If I Only Had £500 I'd Buy This Camera & Lens 

Awesome video. Who goes out and buys a budget used camera to answer somebody's question? I'll tell you who... someone who cares about his fans and tries to help them with the correct answers instead of just ignoring them. Thanks for being the person who encourages us to get out and shoot no matter the equipment we own.

I started watching you in 2017, when you were shooting with your Canon 5D and solo camping with a tent. Even though I've owned cameras for decades and photographed my children growing up, vacations and other portraits, you made me fall in love with landscape photography. I started going out with my little dog, who I just recently lost about three months ago, and camping overnight to shoot waterfalls, creeks and mountains. You may not realize how much that meant to so many, including me. The beauty was in the adventure of it, and the communion with nature. The gear is important up to a point to meet weight, resolution needs and so forth, but the real importance is in the experience. You gave us all that experience, Thomas. Thank you so much for that, friend.

Very good video Tom. Something I like to keep in mind: If a camera was considered very good 10 years ago, just because new stuff comes out doesn't mean its no longer a very good camera 📸📸

After almost losing my eyesight twice, I am now a photographer. I feel as I was given a gift after gaining back my sight and people started taking notice of my photos. Photography has helped me get somewhat out of depression and it's my passion now...I have an emotional and spiritual connection to it (probably sounds silly but that's how I feel about it). I feel like it gave me a brand new perspective at just how much beauty there is in life and once I started making RU-vid videos about my travels it helps me even more. I've been at it for a little over a year and I've sold a couple of calendars and had someone in the UK actually order a couple of enlarged prints. While I haven't got the funds to go out and buy these expensive cameras I have been using my cameraphone only and it seems to work good enough so far. Luckily, a friend on facebook who is also a photographer gave me for FREE 2 digital canon cameras. I have NO IDEA how to use them as of yet and when I look at manuals I'm totally lost. I am excited, once the weather cools off (I"m in Phoenix,AZ) to get out there and start taking probably even more quality photos...I think I will be doing this for the rest of my life and I am in love with landscape photography!

Can't agree more! Getting to the location at the right condition is the core of landscape photography.

I have been a destination wedding photographer for more than a decade and have been working on the now 12 years old Fuji XPro1. Prints large, sharp, and way enough for fine art and luxury events. Gear is just gear and you’ve shown in this video that nothing beats light and composition ! You’re a true master Tom !

One of the reasons I love this channel (apart from the massive amount of talent that you display) is that, even when you have all the cool stuff and all the newest toys, you keep reminding us that the core of landscape photography really is the landscape and the photographer… it’s cool to have a nice piece of gear, of course, but ultimately the great satisfaction comes from finding a composition and just shooting it with whatever you have

As I am on a budget I used a Sony a6000 with old vintage manual lenses. Perfect for landscapes as you don’t need any autofocus.

I’d be lying if I didn’t give out a little “chuckle” seeing you shoot with that Canon. Really brought me back when I first subscribed to this channel!

Not a bad recommendation. Lenses are what really gets you the camera is less important but if you want to get started I would really recommend a full frame camera something like the 5D2, 6D or 5D3 used. The 50mm lens is a very good one to practice with. You could also get an adaptor and use old manual lenses as a way to practice balancing exposure, shutter and aperture without the camera doing it for you.

For this "gear" video you are forgiven! Excellent points, I stopped daydreaming about multi-megapixel mirrorless gear and settled down to enjoying my 10-year old DSLR and inexpensive lens collection because I'm finally making images with it I enjoy and because I'm not going to print A2 or larger. I might buy a more modern one some day, but this channel and others have shown how much it's to do with getting out there, using your eyes and printing the best ones. Cheers!

Finally!!! A video that normal budgets can relate to. Thank you 👍🏆

And here I am with my Canon M50 with the 15-45 kit lens… Small, lightweight and good enough for my level of photography!

I’ve always said it’s 90% location, 5% equipment and 5% skill. You can have the latest £40k phase one digital camera but if you're pointing it at a pile of bricks then you might as well be using a disposable camera. It’s the location/conditions that makes an image

I managed to get a Pentax K-1 for £500, with only 4,000 clicks on the shutter. 36mp landscape monster of a camera, fully weathersealed and with an articulated rear screen. I love it.

