Personal opinion: most "photographers" are just consumers. Hence the constant turnover of gear and the need to promote one logo over another (without even getting paid for it!). Be a photographer, my friend, not a consumer. You'll be a lot happier. Excellent vid, Mr Row. Thanks for sharing.
the best photographers are those who buy a camera and keep using it until it dies or develops some sort of unrecoverable glitch. I've kept each of my camera for over 5 yesrs and vastly equaling professionals as far as daily usage goes
I agree with you 100%. Modern cameras have jumped on the smartphone refresh cycle to increase sales. Because they are so electronically based, it's easy to tweak software, boost CPU power and make bold claims without actually offering anything new. My Sony a7Rv doesn't offer a great deal more over it's predecessor, same sensor, same body just some internal electronic upgrades. If I had owned an a7Riv, I doubt I would have bought a v.
@@JasonRowPhotography after 6 years with an A200 and almost 7 years with an A77II I wanted to get an A99II, it is basically an A77II body with far superior performance, far superior image quality, far superior build quality, far superior ergonomics and far superior autofocus... and an A7RIII sensor with the low light performance of the A7M3. The only one in great condition for a sensible price was already booked. The rest were beaten up and €3000. Dpreview says it's supply and demand, and since we all know A mount has NO demand, I consider it scalping.
Well said!!! I am not a photographer, just a grumpy old man who owns camera gear and I have been taking pictures for almost 5 decades, I watch camera reviews mainly to see how gullible people are... people who claim to be "expert" or "professional" wax lyrically about the "size of the buttons", "colour science", "micro-contrast", "this camera brand is better than that" and on and on... I have never seen the phrase "micro contrast" in any of camera manuals. When I was young, I learnt: "know your limitations and you can't fail". You sir, strike me as professional, you describe effective use of the "tools" and exploiting newer tech, rather than criticize the manufacturer of the "tool". Good for you....
@@possisvideos cameras themselves don’t have souls, but photographers pour their creativity and perspective into them, giving their work a sense of life and meaning. If the camera had a soul in the first place, it might be haunted XD 🤣🤣🤣
U got me there. Ur controversial title got me to click, but ur photography wisdom extended my stay to even reading all comments. Ur photos r quite astonishing, with great dynamic range and soul to them. They have this rare sadness to them that is equally charming, as if there is a story to them. I am definitely heading 4 ur website to the the pics in their unrestrained resolution!!!
Thank you so much. Sometimes you have to use a little clickbait to get your voice heard, but if the message is strong people will stay. Comment's like your's inspire me not only to take more images but also to continue sharing my thoughts on TH-cam. I truly appreciate it
Spoken like a true photographer. I maintain that a 'true' chef could put together a 'soulful' culinary masterpiece utilizing the humble tools in my kitchen and basic ingredients from my own pantry. New Subscriber!
I tried many brands but for me Sony is where they are for a reason, I used to shoot Minolta and have followed the transition to Sony. Took the best photos of my life with the A7R5 and the A9 before. They allow me to shoot the way I want and that’s what counts. However, what improved my photography most was having a professional wildlife photographer teach me. For gear, however, tribalism is not for me, I have no problems using Pentax or Nikon, Canon, Leica and whatnot if it does what I need well. But I found my personal equilibrium of delight and frustration with Sony 😂 better than anything else I tried so far.
More photographers talk about buying new gear. True story is if you not use 50% functions on your camera don't buy new camera. Just find motivatio to work with what you have and improve yourself as a photographer!
except we're in a funky spot right now, technology wise, mirrorless vs dslr - a lot of people are upgrading due to affordable mirrorless finally matching DSLR AF in low light, it's not so much about the lesser features.
I love the "lens has character" line as well. People try so hard to identify something simple and flawed by giving them human characteristics. It's what sells cameras and gets clicks. Like the term color science, a attempt to give something subjective a objective definition.
Thank you for the insightful take on why people feel the need to buy new gear. I too give myself projects, it certainly gives me motivation to go out with my camera. I do believe an "impressionist" attitude toward photos is better than a "technical" attitude, unless there is a really good reason for having extremely sharp photos.
A camera can't make you want to go shoot, but it can put you off from shooting. Is not soul, it's physicality. Too big, too small, too heavy , too light, too many dials, not enough dials. But that's an argument for changing the body within the system, not for changing systems all together (unless of course the camera with the right combination of size and ergonomics for you doesn't exist in that system)
Intresting video, well my mum bless her could take amazing shots on old 70’s Kodak 110 Film camera. The soul was the person looking though the view finder and pressing the button then the excitement of sending film off and waiting to get your prints back. Simpler times. Modern camera are so advanced now and one could argue, soulless.
Yes there was definitely excitement in the anticipation of getting a film back. Some people, like your mum are just naturally gifted with a camera in hand.
Very true. I think this might also describe the people that buy many cheap cameras to play with, and also Leica users that pay more for less because it gives greater challenge to use and feels like it was you that did all the work. I recently got an R6 and it's.. a lot, perhaps excessive, but with getting into wildlife some (but not obscenely expensive lenses, just a 150-600) and my 6D's screen dying on me it was about time to upgrade. It's very very convenient but I do miss the challenge and also great ergonomics of the 6D. For me the biggest improvement with mirrorless isn't the autofocus, it's the light metering accuracy versus focus and recompose I was doing. Saving me a lot of time taking multiple pictures to get the highlights just where I wanted them, the modern cameras just does a near perfect job of considering the main subject but not trying to blow bright backgrounds if it can compromise a little bit. Most people also rag on color science but also don't bother messing with jpeg settings and profiles on any other cancers than Fuji despite it influencing your viewfinder. For canon I use faitful with some saturation because it gives more magenta earthy tones without being portrait exaggerated and also it lacks the highlight roll-off in the highlights that makes it hard to see clipping highlights. If it's white in neutral or faithful, it's clipped. Not so for normal.
