You are not wrong. I am 53 and was doing photography on a hobby level long before digital was even thought of. Old thinking was film and glass were the essentials of making an exceptional photograph, camera bodies were truly the same except for some differences in build quality. Today because cameras are now technology- I truly believe if you have a good camera body with an exceptional image sensor it can still output some remarkable images with a “mediocre lens”. Also I think now it also comes down to how proficient you are using photoshop and Lightroom to clean up an image in post.
Camera first goes against conventional wisdom, but I'm inclined to agree. I think part of the reason is that lens have gotten so good that even budget lenses perform better than mid-tier(or even 'pro') lenses from years past.
Yes I think this plays a big role, these days a person can get top notch glass for relatively cheap. It may not be as sharp or quick to focus as a big prime, plus the aperture usually isn’t ideal, but it’s still good glass that produces clean, sharp photos. Thanks for watching!
Been doing a lot of research lately and ran across your channel a lot. You have a lot of talent and great information, I am thankful for your videos! I would say I am a bit inclined to disagree on this topic though. We each have our own experiences, so to each their own of course. I started out with a canon rebel t5 and t5i separately with an assortment of ef-s lenses. Not the best of course. I then picked up a canon m50 mark ii and started adapting ef lenses with it, but even that was not working for me. I then picked up a used canon 6d, an older model and it has its flaws. Using that body with a canon ef 75-300 I was managing to get some decent shots of moose and such. However... I am a pixel peeper and could not stand the quality I was getting... So I picked up a used Tamron 150-600mm g2 and that lens alone has caused the results out of the 6d to skyrocket. I have done photos at motorcycle rallies, and many wildlife outings and have gotten some beautiful images. I am not discounting the need to upgrade a camera body by any means. I am actually dying to try out the Tamron lens on a Canon r5, however, that is not currently easy to fit into my budget. I could have picked up an R5 earlier today but... my logic is the canon 6d is not broken, and produces beautiful images. So save the money for now, and upgrade when I truly need to do so. Debating on sharing some of the photos I have taken over time on my channel, as well as perhaps spending the upcoming summer in Yellowstone or Grand Teton National Park after graduation as both locations are close to me. All depends on if I get work at either of those or choose somewhere else.
Great video.The most important piece of gear for any kind of photography is first the photographer. After that, both the lens and the body make it easier to capture the moment. In fact, todays mirrorless cameras make it a lot easier.
Good points all around. I wonder if it makes a difference where you are in your photography journey. As a beginner, I chose a solid older model camera with the mount I want to use when I upgrade my camera body. I used the savings to purchase some great lenses. That way, I can learn to overcome the constraints of my camera with sheer effort, and my results will be much better when I do upgrade to a better camera. I only want to buy my lenses once, but I know that I will upgrade my camera many times. Just my two cents--I'm curious if anyone feels similarly as a beginner.
An thought provoking and unusual philosophy, but I am willing to be persuaded. However, I think the longer average lifetime of most lenses also deserves consideration. In my experience, lenses typically remain with me through serial body upgrades, which alone justifies investing my $ more wisely.
