Are you getting your $$$ worth yet?

[lightning69]

Many of us like to spend our hard earn cash on some really expensive digital cam but do we ever need it?

My first digicam is the oly C750 which i sold off after 4 months because i saw the FZ10. Eventually i bought the FZ20 which I am still using now. But my i fell in love with the many newer dslr in the market today. Then I said to my self that i want one too. But do I really need a dslr? Maybe the answer is something personal, but really do you really need a dslr?

The truth is that we all, the so call enthusiast, like to act like we are pro photographer, but really what kind of photo did we all produce? I mean how many great photo have you shot, the ones that is worthy to hang on the wall of your beautiful homes!!! And even if you do have a few, are they because of the cam?

The answer is an absolute "NO". I think most of all( or maybe just me) really need is to improve our shooting skills!!! What we need is the "great eye" see things and eventually capture a photo that is worthy enough. Once we have that right, any cam we use is secondary to capturing a beautiful photo!!!

[tOGGY]

Originally Posted by lightning69 Many of us like to spend our hard earn cash on some really expensive digital cam but do we ever need it? My first digicam is the oly C750 which i sold off after 4 months because i saw the FZ10. Eventually i bought the FZ20 which I am still using now. But my i fell in love with the many newer dslr in the market today. Then I said to my self that i want one too. But do I really need a dslr? Maybe the answer is something personal, but really do you really need a dslr? The truth is that we all, the so call enthusiast, like to act like we are pro photographer, but really what kind of photo did we all produce? I mean how many great photo have you shot, the ones that is worthy to hang on the wall of your beautiful homes!!! And even if you do have a few, are they because of the cam? The answer is an absolute "NO". I think most of all( or maybe just me) really need is to improve our shooting skills!!! What we need is the "great eye" see things and eventually capture a photo that is worthy enough. Once we have that right, any cam we use is secondary to capturing a beautiful photo!!!

Seems like another case of simple camera flu. Still curable.

After you have taken a few beautiful pics and start wishing they are a wee bit sharper here, slightly more contrasty there and less camera shake somewhere ......... then
Welcome to the dark world of digital HIV ...it is fatal and has no cure but to buy, buy and buy to relief the insatiable need (not want) demanded by the virulent artist in you.....

You have been duly warned.
To join or not to join the roti only club is your choice.

[radi9red]

You'll definately need some equipment to take some extreme technical shots .. eg 135mm F2.8 or f2.0 , 85mm f1.4 f2.0 for portraits .. 17mm on film , 12mm on digital for wide angle .. the effect is something consumer slr cannot achieve . its the extreme limits. On the other hand, you can't create good photographs by having good gears alone. Comparitively, althought i have 35mm film , digital EOS and consumer, i still find consumer small cam useful as it's versatile and light weight ..

He who chooses his gear and use it wisely to the max capability is a photographer , he who uses the best gears and kept buying more and more are collectors .. they simply spent too much time reading the gear reviews ..

[JimDavis]

Originally Posted by lightning69 Many of us like to spend our hard earn cash on some really expensive digital cam but do we ever need it? My first digicam is the oly C750 which i sold off after 4 months because i saw the FZ10. Eventually i bought the FZ20 which I am still using now. But my i fell in love with the many newer dslr in the market today. Then I said to my self that i want one too. But do I really need a dslr? Maybe the answer is something personal, but really do you really need a dslr? The truth is that we all, the so call enthusiast, like to act like we are pro photographer, but really what kind of photo did we all produce? I mean how many great photo have you shot, the ones that is worthy to hang on the wall of your beautiful homes!!! And even if you do have a few, are they because of the cam? The answer is an absolute "NO". I think most of all( or maybe just me) really need is to improve our shooting skills!!! What we need is the "great eye" see things and eventually capture a photo that is worthy enough. Once we have that right, any cam we use is secondary to capturing a beautiful photo!!!

Good points above.

However, it is all up to each individual to make their own judgement and decision. I don't think so everybody's thoughts are so absolutely unique.

Stay with the idea you have, that is the way to go. Afterall, it is all our own money.

[LifeWorld]

Lightning got a point there. Do we need a BMW if a Honda can take us from point A to B.