I watched the Video and 100% Agree with you, the last time I switched the Camera was because its was broken beyond repair. But as a Canon shooter I have to say, at no point in this Video was mentioned that Canon Cameras have no soul, take that Nikon, Fujifilm and Sony
@JasonRowPhotography Yeah no worry, after all I wouldnt want a Camera with a Soul, just like I wouldnt want a hammer or a screwdriver with a Soul. As long as it gets the job done
I enjoyed your video alot of people use their phones to take photos, i have used a film camera for many years before I purchased my first DSLR, i have cameras from many different manufacturers including Fujifilm, Sony, Panasonic, Pentax and a few others. I enjoy using some cameras over some others because of the user experience and yes using a camera that you connect with will inspire you to shoot more. Getting back to smartphone cameras, I don't see them as a camera or a replacement for a dedicated camera, even though you can take photos with them. I see them as a camera function, if a camera phone was the only thing that I could take photos with, I would not travel to other states for a photo trip, many of the photos that i have taken over the years could not be taken with a smartphone. I would not have had the pleasure and privilege to photograph the events that I had for the many years I did with only a cell phone, it truly has no soul and doesn't inspire me to take photos of anything meaningful.
Thank you. I can't hear this soul thing anymore. My camera is my gear. I have a budget, I want it relativley small and light, so my choice is Sony APS-c. First the A6000, then came after some years a switch to a used A6400 (because of better ev, some touch, weather sealing and better AF) and some day in the futureI will get a used A6700 because of IBIS and focus braceting for macro shots. I'm a big guy with big hands but it's no issue to operate my camera. This camera is good enough for me to get the shoots that I want, and if I fail then is not the camera the problem, but the person behind.
Love the idea of doing a project about something different. My suggestion: any city off the beaten track. London Off The Beaten Track would contain no Traf Sq, Pic Circus, London Eye, Tower of London, Hyde Park, Bank of England, the Gherkin, the Shard etc etc. Voila, so easy, just avoid the cliché spots and go off the beaten track.
Doing a project is a good idea for me my project became the many different events i photographed over many years. For the most part i was still working full time as a correction officer and it was at work that I photographed my first event, I was asked to photograph the Memorial day event at the Correctional facility I worked at and did so for 8 years, i was asked to photograph the weddings of coworkers after the 3rd year of photographing the Memorial day event along with other projects, one of witch was the retirement portrait of a Superintendent where I worked. Photographing the highest ranking staff member was like being asked to photograph the President. I also put together a photo book that was presented to him at his retirement party, working 41 years in Corrections and the thing that meant the most to me was my ability to include my love of photography into my everyday job. After retiring, I continued to photograph events for another three years. Most every event i photographed took place in a different venue, I photographed weddings, Baptisms, family photos and portraits, birthdays, retirement parties and a motorcycle club photo shoot. Some of the weddings I did had as few of five people others over a hundred. I worked by myself so it didn't matter how much I could charge or how long the shoot took, it was doing something that I enjoyed and working with people of different races ages in so many different locations, many outdoors, i photographed a couple that were getting ready to graduate from the Culinary Institute in Hydepark in NEW YORK STATE , this is a very well known Culinary school in the United States with beautiful grounds. when I started digital photography sixteen years ago, all I wanted to do was improve over what I did using film. Digital photography changed my life.
Sometimes a strong reducing can make fun and creative. Take only one lens with you. Take only a tele lens, a 70-200mm perhaps, or a 28mm or a 50mm. Or what ever.
Sold a Fuji x100v and am pretty happy with a older Sony a7iii and a few lenses. Hard to beat the autofocus of Sony, so many missed on Fuji. Something special about the compact G lens line, and quite compact travel setup.
Have to agree with you on the autofocus. I cannot tell you the number of times I had to rerecord simple videos like this because my Fuji was hunting focus. The Sony nails it every time
Sone great advice here and certainly a good challenge to not rely on equipment to inspire you. But I think camera ergonomics, and intuitive design can contribute to a positive and more enjoyable experience. Sensor and lens design can have an impact on the look of an image too. All this can add up to 'character'. My sony a7riii can produce lovely images, but my panasonic gx7 and canon 6d are more enjoyable to handle for me. So it does matter, but perhaps far less than we can make it out to matter. Ultimately we just need to get out there and take photos!
I had various cameras and the Sony is (altough not enjoyable to use) a good camera which gives a good performance and it´s lighter (which I take more often outside on my hiking trips. But at the other hand, my Leica is more enjoyable and the image output (from the lenses) is stellar!
Maybe camera is just a tool. but to certain extend, what the camera is made for is define what most people call it "soul" Sony is engineered to be practical weapon, meanwhile other camera- like Fuji, is made not just to be a weapon, but the user experience is also thought- to be fun. i guess that's the line that defines what users call soul.
Surely the user experience is important in any camera. I find the Sony user experience different but not worse than my Fuji's. Fuji are still manufacturing a tool, it's just they tailor their tool to a different demographic, one that prefers an old school type of experience. Even then cameras like the X-H2 are much more ergonomically akin to mainstream Nikons, Sonys et al.
Well spoken! Very true..But if you want to attribute soul to a camera on her own anyway get a Pentax! Noone ever talks about them but they are so worth using.
Dear Jason, I totally share your point of view :)👍 I will spend the New Year holidays in London with my family. It is a city that I have not visited for 28 years! With your experience, could you tell me which would be the best places to photograph? I plan to go only with my A7RIV, the GM 14mm, the G 20mm F1.8 and the GM 50mm F1.2. Is this a good choice, or could you suggest another combination of photo lenses, knowing that I rarely shoot with a zoom and that I fear the lack of light at this time of the year? Kind regards 🙏 I visited your website and it is very inspiring. I just subscribed 😉
Hi, if you have a telephoto lens I would take it, perhaps instead of the 14mm. Lots of great details to shoot in London. I have a photographer guide to London video, that might be worth a watch. th-cam.com/video/o0w4B6-kHe4/w-d-xo.html
So true. So Jason Row, what does the Sony A7R5 have that you need that your Fujis didn’t have? One benefit for content creators switching brands might be a wider audience!
From my own perspective, I went to Sony because of an increasing disillusionment with Fuji's build quality. But also the autofocus is so much better on the Sony
I have to agree, camera is just a tool. A great tool doesn't get in the way. After trying so many camera brands, i find Nikon camera doesn't get in the way and have consistent controls from low end to high end lineup. Other people may choose Sony, Canon, Olympus (i have tried all of them, including Fuji XE1, Pentax KP and Panasonic GF1, GX1, G3).
