Why do people laugh at itty bitty lenses?!

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boofhead

Senior Member
Hi everyone, I'm not a pro or anything like that-- I have a blog where I cover events and so I always have a camera handy to get some content.One thing I experience a lot is people with the big rocket launcher sized lenses making fun of my Nikon D5100 with my kit lens (55mm). I photograph a lot of food and things like market stalls up close, or the cooking action at events. I prefer to get up close while I can as the events can be crowded and I find my kit lens does the job fine for what I need to do. But yeah, the other people taking photos (often in an official capacity) good naturedly give me attitude about why I'm using the baby lens! This past weekend I went to an event that had a fashion parade (i.e. models walking down a runway). I was on the media-only platform and there were pros there with their big pro setups and bazooka lenses. And there's me, no tripod and electing to use my 55mm lens (I was in a great position to take pics luckily). A couple of the photographers looked at me with scorn (grrr!). But I kept the faith :) I'm very happy with how my pics turned out with my kit lens. I was close enough to be able to photograph the whole model, or zoom in on a feature like shoes or a dress bodice for more detail. People have asked if they can keep my photos which makes me happy. Then I saw a photo album of 100+ images taken by the photographer who was snooty towards me (he had the big bazooka on the tripod)... forgive the boast but I didn't like his photos one bit and I've had people tell me they prefer the pics I took than the pro's pics. I know it's not about a bigger, better camera getting you better shots. But why do people look down their noses at others who aren't using a bigass lens? Another event I was at, I again used my kit lens and got friendly bad attitude from others walking around with huge lenses. Then we all had our photos put in albums online and mine all got the most votes. I don't like using my 200mm lens when there's a crowd because I find I have to stand back more and people walk in front of me, so I prefer the kit lens where I can literally get right up to the stall, poke my head around a corner and take some nice pics! I don't intend on changing what I do, but wanted to know if there's some kind of unspoken rule that you can spot an amateur by the size of their lens. Yes I'm an amateur but my cousin is a very famous photographer and he tells me "use what makes you happy and gets you the result you were going for". * Also could someone please tell me why my post displays as one continuous paragraph? I'm typing it as separate paragraphs but it's getting published as one long paragraph... sorry! I've looked at settings but can't work it out.
 
Horoscope Fish

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
boofhead said:
Hi everyone, I'm not a pro or anything like that-- I have a blog where I cover events and so I always have a camera handy to get some content.One thing I experience a lot is people with the big rocket launcher sized lenses making fun of my Nikon D5100 with my kit lens (55mm). I photograph a lot of food and things like market stalls up close, or the cooking action at events. I prefer to get up close while I can as the events can be crowded and I find my kit lens does the job fine for what I need to do. But yeah, the other people taking photos (often in an official capacity) good naturedly give me attitude about why I'm using the baby lens! This past weekend I went to an event that had a fashion parade (i.e. models walking down a runway). I was on the media-only platform and there were pros there with their big pro setups and bazooka lenses. And there's me, no tripod and electing to use my 55mm lens (I was in a great position to take pics luckily). A couple of the photographers looked at me with scorn (grrr!). But I kept the faith :) I'm very happy with how my pics turned out with my kit lens. I was close enough to be able to photograph the whole model, or zoom in on a feature like shoes or a dress bodice for more detail. People have asked if they can keep my photos which makes me happy. Then I saw a photo album of 100+ images taken by the photographer who was snooty towards me (he had the big bazooka on the tripod)... forgive the boast but I didn't like his photos one bit and I've had people tell me they prefer the pics I took than the pro's pics. I know it's not about a bigger, better camera getting you better shots. But why do people look down their noses at others who aren't using a bigass lens? Another event I was at, I again used my kit lens and got friendly bad attitude from others walking around with huge lenses. Then we all had our photos put in albums online and mine all got the most votes. I don't like using my 200mm lens when there's a crowd because I find I have to stand back more and people walk in front of me, so I prefer the kit lens where I can literally get right up to the stall, poke my head around a corner and take some nice pics! I don't intend on changing what I do, but wanted to know if there's some kind of unspoken rule that you can spot an amateur by the size of their lens. Yes I'm an amateur but my cousin is a very famous photographer and he tells me "use what makes you happy and gets you the result you were going for". * Also could someone please tell me why my post displays as one continuous paragraph? I'm typing it as separate paragraphs but it's getting published as one long paragraph... sorry! I've looked at settings but can't work it out.
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In my opinion for two primary reasons:

1. Because they wrongly believe they can buy their way into excellent photography.
2. Because their ego is invested in their equipment (see number one, above).

Such dolts, and their opinions, should be be dismissed out of hand. Pity them.

To paraphrase someone else, "Owning a DSLR makes you a photographer like owner a Fender Strat' makes you a rock star." Bam.
.....
 
