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 09/25/2011 11:28:56 PM · #1
When talking about photography and more specifically equipment, does size matter?

When I first started getting into photography I thought "the bigger the better." I still sometimes think this... Here are a couple reasons why!

Let's first look at a scenario that starts with 3 photographer and a potential customer.

Letâs look at the photographers firstâ¦
Photographer "A" may only have a Nikon D40 with a 50mm f/1.8 and Photographer "B" has a Nikon D40 equipped with a battery grip and the same 50mm f/1.8 While Photographer "C" has a Nikon D40 equipped with battery grip but this time with a larger lens like the 55-200mm f/3.5-5.6.

Now letâs look at the costumer.
When an average person who knows nothing about photography sees these 3 photographers, they will think to themselves, âPhotographer âCâ looks like he knows what he is doing with all that stuff!â This leaves Photographers "A" and "B" out of a potential job. Photographers "A" and "B" now go look for a new costumer and chases are, photographer "B" will get the next job from the next model. Photographer "A" is out of a job now.

This little scenario is something I thought up when I started wanting to advertise myself. I felt as though I am being âout classedâ by the people with bigger equipment. Now, does this mean I am not as good as a photographer as someone with a bigger camera? No! I feel as though I am not a great photographer but that does not mean the guy next to me with that big camera knows what he is doing.

Confidence that comes with a large set-up.

Having a small camera has its perks for some things sure, but do they really outweigh the perks of having a big camera? Street photographers enjoy small cameras so that they can be discreet when they are taking a photograph of someone walking by or something similar to this⦠But, what about non-street photographers? What about the photographers that takes photos of models to put food on the table? Or the wedding photographer? The level of confidence you get when you walk into a photo-shoot or wedding with a large camera and large equipment is much greater than if you were to walk in with something tiny. This is the case even if the camera that is smaller is better than the one that is bigger.

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That is my little synopsis on how I feel about larger vs. smaller camera equipment.

What do you think?
 09/25/2011 11:41:44 PM · #2
People compliment me all the time on the size of my lens and my camera. But they really compliment my camera when they see what is produced from it, leaving me out of the equation. Size does matter, no matter what she is telling you. :D
09/26/2011 07:23:20 AM · #3
Bump for the morning crowd.
 09/26/2011 08:50:42 AM · #4
It might matter to the layman if all the photographers are unknown quantities, but if you have been hired based on them having seen your work, then they already know what you produce. When does a client interview multiple photographers with their gear in hand? I presume this is just a "for arguments sake" question.
 09/26/2011 09:42:51 AM · #5
Arguments sake indeed. I agree that clients look at work that the photographer does rather than their equipment but who is the client going to interview first? Or who is the client going to look at first? Say they looked at photographer "C" and that that their work was good and didn't even bother to look up the other two. Who knows, maybe photographer "A" is the best one and the client never even gets that far!
 09/26/2011 09:53:35 AM · #6
Originally posted by mbrutus2009:
Say they looked at photographer "C" and that that their work was good and didn't even bother to look up the other two. Who knows, maybe photographer "A" is the best one and the client never even gets that far!

Win some, lose some. Sounds like normal competitive business to me. At a certain point a consumer makes their choice. There could always be a better deal out there, but being paralyzed by indecision is just as bad as making a poor choice.
 09/26/2011 09:56:07 AM · #7
Originally posted by Yo_Spiff:
Win some, lose some. Sounds like normal competitive business to me.


My point exactly. To have a competitive advantage over the next person the "bigger the better" in my opinion.
 09/26/2011 10:36:45 AM · #8
Originally posted by mbrutus2009:
My point exactly. To have a competitive advantage over the next person the "bigger the better" in my opinion.

