A few years ago, there was a megapixel race to see who could pack as much resolution as possible into a sensor. It resulted in some awesome technology and cameras that we use today, but it didn’t change how photography is done at an essential level. We still use a box with a sensor in it and a lens if front of that. 

    Nothing has changed, including the arguments photographers have about the gear used. It is actually quite ridiculous when you think about it. One camera has double the resolution and a full stop more dynamic range than another, and this other model is smaller with better signal to noise ratio. None of it matters in the end, unless it has a big impact on how we as artists create!

    At the end of the day, the technology has gotten better to make it easier to create images. That is great and something I would not complain about. What is disturbing though is the level to which people will go to defend or attack other’s cameras online or in the field. Who cares about what a photo was taken on if it is good work.

    Thinking “my camera is better than yours” will get you nowhere. The opposite is just as true if you are feeling bad that you don’t have the latest and greatest kit. What really matters is the artist. Those who we look up to as the ‘greats’ as artists in photography used gear that pales in comparison to the most basic of cameras today. Alex Noriega started out on a Nikon D7000 which is a 16 megapixel crop sensor with which he created images I look up to today!

    The gear doesn’t matter as much as you think. You don’t hear painters arguing that their brushes are better than the artist next to them. It is the skills of the photographer and the level to which they are able to get the most out of what they have. Focus on improving your abilities and knowledge from the field to the digital darkroom rather than on acquiring fancy new equipment. You just end up making yourself look and sound ridiculous otherwise.