Most Uncle Bobs don't know what aperture or DOF even are, much less how they relate to each other, so they have no reason to mess with those settings.
There is a huge propensity among average people for wanting "things" to do "stuff" automatically. [/QUOTE]
Maybe "Robert" the cardiologist has his feeble mind on loftier aspirations than "takin' pictures". Perhaps he wants to relax, enjoy photography and have things done automagically.
Maybe someday he will work on your heart...and you won't have a notion what he's actually doing...Uncle Will.
For me the unforgiveable aspect is the selfishness with which bobs will stuff up the brides pictures just so they can get one. A lady a while back tried to walk in front of me just as the bride reached the end of the isle.
This is exactly what I DISLIKE about the "it's a free country" mentality. People think that they have a license to do whatever they want even if it jeopardizes the images that the bride is PAYING FOR. I understand that digital photography has gotten a lot of people very passionate about taking pictures over the past few years, but some people need to just chill out, put their camera down and enjoy the moment. My wife used to remind me this all the time when I would take her down to the beach to watch the sunset, then I'd spend the whole time behind my tripod + camera, not actually enjoying the sunset. It took a lot of self-control to just take a couple pictures and then sit back and enjoy the moment in the real world with real people. But I'm much happier this way. I wish other people, especially in wedding and portraiture situations, would chill out.
It's one thing to pay close attention to the working pro and learn a thing or two by studying how they work; it's another thing to be incessantly shooting over their shoulder for your own portfolio just because you have a burning desire to "go pro"...
I must admit I am confused as to why people use the green square. Av is easy.
It's entirely a matter of confidence, or a lack thereof. An aspiring pro or advanced amateur may KNOW what aperture and shutter speed are, and they may have the ability to control them, but it is the pressure of being responsible for someone's wedding photos that often inclines them to revert back to P mode or "green box" mode. It's the thought that "I'm so scared of not getting a perfect exposure, or not getting everyone in focus, that I'm just going to let my expensive camera handle everything..."
People have the freedom to be tarts, I have the freedom to laugh at them Its all good.
My point exactly. People are always free to do whatever they want, within the law. But that also means I'm free to judge them when they do something stupid or un-cool. But fortunately, that's not what this discussion was originally about. I won't judge someone JUST because they own a certain camera. I judge them based on their attitude and their actions as a person.
my bro just got his first dslr, a oly E620. he is going where we've all been, getting his head around stuff. I advised him not to get too frustrated initially trying to use the manual controls and possibly watching a succession of awful stuff issuing forth. but to set it on automatic and just go out and have fun with it. it can in fact produce good shot after good shot without any input from the tog more than not pointing it at the sun and that kind of thing. I think it's better to have a simple and positive start to the relationship, then, like after the honeymoon, you can get more manipulative and calculating and scheming!
neil
Let me tell you what I did when I bought my first SLR, and perhaps it can be of help to your bro:
My first SLR was a 35mm, a Canon Rebel G, bought in early 1999 with a single Sigma 28-80 lens. I started off by using it exclusively in P mode, which is pretty much automatic, but which adjusts aperture and shutter speed. Not being digital, it didn't give me the immediate feedback, but by staying in P mode for a while, I began to get a general idea of how the camera's controls worked, and I got used to the feel of it in my hands, and the physical process of holding it up to frame a shot. I also worked on my composition, and sampled several different films to get an idea of how various ISO ratings worked.
After a year or so, I branched out a bit, and started playing with Tv mode. I started it mainly because I had specific effects that I wanted to acheive - freezing waterfalls and fountains, and getting the milky effect on waterfalls and fountains. Nessecity is the mother of invention, they say, but it's also the father of motivation.
After I got my first digital camera in 2003, I started playing with ISO and white balance to get a general idea of how they work. Again, this was motivated strictly by a desire to get better looking long exposure low-light shots.
After I got my first digital SLR in 2005, I began playing with flash techniques - bounced, diffused, and fill - because I wanted to get better results when taking indoor pics, and I wanted to get rid of harsh shadows when shooting outdoors.
Last year I finally came full circle; I'm now playing with another major mode on the dial, Av. A real understanding of aperture and its effect on the shot has thus far eluded me, but I'm studying and learning, and I hope that I'll be able to understand it as well as some of the impressive photogs on Dgrin obviously do. For the moment, I stil have to chant to myself whenever I want to alter DOF "Big number, small opening, big DOF - small number, big opening, small DOF".
Anyway, starting small and concentrating on just one thing at a time, like learning shutter speed, then aperture, then ISO, then white balance, or maybe in some other order, could be a help to your bro as he falls headlong down this rabbit hole of a hobby.
