Some time ago, I wrote an article about worst photography purchase I used to do. These are some specific things, as well as some types of items. In this article, I’m going to talk about some of the best purchases I’ve been lucky enough to make. Again, specific items.
This is the season to talk about buying. As 2022 ends and the holiday season approaches, chances are you’re looking to spend some money on new gear. One release that I’m personally excited about is the rumored 16-inch MacBook Pro M2. Don’t know if it’ll come out this year or next, but I’ll keep an eye on it when it does. In the meantime, here are some of my favorite software and toolkits I’ve ever purchased.
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 . Lens
This is live lens on my camera. If I only had to own one lens, this would be it. Even though it’s old, used, and partially damaged, it still holds the camera body solid, lasts a long time, and produces great images for me. As a zoom lens, it offers me many options: from 24mm for wide shots to 70mm for tighter and isolated shots. Sure, it won’t do much fun when you put it on your camera, as it doesn’t produce magical bokeh or super wide angle, but it will be used for more work than any other lens. any other glasses.
As a zoom lens from the Canon 5D Classic era, it’s not the sharpest or best lens on the market. However, for the price, it’s hard to beat. It’s also sharp, accurate, and consistent. Honestly, unless you really need the optical performance of a newer lens, just go with this lens and save money. As a working photographer, I’ve never felt like my lens was the reason I didn’t get work done. Poor marketing, bad portfolio, and wrong strategy were much bigger factors in keeping me out of a job than a lens.
Canon 5D MarkIV
The last of a generation. This is The last DSLR in Canon’s lineup. I bought it back in 2020, right after a big job and right before COVID. At this point, the camera is six years old, and I don’t feel any age. It produces great stills and good video. I shot a commercial in 2022 on this camera and have no complaints.
The reason I praise this camera so much is because it delivers great performance, again, at a reasonable price. Autofocus is accurate and it’s good enough even in low light let alone work in the studio. In terms of resolution, it’s not the highest, but for that camera’s good low-light capabilities, it’s pretty amazing.
Avenger swing arm D650
It took me way too long to find a good boom arm that I could use in the studio with the most light, but could also make me scream from the outside. This heavy duty arm is the perfect combination of size, price and durability. Necessary, it’s a telescopic boom arm which you can expand as needed. If you are working in a small studio or want better control over where you place your lights, this crane is perfect. Sure, you’ll need to learn how to balance it properly, but that will become second nature after a few tries.
Profile D1
This could be best bang-for-buck lighting you can get from Profoto. As of 2022, it is difficult to buy them new, but there are hundreds on the used market. They cost half as much as the new D1 and offer similar performance. In essence, the D1 is the perfect companion in equipping a studio or taking the next step in your photography setup. It’s not the best of Profoto and the D2 is the better light. The difference between D1 and D2 is price, flash duration, TTL and recycle time. If you mainly shoot in the studio, don’t freeze fast motion with flash, and don’t mind waiting an extra 0.5 seconds, then the D1 is the flash you should get. It’s Profoto, but for the price of a cheaper alternative.
Light: Science and Magic
One that book is the bible of light. It covers the fundamentals, as well as dives into the more complex aspects of lighting for still photography. Lighting setup can only take you so far. As soon as you are faced with a more complex situation, you will inevitably have to solve the problem. Light offers many answers because it controls what viewers see and what they don’t. More importantly, it controls how we see a particular surface. For example, a white dress on a white surface can be lit in such a way that it does not blend in with the background. The same applies to the black and white setting.
Buy this book if you ever wanted to learn how to create lighting, instead of copying the setup from a YouTube video.
take one
Finally, let’s talk about editing software. I had to stop using Lightroom for day-to-day work as soon as I saw how bad tethering was. Later, when comparing how they handled raw files, especially skin tones, I noticed that take one is way more suitable for fashion and portrait work. Another added benefit of using Capture One over Lightroom if you have to choose one, is that you can purchase a one-time license for the software. For photographers who shoot portraits, products, fashion, beauty, or anything where tethering can play an important role, Capture One is the best choice. Finally, Capture One has a free mobile app, Capture Pilot, that you can use to share the images you’re taking with people on the same network in real time. A use case in the commercial world would be as follows: capture connected to a digital workflow station, then use an iPad for the photographer, another iPad for a client, etc. Even the largest teams can collaborate, rate, and tag images, all without having to gather around a single computer and monitor the digi’s head. Capture Pilot also allows you to purchase an add-on to remotely control the camera from your phone over the network.
Stop thinking
So here we have it. These are five of the best photo purchases I’ve made. The reliable 5D Mark IV paired with the 24-70 f/2.8 lens will form the perfect camera + lens combo for years to come, while the Avenger D650 could be a good studio grip. best. For Light: Science and Magic, it’s a one-book solution to how to light, and Capture One is an irreplaceable piece of software in most photographers’ workflow.
What are some of the purchases that you are most satisfied with? We want to know in the comments!
