The Fight You Need Not Pick

on November 18, 2018

Like the nose you need not pick, the fight you need not pick is a dark place, best avoided. This can be difficult for photographers when the manufacturers of cameras would like you to become passionate about something. In most cases, the passion they would like to foster in you is the desire to spend money.

Of course you understand that this refers to the recent introduction of 24 x 36mm sensors into mirrorless cameras...as opposed to 18 x 24mm or slightly smaller ones. There is a genuine fight there for the hearts and minds of the populace. And the last time there was a serious heart and mind battle it involved Nixon and B-52's and didn't that work out well...

I might be said to be on one side as I own a smaller system, but remember that I can also call on the large one...as soon as the shop gets enough stock...and if I want to explore the controversy further I can always break out the old Nikon F 601 kit and grab a roll of new Ektachrome. I regard the argument about those dimensions as one that is unnecessary - you can get into more productive fights over a beer or Brazilian politics.

Put succinctly, if you need a mirror-less camera that produces fuzzier backdrops in portraits, buy Sony, Nikon, or Canon. If you need a mirror-less that produces more depth of field in macros and close-ups, buy Fujifilm, Panasonic, or Olympus. The rest of the machines will do pretty much what you need them to do, and if the size of their buttons fits your fingers, go for it.

You will be in the wrong to about half of the people in your camera club, but if you picked the opposing brands you would be wrong anyway. Cheer yourself up by reflecting that you will be wrong with the pictures you like instead of the ones your opponents like. With a bit of luck you might even win a prize with your soft backdrops or sharp macros, so practice being gracious about it at the annual prize-giving. You'll know you're on a winner if you can hear teeth-gnashing and they're not your own...

BACK TO TOP
x