This shot, on the Eyre Peninsula, SA, was taken with a simple Ricoh Instamatic in September 1999. Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON
This post is prompted by the number of discussions I’ve had in the past six months or so with bloggers who want to upgrade their cameras, or who want to get started on photography.
Is there a particular camera I should be using?
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to this question. If you are comfortable with the camera you use, then stick with it. There is no guarantee that a state-of-the-art, highly priced laptop, Mac or PC will turn you into a brilliant writer and by the same logic, you can take a great picture with a simple point-and-shoot camera.
Several people were kind enough to comment on the shot I uploaded on the blogpost titled Blue Riband - but that picture was taken with a tiny three-megapixel Pentax Optio. Some of my favourites, like these two shots, were taken with a no-frills Ricoh Instamatic.
I have a Canon EOS 3000 film camera that I’ll always keep, but I’ve used a Pentax K100D for the past eight months and the results are here on this blog for all to see. However, a childhood friend of mine, Bangkok-based Nirmal Ghosh, a gifted photographer and award-winning documentary film maker, is practically welded to his trusty Nikon. It’s horses for courses.
Use a camera that you're comfortable with - irrespective of the price. Try and carry it with you wherever possible - and you’ll be amazed at the photo ops that you encounter.
19 comments:
Very right... I have hardly ever come across a camera which is a really bad one. The most important thing, I guess, is to know all its functions and just be patient enough to get the right snap. This obviously means that where ever possible carry the camera with you (which is something I have to thank you for).I dont have a DSLR but I think I manage to take above average snaps on most occasions. Till date there is something new that I learn about my Canon S2IS every now and then which helps me take better and better snaps each time. Thanks for your note David... Siddharth
Hi Siddharth,
You are so right - there's no such thing is a bad camera. And yes, like you would with a car, you have to understand all the functions of a camera in order to use it properly.
You are a very gifted photographer and there is not much I can really teach you, but I will be following your career with great interest.
And I agree with you - every picture you take is part of a learning curve.
Cheers
David
Dear David,
you've got a really valid point - I've seen a few guys turn photography into a testosterone fuelled F1 event - where if you don't own the absolute best in equipment you're going to lose!
I love what the modern digital point and shoots are doing - they're small, compact and come with enough smart technology to ensure decent snaps in most scenarios. It encourages more and more people to take interesting shots and experiement. And at the end of it, a good picture has to stand alone, and it dosen't matter whether you prop it up with a 1000$ camera or the box it came in :)
Yeah, I've been using a Nikon CoolPix2100 for the past 4 years, and the best word I can use for it is "serviceable." Which isn't exactly a stunning endorsement. For a small digital point and shooter, it's rather awkward.
I've been looking at the Canon S3 IS lately. It's still relatively small, but it has niiiiice flexibility without being too advanced.
My cannon 350D is making me work very hard to produce the shots I thought I could take. Just early this week, I stopped shooting in RAW, and have begun to regain my former confidence. I think it was called running before walking. It's been a hard, and valuable lesson. I probably will go back to RAW, but only when I'm ready.
David,
I have not used my Canon EOS for a while and not shot using film either! I have been working with my Nikon D70s, and it has given me quite nice pics. I have in mind to steal my daughter's small Pentax and carry it with me because to be honest, it is not easy to lug a big camera around, and I always keep your advice about taking it everywhere in mind!
Siddharth is right though, one needs to master the camera funtions to make full use of it, I admit I am guilty of not having done that yet... Well am learning a lot of lessons from all of you!
cheers,
Cecilia
Hi Gautham,
You are so right, so accurate. Yep, at the end of the day, all that matters is the picture in the frame.
No one gives two hoots about the number of gizmos on the camera that the shot was taken with.
And no one cares about the cost of the camera.
Less testosterone, more attention to what's in the viewfinder. I'm with you, buddy.
Cheers
David
Hi there, Bart-Man,
I'm very interested in this comment. I reckon your Nikon CoolPix2100 is doing a great job.
