussion:What gear do you really need for any job?

I tend to be inspired by my what i'm shooting not what i'm shooting with.

Jan 31, 2013 at 05:43 AM

SweetMk
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p.3 #6 · Honest discussion:What gear do you really need for any job?

popinvasion wrote:
mshi wrote:
Gear only matter to the extent that your clients are willing to pay for the quality. If your financial means allows you to procure the best possible equipment to fulfill your passion, then go for it because ultimately you're your own client in that case.

As a guitar player, I think I play better when I am inspired by my instrument so gear definitely applies to me. Great point.

Luckily, I am inspired by my D7000 and understand a FX camera will not improve the pics I look at on my PC laptop.

That said, I almost have to go to AA to control my fits of NAS.

My best way to control NAS is to read Ken R. If I look up a 24-70 f2.8, Ken reminds me I will never get a better pic with it than a 50mm f1.8, that I already have.

Now, I do not do weddings, I do not sell my skill as a product photographer. I do have enough $ to buy most any Nikon gear I would want. So, I got the say, Thank you Ken R, for helping me control NAS!!

No new gear for me this year that is over $300, unless Ren R posts a new article!!

Jan 31, 2013 at 05:45 AM

popinvasion
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p.3 #7 · Honest discussion:What gear do you really need for any job?

sjms wrote:
I tend to be inspired by my what i'm shooting not what i'm shooting with.

I feel the same way, but I do feel a little more creative when I have the body and lens that i feel the most comfortable with.

Jan 31, 2013 at 06:10 AM

popinvasion
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p.3 #8 · Honest discussion:What gear do you really need for any job?

SweetMk wrote:
popinvasion wrote:
mshi wrote:
Gear only matter to the extent that your clients are willing to pay for the quality. If your financial means allows you to procure the best possible equipment to fulfill your passion, then go for it because ultimately you're your own client in that case.

As a guitar player, I think I play better when I am inspired by my instrument so gear definitely applies to me. Great point.

Luckily, I am inspired by my D7000 and understand a FX camera will not improve the pics I look at on my PC laptop.

That said, I almost have to go to AA to control my fits of NAS.

My best way to control NAS is to read Ken R. If I look up a 24-70 f2.8, Ken reminds me I will never get a better pic with it than a 50mm f1.8, that I already have.

Now, I do not do weddings, I do not sell my skill as a product photographer. I do have enough $ to buy most any Nikon gear I would want. So, I got the say, Thank you Ken R, for helping me control NAS!!

No new gear for me this year that is over $300, unless Ren R posts a new article!!

Ken sure does poo poo quite a bit of the expensive stuff in favor of the lower end stuff. I too was lured by this for a while.... I am no longer sure if he is serious now

Jan 31, 2013 at 06:11 AM

Two23
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p.3 #9 · Honest discussion:What gear do you really need for any job?

sjms wrote:
I tend to be inspired by my what i'm shooting not what i'm shooting with.

+1

Kent in SD

Jan 31, 2013 at 02:37 PM

sjms
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p.3 #10 · Honest discussion:What gear do you really need for any job?

popinvasion wrote:
sjms wrote:
I tend to be inspired by my what i'm shooting not what i'm shooting with.

I feel the same way, but I do feel a little more creative when I have the body and lens that i feel the most comfortable with.

then i'm comfortable with all sorts of stuff. as to being "more creative" due to the gear one uses I guess its a nice placebo effect.

Jan 31, 2013 at 02:38 PM

williamkazak
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p.3 #11 · Honest discussion:What gear do you really need for any job?

popinvasion wrote:

Lets say you were ambivalent about gear. You did not read the forums, visits the rumor sites or hang out at the camera shop. Fun was not the gear. Fun was the shooting. You really just wanted your tools for the job. Your hammer, your nails. You did not covet special coatings, special stabilization, special builds, special anything. You just saw a lens as a lens and a camera as a camera.

What modern day camera or cameras, lens or lenses and why? How simple could you go?

Shouldn't this be the camera and lenses that you are currently using?
In my own case;
Two bodies, one as a backup.
Three or four primes.

Feb 02, 2013 at 03:23 AM

pdxflint
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p.3 #12 · Honest discussion:What gear do you really need for any job?

I haven't really run into anything I can't do with a D300, 17-55, 80-200, 300f/4, 50f/1.8 and 12-24f/4... all older generational stuff, but very capable for a wide variety of stuff. Oh, and a few strobes, don't have to be fancy, with radio triggers and reflectors or softboxes, if you want to get into off-camera lighting. I don't do much "lighting" since I shoot more photojournalism style, but it can be done fairly cheaply to get started.

Full frame is where everyone is heading, but it's not required for doing jobs by any means. It's always the brain behind the camera that matters most.

Feb 02, 2013 at 03:43 AM

SweetMk
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p.3 #13 · Honest discussion:What gear do you really need for any job?

pdxflint wrote:
I haven't really run into anything I can't do with a D300, 17-55, 80-200, 300f/4, 50f/1.8 and 12-24f/4... all older generational stuff, but very capable for a wide variety of stuff. Oh, and a few strobes, don't have to be fancy, with radio triggers and reflectors or softboxes, if you want to get into off-camera lighting. I don't do much "lighting" since I shoot more photojournalism style, but it can be done fairly cheaply to get started.

