Your camera takes really good pictures!

[JAcosta]

I hate hearing that. I know Im not the only one here, so what do you guys say? When my friend said this the other day I handed him my camera and said "Here, take some pictures and we'll see how they turn out,". Needless to say after popping off a few shots I think he understood that it really is the photographer and not the camera that makes the picture.:eek:

[rdricks]

"Your pots cook an excellent dinner"
"Your paintbrush paints a beautiful picture"
"Your pants make your butt look big"

(Okay, maybe not that last one... ;) )

[bsaber]

I hear that every once in awhile... I usually just nod and pretend nothing happened.

[Deckham]

I hear that every once in awhile... I usually just nod and pretend nothing happened.

Your butt looks big in your pants?

[FlyingPhotog]

One of the most wrung out subjects here:
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=197076

[steved110]

My camera does its job a fair bit better than I do photography...;)

[Cadwell]

I hate hearing that. I know Im not the only one here, so what do you guys say? When my friend said this the other day I handed him my camera and said "Here, take some pictures and we'll see how they turn out,". Needless to say after popping off a few shots I think he understood that it really is the photographer and not the camera that makes the picture.:eek:

I find it amusing how often these statements are made by people with gear lists that consist of 1 Series cameras and L series lenses. If you truly believe that it's all down to the photographer's own genius and that the camera plays no part then you've spent a lot of money unnecessarily. :lol: You would be best advised to sell all that camera gear, buy a $100 point and shoot and put your money to better use.

[S.Horton]

^^ Yeah, but when I read posts like this I always want to give the benefit of the doubt, assuming the OP means the process and the people make the image.

I noticed that even with a 30D and EF-S lens, some people may say the same thing about the camera....

[Maureen Souza]

I say "Yes it does.... all by itself.'' :)

[FlyingPhotog]

^^ Yeah, but when I read posts like this I always want to give the benefit of the doubt, assuming the OP means the process and the people make the image.

I noticed that even with a 30D and EF-S lens, some people may say the same thing about the camera....

To the uninitiated, any SLR-esque camera = a magical, mystical world unreachable with their P&S cameras. Irrespective of the fact that the same laws of physics govern the operation of both...

Therefore, the images generated must be the result of all that Gee Whizbang Gadgetry...

[SlowBlink]

Answer: "Your mouth makes really nice compliments" (courtesy of WTD)

[AndreaBFS]

I say, "yeah, I am really happy with it. I know it's a lot to carry around, but the quality difference is worth it!" I mean, seriously... didn't we all get SLRs because they TAKE REALLY GOOD PICTURES? :lol:

[S.Horton]

^^ I love that one!

[Mike]

It is a little annoying but I usually just thank the person for the compliment. I realise that they are still making a compliment, even if it is aimed at the camera and not the user and any compliment is fine in my book. :)

[neilwood32]

I tend to do one of two things:
1) if its someone i know and trust, they get handed the camera and told "you have a shot then" at which point they look at the lcd screen and give you a blank look.
2) if i dont know them, its usually a "wow that resteraunt i bought my lunch from must have had nice pans cause that food was great!"

Of course a lot of people dont know sarcasm when it hits them!

[GilesGuthrie]

I said to someone "You know, remind me to come to your house for dinner one day and compliment you on your pots" once. Usually I just say "Yes", or will look at them quizzically and say "Really? Just the camera?"

[timmyeatchips]

hmm, it's a daft comment but I don't get why it annoys people so much. You wouldn't be offended if you got a new car and someone said 'wow bet that does well on the track'

I think my camera does take good pictures. It does one hell of a better job capturing things the way I want to than my p&s ever did

[woodsie]

When my friend said this the other day I handed him my camera and said "Here, take some pictures and we'll see how they turn out,".

I trust that when you did this you put the camera on M f/2.8 1/10s on a sunny day. :twisted:

[taxsux]

I find it amusing how often these statements are made by people with gear lists that consist of 1 Series cameras and L series lenses. If you truly believe that it's all down to the photographer's own genius and that the camera plays no part then you've spent a lot of money unnecessarily. :lol: You would be best advised to sell all that camera gear, buy a $100 point and shoot and put your money to better use.


