Minimum equipment list?

[One Sock]

I'm a relatively inexperienced photographer with aspirations of someday producing pro-quality photos. While it might be nice to go out and buy a lot of fancy equipment, that really isn't an option; I can only acquire things over time (like, years) as my budget allows. Also, I'm something of a minimalist, and I'd rather have one piece of equipment that can do the job of two, even if it won't do it quite as well.

Right now I have a Pentax K-7 with 18-55 weather resistant lens. For editing I have Corel Aftershot, and a Spyder 3 screen calibrator which unfortunately doesn't give very good results with my laptop screen. My main area of photographic interest is anything outside: landscapes, wildlife, sailboats, trains. I often walk in remote, rugged areas and have to carry my gear in a pack.

My question is, what is the minimum equipment that I NEED right now, to take at least pretty good photos and give me a chance to improve my skill? What should I get as soon as it's convenient? And what can wait a while?

[ashcroft]

My question is, what is the minimum equipment that I NEED right now, to take at least pretty good photos and give me a chance to improve my skill?

Sorry, I don't mean to be critical, but any DSLR camera costing around £400+ (or £200 used) would take pretty good pictures. If you gave David Bailey or Annie Leibovitz your K7 I bet they could take some cracking shots with it. That sentence I quoted above seems to imply that you need better equipment to improve your skills. Is that really what you meant?

[tclune]

A decent lightweight tripod and a camera cable release seem like good choices to start with.

[One Sock]

That sentence I quoted above seems to imply that you need better equipment to improve your skills. Is that really what you meant?

No, sorry if I wasn't clear. I'm not talking about getting a different camera. I mean, for example, do I need to have a polarizing filter for taking good landscape shots, or can I get by without it for now? Is a tripod essential, or will setting the camera on a rock or bracing against a tree be good enough for the time being? What sort of extra lens should I look at eventually getting? Do I absolutely need a high-quality wide gamut computer screen for editing? That kind of thing. I'm just trying to figure out an order of priority for what accessories I need.

[ashcroft]

No, sorry if I wasn't clear. I'm not talking about getting a different camera. I mean, for example, do I need to have a polarizing filter for taking good landscape shots, or can I get by without it for now? Is a tripod essential, or will setting the camera on a rock or bracing against a tree be good enough for the time being? What sort of extra lens should I look at eventually getting? Do I absolutely need a high-quality wide gamut computer screen for editing? That kind of thing. I'm just trying to figure out an order of priority for what accessories I need.

OK. For landscapes - lightweight, but sturdy tripod (as you carry it). A set of ND grad filters will help a lot. I have a couple of polarizers but I don't use them much (it rains a bit in Wales). A plain ND filter can be useful for stopping down in strong light to get slow motion water etc. Like this...


You could get a better camera and lens, but honestly I'd just practice for a while with what you have and a few basics like I mentioned.

As for wildlife - no idea! But 55mm probably isn't going to be enough. Don't get a new lens for the K7 until you have decided that you are happy to use that camera make in the future. It's easy to get through a lot of money on replacing things that you thought at the time were quite good enough.

If you live with a partner, make sure they are out of the house when the delivery driver calls.

[Venser]

No, sorry if I wasn't clear. I'm not talking about getting a different camera. I mean, for example, do I need to have a polarizing filter for taking good landscape shots, or can I get by without it for now? Is a tripod essential, or will setting the camera on a rock or bracing against a tree be good enough for the time being? What sort of extra lens should I look at eventually getting? Do I absolutely need a high-quality wide gamut computer screen for editing? That kind of thing. I'm just trying to figure out an order of priority for what accessories I need.

Everyone will have a different priority list.
Given the list of things you like to shoot, this is what I would recommend.

1 - Tripod (something I rarely use)
2 - Cable release or wireless depending on cost.
3 - Polarizing filter
4 - ND filter
5 - Software (Lightroom & PS is $10/month, DarkTable is free, GIMP is free, Nik's $170, PTGui is expensive)

At least 2-4 can be had for relatively cheap.
I use PTGui for panoramic stitching. Does anyone use something cheaper?

Landscape photography is about the only genre where I would recommend a tripod unfortunately.

I can't recommend a lens because everyone shoots differently. I love using my 70-200 for landscapes whereas the guy next to me would say 14-24. Depends what you're trying to achieve. I can only recommend you shoot continuously for the next little while and decide if you find yourself nearer the 18mm side or your lens or the 55m side. After that choose accordingly.

