In the past few years that I have been into street photography, I have tried many cameras in order to find the best one that will work for me. It’s easy for any beginner to think that the camera with the best specs will deliver the best results. And for some time, I believed that principle as I tried every type of camera—from DSLR, to mirrorless, to action camera, to smartphone. Name it, I’ve either bought, rented, or borrowed it just to try it.

I eventually realized how true it is that the “perfect” camera is relative to one’s needs. Going through this process of discovery did help improve my street photography skills and taught me how to work with various types of cameras. Here are just two of the most important things I’ve learned along the way.