The Very LEAST You Need to Be a Pro Portrait Photographer!
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- čas přidán 20. 05. 2024
- For the best deals on pre-owned camera gear, check out KEH! They're PetaPixel's preferred pre-owned gear partner: bit.ly/3JubxUP
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Can professional images be made with bargain-basement gear? We took up the challenge to create stunning portraits with the bare minimum. Chris Niccolls spent as little as possible to equip professional portrait photographer Nathan Elson and find out what was the very least he needed to create stunning portraits.
Read Chris's full story and see the portraits: petapixel.com/2024/04/30/the-...
Rental equipment provided by The Camera Store:
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0:00 - Intro
1:11 - The Camera
2:33 - The photographer
3:35 - The shoot
5:23 - Looking for light
6:22 - Focal length
6:51 - Crisis!
7:20 - The wrap - Věda a technologie
The most important thing you need as a pro portrait photographer is..... an assistant. Having someone holding a reflector or flash + soft box makes a huge difference.
So close to being the old “Pro Photographer, Cheap Camera” challenge from the old Digital Rev days!
They should bring Kai on and do a version of it!
The Original. To be a pro photographer, you need a "camera". any camera.
Yes, but it is good he did it, the guys that did the original cheap camera challenge posted a message that digital rev deleted all of those old videos! What tragic news. They should have kept them, but then again I guess the newer show cannot compare to the older ones with the original cast, so they must have gotten tired of being compared to the originals…..
@@KendallSeabury EXACTLY, do it do it do it do it!
Any used full frame from 10 years ago and an 85mm 1.8 from Ebay. Literally a 5D from 15 years ago and any 85 1.8 is gonna get you incredible portraits
It's more about the photographer than the gear, always. But it is nice to have eye detect and a sharp lens.
As Chris patiently explains at 01:46, an absolute beginner portraitist will get more reliable results using a camera with a modern eye-detect AF system. Let me add that an absolute beginner portraitist will do better buying used gear from a reliable dealer than wading through the morass of sketchy sellers' "looks OK but I don't know anything about cameras" junk peddled on eBay.
Nahhhh, I think thats not so easy. A big bank, that I shot images in 2011 for, asked to get some of these images some days ago. As I saw the files of the 5D MKII and how limited they are, I was like „oh my got, how far have we come“. I still own this camera, but I would never ever recommend such an old sensor to anyone.
Even this A6300 is driving circles around these old Canons in terms of dynamic and noise. Especially the way Canon sensors handle shadows was one of the reasons, to leave them.
But if someone doesn’t want to break the bank, there are so many options, that are far far far better, than one of these old 5D.
The 5d is not a camera for beginners. It requires a good understanding of exposure to get good files. The dynamic range is limited.
When i compared my fuji xt30ii to my old d5600 I can't believe how much cleaner the files are. That's a shame because i loved that nikon but the color noise on those old sensors made low light images really bad
Dropping the camera mid shoot is THE DRTV Moment!
I was laughing so hard. Thank you guys!
Chris was laughing but he was probably dying a bit inside when he saw the camera drop
@@walkingchopsticks6731Nervous laughter for sure. Oh shit laughter really.
With that model every camera works 😁😁
In the last 20 years of photo innovation, no one found a way to move a big reflector around without an assistant
Point made. If you have a decent amount of skill with looking for light and composition, and of course, a smoking hot model, you're gonna get good shots, regardless of the camera or lens.
Light, sure. But finally it is the professional model who makes 90% of the job. Working with a pro makes things so easy. I've had the pleasure a few times.
Right?! Nobody would want to look at a photograph of me! No matter how technically perfect!
@@SomeDudeSomewherenot true! Well, if you're just standing there in a bad outfit, maybe, but if you're doing something interesting and/or wearing an interesting outfit, it will come out a good photo!
@@SomeDudeSomewhere
It's not about looks. It's a much simpler posing process because they know how to stand and understand what is required of them. You don't have to deal with the inhibitions and insecurities.
👋 Light, but no babe
👉 Babe, but no light
Make up artists are worth their rates too.
I was so obsessed with upgrading gears and still shoot like a noob🤣
i think that's been a problem in photography for a long time... all the popular material you can find on the internet are about how great new cameras are.... you can more than just shoot amazing pictures on film... the camera and lens don't matter... what people are missing are the fundamentals of photography... and i don't mean expsoure you can let your camera handle exposure... i mean lighting, framing, the business side of photography... if you're self taught nobody is gonna teach you that... that's the value of a photography apprenticeship/course
You are probably pretty good. Don’t underestimate yourself.
