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The future of digital cameras
- Thread starter jwolf6589
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Just set your camera on automatic and learn composition - either buy some classic photo books or thumb through the images at a local book seller. Maybe start with the photographers from the 1920s and 30s.
The point was. I bet you can find time when it is important enough to you.
You say you have read some of the manual. Must have skipped the first few chapters on the basic controls then? as that would tell you what the buttons do.
I have tried to be helpful and answer questions but I can't help but think you are winding us up with your 1980s camcorder, state of the ark voice recorder and your powershot.
The iPhone 12 should leave it for dead at wide to normal focal lengths and no, a single google query tells me it does NOT support raw format.
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Once again I am left bewildered by the OP's posts.
Digital cameras as a whole aren't going anywhere. People are always going to want to take photos. The types of cameras sold will change over time, and with the advancements of phone cameras, regular cameras may decrease in numbers. But there will always be a market for a dedicated camera. What OP considers to be a pro camera is different than what many of us here consider to be a pro camera. I mean, even film isn't dead yet, so why would digital cameras be dead??
In all seriousness, I would recommend the book Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. It is a great foundational book that explains the various modes (PASM as described here, partially as TV/Tv by the OP) and does not require anyone to shoot raw. At this point shooting RAW is way beyond the OP's skill set (and more importantly beyond his desired skill level). However, perhaps this recommendation will help someone else out there reading this thread.
This question posed by any other member here I would take more seriously, but this just goes in the same category of "questions asked to hear myself asking questions, but I don't actually care about the answers" as the vast majority of the OP's previous threads.
Digital cameras as a whole aren't going anywhere. People are always going to want to take photos. The types of cameras sold will change over time, and with the advancements of phone cameras, regular cameras may decrease in numbers. But there will always be a market for a dedicated camera. What OP considers to be a pro camera is different than what many of us here consider to be a pro camera. I mean, even film isn't dead yet, so why would digital cameras be dead??
In all seriousness, I would recommend the book Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. It is a great foundational book that explains the various modes (PASM as described here, partially as TV/Tv by the OP) and does not require anyone to shoot raw. At this point shooting RAW is way beyond the OP's skill set (and more importantly beyond his desired skill level). However, perhaps this recommendation will help someone else out there reading this thread.
This question posed by any other member here I would take more seriously, but this just goes in the same category of "questions asked to hear myself asking questions, but I don't actually care about the answers" as the vast majority of the OP's previous threads.
It's not the size of the manual, but how you use it.
I use manuals for their true purpose - to stop the desk shaking.....
Of course these days many new camera manuals are simply provided only on-line with the option for the consumer to download them as a .pdf. I do recall in the old days, though getting what looked to be a rather large, comprehensive manual and then realizing that actually only one third was in English, while the other two thirds were in other languages -- a way for the manufacturer to save a bit of money in the printing process.
There is usually a brief "user guide" sort of thing in the box with a new camera, with the very basics provided so that the user can get the camera properly set up and running. I always start by checking the list of what should be included in the box to be sure nothing is missing, and then I review the instructions on setting things up. After that I go online and download the actual full manual so that I'll have it available in my computer and on my mobile devices, in case I need to refer to it while out shooting somewhere. I also look to see if anyone has written an article with recommendations for specific settings, or even a full book, either an e-book or an actual printed one. Sometimes those can be very useful, especially when dealing with a new camera brand that one hasn't used in the past.
There is usually a brief "user guide" sort of thing in the box with a new camera, with the very basics provided so that the user can get the camera properly set up and running. I always start by checking the list of what should be included in the box to be sure nothing is missing, and then I review the instructions on setting things up. After that I go online and download the actual full manual so that I'll have it available in my computer and on my mobile devices, in case I need to refer to it while out shooting somewhere. I also look to see if anyone has written an article with recommendations for specific settings, or even a full book, either an e-book or an actual printed one. Sometimes those can be very useful, especially when dealing with a new camera brand that one hasn't used in the past.
This is a classic. Many photography courses use it as a text book.
When I first started in photography in the 80's - I loved a series of dedicated photography books from Time-Life. They were silvered cover with black bindings
Pick up a 70s or 80s manual, particularly for a consumer oriented SLR, and you'll likely find a GREAT overview of exposure. It was all confusing to me until I read the manual for my first SLR, a Canon A-1. 20 minutes later, I had a good idea of what was going on with all those numbers and why I should care about shutter speed and aperture.
That's not to say there wasn't a lot to learn from there, and I continue to learn 16 years later, but it was a great start to get around to plowing through some of the more technical things.
2 years after that, I was spending a lot of time walking around with a Rolleiflex(meterless) loaded with slide film...
With that said, about half of the 500+ page manuals of my newer cameras are various iterations of "Don't use your camera while licking your plugged in toaster in the bathtub" and things to that effect.
I was an early adopter of mirrorless since they just started coming out from Sony as I was getting into photography.
I will say that while it's great that phones are capable of taking decent photos, some of which can turn out quite well, the ergonomics of them are just so incredibly poor that I much prefer a dedicated camera.
In fact, I've come to really dislike using my iPhone for anything I don't have to since iOS is constantly blocking inputs, misinterpreting gestures, and is generally just slow and unresponsive. The faster you try to use it, the worse it is because you make an input and have to wait to see if it took it, and repeat it if not. Horrible for photography where sometimes you have to get that photo quick and the moment is gone.
