STOP wasting money... Good and bad investments for landscape photographers
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- Опубликовано: 8 сен 2024
- Photography is crazy expensive.. but whats worse than spending that money on stuff you shouldn't... in this video I talk about some of the best and worst investments for landscape photographers.
kimtech wipes - amzn.to/32Ks6Ef
my website nickpagephotogr...
"You buy nice, or you buy twice!" I really like that! That's going to stick!
And it rhymes, so it must be true.
Instant like just for the lightroom preset thing!
Used is always a good option :-) seeing as I'm a cheap bugger who also suffers from GAS, lol. Good one Baron!
Amen!! Every single piece of photography equipment I own, I purchased used. No regrets.
Just be careful with used Sony lenses. They have factory defects very often (I'd suggest about 80%) and therefore people sell them almost new and expensive
@@MaximPodbereznyy Fortunately, I have a great local shop that deals in used equipment and they offer a 30 day warranty. Also, I have made online purchases from KEH and always had a great luck with them.
@@trent7919 that is great! I have a defective Sony 24-70 2.8 GM purchased new at B&H. Does it prove anything? I know one guy who sent his 24-70 2.8 to Sony six times and still has soft image at a half of the frame. I can't imagine such crap should happen for such ridiculous amount of money
"Used is always a good option" is the line I tried on my third wife as a proposal. 🐼👍🏽✌️
Just moved from M43 to Sony A7RIII. Earlier this evening purchased circular Polariser and 10stop ND filters, bought for the largest filter size and a £4 step-up ring so they would fit on the smaller lenses. Glad to see that one was in your list, made me think I was doing something right with my money for a change.
Tom Wedge may I ask why you switched? I shoot with an Olympus omd em10 mk iii and plan to switch to Sony a7iii in a few months.
@@mrtings If I had to list a few
1. Low light capabilities
2. Higher resolution
3. Better Focus tracking
4. Future-proofing
5. An incredible deal on the Sony body for £2000 after cashback
Tom Wedge thank you 🙏🏽 I’ve had issues with autofocus even in ideal lighting 😂 but I’m gonna miss the versatility of the 40-15mm f2.8 which gives me 80-300mm equivalent for in a small package. But an f2.8 in m4:3 is an f5.6 at the end of the day (if I’m understanding that correctly)(?) lighting is everything
By far my worst purchase was the dumb crystal ball I thought I would get artistic with. First of all: stupid. Second of all, if you leave it in the back seat of your car and the sun shines on it, you might light your car on fire. So yeah, that happened.
hahaha oh man that sucks!
Justin Richardson don’t leave reading glasses hanging on your rear view mirror either! Luckily I only melted some plastic on my shifting console.
@@NickPage It's cool. Now I constantly have a blanket in my backseat like a serial killer.
@@NickPage are you serious about filters or you just don't do long exposures ? I used to do mostly exposure bracketing before getting a good set of square filters but they re obviously essential for a lot of situations... and the dark gradients are very easily recoverable! Btw you forgot to add tripods and backpacks to the list :)
Digi Flow I use ND filters all the time, just not graduated Nd filters.
I'm the opposite, I suffer from analysis paralysis when it comes to laying out cash.
I envy you!
@@NickPage haha it's a curse and a blessing!
Analysis paralysis, LOL! Me too!
and then buyer's remorse :-0
@@jimowens8105 no buyers remorse, I purchased my first DSLR in Jan, the Canon SL2, primarily down to the smaller form factor as I carry it everywhere but in hindsight I do regret buying into the Canon eco system and the not going Sony mirrorless. The 9 point AF is more limiting than I thought it would be as I prefer shooting through a viewfinder over staring at an LCD screen and Sony seem to be way ahead of the curve when it comes to innovation and not just churning out new stock with minor upgrade tweaks.
I actually laughed out loud on the presets. I was totally guilty of that very thing when I first started with LR. RRS is without a doubt worth the investment. It stings a little on the initial cost, especially if you get the legs, the ball head, and the “L” bracket, but once you buy it you never have to worry if your gear will hold up. A good, sturdy tripod and head are a must have. Great video with solid advice. Thanks for sharing!!
