Out with the old, in with the new

We don’t talk much about cameras and gear here on The Trackside Photographer. There are several reasons for this, not the least of which is that the internet is awash with reviews and opinions on any type of photographic equipment one can imagine. And the needs of railroad photographers are not highly specialized: we have published work made with everything from large format view cameras to smart phones.

But I have been thinking about cameras for the past year or so. At the end of 2018 I bought a Canon M50 as a secondary camera to be used primarily for video. It was my introduction to mirror-less cameras, and I found that there was a lot to like about this technology, particularly in the area of auto-focus. The combination of a failing primary DSLR, and my failing eyesight finally propelled me to buy a new camera . The criteria for the new camera centered around handling and ergonomics, and auto-focus which is an absolute must for me. A new Fuji XH-1 arrived last week and all my old gear is packed up and ready to to go to a buyer. Out with the old, in with the new.

Will the new camera make me a better photographer? Will I take better pictures with it? No, I won’t. A camera can help solve some technical problems—in my case the new camera is going to accommodate the limitations of my eyesight. The new camera and lens may have better “image quality” but image quality and quality photographs are not the same thing. Photography takes place in the mind and reflects the experiences of the photographer, not in the camera. I expect that I will take the same number of crappy photos that I have in the past. Only now more of my crappy photos will be in focus. I will still get a worthwhile picture now and then, and I will enjoy using a camera that removes some of the technical limitations of the past.

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I recently had the opportunity to spend a day at the Illinois Railway Museum with Oren Helbok and George Hiotis. Oren has a way of immersing himself in the experience of a place, and his photos have a presence that comes from his “being there.” I learned something from that, and am inspired to get out of some of my old approaches to photography, to let my photographs grow more out of the experience of a place, and more importantly, the people. Sometimes it is good to rethink where we are going, and why, and how. That is how we grow. Out with the old, in with the new.

All of the photos that accompany this article were taken by me at the Illinois Railway Museum in September, 2019 with the Canon M50. 

Edd Fuller – Photographs and text Copyright 2019