A Fork Is Not A Knife

I’ve spoken about the importance of acquiring gear for a specific purpose and I think it’s often something we overlook during the purchasing phase. Blown away by specs or trying to get the most bang for our buck, it’s easy to expect one item to do it all. A swiss army knife if you will.

We only have to look to our common dining utensils, the fork and the knife, to understand the principle of specificity. The fork is for picking, lifting, and holding food. The knife is for cutting. It can be used in other ways, but its primary and best use is cutting. The fork is perhaps the more versatile of the two as if you were eating a piece of meat or vegetable, such as asparagus, you can pick it up and bite it like the caveman you are. But when you really need to cut something, the knife is the best choice.

Much discussion has occurred around camera formats in the digital age, namely due to sensor size. Medium format, Full frame, APSC, Micro four thirds, etc. Mirrorless. Mirrored. Or even the cameras within each of those formats. From full frame to smaller sensor formats there are a plethora of options available. Cameras for speed, cameras for image quality, cameras for video, cameras for fun. Some with interchangeable lenses. Some with fixed lenses. Some that are small and nimble. Some that are large and slow.

Budget is often a concern, so I do understand the importance of value. You want to squeeze as much use out of a single camera as possible. You want it to be able to handle any particular job you throw at it. But alas, this is often met by hitting the proverbial brick wall. In some way, it’s not quite suited for the task you’ve set for it. Like the fork, it may be versatile, but it isn’t a knife.

My advice? From the onset, think of your task. Can the fork work? Or do you need a knife? Maybe get the fork for now then add a knife later.

Food for thought. Terrible pun.