DSLR Rant

[pebbleheed]

You'll hate me then OP.

I have a dslr, I have a couple of lenses and I even have the nerve to carry a tripod from time to time. Worse still I'm planning on heading to NYC at some point with my camera to take some street shots. While I'm there I'll probably also use my camera to take some simple pictures of my child and wife as we enjoy being tourists too.

I'm not a professional by any means. I enjoy taking pictures and I upload my better shots to flickr where I enjoy the feedback.

I enjoy using my DSLR having progressed to it from phone camera to mirrorless and then a dslr. This is my fourth dslr now. I tend to buy as I feel I need or sometimes want something new.

I work hard, I spend my cash on things I want. I could use the camera on my iPhone but the quality of the photos is nowhere near as good. I appreciate a rubbish photo on either will be a rubbish photo, but even simple shots of your family on a park bench can be improved by using a proper camera over that of a phone camera.

Also worth noting that every camera bought is money in the companies pockets to develop more features for everyone in the future. Less sales = slower development.

I know someone married to a pro-photographer who hates people having all these cameras but he hates it because it's hit his profits. People can often achieve what they want with modern cameras and photoshop without paying for his services now. The effects he used to achieve with film are often easily achieved by someone who's been on a couple of courses, bought a dslr and got a copy of photoshop.

I don't understand what the issue is however. If people want to buy these cameras then why not?

 

[sashbar]

Just think about the price you would have to pay for a FF body if these cameras were only used by those who are able to unlock its potential.

I have a key

May I have a copy?

 

[astroNikon]

May I have a copy?

Sure ... but the key is hidden and to uncover the key one has to practice and evolve.

Kinda like Snerd .. he evolved from a blue boy wearing radio headphones to a monkey. Oh wait, that's backwards isn't it ?

 

[sashbar]

I was on holidays recently, and there were places, where a lot of (mostly European) tourists were carrying DSLRs. I am usually not really interested in gear, but I must admit I was curious about what cameras people used and what did they shoot.

Very, very few quality mirrorless, almost no compact p&s, many cheap bridge supezooms, not a single rangefinder, mobile phones quite often, lots and lots of baby Canon and Nikon DSLRs with kit lenses and to my surprise there was a considerable number of prosumer cameras. What struck me - it was mostly girls who ventured into the prosumer territory.

But whatever the camera, they were all shooting same things: buildings. Old buildings: churches, monuments, fishermen huts - everything that had "I am a tourist attraction" written all over it in huge, bold letters. Boring, boring stuff. No one cares to shoot people, unless it was their family and friends in front of a church. Or a monument. I had zero competition.

It is easy to shoot street at a place with lots of tourists. You never look like an idiot there carrying a camera. You do not even bother to look like a tourist, you are presumed to be the one. There is one problem though: it is difficult to find something worth shooting there. When you start shoting street, you think: tourists places must be great. But no, it is probably the least inspiring.

There was a slim, miniature girl in her 20-s at my table, with a big prosumer Nikon. I was not sure if it was d7xxx or d6xx. But it had a zoom, unlike my camera. I put my little Ricoh on the table, it was the size of a cigarette pack. She glanced at it as if it was a cockroach and ordered a glass of Chardonnay. I had beer. We were sitting silently, waiting for our meal.

Probably she felt like a serious photograper, unlike me, an old lamer. For a moment I wished I had my old battered D3s with me. Then we could talk. I knew I had no chance, wearing a cockroach. She looked quite attractive and smart. University degree most probably. An architect? She looked like a small office worker on her lonely holidays.

But you know what? She might as well be a great photographer. She could be extremely talented and knew what she was doing. Sometimes you never know. Sometimes you can not tell. But I really hope so. I hope she had loads of excellent, first class images in her MacBook. Images of beautiful things and happy people.

I should have taken her picture right there, across the table. She would be pissed off, but I had nothing to lose anyway, with my cockroach and beer. You know, with this little camera you can hold it in your hands, pretending you are checking your photos, point at her at close range and press the shutter button. It is completely silent, so she would sit there wondering "Did he just shoot me?".

It could have probably spoiled her meal a little bit, but I still regret I did not do it. But I did not know at that moment that one day I would write this little story. Otherwise I would definitely have taken her picture. I would have taken it with me, for sure.

 

[sashbar]

May I have a copy?

Sure ... but the key is hidden and to uncover the key one has to practice and evolve.

Kinda like Snerd .. he evolved from a blue boy wearing radio headphones to a monkey. Oh wait, that's backwards isn't it ?

Oh, that key... If it contains cillies and cribs I can work on it.

 

[astroNikon]

funny ... a cockroach ... lol

 

[pgriz]

Ah... the issue of people having equipment apparently beyond their skill/knowlegle level...

Raise your hand if you see something similar with cookware, cars, power tools, sports gear, and pretty much anything that humans can get their paws on. How many garages have expensive power saws that can cut a perfect compound miter, and never are used for anything than a simple cross-cut? How many kitchens have the best food processor machine which is capable of an infinite variety of cutting, and is used, in essence only for yogurt smoothies? Ok people, you can put your hands down. We humans can do a lot of irrational stuff, and often times the only answer that fits the question of why do we do it, is "because we can".

 

[snowbear]

No, I don't care what someone else uses to shoot.

 

[limr]

What bothers me about hordes of toursists with DSLRs is the "hordes" part of that statement. People bug me, period. Who cares what the hell camera they're carrying?