However, some might want to use bigger car to learn how to drive. So when they drive a smaller one, no sweat!

I think JD is this someone. After the D70, using the FZ20 or FZ5 to take geat pic is chicken feet liao. He now tells us about WB setting for his normal shoot. I still use auto WB, so I lose out to him in this aspects. Paiseh!

So a better camera help an amateur to learn faster?

[Hong Jia]

I don't think a better camera help amateur to learn faster...

If u jump from a point and shoot camera to D70... u will be disappointed... as u will be overwelm with alot of stuff to change, like u would not know which settings help to improve the picture and what is lacking...

Start basic... FZ10 or FZ20 is a good basic camera to start off with... Never try to run before u learn to walk...

Cheers...

[lightning69]

Originally Posted by radi9red You'll definately need some equipment to take some extreme technical shots .. eg 135mm F2.8 or f2.0 , 85mm f1.4 f2.0 for portraits .. 17mm on film , 12mm on digital for wide angle .. the effect is something consumer slr cannot achieve . its the extreme limits. On the other hand, you can't create good photographs by having good gears alone. Comparitively, althought i have 35mm film , digital EOS and consumer, i still find consumer small cam useful as it's versatile and light weight .. He who chooses his gear and use it wisely to the max capability is a photographer , he who uses the best gears and kept buying more and more are collectors .. they simply spent too much time reading the gear reviews ..

That is exactly what i'm talking about. "You need this lens for this kind of shot". No!!! don't need this lens for this kind of shot!!! Who say you need eg 135mm F2.8 or f2.0 , 85mm f1.4 f2.0 for portraits .. 17mm on film , 12mm on digital for wide angle. Yes you might need it if you are a pro working in a studio who take pictures for your client. But does is that only this kind of lens can produce great portrait? The answer is again no. Because a portrait is simply a picture where the subject is mostly like people(and mean mostlike people because it can be an animal too!). It can be a full body, or a half body of just a face portrait. And it can be a full face, or a 3/4 face or half face portrait. I short it is a photo of people. So does that mean that you need some technicalities to be present to be consider portrait eg blur background. It might be nice to have but yet it is not a requirement to be great. So what i mean is that any camera can shoot portrait and what makes a portrait great is that it tell a unique story about the subject at hand.

Eg the legendary Afgan girl photo that appear in National Geographic mag. Did the photorapher use "eg 135mm F2.8 or f2.0 , 85mm f1.4 f2.0 for portraits"? Maybe he did, maybe he did not!!! But that portrait is a winner because it capture the essence of a story of an afgan girl terrified by the horror of war. 2 years ago a picture of a a son hugging a blindfold iraqi prisoner who haapens to be his dad in US custody won the the picture of the year award. That picture has nothing to do with any technical aspect of a portrait but it simply tell a great story.

Don't get me wrong!!! I don't mean that we don't need great gears at all. What is more important is we must harness out creativity and improve our skill to move to the next level. With better & more expensive gear, we can eventually compliment it with our skills and creativity to achieve even greater shots.

[mpenza]

unless the camera is really limiting, you don't need to change it. cos it's the person that sees and takes the picture. the camera is just a tool that helps in the progress.

dslr does offer some advantages over prosumer cameras though. speed, performance and flexibility are the first things to come to mind.

[rhair78]

Originally Posted by lightning69 Many of us like to spend our hard earn cash on some really expensive digital cam but do we ever need it? My first digicam is the oly C750 which i sold off after 4 months because i saw the FZ10. Eventually i bought the FZ20 which I am still using now. But my i fell in love with the many newer dslr in the market today. Then I said to my self that i want one too. But do I really need a dslr? Maybe the answer is something personal, but really do you really need a dslr? The truth is that we all, the so call enthusiast, like to act like we are pro photographer, but really what kind of photo did we all produce? I mean how many great photo have you shot, the ones that is worthy to hang on the wall of your beautiful homes!!! And even if you do have a few, are they because of the cam? The answer is an absolute "NO". I think most of all( or maybe just me) really need is to improve our shooting skills!!! What we need is the "great eye" see things and eventually capture a photo that is worthy enough. Once we have that right, any cam we use is secondary to capturing a beautiful photo!!!

