Got G.A.S. ?
DON’T BLAME IT ON OVERINDULGENCE AT CHRISTMAS !
Happy New Year folks ! I hope you all had a happy and peaceful Christmas.
Speaking of which, at Christmas I was the lucky recipient of Alyn Wallace’s epic work “Photographing The Night Sky.” Check it out here: https://alynwallacephotography.com/shop/photographing-night-sky-astrophotography-book At well over 500 pages, it’s the product of four years work and is currently flying off the shelves, due mainly to Alyn being one of the world’s leading astro-landscape photographers. Based on his incredible depth of knowledge and also using his engineering background, Alyn’s book covers everything you would ever need to know about this fascinating photographic genre. Be aware though, it weighs a ton and at almost 10 inches square it won’t be making it’s way into my backpack anytime soon !
As well as being full of images of shiny stars, planets and nebulae, the book is also full of shiny gear such as astro modified cameras, wide aperture lenses and equatorial mounts (star trackers to you and me). In that aspect, it’s not only educational but also aspirational. You’ll want a lot of the featured gear if you’re serious about astro photography. But it’s not just photographers who drool over new kit. Everyone has G.A.S (gear acquisition syndrome). It’s common amongst all hobbyists, semi-professionals and seasoned pros in any walk of life (especially people who do The Walk Of Life…….) Let’s be honest, we all like shiny new toys, but do they really improve our output or make our lives better?
People appear to be in constant pursuit of the latest iteration of kit, the iPhone being a perfect example. In terms of camera gear, I wish I had a pound for every time someone’s asked me which camera they should buy ! In reality there’s no way to answer that question. It all depends on the buyer’s budget, what they plan to use the camera for (sports, wildlife, or landscapes) and whether they’re just planning to use it on holiday or intend to put it to more serious use. I try and advise of course, but I never recommend a specific make or model. You can start with an entry level DSLR at around £400 and produce excellent images. But people are attracted to the kit used by vloggers on YouTube with, in some cases, the latest profession mirrorless cameras costing around six thousand pounds ! They’re called influencers for a reason……
I often point people to the second-hand market (or pre-loved as it’s sometimes called nowadays) where there are real bargains to be had. Camera gear is usually well looked after and in many cases very lightly used after the owner got bored or simply gave up. Many reputable and trusted online dealers buy and sell used gear and often give a six or twelve month warranty. It’s a fairly inexpensive and hazard-free way to get into the gear market and is a great way to upgrade your own kit. If anyone would like more details on this, drop me a line and I can recommend folks I trust.
The common sense approach is to learn with the kit you’ve currently got. Get to know all the modes, menus and programmes in your camera so that you’re able to fully adapt to and make the most of differing situations. Switch out of automatic mode and exploit the range of features available to you. Learn how your camera performs in low light and what the best settings are for those conditions. Similarly, discover how your camera performs in high contrast situations such as sunrise or sunset. How does your lens perform in these scenarios? If you progress sufficiently and feel you’ve extracted the maximum from your current equipment, or you’re moving into a type of photography that your kit is struggling with, then that’s the time to think about investing in better (and obviously more expensive) kit. But don’t get fooled into thinking that better gear makes better photographers though. It doesn’t, believe me.
I feel a bit of a fraud advising against buying gear (see my kit list here: https://www.timscanlanphotography.com/our-story ) but I’ve seen lots of photographers spend big bucks on kit and then leave it gathering dust after a few months. I believe this is true of most hobbies - gumtree and eBay wouldn’t exist otherwise! In my experience golfers are the worst for this, always looking for that new club that hits the ball straighter and further and ditching anything that does otherwise. I know ‘cos I’ve been there ! I’ve accumulated my camera gear over many years and while some of it may look a bit bashed up I’m happy as long as it works. I stand by the idiom “Tools not Jewels” !