CS

[inkista]

Just me, but I'd say the only thing you need is a tripod. Be sure, though, that you find the right balance between low cost, weight, and stability (you can have any two of those three things). A small lightweight cheap tripod does you no good if you shoot in windy conditions.

You will probably also want a cable release (you can use a timer, but it gets annoying after a while), and possibly consider swapping out Aftershot for something that has the ability to apply a GND in post (e.g., Lightroom/PSE, or if you want to go open source, RAWTherapee or DarkTable). Maybe some HDR software. ND filters maybe. But remember that in the future, you'll probably eventually want an ultrawide lens that may take a larger filter. A step-down ring and larger filter sizes is something to consider before equipping yourself.

Basically, though, just go out and shoot a lot. A lot a lot. And whenever you realize, "I really wanted that shot, and I couldn't get it because I didn't have X" then it's a sign you need to buy X. Everybody's different in terms of what they can afford, what they shoot, and how they shoot, and therefore they have different needs. Folks on boards can only tell you what they find indispensable. It might not be the same for you.

[FrankMi]

Welcome to CiC!

You will get a lot of different answers from folks with widely varying interests and strong opinions about what is essential. Right now your biggest limitation is "I'm a relatively inexperienced photographer" and not hardware. The more you shoot, post, get critique, and reshoot to improve, the closer you will come to determining what is YOUR list of essential equipment.

With the possible exception of a solid tripod and possibly a shutter release cable for landscapes, you have everything you need at the moment. You may think that there is a piece of magical equipment that will improve you shots but the reality is, the magic is in dedicated practice coupled with honest critique an more practice. If you really want to improve your skills, learn composition - perfect images of mush is still, well....

Pick a specific area, such as landscapes (you pick the genre), and as several folks here have done, search the internet for free tutorials and videos on how to capture stunning landscapes. Then go out and shoot, get critique, and reshoot until you are comfortable with your percentage of keepers. By then you will know if you 'need' something else to help you improve.

This can help you move forward and get great feedback here at Cambridge in Colour.

[Manfred M]

Let me add to the good advice you have already received.

Landscape photography is best done at "magic hour", the time of day just after sunrise and just before sunset, when the lighting is soft, diffuse and interesting for a landscape photographer. The acutal duration of is dependent on the time of year and latitude that you are shooting at. For shot planning, look at getting "The Photographer's Ephermis" for your smart phone, tablet or laptop. It is a great planning tool that lets you judge the time of day to be on location and direction of the sun.

http://www.photoephemeris.com/


A lot of people discount a polarizer for some landscape work shot at these times, but what they forget is that is useful at any time of day for landscape work. It cuts the reflection off of leaves and grass, even in cloudy conditions, giving you a much crisper image. It's not just used for enhancing the look of the sky.

Tripod (and head) - If you are planning to do landscape work, then carbon fibre is the way to go on some legs; an extra few hundred grams / ounces really does make a significant difference if you are trudging along carrying your gear. A good head to hold the camera is also quite necessary. Most people scrimp on these, but end up upgrading later out of frustration with their existing tripod. If you are looking at doing low light shots with exposures that run several seconds to several minutes, large diameter legs are going to be necessary as well as a columnless design. I would also suggest a head that uses Arca-Swiss style plates; these are as "universal" as quick release plates for tripods get to be and let you add accessories from various suppliers; L-brackets, rails and pano heads, for instance if you are planning to shoot panoramic shots.

A good backpack is also critical for lugging that gear around. You obviously have one, hopefully it works for you.

Yes, a remote release, grad filters, neutral density filters all can come later. A shift-tilt lens is also quite useful. I don't think Ricoh / Pentax makes one, but I believe the Samyang f/3.5 24mm TS lens comes in a Pentax mount, and while it is not inexpensive, I understand it is very good value.

Get a decent external wide gamut screen for your laptop, one that can actually be colour corrected.

And as others have mentioned; practice is the most important (and often overlooked) part of photography. As Henri Cartier-Bresson once said; "your first 10,000 images are your worst".

[James G]

I wouldn't argue with any of the previous replies, however, you indicated that you are not getting a good result calibrating your laptop.

Not sure what you mean by this, but depending on your laptop size , a good quality monitor should prove a good investment. I would suggest using as your primary display with maybe the laptop screen as a secondary.

[mknittle]

Tripod and Shoot shoot shoot!

[GeoBonsai]

"... landscapes, wildlife, sailboats, trains." Acquiring the proper gear for capturing wildlife is the most expensive photography ambition of the ones you listed. On wilderness trails, wildlife rarely approach within the range of an affordable 200mm lens. To constantly capture outstanding wildlife/bird photos requires an expensive lens (Nikon 600mm f/4.0G cost about $10,000 US) and sturdy tripod ($500 US). Of course, if you're being chased by a bear, and you stop to snap a photo with your smart phone, that'll work pretty good too.