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Thank you !! Such honesty, I've never understood why so many RUclips Photographers push their presets and yet they NEVER use them in their workflow. And the half grad filter debate, so many online pros appear to use them and yet I agree bracketing would seem to be a much better approach.
I think my Really Right Stuff L bracket saved my camera today, right in the middle of my photography holiday. D850 and my beautiful Tamron 15-30 lens fell off the tripod and on to the concrete. The camera screen is badly cracked but still working and the lens casing split open so that lens is out of use for the remainder of the trip but I can still shoot with the other lenses. I never knew that it was possible to feel so sick and relieved at the same time!
I'm so glad you verified my logic on graduated filters
Totally agree on the presets. Out of a few hundreds of presets I've purchased (which luckily has amounted to no more than $100 total and most came in preset-packs of maybe 100, so I purchased maybe a few various packs) I maybe used about 10 of them on a semi-regular basis. But for the most part, they were a waste. The thing I think people forget about presets is that they are a starting point most of the time, and you have to tweak them for the specific image / set of images. They are NOT a one-click and you're done like they are advertised to be. That is very rarely the case.... and you still have to know a bit about what the program is doing. Again, they can be helpful but they are only a start and not a one-click solution. Your better off spending money on a video course or book on learning Photoshop/Lightroom (or whatever RAW processor you have) IMO. That way you can learn about the RAW processor's features to help you edit your photos. That would be my suggestion over using presets because as you said, they are like a crutch but you never really learn anything with them and half the time, I've seen some pretty bad stuff be posted online with people who sear by presets.
Another Item I feel I wasted money on initially, was cheap filters and cheap tripods. Thom Hogan has a good article on tripods, and I can attest to his comment about if you're serious about landscape photography for example, you will end up spending $1000+ on a good tripod and ballhead system. Either through buying a bunch of junky ones and upgrading every few years, or doing the more direct route and buying a good tripod and ballhead to start with (spend the money up front) and have it for many years. Unfortunately, I've probably spend now about $2000 on tripods, with the latest one being about $1200 for the ballhead and legs and L-bracket, but it's among the best I've found and according to tests, and hopefully one of the last setups I buy for a long time). Now I will say that I did go with the RRS system (not the tripod legs as I went with FLM for those as they were a little cheaper but just as sturdy and durable). But I do have to say getting the BH55 and the L-brackets was the best thing I did for my landscape photography. I remember tyring to screw around with my other tripods getting the camera level using the side notch found on some tripods because I didn't have an L-bracket at the time, and it was tedious and time consuming. Now it's much easier, and I'm glad I made that investment.
With filters, I only use ND and CPL filters now. I tried graduated filters, but with technology these days (meaning post processing) it's the one time I might say "you're better off taking care of that in post" and not at the time of capture. Mainly because I don't want that stuff baked into the image and I would rather like to have more control over the graduation of the filter in post production. Because once it's in the recorded RAW image, it's there and it's very very hard if not impossible to remove or correct. That being said, some filters you have to use at the time of capture, like ND to get smooth silky water because trying to do that in post just looks bad and you don't get the same effect. Same with some uses of CPL (reflections), although with a CPL you can overdo things and destroy your image too.
Totally agree on the drone. I have a Phantom 4 Pro as well and it's not nearly as freeing of a creative tool as I thought it would be. I am selling mine or trading it for something that will help me more...like more LR presets ;)
You should have an own vlog just for people doing astrophotography! Man, have I wasted a lot of money on that. I have a huge telescope, a eq-mount, cables, software, different stuff to get rid of coma, a chair to sit on, battery to run the scope, bags to carry the scope, trackers, modified camera, hiking equipment for long nights under the stars. And the list goes on.
I just hope and pray that my wife never asks me what it REALLY costs?
Hilarious - I'm a cancer researcher and I use Kimwipes all the time in the lab. I should use them in photography too!
Great stuff Nick. We say ‘Buy cheap - Pay dear’ over here in Scotland.
Great advice! Another money sink is getting the wrong storage and backpacking gear for your expensive camera gear. Or, even worse, damaging a lot of gear by not having adequate protection for your gear. OBTW, I have that ballhead and love it.
Love, love, love my SmallRig (inexpensive, well-made) L-bracket. The first L-bracket I've ever purchased, and every time I use it I'm reminded of what a great investment it was.