The 5Dii was my first full frame body and it was at this point when looking online for information about it, that I came across your channel all those years ago when you were using the 5Div and the rest they say is history. Forever grateful for you igniting that flame Thomas that burns fiercely in me today

This hearkens back to the early videos I used watch on your channel. Really enjoyed the content on this one. Cheers.

Thank you for putting this video together. I am in the position of working at Subway but have a passion for landscape photography so like you suggested I have to do it on a budget and it is a small budget. I shoot with the Canon 5D2 for two reasons one it’s at the point I can afford. The second reason is if something happens to it it’s a lot easier to replace at the lower price point. The images are great especially if you bracket your shots. I paired it up with two older lenses the 24-105 f4, and the 17-40 f4 and man oh man I love that setup for getting the shots. You just proved my point I have been saying that you don’t need the latest or greatest if you truly want to shoot you will find a way to make it work.

I love that description of missing shots because you are driving, or in a position of being unable to stop and get the shot. Last year I saw one of the most amazing images I could have ever captured during a drive between Barnard Castle and Middleton in Teesdale, but I had my mother in law in the car, and was unable to pull over hook my gear out of the boot and take what I had spotted. Shame, I have since driven by the same spot twice and nothing of the same quality.

Most videos out there are about the latest gear, thank you Mr. HEATON for thinking of the beginner and people who just can’t afford the ‘latest and greatest’🙏🏽

Interesting video. The camara is only a tool to get you out there. It's being out at crazy times of day in all weathers and that experience which I've always enjoyed. My first camara was a nikon D3200, loved that camara. Why did I get it. Well I remember sitting in the garden and my daughter saying to me you never go out anymore. I didn't see the point I live in the middle of a field serounded by all I need, so I thought. I got this camara from a secondhand shop for £100, then bought a couple of used lenses. This camara gave me so much joy and I didn't realise how unfit I was just pottering about at home. I was going places locally, up hills, walkies deep in the forest, exploring rivers etc, , building up my physical health. Now I have the nikon D7500 along with 3 lenses and filters. Gifted to me. So I simply gifted away my nikon d3200 to a young person wanting to learn photography on a local photography fb site. I do miss that little camara at times. It's nice to just get out and it's nice to be kind..... Bb

I answered just this question for a friend recently. I recommended an Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark ii with an Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Cost from MPB £294 for the body, £134 for the lens. This is a killer package for the money. He loves it and is enjoying the photography life now. It was fun trying to find gear in his budget but really pleasing to know there are options at this budget. The other option I put together for him was a Fuji X-T-1 with a Fuji XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 LM OIS lens. Cost from MPB £319 for the body, £289 for the lens. A bit over 500 but still amazing value.

For a bit of fun, I've just been on MPB' site to see what I could get. Canon: EOS 50D £77.00, Sigma 17-35mm F2.8-4 £124.00. Nikon: D3100 £79.00, Sigma 17-35mm F2.8-4 £93.00. Manfrotto 190MF3 carbon fibre tripod £94.00. Basics of a kit for between £250 and £300. Plenty of spare cash for filters etc. Fellow youtuber Gary Gough did some videos about a year ago using an EOS 350D he was lucky to get for £19. Keep up the good work on these vids.

Just checked the price of a Nikon D610 on your sponsor's site and it's down there if anybody needs a solid DSLR, I still shoot with mine.

Oh man, I can totally relate to that 350 D, also known as the rebel camera. It holds a special place in my heart as it was my very first camera almost 20 years ago. It's crazy to think how back then, camera gear wasn't really a top priority for us. I have vivid memories of those early morning walks in the field, where the scent of hay filled the air and every dew-covered spiderweb seemed like a magical creation straight out of Walt Disney World. Even now, as photography has become my profession, I find myself longing for the simplicity of those days. It was all about exploring the world, playing with light and composition, without worrying about the quality of the camera, lens, or accessories. I guess what I'm trying to say is, as you mentioned in the video, that feeling in the pit of your stomach when you spot the perfect light in the distance, but you're unable to reach it in time to capture the shot... it's a feeling that still resonates with me. Thanks for reminding me of that! ✌

I imagine Thomas thirthy years on still having this enthusiasm on this location!

