Had a debate with my friend just now...

[mikaelwardhana]

Hi guys...i havent been posting here for a while...

I just want to share my thoughts here.

I just had a small debate with my friend just now. I am a professional photographer while he is just about to start to learn photography. And he is going to buy an entry level DSLR anytime soon. And he is just so freaking fussy.

He tries to compare a nikon and a canon down to their last detail. I mean....VERY LAST DETAIL. For example nikon has 3 more custom functions than canon...and he is taking that as a serious stuff. (without knowing what custom function is)
He is reading phil askey's DPreview as though it was a holy bible.

I tried to advice him that those bells and whistles are not important and should be neglected. He should put his effort more on taking photos rather than to fuss about those camera stuff. But he just wont take it.

We, as photographers are already aware that our cameras are just out tools of trade. All DSLRs in the market (in the same level) are very comparable in terms of quality. Will it actually matter in the real world if canon has 9 autofocus points while nikon has only 7 ?
NO it wont, will it?

Sadly...in so many photography forums out there. The debate and comparison between cameras goes on and on and on.
Stupidly they are debating over very neglectable matters.

...

Let's go out and improve our photography skill rather than to join those never ending fuss...

[deluco]

I don't agree

[dc2]

Hi Mikeal
Tell him to look here and to listen to you rather than all the marketing hype .
If this don't work hit him with your canon .
1 it will prove how tough the canon is
2 It will knock sense into him

[Paul Shields]

I'd tell him to stay away from dpreview (or at least the forums) otherwise he'll get sucked into that downward spiral of brand bashing and feature comparisons. Tell him that a lot of great photographers use (and prefer) one focus point. Mostly, tell him to go to a shop and just have a play around. Pretty much all DSLRs will be better than he can appreciate to start with.

[bevilaquafoto]

I think it's probably better to concentrate on taking good pictures, and lots of them than worrying about technical minutiae. Sure, when buying a camera there are functions and features that are helpful to have, but a good, basic six or eight MP camera will serve very well without worrying about whether it has 5 or 8 points of focus. In my opinion, one should learn how to focus manually first, how to meter, and how to compose. It really doesn't take a complicated camera to do that. It may be helpful to decide fairly early on which system you want before you invest too much in lenses, but basically, the small technical differences between cameras are not what is going to be important in learning photography. When I started shooting as a kid, I bought a Pentax K1000...the most basic and cheapest camera available. Perfect for learning the basics. Digital should be the same. A decent basic camera with a couple of good lenses to go with it. Just my opinion.

[mikaelwardhana]

Agree...agree with all of you.
Especially to knock him out with my canon...ha ha ha ha ha ha ha...

DPreview is a two sided blade...it can be useful but it can make people lost in all its complicated tests.

But hey...tell you what...those forums wont be so alive if it wasnt because of those silly debates... :P

[dc2]

Originally Posted by mikaelwardhana

Agree...agree with all of you.
Especially to knock him out with my canon...ha ha ha ha ha ha ha...
Quote
If that don't work I wil lend you the 1Ds2 to try it with

[Paul Shields]

Originally Posted by mikaelwardhana

But hey...tell you what...those forums wont be so alive if it wasnt because of those silly debates... :P

That's true - same goes here too occasionally .

[ohenry]

Along with the endless debates over sometimes silly things, they are often express disappointment when their camera doesn't deliver a stunning image automatically. They voraciously read the specs and press releases, but won't put in the time to study the basics of photography. There seems to be a plethora of new dSLR owners that are quick to blame Canon or Nikon (or whatever) rather than their own technique.

[ohenry]

Originally Posted by Paul

That's true - same goes here too occasionally .

Does NOT!

[Slea]

I dint necessarily agree with some of the above, if one of the custom features or facilities that are on one camera and not on another is important to the buyer, then he would be mad to ignore it. An example, when I bought my 300D I didn't realise that it didn't have AI servo focusing in any *reliable* mode except sports mode, and Sports mode doesn't allow exposure compensation, so I found it difficult to track a moving subject against a light/dark background, which was important to me. If I had looked into what the camera actually provided instead of just handling it in a shop or relying on the marketing blurb I would not have bought it I now also have a 20D which does work how I want

Slea.

[dc2]

There seems to be a plethora of new dSLR owners that are quick to blame Canon or Nikon (or whatever) rather than their own technique.
And after all my practice I must stop it

[mikaelwardhana]

Dear Slea,...
thats why i mentioned all DSLRs in the same level are comparable.....in the same level is the key.

Of course we cant possibly compare my 20D with DC2's 1DsMKII... of course my 20D doesnt have so many this and that , that 1DsMKII has.
The same goes if you compare your previous 300D with your new 20D...different level.

But whats the point if you are comparing a Nikon D50 and an Eos 350D until you are getting dizzy those two cameras are good enough for their price...thats it..

[Mr. Pickles]

What is this person doing? What do they want a camera for? What type of shooting? Why just Nikon vs Canon? Did he rule out Oly and others? If so, why? Does he even know why? Is it because they don't sell as many as Nikon or Canon?

Seems like you can get a very comparable camera kit from Oly, just as easy as you can from Nikon or Canon.

We all know it is more than the specs. Has he handled these cameras? Has he used the menus and buttons? Has he looked at the LCD screens in sunlight? Has he figured out that some don't show 100% of the image in the viewfinder? Does he know what lenses he might want? Does he know how much they cost?

Apparently this guy needs a Canon, so he can buy only L lenses, because everybody speaks like they are gold plated, and nobody else has anything that can compete.

[Slea]

Originally Posted by mikaelwardhana

Dear Slea,...
thats why i mentioned all DSLRs in the same level are comparable.....in the same level is the key.

But in your first post even you suggested that they are not necessarily comparable (For example nikon has 3 more custom functions than canon.) --- if one of those custom functions just happens to be something that your style of photography requires then they are not comparable are they

Slea

[scoundrel1728]

Originally Posted by ohenry

Does NOT!

Does too! :P

Michael, would I be correct in supposing that your friend is too wrapped up in equipment specs even to consider something more appropriate to his level, like a Canon A95? Or at least something like an Oly FZ30? If he continues on his present course, he will end up getting something too big, too complicated, too heavy, and too expensive for him to feel comfortable playing around with and he will miss out on a lot of the fun of photography. But I think you already know that.

[Blinky]

I got some great advice from a commercial photographer when I was asking him similar questions about what pieces of gear to buy... It's simple, and even though the digital revolution has changed the literal meaning... still timeless. He said...

...just spend all your money on film.

Best advice I ever got on photography. I started working for him a couple of weeks later

Chip