I OFFICIALLY HATE MY P+S

[Issac Brock]

I hate piddling around on this peice of crap. I can't adjust exposure and aperture without fiddling around on the buttons for a while, the metering doesn't seem to do anything (?) and the manual focus takes FOORRRRREEEEEVEEEEEERRRRRRR. I was attempting to get pictures of flowers and it took me like 20 minutes to finally come out with two that I barely liked here (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=187803). GAH I WANT A DSLR

[Moppie]

You sound angry and frustrated.

After borrowing a 20D for 2 weeks I can understand, but look at this way, if you can't make something so apprently simple work, then how you going to manage with something so apprently complex like a DSLR?

Or better yet stop blaming your tools, which we all know are more than capable, and prehaps take a look at the user.

[Superbaldguy]

Which model do you have, Issac?

[MitsuJDM]

Ehh, I don't know. I really dislike P/S cameras. I have a 350D an it doesn't take me nearly as long to set a picture as it would using a P/S manually.

I've played with P/S's manually and I can't get anything right, pointless really, or maybe I'm just not exactly sure what I'm doing, but I have a few years of SLR experience and a few months of DSLR experience and I'll take a DSLR over a P/S anyday, easier to use manually than a P/S.

P/S'a are perfect if all you want is to take a picutres and not worry about messing with things...thats how they got their name. I mean if you want to take meaningful picutres and SLR is the way to go. I mean sure, the person behind the camera is the most important, but then again, why aren't pro's using P/S's.

Haha, it's like racing. Sure the driver is the most important mod you can do to a car, but I'm 100% sure that a novice driver in the C-West carbon S2000's vs. a pro driver in a Toyota Fitz, of course the outcome is obvious. but throw a pro drive in that S2000 and and you'll have a probably 10 second better lap tim than the novice :P

[cool_dude07]

First of all...you have to realize what type of camera you have and what it's limitations are...P & S are great in light conditions. That's about the extent of it. Realize what type of equipment you have and make the best of it. If you don't like it...don't post threads complaining what you have..save up and upgrade!

That's what I'm doing although I still haven't used my S2 to it's full potential...rememeber, just have fun!

Besides..your signature quotes you are a beginner, Canon P&S's are great to learn on!

Ty

[Moppie]

Ehh, I don't know. I really dislike P/S cameras. I have a 350D an it doesn't take me nearly as long to set a picture as it would using a P/S manually.

I've played with P/S's manually and I can't get anything right, pointless really, or maybe I'm just not exactly sure what I'm doing, but I have a few years of SLR experience and a few months of DSLR experience and I'll take a DSLR over a P/S anyday, easier to use manually than a P/S.

P/S'a are perfect if all you want is to take a picutres and not worry about messing with things...thats how they got their name. I mean if you want to take meaningful picutres and SLR is the way to go. I mean sure, the person behind the camera is the most important, but then again, why aren't pro's using P/S's.

Haha, it's like racing. Sure the driver is the most important mod you can do to a car, but I'm 100% sure that a novice driver in the C-West carbon S2000's vs. a pro driver in a Toyota Fitz, of course the outcome is obvious. but throw a pro drive in that S2000 and and you'll have a probably 10 second better lap tim than the novice :P


You must be a very blissful person.




NOTE to all: A Point and Shoot by deffinition dosn't have any manual control. If you want to agrue that all compacts are Point and Shoots because they have an AUTO and/or P shooting mode, then you also have to include all Canon Digital Cameras. Even the 1D series.

[Issac Brock]

First of all...you have to realize what type of camera you have and what it's limitations are...P & S are great in light conditions. That's about the extent of it. Realize what type of equipment you have and make the best of it. If you don't like it...don't post threads complaining what you have..save up and upgrade!

That's what I'm doing although I still haven't used my S2 to it's full potential...rememeber, just have fun!

Besides..your signature quotes you are a beginner, Canon P&S's are great to learn on!

Ty

I wish it were that simple. I don't have a source of income. I am a recent high school graduate and I have plenty of money for even a 20d, but that money is my spending money for next year. However, if I can find a job, I can buy an xt knowing that I can make the money back. Unfortunately there are no jobs where I live and I don't have a car to get me to one. Its really frustrating. I was so close to getting a job and now the manager is just doing what they all do, telling me they'll get back to me every time I go in/call.

[MitsuJDM]

You must be a very blissful person.....

Is that good? :)

[Issac Brock]

He's calling you ignorant.

