Can a great photographer take a great photo with any camera?
I’ve taken quite a few wildlife photos over the years that I’m very happy with. However, I am not a specialized nature photographer. It’s just not an area of photography that I have much experience with.
There’s an old saying that a great photographer can take a great photo with any camera. But is it true?
As with so many other things, the answer is: It depends.
A great photographer can certainly create unique, interesting and impressive pictures with any (reasonably working) camera.
This is especially the case when absolute image quality (such as sharpness, resolution, and enhanced highlight and shadow detail) is not critical.
The more abstract the image, the more likely it is to be created with a very basic camera.
But when it comes to wildlife, the image quality of high quality fashion and product photography is crucial.
When it comes to wildlife and sports photography, especially when working in low light conditions, the following criteria are really important.
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Low noise characteristics and excellent performance at high ISO values
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Super-fast and precise focus, especially when photographing a fast-moving subject
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Very fast frame rates
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Large buffer and the ability to write images extremely quickly to a fast, high-capacity memory card
I remember a trip to South Georgia and Antarctica. I used a Canon 5D Mark II camera back then.
While it was a very good camera for the time, capable of capturing fantastic landscape and portrait photos, it really wasn’t the best choice for capturing fast-moving action.
To be honest, it lacked the frame rate and buffer to compete with, say, the Canon 7D or ID Mark IV cameras of the time.
However, since I mainly photograph people and landscapes, the decision to buy a full-frame camera was the right one.
My next camera was the Nikon D800 which I bought for two main reasons:
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It offered extensive options for High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography.
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The sensor’s dynamic range was better than my previous Canon 5D Mark II camera.
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The camera’s resolution was 36 megapixels, which is a significant increase over the 24 megapixels of the Canon 5D Mark II.
I was fully aware that neither sports nor wildlife photography would form a significant part of the projects or adventures I would be involved in at that time.
But lately I’ve become more interested in both telephoto and action photography. This change led to the purchase of a new camera and several new lenses.
The best camera for action photography in the world
Photography is a trade-off game that involves considering camera features and their potential benefits relative to size, weight, ease of use, and cost.
In fact, an upgrade to my current Sony a7Rii camera is long overdue. Technology has advanced since I first bought this camera and it just doesn’t offer the features I need for high-end action photography.
The camera’s autofocus system is unable to accurately and consistently track rapid movement in the frame.
With my brand new camera coming soon, I can produce clean, (relatively) noise-free images at a higher ISO than I’m currently capable of. This allows me to achieve greater sharpness by being able to increase the ISO if needed to achieve a faster shutter speed.
With a related subject, it is impossible for our eyes to discern the individual plot segments created by fast-moving themes. It’s one of the wonders of photography.
But the faster the action, the more frames per second you need to capture the image that best captures the combination of movement, gesture, texture, look and emotion required for a compelling image.
By capturing multiple individual action camera slices with faster frame rates and larger buffers, you may be able to capture more compelling images.
The more frames to choose from, the greater the likelihood of capturing the most interesting part of the action that best tells the story.
I guess it was about five years ago when I decided to switch not only the brand but also the camera type from DSLR to mirrorless. Since then I have been using the Sony a7Rii camera with great success.
It’s a wonderful camera, but it lacks the specs that would make it a desirable choice for quality sports and wildlife photography.
I’m not really a big sports photographer, but I’d like to do more wildlife photography projects. In addition, I’m always interested in a camera with excellent high ISO and noise characteristics.
In fact, I’m much more interested in creating images than I am in gear. However, it’s time for me to upgrade once again.
I’m sticking with Mirrorless and I’m sticking with Sony.
This time, I believe I’ve made a purchase as future-proof as possible. My new Sony Alpha 1 camera offers the following main features and benefits.
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15 aperture dynamic range
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50 megapixel sensor
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Outstanding high ISO capabilities
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Fantastic color rendering
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Extremely fast and precise focus
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Extremely high frame rate (up to 30 frames per second)
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Very large buffer
It looks like a fantastic camera that doesn’t offer a good compromise between a dedicated sports/wildlife, portrait and landscape camera, but arguably the best digital camera on the market.
In addition to its amazing action photography features, the Alpha 1 mirrorless camera offers the dynamic range, high ISO performance, color fidelity and resolution sought by the most demanding portrait, landscape and architectural photographers.
I’ve already bought and picked up a couple of new lenses and am hoping to get my hands on my new Sony Alpha 1 camera within the next two weeks.
Expect some real-world reviews soon after.
