DIY Photography

Your one stop shop for everything photo-video

  • News
  • Inspiration
  • Reviews
  • Tutorials
  • DIY
  • Gear
Search

Submit A Story

Is “Does gear matter?” the most pointless argument in photography?

Mar 30, 2021 by Dunja Djudjic 7 Comments

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

The question “Does gear matter?” probably ever since photography became more widely available. Some swear that it does, some that it doesn’t, we’ve heard it all before. But photographer Robert Hall takes a different approach to the topic. In his latest video, he discusses the argument itself, wondering if it’s the most pointless argument photographers keep having.

According to Robert, the gear argument is the most pointless one we can have. The problem with it is that new photographers can’t take anything from it, it doesn’t teach them anything, it can only confuse them. I agree with Robert that this argument is essentially pointless, but I’d like to share some of my thoughts on it.

I tend to be in the “Gear doesn’t matter” team. However, I speak from a perspective of a hobbyist who never has and most likely never will become a professional photographer. If you’re a hobbyist, especially if you’re just starting out, gear really does not matter. If you notice the beauty in the world around you or want to tell a photographic story, a simple phone camera could be enough to learn and explore this wonderful medium.

Still, once you advance, you may start to feel limited with the basic gear that you have. And even if you’re a hobbyist like I am, it’s okay and even desirable to upgrade your gear as you upgrade your skills. I’m not much of a gearhead, and even I upgrade my cameras and buy new lenses and filters as I progress. I do it very rarely and slowly, but I still do it when I feel that I’ve made the best I could from my current gear. It’s worth noting, though, that buying better gear will not make you a better photographer per se, so don’t get too carried away. :)

Finally, if we talk about professional photographers, gear does matter. This goes especially for genres like wildlife, sports, concert, or astrophotography, as well as weddings. You still don’t have to own the best of the best, but your smartphone or a DSLR with a kit lens probably won’t cut it.

So, does gear matter? It depends. To whom it matters? It depends again. And precisely because it’s very subjective, it’s an argument that we should drop.

I will always say to new photographers that gear doesn’t matter. This is because they’ll never start shooting if they wait until buying the best gear. In that context, I think that you really should just go out and shoot. But in every other case – it’s entirely up to you, your photography level, and the genre you shoot whether gear matters or not. Would you agree? Should we finally drop this argument?

[The Most Pointless Argument in Photography : Does Camera Gear Matter? | Robert Hall]

FIND THIS INTERESTING? SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

Related posts:

Gear Does Matter, But Not How You Thought It Does This is why gear DOES matter in photography What does bit depth even mean? And does it matter? Does gear really matter?

Filed Under: Inspiration Tagged With: GAS, gear doesn't matter, gear matters, Robert Hall

Dunja Djudjic: from diyphotography.net

About Dunja Djudjic

Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

« Unsplash to be acquired by Getty Images, but photos remain free
Photographer captures stunning aerial shots of recent volcano eruption in Iceland »

Submit A Story

Get our FREE Lighting Book

DIYP lighting book cover

* download requires newsletter signup

Recent Comments

Free Resources

Advanced lighting book

Learn photography

Recent Posts

  • The Fotodiox RhinoCam Vertex shoots medium format images on L mount cameras
  • San Francisco filmmaker tracks stolen camera gear, police do nothing
  • Nanlite announces powerful AC-powered FC500B and FC300B LED lights
  • The Laowa Aurogon is a full-frame 10-50x super micro APO lens kit
  • Watch: Amateur astronomer captures a rare giant fireball on Jupiter

Udi Tirosh: from diyphotography.netUdi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.

Alex Baker: from diyphotography.netAlex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe

David Williams: from diyphotography.netDave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.

John Aldred: from diyphotography.netJohn Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

Dunja Djudjic: from diyphotography.netDunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

Copyright © DIYPhotography 2006 - 2023 | About | Contact | Advertise | Write for DIYP | Full Disclosure | Privacy Policy