[Moppie]

He's calling you ignorant.


Subtle.

[snowrdr]

Issac, I gave you a few settings to try with your A95 in your flower pictures thread. Give them a try and see what you think. :D

[sando]

Give it time. i hated my P&S because I really didnt understand it. I dont mean photography, I mean the actual camera and what effects certain settings had. i eventually learnt how my camera thought and used it to my advantage. I've recently bought a new camera, and however it isnt an SLR, it's close and it's taught me a great deal about the technical side. Now i have an imagination for photographs from using my P&S and finally I am able to really get the picture from my head into the image through the new camera.

i feel indebted to my old P&S... it cost 30 quid but taught me a hell of a lot more than anyone else could have taught me.

[Rene-gad]

GAH I WANT A DSLR If you have some dollars more and shouldn't take a camera with you, if you'll go hiking - do it ;).
But IMHO SLR itself doesn't bring a warranity for the super quality of pictures: the photograph has to do something for it, too.

[DavidW]

Issac - as I said here (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?p=1677846), you seem to have some basic techniques left to master, and a DSLR won't help with that. Indeed, a DSLR will give you more variables potentially to get wrong and foul up the shot with.

I've spent two hours experimenting for a particular shot with my DSLR, taken fifty frames, stopping to look over them several times on the computer during the shoot, and still finished up with only one frame I'm truly happy with, which is not necessarily the last one I shot. That's the way it goes sometimes. With experimentation, a tripod can help tremendously.


Looking at your thread here (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=187803), I was tempted to provide critique there, but I wanted to place my comments in the context of this thread.


In the first shot, there's insufficient distance between the subject and the background to get reasonable background blur, even with a DSLR and a fast lens. Further, the brick wall is unlikely to provide pleasing background blur - you'll be able to discern the mortar lines even if they are blurred.

As sando says in his post in the other thread, the bottom of the stem is slipping out of focus, so you had insufficient depth of field anyway. The only way to throw the background out of focus, whatever equipment you're using, is to narrow the depth of field still further, which would have left the subject even more out of focus.

To get better background blur for this shot as it is, you needed slightly greater depth of field (to get the subject adequately sharp), then the subject much further away from the background.

If you frame more tightly (a switch to portrait orientation will probably help), get the camera square to the subject so that you minimise the depth of field needed for the subject, then experiment with the aperture settings you have, you'll probably get a better result. I'd try to do something with the background, though. If it's a pot plant, move it. If it's in the garden, can you bring a sheet or something in behind?


The second shot is out of focus. Manual focus is tricky on a compact, but it's not that easy on a DSLR either. Modern autofocus SLRs (digital and film) tend to have matte focussing screens, rather than screens with a split prism and microprisms, which are both focussing aids for manual focus. You can fit manual focus screens to a DSLR, but they're unofficial (I think even on the 1 series there's no official split prism screen) and they throw the camera's metering off somewhat.

snowrdr gives you good advice in the other thread - turn on macro mode (which allows closer focussing), disable AiAF (it tends to do the wrong thing in this sort of scenario), go to the wide end of the lens as that allows you to move in closer. Make sure you're not closer than the minimum focussing distance - you're so close in that shot that you may have gone too close. If you go closer than the minimum focussing distance, manual focus will make no difference.

In either case, I'd use Av mode, and if you're not sure which is the right aperture, shoot with a range of apertures (this is where a tripod really helps), then select the right aperture when you're at the computer. Look carefully at subject sharpness - whilst it's tempting to go for the blurriest background, I believe you shouldn't do so at the expense of any part of the subject being out of focus.


By all means buy whatever equipment you want, but both these shots indicate that a bit more persistance and learning should lead to much better results with what you have.

If I gave you my bag (20D, BG-E2 grip, EF 16-35mm f/2.8L, EF 24-70mm f/2.8L, EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS, Speedlite 580EX, TC-80N3 remote, Gitzo G2220 tripod, Gitzo G1275M head, Manfrotto 323 RC2 adapter on the head, Manfrotto 200PLARCH-14 RC2 plte on the grip, Manfrotto 341 RC2 L bracket, B+W 77mm Kasemann circular polariser MRC and a few other bits and pieces that aren't relevant here), would you have a clue how you'd decide what equipment to use for these shots, and what settings to use on the camera?

There's issues of lens choice (which is determined not only by focal length but minimum focussing distance), how you put the equipment together, the settings to use - and that's without considering matters such as composition.


