I am a keen amateur photographer. I have been for many years. I have been involved with photography in various ways. I have spoken to many different people about the necessity of owning an expensive camera
Today there are hundreds of different types of cameras available. And the range is expanding daily. Each manufacturer wants to sell as many of their brand as possible. They have to in order to survive.
If you read all the magazines that cater to the photographer, watch the videos that abound on YouTube and/or sign up for a Course from a Professional Photographer you could be excused for believing that you have to pay a lot of money and only buy the best. Furthermore the best, it always seems to me, from the Magazines and people I speak to, come from only two cameras makes that are worth considering.
I dispute this. I believe that any number of Cameras can do the job just as well and the 'Big Two'. So I decided that I would attempt to prove this and I opened up my own website.
What Camera is best?
by Ralpapajan
Do you really need an expensive Camera and Lenses. Can you get results from a Point and Shoot?
How it all began.
What does the Amateur Photographer do...
...does he simply use a Point and Shoot Camera and believe that it is limited but does not have the interest nor the wherewithal to buy an expensive Digital Single Lens Reflex? Maybe he doesn't have the time to take Courses. Maybe he feels that his artistic abilities are limited.
I have had conversations quite often with people who are adamant that unless you own and operate a Canon or a Nikon then "...you are not really a photographer."
The last time this happened was at a Photography Club and I expressed my preference for Sony.
Unlike the person I was talking to who has never looked at a Sony, I have 'test run' a Canon, though I haven't used a digital Nikon. I found both products to be excellent. Certainly if I was to become a Professional I would probably buy one or the other make. However, I am not a Pro and will do not aspire to become one.
So I expressed my own preference for Sony and produced my HX9V Point and Shoot.
This one. It is a solid little camera and it produces great photographs. I find it rugged and reliable.
He looked horrified. "That isn't Photography," he said, in disgust. "Those are toys."
Really! What a strange form of snobbery.
And that is what made up my mind. I will build a website that caters for Cameras other than the Canon, Nikon, Hasselblad and Mamiya Ranges. It will have DSLR's on it but primarily it is for people who want to take photographs simply and without fuss. It won't compare cameras but will show the photographs attainable from different makes and models.
So far I have results from Olympus, Fuji and Panasonic as well as 5 different models of Sony. Of course, I won't put them up all at once but hopefully there should be plenty for everyone. In addition I am offering Pages to people who want to talk about THEIR particular camera.
I am busy compiling Video Slide Shows on YouTube and compiling Slideshows using Photobucket.,
Another bone of contention was the superior attitude of some about that program whose very name has become synonymous with photo enhancement - Photoshop. The same guy I was talking to told me that Photoshop "...is the ONLY program worth buying."
Is that so? And as well as expense, can the average Joe afford the space in his Computer memory? Has he got the time to learn it completely? Yes, it is the Rolls-Royce (or Cadillac/Mercedes Benz) of Photographic Enhancement. Does everyone own a Mercedes, Rolls-Royce or Cadillac? Of course not. There are alternatives. And these, too, I will be discussing.
That's it. I hope that all here will wish me luck. I will keep Wizzley members posted for I intend to write articles on Cameras, etc, to complement my own site.
If you are interested please visit my WebSIte and leave a Comment there as well.
I've called it Ralpapajan's Fun with Photos
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tell me what YOU think. Does the average person need more information about cameras? Please post any questions that YOU might have.
I think it all depends on what exactly you need and can afford. If you can have a good result with a average priced camera there is no need to spend a fortune to an expensive one.
Thank you for the comments. It is far more important to know your camera than to buy the most expensive. Especially with the quality and the technology around nowadays. Composition is so important,
Great idea. Not everyone can afford the upper brands and neither does everyone need what they can do. I think a person should use what he or she can afford and push what the camera can do to the limit. If you feel you absolutely cannot get the quality you need to get, only then should you upgrade to the pricier cameras. I know lots of people who get what they feel are great photos using cheaper cameras. The technology has really improved. The type of camera is less important than the eye of the person taking the picture, after all.
With the price of DSLR's coming down I think that many people are tempted to buy one in the belief that it will improve their photography. It doesn't work that way, unfortunately. In fact, often it seems to do the opposite as somebody with a point and shoot who knew their camera well and was taking really good photographs could suddenly be struggling with so much that they don't understand. The quality of their photographs actually goes down and so does their enthusiasm. A website that addresses these people both before and after they buy the DSLR would be invaluable. Great idea. I am sure that you will have a never ending supply of questions and topics to cover.