Maybe "Robert" the cardiologist has his feeble mind on loftier aspirations than "takin' pictures". Perhaps he wants to relax, enjoy photography and have things done automagically.
Maybe someday he will work on your heart...and you won't have a notion what he's actually doing...Uncle Will.
By the same token, Ric, if I wanted to get into cardiovascular surgery as a hobby, I would not expect to be able to buy a Scalple-o-Magic 6000, hit one button, and have it perform a flawless surgery for me. Becoming a doctor takes 8 years of education and training; sure, we can all apply bandages and decide on some OTC meds we want to take, just as Doctor Bob can point a camera at stuff and click the button, but to become proficient at anything and get professional quality results, one must always be willing to invest more than just the cost of some nice equipment.
And if Doctor Bob does ever have to work on my heart (entirely feasible since heart disease is partially heriditary and it runs in my family), then old Uncle Will certainly WILL have at least a basic, layman's understanding of what he's doing, because I'll ask him questions, and he'll explain it to me, at least as much as I can understand as a non medical layman.
But back to the original topic of the thread... the idea that Canon is offering a retrofit to their cameras sounds pretty good to me. A locking mode dial is a feature that many people want, and since Canon is offering it for $100, which is a fairly low price compared to the cost of the camera bodies, I think it's probably well within reach of most of those who want it.
Canon makes extra money, and most of those who want the locking mode dial will get it. Almost everybody comes away happy.
Now, if only I could convince Canon to alter the firmware of my 50D so I could customize which button does what, I'd be in that happy crowd, too. I just want to make a few changes, like being able to change the Creative Zone modes to custom modes, and disable the button press feature on the joystick so the quick settings screen won't pop up every time the camera bumps me. That's not so much, is it?
What I said when I saw the Grand Canyon for the first time: "The wide ain't wide enough and the zoom don't zoom enough!"
Let me tell you what I did when I bought my first SLR, and perhaps it can be of help to your bro:
My first SLR was a 35mm, a Canon Rebel G, bought in early 1999 with a single Sigma 28-80 lens. I started off by using it exclusively in P mode, which is pretty much automatic, but which adjusts aperture and shutter speed. Not being digital, it didn't give me the immediate feedback, but by staying in P mode for a while, I began to get a general idea of how the camera's controls worked, and I got used to the feel of it in my hands, and the physical process of holding it up to frame a shot. I also worked on my composition, and sampled several different films to get an idea of how various ISO ratings worked.
After a year or so, I branched out a bit, and started playing with Tv mode. I started it mainly because I had specific effects that I wanted to acheive - freezing waterfalls and fountains, and getting the milky effect on waterfalls and fountains. Nessecity is the mother of invention, they say, but it's also the father of motivation.
After I got my first digital camera in 2003, I started playing with ISO and white balance to get a general idea of how they work. Again, this was motivated strictly by a desire to get better looking long exposure low-light shots.
After I got my first digital SLR in 2005, I began playing with flash techniques - bounced, diffused, and fill - because I wanted to get better results when taking indoor pics, and I wanted to get rid of harsh shadows when shooting outdoors.
Last year I finally came full circle; I'm now playing with another major mode on the dial, Av. A real understanding of aperture and its effect on the shot has thus far eluded me, but I'm studying and learning, and I hope that I'll be able to understand it as well as some of the impressive photogs on Dgrin obviously do. For the moment, I stil have to chant to myself whenever I want to alter DOF "Big number, small opening, big DOF - small number, big opening, small DOF".
Anyway, starting small and concentrating on just one thing at a time, like learning shutter speed, then aperture, then ISO, then white balance, or maybe in some other order, could be a help to your bro as he falls headlong down this rabbit hole of a hobby.
Thanks WillCAD, good read. That's the way I see it too.
Comments
Most Uncle Bobs don't know what aperture or DOF even are, much less how they relate to each other, so they have no reason to mess with those settings.
There is a huge propensity among average people for wanting "things" to do "stuff" automatically. [/QUOTE]
Maybe "Robert" the cardiologist has his feeble mind on loftier aspirations than "takin' pictures". Perhaps he wants to relax, enjoy photography and have things done automagically.
Maybe someday he will work on your heart...and you won't have a notion what he's actually doing...Uncle Will.
Those who think they are "above" any camera conveniences/modes, put a mirror at the end of that nose that your looking down and consider:
All of us like simpler to some degree:
If not, then:
Don't use Auto Focus = that's too convenient
Don't use ISO above 400 = that's too convenient for low light shots
Don't use anything but full manual = because any automation is too convenient
Don't use burst mode = that's too convenient for sports
About the Uncle Bob's ~ Deal with it, or get out! It's like the waves in the ocean, it's not going to stop
BTW, making a living with a camera, BTDT ~ so please no more "I'm sorry, I forget about most being amateur ..."