Agreed with all the examples. One of the best purchases I made in photography was a subscription to Kelby training. This was a bunch of years ago, so I’m not sure how they are nowadays… but the knowledge I got from that site has paid back immensely for me.
I bought dirt cheap presets out of curiosity...and they were like $5. I have to say they opened my eyes to what's possible processing my images. I still sometimes roll through them when I get in a rut but haven't applied any for a long time. Great vid!
Excellent guidance and communicated thoughtfully through experience. Good points about the filters and drones.
GAS isn’t always bad. Sometimes you learn more from an impulse purchase than you do from a logically thought out one.
Exposure blending is ok if the only thing moving is water which you have to smooth out with long exposures but anything else like leaves just gives fuzzy images, or if you want to focus stack a static image it gets messy if you are trying to exposure blend at the same time so a variable ND filter is better in those cases.
There are certainly times that blending multiple exposures is more challenging than others, but there are always workarounds that are non-destructive and provide, in my opinion a better result than grad filters
"Don't buy gear, buy plane tickets", Yvon Chouinard
Great advise
Yes!
Best advice!
I've always admired Mr. Chouinard, but I do wonder how he feels now about (speaking of plane tickets) his carbon footprint.
Said the guy who built one of the most expensive gear companies on the planet.
Was definitely expecting the Wacom tablet to get a mention. I absolutely love mine for post production. 👍
It’s funny flying drones for a living got me into photography. Just sold a P4P today always loved the obsidian.
Great advice Nick - really enjoyed the video. I'd add Photoshop and Lightroom to the list; there are much cheaper alternatives out there that do just about everything a landscape photographer needs without the hassle of monthly subscription fees or paying for upgrades.
If I had the money I would be the worst. I could blow 100,000 in B&H
That 50-1000mm Canon lens
I’m a rookie and have been looking into filters, I didn’t know about the step up adapters...THANK YOU!
Great video, great advice, I went 'oh yeah why didn't i do that' so many times its embarrasing. Thanks so much.
L-bracket is/was a *gamechanger* for me! Also, the PD capture clip for my backpacking!
I kept putting it off, saying I don't need it, less bits & bobs to remember...but I was happily proved wrong in their usefulness!
I own the peak design capture and I love it for hiking. I've been wanting to use a camer-specific L bracket, but figured I'd have to stop using the capture. How does that work on your setup?
@@curtisgoodnight The square plate for the Capture clip can be used with your tripod! I forgot my L-bracket once & had to use a tripod & that tiny plate worked well! So technically you don't need to switch between the two.
However, I still prefer to use my L-bracket on dedicated LE shots, so I just pack my L-bracket & when I'm set up to shoot, I switch them. My L-bracket & the Capture clip both use the same sized screws, so it's easy/fast to switch them out.
^^I have the Three-legged thing L-bracket & they give a nifty Allen wrench/key on a D-clip, it's clipped to my bag at all times, so I never forget it^^
Great tips, thanks! Personally I combine the L bracket with an additional mounting base on a good fluid head, instead of the ball head. Either way it's a good investment.
I am so glad that Nick mentioned drones. I sold my drone last year because I never used it. Every place I wanted to go was restricted. Wasn't worth it. Use that money for a lens or other useful landscape gear.
I bought a Mavic Pro shortly after they were released. I've flown it maybe half a dozen times. So yeah, totally agree with the drone comments.
Another f4 fan. Simply a very insightful video, but all of yours are.
Appreciate the comments on Grad ND...been considering one for awhile (in addition to screw on ND) so definitely was timely. Thanks!
Coming from a country where 99% of photography equipment is sourced from overseas, and comparing our currency exchange rates, I don't have much choice but to look for cheap options or used... I am glad to see you not the only one who has advised on filters. I have been toying with the idea of getting, but I will settle with blending, and I did see a really cool set of circular filters that seem pretty decent for a decent price as well... Thanks for the tips ;)
Yes, circular filters and step down rings, Nisi have a great kit. The tips on exposure merge is excellent
I live where everything in double the price. Learn to shop on line and save tons. Read up on your country's tax and import duty. There are loop holes ECT. Shipping charges included it's still 5$
50 precent less.
Excellent guidance... found you through Photography Daily podcasts and totally enjoying/learning/improving from your videos.