That was because everything on the internet orbited around hardware reviews.
Now that youtube doesn't pay enough to live, they're all promoting their courses and websites instead.
It's just how things work.
Eye AF is such a game changer, your efficiency and keeper rate skyrockets. I went from a Canon 5D Mark III to the R6 and it felt like I was cheating at photography. Less fiddling around with focus & recompose means faster shoots and the ability to shoot wide open without worry.
You took the words right out of my mouth. I second this from my experience of switching from the 5D Mark IV to the R6.
I love that y’all put this video together. I just set down my professional kit and picked up a 4 year old discontinued body at a fraction of the cost for street photography. Cameras and lenses are like the brushes we use when making our art. Budget shouldn’t limit what you can create.
Light, composition and a decent portrait lens is all you need.
Ive been a pro portrait/fashion photographer for 20 years. I just did a shoot last week with my 16 year old Sony a300 and Minolta Maxxum AF 50mm/1.7 I paid $79 for the camera and $37 for the lens on Ebay. CCD sensor and older lens with some character is a great combo that you cannot get from the sterile looking and over-sharpened modern mirrorless gear. Many clients really want that older filmic vibe these days. His work is really good.
I think you underplayed the importance of having a professional (and, let's be honest, physically attractive) model in order to create portraits that come across as 'pro' to most people, especially when it comes to female portraiture. It's not an aspect of portrait photography that I like or endorse but it's hard to argue with. You can be an ace photog with a PhaseOne and still have a really hard time achieving such result while photographing someone inexperienced or particularly camera-shy or with appearance that doesn't follow mainstream interpretations of beauty, male or female. Next time, pick someone who isn't a professional model with a conventionally perfect appearance - that would be a real test and much closer to the reality of many portrait photographers, especially those just starting out (i.e. exactly the folks that could really benefit from videos like this one). Cheers!
wow! perfect review. 80% of portrait photography is the physical beauty of the models, clothes and environment; 18% light 1% camera and 1% lens.
Great point! I would also add, pick someone without professional hair and makeup and whatnot.
IMO there are two things you must have if you want to shoot professionally. 1/ Public liability insurance, seriously don't skimp on this. In my area a lot of businesses won't hire you unless you are insured. 2/ Redundancy, don't rely on a single body and lens. In this case your backup could be an A6000 and the 16-50mm kit lens. Not as nice as the camera you want to use, but if something does break when you drop your camera you can finish the job.
Wow well thanks for letting us know your opinion is absolutely useless
Its never about the "latest and greatest" equipment. It's ALWAYS about learning the how and why.
Unpopular but honest: It's mostly about looking the part, having a good line of chat, knowing where the cliché urban-portraiture locations are in your city, and -- most of all -- providing an enjoyable shooting experience for the model. If you can do that, you can crank out absolute crap results and convince your subjects it's art. ("You see, Astrid, I work within the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi, the embracing of impermanence and imperfection.") I'm convinced that for a future challenge, Chris and Jordan could recruit an actor, coach him/her for 15 minutes on how to portray a portrait photographer, turn him/her loose with a top-end camera locked down in portrait mode, and get results the subjects love...
Great piece, thanks, and I like that in the full article you mention that the photographer, model, and light are more important.
As constructive criticism I'd prefer a BTS in this case of the reasons for the locations of particular shots picked, and why Chris would be positioned in a particular spot for fill as those are more important in your findings. In the full article on the site you could include a shot or two that didn't work as well or a common one beginners would pick and why that wouldn't work. To avoid the article being as long-winded as this comment you'd probably have to pick just one key light technique, one location that worked and one photo that didn't.
6:49 That drop was deliberate. It was what the heart wanted. The body just followed...
You cannot beat a used 5dmkII for the money. That sensor is magical!
As someone who has invested way too much money on professional gear (it’s my career), I picked up an old 5dmkII on a whim, and it still delivers in volumes. Could not recommend more.
More segments like these please!! Watching how professionals work is amazing.
I still use this as my everyday walk around cam , and still use for some professional work. it’s much easier to carry around than my full frame Sony. And most importantly there’s nothing wrong with it ! 99.99999999% of most everyone’s work is not getting blown up on a massive sign in Times Square . 24mp is more than enough !
Why does everyone always say that the A6X00 cameras are "hideous?" They have a distinct look that is more modern than the Rebels of old, and I rather like a more modern aesthetic. Is it because all of these camera reviewers come from film and see film bodies as the ideal?