Guidelines for minimum equipment

If you want to make digital photos:
o Camera
o Computer
o Keen sense of composition

The above is all you need

~~~~~~~~~~
Want more???

If you want to capture a wide variety of scenes and advance your photography skills:
o Camera with ISO/aperture/exposure controls, interchangeable lenses, and tripod mount
o Tripod
o Remote shutter release ($6 US)
o Knowledge of manual, aperture-priority, or exposure-priority mode

If you want to take long exposures in day light:
o Neutral density filters (ND2 ND4 ND8)
Use a solid neutral density (ND) filter to uniformly reduce light across the entire frame without affecting the color. Commonly used in situations where there is bright sun light and using a wide aperture to get a shallow depth of field or using a slow shutter speed to get cloud effects or milky effects of moving water would result in an overexposed image. You can use a solid ND combined with a long exposure to "erase" moving cars! TIP: For long exposures, cover the viewfinder to avoid stray light reaching the sensor.
o Tripod

If you want to adjust images out of the camera:
o Raw image files
o Post-processing software, such as whatever came with your camera or Adobe Lightroom

If you want to experiment with merging multiple exposures and high dynamic range (HDR) photography:
o Tripod
o Exposure bracketing
Use auto exposure bracketing (AEF) if your camera supports it or use manual exposure bracketing if not
o EasyHDR post-processing software

If your scene includes an overly bright sky or a reflective surface:
o Circular polarizing filter
Use a CPL to uniformly reduce glare or reflections. Works best when you are at a right angle to sun light and CPL is twisted/turned for proper light level. Saturates colors and enhances clarity in sky, glass, and water. For example, use a CPL to capture rocks, fish and other critters in a stream or tide pool.
o Graduated neutral density filter
Use a grad to dim an overly bright sky at sunrise/sunset through the gray part of the filter while maintaining the correct exposure to the foreground through the clear part. (You can easily apply graduated filters in Lightroom )

Nikon D3300 > Nikon 18-200mm lens > 200mm

Heermann's gull (Larus heermanni) landed about 6 feet (1.8 meters) in front of my camera, which was mounted on a tripod. So it is possible to capture wildlife in urban areas with an affordable lens, but it's a rare occurrence in the wild! Pacific Grove, California, on Monterey Bay.

[William W]

. . . I'm something of a minimalist, and I'd rather have one piece of equipment that can do the job of two, even if it won't do it quite as well. . . I have a Pentax K-7 with 18-55 weather resistant lens. For editing I have Corel Aftershot, and a Spyder 3 screen calibrator which unfortunately doesn't give very good results with my laptop screen. My main area of photographic interest is anything outside: landscapes, wildlife, sailboats, trains. . .

************

My question is, what is the minimum equipment that I NEED right now, to take at least pretty good photos and give me a chance to improve my skill?

> A Monitor that is a useful tool and a room that is properly lit, in which to use it.

> Allocated time and allocated projects: you need to get out with jobs to do so you can ask for critique and also do self evaluation. Here is your first one, noted outside your nominated interests – please supply four hydrants before new years’ day . . .

>Allocated Practice Time for everything - including your Post Production Skills.



***

What should I get as soon as it's convenient?

> Tripod and Head – do not skimp on quality. Often good quality can be found second hand or in pawn shops. Second-hand tripods are easy to test for quality and faults. I don’t like Ball-heads as a ‘general head’ I opt more for a plate/video style head – often they are less expensive and usually more sturdy for a similar price point as a Ball-head

> Remote Release (note - mentioned above as “cable release” but I think you need a remote release for that model pentax camera)

> Lens Hoods that are useful at different Focal Lengths – you can make two or three or improvise with a lens shade of black cloth. Matt-black cardboard around 320~400gsm is useful if you want to make the lens hoods.



***

And what can wait a while?

> Another Lens - consider something in the 55 to 250 zoom range – probably Pentax has a “kit lens” in that range.

Boat Photos, Landscapes and Waterscapes are not necessarily the aegis of only the wide angle lens – a telephoto lens is often useful:


“Three Yellow Toys”

(made with a 200mm Lens on EOS 5D, using a Tripod and a remote release and ‘mirror up’ technique ... and a lens hood)

WW

All images © AJ Group Pty Ltd (AUST) – (WMW) 1996~2014

[Stagecoach]

My question is, what is the minimum equipment that I NEED right now, to take at least pretty good photos and give me a chance to improve my skill? What should I get as soon as it's convenient? And what can wait a while?

It could of course depend upon what you consider are 'pretty good photos'.

The only thing mentioned so far that I would consider essential is a tripod, because you will not always find a convenient item to place your camera on to achieve the framing you want. The choice of this should be based upon how friendly it is for your use, it's no good having the best and heaviest tripod if you are not going to use it because it's a pain to take with you.

