Photographic equipments start from you, the photographer. This is one aspect which is mostly ignored. People just pay attention to the camera and forget everything else. The common thinking is - "to take better photos you need better equipment". Again, that's just a part of the truth, not the whole truth. The whole truth is - you need a lot more than just good equipments to take good photos, and that includes good eyes, good understanding of photographic concepts, grasp of strengths and weaknesses of equipments, presence of mind etc.
That said, photographic equipments are the tools that you use to create photographs. So it is necessary to have a good understanding of photographic equipments. In the paragraphs below I will mention some of the most commonly used photographic equipments.
1. Camera - The most prominent tangible equipment in the list. Camera is what is ultimately used for "capturing" the image. Cameras come in various types. We will discuss types of cameras in a separate write up. However, here we will just name some of them. Depending on various type of classifications, cameras may fall in any of these categories. Some may have more than one of these characteristics and fall in more than one category.
- Rangefinder Cameras
- Single Lens Reflex Cameras
- Twin Lens Reflex Cameras
- Film Cameras
- Digital Cameras
- Stereophonic Cameras
- Interchangeable Lens Camera
- Fixed Lens Camera
- Point and Shoot Camera
- System Camera
We shall look at these types in detail at a later time.
2. Lens - A lens is a very important photographic equipment. A lens may exist by itself (in case of a System Camera or an Interchangeable Lens Camera) or may be a part of a camera system, such as in case of a Fixed Lens Camera or a Point and Shoot Camera. A lens, when fixed in a camera body, targets to achieve utility and portability, whereas a lens, when assembled as an independent equipment, targets to achieve higher degree of performance.
3. Flash - If photography refer to making images using light, then it should not be possible to take photos in dark, right? Right, but only if there did not exist an equipment called Flash. A Flash (or a Flash system) is a device that enables one to take photographs in darkness (or in low light situation) where taking a photograph will either be difficult of impossible. Another usage of Flash is - to balance the light. A Flash can be used to neutralize harsh shadows while shooting outdoors on a bright sunny day (a usage commonly referred to as Fill flash). When a Flash is used in combination with many other Flashes, it is called a Flash system. In a Flash System, there is one Commander Flash and one (or more) Slave Flashes.
4. Tripod - A tripod is something many a people do not think much of. With the technology improving faster than ever (we are blessed we are living in this age) we have cameras that can take great photos handheld. But till only a few years ago, it just wasn't possible to shoot in anything but decent light to take great pictures that were sharp. Advances in technology has made it possible to produce pocketable cameras that take just more than adequately clean photos in good light. However, the greed for technological sophistication is not controllable. They trying to produce more and more capable cameras. For example, to shoot at 1000mm 2 decades ago you had to carry equipments weighing over 20 Kgs. Now you get the ability to shoot at larger than that focal length in a pocketable camera. However, to control those magnification holding those cameras is hand is no child's play. You need a tripod. That's not the only reason why tripods are needed. Basically a tripod (or a monopod) is a simple device that allows steadying a camera (system) when needed.
[... to be continued]
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