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D200freak

Senior Member
I'm new here and don't call myself any kind of a pro photographer (more like "student") but I see what you're saying. People tend to think that bigger is better. But one of my gurus/mentors in my quest for camera and lens knowledge is Ken Rockwell and I trust his opinion and knowledge about the many products he has reviewed. His description of one type of the 18-55 kit lens is

"This Nikon 18-55mm VR II DX is fantastic little lens. It's super-sharp and has Vibration Reduction (VR) so you don't need a tripod. It focuses so close that it replaces most people's need for a macro lens..."

so don't worry about the opinions of some "photographers" who think that gear makes the picture. Although I seem to be inclined to be a lens collector, based on what I've acquired in a short time, for close up work I also like my 18-55 lens. It's a great and low cost lens. Sure, I'd happily take a 14-24 F/4 lens if it was cheap enough that I could easily afford it, but honestly I'm not yet going to say that I'm good enough to exploit the full capabilities of that lens. (Even if I had a full frame camera, which I don't.)

Forget those guys. Let your photos tell the story. I think that since you don't have a big ego's worth of money invested in lenses and gear, you don't have that big ego trying to replace a good eye for a good photo.

Some of the most amazing photos ever made were made with very ordinary cameras. The gear is almost incidental.
 
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RON_RIP

Senior Member
Well you should see the looks I sometime get when I am shooting with my 50mm 1.8D You can actually see lips curl up in some instances. But the freedom of movement that this lens gives me is worth the disdain. Of course they won't actually say anything to me because i am somewhat intimidating person. You have to use whatever lens gives you the results you are after Because "you can't please everyone, so you got to please yourself"
 
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RON_RIP

Senior Member
Well, I have plenty of Quaker Oat boxes, maybe I should get started on a pinhole camera because I could sure could use some big bucks.
 
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480sparky

Senior Member
boofhead said:
........ * Also could someone please tell me why my post displays as one continuous paragraph? I'm typing it as separate paragraphs but it's getting published as one long paragraph... sorry! I've looked at settings but can't work it out.
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Try using Shift+Enter instead of just Enter.
 
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Daz

Senior Member
Some people need to make up for other departments with the size of their lenses, just like someone who owns a Ferrari automatically think they are a racing driver and ultimately wrap it round a tree !!

It doesn't matter what you shoot with, if you can get the shot you rock it out !!
 
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Blacktop

Senior Member
I shot with a d3100 and an 18-55 lens for a long time. Never have I encountered anyone laughing at my gear, or gotten so much as a strange look from anyone during that time.

I don't know where you guys are shooting at that you're getting so many strange looks.:indecisiveness:
 
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Moab Man

Senior Member
Whenever I have someone oohing and aahing over my big lenses I always stop to tell them my best and sharpest lenses are my small ones. This surprises them. I take the time to educate them that a big lens doesn't mean a better lens.

I'm only annoyed by other pro's or hobbyist when they have no sense of courtesy or etiquette when we are all shooting an event. During the Tour of Utah there were a number of us, pros and hobbyist that were all waiting to shoot the winner of the stage cross the finish line. We all kind of found our natural spot working it out with each other. Then as the winner came in this jack*#$ threw himself up and over the edge of the rail blocking out everybody's shot. They are the ones I have disdain for.
 
Woodyg3

Woodyg3

Senior Member
Contributor
I've never encountered this small lens vs big lens snobbery, and I've been a photographer for many years. I should say I've never encountered it when I'm out shooting. On the Internet? Well, sure. There are a lot of nut case wanna' bes on the Interwebs. :)

I have encountered plenty of people who are impressed by the size of my big telephotos, but these are usually people who know little about photography and are simply not used to seeing a large telephoto lens.
 
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Sandpatch

Senior Member
RON said:
Well you should see the looks I sometime get when I am shooting with my 50mm 1.8D You can actually see lips curl up in some instances. ......
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I brought my c. 1975 Nikkor 50mm to a car show because of its small size and immediately noticed that people with upscale equipment were staring. Maybe it was because I was the only person having to manually set things; I just don't know. It's a fun lens to use sometimes, though with my D5100, I'm looking through the center of it's wider field of view and have to step waaay back to shoot cars. :)
 
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Sandpatch

Senior Member
Moab Man said:
... I'm only annoyed by other pro's or hobbyist when they have no sense of courtesy or etiquette when we are all shooting an event. ...
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Reminds me of a story when shooting a steam train 30 years ago. We photogs had all lined up in a scenic valley to shoot the train on a bridge perhaps 1/2 mile distant. The photo line was orderly, the composition was beautiful and the train was due in minutes.

Suddenly a man appeared on the bridge and was wearing an outrageously colorful mess of clothes. We all groaned, forseeing a ruined shot. With that, a large fellow in our line boomed out, "HEY KODACHROME! GET OFF THE BRIDGE!" His voice powered down the valley and reverberated in the hills. Our unwanted guest quickly vanished, we cheered and the day was ours.
 
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RON_RIP

Senior Member
I go to Phipps Botanical Gardens every year and am somewhat mystified by the huge telephoto lens some photographers bring to shoot pictures of flowers that you can usually get pretty close to. They are forced to back up just to reach their minimum focal length and often block the aisles in the process. I will use my16 to 85 and capture almost everything I want to photograph, and some times I will only take my 60mm micro with me. The large telephotos just strike me as overkill, but, to each their own.
 
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