I recently saw a presentation by world renowned wildlife photographer Arthur Morris at B and H Photo (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pas-GiB9jzo here is theYouTube link it is long but worth watching). Morris was talking about being out with his 800mm lens with a 2x teleconverter on it. He said people will tell him if they only had that lens they would take great pictures too. Morris said he often tells people to go ahead and try. He said they try for a minute, and then ask him to frame the bird in the view finder because they can't find the bird.
Anyone who has ever tried to photograph a bird with a 300mm lens can probably relate, its hard. The point to the story is its not so much about the gear, but knowing how to use it.
In his presentation Morris goes over a number of lenses, cheap, old, new and very expensive lenses. Morris shows how he has captured amazing images using every type of lens out their.
Digital cameras have come so far, that any camera on the market these days is capable of capturing amazing images, you just have to know how to use them properly.
Sure having the latest camera body would be nice, but its not necessary. Many professional photographers are not using the latest gear, for the simple fact they are in the business to make money. And using equipment that is a few years old is still providing amazing image quality.
It does not matter if you are shooting Canon or Nikon either. The camera are so advanced these days their is virtually no difference in their ability.
When it comes to camera bodies its about what features matter the most to you. How fast of a frame rate do you need, how much noise is acceptable to you in low light, how does the camera feel in your hand, and most important what is your price range.
More important than the camera body is what glass are you going to put in front of it. Many people buy a super expensive camera and then use the cheap plastic lens that comes with it. They can't figure out why their images are sub-par. I would choose an old camera body and a professional series lens over a new camera body with a kit lens any day of the week.
The better lenses offer you better low light ability, faster focusing and better optics that produce sharper images with less image distortion.
But that does not mean you have to buy the most expensive lens out their. Their are third party manufactures out there that produce very good results at a fraction of the price of Canon or Nikon glass.
I personally do the vast majority of my shooting with a Canon 7D and a Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 lens. My camera body is a few years old, and isn't even a pro level camera. My lens while the latest version from Sigma is half the cost of the Canon version. And I get great results, when I use the equipment properly.
No camera or lens is a perfect do all setup. That is why you have interchangeable lenses. You have to figure out what you plan to shoot the most and find the setup that suits you the best. Today's DSLR's have way more features and capabilities than the best 35mm camera ever had. And people were capturing great images back in the days with those camera's. So there is no reason why you can't get great results today.
The key is to understanding your equipment's strengths and weakness. Understanding the fundamentals of photography and how to use your camera features properly will help you to capture amazing images regardless of how much money you spent on your equipment.
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