I absolutely agree. There are however limitations to how cheap a lens you can use especially with a high MP like your R5. I started with a 100-400 push pull and later upgraded to a 100-400 mark ii, and eventually bought a 1DX Mark ii which is a major step up from my 7D mark ii which is still extremely capable. Any upgrades to my 100-400 will have to be a prime which is way out of budget as i am a hobby photographer. A follow up video to this could be budget decent lenses i.e sigma and tamron. As well as used gear especially now that Mirrorless is taking over. I was about to buy an R6 setup and with lots of thinking and planning decided to stick to EF for a few more years as the bargains with lenses and pro bodies are around every corner and will continue so for many more years as people believe they “have to have” mirrorless for taking beter photos. Following your channel all the way from South Africa.. Keep it up 👍
That's a good idea! A lot of people would likely find a video like that helpful. Testing how the R5/R3 preform with a budget telephoto Sigma or Tamron would be a great video topic too... might have to try to do some videos like that in the future. I think you made a good call. The 1DX ii is still a phenomenal camera, and as you said if you wait for a few years and can get a good deal on a nice mirrorless body it'll be worth it. Thanks for following along, I really appreciate the support! SA is on my bucket list... gotta come over there and get some lions, leopards, elephants, and more behind the lens someday, probably in the far future... anyways, thanks again for watching 👊
@@wattswildlifephoto R5 and R3s are like watching RUclips videos of Ferrari’s for 99% of photographers. I recommend to also focus on options the majority can afford or already have. I have a mate with a canon 250D and sigma 150-600C taking photos i have not shot with my gear. Good light and proper exposure narrows the gap between affordable and expensive gear. Noise can be managed with AI these days. The only major difference is shutter and focus speed. But he crosses that bridge with pre focus and timing. Skill beats gear most of the time
@@14cornerpocket I totally hear where you’re coming from. I was just meaning it would be another idea that kept with the theme of this video by testing how a better camera body preforms with a lower end lens. But I think you’re totally right, it’s more practical to focus on gear many other people already have or can afford when testing how certain camera bodies preform with certain lenses. Awesome to hear how he’s using his skills to work with a less expensive setup and still get awesome images. Gear makes it easier and opens up some new possibilities, but it’s skill that makes a photo.
@@wattswildlifephoto please don’t let me influence your channel ideas. I am also interested to see the advantages you get with the latest technology. Honest reviews are worth far more to me than the bias reviews of most photography channels.
@@14cornerpocket Oh no worries, I really enjoy hearing the feedback and ideas of others! Helps me come up with new concepts for content and get an idea of which of my videos people enjoy the most. I try to stay as unbiased as possible! Too many biased review videos out there that skew the truth.
Hello, sorry to be a pain again but I totally disagree, and you are the first person I have heard say this, everybody knows spend your money on glass, there is absolutely no point having the best camera and putting a rubbish cheap bit of glass on the front. Yes cameras now have all the gizmos you need to make life easier but but remember we have always had superb wildlife photos when we shot with film!!! and even when DSLR's were first introduced with quite low megapixels we still got beautiful images, the Nikon D3 was considered a wildlife photographers dream with only 12mp. The most important gear in wildlife photography is skill, no such thing as a rubbish camera just a rubbish user. I said before megapixels has never bothered me, I hate big crops, don't print the size of a barn door, and most average photographers just post on social media, and once compression cuts in you can't tell the difference between a low or high megapixel camera, on Facebook my R3 and R5 look exactly the same, in fact I prefer the image of my R3 it's so much cleaner. A friend of mine every year buys a wildlife photography book, the images in this book are outstanding, I can't remember the name of the book, but even now there are images in this book taken with old cameras and I mean old, once printed and put in an A4 book you would never know the cameras where 10-15 years old, even fast moving subjects because the photographer had skill.
