How do you tell some one to throw away their camera

[Battou]

How do you tell some one their equipment sucks and they need to get a new camera?

I have seen a handfull of people with deicent potential and rancid cameras as well as people who seem to want to actually try taking artistic pictures with their cell phones. What is a nice way to tell some one this?

 

[Kanikula]

You dont.

Why should you tell someone that what they seem happy enough with is cr@p?? Just because someone has potential, it doesnt mean they want to use it. A camera is very subjective to the person using it.

 

[Lol999]

It's not the equipment, it's the photographer, and unless their gear is defective, rather than decent, there's nothing much to be said. I for one wouldn't touch a Holga with a barge pole, I find no appeal in dubious quality, poorly focussed images, potential for light leaks etc, yet many people love them and take very good photographs with them. As for cellphones taking pictures, it won't be long before a gallery or puiblisher produces a body of work taken with them, if not already. There is increasingly less regard for the traditional outlook of aspiring to the best gear (which I do:hail.

Cheers, Lol

 

[Mike_E]

You say, "Here, try mine.".

If that doesn't do it, then you've done what you can.

If you don't care enough to lend them your camera for a short while then whistle a tune -slightly off key- and go your merry way.

 

[THORHAMMER]

Heres how,

"hello sir"

My name is "insert name"

I am a moron who thinks that cameras take better pictures then people do. Could you throw out your camera please, its making me feel badly that you might take a more emotive and better composed pic than me with my
"better" camera, therefore making my look bad in the process.

 

[jols]

people take the pictures the camera only captures it.

there is someone on here cant remember his name lives the rhine valley and the wes country and he took zoo pics on a point and shoot and they were excellent.

lots of peeps have 'expensive' cameras and take average pics and some have 'cheap' ones and take excellent pics.

 

[Iron Flatline]

I read a great book recently. On Being a Photographer, by David Hurn. He's with Magnum.

He talks about gear for a few pages. One of the things he describes is the various phases of burgeoning photographers. He says they all go through a phase where they say "It's not the camera, it's the photographer" but the fact is that great photographers use great gear. Without exception. The only difference is that after a (long) while they settle on a particular camera and lens set, and rarely move from it. The camera becomes so much of an extension of themselves, that they cannot move to anything new easily. It becomes totally intuitive, instinctual, an appendage.

Yes, if you think someone has talent, encourage them to explore it. Suggest better gear, it might give them a bigger creative experience. They can still say "no, thank you."

 

[(Ghastly) Krueger]

Heres how,

"hello sir"

My name is "insert name"

I am a moron who thinks that cameras take better pictures then people do. Could you throw out your camera please, its making me feel badly that you might take a more emotive and better composed pic than me with my
"better" camera, therefore making my look bad in the process.

I disagree with the spirit of that comment.
Yes, the photographer is the basic part of making a photograph, but the quality of the equipment plays a big part on it also. (Besides telling the OP that he is a moron, WTH?)

 

[ScottS]

I read a great book recently. On Being a Photographer, by David Hurn. He's with Magnum.

He talks about gear for a few pages. One of the things he describes is the various phases of burgeoning photographers. He says they all go through a phase where they say "It's not the camera, it's the photographer" but the fact is that great photographers use great gear. Without exception. The only difference is that after a (long) while they settle on a particular camera and lens set, and rarely move from it. The camera becomes so much of an extension of themselves, that they cannot move to anything new easily. It becomes totally intuitive, instinctual, an appendage.

"

WELL SAID!!! :thumbup:

 

[Iron Flatline]

He says it in response to a phase we've probably all been through just prior to that one, whereby we acquire a ton of gear hoping it will make our images better... only to find that it only helps incrementally.

 

[LaFoto]

When I still used my husband's first (cheap) SLR, just because ... well, he had one and I didn't, but he never really used his, the outcome was ... hm, well, okay'ish at first but got worse and worse over the years.

And when I brought home a lot of pics that were - well - sub-par, to put it as mildly as possibe, my father said to me "And now put that camera into the cupboard and never take it out again. Ever. You won't get one decent photo out of it any more."

Soon after that I got my Canon EOS 500N, the first SLR I could call "my own". My husband never missed his old SLR...

But that was how I was told to throw away the camera I was using back then.

 

[THORHAMMER]

I meant it in the spirit of, like thats just retarted....

why should you tell someone else to throw away their camera.

If they are happy , let them be......




maybye you should try throwing out yours and trying theirs..... ?

------------------------------------------------------

 

[(Ghastly) Krueger]

I meant it in the spirit of, like thats just retarted....

why should you tell someone else to throw away their camera.

If they are happy , let them be......

And if they are happier with a better camera?

maybye you should try throwing out yours and trying theirs..... ?

------------------------------------------------------

Nah, I've had mny share of crappy cameras, thanks.

 

[Garbz]

Isn't there an entire internet forum dedicated to taking photos with Holgas and Cellphones? I think you'd get your ass kicked if you called them crap cameras. I like the holga I have here!

 

[Viperjet]

Let them check out your camera, and then also show them some of your pictures. I have a friend who whips out his cell phone whenever there's a photo-op and my DSLR is out...it's pretty funny.