I truly believe you have a very capable camera in what you've got. There's no "quick fix" with photography - often the best learning comes from taking as many pictures as you can (which is cheap and easy with digital), experimenting with different subjects, settings and composition, and trying to figure out why certain shots didn't come out.

A DSLR might merely provide more rope to hang yourself with in this sort of situation. Spending money on equipment isn't a substitute for the experimentation and practice needed to familiarise yourself properly with the technical side of photography, and, like painting, worthwhile shots don't necessarily come straight away, and certainly not from the first angle that you use to view the subject.



David

[bandit 1]

Hiya Issac,
I'm really new to photography of any sort, my main interest is Macro as you can see I have S3 IS which I'm told is a point & shoot, these are some shots I took back a while they're not brill but it shows I guess what can be done with a fair amount of patience a lota time & a hell of a lota disappointment, you gota walk before you can run my friend.

This leaf hopper was about 2-3mm long if I remember, neither of these shots is a crop they're basically as they came out the camera, I've only put these shots so you can see what can be done, practice, practice & more damn practice, it just sounds to me that you think the camera should do it all for you.
Cheers for now good luck.
Mark

[Issac Brock]

Well thanks for the advice people, but to clarify, I don't even want the dslr for image quality, or something that would take pictures for me, I wanted it so that I could change settings like aperture and exposure easily, and I could focus myself if I wanted to. Its just annoying to mess around with that flimsy stuff and makes it really hard to even adjust the most basic things

[bandit 1]

Hiya Issac.
Well my S3 IS is a piece of cake to operate in the way that you wish, I only have one hand, the Left ( chopped the other off ) I'm sure with practice & patience you could master this.
Cheers for now
Mark

[Moppie]

Well thanks for the advice people, but to clarify, I don't even want the dslr for image quality, or something that would take pictures for me, I wanted it so that I could change settings like aperture and exposure easily, and I could focus myself if I wanted to. Its just annoying to mess around with that flimsy stuff and makes it really hard to even adjust the most basic things



aye, aye, if you can't figure out how to adjust the settings on a compact then you will never cope with a DSLR.

[stupot]

aye, aye, if you can't figure out how to adjust the settings on a compact then you will never cope with a DSLR.

you cant adjust the settings on most compacts... thats what he keeps trying to say.

[Moppie]

you cant adjust the settings on most compacts... thats what he keeps trying to say.

Yes, but he has an A75, which has a good variety of settings adjustments, in 1/3 stop increments, from F2.8-F8 and 1/2000sec to 15sec, in either Av, Tv or M modes.
There is also a flash adjustments in 1/3s power in M mode, as well as custom white balance to go with a variety of preset options.
It of course uses TTL metering and focus, that while very slow compared to an SLR, is very capable being able to focus on only the slightest contrast change, regardles of its vertical or horizontal orintation.
It is a very capable camera.


There is a growing number of compacts on the market that feature limited manual control though, most Sonys for example, and Canons IXUS/SD range.
But they aimed squarly at people who no have interest in photography as a hobby, and simply want something that will replace thier old fully automatic 35mm compact.
They are also very capable, but much more limited. Still no reason to express an irrational hate for them, if you wanted a camera with more manual control then you wouldn't buy one, you would get something like a Canon A or S series.

[DavidW]

Well thanks for the advice people, but to clarify, I don't even want the dslr for image quality, or something that would take pictures for me, I wanted it so that I could change settings like aperture and exposure easily, and I could focus myself if I wanted to. Its just annoying to mess around with that flimsy stuff and makes it really hard to even adjust the most basic things
The interfaces in M mode are pretty similar.

A75 - choose between shutter speed and aperture using SET, adjust the value using left and right on the rocker.

XT - shutter speed is adjusted using the dial behind the shutter button, press and hold the Av button on the back and turn the dial. It's not ideal - to get to two dials you have to jump up to the 20D/30D (aperture is on the rear dial, shutter speed on the dial behind the shutter button).


The manual focus interface on the A75 is a touch clumsy - but is mandated because there's no focus ring on the lens itself (there isn't really room for it) and, probably more importantly, no optical viewfinder. Manual focus on the XT's kit lens isn't that great either. If you want a nice focus ring with full time manual override, you need to jump to a lens with ring USM.

The reality is that you probably don't need to focus the A75 manually.