Hello, no that’s fine! I don’t think there’s necessarily a right answer to it, everyone has their own opinion. You’re the first person I’ve heard disagree, most people I know of including a few other RUclips videos I watched prior to making this said the camera was more important to them. But you’ve got some good points in regards to lens that make a strong argument. I should also also clarify that I didn’t necessarily mean you put the worst of the worst glass behind it, just not the expensive primes. I’ve got a friend who shoots an R5 with a used Sigma 150-600C whose had no trouble with focusing or sharpness or any of that. I appreciate the input as always, you make some great points 👍
@@wattswildlifephoto I like the way you don't take things personally, like I always say I am not having a go, takes guts to make these videos and you do a good job, as for me being the first person to choose glass over camera I am not sure, most RUclips videos I watch and forums have always said glass glass glass :-) in fact this is all I have heard for the past 40 years :-) I had the Sigma 150-600 Sport not sure if mine was a dud but I absolutely hated this lens, not only was it heavy it was not sharp at all, I came to America and did the Parks of Utah and Arizona absolutely beautiful, but my wildlife photos were terrible, this was on a DX2 my 500mm F4 which I normally use at home was just too big for this trip. After just 8 months I had enough and sold the Sigma for the Canon 100-400 MK2 and even with the 1.4 Extender MK3 it was way sharper and better than the Sigma, but this was my personal thoughts and some people will disagree, all my gear was calibrated by Canon UK, but they would not calibrate the Sigma, maybe this may have helped. I wonder when you get your Canon 500mm F4 MK2 if you will think the same when the images will blow you away :-)
@@tonyesposito9602 See I’ve heard a lot of varying things about those Sigmas, half of the people I talk to love them and say they have no issues, and then half say what you’re saying, they can’t get a sharp image to save their life. I’m wondering if maybe there’s a lot of variation between individual lenses. Maybe Sigma doesn’t use a very precise manufacturing process to keep cost down, so some lenses are not put together very well and as a result are soft. Yes you make a good point, maybe once I get a big prime myself I’ll change my mind haha. I guess we’ll see once I eventually get one :)
@@wattswildlifephoto You will love that 500mm even with the 1.4 extender, you are absolutely right about the variations in the Sigma's I have heard the same some people love them and some people hate them, one thing I have noticed the people I know who shoot Nikon they seem to work better on their cameras, maybe they have a better tolerance with Sigma lenses.
Canon shooter here. The L lenses are wonderful and are typically 4-5x the price of the similar focal length. Great photographs are the result of light conditions, subject matter, skill with the tools in your hand and post post processing skill. Being at the right place at the right time helps too. I love my L lenses. You can master the art with less expensive equipment. Find the joy in the journey. Don’t let a bag of lesser gear slow you down.
You are not wrong. I am 53 and was doing photography on a hobby level long before digital was even thought of. Old thinking was film and glass were the essentials of making an exceptional photograph, camera bodies were truly the same except for some differences in build quality. Today because cameras are now technology- I truly believe if you have a good camera body with an exceptional image sensor it can still output some remarkable images with a “mediocre lens”. Also I think now it also comes down to how proficient you are using photoshop and Lightroom to clean up an image in post.
Well thought out and presented. Well done Evan.
Thanks Randy, I appreciate it!
Camera first goes against conventional wisdom, but I'm inclined to agree. I think part of the reason is that lens have gotten so good that even budget lenses perform better than mid-tier(or even 'pro') lenses from years past.
Yes I think this plays a big role, these days a person can get top notch glass for relatively cheap. It may not be as sharp or quick to focus as a big prime, plus the aperture usually isn’t ideal, but it’s still good glass that produces clean, sharp photos. Thanks for watching!
Been doing a lot of research lately and ran across your channel a lot. You have a lot of talent and great information, I am thankful for your videos! I would say I am a bit inclined to disagree on this topic though. We each have our own experiences, so to each their own of course. I started out with a canon rebel t5 and t5i separately with an assortment of ef-s lenses. Not the best of course. I then picked up a canon m50 mark ii and started adapting ef lenses with it, but even that was not working for me.
I then picked up a used canon 6d, an older model and it has its flaws. Using that body with a canon ef 75-300 I was managing to get some decent shots of moose and such. However... I am a pixel peeper and could not stand the quality I was getting... So I picked up a used Tamron 150-600mm g2 and that lens alone has caused the results out of the 6d to skyrocket. I have done photos at motorcycle rallies, and many wildlife outings and have gotten some beautiful images.
I am not discounting the need to upgrade a camera body by any means. I am actually dying to try out the Tamron lens on a Canon r5, however, that is not currently easy to fit into my budget. I could have picked up an R5 earlier today but... my logic is the canon 6d is not broken, and produces beautiful images. So save the money for now, and upgrade when I truly need to do so.