This experience is more down to earth, Thomas - A reality check and more relevant

The Canon 5D Mk.2 feature-wise was so revolutionary when it came out! And when I go through my old digital photos today, I always have that feeling that the 5D2 was my oldest digital camera where the files still feel like "current quality" when I re-edit them today!

The 5D MkII was a ground breaking camera in it's day and I still have mine as a back-up. I have also had a hand shot pano blown up to 2.4m x 1.2m and it looked great!

Great to see landscape photography RU-vid videos with budget gear.

This is a great video Thomas. I was at the Wildlife Photographer of The Year competition exhibition last weekend and took a lot away from the fact that some of the photos had been taken on cheaper cameras - one on a Rebel T7i and one on a 30D (you can pick one of these up for around £30 second hand at the moment! Really made me think about the whole “does gear matter” question. I’m still of the belief that it’s about the glass in front of the camera and even more so the person behind it!

As my old dad told me “People with expensive stuff is usually a sign of not what they have but what they owe “.

My first DSLR was a Nikon D80 I bought used. I have looked at many of those old images and had to confess it was a great camera with just a kit lens. My first DSLR shots were with my son’s Nikon D50 using a Nikkor 20mm prime lens. Those images were sharp and rich in color. The real things that have improved my photos are lessons from you and others sharing your insights and experience. I now have pro-level gear, but if I don’t use it properly, the photos are lackluster and disappointing. This video was an excellent topic to produce and share.

Another great video Thomas. It will be very encouraging to a photographer on a budget. I know it is not just the camera that make a great photo, but anyone who watches your videos regularly will know the quality of the work you produce and the image on this one are up there with your best.

I’m someone who is new new to photography, but Thomas has inspired me to get out and give it a go. I love this channel and appreciate all that goes in to making it something that people love to watch. Subscribed!

I picked up a Canon 6D several years ago when $495 was a great deal. Now they are running around $250 or so it seems. Still a fantastic camera and mine is staying as other cameras go. Some decent glass on it and if you can't make great images, it's you, not the camera. Someone starting out or on a very tight budget (still there) can do their photography much good by getting an older, solid, higher-end camera and decent lens and using it well. Props to you for taking the time and spending the money to show that to those starting out or moving up from their smartphone.

I started with a 350d after getting it as a hand me down from my dad, now using his 7D that i enharated from him and still gets me realy good resluts for both landscapes, wildlife and aviation. love using it every time because of the conection it has with my dad after his passing. Still use his 100-400 most of the time and recently added a sigma 24mm f1.4 to my kit, second and from MPB. finding the limits of the camra now when it come to AF so feel it time to upgrad now but still with a 14 year old set up i get so many photos that i am happy and proud of. the main thing i have found to progess my photography has been just getting out and taking more photos as well as learing how to edit them.

I actually got my gear from the same 2nd hand place, a canon 760D (I like old mirror DLSR), with a canon 24-105 f4 L IS USM and 70-300mm f4-5.6 IS II USM lenses (I have an old canon 10-22 that I seldom use). This was replacing my old canon 350D, which was my first DLSR too. I do live my best life with this gear 😁 I just recently got an old Semflex medium format TLR for about 50€ and couple of film rolls, and this is pure joy. Great message you send here ! Cheers from France !

If you are going to do a gear video, I would much rather it to be this way than quibbling about the high end gear. It's about getting out there and experiencing the world you are observing. Great step forward!

