Captured with a Nikon D80 and a Sigma 10-20mm

Now, before you decide to leave nasty comments about all the reasons why either model is better than the other, save yourself the time and energy and hear me out.

Why did you get into photography in the first place? Was it because of the never-ending upgrade path offered by all camera manufacturers? If you did, then you need to stop reading this article and search Google for mental health specialists in your area, because you are suffering from some form of obsessive compulsive behavior. You know what I’m talking about, the same kind of disorder that afflicts hardcore Apple fanboys who line up or camp outside an Apple store to buy every new iPhone that comes out, regardless of how little the device has been improved over its previous incarnation.

Captured with an iPhone and post processed with Snapseed

Chances are, you got into photography for the same reasons we all did, because it offers a creative outlet. Photography allows you to capture the world with your own personal touch. Some might argue that the “personal touch” doesn’t really come into play until you have mastered a great deal of technical knowledge and handling the camera becomes second nature to you. However, it doesn’t matter how early or how far we are into our photographic journey, we all think we are seeing the world through our very own perspective and that becomes evident when you ask 10 photographers to shoot the same subject and they all come back with different results.

Captured with an iPhone and post processed with Snapseed

Are the new camera models better than their predecessors? No doubt! Are they going to help you produce better images? That’s debatable. If by better images you mean cleaner, sharper files, then the answer is yes. However, if what we are talking about is better photographs, then you already know the answer to that one. I get it though, I really do. I also believed every little bit of hardware advantage would provide me with an edge over the competition. I fell for the marketing trap, just like everyone else. Never mind that most of the photographers that I admire the most had shot their images with camera bodies older than my grandparents (granted, probably cutting edge at the time), I just wanted cleaner ISO and faster AF in addition to more mega pixels.

Captured with a Nikon D200 and a Sigma 10-20mm

I completely disregarded artistic vision for the promise of technology and in the process, I learned a very expensive lesson. Our cameras are only as good as the individual operating them. Sounds pretty obvious, right? Well, if you are contemplating buying a $6K Nikon D4 , when only 12 or 18 months ago you were buying a D3s, which in turn you bought after dumping your D3, then it’s not. You can justify it to yourself all you want, but you know better than anybody else that it’s not going to make you a better photographer. It might not even give you an edge over your competition if your artistic vision is not there.

Nowadays, I cringe every time I hear the words “game changer”. Digital by itself was a game changer, but only in the way that images are captured, distributed and shared. The principles of photography are still valid today as they were decades ago and better cameras don’t make better photographers.

Captured with a Nikon D80 and a Sigma 10-20mm

In conclusion, if you are thinking about purchasing the latest and greatest, please do yourself a favor and stop and take a look at your portfolio. Are you satisfied with the images you are producing today? If the answer is no, a brand new camera won’t make a difference.

Captured with an iPhone and post processed with Snapseed

Back then, if I had had the benefit of waiting I would’ve held off until the R3000 came out. However, as with all equipment failures in any line of work, they usually happen at the most inopportune time. When the R1400 broke down, I had to make a quick decision, as I needed to deliver a DVD (the cover is printed on matte paper) from an engagement session to a couple traveling back to Alberta the very next day. It all came down to space, I just couldn’t fit the 3880 anywhere near my workstation, whereas the R2880 had a footprint very close to my old R1400. Fast forward over a year and I can honestly say that I don’t regret the purchase one bit. The R2880 delivers stunning colour prints, but where it really shines is delivering beautiful dead neutral black and white prints. Now, you can choose to use Epson’s own ABW driver and get great results or you can opt to get geeky and a little bit anal about it and use Roy Harrington’s QuadTone Rip driver to take the capabilities of the printer to a whole new level.

Anyway, I could keep blabbing on about the printer and the kind of images it can produce, but I think it’s better if I explain it in pictures. All prints were done using 13″ x 19″ Epson’s Ultra Premium Photo Paper Luster. Here are a couple of images I hadn’t posted on the blog before but some of you might have seen then on my Facebook page already. Below each one of them is a picture that my wife took of me holding the print from the R2880:

Toronto Black & White Photography: Digital File from Nikon D3

Toronto Black & White Photography: Print from Epson R2880

Toronto Black & White Photography: Brookfield Place - Digital File from Nikon D3

Toronto Black & White Photography: Print from Epson R2880

Toronto Black & White Photography: Print from Epson R2880

Toronto Black & White Photography: The Crystal printed on Epson R2880