Cameras & Lenses Revisited

Note: This is an article I published last year which I have updated a bit here.

Cameras & Lenses Revisited

by William Lulow

I have been in business since 1980 and I am used to shooting images with large and medium format cameras. I always loved the fabulous detail I got with my Wista 4×5 Field View camera or my Deardorff 8×10, and my arsenal of Hasselblad cameras and lenses. I wound up selling my Hasselblad gear back in 2001 when I decided to go all digital. Now, much of the Hasselblad edigital equipment is way too expensive for the kind of images I am making. And, with the digital backs, it has become too cumbersome and heavy for hand-held use. 

I started with the Fujifilm S2 Pro and also had to buy all new digital lenses, even though I had Nikon-mount lenses for my old Nikon F cameras. Although I got thousands of great images back then, I wanted that crisp, pore-revealing look I used to get with medium format cameras. Around 2012 or so, I made the switch to Canon equipment. Specifically, I wanted a camera that wasn’t too heavy for event work, something that had a large-enough LCD so that I could easily preview images and also one which could give the flexibility of composition I used to get with my Hasselblad’s waist-level finder. (I actually had an eye-level finder for the Hasselblad 500C/M as well).

What I found at the time, was the Canon 60D. Even at only 18megapixels it renders enough detail so that I still get excited with my portraits. It has a swivel LCD that lets me shoot at high angle or low angle vantage points. I bought the extra battery pack for it so that I never have to worry about running out of power during a shoot. Since then, I have upgraded my camera collection and have added another Canon 90D body (it has 32 megapixels, so its resolution power is even better).

Some of the other Canon models may have higher resolution CCDs but don’t have the flexibility of the D-series. And, as with many people these days, cost is a factor. This machine is reasonably priced (much less than the $15,000 I would have had to pay for the digital Hasselblad), and is easier to manipulate and faster to operate.

Having started my business in the film age, my mind-set was always film oriented. I discovered that film and digital image-making were two completely different animals. I wanted to keep my traditional 4×5 cameras and lenses but found out that they were really no match for great digital cameras and lenses on the market today. And that is exactly what I have found. The coating on the new digital lenses seems far superior to that of the older ones. I can often include a light source in the picture without very harmful flare.

With all this said, every photographer has to find the piece of equipment with which they feel the most comfortable.  Many cameras can handle the digital work that most professionals use them for, so the quality of the images comes down to only a few variables:

• Do you know about light?
• Do you know how to get the most from your camera?
• Are you using top quality optics?

These are really the main questions that need to be answered in order to create great images. Photographers need to have a facility with equipment because it is a “hardware-based” endeavor. It would be great if one could just blink, and there would be a great photo. But, we all know it doesn’t work that way. You have to know how to use your equipment. You can make great photographs with a black box and a pinhole, but that won’t suffice for most commercial uses today. So, is photography an “art” or a “science?” Well, the answer is that it is a little of both. It’s more of a science if you are doing mostly technical images, but it can be elevated to an art if you get the science right!

Finding the right equipment is a matter of taste. Almost any top quality camera system will yield great images. You need to be sure you’re comfortable with the cameras and lenses you choose. The best lenses are those that are fast, that is, have a largest aperture of at least f/2.8. Any other lens is probably not worth the money. There are some exceptions.

Some long telephoto lenses just can’t be made faster than f/4 say. Otherwise, they would have to be way too large to be useful.

So, test them to make sure they are performing optimally for the subjects you shoot. And, shoot often. Constant practice can improve your eye for composition and light and help you to learn the science involved in making digital images.

The Canon24mm f/1.4 lens. (Probably one of Canon’s fastest).

Shorter focal length lenses come in a variety of speeds. You can get wide-angle lenses that are as fast as f/1.4. These wide openings allow the lenses to function at smaller apertures so that more of the middle of the glass can be used to produce very sharp images. The faster the lens, the more expensive. So it’s worth spending as much as you can afford on really good optics. You will then begin to see quite a difference in your imagery. I can’t tell you how many of my students have switched to really high quality fast, prime lenses and have been astounded at the difference between those and normal “kit” lenses. So, if you really value your photography and your creative eye, save up for the really good lenses.