A clip from 'Veep' a few years ago. And you don't need me to explain what's going on. It does however help to explore the thorny issue of the 'professional' camera. Because, like it or not, a 'professional' photographer is expected to use a 'professional' camera. In this clip I'm sure '5D' is based on Pete Souza, who was pretty much the Obama's personal photographer and who famously used a 5D. '1d' ('Jonah' in Veep played by the brilliant Timothy Simons) Is someone we've all met. And also it's people I know. And yes I've done it.
I have two friends, a couple who are photographers. They specialise (or did before the virus) in commercial photography involving the workplace. They photographed shops (big ones), offices and factories. And they used medium format cameras and lenses. Because what they didn't want was to turn up at a job, get out their camera(s) and hear that dreaded phrase 'Oh, I've got one of those!' Like it or not, a professional photographer is partly judged on what they use. It is mostly expected to be a big Nikon or Canon DSLR. And it is expected to have a battery grip and some big fast lenses.
And that is perfectly justified. If you pay a photographer, then you would expect that photographer to turn up with gear that looks impressive. When I shot weddings I turned up with two Canon DSLR's (Two of them) with battery grips and some big lenses. That established who I was and what I was supposed to do. Another example was for one of my first factory jobs. I turned up with this.
Now using 'Professional' cameras doesn't guarantee good pictures, but it does generate an expectation that it does. Obviously a photographer who uses gear like this and whose pictures are rubbish won't get a lot of work, but the big kit does indicate that you are showing respect for the client. i.e. you have turned up with top of the range stuff, which indicates that a) You are making enough money to afford it and b) You are not going to be let down by not using the best.
So basically it is psychological, but actually in a good way. As a photographer you get taken seriously, which means that you probably get the co-operation that you need as well. Now you may well say that works for professional photographers, but why do enthusiasts buy all this expensive gear? Well for a start if the companies only made cameras that professionals use and only professionals bought them then they would even more expensive than they are. So if non-professional photographers buy Nikon D6's and Canon 1DX Mk III's then that's OK with me. It is the case that cameras like this don't sell in huge amounts anyway, so in order for them to continue to be made for the people who really need them, the more people that buy them the better.
As regular readers will know, I recently got rid of a lot of cameras, including some Leicas and am now using three bodies. A Nikon D850, a Nikon Z7 Mirrorless and a Nikon F6 film camera. I have the Nikon battery grips for all three and a selection of Small Rig video cages. So some of the combinations I can get are pictured below.
These are my Nikons. D850, Z7 and F6 with battery grips and / or Smallrig video cages. And yes they are big and heavy. I have recently got a Smallrig video cage which fits around the Z7 AND the battery grip.
Now the Z7 is a small camera compared to the D850. But with the grip and cage it becomes a much more impressive camera in terms of how it looks.
OK there is a limit to this, but perception is important if you are selling yourself as a professional photographer. And yes it shouldn't be necessary but it is. Because that perception is that you can handle whatever the job entails. And that perception gets you respect and you are assumed to be capable of producing quality images. Now of course you can do this with 'lesser' cameras, but a client, particularly a new one, often doesn't know that.
Now we all know that fancy big cameras are often regarded as 'male jewellery' and the idea of having a big Nikon or Canon around your neck is a case of 'look what I've got'. meant quite deliberately to create 'camera envy'. And let's be honest which of us in the same situation haven't got a cheap thrill showing off our gear. I know I have. It is a generational thing however. These days it tends to be the older photographer carrying this kind of gear around. Somebody younger is probably more interested in what phone you are using.
Now I'm concerned that companies may see a need to concentrate on cameras that they think are more sellable and this involves less attention to DSLR's and more to mirrorless. I think that this is a huge mistake. I think that they are way more influenced by the photographic internet than they should be and I've always believed that the vast majority of potential camera buyers don't know the difference between a DSLR and a mirrorless camera or if they do aren't bothered by it. And if somebody wants to buy a camera these days, they want it to look and feel like a 'real' camera. People use smartphones anyway for everyday snapping and if they buy a stand alone camera it probably means that want something more 'serious'.
In conclusion, I believe that there is a case for as much camera choice as possible. I have an SLR film camera, a DSLR and a mirrorless camera. I also use a smartphone camera as well. So I like variety and some options. It would be disappointing if the big professional DSLR's disappeared and I think we would be the poorer for it. And yes cameras like the Panasonic S1's are just as big as pro DSLR's and we will be seeing more of cameras like this as time progresses, but I can't be the only one who still likes that DSLR clunk when I press the shutter. And whether it's for a professional job or my own amusement, I like using big heavy 'professional' cameras. Long may they prosper.
