"some of the best photography that's been done, has been done 10,20,30,40,50 years ago." Wow, there's some truth that needs to be repeated! What a fantastic episode. Thanks, Peter!

"When I've got this in my hand I can create" - A lot of wisdom in a very small sentence.

I’m recovering from GAS (gear Acquisition Syndrome). It's so easy to be tempted by new stuff. If what you have does what you want. Keep it.

Great video. In my classes i work with a 12 year old canon 450D + plastic kit lens the first 30min; to show it makes no difference. People are often amazed by such a real example.

This is without a doubt one of the absolute best videos I have ever watched. And Peter, I'm not referring to best photography videos, I mean best videos that can be applied to all aspects of Life. Find what suits you - the job that suits you, the car that fits you (like Bec says), the friends, etc - stop worrying about what other people are telling you to buy or do. Thank you.

Peter, your videos are enjoyable because of your interaction with the models and the way you explain the way you want to light to interact with the model. Because does a great job capturing you working too. She is so good I feel like I’m looking over your shoulder.

A cook says to Helmut Newton: »Your images are excellent. You certainly have a great camera.« Newton replies: »The meal you prepared was magnificent. You must have really good pots.« (I have no clue, if this is real or someone made it up once-but I like it.)

You are absolutely right, Peter. I think I made the biggest mistake the day I sold my GFX50s. I actually miss that slow, badly focusing camera, and in retrospect, I still love the images taken with it the most. And thats the bid debate about brand ambassadorship. Whether the benefits are really that big.

Gear culture has been magnified by the influencer era. Sponsored gear posts/videos are lucrative to both parties. New gear is released annually in the digital era. People want to be like their ‘heroes’. And modern photography ‘heroes’ pimp gear harder and more often than at any other time. You’re one of the few KZfaq channels with a significant following that I’ve come across that is more technique and relationship focused than gear dominated. Just looking at “views” you can see that most photography channels gear videos dominate likes/views by factors of x2,x3, etc.

Peter, this is one of the best videos I have seen on KZfaq. I didn’t see it as an anti gear rant, rather, the best advice from someone who has a great amount of insight and experience. The one caveat that occurs to me is, I think to some extent, it’s human nature to have to try things for oneself, making mistakes along the way. Parents try to impart life experiences and wisdom to their kids, only to have them go out and make the same mistakes they were warned against. I guess, looking on the bright, one can determine, while spending and wasting vast amounts on money along the way (!), which gear functions and feels the best in their hands. Peter, thanks again for your time and wisdom.

I hear you Peter. Great insights. I used to love the crappy camera challenges back in the day on Digital Rev. Super fun.

Yes. You make total sense and I never understood why I need the latest and greatest.

Exactly! In the past I bought “stuff” thinking it would make my work better but it didn’t so I would buy a better unit. Now I treat it as a tool needed to solve a problem that I can’t with current equipment. Your point about feeling your gear is an extension of you is a point that hits home with me. Good article!

I've started taking my 11 year old Fujifilm X-E1 (the camera that got me back into photography) out instead of the newer gear. Relative to my new cameras it's maddeningly slow and a "mere" 16 megapixels. But damn if that isn't the one camera that brings me joy from day one, I take my time and think about what I shoot and try to make it count, kind of like the film days. You don't need to constantly buy new gear to find happiness; I mean, it's not like they're guitars, right?

In a world obsessed with sharpness I'm finding myself craving and looking for lenses with dimensionality and 3D pop... and my most dimensional lens currently?... A Meyer-Optik Gorlitz Lydith 30/3.5 that I bought off Ebay for £40... with my £35 CZJ Tessar 50/2.8 not far behind it. Also, I find that the ones who go on and on about camera specs the most are the ones who take the shittiest pictures

I always like to remind people that some of the best pictures ever taken were with cameras that were carried on the backs of mules. And some pretty good pictures with Brownies, too.