Several people have tried to offer you useful advice and tips which apply equally to whatever camera you're using. I wanted to reiterate one point - the "better" DSLR won't make your task easier. In many ways, it will make the task of getting these shots right harder, because you have all the same issues to contend with that you do with the A75, as well as having to be more careful with your choice of aperture and ISO.

Aperture is a balance between depth of field (it's quite easy to shoot with insufficient depth of field with a DSLR), shutter speed and trying to avoid softening an image through diffraction. ISO is a balance between shutter speed (which influences whether there's any camera shake degrading your images, also whether there's any motion blur) - and noise. No DSLR has automatic ISO; it's one more thing you have to take control of.

Once you have your image, DSLR images typically need some post-processing to look their best. The advantage is that you have more control, which is the whole DSLR philosophy, but there are plenty of new DSLR purchasers who are disappointed with the flat and unremarkable looking images they get with their expensive new camera.


Aspire to whatever camera you want - I'm sure those of us here on POTN will try to help out. However you have to get your basic photography education somewhere, and the A75 you have is a good tool to learn with. Trying to run before you can walk may be even more disheartening to you - though you seem to be expecting instant results.

You will overcome the problems you're having with a bit of perseverance, but jumping up to a more advanced camera may simply pile on the frustration. If you drive a car, I doubt that you learnt to drive in a Ferrari or a Lamborghini. Meanwhile, on the days you drove badly when you were learning, it's unlikely it was the car's fault. In this case, the results you got in your other thread were not the camera's fault - it did what you told it to.


Maybe another helpful analogy is training wheels on a bicycle (or "stabilisers" as we tend to call them in the UK). They stop you from making full use of the bicycle's potential, but they also make it all but impossible to fall off. Your A75 is a bit like photography training wheels. Aperture doesn't influence depth of field as much as with a larger sensor camera, and the camera's default settings gives you fairly pleasing images (even if they do tend to be a touch oversaturated and are sharpened using a compromise setting).

The difference is that once you understand why the A75 is a bit like training wheels, it's a very capable camera in its own right.



David

[Issac Brock]

Well its not as simple as you put it. I have done post processing and know a little bit about it; I post process all of my photos. But the idea is that if when I get a DSLR I'm going to have to learn it, why waste my time learning on the point and shoot? I know I'll learn about how to use the camera, but I can also learn that on a DSLR, with easier adjustments and better image quality. Its very obnoxious to deal with shutter delay, like today shooting sports, and once again, its a huge task to figure out how to get the right settings for a situation. I have also gotten other opinions from people who say going to the dslr is a good idea, and that they didn't have trouble learning it at all.

[Moppie]

You clearly fail to understand what is beiing said, I also note you changed your sig, your A75 has become an A95.

Anyway, the rules of exposure are exactly the same for a COMPACT as they are for an SLR, or a Medium format, or what ever you want to shoot.
Shutter speeds for sports are still the same, as is rules about shutter speed and camera shake.
Yes there is a delay, but it is not hard to learn to cope with it.

Your A95 is very capable at teaching you about photography, and because of its greater DOF is actualy better than an SLR, as you have less to worry about.
If you can't figure it our on a Compact, and I think that is where your anger is comeing from, you will not cope with an SLR.
Learning on a compact will prepare you for owning an SLR, and has already been stated, unless you get a 30D the controls on your A95 are very similar to the controls on a Reble XT/350D, the camera you so badly wanted in your sig.

Untill you can learn to respect, understand, and use the camera you have, which has been well proven to be very capable, you will never be happy with a more complex camera.


On second thoughts I wonder if you really have an real interest in photography? You seem in-capable of taking the very excellent advice given my DavidW (which is book worth IMO) and you seem determined to run down a very capable camera, and by doing so patronise other compact users.
Prehaps you are just very lonely and looking for attention, hence the changes to your sig as well?

[Issac Brock]

Wow..perhaps you should relax and not try to cut me down.

First of all, I do have both an a75 and an a95. The a75 I have had for two years, the a95 is my dad's that I started using since he barely ever uses it, and I decided to change the signature since I've been using the a95 more often than I use my own a75.

Secondly, I no longer need offers for an XT because I have people that have offered me theirs for different prices.

Do you think that me changing my signature was some kind of defense? To what? Everything still applies. Its still a point and shoot. The a95 is barely different at all. It just has 5.0 mp instead of 3.2. Seriously, what did you think? I was making it all up? How would changing my signature assist me in getting attention? Give me a break. Yeah man, you hit it dead on. I really have no friends, no life, I do nothing but post on random message boards for e-attention. Why don't you calm down with that ridiculous stuff, you conceited idiot?

