Accelerated market contraction for DSLRs

Wilt wrote in post #18856638
I find it is expeditious to share via sharing sites when the photo count is 'reasonable'...a dozen, and/or the groups are spread into different states. But when I shoot events for relatives (like a grandaughter's First Communion over this past weekend), the photo count was 60 and waiting for 350MB of files to download is burdensome compared to burning them to DVD! And dropping the DVD in a DVD mailer via USPS is hardly burdensome in effort or cost.

DVDs declined because of tiny MP3 players (with inferior-to-DVD sound quality), and the capabilities of smartphone which are always in the pocket/purse, and because of the demand on thin and lightweight laptops. But there are clear advantages that should not be forgotten. It is a bit like SD in lieu of CF...folks have become ignorant to the inferior speed capability of (serial, one channel) SD compared to CF (parallel, 8 channel) yet our video is ever increasing in resolution and frame rate, and our pixel count is ever higher...taxing SD more and more!

CD's and DVD's have declined because it's a broadband world to a great extent and a 350 file is not much when you have a 100m internet connection. The installed base of optical drives has dropped significantly. Many new computers do not come with any optical drive. People sometimes have a USB connection DVD drive but they don't often use them. Thumb drives are so cheap these days that people share large collections of data using them. I know that's how I share things with my family. None of them have any optical drive except for a USB drive which they look at as a hassle to use.

Netfix and other video sites have made DVD's unnecessary for many. As for MP3's the high bitrate variety is all but indistinguishable from CD. For the purist there is FLAC. But let's not forget it's all digital even on CD's. Many think vinyl to FLAC recordings are often superior to CD depending on who makes the recordings usually. And there are even higher quality formats available also.

I have had a web server for sharing files for over a decade now. I only have a rudimentary web page up but it allows me to share whatever files I want with far fewer restrictions. The bandwidth is better also. I have gotten out of the video production business so I don't generally need to transfer gigs of material. If I do transfer to family members we use a thumb drive. I know optical media is cheap to use and mail but one thing is that over time optical media goes bad and data gets lost. I no longer trust the format to last more than a couple of years. Commercially produced media lasts longer but for file sharing it can lead to lost data if you count on storing on optical.

Left Handed Brisket wrote in post #18855481
Absolutely.

The notion that it is the gear that makes the difference in image quality went a long way to blowing up the bubble. It became a trend to show up to a kids sporting event with a APSC and long lens. Then every mom on the field thought she could take portraits for wine money. All the while most people buying these services never stopped to compare quality of a "real" photog and someone with a camera.

On flip side, with more availability of dSLRs and taking photos getting easier with newer generations of cameras, all of a sudden some of the parents (assuming they could afford) could take as well if not better pictures than so called "real photogs".

Actually that rarely happens... Many of these parents with DSLRs still don't know how to use them or just use kit lenses, and those indoor or night sports are just as challenging as they ever have been, a DSLR doesn't make that easier.

I have talked with many a parent at games, marching band, etc and have seen all their shots to know that the gear alone without some research and training still yields problematic results.

TeamSpeed wrote in post #18856923
Actually that rarely happens... Many of these parents with DSLRs still don't know how to use them or just use kit lenses, and those indoor or night sports are just as challenging as they ever have been, a DSLR doesn't make that easier.

I have talked with many a parent at games, marching band, etc and have seen all their shots to know that the gear alone without some research and training still yields problematic results.

Not the parents who hang on these forums.

bobbyz wrote in post #18856917
On flip side, with more availability of dSLRs and taking photos getting easier with newer generations of cameras, all of a sudden some of the parents (assuming they could afford) could take as well if not better pictures than so called "real photogs".

Interestingly, of a sample taken from an 'extended family' of ours and comprised of 7 households with adults between 42 and 32, all of whom have children of their own (13 children in total), I can list only ONE household that owns a dSLR, all the rest are reliant upon smartphone cameras!

TeamSpeed wrote in post #18856923
Actually that rarely happens... Many of these parents with DSLRs still don't know how to use them or just use kit lenses, and those indoor or night sports are just as challenging as they ever have been, a DSLR doesn't make that easier.

I have talked with many a parent at games, marching band, etc and have seen all their shots to know that the gear alone without some research and training still yields problematic results.

I won't claim to be a pro, but I do know my way around a camera. I'm also willing to put some effort into post-processing which helps compared to the average GWC posting jpgs that may or may not look good SOOC.

mike_d wrote in post #18856671
I've used Dropbox countless times to distribute pictures. They have free 2 GB accounts. .

I appreciate the mention of Dropbox, as I just set up a free non-commercial account for myself and I used it to share image just this past weekend. Thanks!

Wilt wrote in post #18856961
Interestingly, of a sample taken from an 'extended family' of ours and comprised of 7 households with adults between 42 and 32, all of whom have children of their own (13 children in total), I can list only ONE household that owns a dSLR, all the rest are reliant upon smartphone cameras!