^^ This ^^

Let's see you guys pan some shots with a P&S. :lol:

[Tandem]

Well, duh! Of course the camera takes good pictures. Without the camera you would be out there with your crayons and paper trying to color in the pixels by hand.

Sure you can take credit for choosing the composition and timing but the camera is what takes all those light rays and puts them into all those little photo sites to make a pretty picture.

[nicksan]

Hmmm...I just say "Thank You".
Life's too short to twist what are meant as complimentary remarks around...

[shannyD]

i just ignore the cooments now.. a few years ago.. i agreed with them.. now, not so much. lol. so now i just ignore the comments, and continue on my merry way.

shan

[Bumgardnern]

All I am going to say is that it helps to have the right tools for the job. I get the comment that my camera takes really good pictures a lot. I agree with them. Having the proper tool allows the work to be easier. You may not be able to tell the difference between a throw away camera and a top of the line DSLR in image quality, but their are times when the throw away just does not allow you to capture the image.

[bsaber]

Your butt looks big in your pants?

I take it as both a compliment and an insult... but more as a compliment.

And yes, my butt does look big in my pants :p

[Tixeon]

I used to get that type of compliment when I used Hasselblad's. I just took it to mean that I made a good choice in equipment.:)

[lungdoc]

Doesn't bother me much, though I find it more annoying if someone says it on looking at an image and not the camera...in other words they see a good picture and say "you must have a great camera".

[DStanic]

I generally take it as a compilment. I'm happy that they liked the picture! And I know in my heart that if I were to give them the camera, they probably wouldn't be able to do the same.

What really p*ssed me off, was when guy at work (45yr old used car salesmen who is getting married for the first time) was grumbling about $2000 for a photographer. He said he could just buy a nice camera for $2000 and have someone take the pictures. I told him that a pro with a P&S would still take the better pictures. I've shot one wedding and know how much work it is and how stressful it can be!

[Tandem]

Let's not forget that the majority of people you meet everyday know very little about art. They may like the colors or detail in a picture but they know nothing about how the various elements work together to make a great picture.

Who knows what is going through their head when they look at your photo? That's a nice picture... the colors are so vivid and lifelike... and so sharp I can see every eye lash... "You must have a nice camera!" lol

[JAcosta]

Let's not forget that the majority of people you meet everyday know very little about art. They may like the colors or detail in a picture but they know nothing about how the various elements work together to make a great picture.

Who knows what is going through their head when they look at your photo? That's a nice picture... the colors are so vivid and lifelike... and so sharp I can see every eye lash... "You must have a nice camera!" lol


Good point. I guess I should start taking it as a compliment but its hard to get past they they're more impressed with the camera than your abilities to use it.

[eelnoraa]

I think it is OK, etiher me or my camera, as long as the result is good to my eyes.

Of course, most people don't realize that having a good camera is just small (but significant tho) part of the story. The photographer behind the camera matter (more). Just like a lot of people including photographer don't realize how important post processing is.

[nicksan]

I would say if every time you hear a comment like that you feel this overwhelming urge to "clarify", then you've got some issues to sort out.

Me: "Wow. I absolutely love this photo. You must have a great camera".

You: "Thanks. But I feel I need to clarity something here. The camera is just a tool. It's the person behind it that ultimately counts. So when you say that, it's technically not true and borderline insulting."

Me: "..." (Walks away thinking..."what a pr*ck...")

[SlowBlink]

I would say if every time you hear a comment like that you feel this overwhelming urge to "clarify", then you've got some issues to sort out.

Exactly!...Yes I realize you just gave me a compliment but i'm unhappy with the composition of the compliment. Could you rephrase and pay particular attention drawing the focus to me rather than my equipment?

I've got my "Photographers Rights" card. Now I have to go and print out my "Photographers Feelings" card. :lol:

[nicksan]

Good one.:lol:
Exactly!...Yes I realize you just gave me a compliment but i'm unhappy with the composition of the compliment. Could you rephrase and pay particular attention drawing the focus to me rather than my equipment?

I've got my "Photographers Rights" card. Now I have to go and print out my "Photographers Feelings" card. :lol:

[gjl711]

Good point. I guess I should start taking it as a compliment but its hard to get past they they're more impressed with the camera than your abilities to use it.
I take it a compliment. It’s a way for someone to say something positive and express their feelings without becoming personal. It’s the same as saying “that’s a nice car” or “that’s a pretty dress”. It’s just a way to begin an conversation in a non-confrontational, safe manner and then based on the photographers reaction determine if the dialog is to continue.