Do you realize that there are people that disagree with you? That even if I did think that somehow exposure and aperture were different beings between a compact and a dslr, it doesn't make you a better person than I?

I am aware that I still have a lot to learn, but there's different ways to go about learning things, and there are people that advocate those different ways. I'm examining my options, and I'm honestly not too angry about it; my first post was hyperbole. I am frustrated though, because I'm not sure what to do.

I also don't have any disrespect for the camera itself. I am aware that it serves its purpose, and that I can learn on it. My issue was whether or not I should. I also never displayed any disrespect for people that use the camera; that's just something you decided to throw in there. Even if I loathed the a75/a95, it does not mean I feel the same way about people that like it. Perhaps that's the way that you think, but I am able to recognize that people prefer different things.

To close, I'm very interested in photography. Every day, beside the other things I do (I know you made it out like I have no life, but yes, I do other things) I go online and just look at pictures. From photoblogs that I have bookmarked, this forum, and from new photographers I discover online every day. Oh, and maybe I should mention, I post on a forum online seeking advice on how to go about my path to taking good pictures.

I am still open to comments and advice from people that are willing to show respect to me! I'm still re-shooting my flowers tommorow and I'm still planning on shooting with the a75 or a95 throughout the week at least, before I choose what to do.

[sando]

Easy tigers. it's just a camera! :lol: re-read this thread and you may all want to have a group hug and say you're sorry etc...

I think the whole point was that Isaac brook is obviously unhappy with the results from his A95 - fair enough in my book. A P&S can sometimes be frustrating and not quite capture the moment as you saw it. An SLR can be harder to learn but the rewards are more... well, rewarding.

keep at it and you'll have it cracked in no time, and then you'll wonder what all this was about!

:) Smile evreyone!

[rachel_ashling]

Whoa! Have a break, have a Kit Kat, guys. Never thought I'd see an argument develop on a photography forum, for goodness sake!

Issac, you're 17, right? I'm sure you have a wonderful life outside of photography. My advice would be to listen to the experts, then you can pick and choose which advice you will follow. Simple.

Moppie, go easy on him. Everyone gets frustrated with equipment sometimes. Ask Sando (Matt). I sometimes nearly cry with aggravation because what other people find simple and logical to do, I just don't understand myself.

The important thing is, none of you need reply on these threads if you don't want to so this argument is just silly.

[sando]

... and another pearler:

Advice is free, and therefore worthless.

[Issac Brock]

Issac, you're 17, right? I'm sure you have a wonderful life outside of photography. My advice would be to listen to the experts, then you can pick and choose which advice you will follow. Simple.


Yes, I just graduated from high school, headed to college this fall. I am listening to the experts. That's what this thread is for. That's what posting this forum is for. It just frustrates me when the experts declare that I am desperate for attention and that I'm lying or embellishing.

[rachel_ashling]

Congratulations on your graduation!! That's completely understandable Issac and an unfair statement, I'm sure. I guess what annoys people is when they try and give advice but it appears that someone doesn't want to accept it. You don't have to, of course, that's your perrogative. Sometimes, however, it helps to acknowledge the time and effort people have put into giving their advice, even if you don't agree with it.

As regards to your original question, I would not advise getting the SLR at this point in time. When I first picked up a camera, I honestly thought, "How difficult could this be?" and happily started snapping away. Unfortunately, as time went on and certainly since I've been on this forum, I've recognised how very poor my understanding of photography is and that there is so much more to it than I could have possibly imagined. For this reason, I am still learning with my cheap little digital P & S. If I ever got to the point where I think, "Damn, I'm really good at this and have outgrown this little sweetheart", then I would probably upgrade to something better. Of course there's more to learn with an SLR and you don't want to feel like you're learning things twice but you'll probably find that, once you get good with the camera you have, you will then pick up the SLR sometime in the future with a better understanding and not have to go through the agonies of trying to figure it all out from the beginning.

Also, you might want to consider that you will be so busy over the next few years at college having loads of fun and studying so much anyway that you don't need the added hassle of trying to be the world's best photographer, there's plenty of time for that after you leave college. Trust me, you take an SLR to a party and it will all end in tears ;)

[Moppie]

Yes, I just graduated from high school, headed to college this fall. I am listening to the experts. That's what this thread is for.


