Your choice of camera brands matter or do they?
I have been a Fujifilm user for over 10 years, and I got my first Fujifilm X100 in 2013; prior to that, for most of my film career, I was a Nikon user, and I did have a couple of Nikon digital cams, the D300s, and the D3. Why did I switch? I got older, and using it to take photos throughout the day got heavier, so I started looking for something lighter; the Fuji fit the bill. I was a Fujifilm user and was also sold on the brand. I currently use the Fujifilm X-T5 and the Fujifilm X-H2s and will exchange my X-T5 for an X-H2.
If you're interested in getting your copy, check out my affiliate link for the Fujifilm X-T5 here: https://amzn.to/3zKiHTg. It will make you a better photographer—I can't promise that—but what it did for me was make me love photography all over again.
Influential forces surround us every day, and regardless of whether we understand or notice it, they do, and we are pushed or pulled one way or another with our choices. Be it our family, our friends, the video we just saw on social media, the radio we listened to, or the billboard we just passed, we're immediately thinking about it.
The power of marketing and advertising is a powerful force, especially during this election season. It's so strong that it can often overshadow our genuine desires and needs. This is particularly evident when it comes to choosing a camera. Our camera choices should reflect our personal preferences and needs, not just a response to external influences.
Choosing a camera is a very personal decision. However, we are still influenced even when we finally make one. Some have the financial resources to buy and sell gear at a whim, but most of us have to be very careful. We do the research, watch videos, read all published material we can find, talk to those who have the gear we want, get their take on the gear, and then decide what would work for us.
We begin by looking at what we want to do. My original choice was a Nikon because of the glass quality they had. Since people were what I wanted to photograph, the great glass they offered at the time, which was in the 80s, was the choice for me. This was a challenge as Nikon is costly gear. Luckily, my first Nikon, the F2, was bequeathed to me by a guy I worked for in a one-hour shop. He had several copies and wanted to trade during one pay period. He was short and couldn't pay me on time, but I would take the camera in exchange.
That Nikon F2 was a brick; hitting someone in the head with it would probably knock them out! Armed with my new, well, new to me, Nikon F2 and a Nikkor 50mm f/1.8, it was my first 'pro' camera, and I was ready to shoot! Back then, I shot mainly with black-and-white film because I could develop the film myself and make contact sheets, as it was the most economical; I was a working student and not making much money.
I have never regretted that choice, and even though a Canon FTb was my first camera at 12, my dad gave me that in the late 70s. I just preferred the feel of the Nikon. In those days, I was influenced by my idols Patrick Demarchelier, Richard Avedon, Helmut Newton, Bruce Weber, et al. I'm sure those guys used Hasselblads, etc. Still, I saw that most pros used Nikon F3s then.