If I can find an out-of-the-way place to sit with a beer and watch those hordes (rather than be in their midst), however, it's quite amusing to watch them. Who's chimping and who's not? Who has their flash up in the middle of the day when taking a picture of the top of a building? Who's getting all serious with the tripod? Who's just taking selfies with an iPhone?

And of course, every once in a while, you'll see someone with an old film camera. Okay, it's usually me and my boyfriend, but sometimes we see others. We might actually get talking, but often we'll just nod, smile in silent recognition, and move on.

 

[bribrius]

not so much the camera angle. But I keep thinking about the car thing I read in here. Cameras don't bother me but when I see the mid life crisis middle aged or soccer mom in the fast sports car "GOING UNDER THE SPEED LIMIT" in front of me I realize two things. A. they probably have no idea how to really drive that car. And B. I am going to pass them because I cant take the stress of dealing with a car that goes that fast slowing me down because the driver cant seem to find the right pedal.

 

[pgriz]

It does seem that (at least for some people) the high point of driving skills/knowledge happened when they passed the driver's test. How many cars do you see that are parked about a foot away from the curb? How many are parked over the yellow dividing line in the parking lot. How many seem to treat the center divider on the highway as the "middle" line? How many signal right (in the right lane) and then turn left? How many drive in the passing lane, just under the speed-limit, totally ignoring the rest of the traffic streaming past them on the right side? How many use their turning signals as an "aspirational" indicator of intention? How many open their driver doors without checking for traffic or passing bicycles? How many use the turning lane to go straight, and then veer back into the "correct" lane once they're in the intersection? And now many are too busy texting, talking, grooming and or doing other important stuff while changing lanes in fast traffic? Sigh.

 

[bribrius]

It does seem that (at least for some people) the high point of driving skills/knowledge happened when they passed the driver's test. How many cars do you see that are parked about a foot away from the curb? How many are parked over the yellow dividing line in the parking lot. How many seem to treat the center divider on the highway as the "middle" line? How many signal right (in the right lane) and then turn left? How many drive in the passing lane, just under the speed-limit, totally ignoring the rest of the traffic streaming past them on the right side? How many use their turning signals as an "aspirational" indicator of intention? How many open their driver doors without checking for traffic or passing bicycles? How many use the turning lane to go straight, and then veer back into the "correct" lane once they're in the intersection? And now many are too busy texting, talking, grooming and or doing other important stuff while changing lanes in fast traffic? Sigh.

people are ignorant and inconsiderate. Lady the other day was out of her car talking to another in a driveway. All I said was "nice parking job". Because she had stopped her car in the middle of the street and left it there while other cars were trying to get around it. It wasn't even on the side of the street it was right in the lane. And she is talking to another woman in a house driveway. Really? She agreed she shouldn't have left her car there but had "only been planning on stopping for a second".
still though, you leave it in the middle of the street????? wth
Another one I asked if they had broke down. Turns out the vehicle didn't have a valid registration or insurance and they had a cop behind them so they pulled over hoping the cop would just go by (which the cop did I guess). They are standing on the side of the road on a cellphone making sure the cop is gone before they drive it again. I was just like "um, you cant just leave your car there it is in front of someone's driveway". It wasn't even a parking area surprised the cop didn't give them a ticket for where they pulled the car over never mind the legality of the car itself.
Off subject though, what I was originally thinking of is a douche in a Ferrari last year that reved it up to look cool at every traffic light but in the 50 mph zone (where everyone does 60) he did 35-40 and after fifteen minutes I just couldnt take it anymore I was way late and he was apparently on a show cruise. I will admit the vein in my forehead was popping out just waiting for the passing zone to come up and I was very tempted to flip him off when I went by him (but I didn't).. After I passed him about ten other cars did too he had traffic so backed up.

 

[pgriz]

Ah yes, the slow drive in the fast car. Top down, usually. Shades on. The look of boredom to make sure you understand that he (it's almost always a "he") is actually totally bored by having to drive his little put-put among the hoi-poloi. VERY big legends in their own minds. And unfortunately, karma's on holiday.

 

[bribrius]

Ah yes, the slow drive in the fast car. Top down, usually. Shades on. The look of boredom to make sure you understand that he (it's almost always a "he") is actually totally bored by having to drive his little put-put among the hoi-poloi. VERY big legends in their own minds. And unfortunately, karma's on holiday.

pretty much. Never really concerned myself with what others have for cameras. ON THE OTHER HAND THOUGH, I have never been faced with someone with a d3x standing in my way while I am trying to take a shot leaving me staring at them while they try to figure out how to use their camera.
If I had come upon such a situation I imagine with the minutes ticking by I would eventually say something very sarcastic.

 

[limr]

Sometimes in my town, I'll be in front of someone in a car like that. Powerful, fast, flashy. On the straights, he'll tailgate like crazy (you're right Paul - it is usually a man.) On a curve, he'll fall back. I know instantly that he has no idea how to drive the car but likes to show off and pretend. There's one road that I take almost every day. Uphill almost all the way, lots of sharp, well-cambered curves, and fairly short. Lots of people take it because it leads to one of the entrances to the closest parkway. If the person behind me turns on that road as well, I can almost guarantee that he will be out of sight by the time I get halfway up the road. My car isn't anything special but I know how to drive it. But the guy who was so sure he wanted to go faster than me a minute ago on the straight? He's breaking going uphill because he can't handle the curves.