Are you listening to what DavidW is telling you, or are you just hearing what he is saying?
Because the advice he has given has been spot on, you would be crazy not to follow it.
By your own admission you don't fully understand how to use what you also consider to be a very simple camera. But you think will be able to understand a considerably more complex camera because it is more complex.
If you can't recognise the oxymoron in that then you need to reasses the simple part of the equation.


You are still very young, and unless you plan on dieing anytime soon, hav lots of time to learn the art of photography properly.
I think you have mistaken youthful insecurity and impatiance for motivation and passion.

As for the concieted idiot comment Iv been called far more orginal things on a forum before.

Now stop refering to your A series cameras as point and shoots, its a term with negative connotations in this context, and will not help you learn and understand thier true potential.
Then take a step back, and when you have a go at reshooting the flowers remember that your skill level is well below what the camera is able to do, if it dosn't work do not blame the camera, transfering you own inablity onto an in-animate object will not make you a better photographer.
Instead accept you own limits, understand them, then try again with an open mind.
I suggest you take notes on the advice given, and work through them as you shoot as well, its often easy to get pissed off and frustrated, when all you have done is forgotten something like the minimum focus distance of the lens you are useing, or the relationship between shutter speed and camera shake and subject movment, especialy while you have been to busy focusing on all the other things you have to take note of.

[Issac Brock]

Sorry, but I'm not going to go out of my way to be creative with insults. I'll leave that immature business to you. I don't like mentioning my age because it gives people the feeling that no matter what, they are smarter, more reasonable, and a better person than I am, without paying attention to me as a person. Get the hell out of this thread already; I don't want to hear from you. You can call me anything you like, say I'm insecure, whatever you want. Its pretty ridiculous that you consistently judge me based on what I have said on an internet forum.

You try to comment on my life as if you know me and belittle me by listing stereotypical flaws in a young person. I could go and say that you're just grumpy, frustrated with your own unsuccessful life, and that you're just not open to the way that my generation does things, but that would be stereotypical and prejudicial, and I'm not going to stoop to that level. Its a ridiculous way to communicate with other people and its a horrible way to think of other people.

To clarify, I am "listening" to his advice. Just because I offer what I think about to the conversation, to discuss with people what my thoughts are as I come to my decisions, doesn't mean that I haven't understood what he has told me. It doesn't mean that I'm not going to keep trying with my point and shoot, and yes, it's a point and shoot. And if you want to take you seriously in telling me to respect my camera, perhaps you should not tell me that there are negative connotations associated with its classification. Its just that, a classification of what it was designed to do, point and shoot. Like I said, I still recognize its abilities. I still respect everyone that uses them. Otherwise, I wouldn't respect myself.

Rachel, thankyou for respecting me and being friendly. I am actually a very friendly person, but I'm also an argumentative one if I either feel strongly about an issue or someone is attempting to belittle me for the ridiculous reasons that he has.

Once again, I'm still looking for advice! As of right now, it looks like I'll be using the a95 for at least this summer. I'm going to try again with the flowers tommorow, and I tried sports today, you can see my thread in the sports section.

[sando]

Rachel, thankyou for respecting me and being friendly. I am actually a very friendly person, but I'm also an argumentative one if I either feel strongly about an issue or someone is attempting to belittle me for the ridiculous reasons that he has. You sound like someone I know ;)

As everyone will always tell you... if you can go back again to a spot and take the same picture (as you can with flower shots) then do it. You'll always see someting you dislike about a scene that you can hopefully go back and re-do it.

I'd be interested to see your new photos.

I know what it's like to have a camera which you feel doesnt do you justice - been there and only just got a new camera. It's a lot to learn but hey, that's the fun part right?

Stick with it, you'll *click* with it soon enough.

I'd suggest not even bothering to reply again, not saying that you have no right to because you do, but i dont see this one ending anytime soon! Some people just dont like it when someone disagrees with them. I try not to name names during things like this, but I will say that Moppie certainly doesnt like it when you disagree with him. Moppie, say what you want about that, I wont stick around for an argument.

[Issac Brock]

Its natural to want to argue your opinion, but moppie tends to see his views as 100% correct, and so far has called someone ignorant after they voiced their view, and said that "I would be crazy" to not follow advice he supported. Eh, whatever. I'm done arguing too. Still open to advice. And I appreciate all of the advice given to me so far.

[Moppie]

Its just that, a classification of what it was designed to do, point and shoot.