Just proves it’s the photographer not the camera, nice one Thomas 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

This film is a wonderful demonstration of why I started following you many years ago, it has nothing to do with cameras, lenses or any other gear, it’s a wonderful demonstration of your enthusiasm, in fact for me your genuine enthusiasm makes your films unmissable! Good one mate! 👏👍😀

The deeper I've gotten into photography, the more I realize that while "it's the artist, not the brush" is ultimately true, having a high quality brush can be crucial to help you push your own limits and creativity. Now with decades of photography behind me, I could pick up a potato with an eyeglass lens shoved in it and make a good photo. A beginner certainly couldn't, however. It's important to buy gear that doesn't stand SO much in our way that we get frustrated to the point where we stop picking it up. To me, a beginner should have a piece of gear that will take them years to fully master vs some cheap crackerjack toy that has a low overall ceiling of output. All that said, light and locale are still 90% of any good photo, not the equipment capturing it.

This was a good mix of the challenge of photography and setting a challenge for yourself. Great video and thoughts as always. 🍻

This is exactly how I've rekindled my love of photography. I bought a used Canon 6D and a used Sigma 20 f/1.4 and it's cost me just over 500, luckily I still had an old tripod kicking about. This gives me the opttion of landscape and a bit of astro, feels great to be out shooting again! Great video as always ::)

As always a great video. Regarding the budget: I started with a used APS-C Sony Mirrorless. Bought it used and picked it up in mint condition from the guy. He just took some snapshots with it in his vacation. The tip I can give as I was in the same boat with budget: Buy an aluminium tripod. No Travelstuff with Flip-Up Legs. A normal one with 3 sections. Not more. They are sturdy. They weigh a BIT more, but are good. Get one where you can remove the center column or get one with a short one. Ballhead / 3way head. All is fine. They work. Carbon Fiber is nice and I upgraded to one - 6 years later. My aluminium tripod was a Cullmann one. Great thing. For filters: Stick with Round screw ons for the beginning. They are dirt cheap (a pair of 3 costs around 50 bucks) and a polarizer an additional 20. But a "middle of the road" brand. I bought "Haida" Filters. They are not TOP of the line but they are no garbage with a tint. Just decent and do the job. Graduated filters are usually doable with Lightroom Postprocessing IF you are shooting RAW. I like big filters and I can understand grads. But for starting and to get a feel on how much you use them, get round ones and skip Grad filters. This was my entry into Amateur and hobby photography and 7 years down the road I could barely justify a Carbon Fiber Tripod. I bought larger Roundfilters and skipped Square ones again - They are just too expensive for my usage. Edit: Always pick the LARGEST Filter size for the lens you own or you know you will probably own and buy adapter rings for it. It's 2-4 times cheaper than the Square Filters and Brackets.

Now that is a great video. I keep telling my clients exactly this. Well illustrated and entertaining, nobody needs a new camera for landscape photography. An old 5DII or a D750 will do the trick no questions asked.

Pause for thought, Mr Heaton.... What you've done in making this video is immensely valuable to many people. You've shot gorgeous images in a way that is accessible for many, and you've conveyed the sheer pleasure you had in the process. I struggle to think of anything that could be more 'relevant'. I'd love to see you do more in this vein. As an aside... i was at a similar location in similar conditions yesterday morning. I took my E5 w the 12-60 because i suspected things could get messy. I was on my knees using some rocks with waves breaking over them as a foreground. Beware the seventh wave in the set... the only time both i and the camera got submerged. The image i got in the instant before the wave hit me is the best i have had all year. 24 hours later and me and that old Olympus have dried out and we're both back to functioning normally. We have days like that - Arctic fox moments - and i'm not sure there's anything better. All the best from a cabin in a swamp in a rainforest in New Zealand.

I've been watching your videos for a few years now and I loved today's return of 'Tom gets out there and complains about the weather.' It's what brings this Aussie back each week for more. 🙂 Oh yeah, and your photography. I come back for that as well.

Love this video! I cannot agree more. Thank you for putting this together and maybe it will encourage others to get out there and enjoy the landscapes near them knowing that the best camera is the one you have with you. Cheers.

