It wasn't my camera!
Goodness me.
It really bugs me when people tell me that my camera takes good pictures. (The Reader's Digest version of this blog is at the bottom in bold.)
Usually they say that and then ask me for advice on purchasing one, so I understand. But at the same time, I'm a little irked. I composed the photo. I chose the exposure settings. I posed the model (of course, not always, since my job as a photojournalist often means not manipulating the scene, just the light captured).
Yes. I have a nice camera. It was pretty pricey, but on Auto with the kit lens and the built-in flash, it takes about the same pictures you get with any point and shoot digital camera.
The reason I have nice pictures is because I have since invested even more than the original body in lenses, external lighting, processing software (Oh my, I upgraded from Photoshop Elements to CS5 for my birthday. OUCH!) and learning materials. I have also invested a lot of time and energy learning and practicing- blinding my dogs and taking a lot of photos of the Brett Favre (During his run in the Packers) bobble head on the dresser to learn this craft. While I am waiting for photo assignments to come in, I utilize the studio in our newsroom to practice lighting set ups that are impossible with my limited personal collection. In my spare time I am reading books on the subject and out with my camera trying new things.
If you buy the same camera as me and stick it on Auto with the kit lens, do not necessarily expect our photos to look the same. Take the three images of Favre. All three were taken in the same room about a minute apart (I took 1 and 3 first, and then decided to take 2).
The one on the left isn't terrible- I'm not knocking auto. It has its time and place. But that pop up flash is not nearly as forgiving on humans and when the camera is held horizontally. It also flashes while the camera is focusing- that can confuse people and blind them. Not fun. It also made the room look REALLY dark- when in fact I am in a pretty well-lit room.
The center one is..eh. I could play with it in Photoshop, but the variable aperture (the 3.5-5.6) really hinders its performance and the lens is just really slow. It is a good lens in well-lit locations.
The one on the right is my favorite. People love the blurred background and the very shallow depth of focus makes it as interesting as a still bobble head can be. This image was taken using a pretty dang expensive lens.
Why you should not buy an SLR camera
1. If you did not understand what I was saying in most of that, I recommend waiting until you have done some studying to make that leap.
2. If you do not care to learn how to shoot in manual, don't waste your money. Your photos on a normal point and shoot will come out similar to photo #1. Why spend a lot of money on a "fancy" camera if you're only going to shoot in auto.
3. You're probably looking for a digital camera that can also shoot video.
I have the CHEAPEST Canon SLR on the market. And it wasn't cheap. And it does not shoot video. The cheapest SLR with video capabilities, at least on the Canon line, runs about $800 USED.
4. You're looking for a digital camera to take with you on vactions.
Mine is also the SMALLEST. And it sucked to travel with until I had enough gear to justify getting a good bag. They don't fit well in purses and the lens is pretty fragile. You can't just toss this puppy in a suitcase and call it a day. You can't just shove it in your handbag. And running around with an SLR can draw a lot of attention. If you don't want it stolen, it's a lot like traveling with small children.
My Recommendation
If you've got a good amount of cash saved up, I recommend the Canon G12 Powershot (around $400). Beside its quality in auto, it also has a manual mode that you can use to get comfortable/ familiar with if you think you might be interested in learning photography, and its maximum aperture is 2.8 when fully zoomed out.
Reader's Digest:
Unless you're actually interested in the art of photography, buy a good point and shoot. And my camera doesn't make pretty pictures, I do. It just captures them.
- -- Posted by KH Gal on Wed, Mar 21, 2012, at 9:34 PM
- -- Posted by jessiemiller on Wed, Mar 21, 2012, at 9:37 PM
- -- Posted by bondyweb on Wed, Mar 21, 2012, at 10:32 PM
- -- Posted by royincaldwell on Thu, Mar 22, 2012, at 7:23 AM
- -- Posted by MsMarylin on Thu, Mar 22, 2012, at 2:55 PM
- -- Posted by lilmissmelmo on Thu, Mar 22, 2012, at 8:51 PM
- -- Posted by jessiemiller on Thu, Mar 22, 2012, at 9:48 PM
- -- Posted by MsMarylin on Thu, Mar 22, 2012, at 9:56 PM
- -- Posted by jessiemiller on Thu, Mar 22, 2012, at 9:59 PM
- -- Posted by MsMarylin on Thu, Mar 22, 2012, at 10:04 PM
- -- Posted by lilmissmelmo on Fri, Mar 23, 2012, at 12:14 PM
- -- Posted by KentuckyTransplant on Fri, Mar 23, 2012, at 12:25 PM
- -- Posted by MsMarylin on Fri, Mar 23, 2012, at 12:57 PM
- -- Posted by jessiemiller on Fri, Mar 23, 2012, at 1:11 PM
- -- Posted by jessiemiller on Fri, Mar 23, 2012, at 1:35 PM
- -- Posted by KentuckyTransplant on Fri, Mar 23, 2012, at 1:41 PM
- -- Posted by lilmissmelmo on Fri, Mar 23, 2012, at 4:12 PM
- -- Posted by KentuckyTransplant on Fri, Mar 23, 2012, at 6:29 PM
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