Do I think an A6300 is the most attractive body on the planet? No. Is it a step up from a D3500 or whatever? Yep. Note that this is purely an aesthetic comment; I did find the old A6X00 cameras frustrating with limited dials and rangefinder design.
6:48 Ahh he pulled a Chris Niccolls!
the A6xxx look like old film point and shoots from Olympus/Canon... the Nikon/Canon body style really only came in the very end of the SLR and the early DSLR days...
The problem with the A6XXX that i had... not really ergonomic and since i'm old and used to DSLR cameras the button layout felt weird, not bad just weird... the Menues on Sony are terrible though they have no redeeming quality
@@LoFiAxolotl The menus aren't part of the look. As a left-eyed shooter, I eventually got frustrated with the design. But the look is clean and modern. Ergos were sort of a trade-off. You're a lot smaller than a DSLR, but the grip isn't as comfy on the older APSC models. I've heard that the A6700 is much better.
It’s too little for most men. After a few hours one wishes for a more ergonomic shape.
@@HappyHubris different people value differnet things... for some the "look" of the camera is more important for other "feel" for others the technical details... as long as you're (or in that hypothetical the person using the A6xxx) having fun with the camera there's nothing wrong with it... except Sony menues they are just wrong
They are quite boring aesthetically and ergonomically not so great (I had the a5000 and a6000 and I preferred the grip of the a5000 lol).
But it is personal preference in the end. They won't hold a candle to the Canon M50 and even less to the Fujifilm X-T line IMO
Beautiful images with nice composition. I find the edits overdone and they really push the natural beauty of the model away. Have it more natural guys!
PS: call the police on him for dropping that camera! Oh wait, it's a Sony. Nevermind.
100% agree. Light is the most important factor.
The very minimal thing you need to be a photographer with models is being at least 7/10 on sociability, and that's something nerds can't buy.
Thanks, Chris and Jordan, for the video.
To be Honest, I think skin color in Panasonic G9 II isn't good.
Thanks Chris, Jordon and most of all Nathan for this video! I didn't know about Nathan before this video but I'm so impressed by his work that i have started following him after this. You guys are doing such good work. Most of the world likes to photograph themselves in parties and evening get-togethers where we are always so deficient of light and take pictures with our horrible mobile cameras. I think you should make a video on how to take good pictures of oneself in these kind of situations with the lightest possible cameras. It should get the highest number of hits!
This is a fantastic video. You make several points, implied and actual, that need to be made. 1. Digital photography technology has progressed to the point that you do not need the latest, greatest, and newest gear to do good photography. 2. Buying used gear in good condition can allow someone on a budget to do good photography. 3. Even Sony's (and I'm sure other manufacturers) entry level optics are quite good within their limits.
Now a days we get inundated with the "new and improved" (Palmolive formula) marketing that camera manufacturers do. This is effective, that creates a demand and an artificial "need". Lets face it, all of us want the latest and greatest stuff. But this need creates, as Tony Northrup would say, a "Gear Acquisition Syndrome" that lots of us can't afford and really don't need.
So, thank you for being a voice in the wilderness, advocating some rational approach to our favorite pastime. P.S. I use the A mount A700 & A850, and the E mount A7II & A7RII, and am quite happy with them.
Hopefully people will watch this and realize the most important thing to know is light and how to read it. Everything else just falls in place.
100% most comments will be about "you can buy an old full frame bla bla bla" Canon and Sony marketing was strong and now everyone believes if you don't have a fullframe camera you can't call yourself a photographer
@@LoFiAxolotl ya there are a ton of awesome photos made that are not full frame. I will take great light , good glass and beautiful people over full frame. Lol
@@fuelediowa look at Bruce Gilden... ugly people work too
and mediocre glass is still more than good enough
I enjoy a lot of your episodes (and podcasts) but this one in particular was just such a fun watch. Great job!
For still photos….. any old camera that can click will just work.. since you dont need 2 card slot… fast card… fast af.. alot of megapixel.. huge buffer etc.. Image quality is just as good from old body to modern 2020s body…
Always remember your wrist strap!
Great video guys, love seeing things like this from you, keep it up!
such a great video and a great reminder about skills and lighting matters. His images are fire!
Wish you went even farther back in time. A6300 is too modern and capable to make for a true challenge. An Olympus E-xxx would have been fun.
my firs DSLR was a E-500. I had a choice between that or a Nikon D40. The E-500 came with 2 lenses the Nikon only had 1, both the same price at $500. I took some great images with that camera.