I so agree with this video. 18 months ago I bought a Fujifilm GFX100s and a Nikon D850. Now, both are lovely cameras. The GFX100s, is my mid life crisis camera, where I felt like I wanted to try medium format, and the D850, I bought because I have used a D800 for 11 years, and it was an impulse buy because I had always wanted the camera. After a considerable time with the 2 cameras. I can easily say that I prefer working with the D850, even though the GFX100s is in many ways the better camera. It really comes down to 2 things. I have used Nikon gear for 20+ years and my brain is tuned to the D300, D800 and D850. These cameras feel comfortable to me, my brain doesn't have to think about which button does what, and I can just concentrate on the important things, like interacting with the subject and getting the photo. The second thing is the size of the sensor (This shows how big an idiot I am). Since, going over to digital medium format (0.79x crop), my depth of field has been slightly off, and the reason is my brain is thinking of its settings in 35mm, so I haven't been compensating enough for the larger sensor size. My thoughts after a year, are shoot with what makes you feel most comfortable, because it will make your photographic life easier, and allows you to focus on the important part of photography which is getting the best image you can.

I have a theory on why some people are gear and setting oriented - it's because those factors can easily be quantified. The artistic points are not so easily quantified. That, and some people like to acquire gear that they will use once for a peculiar situation and then never use it again. I tell people if you really have an urge to buy a new piece of expensive gear, rent it first and see if you actually need it or even like it. I'd like to own a Phase One, but I'd only use it a couple of times per year, so I rent one if I need it. Not to mention the return on the investment would be slim at best.

As usual from Peter, hits the nail on the head with some of the best advice you can get.

This is not only well said...but your passion for your work and the gear you use comes across perfectly!! Thank you for this video!

When I was in high school (early 1970s) I read an article about a famous photographer (Steichen perhaps?) shot a series of photos using a Brownie camera to demonstrate that the gear is not the most important consideration in photography. Instead, the most important thing was the photographer's eye, his or her mind, their heart, and their ability to capture a scene that tells a story. The gear was secondary.

Thanks Peter. Top draw as always. It's often amazing when you look at all the gear on the shelf that is just cluttering up your space and is never used.

I can't believe how many people watch your videos and still obsess over cameras and lenses. It's about the *light*! The light is the only thing that matters. Great rant.

Excellent observations on your video. Thank you for the grounding.

Peter what you've said about your connection with Hasselblad is so true. That is very much what I feel with my Nikon, and never felt with others, from Contax, Canon, Olympus, or any other, and not just ergonomically. Great video as usual from you...

Peter this video was so honest and to the point. Thank you.

Peter is THE man! It took me many years to learn that I am NOT an (amateur) photographer. I am a man who LOVES cameras........and makes photographs sometimes.

The reason why I had originally started following your channel was because you focused more on technique, creativity and communication over the gear. Your videos inspire me way more than when other photographers go off about gear. While watching this video, I couldn't help but chuckle like a crazy person. When I'm shooting an event, a lot of the participants relax because I use larger cameras and I'm not "just some random person" taking photos... The only reason I use the cameras I do is because I grew up as a bassist and heavy things are wayyyy more comfortable and stabilizing for me. Anywho, Thank-you for a good ol' rant. never disappointing. :)

I love the certain quality or character of older DSLR cameras. They seemed more varied from brand to brand, model to model than the newer models. Even snap shot cameras. Something that can be fun to explore to give your photos a unique look. I think we get hyper focused on megapixels and clinical rendering and sharpness, when there are other qualities we can look for to create meaningful images.

Peter you are pioneer in your field and it inspired me so much for the past 2 years since I am watching your ch. Great collection of lenses and gear.

Love this, I have only bought one camera brand new. Everything else I own is used and I have saved so much. I enjoy that your videos and your inspire is focused on content and getting the picture over gear.

brilliant Peter!!! 👏👏👏

I get it. It's nice to hear someone saying it. Thanks Peter.

Many thanks for this new video and for sharing how you store your equipment, how much you have acquired, and your selected favorites cameras and lenses; 90% of your work is a lot. I also have the view that in the past, with old equipment, brilliant photographs were taken; so it is not all about the gear. From my point of view, we sometimes could make the mistake of paying too much attention to the tools instead of the artwork we are trying to produce. Our photo/camera equipment becomes an extension of our body (hands, eyes, brain,…), as you certainly mention. The same is true for the musical instruments, when they are in our hands.

Loved this video!

Well said on EVERYTHING. I love the guys who do such good work with limited equipment . Stuff thats maybe old, slow, not perfect, etc. It's all far more fascinating than the latest and "greatest"

I have 150+ cameras and just as many lenses. I use the same two bodies and lenses 95% of the time. Hmmm.... GAS is a wonderful thing. Never have been able to understand why anyone would want to know the settings I use to make a photo. Completely different light and gear will never accomplish the same image. Makes no sense. Love your work.