I think it may be an influencing factor *sometimes*, though a lesser one. More important is creating good work in order to achieve the positive word of mouth advertising that really builds your business. Not that I have any experience in the world of pro photography, but I do have plenty of experience as a consumer and in my own trade.
 09/26/2011 10:42:01 AM · #9
I'd love to hear what a professional photographer thinks about this. When they first started out did they feel the same way and why (if it did) it changed further into their career.
 09/26/2011 10:43:50 AM · #10
Originally posted by mbrutus2009:
Arguments sake indeed. I agree that clients look at work that the photographer does rather than their equipment but who is the client going to interview first? Or who is the client going to look at first? Say they looked at photographer "C" and that that their work was good and didn't even bother to look up the other two. Who knows, maybe photographer "A" is the best one and the client never even gets that far!

Are you hanging out under the overpass with the other out-of-work photographers and people are noticing your gear isn't as big as theirs? I've been there, man. Rough.

Seriously, I cannot see how this would ever factor into someone's decision to hire you.

ETA: I'm not saying that difference wouldn't enter someone's mind, just that they'd never have a chance to see the difference.

Message edited by author 2011-09-26 10:44:51.
 09/26/2011 10:58:41 AM · #11
The client typically never knows what type of gear the photog will show up with prior to the shoot, so I don't see how this would normally factor into the decision. Only in the case where a potential client meets the photog on a shoot would this be a factor.
I do agree that the general public is unduly impressed by equipment size, equating large with serious. In an odd sort of way it's actually sometimes true... only the serious and dedicated will schlep 1-series bodies and big, fast primes or zooms to a shoot. I'm NOT saying that those electing to shoot with, say, a 7D body and a 50/1.4 lens aren't dedicated or serious. Also, being dedicated and serious does not always imply being talented.
I personally don't really care what a photog uses, as long as I know the output will meet my needs. I select a photographer based on their portfolio, and whether their artistic vision seems to mesh with my concept.
We've had family portraits done at odd intervals through the years, and the last time we did, my sister-in-law hired a local photog who we had not used before. I have no idea how she selected him, and honestly I have no idea how he stays in business. The results were god-awful. And yes, he had big lenses.

Edit for typo

Message edited by author 2011-09-26 10:59:49.
 09/26/2011 11:03:44 AM · #12
I don't really understand, surly it's just the results that matter instead how people perceive you when you're walking around with your camera? If anything, large equipment where its not needed just looks ridiculous.

The only difference to me is I get a lot of people starting conversations with me when I'm using a large lens, so I guess if my goal of going out with a camera was to get girls numbers I'd use a 70-200 f/2.8, but otherwise no.
 09/26/2011 11:32:50 AM · #13
Originally posted by HawkinsT:

The only difference to me is I get a lot of people starting conversations with me when I'm using a large lens, so I guess if my goal of going out with a camera was to get girls numbers I'd use a 70-200 f/2.8, but otherwise no.


I agree about people starting conversations when the big gear is out, but not so sure about 70-200 2.8 getting any numbers...

I know of one local pro photographer who said he buys big lenses and cameras because "people expect it". Then again that might be just a reason to justify to the equipment purchase to himself and more importantly to the wife.
 09/26/2011 01:06:47 PM · #14
Originally posted by HawkinsT:

The only difference to me is I get a lot of people starting conversations with me when I'm using a large lens, so I guess if my goal of going out with a camera was to get girls numbers I'd use a 70-200 f/2.8, but otherwise no.


I guess this is more of what I am going for in this discussion. The input about not knowing what a photographer has prior to the shoot is true. I agree that this is the case (MOST OF THE TIME).

Originally posted by Ken:
I know of one local pro photographer who said he buys big lenses and cameras because "people expect it".


This to me this sounds very much what I am talking about. People want to see large equipment when it comes to being a costumer for a shoot. To them it symbolizes that the photographer knows how to use big expensive cameras and lenses which in turn would factor into what I am talking about.

I just want to re-say that this is not relevant to street photographers.

ETA - typo...

Message edited by author 2011-09-26 13:07:30.
 09/26/2011 01:35:17 PM · #15
Originally posted by mbrutus2009:
This to me this sounds very much what I am talking about. People want to see large equipment when it comes to being a costumer for a shoot. To them it symbolizes that the photographer knows how to use big expensive cameras and lenses which in turn would factor into what I am talking about.