Exactly this. They are tools and like any other tool, the ergonomics are the most important part. Image quality is so close these days, between brands as to only be relevant to pixel peepers
@@JasonRowPhotographyYeah, ergonomics and controls being well thought out are my big things. I think canon and Nikon might be ahead here but Sony offers better value for any given set of tech specs, and good lenses are plentiful and cheap for that system. I've gotten a used R6 but I would've gone A7iii if not for the lenses I've gotten good deals on slowly over time. Although the more I shoot, the more I realize how little lens I really need. Maybe 3 lenses total. 35-40mm "as I see it" prime, a 24-105 hiking etc and a 150-600 for wildlife. I could probably do 90% of my most favorite photos on just the cheap 40mm 2.8 and it's stupidly sharp, moreso than many L lenses.
Excellent point! Beautiful photos. I’m new to the channel, are you a full time photographer? If yes, I’d love to know how to make money with landscape/travel. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Well they have the soul of the producers philosophy. You might disagree but that's the reason why cameras are not cameras. And that doesn't mean that it is a disagreement of the aspect that you can make great pictures with nearly all of the cameras or lenses, here is your argument correct. The brand does not make your pictures better , but there is a difference how the arrangement of the camera resonates with you. I had several different brands from. Kodak to Nikon to Sony and to Fuji. I fell satisfied and home with Fuji now roughly two decades now.
On my trip to Sumatra I learned about Animism, Animists believe that, unlike the Christian religion, inanimate objects, like stones do have a soul, including the Fuji or the Sony camera. Whether a certain camera like Fuji has and another camera doesn’t have a soul, reminds me to the discussions I had about cars in my youth a long, long time ago. Some cars had ‘character’ others didn’t. Especially the French cars (Citroen DS!!) had character and the Japanese cars like Toyota and Mazda not at all. They all looked the same was our opinion (be aware, I am strictly talking about cars, not people) 😂. People can have intense emotions and relations with objects. Houses, cars, paintings and yes with photo camera’s as well. Does my old D850 have a soul? Depends on what i believe. If I would be an Animist for sure. If I would be a western consumer who steps in the commercial traps all the time and wants the newest of the newest? Probably not. I believe that the photo’s I take with my D850 (including the lenses!) are the best, because I feel as one with it. He never lets me down. I am not contradicting your message. My point is that it is not a wrong or stupid thing to ‘emotionalize’ a camera. It happens all the time with objects. your message is wonderful and true;. Don’t mind (the age or the price of ) your camera: inspiration and creativity comes from you, the photographer.
Hi, I understand your point of view but the title is a bit misleading. Thanks for your thought and I encourage you to do more soulful photography video even if it is not the ones the majority of the people will look for...
This is the most soulful photography video I have done yet, because it comes from my heart and my experience of photography. But thanks for the engagement
I feel you somewhat missed the point, soul for people means how analog a photo looks and for most Sony is a big stray from analog but rather embraces digital aesthetics, sharpness, Fuji does not, their different processing, colors and etc is what people consider to be soul. The opitome of soul in photography for such people is film, so anything as close to that film look vs anything further from it, is the degree in how much soul it has.
Soul! Yes! My Leica M3, film only, no battery. Me, my eyes, my brain. I am so long using same box and glass, we yes'WE" are one! It feels good! The leica M, film things have soul!
@@JasonRowPhotography yea it's all subjective. I have big hands and a touch of nerve damage so canon cameras feel best for me, but you sure can't argue with the performance of Sony cameras, and their open mount policy is nice.
😁🤣 Similar argument. The soul of a camera is not the camera itself, it's the philosophy of the camera producer. Good pictures can be done with all of them, no matter which brand it is, but it is the resonance with the camera you feel. And if it one camera , one brand, call it monogamy, if you like more brands call it polygamy 🤣😁
@christophmartin5381 right? It's a good time to be a photographer...lots of good cameras. Just find one that you enjoy shooting, and try to ignore people on the internet telling you xxx is the best camera.
Jason when folks talk about a camera having soul….this is the soul they’re talking about central part: "Soul" can refer to the central or most important part of something that makes it valuable or effective. Cheers!
Just to clear my head of the rubbish camera banter on you-tube, I watched this clip again (given that it is the most common sense I've heard in a long time), but this time read all the comments...many of the commenters (like myself) seem to agree with you, but others are here to bash Sony and expose their ignorance, implying that Sony is "the new kid on the block" with no "history"... a quick google search will show that Sony acquired Minolta and all their camera related IP, then rebranded what was Minolta to Sony. Consider this... Minolta had working relationships with Leica and Hassleblad... made the first camera that could capture 3 frames per second, made the first auto focus camera, pioneered in camera metering, had one of the first cameras in space and on and on.... in some cases it took the competition years to catch up... Minolta has a history as far back as 1929. This is what Sony bought and owned.... Today your Fuji camera, your Nikon camera, your Leica camera, your Hassleblad camera more than likely have a Sony sensor in them. In which case none of these can have a soul.... The bottom line is a camera is a tool for capturing images, all are different (not one better than the other) just choose the tool that suits your purpose and stop trying to justify your choice by saying your camera has a soul because it does not.... stop saying your camera in better than others because it is not, it might suit your requirements but it is not better...... it is a soulless box full of wires and stuff that works for you (and if you had an open mind you may find something more suitable) (not you Jason, just the "haters")
I know it would have taken quite a while to type all this up but I truly appreciate and agree with what you have said. Some people get so invested in a system they cannot see the wood for the trees - see some of the Leica comments 🙂 As you say their is non”better” camera, just cameras that are best for you. Once again I appreciate your insight
@@JasonRowPhotography I do sound a little angry, don't I? but then I am a grumpy old man and my constantly reminds me that I talk too much.... but seriously... I've watch watched some of your videos and I think you should offer a course in common sense.
Not sure about a course in common sense but I do think I can use my age and experience to cut the hype and bs that revolves around photography at the moment. Videos like this one do seem to do well and strike a chord
Sony's cameras had a soul, the A99II had the strongest purest soul. With the death of A mount everything went downhill real quick. The colors look worse, please go back to CCD sensors. And don't get me started on how the "more powerful mirrorless" lack half of the fundamental features of A mount bodies.
@@kamilwiejaczka272Yeah, and people also cheer on the 5D classic with its CMOS. I have one, it looks good, but as someone that shoots film as well it looks closer to modern digital cameras than even one film stock looks to another. There's maybe a droplet of truth to the hearsay that they went for different color filters to maximize lowlight performance at the expense of some color differentiation, considering the D700 and D3 had the same sensor but different color filters but one is renowned for the color and the other for the lowlight ability. CCD and CMOS don't mean much when you know how they work. One just shifts the analogue pixel data around the sensor one by one until it reaches the DAC , the other does a polled scan line by line and has a DAC for each line, pretty much. It's the less light sensitive broader color filters and maybe even some heavier handed jpeg processing that gives the reputation for CCD and earlier CMOS. Plus they all had lower dynamic range and too much dynamic range forced into a 6 stop monitor looks flat, whereas slide film with only 5 stops of dynamic range looks amazing when done well.