Not an anti-gear rant at all--just an honest assessment of reality as opposed to what is often presented by media, advertising and the like. I love the sports equipment analogy you used because it is under most circumstances an absolutely true comparison. And while I can understand most of the tech stuff that is referenced at times, I usually watch and listen to your videos for the art and to see how you and others like Bec go through the creative process. Even though I know there are parts of it not included in the video such as certain prep etc. I can follow and get an often complete "feel" (if that makes any sense). I do remember also a previous video where you compared three different camera setups as to mostly quality and lighting changes etc. and that one also very accurately demonstrated how it was not all technical and how the photographer, model and setting do the "conquering" in a shoot. ;)

You've said it all, what else is there to add.... nothing! Thanks Peter, Cheers!

Finding your channel has been an inspiration. I used to work in LA shooting fashion shooting large format but left photography for teaching, I am now back to finding my inspiration and working my way back into the field reigniting my passion for the art of photography. Thank you for your channel and the openness of your guidance. Learning a lot.

Always great advice Peter. Thank you again and again. Cheers!

It's the "subject" and your ability to perceive the subject. You can take great photos with a ancient Kodak Instamatic 100, or a "throwaway". Newer, more precise, and or more expensive gear, only fractionally increases the likelihood of getting good ""product".

Hi Peter thank you for a very thought provoking video. It is so easy to get caught up in the gear race and lust for lenses that you feel will fix a problem.

Inspiring and informative! Thank you so much Peter!

my favorite lens is a 135 super takumar 3.5. Its a portrait dream. It cost 50 bucks.

Great wisdom, simply conveyed! Thanks. ❤️

Very wise words Peter! Finally, someone is saying how it really is! Thanks for this!

I’ve probably watched every video you’ve posted, and I love and appreciate the opportunity to learn from someone so great at photography. I mentioned in a comment on a previous video that I’m fascinated with a technology that allows a person to shoot through another person’s cellphone camera through the use of an app. This allows people people in different parts of the world to collaborate at any time simply by connecting on the app. I’ve seen photos of Zendaya, Ethan Hawke, Margot Robbie, Jennifer Lopez and others photographed this way for magazines or fashion brands. There are obvious limitations, but I feel as though the limitations are making me better. You can shoot raw and change your focus point and adjust exposure, but it becomes more about interacting with the model/subject. That’s often overlooked or seen as secondary to technical aspects of photography. One of the things that make so much of your work special, in my opinion, is your ability to draw emotion out of your models. You are fortunate to shoot with extraordinarily beautiful women, but you get them to connect with the camera on a different level, and that has little to do with your gear except that, as you said, certain gear feels very natural and connected to you.

I think in most industries the gear doesn't make that big a difference, maybe the final 5%. But it IS the one thing people don't have to work at to get better.

To the point - This discussion also exists with video - whether JVC, Panasonic, Sony or Ikegami doesn't really matter. What's important is what's going on around it and whether I'm able to use the tool.

I totally agree with everything you've said. I have reached a happy place with my own gear and now ignore all the latest latest ad's. so I can concentrate on just improving my own creativity. Really enjoy your videos and for the record I had the same experience as Becca with my new car 🤣

Totally agree! I did just change systems and went on a considered spending spree! This time with the benefit of hindsight, everything I chose has a direct correlation with what I want to create! Four lenses and a body! I am getting acquainted with my Sony, after being a long time Canon user! I can adapt my best Canon lenses to the Sony! No loss!

Bresson made some of the most important work of all time with what would be considered today just a light proof box. There's reasons to use particular items of kit but the truth is, the gear that's right is the gear that makes you stop thinking about the stupid gear.

What's interesting is that a large number of photographers on social media always try to replicate the look from the film days rather that use the look of the modern cameras. I always think of it like a musical instrument. Just because you buy the same guitar played by Tommy Emmanuel doesn't mean you're going to play like him. Tommy is a beast BTW!! So yeah, worry less about the gear and practice, practice, practice with whatever you have. When you're skills and/or job needs bypass the gear capabilities, then go shopping! Have a great weekend!

