The 14th Official Completely Random Discussion for TPBM

cfpackerfan wrote in post #6447475
HELP!

I am helping friend pick out a new p&s camera, and after going back and forth over the different kinds, (and my pushing her in the direction of a G10, lol) she is looking at the Canon A2000.

I looked up the specs on it, it's pretty new... and I told her that not having a viewfinder would be a problem for me, as it's hard to see the LCD in all situations.

She said:
My current camera - it has a view finder and an LCD screen. I never use the view finder BECAUSE I have found that when I am looking at the LCD screen, depending on how and what angle I am holding my camera, the picture on the LCD screen looks either lighter than I want or darker than what I want it. I have found that this is actually how the picture is taken. So I tend to be moving the camera all around to find an angle that makes the picture I want. This is why I never use the view finder anymore.

How do I respond to that?

Ok, If that works for you the A2000 probably fits your bill.

You have to remember everyone is not us. I could not have one without a viewfinder, and I don't use live view on the 40D unless I am shooting in the light box. Then I find it handy.

Jamie Holladay wrote in post #6447498
Ok, If that works for you the A2000 probably fits your bill.

Yeah, that's pretty much what I'm going to tell her.

She was thrown off of the G10 because of "all the technical jargon, and what the heck is RAW?"
I think the A2000 will be good for her.

The view finder on the G9 is totally and completely worthless. It is really just a hole through the camera. At inside distances it does not even line up with the lens.

CrazieCricket wrote in post #6447076
I saw this pic and it looked to me like Zane trying to escape the fire pit! Can anyone else see it?

Run, Zack! Run!

cfpackerfan wrote in post #6447475
She said:
My current camera - it has a view finder and an LCD screen. I never use the view finder BECAUSE I have found that when I am looking at the LCD screen, depending on how and what angle I am holding my camera, the picture on the LCD screen looks either lighter than I want or darker than what I want it. I have found that this is actually how the picture is taken. So I tend to be moving the camera all around to find an angle that makes the picture I want. This is why I never use the view finder anymore.

How do I respond to that?

You roll your eyes and tell her she's an idiot...

Or, better yet, don't say anything. Most of the P&S cameras these days (that I've read the specs on) have a digital viewfinder anyway. Whether you're looking through the viewfinder or the LCD, you're seeing the same exact (processed) picture anyway.

Believe it or not Cat, I don't use the viewfinder on the G9. I do the exact same thing she does. There's so much you can't do on a P&S (and since I can't move focus points or choose focus points or metering) it works pretty good to do it the way she says. I've never heard of the A2000 though. The new S (something) seems like a good camera for newbies too. Extra long optical zoom...everyone seems to love it. I'm a huge fan of the G series but if someone doesn't want what it has, I point them to the S series.


G'morning everyone. I need to be scarce today. Got to get processing done.

short5 wrote in post #6447533
The view finder on the G9 is totally and completely worthless. It is really just a hole through the camera. At inside distances it does not even line up with the lens.

I've found that too. I thought it was just me.


and I'm glad you are fine. You've been missed

DDA wrote in post #6446851
I'm still terribly busy. But I thought you might still need an Africa shot once in a while

Keep 'em coming Didier, always welcomed.

short5 wrote in post #6447011
A shot that shows the benefits of IS 200mm f/2.8 1/8 second 1600ISO hand held out the truck window while it was idling.

That is a great shot given the parameters you were shooting under.

CrazieCricket wrote in post #6447076
I saw this pic and it looked to me like Zane trying to escape the fire pit! Can anyone else see it?

Get the hose!!!

cfpackerfan wrote in post #6447475
HELP!

I am helping friend pick out a new p&s camera, and after going back and forth over the different kinds, (and my pushing her in the direction of a G10, lol) she is looking at the Canon A2000.

How do I respond to that?

Yep, like Jamie said, just nod and say that the A2000 should work great, because it likely would and she probably has made up her mind anyway.

I would not recommend the G10 to anyone who is not a fair bit serious about photography, and is willing to do the processing with the images they get.

Thanks for all the info. I really am clueless when it comes to P&S cameras, lol! I hate it when friends ask for advice on them... I just have to do a bunch of research.

oh I forgot...lovely sunset Didier.


Now I'm out until I get a fair amount done.

cfpackerfan wrote in post #6447570
Thanks for all the info. I really am clueless when it comes to P&S cameras, lol! I hate it when friends ask for advice on them... I just have to do a bunch of research.

I know how you feel. People are always asking me what camera they should buy, and I never have an answer for them. We're not in the same league. We're the wrong people to ask!

Oh, and by the way, I was kidding about that "tell her she's an idiot" line. I probably should have put a few smilies in there. I just reread it and it sounds too much like I was serious.

thomascanty wrote in post #6447588
I know how you feel. People are always asking me what camera they should buy, and I never have an answer for them. We're not in the same league. We're the wrong people to ask!

Oh, and by the way, I was kidding about that "tell her she's an idiot" line. I probably should have put a few smilies in there. I just reread it and it sounds too much like I was serious.

You were joking? Dang. I already told her.

cfpackerfan wrote in post #6447591
You were joking? Dang. I already told her.

It will be ok, sometimes the truth hurts but it can be helpful.

Becky N wrote in post #6446263
^^^^see what I mean? Don't know if Wool is between John and me or not. I'm 53 so Wooly Dan will have to let us know.

G'MAE all...and I'm off to the office.

52...you win...I'm just a youngster.

cfpackerfan wrote in post #6447591
You were joking? Dang. I already told her.

Oh well... Maybe it was for the best.

Becky N wrote in post #6447464
Harm, how did the birthday weekend go?

It went super-bloody-fantastically well, thank you very much.

Her birthday was on the 3rd, so i took her out for a meal, and told her we would be going out on the sat. morning. When I said the "area" we were going to go to, she thought that I was either going to (a) take her horseback riding for the day, (b) to for a hike and a picnic - something more romantic or (c) both of the above and go apple picking or something - that and I had gotten tickets to a comedy show on sat night too...

So all throughout Friday I was still scheming with her brothers on where and when to surprise her. Originally it was going to be at dinner on sat, but they all wanted to spend the day with her, rather than just a few hrs in the evening.

So after we got back from dinner on Friday night I told her she wasn't allowed to be hungover as we had to be up be out of the house by 9:30am, so she was excited and went to bed. I stayed up and was on the phone (text messaging) her brothers to come to the house at 9:30am with the family.

So she woke up at 8:30 - courtesy of me prodding her to wake up...the usual shower etc, I told her I was expecting a package - we had just ordered a DVR from Verizon, but she thought I was getting her something...so I said, ok when the door knocks, go into the bathroom and put the fan on in there (it is loud and you can't hear anything). So the door knocks and she scuttled off electric toothbrush whirring (extra noise and a bloody good job too), and I open the door, to a few of them singing happy birthday (almost blew it at the end!!!) So i had to shush them up and usher them into the living room. Told the wife to close her eyes and she had a go at me saying she had to finish brushing her teeth...waited...then she agreed to close her eyes, came out to the living room, and when I told her to open up, all her family started to blurt out "Happy Birthday". Needless to say, she cried for about the next 2-3 hrs!! Which was great to see. A 2nd surprise of dinner, cakes and friends too really got her buzzing in the evening. She is still on a super high, it hasn't sunk in what happened, and also she cannot believe what happened. So it couldn't have been done any better....plenty of pictures were taken, but not by me, so I'll get them and post them up in my smugmug site...

But her initial reactions when she opened up her eyes told me she knew absolutely nothing about all of this...