Full frame is where everyone is heading, but it's not required for doing jobs by any means. It's always the brain behind the camera that matters most.

I feel the same about the D7000, 50mm f1.8 AF and 4 manual focus lens.

In MY opinion, the only way crop body goes away is purchasers with GAS being convinced they need it. I prefer crop, I love the magnification,

I will be crop until the last used crop body is gone!

I love NAS, but, I am realistic first.

Feb 02, 2013 at 04:06 AM

Danner
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p.3 #14 · Honest discussion:What gear do you really need for any job?

I'd like to subscribe to your newsletter

Feb 02, 2013 at 04:38 AM

khwaja
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p.3 #15 · Honest discussion:What gear do you really need for any job?

my D800, 35mm f2.8, samyang 14mm f/2.8, looking for a 100+mm prime... and my two vivtar 285HVs with softboxes. rarely tripod, rarer still monopod.

Feb 02, 2013 at 04:51 AM

SweetMk
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p.3 #16 · Honest discussion:What gear do you really need for any job?

Danner wrote:
SweetMk wrote:
popinvasion wrote:
mshi wrote:
Gear only matter to the extent that your clients are willing to pay for the quality. If your financial means allows you to procure the best possible equipment to fulfill your passion, then go for it because ultimately you're your own client in that case.

As a guitar player, I think I play better when I am inspired by my instrument so gear definitely applies to me. Great point.

Luckily, I am inspired by my D7000 and understand a FX camera will not improve the pics I look at on my PC laptop.

That said, I almost have to go to AA to control my fits of NAS.

My best way to control NAS is to read Ken R. If I look up a 24-70 f2.8, Ken reminds me I will never get a better pic with it than a 50mm f1.8, that I already have.

Now, I do not do weddings, I do not sell my skill as a product photographer. I do have enough $ to buy most any Nikon gear I would want. So, I got the say, Thank you Ken R, for helping me control NAS!!

No new gear for me this year that is over $300, unless Ren R posts a new article!!

I'd like to subscribe to your newsletter

My newsletter is at http://www.sweetmk.com/

If you want to find out how I pay for camera equipment, my methods are at my site!!

Feb 02, 2013 at 07:05 AM

amorfoto
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p.3 #17 · Honest discussion:What gear do you really need for any job?

• A great eye.
• Master of any lighting scenario.
• Ability to surpass your clients expectations each and every time.
• Knowledge of psychology.
• Efficiency with your entire workflow.

And a camera/lens...

Feb 03, 2013 at 02:58 AM

papageno
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p.3 #18 · Honest discussion:What gear do you really need for any job?

You have everything you consistently need and maybe a few tools you want to be using.

You have spare bodies and spare flashes. Sometimes you hold on to a workhorse lens as a spare after upgrading. You have a solid tripod.

You have plenty of card space with reliable, quality cards.

Obviously gear choices are based on both what you want to do and what you need to do.

Look at a lot of pictures, not just catalogs.

Take with you what you know you need but be prepared to go beyond the basics.

Don't quit the day job if all you think about is gear.

Feb 03, 2013 at 09:10 AM

signo
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p.3 #19 · Honest discussion:What gear do you really need for any job?

For what I do (travel photography), I need strong lenses (not plastic).
I sold all my Dx lenses and now I´m using my old lenses.
20-35 2.8
35-70 2.8
80-200 2.8
Great lenses, strong cheap and old but more than enough for almost everything.
I have some primes that I use when I don´t want to carry too much weight.
24 2.8 50 1.8 28

Feb 03, 2013 at 12:58 PM

sjms
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p.3 #20 · Honest discussion:What gear do you really need for any job?

SweetMk wrote:
Danner wrote:
SweetMk wrote:
popinvasion wrote:
mshi wrote:
Gear only matter to the extent that your clients are willing to pay for the quality. If your financial means allows you to procure the best possible equipment to fulfill your passion, then go for it because ultimately you're your own client in that case.

As a guitar player, I think I play better when I am inspired by my instrument so gear definitely applies to me. Great point.

Luckily, I am inspired by my D7000 and understand a FX camera will not improve the pics I look at on my PC laptop.

That said, I almost have to go to AA to control my fits of NAS.

My best way to control NAS is to read Ken R. If I look up a 24-70 f2.8, Ken reminds me I will never get a better pic with it than a 50mm f1.8, that I already have.

Now, I do not do weddings, I do not sell my skill as a product photographer. I do have enough $ to buy most any Nikon gear I would want. So, I got the say, Thank you Ken R, for helping me control NAS!!

No new gear for me this year that is over $300, unless Ren R posts a new article!!

I'd like to subscribe to your newsletter

My newsletter is at http://www.sweetmk.com/

If you want to find out how I pay for camera equipment, my methods are at my site!!

mine is a little more self sustaining within its boundaries.
1- payment for services rendered
2- not collecting gear. sell what is not being used.

Feb 03, 2013 at 01:58 PM

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