Roger Hicks
Veteran
You're almost certainly right, which is why I use fewer and fewer of the cameras I do own. I want to take pictures, not play with cameras.
But playing with cameras is fine, too. I used to do it a lot more.
Cheers,
R.
No, not at all...it's a great time to be a photographer (equipment wise).
fstops
-
The more important question for me is:
Do I have potential?
I mean, there is no point talking about whats limiting or unleashing my potential if there is no potential to begin with.
How to know whether one has potential or not is a very personal thing. Some people know it some don't, some don't care and some don't even understand what the question is all about. But a basic empirical judgment makes one less optimistic because the world is not large enough for everyone's dreams to be fulfilled - a cheesy quote but very true. If everyone had the potential to be great then the word great would no longer mean 'great'.
Is my photography equipment limiting my potential? I don't know about that but one thing is for sure, laziness, inertia and apathy are a far worse adversary than equipment as far as I'm concerned. Yesterday I came upon a great scene and since I was tired and hungry I did not move enough and somehow failed to make the best of the situation.
Photography is a physically demanding activity, and its one's own physical condition that is a limiting factor more than anything else, gear and gear buying is more of a distraction from facing the real challenges of photography, which are physical, mental and intellectual.
Do I have potential?
I mean, there is no point talking about whats limiting or unleashing my potential if there is no potential to begin with.
How to know whether one has potential or not is a very personal thing. Some people know it some don't, some don't care and some don't even understand what the question is all about. But a basic empirical judgment makes one less optimistic because the world is not large enough for everyone's dreams to be fulfilled - a cheesy quote but very true. If everyone had the potential to be great then the word great would no longer mean 'great'.
Is my photography equipment limiting my potential? I don't know about that but one thing is for sure, laziness, inertia and apathy are a far worse adversary than equipment as far as I'm concerned. Yesterday I came upon a great scene and since I was tired and hungry I did not move enough and somehow failed to make the best of the situation.
Photography is a physically demanding activity, and its one's own physical condition that is a limiting factor more than anything else, gear and gear buying is more of a distraction from facing the real challenges of photography, which are physical, mental and intellectual.
FrankS
Registered User
As I understand the word, everyone has their own potential, to be the best that they can be. As to how great that potential is, that is another story.
Tejasican
Well-known
For me on film, not anymore. On digital, yes.
On film I found I could not focus the Nikon F3 adequately, my eyes like the Leicaflex SL much better.
In digital I shoot a NEX5 that, being farsighted, is a problem with how I have to hold it to see properly. I just can't keep it steady. It will go to my wife who has no such problems and I will end up with something that I can hold up to my face and keep steady. That said, any problems other than that are all me and cannot be blamed on the fit of the equipment.
On film I found I could not focus the Nikon F3 adequately, my eyes like the Leicaflex SL much better.
In digital I shoot a NEX5 that, being farsighted, is a problem with how I have to hold it to see properly. I just can't keep it steady. It will go to my wife who has no such problems and I will end up with something that I can hold up to my face and keep steady. That said, any problems other than that are all me and cannot be blamed on the fit of the equipment.
kuzano
Veteran
Hmmmm???
Hmmmm???
Minimal Limitations
Holy cow!!! Look at the size of that sensor!
Wutt's a Photokina?
Megapixels by the hundreds per shot.... $375 last week... Craigslist....
Oh yeah,,,, those folds on the front of the bellows are called misfolds. The badge of a well used LF camera.
Will slowly replace my modified Super Graphic.
Nope... not concerned with limits. Weighs less than my FF DSLR did.
Hmmmm???
Minimal Limitations
Holy cow!!! Look at the size of that sensor!
Wutt's a Photokina?
Megapixels by the hundreds per shot.... $375 last week... Craigslist....
Oh yeah,,,, those folds on the front of the bellows are called misfolds. The badge of a well used LF camera.
Will slowly replace my modified Super Graphic.
Nope... not concerned with limits. Weighs less than my FF DSLR did.
gb hill
Veteran
Your question reminded me of Roger & Francis module Does-Equipment-Matter.
I know I have capable equipment to do what I need for the job. The key is feeling comfortable with the tool in hands & the knowledge of how to compose & capture the moment you visualize in your mind. When I first got my Bessa R I wasn't sure I liked it & thought about selling it. Now I wouldn't trade it for anything. I can finally see some improvement in my photography.