I will say that while it's great that phones are capable of taking decent photos, some of which can turn out quite well, the ergonomics of them are just so incredibly poor that I much prefer a dedicated camera.
In fact, I've come to really dislike using my iPhone for anything I don't have to since iOS is constantly blocking inputs, misinterpreting gestures, and is generally just slow and unresponsive. The faster you try to use it, the worse it is because you make an input and have to wait to see if it took it, and repeat it if not. Horrible for photography where sometimes you have to get that photo quick and the moment is gone.
Absolutely it is a classic! I've got a copy of it here (not purchased as a text for a class, though). So much of the content applies today to shooting with digital cameras just as much as it did to film cameras.
When a question is asked (especially one which we already recognize from having been asked and answered in previous threads) we could simply resort to over and over again calmly responding, "look in the manual that came with your camera," or, alternatively, "run a Google search" while actually not answering the question. This might encourage more initiative and self-reliance on the part of the questioner looking for answers....??
That's how many of us learn -- by looking up answers to something we don't know or don't understand and then we apply this to whatever the situation is. Trial-and-error also works wonderfully for quickly showing how something works or doesn't work. It can be frustrating at times but it also serves as a valuable learning tool in the long run.
That's how many of us learn -- by looking up answers to something we don't know or don't understand and then we apply this to whatever the situation is. Trial-and-error also works wonderfully for quickly showing how something works or doesn't work. It can be frustrating at times but it also serves as a valuable learning tool in the long run.
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That’s a good point. When I was first learning photography I didn’t come to macrumors.com, make a thread about the downfall of digital cameras, and then twist the thread into a photography class. I started researching it. I googled, read books, took classes, and put in years of practice.
WAIT!!!??? You mean its NOT for taking pix of stuff on the television!!!Lol... Tv mode is Shutter priority.
Stop learning "about your Canon", I would recommend you start learning about exposure and composition and making nice images. It will benefit you much more than working out how to get the TV signal on your canon.
In regard to the original topic (of which even OP has wandered from), it's just hard to keep rehashing that smartphones are going to kill the camera industry. I'd just argue that we saw a boom in interest with the advent of digital photography, which is now past saturation point. If you want to take pictures, there's nothing stopping you. I bought my daughter a $25 camera off eBay--it's cheap and easy now. Taking a picture now costs virtually nothing after the initial investment. In the film-era, the everyday snapper had to buy film and pay for development. That means one had to be way more intentional, and you know, make trips to and from the store (I grew up in this era). Now you can do bursts of 100 for essentially the same cost as a shot of 1 while not even having to put your shoes on.
I'd just say the market is correcting itself again, and creating a clearer division between the casual shooter and the specialized one. Coincidentally, smartphones are also at saturation, too. You're seeing some companies bow out (LG) or sell out (HTC), but we'll still have phones. In all this talk, you still can't lose sight of ergonomics. No matter how good smartphones become, I can't imagine using one all the time if I were a professional. It'd be like building a house with a hand saw.
I'd just say the market is correcting itself again, and creating a clearer division between the casual shooter and the specialized one. Coincidentally, smartphones are also at saturation, too. You're seeing some companies bow out (LG) or sell out (HTC), but we'll still have phones. In all this talk, you still can't lose sight of ergonomics. No matter how good smartphones become, I can't imagine using one all the time if I were a professional. It'd be like building a house with a hand saw.
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There is a problem in the professional photography industry were web designers and real estate agents are snapping photos of their properties from their dumb phones.
i always had a on site photo project until 2017 which payed $75-$200 per month from 2003.
so maybe pro-photographers are not as needed now?
i always had a on site photo project until 2017 which payed $75-$200 per month from 2003.
so maybe pro-photographers are not as needed now?
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I dunno. In one of my photo groups, a pro was asking how she could raise her rates without completely alienating her existing clients....someone chimed in explaining how she had done it and now her average (portrait) sale is now $6k. No one making $6k a client (or even $1k a client) is using mediocre gear, or decent gear without knowing how to use it.
Someone is always willing to pay for good work.
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that was nice to read, and wedding photography will always need a professional.
my friend in northeast Pennsylvania has a studio, and hopefully survived 2020.
meanwhile i'm over here reading all about film cameras still. had a holga delivered today. almost done with my first roll in my nikon f100.
everyone just needs to use whatever camera they have and go take photos. and then share them all here with this group.
everyone just needs to use whatever camera they have and go take photos. and then share them all here with this group.
Holgas are fun and good introduction into 120. The f100 is a legendary film student camera. I believe Nikon just finally discontinued it a few years ago.
Sadly but facing reality:
-DSLR’s are “done” . Love my Canon 70D and the glass I own, but it’s a 2014 camera …
-Mirrorless SLR’s are gaining traction , but their market growth will be capped as smartphone cameras continue to evolve
>> I’ve posted here on moving to mirror less , have not jumped in yet
P&S? Meh, yesterday’s fodder
Smartphone’s … yea, innovations and full integration into ones digital presence …
The best camera is the one you have, and know how to use it
-DSLR’s are “done” . Love my Canon 70D and the glass I own, but it’s a 2014 camera …
-Mirrorless SLR’s are gaining traction , but their market growth will be capped as smartphone cameras continue to evolve
>> I’ve posted here on moving to mirror less , have not jumped in yet
P&S? Meh, yesterday’s fodder
Smartphone’s … yea, innovations and full integration into ones digital presence …
The best camera is the one you have, and know how to use it