I need a better camera! Which one?

[tjavery]

I don't want to offend anyone, but I want to make one point regarding all these discussions about camera equipment and photos we've been having lately.

True story:

Many years ago, I got really interested in photography, and I firmly believed that if I had a good, expensive camera that I could produce amazing, professional-grade photos. So, I went out and bought an expensive camera and lens.

My photos still sucked.

Fast forward 6+ years and some 100,000 photos later, I can tell you that making better photos requires a lot of hard work, learning, persistence, practice (oh, freakin' tons of practice....), and most always, NOT better camera gear.

If you hunger for that expensive camera to make your photos better, please try these tips first:

1. learn to use the camera you have to its full potential (dig out that manual!)

2. use a tripod

3. take a course, read a book, etc. on the basics of photography (composition, lighting, etc.)

4. learn to post-process and prepare your digital images for viewing (shooting the photos is one major set of skills, the other half is knowing how to deal with them - i.e. Photoshop)

And as you strive for technical quality in your photos, remember this:

"There is nothing worse than a sharp image of a fuzzy concept."
- Ansel Adams


Anyway, just wanted to get that out and hopefully it will help. My 6+ years has been loooong with huge amounts of learning the entire way. It's not been easy.

And the kicker is that I'm no where even close to being "down the road". I'm still out in the middle somewhere. Maybe in another 5-10 years I can comfortably and honestly call myself a good photographer, but that's only a maybe. But it will take 5-10 years more hard work or more to earn that label.


Here's a good story:

http://www.tmelive.com/index.php/articles/view/28/24.html

It's about how Craig Tanner (a photographer I know) first started his photography career. It's not necessarily about equipment, but he did make a huge stumble in getting started. He basically set off on his own for months with a camera and loads of slide film and produced nothing but bad photos.

It's a good read.

[randell]

I have been surprised by some of the photos I see on Flickr that are taken with a point and shoot. You can get some really amazing photos from point and shoots. Just on Flickr and type in the model of a point and shoot in the search box. If I type in Canon Powershot A630 (my p&s), I get photos like this:











I never took pictures that good when I only used a point and shoot and I still don't get pictures that good with a DSLR.

[championbaum]

hmmmm..i guess i will concede and accept i am destined to take crappy photographs forever.

[renjr53]

I want to 2nd what tjavery says...you hand BB King a mediocre guitar, he still sounds like BB King. There are many, many good books, but I like Brenda Tharp's 'Creative Nature & Outdoor Photography'. She emphasizes that it's the experience you are trying to photograph...not the object. It's a seemingly small philosophical viewpoint that makes the difference between engaging photographs and not so engaging photographs. Having said that...I like both the Canon SD880 (for a small point and shoot) and the Nikon D40...but I would definitely follow tjavery's advice about learning photography and not get too hung up on the equipment.

[randell]

hmmmm..i guess i will concede and accept i am destined to take crappy photographs forever.

No way.  Anyone can learn to take good photographs.  Just pick up a good book and go practice with whatever camera you have.

[Al]

I've got to say that with the help and inspiration of the folks that participate in this forum my picture taking has improved significantly, using the same equipment, in the last year.  My photos when compared to the good photographers who participate in this forum doesn't stack up but it's still pretty neat to be making visible progress.

Al

[Casa Grande]

One of the best photos of a sunset I've ever seen was taken with a disposable camera.

[homerboy2u]

One of the best photos of a sunset I've ever seen was taken with a disposable camera.

 I bet!...like i saw a guy who won a fishing tournament in Lake Amistad with a Sponge Bob rod and reel,he said: I tagged along with my buddies,i was bored, was drinking some cervezas, saw the funnt yellow reel on the floor picked it up and casted. Who would have thought i would catch the the biggest bass on the tournament.

[Burn Ban]

i must have missed something...what kind of camera should i get?!

[RichardM]

i must have missed something...what kind of camera should i get?!

Nikon! No, Canon! AAAAAIIIIIEEEEEE!!!!!!

[Sotol Vista]

i must have missed something...what kind of camera should i get?!

one that feels comfortable in your hand and has controls and menus that you can navigate easily, is the best camera for you.

if it does not feel right to you, then you have a greater chance of NOT using it.
go to your local best by and get all touchy feely with all the cameras.

find a few you like then compare the options and decided what you need to take the photos you want to accomplish. Have a realistic budget in mind and always budget for more than you want to spend. There are some pretty sweet point n shoots out there, but there are a lot of turds also.

http://www.dpreview.com has a great side by side comparison of all cameras that you get to select from to compare.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sidebyside.asp

practicing with digital cameras is cheap, you can delete everything you don't like.

James

[Al]

I always check dpreview.com before buying a new camera.  It's a great resource.  Here's another good site:

http://www.imaging-resource.com/

Al

[tjavery]

i must have missed something...what kind of camera should i get?!

Not the point of this thread.

Randell, you made some very good comments. Thanks!

[tjavery]

I want to 2nd what tjavery says...you hand BB King a mediocre guitar, he still sounds like BB King. There are many, many good books, but I like Brenda Tharp's 'Creative Nature & Outdoor Photography'. She emphasizes that it's the experience you are trying to photograph...not the object. It's a seemingly small philosophical viewpoint that makes the difference between engaging photographs and not so engaging photographs. Having said that...I like both the Canon SD880 (for a small point and shoot) and the Nikon D40...but I would definitely follow tjavery's advice about learning photography and not get too hung up on the equipment.

Thanks! You're right on.

...It's a seemingly small philosophical viewpoint that makes the difference between engaging photographs and not so engaging photographs...

Good one!

[tjavery]

hmmmm..i guess i will concede and accept i am destined to take crappy photographs forever.

Only if you tell yourself that.

Most parents tell their kids something like, "you can be anything you want to be." I like to say, "you can do anything you want to do if you want it bad enough."

There's a ton of photography resources you can tap for free from the comfort of your own computer. There are online courses, forums, articles, guides, etc.

I would highly recommend digging into this site:
http://www.tmelive.com/

Check out the Daily Critique. Check out the podcasts. Check out all the other good articles and videos posted there on the front page. This isn't something you can do in a few hours - just take your time and spend some weeks with it; take in a little bit of content every day or so.

When you really want to improve your photography and you're ready for it, take a workshop. It will do amazing things for your photography skills.