Better equipment does not make you a better photographer

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It just doesn't

Just the opposite is true actually, once you get better, you will be able to make use of even inferior equipment

Consider learning how to drive, a better car will not directly make you a better driver (or a better pen will not make you a better writer). You need something that is working well and is reasonably priced to get going.

Between the lines

  • We are talking about Amateur photography here, if you are earning money with your photographs, you should have the right equipment for your job.
  • Knowing what your equipment can and can not do, is part of the fun of learning to deal with photography.
  • Most equipment built in the last 10 years is crazy good. There are of course differences in quality, but even the worst ones are really really good.
  • While you can objectively measure quality, and say "Lens A is better than B", for the most part this does not show itself on the pictures. Especially considering the cost of some cameras and lenses the return you get for your investment when you but a newer, and better equipment is usually less than what you expect.
  • Better equipment allows you to get away with more mistakes, but it will not really help you avoid making those mistakes.


I have spent a lot of money on equipment (at least for my budget) and recently for these pages I have started collecting second hand equipment to experiment a bit more. At the moment, I own probably 5x more equipment than I need, so I have a bit of experience when I say better equipment does not make you a better photographer.


These pages are for Amateur Photographers and not really for seasoned photographers and professionals. I have no affiliation or commercial interest with any brand/make. I write from my own experience. I ended up using mainly Nikon, so I am more familiar with this brand than others. See price for notes on pricing as well as photography related links.