And anyone saying otherwise is full of it.
To present a clear picture (pun intended) of where I’m coming from with this hot take, I want to explain what gear I have used and what I use now.
My main camera has been a Sony A6000 for nearly 7 years. I used it mainly with a Viltrox 23mm f1.4, which is a great lens especially for its price, plus a couple of vintage m42 lenses and a somewhat recently purchased Samyang 35mm, f1.8. Last week I have received my long time dream of a camera a Sony A7 III, with a “nifty-fifty, the Sony 50mm f1.8.
Just a side note, the real dream would be the newer A7 IV or V, but the A7 III was attainable one. Anyways, I’m over the moon with my purchase and quality difference between my old and new setup is like night and day.
Truth be told, yes, the A6000 is an entry level camera, while the A7 III is professional. The former has a crop sensor, the latter one is fullframe, and much younger, still a bit old, but not that old. Clearly there are huge differences between the two and one could say comparing these is not fair, but that is exactly point.
They say gear doesn’t matter, it is about creativity. They say that if you are a great photographer you can take great photos on anything, it is about composition, catching moment, the light.
All that is kind of true… if you don’t know what to look for in a scene, what to expose for, how to make the shot interesting or balanced, the camera won’t help you there. But to have a tool that can render colors better so that you have a better starting point in editing, that enables you to catch the moment, that movement in focus makes all the difference. The ease of use, the greater dynamic range, the beautiful background blur and separation from the subject is just ‘chef’s kiss‘.
I have been using the A7 iii only for a couple of days, so one could think that the purple haze of new, fancy gear might have an effect on my judgement here, but honestly, I don’t think so. Comparing the images made with my old camera to the new one, there are objective differences between how the images are rendered, how they feel.
The higher dynamic range allowed me to capture a photo like this. I don’t think i would be able to do the same with my old setup. The bigger sensor, hence pixel size allowed me to capture finer details to get the feeling of fur across the image. I do believe the dark moodiness with high contrast while retaining details in the shadows and the light areas is what makes this shot intriguing. Not to mention the ability to move the focus are around with the joystick and getting that focus on quickly also was necessary.
With better low light performance due to newer and bigger sensor I can easily get great results with very little light. And I cannot wait to test the power of this on festivals and concerts.
For me, the improvement is not only in image quality, but in the possibilities opened up by professional gear. Now I can capture those moments, feelings and movements, that I saw, but was not able to due to limitations of my gear. Moreover, I feel I can create much more, things that I never imagined before. This camera gives me confidence to explore more. To imagine new things that I wouldn’t dare before.
All of that and more make camera gear matter. Truly makes a difference.
I’m ready to admit that it might be my own deficiency that I couldn’t get those shots I wanted, or couldn’t imagine creative shots on my A6000, and someone with greater skill and more experience would be able to do it. And that is fine. For me, though, this upgrade is what was missing. This camera enables me to do more, to imagine more. It is a tool after all and as such, it extends my skills to a level that I was not able to reach before.
Until next time, take care.
Mátyás