I've never sold any of my camera kit, since I started in 1976. I could easily sell it all, except my Z mount lenses, and get me a Z8. Won't do it. My last camera purchase was a D800 from your sponsor's USA competition. Last lens was a Nikkor 24-120mm f/4 G to put on it. I have Z system equipment, but the old DSLR just feels right. BTW, I still shoot film with the camera that started it all, the Yashica FX-2... and 7 C/Y mount lenses. I can't get rid of the old stuff. It's still fun to shoot with. My heirs will sell all this stuff to MPB or the "USA competition" in Georgia, USA. They don't love it, but there's a bunch of old stuff, in excellent condition for you youngsters in the future.

I was so pleased when you said what camera you chose as that’s what I brought 3months ago because of the reviews that still show it’s awesome when on a budget. Thanks

Great video with a message that should be broadcast more. Loved the shots especially the one you printed.

Thomas I feel this is an episode many people can relate to, I loved it and thought it is one of your best in a while, some cracking images too. Thanks as always for sharing.

Great video! Lots of people do not understand that you can do great photos with older/less expensive gear. It is all about waking up early, find the light, look for the subject....

Great video . This is exactly what I have done. Just over a year ago I bought a 5 D ii with a very low shutter count off eBay for £425.00 and a Nifty Fifty lens ( new ) all together it came to just over £500.00. I have since bought some second hand L lenses to increase the variety of what I can do also have a couple of old EF mount kit lenses from previous cameras. I love the Canon 5D ii and I'm enjoying experiencing my new hobby of landscape photography . The image is just the end product of the experience of the shoot. Keep it coming Thomas I love your stuff !! Cheers John

For a good photograph two things are important: 1) be in a good spot and open to capturing the beauty of it (by that I mean get there!!!) 2) have A camera with you - any of todays camera will do great for most applications! All the talk about gear is procrastination and discracting from the main aspects. And I am guilty of that as well. So I applaud this video and the emphasis on what it really takes! Get out and shoot!

Great video Tom! I remember the days shooting with my 5DMK2 and loved that camera. I still have my 5D4 and use it often for my landscape photography and it is a favorite camera. Being there on location is what it's all about. Enjoyed this video so much.

I Think the Nikon d800/d800e are the probably the best bang for buck landscape cameras in the current market.They sell for around the same as a 5dii does here but offer more resolution (36mp) and much better shadow noise.

Another great alternative is the Nikon D600 or D610. The advantage with this choice is the great Nikon D series glass. It's autofocus, but the autofocus isn't fast. You'll probably be over $300 for the camera, but you can find great old Nikon glass at ridiculously low prices, if you know where to look.

Great video. So refreshing to watch a film that's promoting reasonably cheap used gear instead of megabucks new stuff. And demonstrating their value with crisp, clear prints. As always, well done Mr Heaton!

Nikon D700 or Canon 5D II, either can make top notch images and are both really tough. Fair play on the lens! Great video once again Thomas

Good message. All true. A man I used to work with lived on an island alongside the canal where all the boats came and went. He said the guys with the cheapest boats caught the most and best fish. It's not all about the gear, in anything.

This is a great video Thomas! I posted a link to this on DPR as I've seen so many budding photographers ask this same question and where the avalanche of answers often turns into an ugly slugfest between voices espousing their gear as the best option (regardless if their lenses are all Leicas, etc.!). You've done us a great service and I plan on sharing this video to anyone who asks this question in the future. We should always remember that when we were beginners we were often afraid to ask these questions. Well done!!

The old adage: “The best camera is the one you have with you “… applies here too… excellent and well observed Thomas… D7000 for me… love it….

I have been encouraging my(4 3/4 ) grand-daughter to enjoy photography. She was bought a camera that instantly prints out a paper copy. this was relatively inexpensive to use but the results although instant were poor. MPB and companies like them must have thousands of 10/12 mp cameras that probably will never be sold. I did suggest to them to put a camera and lens package together so that grandchildren everywhere may take there photography to the next level. Obviously these packages would need to be priced at an affordable level. If they did they would probably have lifelong customers. Unfortunately MPB never responded. Good video Tom with a great ethos.

Possibly one of the best/nicest images you have produced Thomas. 👍🏻

I think something like the T7 or SL3 or D3500 starter kits are great. They are around $500 and usually end up on sale around a holiday. You can grow into better lenses as budgets permit and they take great photos.