Just because I have nothing better to do,
If it was only ever designed to be a point and shoot it would not have M, Tv and Av on the mode dail. You would not have the choice of two AF modes, manual focus (which I know is a waste of time), and 4 exposure modes (3 auto, 1 manual).

If you were complaining about an SD/Ixus I might understand where you are coming from, but it really does sound like you are complaining for complainings sake, especialy after being given what has to be the best advice you will get anywhere, and having some very capable equipment to use.

[NordieBoy]

My P&S Fuji s602z had all the controls and features my 10D does except for servo focus.
I made sure I sold it to someone I could borrow it back off :D

[AdamJL]

Isaac, I understand where you're coming from.

P&S cameras are first and foremost designed for full automation. They do have "manual" settings (I use that term loosely) but are designed to be used by people with no interest in photography as a hobby/passion/career.

"Bridge" cameras, like your A95, or Sony's DSC1 etc are what the name implies. They are there to bridge the gap between the P&S market and the higher-end SLRs and DSLRs. Whilst they retain the full functionality of the P&S, they also incorporate many unique features and controls of the SLRs. However, don't expect them to be able to give you the same control and image quality as an SLR with a decent lens. Especially at the zoom end of the scale.

SLRs & DSLRs...well, there's a reason why professionals choose them. They offer full control over just about any aspect of photography through the camera and accessories. There is SO MUCH to learn with an SLR camera compared to the Bridge cameras or P&S units.

If you can't afford an SLR just yet, then your Bridge camera will certainly help you on your way. As I mentioned, don't expect image quality to be on par with a good SLR with a good photographer behind it, but you should learn how to compose and take a good shot now while you can. Don't worry about menus being hard to read/navigate, and too much finicking. A lot of the best photos on a DSLR (especially landscape, portraits and macro) take a long time to set up. You can spend a good 20 minutes trying to get the right exposure before taking the shot. If you're after instant gratification, then an SLR is not yet for you.

Also, DavidW's comments are superb. I've bookmarked this thread just for his input!

Be patient. Photography rewards those who take the time to learn the skills it requires.

[stupot]

Get a 1Ds MkII and a couple of L's.

Ignore moppie, you're not a photographer until you have red stripes!:)

Bahahahaha!


/joke

[NordieBoy]

Red stripes?
Self flagellation?

[mfunnell]

Red stripes?
Self flagellation?Of the financial variety: yes!

...Mike

[DavidW]

Also, DavidW's comments are superb. I've bookmarked this thread just for his input!
/me blushes

I've tried to be constructive throughout, and give advice that, wherever possible, works for any camera.


The learning curve can be quite painful; I think we've all known the frustration of getting to the computer excited about one or more shots, then realising that what's on the memory card either has an obvious technical flaw or isn't what we thought we had.

Whatever camera or cameras the original poster finishes up with, I've tried to offer advice about matters that can be learnt with the camera he has now (A75 or A95 makes little difference) and will help whatever camera he finishes up with.


We've all got our own pathways through photography. I was fortunate enough to get a legal settlement last year that allowed me to buy most of my DSLR kit, whilst leaving the majority of the money in the bank. However, there are times when the DSLR isn't the right camera for the job - you can't put a 20D, grip and L zoom in your pocket!

There are times that we all wish for more or different kit - but part of the challenge in photography is making the best of what you have. That's the same whether you have a small compact or a 1 series DSLR body and a pile of lenses.


Hoping that I'm still being constructive,



David

[mfunnell]

One of the problems here, I think is the concentration on the technical aspects of photography. Things like the trade-offs between shutter speed, apeture, focal length, depth-of-field, ISO settings, etc. etc. Its not that they're unimportant, as somebody or some thing needs to account for those factors in order to take a photograph.

But those technical factors are fundamentally unimportant in that taking them into account should, ideally, be automatic, so that what's really concentrated on is subject selection, composition and, yes, artistry.

Unless you're some kind of measurebator, who only ever photographs test charts, or someone who collects equipment for its own sake, the point of all the technical knowledge, selection of equipment etc. etc. is to take good photographs.

My worst frustrations in photography don't come from having an idea in my head of the photo I want to take, then being unable to take it because the equipment isn't up to it (that happens) or because the photographer isn't up to it (in my case that happens a lot). No, my biggest frustration is when I take exactly the photograph I wanted and it turns out to be, well, not a very good photograph.

All the cameras, all the lenses, all the post-processing in the world can't fix that. Improving on that is what I need to do: the technical considerations are what I need to get past before I can spend enough time doing it.