Funny, almost the only thing I bought new was a mini ball head from Colorado Tripod...that they don’t even sell anymore! Good tips, especially for those of us not currently making any money from photography.
Glad I caught this video. Been looking at ND filters. Will learn to exposure blend as an alternative. And get a better ball head.
I think "straight" ND filters still have a place, it's the graduated ones that are an image-destructive waste of money.
@@uppitysquirrel your making my Xmas list longer. LOL
Followed your recommendation for Kimtech wipes some time back and they are very useful. Also purchased a BH-40 ball head with the lever clamp and absolutely no regrets. Did this after my camera fell out of the clamp on my "cheap" ball head while on a hike. I was lucky that my camera was fitted with the RRS L-plate at the time and the camera was not damaged. Thanks, Nick.
Tony Pierce I’m about to make that investment. I recently switched to Sony A7r3. I do have a name brand good quality ball head but it has a flaw, had my old camera fall of it on day 2 of a 12 day trip. Going RRS to protect my camera investment
Matthew Henry I have A7RIII also. You won’t regret your RRS buys.
I pretty much agree with everything but the L bracket, at least in my case. I find the using my ball head and a smaller flat arca plate works better for me. I haven’t used my L bracket since last year. But again, this is just what works for me.
excellent video, I just ordered KimTech wipes on Amazon and bought a Colorado ballhead last summer, great piece of equipment. thanks!
For me it is camera bags. I have wasted more on bags than I want to admit and finally settled on a pack for snow boarders and an insert. It works better than any camera bag I have ever tried.
Love breakthrough photography filters are great! Well made!
Bags are an area I spend too much on. Always a pain trying to find the ‘perfect’ bag. Great vid!
I'm just an amateur, but you can waste a ton on camera bags too... It's never the right pockets at the right place, it's always just a little too uncomfortable... and in the end a nice hiking bag with a camera insert added often works better if you have a mirrorless with just two lenses. I do quite strenuous hikes, so it is tough finding the right setup. I find myself sacrificing stuff, and often it's the tripod. It's also quite challenging to find a bag that'll accommodate 2x1.5 L bottles of water on top of all the other gear. And let's not even talk about winter photography (in the mountains), where you need so much extra stuff. There is no way I can find a bag that can take all my summer gear plus my snowshoes (you do need to take them on and off quite a number of times during a hike) and both hiking poles.
I have spent so much on filters! I have breakthrough filters(which I love), Wine Country, and Lee. Too many and all you really need is NDs. Ugh. It is a sickness.
I do have the Wine Country Camera system myself, honestly they are very expense, but we all have our down fall and mine as been my WCC systems, sometimes one has to make a choice between camera gear GAS and other items like paying the mortgage, hopefully the bank will remain patient while I eye another Blackstone 3 STOP HG!!!
Haha, I don't own any drones but otherwise couldn't agree more! A great piece of gear that I can whole heartedly recommend is the peak design capture camera holder. There is nothing worse than an old fashioned camera strap on your neck. On a hike i just carry my camera on my backpack straps which makes the whole experience so much more ergonomic.
The quote, 'you buy nice, or buy twice' is so true !
For me an reasonable L bracket costing no more than £20 is good enough. The ball head is a must and I do not use grand filter as I auto bracket at least 3 images apx 1.5 stops apart. Job done, oh yes good tripod, or two. One for heavy weight ie camera and big zoom lens and a lighter travel one tou can get on a plane as carry on.
As long as it fits well and doesn't block any ports.. I agree.
Thank you 🙏🏻 sir, you really helped me to save few hundred $ I don’t know there are step up and step down adapters. Now I can fit my 82mm filters on 77mm lenses also G filters not that important to have, thanks 🙏🏻
Step up filter threads... Wish I'd known about those before purchasing those 67 mm circular filters!
I fully agree with the statement about the drone.
I have used it much less than I wanted and with the new drone laws, it will be difficult to fly it anyway.
So I will now sell the drones again.
You saved me a S&*$% load of money as I was going to buy some ND filters. All you guys use them so I thought to get to the next level, I better buy. But now that I know a lot more on LR and PS I think I'll stick with post. Thanks so much for saving me heaps of cash and also investing in the right areas. Your channel is so great.
Getting that Kimtech wipe now 💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽
Thanks for the sharing.