Nice to finally see a real pro show off what they can do with older tech, unlike most of these CZcamsr hacks who claim to be pros just because they have the latest cameras.
The camera is only 7 years old. I know pro photographers still shooting DSLRs twice that old 😃 I just did a shoot for a clothing line using my 16 year old Sony a300 and an old A mount Minolta Maxxum 50 f/1.7 Good times.
I think the business of being a ‘CZcams camera equipment reviewer’ is a different job all together.
I wouldn’t directly call them hacks, they’re reviewing the newest gear, because that gets views and sponsors/ads.
We all know a great camera is a great camera old or new. And if they have the latest and greatest, good for them. The work will speak for itself
Heck, I still use manual focus for more than half of my work, and AF is a huge selling point for cameras today
Bottom line, understanding the limitations of the gear and understanding light 🙏🙏
Nice to see a collab with Nathan!
Fantastic video, please do more video's like this. Thank you
Great work guys!!
Light 💯
This is so amazingly inspiring! Thank you! Plus I love Canadians ❤
That was really good, totally enjoyed it.
higher resolution is great for landscapes and architecture, but 24MP is fine for portraiture
Great content once again! Though I have a Nikon z6 as my main shooter I was thinking of buying a used fujifilm for street photography this video made me do it lol
Gear helps, but its all about the light.
I'm a "retired" (sort of ;-) photographer with experience in portrait and photojournalism assignments. Over the past two years, I have switched to a kit of Fuji lenses and a Fujifilm X-Pro2, after a long career with 4x5's, Hasselblad and Nikon film equipment. My goal in digital had been to do everything possible to be as good as when I shot with film. I left the world of advertising art direction when an old photographer I knew in Westport, CT who used to shoot for Vogue and Harper's Bazaar during the 1940s and early 50s told me the lighting in my portraits reminded him of the paintings of Vermeer and Caravaggio, and that I should start my own portrait studio. And so I did for nearly 30 years. I never looked back. The 26mp X-Pro2 feels so natural and versatile and I never feel I need more than this sensor. I should also mention, I made my decision on the Fuji X-Pro2 after watching Cris and Nathan reviewing this camera.
One of the best videos. I wish I could commission Nathan to teach me correct lighting.
I don't think there is such a thing as correct lighting. Its more getting good lighting for the shot you are trying to create. (Me I hate harsh shadows)
I’m really glad he mentioned that he prefers the smaller file sizes and that no one ever complains about lack of resolution. That’s why I think OM made the right decision to keep at 20mp and improve the other elements of the sensor. I hope they continue to not be drawn into the spec wars. And if they do go bigger, I may just choose to limit the resolution in the JPG settings. Unless I specifically want to use full resolution and hi-res shot or something.
Agreed. I started shooting on a 40 MP camera recently. Sometimes I do enjoy the extra resolution for wildlife, but it's generally not very noticeable. By comparison, the files are huge and bog down my computer noticeably more than the smaller files did. I think I prefer a lower-resolution sensor, if I had the choice.
When the OM purchase occurred I said I'd believe there was a future for the company when a newly designed camera was released, Still waiting,
@@mavfan1 Thomas Eisel, whose opinion I trust a lot, says the OM-1 MkII is a big step up from the original. He actually takes the time to get into the details beyond the spec sheet wars. Surely that counts as a new product? Granted, I’d like to see an OM-10, a metal OM-5 and a Pen F MkII. But they are coming out with new things. It’s disingenuous to suggest otherwise.
Great video!
Such an interesting content to cover!
Hi Chris,
I wanted to ask for your opinion, since you have already tested all the lenses I have in doubt.
I need to change my Sony 28-70 kit lens and I'm undecided between:
-Tamron 28-75 f2.8 G2
-Sigma 24-70 f2.8 Art
-New Sony 24-50 f2.8G
What do you advise me?
Thanks
Beautiful video ❤
Great Video, I would love to know were those images shown in video straight out of camera or edited (and then added)?
thanks for great sharing 👏👏
Yes but did you include the cost of a full time assistant? What is Chris's hourly rate?
I feel called out for never having started doing this job. This was my first camera and the one I said I'd begin offering work with, four years ago.
Features like this are always a nice reminder not to obsess over gear. No one would ever look at those images and even question what camera they used. They're pro shots because the guy operating the camera is a talented pro...
