15 years ago, the quality of the camera did not affect the quality of the photo. The quality of the photographer made the difference. You couldn't tell the difference in a photo between a Nikkormat and a Nikon F3. Same film, same lens, same photographer therefore same photo. The recommendation was always spend you money on glass. Good lenses, better lenses and if you could afford it buy professional zoom lenses.

Today, the quality of the camera is the difference1.

Important Technologies

  1. Focus: does the autofocus works? It works 10 times better on high-end professional cameras than on the others. Speed is nice but how accurate is it? Exposure, lenses, ... don't matter if your photo is out of focus, or you can save yourself a lot of money and switch to Lomography. As a professional, can you live with a 50% focus accuracy? Can you live with a 75% focus accuracy? Can you sell an out-of-focus photo? The new focus module from Nikon, the CAM 3500, is what allowed Nikon to come back in the professional ranks with the Nikon D300, D700, D3 and D3x.
  2. Chips: Sensor and CPUs. It's the combination of the sensor and the CPU that makes or breaks your photos. They controls the noise, the sharpness... If you want to improve the quality of your images, upgrade your camera body to the most current and your photos will improve immediately. But can you afford it? or can you afford not to upgrade? i.e.: other photographers, larger prints, new look/gadget... Today2, a Nikon D903 has better noise control, up to ISO 800, then a Nikon D34. It's not because of the sensor, but because of the much faster CPU who can use far more complicated algorithms on the data stream5.
  3. Exposure: all camera manufacturers have resolved that problem 15 years ago. The exposure from a Nikon is different than from a Canon or Pentax... But it's a matter of preferences.
  4. Plastics: The reviled plastics have allowed for the proper manufacturing of lenses and cameras. Because plastics are machine made, they can be manufactured into any shape required with an almost 100% accuracy. The computer designs have allowed for the great improvements in zoom lenses. Today's cheapest zoom kit lens is far better than any, hand designed and manufactured, professional zoom lens of 30 years ago. Today's cheapest zoom kit lens is far better than any, hand designed and manufactured, professional lens of 40 years ago.
  5. Sharpness6: All new digital cameras are far too sharp for making good photos! We always want more megapixels and higher sharpness. The problem that I have is that when I make photos, I can see myself in my subjects eyes. How's that for sharpness? Now you can see all the reflectors in people's portraits. Have you ever seen a "pin sharp" photo from Cartier-Bresson, McCurry, Eugene Smith, and Ansel Adams7? Sharpness does not make the photo.

Also see: Which Camera To Buy - Part 1
and: Which Camera To Buy - Part 3

 

1 BTW, still the quality of the photographer is extremely important, but not as much, technology has filled-in many gaps. 30 years ago, the eye and the technique were equally important, today the eye is much more important than technique. ↑

2 Feb-2009 ↑

3 The camera body cost $1100 Canadian ↑

4 The camera body cost $5500 Canadian ↑

5 How's about that, for computer talk? It just means that the CPU can evaluate many options before deciding on how to process the data stream. The CPU knows nothing about photos. The CPU only knows about data streams, and us the photographers translate that into a photo. ↑

6 My pet peeve ↑

7 Even with his 4x5 camera, his photos are not "pin sharp" but outstanding graduations... ↑

Tags: Biz101 | Technical )Lens, Lenses, Nikon, Photographer, Professional}}