I've been using my F717 somewhat professionally of late, and thus have quickly been jerked into the requirements of being a professional and what professional equipment could really do for you. I do GIS and 3D modelling work for a very small company (4 of us) so I'm also the graphic designer and producer of marketing materials, amongst other things. Our latest project is producing a yardage booklet and marketing fly-by information for a golf-course/residential complex in Victoria, BC. I was out taking pictures of the course for the sake of the computer modelling of the individual holes, and they liked my photos so much that they used them on the website and also asked me to do the photos for the inside cover of the yardage booklet, and some magazine ads.I'll also be doing shots for views from condos that have yet to be built in the area - they load me into the bucket of one of those big back-hoes and I have a GPS and a chart of the window lodations and take photos for each window.
So...don't let anyone at work know you're a photographer...it makes more work for you. Seriously, though...
I've been thrust into having to produce images on-demand, when I'm called to do so. This has opened my eyes to the needs for not only professsional equipment, but a need to take lots and lots of photos and an ability to recall your 'training' and knowledge. When people are waiting for you, when it's hot and you're fumbling with aperture and polarizers and such, there's a real demand for quick, responsive equipment, and also a need to know all the variables and options available to you. It's amazing that you can forget to change ISO or EV settings when you're up in a tree trying to get a shot. It's equally amazing to note elements of a composition which were poor after the fact.
I quickly realised that while the F717 is very capable of functioning at a pro level in some situations, it's just not as flexible and as fast a tool as I need. You need stuff that you're not fiddling with. big camera, easily-accessible buttons, instant zoom ring, aperture ring etc. is the critical difference. Menus and heads-up displays for everything just don't cut it. I am more seriously looking at getting a 10D and a few L lenses with the help of my employer (if we end up doing more of this, as we might).
I only ever use the LCD to judge composition and to do a gross assessment of focus. If an image is clearly out of focus I'll nuke it, but if there's a question I'll keep it. My MS Pro has now afforded me a bit more latitude. What's usually the case with action shots is that focus will look fine on the LCD and turn out to be very soft. The resolution simply isn't high enough on the LCD to judge at full-frame. Usually I don't have time to look carefully.
James. |