LOL, I hope you meant "customer" ;-)

I still question how many clients will be seeing the photog's equipment before making the hiring decision? If they don't know what (s)he'll be shooting with, how can it play into the decision?
 09/26/2011 01:43:08 PM · #16
Originally posted by kirbic:

LOL, I hope you meant "customer" ;-)


Opps! Lol, yes that is what I meant.

I guess what I am really trying to say is it's more impressive looking to the model for the photographer to walk in with a bigger set-up. The "costumer" *snickers* will be sort of skeptical if the photographer walks in with something tiny.

Again I agree that the outcome is what they will really have the final thoughts about but in my opinion it sort of puts the whole thing on a bad start. Just my opinion.
 09/26/2011 01:46:46 PM · #17
Originally posted by kirbic:
Originally posted by mbrutus2009:
This to me this sounds very much what I am talking about. People want to see large equipment when it comes to being a costumer for a shoot. To them it symbolizes that the photographer knows how to use big expensive cameras and lenses which in turn would factor into what I am talking about.


LOL, I hope you meant "customer" ;-)

I still question how many clients will be seeing the photog's equipment before making the hiring decision? If they don't know what (s)he'll be shooting with, how can it play into the decision?


It depends on how revealing the photographer's costume is.
 09/26/2011 02:46:47 PM · #18
Your whole premise is kind of flawed, not to mention irrelevant. I know people who have expensive equipment who are inept. Then there are people who have older, or lower end equipment, who are nothing short of breathtaking in their ability to extract the utmost from a scene/image. The idea that someone is going to hire a photographer based on their camera rather than their skillset is pretty ridiculous.

There's post-processing to consider as well.....the skills at post are quite important. You certainly need to see the finished product rather than just looking for someone with a big, fancy looking camera.

Just my $0.02 US.......YMMV.....
 09/26/2011 04:33:58 PM · #19
Originally posted by NikonJeb:
The idea that someone is going to hire a photographer based on their camera rather than their skillset is pretty ridiculous.


For you & me, yes... for the general public, not so much. I agree (rather strongly) that the impression of the general public is "if (s)he has impressive (read BIG) equipment then (s)he must be good."
Where the premise falls down is the assumption that most clients will know what the photog's equipment is like prior to a shoot. Normally, they don't. However, when we consider that potential clients may be among the population at events we photograph, then an interesting question arises:

How often do contacts made at paying gigs result in booking a new client

If the answer to this question is "often" then I would submit that the client's impression of the equipment is highly relevant.
 09/26/2011 04:38:26 PM · #20
Nothing drives me crazier than when a really rich person buys an expensive camera and multiple expenses lenses, calls themselves a photographer, and shoots in full auto to produce pure snapshots.

Now mostly that is equipment jealousy, but still, I do not like the "bigger is better" mantra regardless of how true it is, just because it very much favors the wealthy over those with skill.
In the end, I think photo quality speaks for itself, and it always overshadows equipment.
 09/26/2011 05:21:43 PM · #21
Originally posted by Fiora:
Nothing drives me crazier than when a really rich person buys an expensive camera and multiple expenses lenses, calls themselves a photographer, and shoots in full auto to produce pure snapshots.

Now mostly that is equipment jealousy, but still, I do not like the "bigger is better" mantra regardless of how true it is, just because it very much favors the wealthy over those with skill.
In the end, I think photo quality speaks for itself, and it always overshadows equipment.


True if you assume somebody with money can't have skill. You can be wealthy or poor and have skill, or not have skill. The whole "bigger is better" thing favors those with the equipment over those who do not.

ETA: I've seen those people with the gear and don't know how to use it. Sometimes it's hilarious to watch them try to get a decent shot.

Message edited by author 2011-09-26 17:22:46.
 09/26/2011 05:26:38 PM · #22
I despair when I see people with expensive cameras who exclusively use the auto modes... they may as well have bought an entry level camera and burnt the rest of their money.
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