That's a really interesting perspective Peter, and it seems to go hand in hand with the camera-club thoughts you have voiced in the past; it's not about the numbers, it's about the feeling. I've recently thrown my 85mm back into service having not really used it for the last couple of years, and boy oh boy does it give some serious feeling to the images it creates. I'm now thinking about how to use it more in the wedding environment as it pushes creativity through limitation with completely different results than using a zoom at the same length. Can't wait for Edinburgh.

Thanks for class.

Hello Peter, (You are so right in all you say here) Yes you and so many other keep saying it is not about the gear. You are all right to an extent. Like so many Pro's and Ex Pro's I started taking image back in my school days with a old Zenith E and an Exakta 1000 (not sure of spelling) before moving on to second hand Nikon F and then onto Nikon's, Hasselblad's and 5x4 to 10x8 Sinar cameras. Mostly using Broncolor flash in studio's. The point is I feel that you get the gear you think you will be happy with and then you start build then at one point it become to expensive to change and you get to know that kits limitations. Yes I still shoot Nikon's I have Z8 and Z9, but I still have Hassleblad X2D and work with Broncolor and some Prophoto. Yes good kit make your life easer and it works. So gear dose matter but it is more important to find the right kit for the type of work you do.

Love your commentary. The camera is a tool it doesn’t matter if it’s a canon Nikon or Hasselblad tools.

Awesome!

Thank you for this much needed video, I wish these KZfaqrs / " influencers " would stop with the latest and greatest gear and trends. We have inexperienced photographers out here buying gear and still don't know how to properly use the camera they already have....Thank you....

I've come around to the thought that gear isn't important until it is. Once you become limited by the gear you have it is time to change or gear up. That being said though I am also of the opinion that good lenses are a better investment than the newest camera body. A great lens on a so-so body will always make better images than a so-so lens on the newest greatest camera body. So lately I've bought better lenses when I've felt the need to improve something. Is this 2.8 better than the 3.5-5.6 that I already own. Great video by the way and for my money spot on target for those with GAS

Some of my fav pics that I’ve ever taken were on a camera that was discontinued over a decade ago. The gear is only important as long as it allows u to take the pics u want to take.

Hi Peter, I couldn't agree with you more. If you're comfortable & confident with your gear it doesn't come into the equation. You're fine tuning your adjustments by feel & the mood of the image. I use basic settings to start with, but I'm not monitoring were they will end up. I believe it's the final image that counts. Not the gear or the settings on any given shoot. Thank you, love your work. Cheers Steve

So true. I can relate so much to this.

When I got a "mirrorless" one of the things I had to get used to, was the fact that the viewfinder was "digital" and not "optical". So you have to hang out and wait for the viewfinder to return to what you are looking at.

Absolutely right. Basic gear (Good quality) and you are ready to roll

Interesting concepts. Well stated...

The thumbnail fits perfectly and is so beautiful :) Love your Channel.. Chris

I agree completely! I kept my old 5D-ii for 10 years because I just had no need to upgrade. But having said that, the bells and whistles on the new mirrorless body I upgraded to really improved the quality of my photography significantly, often for unexpected reasons.

I came to this conclusion a few year's ago. Sold most of my gear and went back to a Nikon D200. When I realized I wasn't using all the resolution and didn't like the image quality coming from modern mirrorless cameras, I just backed off. Did a inventory on what I'm doing as per delivered work and realized the files were small. No one was getting raw files. Stopped shooting raw. I was doing minimal post production. Switched to shooting JPEG only and making sure that what I was doing in LR was already done in camera. Had no problems, took the money and invested it. I literally shoot 1 lens now. 35mm f1.8 on a Nikon D200 (52mm eq). Having a graphic design background allows me to shoot jpeg without worrying about needing raw. I think I will need a wide angle lens b/c I'm planning to go back into real estate. The good thing about modern software is that it makes any issue I had with noise years ago irrelevant. Come to find out the D200 has an amazing HIGH NR algorithm for it's jpegs even better than some higher end cameras. Those cmos files even on recent cameras fall apart way faster than what comes out of this camera. I can edit these files just like a raw file but 70% smaller.

