Today’s Post by Joe Farace
In the automotive world it’s long been a somewhat incorrect, I think, axiom that “you are what you drive.” All this was was running though my mind while reading e-mail from a reader about one of my Shutterbug reviews of a DSLR. If you are what you drive, are you also what you shoot?
I think you should use all of the information that I offer on this and my other website as a guide and should choose and use whatever kind of camera you like and, most importantly, can afford. I strongly believe that the kind of attitude that you bring to a shoot is more important than the equipment you bring with you.
If you really want to know what kind of gear I use to photograph cars (and other stuff)I use check out the My Gear page. And you should also know that all of it was purchased with my own money, except for a couple of cameras that were bought by my wife as gifts for me. There are no freebies from manufacturers, at least not for me.
How I Made this Shot: For example, the image of my former CLA 250 (above) was shot while I was on my ways to Cars & Coffee at the Vehicle Vault. It was made with an Olympus E-M10 Mark I and 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 II R kit lens with an exposure of 1/250 sec at f/9 and ISO 320. That’s also why, unlike some blogs, I also try to include exposure data whenever I can. And, this camera was one of the cars that Marty bought me for my birthday several years ago.
Please know that whenever I mention any specific 
equipment or software it does not constitute a product endorsement. That’s because I am not employed by, under contract or personally sponsored by any company to create content that is designed to promote their products. Nobody pays me to write about their products.
When I review new cameras and lenses for this, my main site or for Shutterbug, I try to put myself in the position of a reader who wants to know how well the gear works when used under real world conditions. In all of my reviews, I’ve freely criticized cameras from all manufacturers because I’m not a fanboy of any particular brand. If I am biased toward anything it’s toward the truth, as I see it anyway. And this has not always endeared me to some camera companies or magazine editors. All I want to tell you about is: Does the equipment work as advertised and is it a good value? That’s my only bias.
PS: And if you read my long-term test of my CLA 250 you know that I’m not a paid Mercedes- Benz blogger either. If you missed my vlog on my search for a new car, check it out here. I’m going to have to do another vlog on Mary’s—not my—purchase of a 2018 Subaru Crosstrek. )This is being held up by my misplacing an in-car camera mount that for some reason seems to have disappeared despite its being big and red.)
If you enjoyed today’s blog post and would like to buy Joe a cup of Earl Grey tea ($2.50), click here. And if you do, thank so very much.
Along with photographer Barry Staver, I’m co-author of Better Available Light Digital Photography that’s available from Amazon for $21.88 prices with used copies selling at giveaway prices—less than two bucks, as I write this, which is cheaper than your morning Starbucks coffee.