To be fair, there really is something about Sony cameras that make them feel much more utilitarian than other cameras... Is it their menu system? I really can't put my finger on it.
I am a photographer since 12 years. Since 10 years I've been working as a professional photographer as well. I have owned Canon, Sony, Nikon, Fuji and Leica cameras in the past. I am not a fan of any brand. Mirorrless was the future 10 years ago and Sony was the first manufacturer in mirorrless world. Therefore I sold my Canon equipment and switched to the A7 series bodies. But now each brand has good mirorrless bodies and also even tough sony has most diverse lens family, Canon and Nikon and Fuji also has enough amount of lenses now. I switched to Sony 10 years ago because it was the only option for mirorrless. Now I would prefer Nikons or Canons over Sony. Sony still makes wonderful cameras don't get me wrong. But ergonomics are not that great. When you use a Nikon or Canon camera you notice that there are 50-60 years of improvement behind it.
Did you actually watch the video? If you did you will understand that I am saying the photographer has the soul, not the camera. As a professional photographer for over 40 years it would be pretty dumb if I wasn't interested in either photography or technology.
i bought a Nikon z9 and i have been taking more pics now than i have ever taken before so that is not true i am afraid, everyone is different so you cant make a generalisation by saying what you are saying!!!
How about as some said, film layout digital camera like Nikon Zf, Fuji, Leica M are more fun than typical DSLR/M layout of camera true? I aim to get myself a Zf and 28-400mm lens as first camera setup but Z6III/Z7II which I can get for the same price when sale do make more practical sense for the bigger grip, they say Zf is more beautiful but beauty can be in many form, there just haven't has a good modern spec camera that is like an Apple and Teenage Engineering designs inspired yet Also, my name is Johnny and I'm a freelance logo designer, would you love to have a new logo that can fit into the small TH-cam channel picture to help your channel more eye catching, also as a merchs print for your fans and as an abstract and artistic graphic to overlay your hardworks? I already have a few great ideas in mind for your logo, let me know if you are interested and I would love to tune up your branding! :-)
I consider looks as part of a feature as much as ergonomics. It can be the difference from looking like a tourist or like a pro photographer, both can be the desired outcome depending what you're doing. A wedding photographer might not look very professional with a Fuji XT4 but a Z9 would definitely look pro, and vice versa for a street photo where you want a little less attention. I think the pretty cameras do better for normal lens and hobby or travel and ergonomics for work and bigger lenses like wildlife, portrait, etc.
![Overrated: Camera features that don't matter [ft Gerald Undone]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/SlLbkeNH9to/mqdefault.jpg)
This is one of the best videos I've watched on TH-cam for ages! Thanks. Excellent photos and spot on thoughts. Subscribed!
Thank you so much, I am glad you enjoyed the video
If my camera had a soul, I might be haunted
I can’t help you with any photographic exoricists 🙂
Personal opinion: most "photographers" are just consumers. Hence the constant turnover of gear and the need to promote one logo over another (without even getting paid for it!). Be a photographer, my friend, not a consumer. You'll be a lot happier.
Excellent vid, Mr Row. Thanks for sharing.
the best photographers are those who buy a camera and keep using it until it dies or develops some sort of unrecoverable glitch.
I've kept each of my camera for over 5 yesrs and vastly equaling professionals as far as daily usage goes
I agree with you 100%. Modern cameras have jumped on the smartphone refresh cycle to increase sales. Because they are so electronically based, it's easy to tweak software, boost CPU power and make bold claims without actually offering anything new. My Sony a7Rv doesn't offer a great deal more over it's predecessor, same sensor, same body just some internal electronic upgrades. If I had owned an a7Riv, I doubt I would have bought a v.
@@JasonRowPhotography after 6 years with an A200 and almost 7 years with an A77II I wanted to get an A99II, it is basically an A77II body with far superior performance, far superior image quality, far superior build quality, far superior ergonomics and far superior autofocus... and an A7RIII sensor with the low light performance of the A7M3. The only one in great condition for a sensible price was already booked. The rest were beaten up and €3000. Dpreview says it's supply and demand, and since we all know A mount has NO demand, I consider it scalping.
It's the same as guitar players. They say some brands have no soul lol. It's just they can't play properly.
Well said!!! I am not a photographer, just a grumpy old man who owns camera gear and I have been taking pictures for almost 5 decades, I watch camera reviews mainly to see how gullible people are... people who claim to be "expert" or "professional" wax lyrically about the "size of the buttons", "colour science", "micro-contrast", "this camera brand is better than that" and on and on... I have never seen the phrase "micro contrast" in any of camera manuals. When I was young, I learnt: "know your limitations and you can't fail". You sir, strike me as professional, you describe effective use of the "tools" and exploiting newer tech, rather than criticize the manufacturer of the "tool". Good for you....
Thank you
the photographer need to have a soul, no camera has.❤
@@JasonRowPhotography I did;-) The answer directs to the provocative title...
@@possisvideosmy apologies, I misunderstood your comment
@@possisvideos cameras themselves don’t have souls, but photographers pour their creativity and perspective into them, giving their work a sense of life and meaning.
If the camera had a soul in the first place, it might be haunted XD 🤣🤣🤣
Wisdom. Such a rare thing these days. Many thanks. Subscribed.
Thank you so much
Sometimes I find myself buying vintage dirty lens of the flea market. I clean them up and take lots of photos with them. It's so much fun.
Old lenses can be brilliant. I often use them when shooting video
U got me there. Ur controversial title got me to click, but ur photography wisdom extended my stay to even reading all comments. Ur photos r quite astonishing, with great dynamic range and soul to them. They have this rare sadness to them that is equally charming, as if there is a story to them. I am definitely heading 4 ur website to the the pics in their unrestrained resolution!!!
Thank you so much. Sometimes you have to use a little clickbait to get your voice heard, but if the message is strong people will stay.
Comment's like your's inspire me not only to take more images but also to continue sharing my thoughts on TH-cam. I truly appreciate it
Spoken like a true photographer. I maintain that a 'true' chef could put together a 'soulful' culinary masterpiece utilizing the humble tools in my kitchen and basic ingredients from my own pantry.