Really great job with this video Tom. Shows anyone getting into photography you don’t need to break the bank. My first camera was a Canon 1300D with the Tameron 16-300 and it got me out learning and enjoying photography without breaking the bank because (I’ll admit) at first I was really put off by the prices of the latest camera bodies and lenses but similar videos like this one really got me thinking it’s not about the gear. It’s about the experience and waiting for those unique moments

Thanks again for your hard work, I think the image you printed, perfectly sums up a British summer, excellent

Great video. Very honest work. In the end, photography is all about love, not money 😊

For most of us its a hobby. Spend as much or as little as you can or want to. Just have fun because the reality is that you only have one person to please.

Starting with a less expensive used camera like the 6D or 5D2 is an excellent way to start. They might not have all the bells and whistles of a new mirrorless, but they make great photos!

Brilliant Thomas, makes me think of my old Pentax Spotmatic and the sheer delight I had takin photos with it. ❤

Excellent video Thomas. Thank you for sharing this message. I sometimes suffer from gear envy but I have a budge and get what I can afford. So this was a great message and that image you printed - gorgeous.

I've just been watching some videos you made 5 yrs ago with what would now be deemed 'antiquated' equipment. Yet those images are still world beaters. As we all know, technology has moved on, it's made the process easier but it hasn't replaced the talent behind the viewfinder.

Great idea to make this video! There are plenty of people out there who don't have a large budget but want to get into the hobby. I think they will find this video inspiring, especially given that gorgeous photo you ended up with.

Really excellent, Thomas. Thank you!

Thanks for always shooting us straight Thomas.

A well directed video Thomas for all those budding photographers who may be put off by the high entry cost of the best technology now available, and of course used by the pros we like to follow. Well done.

Another great video and so insightful

On MPB US you can pick up a Pentax K70 with Sigma 24-70 f/2.8 for around your price limit. Yes, it's APSC, but that still a pretty good kit for the price.

Nice one Thomas. My digital photography journey started with a Canon Powershot G6 back in 2006, on which I discovered the power of RAW files and then a few years later a 550D. I found the limitations were actually what pushed me to be more creative in order to try and reach the quality of photographs produced on 'better' systems. Things like bracketing for dynamic range began then. :)

Gosh. I´m feeling so relieved by now... My first camera was a Canon EOS 750D and I still love it. Now I am in need for a new one and I think I´ll make the "jump" to much more expensive gear. But I had learned a lot of things with my old camera and it was definitley a good choice though. I really have to thank you for this video, because sometimes I just got the feeling that equipment is the only thing that counts (it is with working for a lot of companies...) but for photography as an art the eye and creativity of the photographer is so much more. So this video transports an important message to me... it is important to go back to the basics sometimes

Beautiful display of that it's not the camera, but the man behind it that's responsible for the outcome. And 500 bucks is absolutely reasonable to get your feet in the waters. I'm not saying it's not possible to find a horrible camera if you really try to, but it's getting easier and easier to find modest ones. I took some of my absolute favorite images with a Nikon D90 with 18-55 kit lens. High dynamic scenes as well and yes, it did lack the required dynamic range - to grab the shot in one exposure. But I knew about exposure blending by then (and thanks to you, to a fair amount, so thank you!), so I could work around the camera's shortcomings. The camera's a tool after all, and good tools make the job easier. But cheap tools can still get the job done if you know how to use them. Thank you for this video!

350D was my first DSLR too! I went to Celaya today with my $40 400D and I like the photos as much as my 5Dii! All sharp. Great b&w jpegs!

