So a friend's wife sends me a note...

The most recent time it happened to me was a hoot. It involved a shot that I had hiked 2 miles straight up the side of a mountain. In order to get the water flowing over the rocks I needed to be in position to shoot before the sun got high enough in the sky to cause dappling through the trees. So in addition to the technical skill and imagination to make a long exposure water motion shot I had to be up well before dawn and a draining hike. But it was my camera that did it...

icopus wrote in post #13812303
When affronted with this type of comment, my response is simply, "Well, it's not an automatic, but yes, once I have all the proper settings and I've done my part, it works very well. Thank you."

I don't usually take it as an affront, per se, but this is a much nicer way of handling it than my usual: hand over the camera and say "perhaps you're right. Have at it."

I'm not saying I'd stop what I do, but I do like your answer a lot.

gonzogolf wrote in post #13812810
But could she take great photos with your camera?

Sure, my camera only takes great photos. it beeps if the shot isn't great.

rick_reno wrote in post #13813215
Sure, my camera only takes great photos. it beeps if the shot isn't great.

Is there a custom function to enable greatness?

Isn't that what the big 'P' on the mode dial is for? Professional?

Snydremark wrote in post #13813460
Isn't that what the big 'P' on the mode dial is for? Professional?

No, on rebels its for pornography, cause we know thats why people buy digital cameras

Snydremark wrote in post #13812803
When was the last time someone said that DaVinci must have had great paper, pencils and brushes?

What does that have to do with the topic at hand? You can't create an ice sculpture with a camera either. Both are bad analogies.

Snydremark wrote in post #13813460
Isn't that what the big 'P' on the mode dial is for? Professional?

Erik S. Klein wrote in post #13813042
... I do like your answer a lot.

Thanks. It has worked well for me so far.

gonzogolf wrote in post #13813027
... But it was my camera that did it...

Much like the Indy 500 racer might sarcastically say his car did it?

icopus wrote in post #13814061
Much like the Indy 500 racer might sarcastically say his car did it?

Talk about bad analogies.

I like to compare all this talk about cameras to the automobile.

Gee your car sure is pretty, what kind is it? My, how fast your car goes! Geez that engine purrs nice..
So let me go out and buy a nice car so I can purr, move fast and look pretty. Then they drive it home only to crash into a wall and no more pretty!

All that cash did not make them a good driver, neither will it make a good photographer.

So what does this have to do with topic at hand? Everything! Don't overrate the cameras abilities of what it can or cannot do.

Camera and lens can create sharpness in light, good color from light, good tones in the sensor, but it cannot take a photograph. In fact without light the camera can do nothing. So lets just say next time, what kind of sunlight did you have? It sure does take good photographs!

gonzogolf wrote in post #13814097
Talk about bad analogies.

You caught that, did you?

RandyMN wrote in post #13814112
... Don't overrate the cameras abilities of what it can or cannot do....

I agree, however, it seems we oftentimes underrate what good camera gear allows us... given the talent behind the gear of course.

It's funny how many people think this way...

Bryan

Erik S. Klein wrote in post #13813042
hand over the camera and say "perhaps you're right. Have at it."

^ this. Actually did this as a soccer match once. A guy I know who shoots some games, commented on how he needed better gear so he could get shots like mine (he'd seen my work many times). I thanked him and told him he was free to give my stuff a shot if he wanted to which he took me up on. I knew what was next but had to see it. He searched and searched, looked embarrassed a little, then finally asked where the dial was with the green box. I naturally acted surprised he asked and told him my camera doesn't come with a green box or dial. His next question was how I made such nice images if I had to "guess" what settings to use all of the time. Being the semi nice person that I can be on occasion, I set the camera up for him and showed him how to use it. Next game I see him there without a camera and when I asked why, he said he gave up since even when he used my $5k worth of gear, he still didn't have any good shots. Obviously, I encouraged him to shoot more rather than quit and explained that its not gear that makes compelling images.

I know that's a long and drawn out story but its absolutely true and demonstrates (to me, at least) why its not the gear at all. There are many, many members here who's work I couldn't touch yet I have better gear and probably vice versa. Great gear can make for a sharper image or one with better low light IQ but it never makes an image more compelling, which, in my opinion, is the difference between a good shooter and an average one.

Bottom line, having great gear helps someone who's a good photographer. Someone who isn't is not likely to see much benefit between a 1D4 and point and shoot.