New Subscriber!
Thank you!
I tried many brands but for me Sony is where they are for a reason, I used to shoot Minolta and have followed the transition to Sony. Took the best photos of my life with the A7R5 and the A9 before. They allow me to shoot the way I want and that’s what counts. However, what improved my photography most was having a professional wildlife photographer teach me. For gear, however, tribalism is not for me, I have no problems using Pentax or Nikon, Canon, Leica and whatnot if it does what I need well. But I found my personal equilibrium of delight and frustration with Sony 😂 better than anything else I tried so far.
Yes, it's down to the gear that does the job you need it to do. I rarely switch brands but have no regrets choosing Sony
Well said…They are tools… use what’s best for you… at the end, you are the one using it.
Each time my music feels uninspired, I but a new piano! 😁
A vey good analogy
Camera bodies have no soul, but lenses do.
Would tend to disagree for the same reasons as cameras. Lenses however do have the ability to change the aesthetic of an image
More photographers talk about buying new gear. True story is if you not use 50% functions on your camera don't buy new camera. Just find motivatio to work with what you have and improve yourself as a photographer!
I agree
except we're in a funky spot right now, technology wise, mirrorless vs dslr - a lot of people are upgrading due to affordable mirrorless finally matching DSLR AF in low light, it's not so much about the lesser features.
Well spoken. It’s encouraging to hear something sensible on TH-cam. Thank you.
Thanks so much for your kind comment
I love the "lens has character" line as well. People try so hard to identify something simple and flawed by giving them human characteristics. It's what sells cameras and gets clicks. Like the term color science, a attempt to give something subjective a objective definition.
Ah yes, the old colour science trope 🙂.
This was just what I needed to hear, I was about to go crazy buying new gear. Thanks you!
Glad it helped. Always worth taking a step back before making big purchasing decisions
Thank you for the insightful take on why people feel the need to buy new gear. I too give myself projects, it certainly gives me motivation to go out with my camera. I do believe an "impressionist" attitude toward photos is better than a "technical" attitude, unless there is a really good reason for having extremely sharp photos.
Projects are a great way to motivate yourself
Ah! What a refreshing view!
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it
great stuff! definitely more, more, more!
More to come!
A camera can't make you want to go shoot, but it can put you off from shooting. Is not soul, it's physicality. Too big, too small, too heavy , too light, too many dials, not enough dials. But that's an argument for changing the body within the system, not for changing systems all together (unless of course the camera with the right combination of size and ergonomics for you doesn't exist in that system)
I would agree with you, ergonomics are as important if not more important than image quality
Yeah. It’s like a guitar. I prefer to play a Stratocaster to a Gibson SG.
I would love to play the guitar but have been to lazy to learn, so far.
Intresting video, well my mum bless her could take amazing shots on old 70’s Kodak 110 Film camera. The soul was the person looking though the view finder and pressing the button then the excitement of sending film off and waiting to get your prints back. Simpler times. Modern camera are so advanced now and one could argue, soulless.
Yes there was definitely excitement in the anticipation of getting a film back. Some people, like your mum are just naturally gifted with a camera in hand.
Very true. I think this might also describe the people that buy many cheap cameras to play with, and also Leica users that pay more for less because it gives greater challenge to use and feels like it was you that did all the work.
I recently got an R6 and it's.. a lot, perhaps excessive, but with getting into wildlife some (but not obscenely expensive lenses, just a 150-600) and my 6D's screen dying on me it was about time to upgrade. It's very very convenient but I do miss the challenge and also great ergonomics of the 6D. For me the biggest improvement with mirrorless isn't the autofocus, it's the light metering accuracy versus focus and recompose I was doing. Saving me a lot of time taking multiple pictures to get the highlights just where I wanted them, the modern cameras just does a near perfect job of considering the main subject but not trying to blow bright backgrounds if it can compromise a little bit. Most people also rag on color science but also don't bother messing with jpeg settings and profiles on any other cancers than Fuji despite it influencing your viewfinder. For canon I use faitful with some saturation because it gives more magenta earthy tones without being portrait exaggerated and also it lacks the highlight roll-off in the highlights that makes it hard to see clipping highlights. If it's white in neutral or faithful, it's clipped. Not so for normal.
I watched the Video and 100% Agree with you, the last time I switched the Camera was because its was broken beyond repair.
But as a Canon shooter I have to say, at no point in this Video was mentioned that Canon Cameras have no soul, take that Nikon, Fujifilm and Sony
Ah, sorry but have to burst your bubble. Pretty sure I said at the beginning, after the intro, no camera has soul 🙂
@JasonRowPhotography Yeah no worry, after all I wouldnt want a Camera with a Soul, just like I wouldnt want a hammer or a screwdriver with a Soul. As long as it gets the job done
@@Sam-du4xhexactly
I enjoyed your video alot of people use their phones to take photos, i have used a film camera for many years before I purchased my first DSLR, i have cameras from many different manufacturers including Fujifilm, Sony, Panasonic, Pentax and a few others. I enjoy using some cameras over some others because of the user experience and yes using a camera that you connect with will inspire you to shoot more. Getting back to smartphone cameras, I don't see them as a camera or a replacement for a dedicated camera, even though you can take photos with them. I see them as a camera function, if a camera phone was the only thing that I could take photos with, I would not travel to other states for a photo trip, many of the photos that i have taken over the years could not be taken with a smartphone. I would not have had the pleasure and privilege to photograph the events that I had for the many years I did with only a cell phone, it truly has no soul and doesn't inspire me to take photos of anything meaningful.
Which camera did you most enjoy and like to use ?
the biggest obstacle between you an award winning image is YOU. Not gear . Want to know where to start ? Step 1. F8 and be there.
Thank you. I can't hear this soul thing anymore. My camera is my gear. I have a budget, I want it relativley small and light, so my choice is Sony APS-c. First the A6000, then came after some years a switch to a used A6400 (because of better ev, some touch, weather sealing and better AF) and some day in the futureI will get a used A6700 because of IBIS and focus braceting for macro shots. I'm a big guy with big hands but it's no issue to operate my camera. This camera is good enough for me to get the shoots that I want, and if I fail then is not the camera the problem, but the person behind.
If you are comfortable with the tools that you use, your images will speak for themselves.