Debating on sharing some of the photos I have taken over time on my channel, as well as perhaps spending the upcoming summer in Yellowstone or Grand Teton National Park after graduation as both locations are close to me. All depends on if I get work at either of those or choose somewhere else.
Great video.The most important piece of gear for any kind of photography is first the photographer. After that, both the lens and the body make it easier to capture the moment. In fact, todays mirrorless cameras make it a lot easier.
For sure, skill over everything else. Glad you liked it!
Good points all around. I wonder if it makes a difference where you are in your photography journey. As a beginner, I chose a solid older model camera with the mount I want to use when I upgrade my camera body. I used the savings to purchase some great lenses. That way, I can learn to overcome the constraints of my camera with sheer effort, and my results will be much better when I do upgrade to a better camera. I only want to buy my lenses once, but I know that I will upgrade my camera many times. Just my two cents--I'm curious if anyone feels similarly as a beginner.
Can you crop in your video films as well?
An thought provoking and unusual philosophy, but I am willing to be persuaded. However, I think the longer average lifetime of most lenses also deserves consideration. In my experience, lenses typically remain with me through serial body upgrades, which alone justifies investing my $ more wisely.
I’m in total agreement with you on this. Good video.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it 👍
I absolutely agree. There are however limitations to how cheap a lens you can use especially with a high MP like your R5.
I started with a 100-400 push pull and later upgraded to a 100-400 mark ii, and eventually bought a 1DX Mark ii which is a major step up from my 7D mark ii which is still extremely capable.
Any upgrades to my 100-400 will have to be a prime which is way out of budget as i am a hobby photographer.
A follow up video to this could be budget decent lenses i.e sigma and tamron. As well as used gear especially now that Mirrorless is taking over.
I was about to buy an R6 setup and with lots of thinking and planning decided to stick to EF for a few more years as the bargains with lenses and pro bodies are around every corner and will continue so for many more years as people believe they “have to have” mirrorless for taking beter photos.
Following your channel all the way from South Africa.. Keep it up 👍
That's a good idea! A lot of people would likely find a video like that helpful. Testing how the R5/R3 preform with a budget telephoto Sigma or Tamron would be a great video topic too... might have to try to do some videos like that in the future.
I think you made a good call. The 1DX ii is still a phenomenal camera, and as you said if you wait for a few years and can get a good deal on a nice mirrorless body it'll be worth it.
Thanks for following along, I really appreciate the support! SA is on my bucket list... gotta come over there and get some lions, leopards, elephants, and more behind the lens someday, probably in the far future... anyways, thanks again for watching 👊
@@wattswildlifephoto R5 and R3s are like watching RUclips videos of Ferrari’s for 99% of photographers. I recommend to also focus on options the majority can afford or already have.
I have a mate with a canon 250D and sigma 150-600C taking photos i have not shot with my gear.
Good light and proper exposure narrows the gap between affordable and expensive gear. Noise can be managed with AI these days. The only major difference is shutter and focus speed. But he crosses that bridge with pre focus and timing.
Skill beats gear most of the time
@@14cornerpocket I totally hear where you’re coming from. I was just meaning it would be another idea that kept with the theme of this video by testing how a better camera body preforms with a lower end lens. But I think you’re totally right, it’s more practical to focus on gear many other people already have or can afford when testing how certain camera bodies preform with certain lenses.
Awesome to hear how he’s using his skills to work with a less expensive setup and still get awesome images. Gear makes it easier and opens up some new possibilities, but it’s skill that makes a photo.
@@wattswildlifephoto please don’t let me influence your channel ideas. I am also interested to see the advantages you get with the latest technology.
Honest reviews are worth far more to me than the bias reviews of most photography channels.
@@14cornerpocket Oh no worries, I really enjoy hearing the feedback and ideas of others! Helps me come up with new concepts for content and get an idea of which of my videos people enjoy the most.
I try to stay as unbiased as possible! Too many biased review videos out there that skew the truth.