Blah, blah, blah...
My SmugMug Portfolio • My Astro-Landscape Photo Blog • Dgrin Weddings Forum
It's one thing to pay close attention to the working pro and learn a thing or two by studying how they work; it's another thing to be incessantly shooting over their shoulder for your own portfolio just because you have a burning desire to "go pro"...
It's entirely a matter of confidence, or a lack thereof. An aspiring pro or advanced amateur may KNOW what aperture and shutter speed are, and they may have the ability to control them, but it is the pressure of being responsible for someone's wedding photos that often inclines them to revert back to P mode or "green box" mode. It's the thought that "I'm so scared of not getting a perfect exposure, or not getting everyone in focus, that I'm just going to let my expensive camera handle everything..."
My point exactly. People are always free to do whatever they want, within the law. But that also means I'm free to judge them when they do something stupid or un-cool. But fortunately, that's not what this discussion was originally about. I won't judge someone JUST because they own a certain camera. I judge them based on their attitude and their actions as a person.
=Matt=
My SmugMug Portfolio • My Astro-Landscape Photo Blog • Dgrin Weddings Forum
Let me tell you what I did when I bought my first SLR, and perhaps it can be of help to your bro:
My first SLR was a 35mm, a Canon Rebel G, bought in early 1999 with a single Sigma 28-80 lens. I started off by using it exclusively in P mode, which is pretty much automatic, but which adjusts aperture and shutter speed. Not being digital, it didn't give me the immediate feedback, but by staying in P mode for a while, I began to get a general idea of how the camera's controls worked, and I got used to the feel of it in my hands, and the physical process of holding it up to frame a shot. I also worked on my composition, and sampled several different films to get an idea of how various ISO ratings worked.
After a year or so, I branched out a bit, and started playing with Tv mode. I started it mainly because I had specific effects that I wanted to acheive - freezing waterfalls and fountains, and getting the milky effect on waterfalls and fountains. Nessecity is the mother of invention, they say, but it's also the father of motivation.
After I got my first digital camera in 2003, I started playing with ISO and white balance to get a general idea of how they work. Again, this was motivated strictly by a desire to get better looking long exposure low-light shots.
After I got my first digital SLR in 2005, I began playing with flash techniques - bounced, diffused, and fill - because I wanted to get better results when taking indoor pics, and I wanted to get rid of harsh shadows when shooting outdoors.
Last year I finally came full circle; I'm now playing with another major mode on the dial, Av. A real understanding of aperture and its effect on the shot has thus far eluded me, but I'm studying and learning, and I hope that I'll be able to understand it as well as some of the impressive photogs on Dgrin obviously do. For the moment, I stil have to chant to myself whenever I want to alter DOF "Big number, small opening, big DOF - small number, big opening, small DOF".
Anyway, starting small and concentrating on just one thing at a time, like learning shutter speed, then aperture, then ISO, then white balance, or maybe in some other order, could be a help to your bro as he falls headlong down this rabbit hole of a hobby.
By the same token, Ric, if I wanted to get into cardiovascular surgery as a hobby, I would not expect to be able to buy a Scalple-o-Magic 6000, hit one button, and have it perform a flawless surgery for me. Becoming a doctor takes 8 years of education and training; sure, we can all apply bandages and decide on some OTC meds we want to take, just as Doctor Bob can point a camera at stuff and click the button, but to become proficient at anything and get professional quality results, one must always be willing to invest more than just the cost of some nice equipment.
And if Doctor Bob does ever have to work on my heart (entirely feasible since heart disease is partially heriditary and it runs in my family), then old Uncle Will certainly WILL have at least a basic, layman's understanding of what he's doing, because I'll ask him questions, and he'll explain it to me, at least as much as I can understand as a non medical layman.
But back to the original topic of the thread... the idea that Canon is offering a retrofit to their cameras sounds pretty good to me. A locking mode dial is a feature that many people want, and since Canon is offering it for $100, which is a fairly low price compared to the cost of the camera bodies, I think it's probably well within reach of most of those who want it.
Canon makes extra money, and most of those who want the locking mode dial will get it. Almost everybody comes away happy.
Now, if only I could convince Canon to alter the firmware of my 50D so I could customize which button does what, I'd be in that happy crowd, too. I just want to make a few changes, like being able to change the Creative Zone modes to custom modes, and disable the button press feature on the joystick so the quick settings screen won't pop up every time the camera bumps me. That's not so much, is it?
Thanks WillCAD, good read. That's the way I see it too.
Neil
http://www.behance.net/brosepix
I don't mind admitting I would like one - trouble is I can't find one for sale - any suggestions.
www.jtsphotoblog.blogspot.co.uk
www.johngwynant.blogspot.co.uk