I agree. Light is key. I still take out my Konica Minolta 7D with a 50mm 1.7. I’m always chasing light . Love the images on that 6mp camera.
i lovethis video so much! sometimes, i just use the sigma 56mm 1.4 on a a6100 and get results that rival a $3,000 body + lens. Hell, one of my best pics (according to those who follow me) was done with a kit 55-210 sony ($150) and a a6100. subject, lighting, backdrop, composition >>> best tech.
the kit 55-210 on a a7iv reduces res to about 15Mpix is still quite nice & usable; just have to live on small apertures. This kit is not as bad as all those mongers (who need weather proofing, ibis etc)
say it's. There is sth called plastic bags & rubber bands, all i needed was a winder/motor-drive in a
n-e snow blizzard (or a down pour for that matter).
@@user-pg5rt7ju4f yeah, it’s 10mp on my a7iii, so I would only use it on my a6100. I can see 15, with minimal cropping, being doable, though.
You need lights
Quite the confident comment at 4:31
Light, composition and sometimes timing. I use an older 12mp Nikon D700 at times.
Love the vlog guys and keep up the great work ok as for KEH is crap i bought a camera from there, in what I thought was in excellent condition and paid for it in excellent condition and what did I get a camera that needed a CLA and new light seals as well. And their customer service sucks as well I contacted them about this and got no response so I wouldn’t suggest KEH to buy a camera.
Would be great to see a comparison of different configurations and price points, how does this confirm to the super cheap canon setup you mentioned?
It's never the equipment... it's always the photographer... and as your pro stated... their understanding of light...
Some of the best photo's that I've ever seen... were from an old Diana... with a cracked lens... the photographer understood their instrument... and used its "faults"... to create beatiful and deamy images...
The best reason for "the right" equipment... is to eliminate excuses... the better the equipment is suited for the task... the less you can use it as an excuse for unsatisfactory images...
What you want to achieve is... to finding your excuse for an unsatisfactory image.... in the mirror... look there for your best answer in approaching an image... do that... and you will enjoy your image results a lot more... and do so... with what you have... and as you develop your skills... the equipment will follow...
Nathan is a very talented photographer and shows that it is not the equipment but the person behind the equipment that makes it.
Interesting video. I think you should do more content such as this. One camera, one lens, one photography genre.
My first thought without having any specific budget constraints but keeping it low was the Olympus E-M1 (Mark I) and M.Zuiko 45mm F1.8. But basically any 50/1.8 on an APS-C body would be fine too
Pics came out great!
Having my daily driver (until a few months ago) called out as some ancient old camera is interesting hah.
I now own an A7RV but I've used my A6300 for years and it had done great
These days, there are no bad cameras amongst the major companies. Just bad expectations, use cases, and prices.
Haha I grab my old NEX6 and a Sigma prime just for fun sometimes and it works out just fine. It even has face autofocus and if you want it in focus every time just stop down a bit for zero issues. Challenge yourself.
That was cool and interesting
Even the a6000 is still a great starter camera!
Hey, I am not sure why you guys using the FE50, not E50 with OSS?
Very nice photography ❤👏
A beautiful model does help. Like a famous portrait fashion model once said on a recent CZcams video photo shoot video; “ It’s hard to take a bad shot of Mindy”. He’s obviously a great photographer. His work proves he knows his stuff with minimalist gear and set up.
I thought a barebones camera would be like a Nikon D80 or something :D
Sony a6300 is still quite modern, but great video nonetheless :)
6:50 had a mini-heart attack for a moment there
I dropped my tank Nikon D4s camera at one time and almost went into cardiac arrest but just picked it up and kept shooting. The sidewalk was dinged!🤣
Some gorgeous photos! Most cameras are good enough from a technical perspective. But from ergonomics, I would never recommend anyone shoot with an A6300. Luckily there are many cameras at this price point with better handling e.g 5D mk 2
But the image quality is way worse. From todays standpoint, the 5D MKII was a piece of sh*t. Sounds hard, but I had to edit some of the files some days ago for client and was shocked, how bad they are. Even my A7R I is so so so much better. There was a big shift in sensor generations, when Nikon introduced the D800/E with this sensor back in the days and there is just a before and after.
So yes, when someone says, get an old D800 or D810 and go for it, I’m with you . But not the old 5D MKI/II/III. With the IV they came with the new sensors.
@@Benjamin_Jehne User error. There are MANY examples of excellent images taken with the 5D classic and 5DII.....
@@michaelbell75 User error 😂. If someone argues against Canon, it must be a user error. Just because we lived with this tech, it doesn’t mean that it was perfect.
