The intolerance of other's choices and decisions here regarding the photographic equipment they use and own is a real turn off. We all have differing needs and preferences. it is the differences between people that makes life interesting: long may that be the case.
The progression of my work has been facilitated by the progression of my choices of equipment. It's that simple.
Are you sure you've been reading it right, Keith?
I can't bring to mind many fanboy wars; if anything, there are those delighted to relate their happy experiences with whatever marque they use, some working across several of them. But to be fair, maybe it's my fault for avoiding most of the equipment threads, so I might have missed all the fun...
For me, it matters nothing which brands other folks think make them exceptional photographers. Such people would be exceptional whatever brand they use. Maybe that's why iPhones work for Nick Knight.
My own position is simple: I used Nikon from when I could buy into it. Nothing has made me change to other brands of 135 format, occasional thoughts about rangefinder Leicas of my day almost instantly dismissed exactly
because of the rangefinder system. Leica slr cameras may have had great optics, but the bodies didn't even give full-frame coverage in the viewfinders, or at least, up to the R6 models which I did consider once, but also decided against.
What I do think is daft is the constant chase after minute changes that, in the end, make bugger all difference to the real life pix people produce. Of course, it's their choice to play along or not.
People may well be forced into changes of equipment through eye problems; such is life, and one has to do what can be done to help the situation, or just take up something else. Those are very different circumstances and motivation for change.
Would I be a different photographer if I had used Pentax, Canon or Minolta? A Minolta wouldn't have made me David Hamilton. Of course not. Had I used a rangefinder, then certainly, yes: I would have left long lenses well alone during my working life. Sieff used Leica M4, Nikon, 'blad and Rollei, and it was horses for courses. That much of his published work stems from Leica M4 and a 21mm optic is testament to the magazines, creating a look, and the ethos of the times. He writes about having gone on a magazine shoot with nothing else, hoping it didn't mean his last gig, and the relief that he got away with it.
Rob
