What I have.
Buying photography equipment can be so confusing! When people find out I’m a photographer, they always ask what kind of photography equipment I use. Canon is the answer. Photographers will want to know what model and how old it is and if it has been a reliable camera. So much thought, money, reading articles and reviews goes into purchasing professional equipment. Tastes change as well!
Cameras I have purchased
My photography equipment and camera choice progression has been this : Canon AE-1, Canon Rebel, Canon 50D, Canon 6D and presently a Canon 5d Mark 3 (which apparently has been discontinued. Oh dear.) Recently updated to the Canon mirrorless R5 in 2021! You see, once you are with a brand you typically stay with it. Why? It’s not because you just love that camera body, but along the way you have purchased lenses that only work with that camera brand. That’s right. Nikon and Canon don’t play with each other. Those film camera lenses don’t work on the digital cameras. Even some Canon lenses won’t work on certain Canon bodies. Wouldn’t that be great for the consumer if they did!!! We might all switch to Sony mirrorless and bring our lenses with us!
Lenses Rule!!
I do have a number of lenses that I love. and definitely make up the bulk of my photography equipment. Actually, I love them all 😉 Because I am a portrait photographer, I have portrait lenses. There are specific lenses for wildlife photographers and others for underwater photography!
What do I use the most?
My Canon 70-200mm F/2.8 with image stabilization if I have the room! If I need to take wider shots, I use the F/2.8 24-70mm L series. This is the most versatile lens I have! It is my 2nd one 😉 My first lens purchase was a 50mm F/1.8 lens. I then bought a 50mm F/1.4. The sticker shock at the time was crazy until I thought I couldn’t live without the 50mm F/1.2. Well, apparently you can live without that one…for a little bit 😉
I treated myself to the 70-200mm F/2.8
and didn’t use it much for the longest time! Now it is on my camera for every session at some point! I love the clarity. When I don’t want the weight of this lens, I reach for my 100mm F/2.8. Beautiful for portraits and macro shots if you are a wedding photographer and love those ring shots! When I shot weddings, I bought a 16-35mm F/2.8 for those beautiful wide church shots! I still use it on my 2nd camera at events for crowd shots and fun close ups. The 85mm F/1.8 has been a great lens as well. (The 85mm F1.4 is on my wish list!) Prime lenses (those that have a fixed focal length–they don’t zoom) are always a great choice for portraits! I have a fun Rokinon fish eye that I bought very early on that only works on my 50d cropped sensor camera, but it is a very specific look! Would love the Canon Fish-eye 😉
Next up!
If you are just starting out, I would suggest researching your camera brands. What type of photos do you want to take? Wildlife? Kids? Family? Flowers? Macro? Search lens prices. You may be shocked! Those gorgeous flying eagle photos? The lens used may be a great downpayment on a car!
Me? I guess I will be researching that Canon 5d Mark IV…
Next up>>>Buying tips for your first camera
Cheers!