The Budget Photographer

Now that you’ve got your nice, new and shiny DSLR camera, it’s time for the additions. If you started with the basic kit of camera body and kit lens, good for you. Before long, you’ll start contemplating on what to buy next. Most of the time it will be these three: Flash, Tripod and Lens. So what do you buy first? As always, my automatic answer is “what do you need?”

Establishing the need for any equipment/tool/accessory is the first thing you should do when contemplating on a new acquisition.

Note: Gear Acquisition Sickness (or Syndrome in some part of the online photography community), or GAS is an affliction that hits you when you start mingling with other photographers and beginners. I’ll discuss GAS in another post, but as a brief, GAS makes you need something that you really just want. It’s like saying I WANT to have this lens because I think it’s cool, then rationalizing that you NEED that lens because it will make you a better photographer. In the end you just end up with a lens that doesn’t make you a better photographer and just takes up space in your bag or dry cabinet.

So on with the tips.

During the time I was writing this article, I noticed that it was fairly long. So to save you from reading till the end, I’m giving you a summary:

If you’re budget conscious yet you need to satisfy that urge to buy more, follow this sequence of purchases:

cheap TRIPOD, good FLASH, better LENS.

Still interested to know my rationale for that sequence? Read on.

If you’re on a budget like me, here are some thoughts to ponder on:

Flash (a.k.a. flash unit, external flash, on-board flash, flash gun, or strobe)

Thinking of getting a flash? Ask yourself the following questions:

1. How often will I shoot indoors (indoor events, functions and gatherings)?
2. How often will I shoot in low light situations?
3. How often will I shoot subjects that are against the sun or against very bright light that would require me to have fill light that my built-in flash cannot provide?
4. Have I maximized the built-in flash in my camera?

If you answered “very often” or “a lot” to the first three questions, then you probably need a flash. Make sure to get a very good one. Don’t risk it with third party flashes. Buy a Canon flash if you’re a Canon user, or a Nikon flash if you’re a Nikon use. Buying the same brand as your camera ensures that they have the highest compatibility. Again, don’t risk it.

If you answered “occassionally” or “not often”, just save your money for the other two items. Why? If you’re not going to use it that often, it will just gather dust in your bag or dry cabinet. For the few times you need it, you can adapt your built-in flash to fulfill that need (unless you bought a Canon EOS 1-series or 5D that doesn’t have a built-in flash). Personally, I only needed a flash when I was already covering events, and doing product shots in a studio setting.

If you’re more of an outdoor shooter or you favor natural light, get a reflector instead. It’s cheaper and it gives more natural-looking results.

Tripod

Thinking of getting a tripod? Ask yourself the following questions:

1. How often will I take long exposure shots (shots slower that 1/10 of a second or night shots)?
2. How often will I be the photographer and also be part of the subject of the photo?
3. How often will go out and shoot landscapes and architectural shots that require a very stable platform and a fixed shooting position for my camera?

If you answered “very often” or “a lot” to these questions, then you probably need a tripod. Otherwise, just save your money. Tripods are not the lightest equipment that you’ll be using, so don’t burden yourself carrying that extra load.

Tripods are meant to give your cameras a stable platform so that you can take relatively shake free shots. Examples would be shooting night landscapes, long exposure shots outdoors (like landscapes and panoramas) and indoors (like studio portraits and product shots). It can also be used as the fixed shooting position to shoot multiple shots of a landscape which you later would be stitching together.

If you do decide to buy the tripod, please don’t be tempted to buy the most expensive you can afford. The most expensive tripods aren’t the most practical. Why? the expensive ones are commonly big. If you want to know how it feels carrying a tripod during a shoot, get a tube (PVC) with at least a 8cm diameter and 75cm length, tie a rope from one end to another, then sling that over one shoulder. Now start walking and shooting with that dummy tripod on your shoulder. Cumbersome isn’t it?

Another reason I suggest not buying the expensive ones is that most tripods already give a fairly decent stability to cameras that weigh up to 1 kilogram (that includes the camera body and lens and whatever is attached to the camera body). I have a cheap tripod (34 SGD, samurai brand) that can easily support my EOS 20D with a Sigma 24-70mm 2.8 lens ( a total weight of 1.2kG). I’ve never had any accident with it and it has already helped me take some very wonderful nightscapes, as seen in my post, The view from Esplanade.

I’ve heard other photographers say that you should use the bulky and heavy tripods to give more stability to the camera and to prevent the cameras from tipping over, or being accidentally kicked. I find those reasons flimsy. Tripods will not tip over or fall or even go rolling down a cliff if the photographer placed it on a stable and safe position and footing. It’s stupid to blame the tripod for tipping over when you placed it on a wobbly set of rocks, or on top of a wall. It’s even more stupid to blame a tripod for being kicked; it’s a photographer’s responsibility to make sure that his equipment is not in harm’s way.

I remember one experience I had when I was shooting at Scotts Road, Singapore. I climbed the pedestrian overpass for a better Point of View of the traffic and lights. I set up my cheap tripod and started shooting. Then this guy came and set up beside me with his expensive looking manfrotto tripod. He then gave my cheap tripod a look and smiled. I knew what he meant. After several minutes, I noticed him shaking his head and checking his tripod. I got curious and asked what the problem was and he said that his shots have wobbly, shaky light trails and lines even though his tripod is very stable and he’s sure he did nodge it during exposure. When I heard that, I laughed. I said something like, “your tripod is useless here because the overpass is vibrating because of the speeding cars below.” After that he packed up and left without getting a good shot (that’s according to him). I also experienced that same effect on my initial pictures but I easily adjusted to it by changing my settings. My tripod did it’s part, it was up to me to adjust to the situation. Remember, it’s not the gear, it’s the photographer.

Lens (a.k.a. glass)

Ok since this post is getting long, i’ll make this brief. If you think you need a new lens, ask yourself these questions:

• Can I afford it?
• How often will I use it?
• Where would I use it?
• Why would I use it?
• When will I use it?
• Can I borrow the same lens from my friends so I can try it out first?

If you answered positively to those questions, then go ahead and buy it. If not, just save your money.

A good lens that you actually use is a good investment. It will keep you happy for a long time. A good lens that you don’t use is just excess baggage. If you survey the “for sale” section of most photography forums you’d find that a good number of sellers sell their lenses because they don’t use it that much. That for me is a waste of money.

A kit lens will be good enough for most uses. Try to master the basics first with that lens. Once you’ve exhausted the kit lens to its fullest potential,you can already identify the next lens you need to buy.

As a final suggestion, if you do decide to buy those three items, buy in this sequence: cheap tripod, good flash, better lens.

I’ve shared to you my opinions on these three common purchases of newbie or beginner photographers. It’s up to you if you’d consider those suggestions. Just remember, in budget photography, it’s the need that comes first, not the wants.

Cheers!

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