Love the idea of doing a project about something different. My suggestion: any city off the beaten track. London Off The Beaten Track would contain no Traf Sq, Pic Circus, London Eye, Tower of London, Hyde Park, Bank of England, the Gherkin, the Shard etc etc. Voila, so easy, just avoid the cliché spots and go off the beaten track.
Sounds like a good plan
Doing a project is a good idea for me my project became the many different events i photographed over many years. For the most part i was still working full time as a correction officer and it was at work that I photographed my first event, I was asked to photograph the Memorial day event at the Correctional facility I worked at and did so for 8 years, i was asked to photograph the weddings of coworkers after the 3rd year of photographing the Memorial day event along with other projects, one of witch was the retirement portrait of a Superintendent where I worked. Photographing the highest ranking staff member was like being asked to photograph the President. I also put together a photo book that was presented to him at his retirement party, working 41 years in Corrections and the thing that meant the most to me was my ability to include my love of photography into my everyday job. After retiring, I continued to photograph events for another three years. Most every event i photographed took place in a different venue, I photographed weddings, Baptisms, family photos and portraits, birthdays, retirement parties and a motorcycle club photo shoot. Some of the weddings I did had as few of five people others over a hundred. I worked by myself so it didn't matter how much I could charge or how long the shoot took, it was doing something that I enjoyed and working with people of different races ages in so many different locations, many outdoors, i photographed a couple that were getting ready to graduate from the Culinary Institute in Hydepark in NEW YORK STATE , this is a very well known Culinary school in the United States with beautiful grounds. when I started digital photography sixteen years ago, all I wanted to do was improve over what I did using film. Digital photography changed my life.
Sometimes a strong reducing can make fun and creative. Take only one lens with you. Take only a tele lens, a 70-200mm perhaps, or a 28mm or a 50mm. Or what ever.
I 100% agree
Sold a Fuji x100v and am pretty happy with a older Sony a7iii and a few lenses. Hard to beat the autofocus of Sony, so many missed on Fuji. Something special about the compact G lens line, and quite compact travel setup.
Have to agree with you on the autofocus. I cannot tell you the number of times I had to rerecord simple videos like this because my Fuji was hunting focus. The Sony nails it every time
Sone great advice here and certainly a good challenge to not rely on equipment to inspire you. But I think camera ergonomics, and intuitive design can contribute to a positive and more enjoyable experience. Sensor and lens design can have an impact on the look of an image too. All this can add up to 'character'. My sony a7riii can produce lovely images, but my panasonic gx7 and canon 6d are more enjoyable to handle for me. So it does matter, but perhaps far less than we can make it out to matter. Ultimately we just need to get out there and take photos!
Good vid. Thanks for your thoughts.
Glad you enjoyed it
I had various cameras and the Sony is (altough not enjoyable to use) a good camera which gives a good performance and it´s lighter (which I take more often outside on my hiking trips. But at the other hand, my Leica is more enjoyable and the image output (from the lenses) is stellar!
Thanks for the advice
No problem!
You're absolutely right!📸👍🏻
Thank you :)
Maybe camera is just a tool. but to certain extend, what the camera is made for is define what most people call it "soul"
Sony is engineered to be practical weapon, meanwhile other camera- like Fuji, is made not just to be a weapon, but the user experience is also thought- to be fun. i guess that's the line that defines what users call soul.
Surely the user experience is important in any camera. I find the Sony user experience different but not worse than my Fuji's. Fuji are still manufacturing a tool, it's just they tailor their tool to a different demographic, one that prefers an old school type of experience. Even then cameras like the X-H2 are much more ergonomically akin to mainstream Nikons, Sonys et al.
What a soulful advice! ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Glad you liked it :)
Well spoken! Very true..But if you want to attribute soul to a camera on her own anyway get a Pentax! Noone ever talks about them but they are so worth using.
Never owned a Pentax but did use a Pentax 6x7 back in the 80s
Camera has soul 🤔 People are crazy 😊 Really nice video . Thanks
You’re welcome. Just trying to keep it real 🙂
Dear Jason, I totally share your point of view :)👍
I will spend the New Year holidays in London with my family. It is a city that I have not visited for 28 years!
With your experience, could you tell me which would be the best places to photograph?
I plan to go only with my A7RIV, the GM 14mm, the G 20mm F1.8 and the GM 50mm F1.2. Is this a good choice, or could you suggest another combination of photo lenses, knowing that I rarely shoot with a zoom and that I fear the lack of light at this time of the year?
Kind regards 🙏
I visited your website and it is very inspiring. I just subscribed 😉
Hi, if you have a telephoto lens I would take it, perhaps instead of the 14mm. Lots of great details to shoot in London. I have a photographer guide to London video, that might be worth a watch. th-cam.com/video/o0w4B6-kHe4/w-d-xo.html
@@JasonRowPhotography Thank you very much 👍👍👍
Lenses house the soul, not the body ... everyone knows that!
Nope and for the same reasons camera bodies do not have a soul.
The eye is the window to the soul?
Well, the lenses do influence the final look more than the camera body, at least. No soul, though. @@JasonRowPhotography
So true. So Jason Row, what does the Sony A7R5 have that you need that your Fujis didn’t have? One benefit for content creators switching brands might be a wider audience!
From my own perspective, I went to Sony because of an increasing disillusionment with Fuji's build quality. But also the autofocus is so much better on the Sony
thank you!!
You're welcome!
I have to agree, camera is just a tool. A great tool doesn't get in the way. After trying so many camera brands, i find Nikon camera doesn't get in the way and have consistent controls from low end to high end lineup. Other people may choose Sony, Canon, Olympus (i have tried all of them, including Fuji XE1, Pentax KP and Panasonic GF1, GX1, G3).
Exactly this. They are tools and like any other tool, the ergonomics are the most important part. Image quality is so close these days, between brands as to only be relevant to pixel peepers
@@JasonRowPhotographyYeah, ergonomics and controls being well thought out are my big things. I think canon and Nikon might be ahead here but Sony offers better value for any given set of tech specs, and good lenses are plentiful and cheap for that system.
I've gotten a used R6 but I would've gone A7iii if not for the lenses I've gotten good deals on slowly over time. Although the more I shoot, the more I realize how little lens I really need. Maybe 3 lenses total. 35-40mm "as I see it" prime, a 24-105 hiking etc and a 150-600 for wildlife. I could probably do 90% of my most favorite photos on just the cheap 40mm 2.8 and it's stupidly sharp, moreso than many L lenses.
Cannot agree more, nice photos.