Dude I wish I saw this years ago. Totally agree, I did learn something about the kimtech ill have to order some now. Cheers man
Yes, 5 years ago when I started photography and accumulating gear. I have a LARGE drawer of discarded camera gear.
@@perfectlylonely i started about 8 years ago but only serious the last 5 years. Im super slow to upgrade but I think people upgrade cameras way too fast. I saw some of the worst photography from people owning full frame camera and super nice gear they dont know how to use. But im glad he stuck with odds and ends. I never did the presets however as they are some elses artistic vision and i had no clue why someone would use them.
Great tips Nick...these are really great advice for when you’re starting in photography.
But ND filters do have their use, especially for Long exposure during the day.
The Lee Big Stopper or Haida 10 stop are great filters for making those blurry motion on your pics.
Another useful tool for beginners is Remote shutter/infrared remote/wireless trigger
I was speaking about Graduated filters.. not ND filters.. I use ND's all the time
Post processing learning on LR or PS and at home is a must!
Didn’t realize this was a year old but still great tips. L bracket was definitely a game changer, and I feel you on the drones. It’s not getting easier in the USA...
Yep. Same adage but put differently - buy once cry once.
Good advice Nick. I purchased a more expensive RRS tripod and ball head almost ten years ago, they’ve never let me down and still work perfectly.
Nick, I totally agree! I took the advice of a pro photographer friend of mine and laid out @$1100.00 for an RRS tripod, $160.00 for an RRS L bracket and $450.00 for an RRS BH-40 ball head. I am glad I did this because even as an amateur I can tell these are the last I will need to buy. RRS is very expensive but you can't beat the quality. I really enjoy your videos, they help me out. Thanks.
Amen on the drone thing and thanks for the tip on the wipes. Moisture is almost always an issue in Florida.
You really knocked the ball out of the park, and I couldn’t agree with you more on each and every point! And, it is great to have a “somebody” say it, since several of your recommendations run counter to what we see in the vlogs by many “old school” landscape photographers (not that their results aren’t typically stunning).
I went the intelligent route and saved money by switching to film instead of buying the latest digital camera every year like most photographers seem to like to do... Got better at the craft as a result as became more precise with my shooting
Grad filters. Agree on photos, but if you do timelapse you have to expose properly for every photo.
I disagree with Nick, not all landscape photographers shoot with colour negative and digital
Great Video! :) Same problem here with my drone(s)! xD Had a Mavic Pro and almost never used it. Bought a Mavic Air because 'it's so portable'... and almost never used it as well! :D xD
I have learned the circular polarizer and 10 stop and 6 stop is all I need.I own the NISI v5 system, and I won’t buy another graduated ND filter. Bracketing is much cheaper then a 150$ Nd grad filter that scratches easy
Honestly my basic Induro ball head and tripod has lasted great for 9 years already... no need go spend $$$ but I just changed to a more Arca-Swiss compatible mount from Benro.
Also, the drones, you nailed it. It’s the one reason I didn’t buy a drone. I know the novelty would wear off quick.
100% agree - I wish I didn't spend $$$ on presets (I used them a few times and never again), filters (I hardly ever use), drone (luckly I didn't make that mistake) and last I thought you were going to mention tripods LOL
Awesome advice for those of us starting out. Thank you
Dang Nick, I wish you made this vid $10,000 ago... I had the ball-head issue with my tripods. I bought way too many trying to cheap-out, but finally pulled the trigger on a high quality one. Now its zero worries.. Nice vid man, keep em coming!
Buy nice or buy twice - good advice
my dumbest purchase by far was nine Leica RT slide projectors with control equipment and 9 x 3 metre screen hoping to do public slide shows here in Switzerland, right at the end of the film era and when the public were getting tired of them anyway. As I wasn`t famous like Uli Steck or Reinhold Messner I had no chance of even recouping the cost on them let alone make a living from it.
Nice one Nick! Now I feel good about using screw-in ND filters and step-up rings, not having a drone and using a decent Manfrotto tripod. I'd like an L bracket but can't find one for my X-T2 that will fit the Manfrotto head. I'd add LUTS to the presets list but a few textures are nice to have. P.S. I'm Adobe free so I don't waste money every month on software.
