What Makes a Pro Camera from other Posting

[benjikan]

Just wished to re-post here in case it gets over looked...

Hello John;

A pro camera could mean literally anything that a photographer who makes their living uses for a specific challenge. Take Terry Richardson, who for years had used a 75$ Canon 35mm fixed focal length consumer camera for all of his edgy shoots, making about 25 to 50k$ per day. The reason I say this is that there are many questions one must ask before deciding on which tool to use to solve a photographic problem. What support will the image be used in? What is the size of the reproduction and at which output resolution. DSLR's have all become rather homogenised over the last few years and the decision to purchase a specific brand comes down to very subtle differences in features and accessories. All of the big four have had teething problems, with front focus issues, auto focus issues etc. But basically, give me a Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Samsung, Sony or Leica DSLR and I would feel confident that I could go in to the studio or an interior location and get the job done. I mean, I once did an 8 page fashion editorial for Linea Magazine using my Canon 350D. Why? Because I could and chose to do so. I recently chose Pentax for perhaps capricious reasons. I liked the feel the look the features and the fact that I used their pro camera's for years and thought, why not? It really all comes down to the person taking the picture and NOT the camera. As long as my gear doesn't blow up during the shoot and I have a back-up camera, "Let 'er Roll!"

Ben
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[ken1953]

Excellent points Benjikan...great advise for someone who may be considering something other than Nikon or Canon but don't realize that any of the top name companies are competitive.

My wife chose her Pentax for the very reason you mentioned. She put it, and all the others, in her hands, played with it, and chose on how it felt to her. It was an excellent choice, and after a month of playing with hers, I bought mine and haven't regretted it.

PR has always said when people ask to compare cameras, which one they should buy, and almost everyone tells them the same thing........GO PLAY WITH YOUR CHOICES. Make sure you like the way they feel. Are they comfortable to use. If not, consider something else. True, you can learn to like any camera, but it it feels good from the start...odds are, you'll use it a lot more and be less likely to trade it in, too soon.

Ken

[benjikan]

Excellent points Benjikan...great advise for someone who may be considering something other than Nikon or Canon but don't realize that any of the top name companies are competitive.

My wife chose her Pentax for the very reason you mentioned. She put it, and all the others, in her hands, played with it, and chose on how it felt to her. It was an excellent choice, and after a month of playing with hers, I bought mine and haven't regretted it.

PR has always said when people ask to compare cameras, which one they should buy, and almost everyone tells them the same thing........GO PLAY WITH YOUR CHOICES. Make sure you like the way they feel. Are they comfortable to use. If not, consider something else. True, you can learn to like any camera, but it it feels good from the start...odds are, you'll use it a lot more and be less likely to trade it in, too soon.

Ken

You know Ken, I also have the Fuji F30, and if it had a hot shoe, I would feel confident using it. In fact I once used my Canon G5, which has a hot shoe for a photo shoot for a model and used it with studio flashes, no problem.

[ken1953]

Benjikan, I'm still more of a novice to things, but, I started with a Kodak P/S digital and shot family weddings, receptions, and birthday parties and get togethers and never hesitated for a moment to use it, up until I tipped my canoe over and drowned it while it was turned on, ouch!!! I also have the Nikon CP8400. It has a hotshoe, but I've never had the pleasure to use it or the one on my Pentax's. I have an opportunity to get into some semi pro work here in Odessa shooting parties, events, parades, etc. One of the first things I'll have to buy will be a hotshoe flash since a lot of this will be indoors and I haven't been too thrilled with my on board flash. I shot my nieces baby shower with it and only about half of my shots were presentable as is.
Anyway, after wandering off on unrelated tangents, your point is well made that any decent camera can produce excellent results, if you take the time to learn your camera and abilities.
Ken

[benjikan]

Benjikan, I'm still more of a novice to things, but, I started with a Kodak P/S digital and shot family weddings, receptions, and birthday parties and get togethers and never hesitated for a moment to use it, up until I tipped my canoe over and drowned it while it was turned on, ouch!!! I also have the Nikon CP8400. It has a hotshoe, but I've never had the pleasure to use it or the one on my Pentax's. I have an opportunity to get into some semi pro work here in Odessa shooting parties, events, parades, etc. One of the first things I'll have to buy will be a hotshoe flash since a lot of this will be indoors and I haven't been too thrilled with my on board flash. I shot my nieces baby shower with it and only about half of my shots were presentable as is.
Anyway, after wandering off on unrelated tangents, your point is well made that any decent camera can produce excellent results, if you take the time to learn your camera and abilities.
Ken

Exactly, well put. The same applies to any tools of expression, from lighting to music to poetry etc...

[danag42]

Well put, Ben. I started out in the bad old days when Pentax and Zieiss were the only 35mm cameras worth considering, unless you were rich enough to buy a Leica. And if you were that rich, you didn't have to work!!

I've gone through the Nikon F, a few other Nikons, some Canon cameras and lenses, but I always wanted to come back to Pentax.

I think they were smart to allow the use of old lenses, but I still think the cam for the aperture control would be good to return to the mount. I work in a studio, so the camera's meter is not much of a concern for me, but I hope they get the K10D situation with K and M lenses sorted out!