Thank you so much
Subscribed and liked.
Thank you
It is often said that Sony cameras have no soul. But what if I were to tell you Fuji cameras also have no soul?
Nice shots from Thailand.
Thank you very much!
So pure. Love it :)
Thank you so much
Yes, more please.
More coming, tomorrow's video is in a similar vein
Excellent point! Beautiful photos. I’m new to the channel, are you a full time photographer? If yes, I’d love to know how to make money with landscape/travel. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
To be honest, although I sell prints and license stills, my primary source of income is video stock.
Well they have the soul of the producers philosophy. You might disagree but that's the reason why cameras are not cameras. And that doesn't mean that it is a disagreement of the aspect that you can make great pictures with nearly all of the cameras or lenses, here is your argument correct. The brand does not make your pictures better , but there is a difference how the arrangement of the camera resonates with you. I had several different brands from. Kodak to Nikon to Sony and to Fuji. I fell satisfied and home with Fuji now roughly two decades now.
Very good video
Thanks
Nikkor glass has spirit, especially the older stuff. Sony is a poser, but Fujifilm is the real deal
You made my day... 🥰🥰🥰
🤗
My Fuji xpro 3 gives me wings
Whatever makes you fly, photographically. Had the XPro 1 and loved it
Clickbait done right.
Thank you 😊
Thank you sir 🙏🏼🙏🏼 nice pic of BKK !!! Near my place
Thank you, it’s a fantastic city
The L brand religious people will not agree, they think Sony has no soul, L camera and lenses has.😂
Sadly, all brands have their "tribes"
The same could be said for Canon. I like canon but they are basically appliances with boring industrial designs.
Have you watched the video, in it I say that no camera brands have a soul.
On my trip to Sumatra I learned about Animism, Animists believe that, unlike the Christian religion, inanimate objects, like stones do have a soul, including the Fuji or the Sony camera. Whether a certain camera like Fuji has and another camera doesn’t have a soul, reminds me to the discussions I had about cars in my youth a long, long time ago. Some cars had ‘character’ others didn’t. Especially the French cars (Citroen DS!!) had character and the Japanese cars like Toyota and Mazda not at all. They all looked the same was our opinion (be aware, I am strictly talking about cars, not people) 😂. People can have intense emotions and relations with objects. Houses, cars, paintings and yes with photo camera’s as well. Does my old D850 have a soul? Depends on what i believe. If I would be an Animist for sure. If I would be a western consumer who steps in the commercial traps all the time and wants the newest of the newest? Probably not. I believe that the photo’s I take with my D850 (including the lenses!) are the best, because I feel as one with it. He never lets me down. I am not contradicting your message. My point is that it is not a wrong or stupid thing to ‘emotionalize’ a camera. It happens all the time with objects. your message is wonderful and true;. Don’t mind (the age or the price of ) your camera: inspiration and creativity comes from you, the photographer.
I must be doing something wrong - none of my cameras have pulleys. 😂
Any old camera with a mechanical shutter will almost certainly have pulleys to raise the shutter blinds
😂😂😂
Are those busses Dinky or Corgi?
One is Corgi the others EFE
Amen!
Thank you
well they see in the dark better than anything else. Should be pollution if not sony, and I dont even have a sony I hate every other brand
Dear Jason! In the AI era Sony cameras soon will have soul… 😉
Sadly all creatives risk losing their soul in the era of AI. AI will homogenize art not make it better
I disagree. It is Hasselblad, Leica, Canon and Fuji for 'soul.' The rest are imitations.
The only soul involved in photography is the one behind the camera. As I said in the video. Cameras are just tools
NO Camera have soul, it is a TOOL !
Tell me you didn’t watch the video, without telling me you didn’t watch the video 😂
What people really mean is that Sony looks like garbage. The lenses are plan/flat with 0 character.
Nope, that’s not what they mean and it’s also entirely untrue. Thanks for the comment though
@ I’m not the only one who hates Sony cameras. Not even Leica lenses can save Sony cameras.
@Old-School-Liberal Hating an inanimate object is a very strange position to take. Cameras are tools. But thanks for your engagement
A camera is a tool, nothing more. If you can't compose and edit the photo to give it breath then don't blame the tool.
Which is pretty much exactly what I said in the video
Hi, I understand your point of view but the title is a bit misleading. Thanks for your thought and I encourage you to do more soulful photography video even if it is not the ones the majority of the people will look for...
This is the most soulful photography video I have done yet, because it comes from my heart and my experience of photography. But thanks for the engagement
Pulleys?
Most mechanical shutters on older cameras have some sort of pully to raise the shutter
I feel you somewhat missed the point, soul for people means how analog a photo looks and for most Sony is a big stray from analog but rather embraces digital aesthetics, sharpness, Fuji does not, their different processing, colors and etc is what people consider to be soul. The opitome of soul in photography for such people is film, so anything as close to that film look vs anything further from it, is the degree in how much soul it has.
I haven't missed the point. The only soul involved in photography is the one behind the camera, regardless of the medium its being recorded on.
So when you die and go to heaven, it just means that you look more pixilated?
My SL will not agree.😉
Soul! Yes! My Leica M3, film only, no battery. Me, my eyes, my brain. I am so long using same box and glass, we yes'WE" are one! It feels good! The leica M, film things have soul!
Cameras don't have souls, but whenever designed Sony's camera ergonomics certainly have no soul 🤣
Yeah, kinda agree. You can make angular but good ergonomics like the GFX 100ii and Z9. Though rounded is probably still a lot better..
Ergonomics by their very nature are completely subjective. I find my Sony no better or no worse than my Fuji X-H2, just different
@@JasonRowPhotography yea it's all subjective. I have big hands and a touch of nerve damage so canon cameras feel best for me, but you sure can't argue with the performance of Sony cameras, and their open mount policy is nice.
😁🤣 Similar argument. The soul of a camera is not the camera itself, it's the philosophy of the camera producer. Good pictures can be done with all of them, no matter which brand it is, but it is the resonance with the camera you feel. And if it one camera , one brand, call it monogamy, if you like more brands call it polygamy 🤣😁
@christophmartin5381 right? It's a good time to be a photographer...lots of good cameras. Just find one that you enjoy shooting, and try to ignore people on the internet telling you xxx is the best camera.
Cameras do have a soul…..it’s the combination of handling and color science! If you can’t feel that….God bless you !