Usually I respond by saying something like, “Yup, it’s a Canon and I’m real happy with it’s performance” and many times follow up questions come from that. But if I’m in a pi$$y mood I’ll respond with something like “yea, and you got nice pans, $%^& off and die”, then they go away. ;):)

[SlowBlink]

Ah, I knew we'd met before. Graduating class of the Harvey Keitel Charm school 1985. :)

[AndreaBFS]

I would say if every time you hear a comment like that you feel this overwhelming urge to "clarify", then you've got some issues to sort out.

Me: "Wow. I absolutely love this photo. You must have a great camera".

You: "Thanks. But I feel I need to clarity something here. The camera is just a tool. It's the person behind it that ultimately counts. So when you say that, it's technically not true and borderline insulting."

Me: "..." (Walks away thinking..."what a pr*ck...")


Heh heh. Makes you want to say, "oh... no no. I'm completely sure that YOU are indeed the tool. Yep, you are definitely a giant TOOL!" :lol:

[neil_g]

^^ This ^^

Let's see you guys pan some shots with a P&S. :lol:

i can direct you towards some pans i did with a fuji s5000 if that helps?

[bildeb0rg]

A little theatrical but, I usually put the camera on the floor, back off a ways, then prod it with my foot saying "shoot, damnit shoot! nah, this camera sucks".

[andrew748]

I agree with them and add an extra £5 to the price of the shots i'm selling them, i'll spend 60 seconds showing them how to use their P&S camera = don't use landscape at a sports event when you camera has sports modeetc etc.

and although they are surprised at the instant improvement they still buy my images :D

remember confrontation sucks :p

[DStanic]

I've gotten a number of compliments on the following photos, taken with a Sony H5 superzoom. Clearly not as good a camera as a DSLR, so I guess it must have been me. :p

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/162/371392514_1b88695b53.jpg?


http://farm1.static.flickr.com/133/371392510_c8eaff501d.jpg

[chauncey]

Are we into this hobby to please ourselves or some cretin.
Your concerns may result from a shallow ego.

[Mr Limpett]

I just say, "Thank You"

[macroshooter1970]

I just say thanks, sometimes they stick around and we chat a bit. Not a big deal.

[JAcosta]

I take it a compliment. It’s a way for someone to say something positive and express their feelings without becoming personal. It’s the same as saying “that’s a nice car” or “that’s a pretty dress”. It’s just a way to begin an conversation in a non-confrontational, safe manner and then based on the photographers reaction determine if the dialog is to continue.

Usually I respond by saying something like, “Yup, it’s a Canon and I’m real happy with it’s performance” and many times follow up questions come from that. But if I’m in a pi$$y mood I’ll respond with something like “yea, and you got nice pans, $%^& off and die”, then they go away. ;):)


Hahaha

Its either a thank you or a &%#@ off and die.. I guess I hope to only catch you on good days :)
Youre right it really does depend on the mood eh?

[powerslave]

I smile it off. There will be one day when that person will hold an SLR and BAM. :D

[daleftw]

i can direct you towards some pans i did with a fuji s5000 if that helps?
Indeed, S5000 was my first camera, and I used to do panning motorsports photos with it all the time. They sure did come out extremely average, even though I focused correctly etc, they tended to be noisy, so I decided an upgrade in equipment was in order. Much better photos now, but probably could be better if I bought one of those fabled white lenses, *sigh* :rolleyes:

Also, I'm pretty sure I've been one of those people who made that comment before too, so I don't shoot anyone down in flames. Really, why would you? You gotta be an arsehole to take a compliment and twist it around into an insult and throw it back in their face. I reckon these threads are just online competitions of wit, where hardly any of you would get all pissy because someone said "nice pics your camera must be awesome".

[shaggymatt]

Just saw this thread, have to say - Ha! My wife says that too. Helps build the justification for good glass! Easy to see the difference! :)

[Radtech1]

I hate hearing that. I know Im not the only one here..

I feel sorry for you wasting all that money on a 1 series camera if it dosn't take really good pictures.