You can buy arcs Swiss compatible top on eBay for your Manfrotto tripod. You just swap out the top plate and still use the same ballhead. They only cost about $20 Australian, maybe less, I can't remember. Then you can buy an arcs Swiss l bracket.
So funny you described my experience with ball heads to a T! I bought a neweer brand $25 ball head then a $75 ball head then a $200 now I’m wanting to buy a $500 one! I wish I had seen this sooner, and I’m stealing the buy nice or buy twice lol
planning to get a drone, now go for the plan B……… computer up grade!
thank you Nick!
Kill two birds and just put blades on your computer!
I have very different experiences when it comes to drones than you. I have never gotten a negative comment about my flying, probably because i try to be as cautious and non-intrusive as I can. For me it has been the other way around. People tend to be so curious that it is hard to concentrate on flying. The want to watch my screen and try the controller. :-)
"unfortunately" buying filters too was my biggest waste of money xD helps a lot because we can see the almost final result right away but it makes us lazy. And i'm more a wildlife photographer than a landscape xD
Agree with most things, apart from the filters as I'm sure Mr Heaton would have something to say about that! As for me... Well I've lost count of the number of tripod/ball head combinations I've tried... (too lightweight, too heavy, awkward to use, fiddly or just plain flimsy)
The gradient filter thing came from old camera. I find that when I'm shooting sony the RAWs almost always needed some tweaking in post production to look semi-closer to real life than sooc. But when you switch to say a Canon/Nikon they are starting be exact reverse meaning you almost always need to expose to the right, or according to real life so as to avoid colors being werid. There people aim to get it right in the camera had no choice but to use gradual filters. Even when I try to bracket using my canon mirrorless they only tend to leave the middle image best looking. I often ended up have to use photoshop with partial stitch than combing a set in lightroom to a HDR image. This doesn't happen on my nikon and sony. But the canon just has the most life reminding color out of 3 even better than the nikon. There I quite understand the dilema. But I for one, wouldn't bother thinking about buying huge filters.
Spot on once again Nick... Thanks for the perspective.
This video just pumped me right up I’ve been Getting into photography for the last eight months and I’ve had drones for the last six years (just finished selling my last one Canadian laws are ridiculous). In the very beginning I did fall for purchasing Tony and Chelsea‘s training books (don’t get me wrong they are well-made) before my RUclips learning adventure If you spend enough time you can learn all of it on RUclips. I never fell for presets and I have Only purchased quality items including the L bracket.
Soooo in conclusion you made me feel smart so now I’m gonna follow your channel LOL thanks big fella!
So I paused your video on the preset comment so I could say that purchasing various photographer’s presets in order to reverse engineer them helped me a lot to see how to get a look I highly enjoyed… then I unpaused and you immediately said that... so yeah. Otherwise, yes, garbage purchases. Oh, those tissues, yeah immediate purchase at $3!
5:47 Last week I went on a summit in the austrian northern limestone alps and apart from me there were a group of 8 hikers in the age of about 50 to 60. After leaving the summit I stopped on a cool place to fly my drone. Meanwhile this group came closer and as I recognized I landed my drone. They asked me "Did you just fly a drone? Wow, that's amazing! But why didn't you fly on the summit?" I explained to them that I'm not allowed to fly close to other people by austrian law and I don't want to annoy every one with the noise. Not everyone hates drones!
At first when I bought my LEE 100mm system I didn't want to spend the extra couple 100 bucks for the 105mm CPL. I just screwed the entire system on my regular 77mm screw-on CPL.... Until it became unthreaded while adjusting the system to the point it detatched and fell off.... At a moment I had leaned my camera outward from a viewing platform over a mountainside...... Bye bye filter! I hope there were some deer or racoons just starting out with photography down below who could use such a system.
TOTALLY AGREE, PRESETS IS NOT JUST A SCAM, BESIDES, WHERE IS THE LEARNING CURVE, THE EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE ABOUT YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND PERSONAL TOUCH. PRESETS ARE FOR THE LAZY ONES!
For me, it's every single piece of photo software that comes down the street. Luminar, Adobe, Capture one, Nik, Topaz, Skylum, and the list goes on. Your right about Breakthrough Photography filters, I've bought them all and the circular filters are the winners. I have a $600 set of Schneider square filters I have never used...
