Hey Everyone! Hope your week is going well. Mine? Very well thank you. This week I want to talk about "Walking the Walk and Talking the Talk". So what does that mean? It means doing what you say you'll do and living up to the advice you've given. This is really an "About Me" blog. At the beginning of the year I gave my New Years Resolution of not buying any camera gear and do with what I have. I did stick a caveat that if I found a killer deal that I would not let that go without action. And I did find a couple of deals and my pals have made fun of me.  But its more than a resolution its all of the years of advice that I have given on photography and not getting caught up in the buying and trying to keep up with the Jone's. The last couple of months I have been heavily into research for upgrading my camera bodies. As you may know I use "Used" gear and am usually a version or two behind the current and most high tech gear model that's out there. But after watching hours upon hours of Youtube I had become convinced that I needed a new camera body. So I researched and researched the different camera models and new gismos and the high frame rate and the high megapixels of the newer cameras. And I was all caught up in the hype of a new and shiny camera. Then I started thinking about things I have told other people about buying new cameras and gear. Like....

What kind of photography do you do? Will the new technical advances really help your photography? If you are a wildlife or Sports photographer Elk, Cherokee the high megapixels and fast frame rates might help you. But if you are a Landscape, Portrait or any other kind of photography where high speed shutter and high megapixels a new camera won't really improve your photography. Unless you just want a shiny camera and can afford it the new one a new camera will not improve your photography. This is where I was. I'm basically a travel/street but do landscapes also. So although a cool and new and shiny camera would be awesome but it would't improve my photography over the camera's I have now. So my money would be better spent on trips and other things.

Are you currently using your camera to the fullest of its ability? Are there features that you aren't using? Are you running the latest firmware of your camera? For the first and second question. I haven't been using my camera to the fullest ability. In other words I haven't outgrown it. It is still very capable and will be for a long time. There are parts in the menu that I haven't explored yet that may make my camera like brand new. I basically use the same features but don't explore others like I should. For the third Bicycle Built for 2 question. I'm very good at keeping up with firmware updates. These updates could radically improve your camera's abilities and new updates come quite often and usually are not advertised. So looking every once in a while to see what the latest firmware version is out is a good habit to get in to. Don't forget lenses they may have firmware updates that can make them sharper and faster focusing. Making them like brand new also.

These are the questions that I had to ask myself. And I did. I decided that for the type of photography that I do I don't need the latest and greatest camera that is out there. I'm still getting good photo's from my camera. Most of my photographs are on the web so Megapixels isn't a great advantage to me I don't print that much and when I do it's usually in an end of year book. I don't miss the larger file sizes that large megapixels images would have added to my computer either. I am not a professional photographer so I don't need a big professional camera that has the latest and greatest technology. Fall Colors House Although I think they are actually very cool and what all the new cameras can do.  I really don't need a new camera and it wouldn't help my type of photography at all. I actually feel better after making this decision . Like a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. So next year won't be as expensive as I thought it was going to be.  So I'm taking my own advice I have asked the questions that I would ask anyone else. So until next week grab your old camera and... Get out and Shoot!

Hey if you want to check out my photography go to my instagram account Max Stansell Photography there are over 2000 posts there. Here is the link

 Max Stansell Photography Instagram Link

Hey Y'all! Fall is upon us and I'm Loving it! It's my favorite time to shoot. I love the fall colors, festivals and the cooler weather. This week I want to talk about how I research gear that I buy. If you've been following me you know I don't really buy new gear. Now there are tons and tons of gear out there that is great and used and just waiting for someone like you to get it. Now admittedly I am a gear head and I do love some gear. But for me it doesn't have to be the newest and greatest for the type of photography that I do. I'm on a fixed income budget so it matters how much it cost and that I get the best that I can get out of each dollar.  So the way I get gear is first I get an idea of what I want, then I research the different  models and brands and then I hunt for the best price. So it's quite a process and takes a while so I don't really make too many spontaneous purchases. Well at least I try not to.

How I get an Idea for gear? Well back in the day before the internet it was from books or magazines that you could find almost anywhere in a magazine rack. There was always a camera book or photography magazine that you could get and flip through the pages. But now it's the internet and there are loads of information out there .  For me the #1 way I find ideas on what gear I want is through Youtube. Most of Youtube is just people telling you about their photography and what gear they are using. A lot of the gear that they show is Sponsored by camera companies and gear companies so you have to take what they say with a grain of salt. But if you watch enough of them with many different people telling their story and soon you'll find what you're looking for. Say a focal length in lenses or maybe a camera body. Now its time to research.

Research. When I research it's not only the cost of the gear but the quality. I want the best quality that I can afford. Not always the cheapest gear. One great resource is "DP Review" , This online publication is free and it has been rating lenses and camera bodies for over a decade and has reviews on every lens and camera body. They have
a place where you can compare lenses or body and compare them spec by spec. There are sample photos from lenses and bodies and articles that you can research. They even have a partnership with MPB so when your looking at lets say lenses you can check a brand new price and you can see what MPB is selling used and there is a quick link that you can click that will take you right to MPB and the item. Where you can buy outright or you can sell and trade something that you don't use anymore like a macro lens or a prime lens or old body and get money toward the purchase of the item that you are looking to buy. You can also look at KEH another Used camera dealer that has lots to look at and compare prices.  There are all kinds of blogs and threads where you can look up stuff and get personal opinions of gear. Just "Google" the gear and all sorts of stuff pops up. When you finally find what you want and are confident that that is what you want to purchase. It's time to buy.