Do any of these kids play sports? If I didn't already have a DSLR, I'd probably have gotten one just for that. 28mm isn't too useful on a soccer field.

The increased amount of Phonetographers available to stand directly in front of our DSLRs without considering others, and take shots of the sun(nothing else,just the sun in the shot) has to be a good thing right? Right??

If the entire POTN membership were comprised of such parents as yourself or me, it still would be a very small representation of all parents who wanted better pictures and went out to buy a kit system to take pictures of kid events.

In eight years of shooting various kids sports and arts, I have yet to find a SINGLE parent that I have struck up conversations on sidelines that had gear who knows of POTN. I highly doubt that I live in the only POTN-free section of the world.

I can say that in the last three years, the number of DSLRs I have seen has dropped significantly and all I see are phones now, where people are zooming to take video and pics. That means people are perfectly happy with social media sized and quality photos, so even going completely MILC, a manufacturer still won't garner big sales.

With regards to ‘serious photographers’ and everyone else…..RDKrik is on point that most people are simply concerned with documenting and are not overly concerned with the creative process. The thing about smartphones is that as good as the IQ has gotten on these things, they are creatively crippled big time. But for the average person who is simply documenting their lives, the creative limitations of these devices aren’t a deal killer at all because they aren’t shooting creatively. The smartphone is the preferred device for them because the convenience of a pocketable device means that they can document anything as it happens. …on the flip-side, they don’t value a standalone camera as a creative tool because they simply aren’t leveraging the capabilities of these cameras.

All of that said, I do think ‘real’ photographers are overly smug about shooting creatively and overly condescending towards those who shoot to document. As a father with young kids, I’ve become to realize that I’m so overly concerned with photography being a creative outlet that I do a terrible job documenting the most important moments in my own family’s life. i.e. never mind if something worth documenting is happening, if the lighting sucks, or we’re not in an interesting locale, or doing something interesting, I find myself not shooting because the creative potential is not there. My wife calls me out on it all the time, and looking back after a couple of years, I’m glad that my wife is shooting whatever she can on her phone because at least she documented these moments that are more meaningful to us as a family than any of the artsy fartsy stuff that, if I’m being completely honestly with myself, I’m shooting for my own enjoyment.

mystik610 wrote in post #18857094
All of that said, I do think ‘real’ photographers are overly smug about shooting creatively and overly condescending towards those who shoot to document. As a father with young kids, I’ve become to realize that I’m so overly concerned with photography being a creative outlet that I do a terrible job documenting the most important moments in my own family’s life. i.e. never mind if something worth documenting is happening, if the lighting sucks, or we’re not in an interesting locale, or doing something interesting, I find myself not shooting because the creative potential is not there. My wife calls me out on it all the time, and looking back after a couple of years, I’m glad that my wife is shooting whatever she can on her phone because at least she documented these moments that are more meaningful to us as a family than any of the artsy fartsy stuff that, if I’m being completely honestly with myself, I’m shooting for my own enjoyment.

I have to admit I've been 'way too smug in my life even to the extent of being so overly concerned with photography being a creative outlet that I do a terrible job documenting the most important moments in my own family’s life.

Wait, did someone else just say that?

So I appreciate my cell phone camera too, for just that reason...even though it still took deliberate effort to make a habit of pulling the phone out of my pocket when such moments occurred.

Parents have enough things that they are carrying around just for their kids. Taking a dslr along with a lens for every situation just isnt practical or fun. I mean how many threads have you read here on potn about people going on vacation and asking what 1 or 2 lenses that they should bring. They probably arent looking at taking any kind of flash equipment either.

Most of my friends at the gym will take selfie pics to see how they are progressing and instantly share with friends. Ive never seen anyone bring a dslr with them into the gym.

It really boils down to convenience and then sharing the photos with others. You can argue about the quality of the photo but there is a lot to be said about the enjoyment of actually taking a photo, sharing it with others and then moving on. DSLRs just are more of a hassle in doing these tasks. The pictures generally turn out very good on a phone. They are always with you to scroll thru and show to others or yourself while dslr pics are either stored on my computer and/or some will be saved to my phone.

Today's mobile device taking pictures is much akin to yesteryear's Polaroid instamatics, instant gratification at the expense of quality.

RDKirk wrote in post #18857097
I have to admit I've been 'way too smug in my life even to the extent of being so overly concerned with photography being a creative outlet that I do a terrible job documenting the most important moments in my own family’s life.

Wait, did someone else just say that?

So I appreciate my cell phone camera too, for just that reason...even though it still took deliberate effort to make a habit of pulling the phone out of my pocket when such moments occurred.

LOL

Been there, but I got over it and have lately tried to use both cell phone and DSLR for both documenting and more creative efforts. Often i will even have my camera in my backpack but just want to fire off something quick. I could have made this phone pic a lot better, from a composition and technical stand point, but we were on the last mile of a 8 mile hike and they were worn out. Earlier in the trip I pulled out the 6D and a speedlight for a tripod mounted, backlit "selfie" that was a much better documentarly photo than I could have gotten from my phone.