Nature Photography How To

Photographers are known for chasing the latest and greatest gear, despite the adage that, “It’s the photographer—not the camera—that creates the image.” I’ll admit to owning a couple “state-of-the art” digital cameras myself. But my photo cabinet also includes a few “obsolete” models dating back to 2009.

My “vintage” digital cameras are limited to 12-megapixels resolution, and were chosen with care. All were known for punching above their weight when introduced, and they still deliver great images today—especially when used carefully with their limitations in mind.

So why would I leave an expensive full-frame camera at home, and go out shooting with an older model that I purchased for less than the cost of a gourmet meal? Simple: I enjoy challenging myself to create nice images with a camera that many photographers would greet with a sneer.

British landscape pro Nigel Danson seems to agree, as you’ll see in the eye-opening video below. Danson currently shoots with the full-frame Nikon Z7 mirrorless camera. But for this episode he hikes to the top of one of the highest mountains in the Scottish Highlands, to see what he can create with a camera he bought on eBay for $400.

Danson arose well before dawn for this behind-the-scenes episode so he could arrive at the peak’s summit in time for sunrise. He captured some great images with a kit lens on his bargain 2014 Nikon D3300; a beginner model that was positioned at the bottom of Nikon’s entry-level offerings. And frankly I wasn’t surprised.

So take a look at the images made with Danson’s $400 camera, and compare them to the results he achieved with the modern Nikon Z7. If you are surprised, maybe it’s time to take a look on eBay!

You can find more interesting videos on Danson’s YouTube channel and in another tutorial we shared recently, with a very helpful beginners guide to shooting landscape photos in Manual mode.