Ok.. so you made your point that its the person behind the camera, and not the camera. Exactly wat are you trying to drive with this thread?

[lightning69]

Originally Posted by LifeWorld Lightning got a point there. Do we need a BMW if a Honda can take us from point A to B. However, some might want to use bigger car to learn how to drive. So when they drive a smaller one, no sweat! I think JD is this someone. After the D70, using the FZ20 or FZ5 to take geat pic is chicken feet liao. He now tells us about WB setting for his normal shoot. I still use auto WB, so I lose out to him in this aspects. Paiseh! So a better camera help an amateur to learn faster?

What is wrong with auto white balance? Most digital cam have great auto white balance build in. Don't tell me that you need to use manual white balance for every shots!!! I set the white balance only if necessary and sometimes i rather have it the natural way to portray the actual mood.

[lightning69]

Originally Posted by rhair78 Ok.. so you made your point that its the person behind the camera, and not the camera. Exactly wat are you trying to drive with this thread?

It all depends on what would you like to get out from this tread.

[John Teoh]

Mmm... think I got what I want from this thread.... this thread should be moved to General, Reviews, Tech Talk

Cheers
John

[Nisa]

the moment i snap the frist picture with my new camera, it's worth it.

[rhair78]

Originally Posted by lightning69 It all depends on what would you like to get out from this tread.

looking through your threads, you sound so cranky.. must be the lack of sleep...
anyways, your replies all seem to "sound" very high handed.. others also have views.. dun just keep slamming your own lor.

Good point John, this thread does not discuss panasonic and should be in general discussion in the open forum

[eow]

Originally Posted by rhair78 Ok.. so you made your point that its the person behind the camera, and not the camera. Exactly wat are you trying to drive with this thread?

eh... merely owning a good piece of equipment doesn't equate to a good pics

[LifeWorld]

Originally Posted by lightning69 What is wrong with auto white balance? Most digital cam have great auto white balance build in. Don't tell me that you need to use manual white balance for every shots!!! I set the white balance only if necessary and sometimes i rather have it the natural way to portray the actual mood.

Nothing wrong with WarnerBros la. Just saying you learn the photgraphy features more and can better your skills if got better camera.

my FZ20 is prosumer, but still lose out to dslr ma. But compare to P&S camera, it's better la!

[King Tiger]

Originally Posted by lightning69 Many of us like to spend our hard earn cash on some really expensive digital cam but do we ever need it? My first digicam is the oly C750 which i sold off after 4 months because i saw the FZ10. Eventually i bought the FZ20 which I am still using now. But my i fell in love with the many newer dslr in the market today. Then I said to my self that i want one too. But do I really need a dslr? Maybe the answer is something personal, but really do you really need a dslr? The truth is that we all, the so call enthusiast, like to act like we are pro photographer, but really what kind of photo did we all produce? I mean how many great photo have you shot, the ones that is worthy to hang on the wall of your beautiful homes!!! And even if you do have a few, are they because of the cam? The answer is an absolute "NO". I think most of all( or maybe just me) really need is to improve our shooting skills!!! What we need is the "great eye" see things and eventually capture a photo that is worthy enough. Once we have that right, any cam we use is secondary to capturing a beautiful photo!!!

Hi lightning69, do a search and you will find that this topics have been discuss before over and over again and debate to death, eventually get lock by the moderator due to flame war.

There is no right or wrong answers as it depends on individuals members.

[pethidine]

Hi..

So.. can help me analyse if I need a new cam.
I have a Canon A40.. and a Canon film SLR.

My A40... can consider as spoilt. Takes super long time to focus.. and the focus hit rate is ard 60% only . I want to decommission the cam soon.

Question.. thinking of getting an entry level Canon DSLR... so that i can reuse my lenses. Is this a good idea?

[r32]

Don't tell me what to do with my money, and I won't tell you where you should take your opinions.

[pethidine]

Just a analysis... nothing much.

I always tot clubsnap guys are a friendly lot.. seems like recently, whenever ppl start asking for advice... some mockery answers are given.

Wonders why...