I know I have capable equipment to do what I need for the job. The key is feeling comfortable with the tool in hands & the knowledge of how to compose & capture the moment you visualize in your mind. When I first got my Bessa R I wasn't sure I liked it & thought about selling it. Now I wouldn't trade it for anything. I can finally see some improvement in my photography.
robert blu
quiet photographer
I am not a pro and not (yet 
?) an artist. I'm just a passionate amateur. I know what my gear is and what I can do using it. When I have a new idea or I plan a new work I try to plan it according to the available instruments. It works, enough. Now the question becomes: do I really need some more gear? Not really. Do I wish to have more gear? Yes, sometimes.
Could I make better work with that additional gear? Maybe yes, but not sure!
robert
?) an artist. I'm just a passionate amateur. I know what my gear is and what I can do using it. When I have a new idea or I plan a new work I try to plan it according to the available instruments. It works, enough. Now the question becomes: do I really need some more gear? Not really. Do I wish to have more gear? Yes, sometimes. Could I make better work with that additional gear? Maybe yes, but not sure!
robert
Murchu
Well-known
True, but then one might also hold the view that if told what it takes to be great, most would not have the appetite for it. This I feel holds more people back from greatness than mere lack of potential.
Bill Clark
Veteran
I find that too much stuff can hold a photographer back. It can lead to too much thought about the equipment to use rather than concentrating on the story told with the photographs.
Jean & I will be making wedding photographs at a high end wedding next Saturday. The majority will be made with God's light with a little help with a reflector. We will make some photos during the reception with a couple of off camera flashes to make photographs like you'd see in a Hollywood movie.
I find simple is best. I focus on other stuff at any photo session and use equipment sparingly!
Jean & I will be making wedding photographs at a high end wedding next Saturday. The majority will be made with God's light with a little help with a reflector. We will make some photos during the reception with a couple of off camera flashes to make photographs like you'd see in a Hollywood movie.
I find simple is best. I focus on other stuff at any photo session and use equipment sparingly!
JChrome
Street Worker
Great link! I wrote a post about how all of the digital-measure-bating has brought our attention away from what matters - Technique. Post here.
But back to the main thrust of this post - you can be limited by not having the proper equipment. I mention in my blogpost about how underwater photography is not possible without expensive equipment. Street photography your options are wide open. But underwater... gear is key.
It all depends on the project you have in mind of course. And the more/better equipment you have the more options you have. But that said, there is a lot to be done with a simple Nikon F and 50mm lens...
daveleo
what?
That's the way I see it as well.
ironhorse
Joe DuPont
My current cameras are not the limiting factors in my artistic growth.....nor are my current guitars.
zwarte_kat
Well-known
sigh...
sigh...
As long as I keep shooting actively, I allow myself to buy what I want and can afford.
Better cameras make nicer looking, higher quality pictures. Yes, the subject and artistic skills are more important, but how many of these statements are there now on RFF already? It's becoming just as much as a cliche as the "nice pictures, you must have a good camera" quote.
I feel we are all touching on generic photography gear philosophy here, and not so much moving on. Yes, the gear is not important for sublime master photos, can we just put it in the site's banner or something, and be done with it?
If the gear is not crucial, then why keep philosophizing about it? It's either contradicting yourself or wasted time.
Sorry for the rant, but I just read like 3 or 4 of these threads on this sub forum.
sigh...
As long as I keep shooting actively, I allow myself to buy what I want and can afford.
Better cameras make nicer looking, higher quality pictures. Yes, the subject and artistic skills are more important, but how many of these statements are there now on RFF already? It's becoming just as much as a cliche as the "nice pictures, you must have a good camera" quote.
I feel we are all touching on generic photography gear philosophy here, and not so much moving on. Yes, the gear is not important for sublime master photos, can we just put it in the site's banner or something, and be done with it?
If the gear is not crucial, then why keep philosophizing about it? It's either contradicting yourself or wasted time.
Sorry for the rant, but I just read like 3 or 4 of these threads on this sub forum.
peterm1
Veteran
Is it limiting my potential? Certainly not (although that's not what I tell my wife). In fact I reckon I could make an argument that too much emphasis on gear limits potential by leading people to concentrate too much on hardware and not enough on technique. I find that when I concentrate more on my kit, I concentrate less on actually taking good interesting artistic images. This is also exemplified in this and other forums by "pixel peepers" who photograph brick walls and test charts and in some cases the gables of the house over the street over and over and over again in a never ending boring and ultimately fruitless search for better, sharper faster, etc etc kit.