The drone thing is so valid. I always pack my Mavic 2 pro with extra batteries and the smart controller, but I almost never use it. Thanks for the push Nick, I'm gonna sell it and book a trip somewhere cool instead!
I wholeheartedly agree with the buying a great ball head idea. I ended up getting a Pro Media Gear ball head and it’s pure awesomeness. It does everything I need it to do without even the slightest hiccup. Their tripod is amazing too, but my God, super expensive.
Too late for me....from filters, photography books and countless camera bags & gadgets to upgrading cameras when something better came out, not to mention all those lenses. And after I got my dream camera (d850) I find out mirrorless is the way to go...sigh. I need to try the "keep it simple" approach. Great video Nick...good to know I'm not alone on those presets! I always felt like I was cheating when I used them anyway.
As a person who only uses mirrorless from A7 to A7riii, let me say that the D850 is an amazing camera that should last you a while. It has superb weather sealing and the quality of its images are on par with the a7riiis/ivs.
IMHO you should have zero regrets about your body and I dont see any reason for you to upgrade anytime soon.
I bought a used D810. Please, don't feel like you need to get rid of your D850. I know a pro that still uses his D850. I suggest you wait a bit to see how Nikon improves on their mirrorless cameras. So, if you do go mirrorless you can still use your Nikon glass. That's just a suggestion. Like I said I bought a used D810 and love it!
@@pattymattes7124
Thanks to both of you for your replies. Lately I have tried to step back from all the hype and decided if I can't take a decent photo with a d850 then I should find another hobby. I'm going to concentrate instead on improving my technique/processing rather than relying on the camera to make me a better photographer (but all bets are off if/when Nikon comes out with a new & improved mirrorless! :)
I'm with you... no presets, orange L bracket, I do have Lee filters but want to try exposure blending! I have a Mavic Pro and you're right can't fly them in the great places!
On the preset segment, I find them a bit useful. I have color blindness (green/red) and I assume a color weakness or mental stigma, where I have some color recognition issues, not sure what it is.
One of the most useful Vlogs that I've ever seen Nick. Totally agree with most if the content.
I've recently taken to bracketing shots and because of the good dynamic range on recant digital cameras, I pick the best ( in my openion) exposure and edit that - I rarely blend. I find the process of adding filters a pain in the ass (or arse as we say in Ireland).
Regarding L brackets - I use a number of cameras so the investment doesn't warrant the cost. I do panos by hand 😱!
Thats a voice of reason here! So true, on every point!
I would add to ballheads though - I tried a geared head once and now I cannot imagine using a ballhead anymore. Geared always and anytime, how one can even consider an alternative?!!
Geared is nice if you don’t mind the weight and don’t have to pack your tripod very far. But they are typically so much heavier bigger and bulkier they don’t travel well. But they are very nice for dial-in and compositions
The one thing I would say about buying expensive ball heads and tripods out of the gate is that while you may save some money, you may also buy gear that doesn't quite work for your style. By buying on what you can afford at the time, you can ease your way into it and figure out what feature sets matter to you, and then when you're ready to spend serious bucks, you know what you want.
Just bought a roof tent to go on my truck .. hoping that turns out to be a good investment, since I'm horribly bad at getting up in time to travel anywhere for a sunrise these days. :) Next best investment - an alarm clock you like waking up to. ;)
Modern cameras have over 13 stops of dynamic range, graduated filters are irrelevant for anything except filming 8 bit. Bracketing is not needed most of the time, although some scenes still have enough dynamic range to push a 15 stop camera.
I fortunately decided against GND filters just in the past two months. Decided to go with Breakthrough circular filters. My first foray into long exposure photography was a success. :)
Great advice Nick. I see you didn"t mention camera backpacks :-)
I truly respect your work and that you are a self-made business person and photographer. Everyone has their prefered workflow. Some don't do much editing, others prefer LR and others like to go all in with PS. To me it depends on the subject and the quality of the original. Perhaps it is that I don't see the potential in my images, or that I'm just not good at it and can't spend hours getting frustrated with editing. Oh, and as for GAS.... Hahahaaaa I have had lots of practice.
Thanks Nick, great advice. I've the same thinking about filters but I'm an enthusiast and not a pro, so listen this from you make me happy !