pointing and shooting

50two · Jul 26, 2008

am i worth a DSLR? i always question my ability cause i know of many people with dslrs who think theyre 'photographers' but really their cameras are left in their cupboards to die a slow painful death

im still saving up for a olympus E410, and just...is it worth it for me?

C+C please too :lovey:

i know the concept wasnt too original with that^^^ one
i use a canon powershot a520 by the way :meh:

post photoshopping was just cropping and curves

Computer_Generated · Jul 26, 2008

lol that first one made my day. I think anyone who enjoys taking pictures and wants to understand the art a bit more should get one. Don't knock P&S though!

Check out the vid here: http://www.digitalphotoshopretouching.com/video-samples/shoot1/vid1.htm although they were PS'd like crazy he did his whole shoot with P&S and they looked pretty great BEFORE he did any editing.

deudeu · Jul 26, 2008

I like your pictures.

As far as whether or not you need a DSLR, only you can answer this question.
If the question is: "will you have more fun than with a P&S?" the answer is yes.
If the question is:"Will you be able to take better pictures?" the answer is yes.

So what you need to figure out is wether or not you want to carry around something that is significantly larger than a P&S in order to satisphy your drive to take better pictures, and whether or not you are willing to invest the money it takes in lenses and accessories to make some good pictures.

River Roe · Jul 26, 2008

i keep asking myself the same thing. In the end I decided that photography has captivated my attention enough to justify upgrading so I can learn the more technical side of the art. "Talent" is subjective and overrated. It means nothing if you do nothing with it *glances guilty at my abandoned art supplies*

SimplyMo · Jul 26, 2008

never question yourself or your ability, that takes every inch of fun out of doing it.
buy the camera, and don't give it a second thought. there's no such thing as being worth it or not. if you enjoy photography, that's all the counts.

your images are lovely, i like them

especially the last three.

50two · Jul 26, 2008

deudeu said:
If the question is: "will you have more fun than with a P&S?" the answer is yes.
If the question is:"Will you be able to take better pictures?" the answer is yes.

So what you need to figure out is wether or not you want to carry around something that is significantly larger than a P&S in order to satisphy your drive to take better pictures, and whether or not you are willing to invest the money it takes in lenses and accessories to make some good pictures.

thanks deudeu

well more than not i like to think i could take better pictures with a dslr because the horrible amounts of noise, purple fringing, bad resolution (3.2MP) and restricted manual controls i get on the p&s fustrates me to a high point :grumpy:

ah well either way.. that dslr should be coming before this year ends...christmas at the latest D:

50two · Jul 26, 2008

SimplyMo said:
never question yourself or your ability, that takes every inch of fun out of doing it.
buy the camera, and don't give it a second thought. there's no such thing as being worth it or not. if you enjoy photography, that's all the counts.

your images are lovely, i like them especially the last three.

thanks mo

i showed my friend one of my photos the other day and she was like
"pffftt thats not very good..youre not a v good photographer.. here ill show you mine,, see? how much better is that

"

she then showed me a picture she took of the beach at sunset. and that was it. it was just a sunset picture she took with her little point and shoot while she walked past. to be honest yes it was a pretty shot, but thats all it was, just a plain photo of a sunset and here she was telling me that it was better than something i spent time on composing and editing etc

its hard not to think like that when theres people around saying things like that

carolinasoutdoor · Jul 26, 2008

I love my DSLR......I've had point and shoots for awhile now and always seemed to miss "the shot" due to distances that were just too far away. Made the upgrade a few weeks ago and loving it.

manaheim · Jul 26, 2008

I had point and shoot cameras for years and they frustrated the hell out of me. I knew I could make them do more, but it was ridiculously hard to do so... granted, this is back in the days when there was a 2 second delay from the time you pushed the button to the time it took the pic... they have all gotten much better since then.

Regardless, DSLRs are a much more capable tool and will make it easier for you to enjoy what you are doing and learn and grow.

BTW, just a warning that DSLRs will also make it easier for you to severely screw up your pictures. Be prepared for that.

Flexibility is a powerful tool, but a dangerous one as well.

BTW, my having a DSLR makes me no more a "photographer" than my hammer makes me a carpenter. It's what you do with them, how often, and how hard you try to learn that makes the difference.

50two · Jul 27, 2008

BTW, my having a DSLR makes me no more a "photographer" than my hammer makes me a carpenter. It's what you do with them, how often, and how hard you try to learn that makes the difference.

i get what youre saying, i guess the reason why i question myself is because i have a friend who has a dslr and this isthe product :

seriously, i dont want to be an oblivious person investing so much money (well it is for me) into something that i have very little talent in, and end up like this person, who barely touches the camera anymore apart from taking to holidays for happy snaps on auto. which i guess, is why im asking for people opinion, whether or not i should even bother

K_Pugh · Jul 27, 2008

Going by your first photos it seems you're quite creative and good a good eye for composition, creative composition - I like them.

If you feel your cameras holding you back or want to learn more about photography a DSLR would be good. You can still use your Powershot if you can't be bothered lugging around an SLR.. just go have fun.

My first camera was a Fuji S5000, i loved using it, great fun but i felt it was holding me back with the shutter lag etc etc.. so i bought a D70 and learned a great deal but it can take a little of the 'fun' edge away.. but as i say keep your powershot for those times you just want to have fun..

Don't doubt your own creative skills and learning the technical aspects isn't too difficult either.. just make sure you buy a Nikon lol

Overread · Jul 27, 2008

You appear keen, energetic and you have a creative flair so I don't think your DSLR will end up sitting on a shelf hidden and unused. That is the impression you have given me (and it also appears others as well) so we would think it worth your while investing in a DSLR.
Far as I can see your biggest problem is not going to be picking up and using the camera, but cost

for once you start on the DSLR path lenses, accessories and that next body all start draining monies -- good luck

As to the real question you are worried about - that of giving up and not shooting I would say this; switching to DSLR manual modes for the first time will probably lead you to take a whole series of shots that don't meet your expectations in the early days. This can be off putting to some, especially when you wait for so long and put a lot of effort into using the camera. Don't try and work round this by reading 1000+1 books on the subject between now and then, all you will get is info overload and then you won't know you ISO from your shutter speed

.
Just take things a pace slower - readup, keep shooting and when you get that DSLR shoot like a madman - and never just shoot once. Try out different settings on the same shot (as much as you can) and then you can review the results later on computer - and the joy of digital (which you nodoubt know) is that it won't cost you a thing (barring time) if you do mess up a shot