„There are so many“… I shot so many superb images with it, but everytime you have to push the shadows - game over.
It is what it is, tech form the past.
@@Benjamin_Jehne if you’re a portrait photographer, what shadows are you having to push that hard? Again, user error. Learn lighting.
@@michaelbell75 I don’t just shoot portraits. And so you will always run into situations that are out of your control.
But hey, therefore you would just buy another camera. Is that your logic?! There is no need to be that arrogant, just to discredit others with different needs to their equipment. I switched to an early A7R I, the crappiest camera I ever ownend, but that thing could handle those situations with ease and opend up completely new possibilities.
Is there a "KEH" in Canada? Buying from KEH or MPB involves import duties, etc. In some cases it is more expensive than buying new.
Lol great episode, great shots !
funny when this episode came out.... I just got myself an a6300. glad to see that i could probably use it to a good extent as a new photographer
I've used mine for years, it had done me great
How did you get the body for that price? I'm seeing $500 used. PetaPixel bump?
But why the FE 50 1.8? It is worse than the 50 1.8 OSS which is made for this camera....
The FE 50 1.8 is for this camera a portretkunst (75mm)
@@wouterdegrood9715 well actually they will both be 75mm equiv, but the APS-C model is sharper, faster and stabilized.
Maybe it was cheaper
Focus-recompose on a Rebel. 🤣 iykyk.
I was wondering why you decided on the FE 50/1.8 and not the lovely E 50/1.8 OSS - until I checked the prices on KEH and noticed the E 50/1.8 OSS is priced like how much fun it is :)
Even if you prefer full frame (as I do, usually), you can get an old pro camera (like a 5D3) for only a few hundred bucks. It was able to get great images 10 years ago and hasn't gotten any worse now! And, of course, there are many cheap lenses available used - and tons of them are GREAT, especially if you don't need absolutely clinical sharpness/CA correction (which you probably don't*). If you aren't looking for super-fast "magic" AF for sports and/or are OK with a slightly heavier or slower camera, used stuff from the 2010s is 100% capable (for still photography; for video, it depends).
That is not something you could have said in 2012 - a 2002 digital camera is much more limited. I think that sometimes we get caught up on the latest and greatest digital cameras because the VERY early digital cameras were, in fact, fairly limited when compared to their successors. But that is an outdated mindset now.
*Although doing object-preservation type work myself, it is important for that use (and a few others). My most commonly used lens is the Sigma 70mm f/2.8 Art Macro. But work bought that ;)
Hope next time you get to promote some Canadian owned camera stores as well. I mean with US EXCHANGE RATE, plus custom for Canadian customers it’s not really worth it. Thank you for such a fun video though.
To be honest too, for portraits old piece of camera works enough good. Things get harder when you try to shoot fast moving subjects and have darker enviroment etc.. then you need good gear..
🔥
Wow stunning results from Sony A6300
I make $1500 a day in fashion photography and portraits. What do I use, as do many of my contemporaries? a Nikon D700 and 35-50-85 f1.8 AFD lenses. All up investment is $1000. I could spend more, but its all you need to be a pro. And the output is spectacular in contrast, colour and sharpness. They all have the same magic formula that Nikon put into their manual lenses before the days of in-camera lens corrections. They can even be cleaned and serviced for $100 at a Nikon authorised repair facility and gain a new warranty. You can't do that with the latest lenses. And the resolution of the D700 is double what agencies require for magazine and advert purposes. A 12mp file will give you an A2 print at 300dpi. More than enough.
I have exactly the same gear, but the lens being a full frame and a slow one at that really doesn't work with this APS-C format body
I'd love to see a pro who has never shot Leica give that a shot. Particularly in varying light situations, from hard contrast midday, to low contrast dim indoor event.
Its ridiculous that Nathan is hidden behind the camera and hiding his potential - its time that Petapixel put Nathan in front of the lens and captured his good looks properly! haha... love the video!
I disgree that camera doesnt matter, but for a different reason. Ergonomy. You want a camera that you dont fight against, that is intuitive to use and have buttons and wheels on the right places, size that is not uncomfortably small or too large etc. Unfortunately those higher end and newer often give better user experience, IMO especially on Sony that went from basically unusable A7 up to the best ergonomics out there in general on A7RV with significant step ups with each iteration.
it never about the gear, it's about who and how the photographer use it.
Nikon D610 + a few AF-D Lenses. You can have a 3 prime lenses kits and camera for less than $1000.