Coming back from a brief photography sabbatical, I've found quite a few posts on the forum regarding qualities that would make a camera considered professional vs. a camera considered non-professional. But that got me thinking, what is it that makes a camera a professional camera? Is it build quality? Is it megapixels or the size of the sensor? Is it a monetary figure that one must cross, or is it a camera that can perform in any situation even though most of those situations won't be experienced by the owner? I'm under the current believe that if you are making money on what you do, then the tool is a professional tool whether it is a 1Dx or a 110 film camera. I'd like to pose the question to the forum here. What are your opinions?
So what makes a camera a "pro" camera?
- Thread starter wsmith96
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A "pro" camera is the right tool for the job....wsmith96 said:
I saw a tv add for a dishwasher and to my eye, it looked like the action shots were taken with a GoPro
definitely a case where weather sealing was needed for a studio shot... but I get your point, almost all the time weather sealing is not needed in a studio.
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The right tool in the hands of someone who knows how to use it wisely.
This may mean 1DX
Or it can mean Go Pro
Or it could mean SL1
If someone gets paid to take pictures using a Rebel, he is playing such an important profession like any other. If the specified job does not require 1DX even EOS-M may be sufficient for this use.
This may mean 1DX
Or it can mean Go Pro
Or it could mean SL1
If someone gets paid to take pictures using a Rebel, he is playing such an important profession like any other. If the specified job does not require 1DX even EOS-M may be sufficient for this use.
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Generally, we refer to professional grade tools as those which are better made, have tighter tolerances, are rugged and reliable.
Certainly, a Pro can and will use whatever tool is available. If he cannot afford Snap-On tools, he might use some from a dollar store. A person who depends on a tool for making a living certainly wants tools that will get the job done and not fail him when he needs them to work. Professional grade cameras and other tools are made to be rugged and reliable, more so than the consumer grade tools.
Professional Grade DSLR's have been around for many years now, they originally had very few MP, but were professional quality.
Certainly, a Pro can and will use whatever tool is available. If he cannot afford Snap-On tools, he might use some from a dollar store. A person who depends on a tool for making a living certainly wants tools that will get the job done and not fail him when he needs them to work. Professional grade cameras and other tools are made to be rugged and reliable, more so than the consumer grade tools.
Professional Grade DSLR's have been around for many years now, they originally had very few MP, but were professional quality.
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A pro camera is one that is suitable for the professional photographer's work. I think there is a specific sense in which OP is using the term, one that we can all understand. It is not a "pro's camera," which would be whatever camera is being used by a person who makes his/her living in photography. It would be a collection of characteristics that most would agree are important for the professional user. This of course will have changed significantly over time, as camera specs and capabilities have dramatically expanded in the last 10 years.
I think we can agree that a pro camera should be built to be durable. The shutter should be rated to last for several years of high frequency use. It needs to be reliable. An accidental drop should not be capable of destroying it. This is one reason most people wouldn't consider a 6D or 70D to be a pro camera, whereas a 5D mark II could be considered a pro camera depending on the use to which it is put (action sports? It's not pro for that).
Put it this way: among current wedding/event photogs, how seriously would you take someone who is using a Rebel XS (1000D) as his/her only camera? What about a sports photog using a 60D? I'd feel more confident that the "pro" was serious about his/her work if they were using 7D (sports/wildlife), 5D or 1D series bodies.
I think we can agree that a pro camera should be built to be durable. The shutter should be rated to last for several years of high frequency use. It needs to be reliable. An accidental drop should not be capable of destroying it. This is one reason most people wouldn't consider a 6D or 70D to be a pro camera, whereas a 5D mark II could be considered a pro camera depending on the use to which it is put (action sports? It's not pro for that).
Put it this way: among current wedding/event photogs, how seriously would you take someone who is using a Rebel XS (1000D) as his/her only camera? What about a sports photog using a 60D? I'd feel more confident that the "pro" was serious about his/her work if they were using 7D (sports/wildlife), 5D or 1D series bodies.
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unfocused
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MichaelHodges said:
Absolutely wrong answer. There isn't an APS-C or Full Frame sensor made today that is not "pro quality" and most other sensor formats today are pro quality under the right conditions, even camera phones.
neuroanatomist said:
That's the right answer.
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neuroanatomist said:
Clearly that isn't the whole answer. Canon have a line of cameras aimed at professionals with a distinct set of features, which appeal the kind of people, who take pictures for a living.
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The user of the camera makes money with it.
That can cover anything from an iPhone to a view camera, in theory.
I think that pro event photographers should have two bodies, and I would think better of a photographer who showed up with two 60Ds than one that showed up with a single 5D3 and no backup.
"Pro grade" cameras are generally those with predicted higher shutter actuations to failure (1D 400K, vs Rebel 100K) and weather-proofing. And, I might add, pro grade cameras can be covered by CPS for priority repair, loaners, etc.
That can cover anything from an iPhone to a view camera, in theory.
I think that pro event photographers should have two bodies, and I would think better of a photographer who showed up with two 60Ds than one that showed up with a single 5D3 and no backup.
"Pro grade" cameras are generally those with predicted higher shutter actuations to failure (1D 400K, vs Rebel 100K) and weather-proofing. And, I might add, pro grade cameras can be covered by CPS for priority repair, loaners, etc.
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