Buying Gear. Well this is the easy part but maybe the hardest part too. LOL Camera gear isn't cheap. First you have to figure out if you want to by new or used. New is easy . Either B&H Photography or Adorama or even Amazon. I have had good luck with all of them and I would just find the best price and buy. If you plan on buying used there are lots of ways to go. Buy from a friend if they have the gear you're looking for. MPB and KEH are great choices for used gear. Adorama and Amazon also sell used I have tried Amazon but not Adorama used. I have also bought from Facebook Marketplace with success. Ebay is another way to go I have bought and sold from them without any problems. There are other companies out there that sell used and
new gear but I haven't used them. Here is a link to a blog I wrote on Buying Used.

So there you have it How I research and find gear to buy. If you have suggestions or ideas let us know. Until next week...Get out and Shoot!

Hey if you want to check out my photography go to my instagram account Max Stansell Photography there are over 2000 posts there. Here is the link

 Max Stansell Photography Instagram Link

Hey Ya'll! Happy Friday! Hope you've had a great week. Today I want to talk about compact lenses for street/travel photography. Now a little disclaimer I am not a professional street or travel photographer but I do like  to do it and have done it for a while.  Now I don't live in New York city or Chicago but have traveled to larger cities and love catching scenes of the hustling and bustling urban life. I also like to travel to different places and try to capture the essence of a town or city. Now you could use a "one and done" lens like a 24-120mm or even larger span of focal length but I have found that the big focal length lens although handy to you seems EYES like a " Large cannon" to ordinary folks on their day to day lives. A smaller compact camera and lens set up will be less intrusive and you will get better responses from people if they even notice you at all. The compact lenses aren't the biggest and baddest f/1.2 maximum aperture lenses but they are very high quality lenses at very useful focal lengths. I have a Sony A7C mirrorless camera that I use for street and travel (the "C" stands for compact) It is almost APSC Christmas Lights size but it is a full frame sensor camera. When it is paired with a "Normal" sized lens it tends to be front heavy and looks very odd. Although it works perfectly fine with these lenses the look isn't very discreet like a compact lens would be. To me in street photography "size does matter" but smaller is better not larger.  Now you can buy some cameras from Fuji, Leica and other brands that are street oriented cameras and they usually come with a fixed lens. Fuji X100 series cameras come with a 23mm (which is a 35mm equivalent in full frame) And Leica Q3 comes with a 28mm fixed lens The MetroCommuters waiting for the Metro in Washington DC. . For my taste street is best shot in 35mm or 50mm ranges of focal lengths For me I like a camera you can change the lenses on but I like them to be small. So in my street kit I have 3 compact lenses. I shoot Sony cameras but I'm sure you can find compact lenses in your brand or find them in a third party lens manufacture. These lenses can be found very inexpensive compared to normal sized lenses.

My street Zoom. I have the Sony 28-60mm f/4-5-6 kit lens. This lens is very sharp but not quite as compact as the other lenses in my kit. It is Man in Sylva NC very versatile  and if I really don't know what I'm about to get into this lens comes with me. I recently went to a festival and walking around I could zoom in or out to get the shot I wanted. Its not as good in low light as the other two lenses I'm going to mention but it really does a good job. It is the only Kit lens that I have in all of my camera gear so that should tell you how good it is.

50mm Lens. This focal length is suppose to be close to normal eye sight. I have the Sony 50mm f/2.5 G lens. It is one of the 3 compact lenses that Sony made for the new Sony A7C camera model when it came out.  They made it in a 50,40 and 24mm focal lengths.  It Light Bulb has an aperture ring on it with a click or no click switch an auto focus on and off switch and a focus hold button that you can program to be almost anything.  Like with all Sony or any manufacturers "now a days" that make lenses they are very sharp. I have had many 50mm lenses in my time as a photographer both film and digital. This is what came with your film 35mm camera when you bought one back in the day. They are sometimes called the nifty 50. I think no photographer shouldn't be without one. 

Stairs and Shadows Boston 35mm Lens. This focal lengths is one of the most popular focal lengths for street photography at slightly wider than normal eye vision. I have a Sony/Zeiss 35mm f/2.8 lens. This is one of Sony's oldest lenses but it is so good you can still buy it brand new and it isn't cheap. Carl Zeiss lenses are known as some of the best lenses ever made and Sony teamed up with them at the beginning of the mirrorless age and this was one of the first lenses they made along with a 55mm witch is still one of the best lenses for the Sony full frame cameras. Sony makes other 35mm lenses I have owned one that was f/1.8 which was Bartender waiting for Customer Boston an excellent lens and they make a f1.4 version also that I'm sure I can't afford or carry. LOL The Zeiss lens that I have is small and fast to focus and tac sharp and has that Carl Zeiss look about it . Very good contrast. 

All three of these lenses are small and easy to carry and will fit in small fanny pack or jacket pocket. These fun little lenses will make you a better photographer in my opinion because you really don't need to think about anything but composing and looking for your shot. Also traveling with these light lenses will be an ease on your back. I usually only take two of these at a time . Usually the primes but if I am carrying the Zoom I will take one of the primes for low light shots. Well that's it for this week so... Get out and Shoot!

Hey if you want to check out my photography go to my instagram account Max Stansell Photography there are over 2000 posts there. Here is the link

 Max Stansell Photography Instagram Link