Once again technical factors, including the fundamental differences between small-sensor-format digital cameras and larger digital or film sensors, are important in knowing what tool is best to get the job done. But knowing what job to do is far more important.

...Mike

(P.S. I do, I think, have rather a lot I want to say about small-format digital versus larger formats, but I haven't yet got to the point where what I'm saying matches what I'm thinking.)

[verT]

Issac I feel for you. I started off in my digital photography adventure with a G3 (similar in my opinion to the A75 or A95) and I thought It was the best thing in the world. I was mostly using it for still lifes and well basically snap shots of family and some attempts at portraits. I found the G3 to be very capable in all those situations. How ever one of the main focuses of my photos is my now 5 yearold. Well shutter lag killed nearly every photo of him where he wasn't sitting still. So I got an XT I liked the feel and size of it especially since I added the battery grip. Sure it is a much more expensive option than the A series or S series or even the discontinued G series. Bottom line is if you have the funds to get what you want and are able to do so with out making your life a hardship then do so, if not then work with what you have. The camera does not make the photographer it is only a tool. There are plenty of people that will argue over this feature or that feature how many pixels you need. Get what you think you need but get it in a responsible fashion, because the bottom line is you are spending the money and you are the one that will be using it not anyone else on this forum just you. FWIW I had a really tough time making the step to a DSLR, at the time it was a significant price especially since I had to invest in everything for it (bag/filters/lens) as I was an SLR newbie. I wasn't sure if I wanted to invest that much into a hobbie. I still don't get as many good photos as I'd like but they are getting more frequent and I do enjoy capturing that moment in time although I don't get to do it as often as I'd like to. Keep clicking with the A series cameras the best you can and try not to let the camera frustrate you. the best thing to do is to just keep pushing the button and try to only change on setting at a time so you can see what each and every one does. Then try combining them to get a different effect. That's how I worked my G3 until I figured it out.

Good luck and have fun.

[DavidW]

I think you're quite right, Mike, which is why I made the comments I did in the penultimate paragraph of my reply back here (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?p=1686023) on the first page of this thread.

The original poster has subsequently posted two pictures elsewhere in the forums which show technical problems - hence my more technically orientated follow-ups later in the thread. Digital cameras are great for experimenting with subjects, settings and composition, and a A75 or A95 can be a great tool to learn about some of the technicalities as well. If you want to move to more advanced cameras, knowledge of technical matters learned with a compact can help tremendously.


I think your idea of process, Mike, is a good one - getting sufficient technical knowledge to be able to concentrate on composition, tonality and other more artistic considerations is a great way to develop your photography. You can be a great photographer technically but still take boring and uninspiring photographs.

It's rare that better equipment improves your photography in isolation. Once I'd got the core of my current equipment together, I deferred future purchases until I felt a particular need for something.


Hopefully the advice I and others have provided here helps the original poster to move on through the technical hurdles to concentrate on the artistic side of the hobby. Once you get the technicalities sorted, you often see wonderful growth in your pictures as you begin to concentrate on the creative side of photography.



David

[scott1120]

I agree with Mike and David. I am taking a photography course and since day one they, have said it does not matter what kind of camera you have but the technical knowledge to make the shots.

There has been alot said in other posts; the camera does not make you a better photographer.

[Issac Brock]

Just because I have nothing better to do,
If it was only ever designed to be a point and shoot it would not have M, Tv and Av on the mode dail. You would not have the choice of two AF modes, manual focus (which I know is a waste of time), and 4 exposure modes (3 auto, 1 manual).

If you were complaining about an SD/Ixus I might understand where you are coming from, but it really does sound like you are complaining for complainings sake, especialy after being given what has to be the best advice you will get anywhere, and having some very capable equipment to use.

Read what I said. There's a lot of advice here. That is the purpose of the thread. Not to complain. You really don't seem to understand that advice isn't fact. Different people have different opinions on what I should do, as displayed on THIS THREAD. You think he has good advice, me too, but it doesn't mean I'm going to stop discussing my problem with others.

You came in here, called people ignorant, declared your opinion to be obvious fact, disrespected me and others. Like I said before, why don't you just leave this thread. No one here wants to hear from you.

[waussie]

Issac I am totally amazed that all these people tried to help you, you have had more than enough attention. Go play with your camera.

[Pekka]

This thread is over. Issac Brock has one month to think his attitude over. We do not tolerate personal attacks and rude language, and he ignored admin warning PM about it.