Does Camera Matter?

Every time I show a better shot of mine to friends, my most often questions will be - "What camera you used?"; it is as if he/she was using the same type of camera I was using, they will capture the same moment ;)

So the six million dollar question, DOES CAMERA MATTER?

There are different school of thought to this question, Ken Rockwell; famous avid shooter and who has used every new model once launch, reckoned - "Your Camera Doesn't Matter!"

When I read his article I felt he was expressing a shallow advice, it was then I also read a rebuttal from my favorite site, Luminous Landscapes that I laugh my head off :) It is one of the BEST article I ever read on YOUR CAMERA DOES MATTER!

Take a look at the picture below:

"Feed The Birds" was shot along Collin Street, Melbourne; one Christmas day.

I like the shot because I feel the essence of the moment was captured.



I only have ONE chance to get this shot! Why? And could I have done better and may be got more shots?

I only got a single shot because to travel light I only have a Nikon Coolpix 8400 with me.


This camera is a REAL DOG! Meaning, it is S-L-O-W!!!

When you are shoot RAW, which I always do because of better adjust-ability and better resolution; I can only click once and the little 8400 will lock for 3 second or more before you can take the second shot!

This is because the captured data is being written to the card and until the upload is completed you cannot shoot!

To use this little bugger of a camera, my reflex have to go into HYPER DRIVE! ha ha ha... Fraction of a second miss judging and I WILL MISS the shot!

Everything being the same, if I was using another camera; like my Nikon D300 DSLR, which is lightning FAST and with the same time I shot with the 8400, I could have gotten EIGHT shots with the D300!

So in such situation, CAMERA DOES MATTER!

Camera only DOES NOT matter when the photographer do not have eyes for "moments" and creativity, that X-FACTOR if I may ;)

Sad but true, but with photographer like that; ANY camera he use will not produce a good picture!

Famous Last Words:

Yes, many a time I DO MISS shots because of the miserable slow response of some camera!

And I would like to quote what Luminous Landscape said:

"One of the hoariest of the hoary cliches is that a good photographer can take a good photograph with just about any camera. Horseshit."

So stop complaining about your present equipment and go shoot some picture! ;)

Hold on.... there is a knock on my door! Arrrrrhhhh!


Out came my little Canon G9 and Chupa Chups :) HAPPY HALLOWEEN!