Re: [photo-3d] Re: all that counts is the gear

["David Lee" <koganlee@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I believe that a good photogapher can make good (great?) images with any
decent camera. Nevertheless, experienced photographers who know what they
want to do and who are excellent technicians can get even more quality out
of equipment that is particularly suited to their style of photography. It
may take a number of years to figure out exactly what equipment this might
be.
When I figured I could spent a couple thousand dollars on some new cameras,
I decided to build my own pair of 4x5 stereo cameras because there was
nothing out there that quite fulfilled my requirements. That is, big
negative (medium format would have been okay); not too heavy (that
eliminated all new medium format cameras (Mamiya 6's were a possibility));
had to be 2 cameras to be able to vary the separation; absolutely the same
focal length, aperture size, and shutter speeds (this eliminated all used
medium format cameras although I still regularly use pairs of Yashicamat
124G's and Rolleicord's for certain subjects). The two thousand dollars
were spent on new view camera lenses which were matched for focal length in
the factory in Germany. The camera bodies cost about $50 and a lot of time
and sweat. (Made out of wood.)

> I can't believe Dr.T said that all that counts is the
> gear!  I know he was probably joking, but still.

He was obviously joking.

>
> Don't get me wrong, there will probably be a point in
> which most of us will know that we need our gear to do
> something it can't, and then it will matter to a
> degree.

Yes, really serious photographers (I could use the word "obsessed") usually
get to this point, and then they buy the gear that will give them the best
compromise of features for the type of photography they do. There is no one
best camera or cameras.

>
> I know that there are different styles of photography.
>  I don't like to "Take" pictures, I like to "Make"
> them.  There for the camera is one of many tools I am
> useing to create a photographic image (or pair of
> images).  I don't consider myself a "camera operator"
> which I think is what I would be if I let the camera
> do all of the work for me.
>
> I know George has good ideas, and a good sence for
> composition and liting.  He is much more than just his
> camera (s).

Most certainly, and his RBT gives him the extra edge he wants, just as my
pair of 4x5 cameras give me what I want (mostly for large landscapes).

David Lee