In fact, something interesting happens when I use a fixed lens to take street photos. Then I look for a subject only in a certain angle and depth of focus, light contrast. It's like applying a filter to reality and seeing only the available scene. But you absolutely right: any rig lets us to take a pictures the only difference is what and where. I define the professional set of 'tools' as possibility to take a desired quality pictures in a wider situations. Not only lens, cameras and light sources may be used. Software is a newest and powerful factor. Thank you for this video!

Love that series of pictures in the end. (With Becs in between 'm, yay!)

Peter, how dare you tell the truth! 😂. Most people these days seem to live on social media and can’t think for themselves. I completely agree with you about “influencers”. They are always selling whatever has been loaned or given to them and pushing their affiliate links. Of course they always start out with a statement about it being a completely independent review. Really? 🤔🙄

I like my 100mm and my 85mm hope your doing well Peter I've been busy but still making time for your videos 😊Paul

So true. It seems to me, everyone feels like they need to look alike or have a certain aesthetic, they forget creating is about having fun with what you do and bringing into this world something different, through your own perspectives… your eyes are the lens…

Good gear for me is where I feel like “home” using it. This feeling is what makes me wanting to get it with me as much as possible to create. Obviously the technical stuff matters, but it’s like learning to drive. After you learn, it’s becoming about where you want to drive, not how.

Great vid

Great video Peter! I liked the sports analogy. I must admit I enjoy playing with different film cameras but as you say when you just need to get those shots (say for a model shoot) the SL and pretty much any 50mm will do the job (for me).

Great video. I am not a professional photographer, but I am way more focused on taking a picture when using a Leica M10. That works for me, and I don't need anything else. Your golf analogy was sport on, golf clubs need to be fitted. It is your golf clubs, and so is the camera.

Gear is fun to geek over but to me it is all about the print. :)

Love the video. I have a few thoughts on gear. As an amateur sailor, there are folks who put a lot of trust in the latest new fangled piece of gear. But at the end of the regatta, the sailor who wins is usually the athlete who spent the most time in the boat practicing. I take an athlete's approach to photography. The most important thing is practice. The second most important thing is coaching. Then the subject. Then the lighting. Then the lens. Last, and least, the camera body. I shoot Canon because I know it, the folks at Canon Professional Services will repair it if it is broken, and it delivers the quality my clients demand. Not saying anything negative about any other gear. If it works for you, great. I'm happy for you. But it's crazy to think that buying a magic lens is going to change you as an artist. That said, I would love to see all of the gear Peter bought and used once.

You are 100% correct ✅ You Tube is full of so many experts ( so called ) talking about “ gear “ !! Thing that really makes me laugh is that most of them Don’t understand what iso does & how it works !! Get tired of hearing how you can change the sensitivity of the sensor!! A few of the better guys don’t show their exif data anymore, because they got fed up with people asking “ what the settings were for every photograph “ You do great work, & it’s much appreciated. 👍🏼🙏🏼😊

Peter, I am packing up here in LA and it really is not about the gear. I have wayyyyyy too much gear and now wish I didn't. Way too many strobes, too many lenses, to many cameras, too much LED lights, too many stands, etc.

you are right cameras and creativity are for sure not connected but in professional photography gear does matter a lot but not always for the online most discussed properties. while you are staring into a black hole of your H I still see my subject or can review the latest capture on the fly without taking my eye of the view finder. eye focus had freed me from focus and recompose and after years with the H the tilt able gfx viewfinder makes shooting for a long day a far more relaxed experience. all the technical advances helped me to produce better work with less stress.

Photographers are bombarded with ads by manufacturers, and photo mags are all about gear, because that pulls in advertisers. Photography per se doesn't bring in advertisers. With a few exceptions, media coverage of photography is all about gear. A few great mags in the past that focused on taking pictures fell by the wayside. The British Journal of Photography is a noted exception from the obsession about gear, it''s about what, it's abpout photography. The advertising and promotion aimed at photographers is all about making you think that without the latest model, your images won't be up to scratch. It's art versus commerce.

I'm not a professional photographer although I have done some commercial work in the past. I started with 35mm film. Have two medium format cameras. Had two 4x5 view cameras, sold one set a few years ago. The last digital SLRs I used were a pair of Canon 50D for club sport photography. Due to various reasons I stopped being seriously active in photography about 10 years ago. A few years ago I picked up a 70D because my 50D cameras have no video capability. I use the 70D for video but I still use my 50Ds when I want to take pictures. The 70D has a higher resolution sensor but the user interface is too different from the 50D and it isn't worth the hassle. While gear is important, gear does not make the shot. The reason I watch these videos is for everything except the camera gear. The mood and feel of the shoot. The interactions.