If I'm not mistaken, you posted a terrific shot on a crowded subway this week - and if I remember correctly, I commented on the composition of the shot, along with the fact that you had a nice reflection in the top section of the frame.
Did I get that right, cobber?
I'd say it's more than ``serviceable''. I'd like to see some more shots taken with that camera before I nudge you towards the Canon you've been thinking about.
Give it a red-hot go and let's see how it shapes up. Post some more shots, strong colours, different light conditions, and I reckon you'll be very happy with the camera you've got.
Cheers, mate
David
Yes, Carol,
That's the way to do it. Shoot different versions of the same scene - and decide what works best for you.
It's a great camera, but the secret is to be happy with the way you use it. If what you're doing ain't workin, then tell the camera that you are the master and you make the decisions.
Every day is a learning curve, innit?!!
Cheers
David
Hi Cecilia,
Can I suggest a happy compromise? Use the bigger camera, your Nikon D70s, when you can stash it in the back of the car, instead of having it slung over your shoulder.
And for everyday use, ``borrow'' the little Pentax. It'll still give you great results and won't weigh you down.
But, hey, never get rid of the Canon.
Cheers
David
Sorry, David, that wasn't me. Not sure who that was. That might have been Ak-man over at A Darker Shade of Black, he did a subway related post recently. My pictures of Elmo and Annie come from my CoolPix.
Here's part of the problem of it...it takes forever to find focus, so I've lost many shots because the camera can't make its mind up. And that's in various situations, not high or low light alone. So I've got a few grainy or unfocused shots as a result.
And this is purely cosmetic and arbitrary, but the battery cover is slightly broken, and that annoys me.
Hi Bart-Man,
You're absolutely right. It was Ak-Man.
Very interested in your description of the problem. There might be a very easy fix here.
Check the option of pressing the shutter button halfway down. This tells the camera what you want to focus on and stops it ``thinking'' its way thru the many focus options.
The half-press on the shutter button is step one. The full press is step two and takes the shot with the focus you want.
Check it out and let me know how you go.
If that doesn't work, take some outdoor shots and some indoor shots and tell me when you've done that. We might be able to save you the expense of a new camera.
Broken battery compartment is not a huge drama. That's cosmetic.
Lemme know .....
David
The half press on the shutter button is actually when the camera can't make up it's mind while auto-focusing. Hence the annoyance.
Hi Bart-Man,
Don't write it off just yet. Let's see some shots, taken with the camera and posted on your blog.
Come on ....
David
Okay, okay. You're persistent. :D
Like I said, the shots of Elmo and Annie on my blog are from the CoolPix. But I'll take the camera around with me tomorrow and take random shots in as many conditions as I can, and blog them once I get home. I'll make note of how easy or hard it was to get each shot. Keep an eye out.
Hey Bart-Man,
Persistent? Moi? Never! I just checked back on your older posts to see if the shots of Anne and Ernie were the ones I remembered.
They were. Hard to tell on those shots if there is a problem or what the problem is.
Yep, make that your weekend project, post some shots and we'll worth thru 'em.
Looking forward to it.
Cheers
David
Hay David, what is your favorite digital camera?
I have a Sony Mavica- 2004 model. Uses the little discs?
Then the LCD screen cracked... I thought I was going to throw up when I saw it! But it still works- kind of interesting trying to set up shots now with 1/4 of the screen black!
So, in the market for a new one.
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Slainte~
Rachelle
PS... thanks for the Blog of the Week nod! Cool beans! *blushing*
Hi Rachelle,
What a great question - will answer it shortly, as a separate Star Tech segment.
And congratulations on being listed on the Weekly Awards.
Look forward to more of your work. Don't forget to check back for the answer to your question - I'll also include a link to your site, so hopefully that will give you a slight increase in traffic.
Cheers
David
Wow. That beach shot is gorgeous, too.
So basically you're saying I can't blame my crappy shots on the camera, huh? ;)
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