No inanimate object has a soul, but god bless you for your engagement
Jason when folks talk about a camera having soul….this is the soul they’re talking about
central part: "Soul" can refer to the central or most important part of something that makes it valuable or effective.
Cheers!
Just to clear my head of the rubbish camera banter on you-tube, I watched this clip again (given that it is the most common sense I've heard in a long time), but this time read all the comments...many of the commenters (like myself) seem to agree with you, but others are here to bash Sony and expose their ignorance, implying that Sony is "the new kid on the block" with no "history"... a quick google search will show that Sony acquired Minolta and all their camera related IP, then rebranded what was Minolta to Sony. Consider this... Minolta had working relationships with Leica and Hassleblad... made the first camera that could capture 3 frames per second, made the first auto focus camera, pioneered in camera metering, had one of the first cameras in space and on and on.... in some cases it took the competition years to catch up... Minolta has a history as far back as 1929. This is what Sony bought and owned.... Today your Fuji camera, your Nikon camera, your Leica camera, your Hassleblad camera more than likely have a Sony sensor in them. In which case none of these can have a soul.... The bottom line is a camera is a tool for capturing images, all are different (not one better than the other) just choose the tool that suits your purpose and stop trying to justify your choice by saying your camera has a soul because it does not.... stop saying your camera in better than others because it is not, it might suit your requirements but it is not better...... it is a soulless box full of wires and stuff that works for you (and if you had an open mind you may find something more suitable) (not you Jason, just the "haters")
I know it would have taken quite a while to type all this up but I truly appreciate and agree with what you have said.
Some people get so invested in a system they cannot see the wood for the trees - see some of the Leica comments 🙂
As you say their is non”better” camera, just cameras that are best for you. Once again I appreciate your insight
@@JasonRowPhotography I do sound a little angry, don't I? but then I am a grumpy old man and my constantly reminds me that I talk too much.... but seriously... I've watch watched some of your videos and I think you should offer a course in common sense.
Not sure about a course in common sense but I do think I can use my age and experience to cut the hype and bs that revolves around photography at the moment. Videos like this one do seem to do well and strike a chord
Sony's cameras had a soul, the A99II had the strongest purest soul. With the death of A mount everything went downhill real quick. The colors look worse, please go back to CCD sensors. And don't get me started on how the "more powerful mirrorless" lack half of the fundamental features of A mount bodies.
That's a great joke, surely your A99II had a CCD sensor, probably because it got haunted by the spirits of the past 😂
@@kamilwiejaczka272Yeah, and people also cheer on the 5D classic with its CMOS. I have one, it looks good, but as someone that shoots film as well it looks closer to modern digital cameras than even one film stock looks to another. There's maybe a droplet of truth to the hearsay that they went for different color filters to maximize lowlight performance at the expense of some color differentiation, considering the D700 and D3 had the same sensor but different color filters but one is renowned for the color and the other for the lowlight ability.
CCD and CMOS don't mean much when you know how they work. One just shifts the analogue pixel data around the sensor one by one until it reaches the DAC , the other does a polled scan line by line and has a DAC for each line, pretty much. It's the less light sensitive broader color filters and maybe even some heavier handed jpeg processing that gives the reputation for CCD and earlier CMOS. Plus they all had lower dynamic range and too much dynamic range forced into a 6 stop monitor looks flat, whereas slide film with only 5 stops of dynamic range looks amazing when done well.
To be fair, there really is something about Sony cameras that make them feel much more utilitarian than other cameras... Is it their menu system? I really can't put my finger on it.
If I were a carpenter, I would want my hammer to be utilitarian and I would put my soul in the work I was doing with that hammer.
I am a photographer since 12 years. Since 10 years I've been working as a professional photographer as well. I have owned Canon, Sony, Nikon, Fuji and Leica cameras in the past. I am not a fan of any brand. Mirorrless was the future 10 years ago and Sony was the first manufacturer in mirorrless world. Therefore I sold my Canon equipment and switched to the A7 series bodies. But now each brand has good mirorrless bodies and also even tough sony has most diverse lens family, Canon and Nikon and Fuji also has enough amount of lenses now. I switched to Sony 10 years ago because it was the only option for mirorrless. Now I would prefer Nikons or Canons over Sony. Sony still makes wonderful cameras don't get me wrong. But ergonomics are not that great. When you use a Nikon or Canon camera you notice that there are 50-60 years of improvement behind it.
All very true
The title of this should be "Why British photographers have no soul". Literally.
blud did not watch the video
Yep :)
People use Fuji with Heart and Sony with Brain...😁
I put as much heart into taking my images with my Sony as I did with my Fujis
That's why I switched to Nikon.
Tell me you haven't watched the video without telling me you haven't watched the video :)
It's a shame you're not interested in technology and photography. I took my best photos with Sony cameras.
Did you actually watch the video? If you did you will understand that I am saying the photographer has the soul, not the camera. As a professional photographer for over 40 years it would be pretty dumb if I wasn't interested in either photography or technology.
@@JasonRowPhotography i did not watch your video in the first place and got angry because of the clickbait title. now i watched it.
i bought a Nikon z9 and i have been taking more pics now than i have ever taken before so that is not true i am afraid, everyone is different so you cant make a generalisation by saying what you are saying!!!
It may not be true for you but it is an opinion based on 40’years of being a photographer.
How about as some said, film layout digital camera like Nikon Zf, Fuji, Leica M are more fun than typical DSLR/M layout of camera true?
I aim to get myself a Zf and 28-400mm lens as first camera setup but Z6III/Z7II which I can get for the same price when sale do make more practical sense for the bigger grip, they say Zf is more beautiful but beauty can be in many form, there just haven't has a good modern spec camera that is like an Apple and Teenage Engineering designs inspired yet
Also, my name is Johnny and I'm a freelance logo designer, would you love to have a new logo that can fit into the small TH-cam channel picture to help your channel more eye catching, also as a merchs print for your fans and as an abstract and artistic graphic to overlay your hardworks? I already have a few great ideas in mind for your logo, let me know if you are interested and I would love to tune up your branding! :-)
I consider looks as part of a feature as much as ergonomics. It can be the difference from looking like a tourist or like a pro photographer, both can be the desired outcome depending what you're doing. A wedding photographer might not look very professional with a Fuji XT4 but a Z9 would definitely look pro, and vice versa for a street photo where you want a little less attention. I think the pretty cameras do better for normal lens and hobby or travel and ergonomics for work and bigger lenses like wildlife, portrait, etc.