I was in the DPC forums before work this morning and read a thread where a photog was asking which radio slaves he should look into buying.
Without any hesitation, the first reply was (and I’m paraphrasing here) “Buy PocketWizards, they’re the industry standard.”
Yeah, and they’re also grossly overpriced, at $200+ per unit – and it takes at least two units to make them work! For the $400+ that photog would spend, he could get much more.
This idea that just because something is “industry standard,” therefore it’s the model to buy is outright wrong. It’s an idea initiated by marketing gurus and perpetuated by consumers who see too much advertising. Let me put it another way: “industry standard” is a myth developed to make people buy equipment that they do not need.
Your average soccer mom does not need a DSLR; a point & shoot would be enough. Your average hobbyist photographer does not need Canon L-series lenses; there are plenty of non-L lenses that are excellent. Your average photographer does not need PocketWizards; there are other radio slaves on the market now that fit his needs better.
“Industry standard” only applies to people who work in the industry. By that I mean, the photog who is shooting for Sports Illustrated needs L-series lenses for their speed and quality; he needs PocketWizards because they have 16 channels, and there are 15 other photogs at the same event. He needs super-fast CF cards so he doesn’t miss the action because his buffer is full, and he needs Photoshop CS4 on a fast computer because he needs to get his stuff done on deadline. His gear costs more than his car, but it lets him earn his living.
If you shoot a couple of weddings a year, or some portraits here and there, or play around with your DSLR and macro lens in your garden, you do not work in the industry. I’m sorry, but it’s true – doing photography doesn’t make you a photographer, and even being a photographer doesn’t mean you’re an industry photographer.
This is a good thing. It really is, because it frees you from actually needing the “best” of every unit. Sometimes “good enough” really is “good enough.” My old Tokina wide-angle lens was the sharpest lens I’ve ever owned, and built like a tank. But it was A) a third party lens, and B) not an L-series equivalent.
So. What.
It was fast, sharp, and fit my needs. And it cost $500, instead of $800 – which means I had the gear I needed AND an extra $300 to put towards something else. I came out ahead.
The only people who are going to give you grief about your gear are the [INSERT BRAND NAME HERE] Snobs. Since I shoot Canon, I encounter Canon Snobs from time to time, who peer down their nose at me and sneer, “Oh, you use a Sigma lens – my Canon is much better.” Ignore them – they’re ignorant.
When you go to purchase your next piece of gear, think a long time about what your needs are. Read reviews, ask people who already own the unit, and find out if it fits your needs, or if there is a better option. For goodness’ sake, be smarter than the advertising and buy what you need, not what is “coolest.” This isn’t 5th grade, after all.