Exactly!!!!!

Love your rants, thanks. For me, it is about does it fit well in my hand, do I have a flow that just works without thinking about it to much (Lumix generally works for me). The rest I have is just because love it, or am to lazy to get rid of it, or have some project I want to do with it.

Thank you for saying all this. More and more of the photography channels I watch have gone to gear reviews, and it seems that is all anyone is interested in. The question "what settings were you using?" Has made a huge resurgence. The only thing I can think of is the roll of content creator is now more prevalent than that of photographer. The skills aren't there because they want the gear to do it all and need a recipe to key in so they can claim to shoot in manual. Anyone that has watched more than 2 of your videos should know that you aren't a gear person. You work by feel and create based on what looks good to you at the time. There is no better description of a photographer in my book.

I must admit that I love my Fuji XPro3 even though I went out and bought the XH2 to try my hand at Video I still favour the XPro3 it hits that sweet spot in size and function for me as I'm not that technically minded. I use my eyes and if I'm pleased with the result I'm pleased.

I too have (and have had) way more gear than I absolutely need. The best pictures always come from the the same cameras time and time again... The Hasselblad H5... The Leica Q2 Monochrom... the SL2... and the Fuji GFX100S set to mimic Acros. Usually with normal to short tele lenses. Back in the day it was the Hasselblad 501CM, Rolleiflex TLRs and the Leica M2. Masterpieces of industrial design. Somehow just more simple and transparent. Typically European cameras fit my needs better as they seem to prioritize minimalism over features.

I've always said, when two amateur photographers get together, they talk about equipment; when two professional photographers get together, they talk about photography. I'm sure, like me, when someone first learns you're a professional photographer, the first thing they ask is, "What camera do you use." Ugh!

You forgot to mention that this video wasn't sponsored, lol! But in all seriousness, this is something I think about a lot. I have a lot of great, expensive gear, and I have taken some great photos with it. I also like having it. But I also still have my Canon T2i and the kit lens that came with. You give me a few minutes with it to remember how to adjust the shutter and aperture and I am still going to take a great photo. Whenever anyone asks me what the best piece of gear is that they can own I tell them it is their eyes. Train your eyes to see the picture you want, to see the framing, the mise en scene, all that, and you will always get a photo you will be proud of.

thank you Mr Coulson Photography has Never been about the camera!

2 days ago I finally managed to grab a special camera the nikon d850, released on my bday , been after one for year now, never had the budget for a new one and never found a proper used one, that changes a few days ago, though i will still create the same stuff, only difference being now me and my camera share a birth day which to me is awesome just adds that bit of an extra touch for me plus i absolutely love the weight of it in hand, nothing like camera that doubles up as a self defense weapon

Peter, I love buying gear. What you’ve taught me is… “it’s about the light”. My attention is on light

Could not agree more.

It's true indeed. The problem is that manufacturers and resellers needs you to buy new gear and try to create the need of . I am personally always buying used gears because quality gears are expensive especially lenses and as Peter said, if people has taken great photos with those used gears, I can also. Photography is an art. There is some technics about we should master but servicing the art not superseeding it.

I still use my Minolta maxxum zoom lenses. Even on my video camera which is a Sony FS5M2. Also still use a Minolta maxxum 5000 and 7000

i agree 1000% its what youre comfortable with. a couple of questions though. was there a pic of Natashi Kinski in that quick little slideshow (gal with the snake)? i remember when i first saw that photo and was just like WOW! next, ive seen a video kind of recently where you were shooting with your Mamiya. what were your other film cameras? ive shot Canon since 1976 in 6th grade and just stayed with it into digital. i like the concept of the medium format digital but i cant justify the expense of swapping and since im more PJ than fashion/beauty the DSLR platform works well. i could use Nikon, Fuji, Sony just as well but i know that those lenses focus backward from Canon so that would definitely hamper me. im just getting started with a Graflex Crown Graphic as soon as the weather gets a little nicer. thinking of building a pinhole out of an oatmeal can next... love your videos