Wow very good
Thanks 🙏
Hello, sorry to be a pain again but I totally disagree, and you are the first person I have heard say this, everybody knows spend your money on glass, there is absolutely no point having the best camera and putting a rubbish cheap bit of glass on the front.
Yes cameras now have all the gizmos you need to make life easier but but remember we have always had superb wildlife photos when we shot with film!!! and even when DSLR's were first introduced with quite low megapixels we still got beautiful images, the Nikon D3 was considered a wildlife photographers dream with only 12mp.
The most important gear in wildlife photography is skill, no such thing as a rubbish camera just a rubbish user.
I said before megapixels has never bothered me, I hate big crops, don't print the size of a barn door, and most average photographers just post on social media, and once compression cuts in you can't tell the difference between a low or high megapixel camera, on Facebook my R3 and R5 look exactly the same, in fact I prefer the image of my R3 it's so much cleaner.
A friend of mine every year buys a wildlife photography book, the images in this book are outstanding, I can't remember the name of the book, but even now there are images in this book taken with old cameras and I mean old, once printed and put in an A4 book you would never know the cameras where 10-15 years old, even fast moving subjects because the photographer had skill.
Hello, no that’s fine! I don’t think there’s necessarily a right answer to it, everyone has their own opinion. You’re the first person I’ve heard disagree, most people I know of including a few other RUclips videos I watched prior to making this said the camera was more important to them. But you’ve got some good points in regards to lens that make a strong argument.
I should also also clarify that I didn’t necessarily mean you put the worst of the worst glass behind it, just not the expensive primes. I’ve got a friend who shoots an R5 with a used Sigma 150-600C whose had no trouble with focusing or sharpness or any of that.
I appreciate the input as always, you make some great points 👍
@@wattswildlifephoto I like the way you don't take things personally, like I always say I am not having a go, takes guts to make these videos and you do a good job, as for me being the first person to choose glass over camera I am not sure, most RUclips videos I watch and forums have always said glass glass glass :-) in fact this is all I have heard for the past 40 years :-)
I had the Sigma 150-600 Sport not sure if mine was a dud but I absolutely hated this lens, not only was it heavy it was not sharp at all, I came to America and did the Parks of Utah and Arizona absolutely beautiful, but my wildlife photos were terrible, this was on a DX2 my 500mm F4 which I normally use at home was just too big for this trip.
After just 8 months I had enough and sold the Sigma for the Canon 100-400 MK2 and even with the 1.4 Extender MK3 it was way sharper and better than the Sigma, but this was my personal thoughts and some people will disagree, all my gear was calibrated by Canon UK, but they would not calibrate the Sigma, maybe this may have helped.
I wonder when you get your Canon 500mm F4 MK2 if you will think the same when the images will blow you away :-)
@@tonyesposito9602 See I’ve heard a lot of varying things about those Sigmas, half of the people I talk to love them and say they have no issues, and then half say what you’re saying, they can’t get a sharp image to save their life. I’m wondering if maybe there’s a lot of variation between individual lenses. Maybe Sigma doesn’t use a very precise manufacturing process to keep cost down, so some lenses are not put together very well and as a result are soft.
Yes you make a good point, maybe once I get a big prime myself I’ll change my mind haha. I guess we’ll see once I eventually get one :)
@@wattswildlifephoto You will love that 500mm even with the 1.4 extender, you are absolutely right about the variations in the Sigma's I have heard the same some people love them and some people hate them, one thing I have noticed the people I know who shoot Nikon they seem to work better on their cameras, maybe they have a better tolerance with Sigma lenses.
Canon shooter here. The L lenses are wonderful and are typically 4-5x the price of the similar focal length. Great photographs are the result of light conditions, subject matter, skill with the tools in your hand and post post processing skill. Being at the right place at the right time helps too. I love my L lenses. You can master the art with less expensive equipment. Find the joy in the journey. Don’t let a bag of lesser gear slow you down.
Weird ... I always heard the opposite from wildlife photographers.