Filters whether CPL, NDs or GNDs are useful but not essential, they may just limit you from capturing certain shots in the best possible way. My advice here would be to buy larger thread size and cheap step up rings to cater for future lens upgrades.

One other bit of advice and from someone who is learning is to set yourself a target with respect to the images you produce, aim to produce something such as 1200 to 1400 px width for screen viewing of which you are happy with. If you do not do this you can very easily get caught up in the 'this lens, camera or tripod is better' murky area rather than concentrating on capturing good images of which your gear is perfectly capable of doing if used correctly.

Post some images here, they do not have to be brilliant, and you will get very good advice.

Grahame

[IzzieK]

I've been reading through all the replies here and most says you need a tripod. Good idea. It is the most helpful piece of equipment you can ever give yourself to for Christmas. And make it a good one.

I would also advice on living with what you have at the moment and read your manual, practicing what it says there for you to practice and understand how your camera works. Some terminologies might a little bit over your head at first, but stay with it, google anything that you do not understand...like for instance, ETTR. Google the word and you will find a lot of answers to choose from. Choose one that speaks your language, the simplicity of the explanation itself. Another is get the book on Understanding Exposure by Brian Peterson. Photography is all about light and lighting and location and positioning the light. The book has a lot of examples and simple lessons to learn from.

And last but not least, before you embark on any expedition, try photographing anything nearby like the view from your front door or your back garden. There are a lot to photograph there where you will learn where light comes from and from which angle to shoot a particular flower for instance.

Then when you are ready, go to your Profile Setting, and put in your details so we all know where you are from and what you want us to refer to you as. At the top of the page, you came here via the Forum. When submitting your photograph for critique and comments (C&C) find the right place by choosing from there. Any of the moderators here will help you with your uploads if you put it in the wrong forum. No big deal for them because they are here to help and they will be pleased to be of help to you.

Gain friends by commenting on others' photos too. Looking at someone else's photos and reading the comments generated by a certain post helps also in learning, in "seeing" what a good photograph is. I think I have said enough.

[Saorsa]

"... Of course, if you're being chased by a bear, and you stop to snap a photo with your smart phone, that'll work pretty good too.

Ya know, I was out in Yellowstone, stalking a buffalo to get a good shot I was, suddenly, I heard an odd burst of music. 'Ode to Joy'. Seemed to come from nowhere. I looked around and found it was a smart phone in a pile of bear scat.

[Shadowman]

Depending on your location, is it possible to borrow some of the incidentals (filters, tripod, lenses) mentioned in other posts?

[pnodrog]

Memory cards.... ....spare battery.

[TheBigE]

Shoot....review....critique....repeat.

I think all the recommendations above are good, but in the end I think the best is to go and shot, review and post here for help. You will get excellent feedback. Then you will learn quickly what additional equipment is needed. You will learn how a tripod could have made it easier, how an ND filter would have allowed you to capture the photo you had in your mind. This way you can understand what you really need.

The minimum list of equipment, outside that of a Camera, will be different for each person. Also, given that there are so many avenues that you can pursue in photography, you may find out after a while that Macro Photography is more interesting, than Landscapes. I know over the last 6 months, my interest have changed from what I first thought was my main focus.

I do think a Tripod could be a strong argument as minimum equipment, but a good quality tripod with a robust head. But then again, the choice of photography you choose to pursue may also dictate the head type you choose.

Finally, perhaps investing in some online course or local course in your area would be helpful. Here is a link to a review I did of an Online Course I took. For me it really forced me to get out and shoot, critique, and repeat. It was a great experience.

In the end, i wish you luck in your journey and look forward to see your work posted here on CiC

Erik

[Black Pearl]

My question is, what is the minimum equipment that I NEED right now, to take at least pretty good photos and give me a chance to improve my skill? What should I get as soon as it's convenient? And what can wait a while?

All you need now is you, what you need soon is experience and what can wait is the great picture that will come with the combination. You could buy the most expensive kit available and still produce rubbish or you can wear your current gear smooth taking it out everywhere, shooting everything and trying to experiment - look critically on what you produce and the quality will come.