The fact of the matter is that I do have a really good camera and it does take really good pictures! Think dude, $3200 for the body and $4000 spread out between five lenses, another almost $3000 for a 24" iPF printer. All in all, it DAMN WELL BETTER take great pictures! If it didn’t, I would be pretty pi**ed off!

I see nothing wrong with someone acknowledging that. Just take a look at how many here have a “gear list” that represents thousands of dollars – and more. Spend all that on gear that takes lousy pictures? I DON’T think so!

So whenever someone tells me that my camera takes great pictures, I say, “Thank you, it really does, doesn’t it.”

Rad

[rc13k]

I always see a thread like this get posted and what it all comes down to is yes the camera does matter. Try to take the same picture with your point and shoot. You can't in most cases. You can't compare pots and pans to cameras because they're completely different things. Almost all pots and pans are made equal while cameras aren't. The camera does matter but what matters most in my opinion is how well you post-process your images. You can even create DOF w/ post processing while using an image from a P&S camera. It's just that using an expensive camera makes it easier with better IQ.

[sjones]

I always see a thread like this get posted and what it all comes down to is yes the camera does matter. Try to take the same picture with your point and shoot. You can't in most cases. You can't compare pots and pans to cameras because they're completely different things. Almost all pots and pans are made equal while cameras aren't. The camera does matter but what matters most in my opinion is how well you post-process your images. You can even create DOF w/ post processing while using an image from a P&S camera. It's just that using an expensive camera makes it easier with better IQ.


No, what matters is content and how it is presented in terms of composition, timing, exposure, and such. In this sense, any camera is capable of taking an exceptional photograph; and (I am saying the following in general; it is not directed at you) I don't want to hear the boring retort, "try using a pinhole on the sidelines;" obviously, a camera needs to be technically sufficient for one's personal demands. Yet, beyond this, the more expensive camera is not automatically always going to take the better photograph.

Frankly, if someone compliments a photo simply based on its saturation and sharpness (which I suspect is frequently the case), that's fine, the camera (with or without considerable post processing) has done its job on that end, but the viewer has likely missed the overall point.

[Mosca]

"It's not mine, it's my kid's. I don't know what the hell I'm doing."

[photoguy6405]

I cannot take offense when I know they mean well and are trying to compliment. It's not that big a deal. Everyone here has commented somewhat ignorantly on some other endeavor that they are not intimately familiar with. Why should we expect every person to be as intimately familiar with photography as we are. That's kind of arrogant in itself. I just smile and say 'Thank you' and move on.

As far as the 'Is it the photographer or the equipment?" question... the answer is 'yes'. A good photographer will be apt to take better photos with a cheap P&S than a newb, and that same good photographer will be apt to take better photos with better equipment than they did with the cheap P&S, while the newb will still probably take boring uninspiring pics.

[kiwichris]

I agree Photoguy, I have in the past been given a P&S and told, "Here, you take better pictures then I do" and usually am happy to oblige with a couple of shots, once I have worked out where everything is on the darned P&S ;)

Had a father in law I used to tease, at family dos I would pick up his unattended Nikon, better camera than I had at the time, and take a few shots, then put it back. He would never be aware of what I had done until the film was developed. He once said, "I can always tell the difference between the pictures I (meaning him) took, and yours, yours are so much better I don't know how you do it." I never told him that it was possibly the personality behind the camera. While he was a prolific photographer, he was well off financially, his shots were always, dull, uninteresting, and people shots were usually pretty dour. Seemed to me his dry accountant personality was also superimposed in his photography, like he was recording in much the same way as keeping the books.

[Ceyber]

I have to disagree with a lot of the thread, in that, when I got my SLR, it blew me away how much better my pictures became.

I chalk that up to a lot of the things that we tend to take for granted: Instant shutter response, manual zooms (therefore faster, fine tuned), better settings (iso, shutter speed, aperture, etc), more FPS, etc. Yes, the camera DOES take great pictures, I can't shoot the same I do now with a P&S.

I explain to people that in my mind there are two curves. Personal skill and Camera Equipment - Camera Equipment starts higher on the graph, rises faster, but levels out. Personal skill is low on the graph, moves upwards slower, but continues to increase. The higher of the two values at any time will determine picture quality.

Give someone an SLR, and show them a bit about how to use it, and their pictures will generally be better composed and look better than a P&S, at least in my opinion.