I always liked this Heaton. It's good to see him back. OK, so it's because its an ad for MPB (a great company. I have used them many times. Indeed I just bought a camera and lens from them for less than it was selling on eBay) but good to see you back like this. I hope that this gets tons of views and encourages more like this. There is a desperate need for this sort of "budget" oriented content and no one is really doing it. However, you manage to get good images no matter the kit. Throw in some wild camping rather than the old pervs camper van, and it would be fun again :)

Greetings from New Zealand. Great video Thomas, thank you, and probably the first time I've felt convicted to comment in a very long time! I've had my Sony A99 Mk1 (24mp) for 11 years now and is accompanied by an array of 2nd hand lenses built up over that time. Never bought new in my life. I can comfortably print landscapes A2+, stitch my panoramas (comes with practice) and now with built in AI in Adobe, I have help controlling excessive noise. Dont see myself upgrading anytime soon. Using my gear is like putting on favourite clothes... oh so very familiar and comfortable and immediately brings a peace when holding it in my hand! Thanks again and take care.

Loved the video Thomas. The 5D Mark II was my first high end camera bought many years ago where I truly developed my skills in photography. It still is my all-time favorite, mainly for the memories and places I used it. It's still alive and well, given to a family member some time ago with a 24-105 F4 zoom. She loves it, still uses it, and following my learning curve in the world of photography. If you're just starting out, check the used markets like MPB and others.

Another great video Tom.

Great video!! Really on point, great to encourage people. Top.

Starting out in bird photography I used an Olympus OM-D Em5 and an adapted (MF and f stop) Tamron 70-300 f4-5.6 LD lens. The camera and lens cost less than 150usd (116gbp) altogether. Small light gear to take out to the fields and occasionally capture a nice image. There are some free software programs to help you clean up your photographs, so expensive software isn't a necessity. Wildlife photography isn't only for those who can afford $6,000 cameras and $20,000 lenses.

All around good video. I think it very helpful to many for more photographers to talk about the person behind the lens over the expensive latest and greatest gear for capturing images. I for one am encouraged, because I cannot afford the current gear. Thanks Thomas. Cheers.

Brilliant and thanks for encouraging us all 👍🏾

It is DAMN HARD not to want to purchase the absolute top-of-the-line gear that's available because we feel it's necessary to create the absolute best images we can. Camera manufacturers tout their new technological advancements as must-have gear and why not? It is important after all. But passion and experience are more important. I mean, just because a Nikon D700 is an "old" camera doesn't mean it's impossible to get great images with it. Photographers sure did when it was one of the "must-have" cameras a decade ago. A great video with a great lesson Thomas!

The $400 grad filter set created that photo, a 5D2 will not capture that dynamic range. But a shooter could work around with exposure bracketing. 3rd use of megapixels is to hold the image quality while editing. This a fantastic episode for learners, and I would add that the learner should and must dig into art history books, borrowed from the library. That's how the eye is developed - looking at great paintings and other works that have stood the test of time. Take a look at Constable, Turner etc. and be moved, then go at it with photography. There is great value to a learner to fall in love with a couple great painters, they validate how you think and lend support to the seeing mind.

Another cracking video. I use to use the 5D MKiii, a great camera. Unfortunately, its part of the learning curve to 'think' you need better gear for better results. Whereas, what you really need is to be out more with your gear. I would also add, that if you want greater megapixels but have a limited budget, don't be afraid to use pano's, vertical and horizontal, that will give you a greater resolution.

Any Camera from the last 5 years will be fine - besides FX also APS-C and MFT. My wife‘s Nikon D3500 with 18-55mm kit lens (419€ new three years ago) will produce the same picture. For wider angles the fabulous 10-20mm (250€ used) is all you‘ll need.

I recently bought a Nikon D7000 for £150 (body only) and an 18-200mm lens for £85. It can be done if you shop around. The shutter count on the camera was only 7,500 too!

My first camera was a Canon 350d with the 18-55 kit lens. I travelled the world and it gave me so much happiness for 10 years!! I sold it. Worst thing I ever did. Ever since then I’ve spent thousands of dollars on cameras every few years and I’ve never been happy with my images since. I lost the joy of photography when I found RU-vid and got sucked into what everyone else thought I should buy. I’m trying to just love the camera I have now, but it’s hard.

I use a Kodak Z-712 right now. I don't print large images, and I love the way the camera works for ME. I also don't have an editing program right now, so I use my phones editing software. I still assert though, you need to come to Northern Michigan, Traverse City, USA. I will take you around!