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06/12/2004 03:02:30 PM · #1 |
When I first bought my little Kodak DX4900, I thought I was the bomb, you know, my first digital camera and all. I took tons of pictures and was pretty much in love with it. Then, while on deployment, I got a chance to play with a friend's FujiFilm FinePix 6900Z and all of a sudden my like Kodak seemed so insignificant, so I went a head and bought me a Minolta Dimage 7i. Once again, I fell in love with the camera. It was great, lots of features, 5 MP, big and impressive. It was everything the Kodak wasn't. I was happy with it. Then, once again, I got hungry for more. The DSLR bug had bit me. I tried to tell myself that I really didn't need to spend a thousand dollars on another camera, I had two already for Christ's sake! But the bug got the best of me and I jumped head first into the Digital Rebel. I love that one too. I love the flexibility it gives me, the ability to change lenses, the professional look, etc. Now, if all that wasn't enough, I find myself craving one of those new and spiffy 8MP cameras. I know, I know, megapixels aren't everything, but I can't help myself but wonder how great it would be to have one. Other than my desire, I can't find any reason to spend more money on a camera, but I'm trying very hard not to get one still. I need help. I think someone should start a Digital Camera Addict Annonymous.
June
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06/12/2004 03:17:33 PM · #2 |
| think about it before you buy a new camera. i know its so easy to get carried away with this stuff. ive done it with guitars, but with a six mega pixel camera you can enlarge pictures to like 40 inches or something. do you need to enlarge anything bigger than that? |
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06/12/2004 03:27:06 PM · #3 |
Unfortunately, I have the same addiction, now owning four digital cameras, and still not satisfied!
Limited budget keeps me from indulging this addiction too much, but I still keep looking!
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06/12/2004 03:28:15 PM · #4 |
Believe, you'll feel guilty and elated all at once... My A1 is #8 in the digital collection alone and arguably the most expensive camera I've purchased (film or digital). Each new cam is a box of discoveries... It would be nice if digital could reach the point of static reliability like a good ol' Nikon F.
But this whole computer thing is based on "the next big thing."
They change the very nature of bread so you MUST buy a new toaster.
I wouldn't be surprised,if in a few years, there will be an entirely new capture device which will require the purchase of all new equipment and software to handle a whole new format which will have many proprietary versions... and so on... |
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06/12/2004 03:29:20 PM · #5 |
No it will never be enough. I bought a 10D in April of '03, and a Canon 75-300mm IS and a 28-135mm and thought I would be in heaven. Then maybe a macro lens would be nice. Now this happened ...
My Gear Page.
And I got all the things in my wishlist at the bottom of the page ... except for the Sigma 50-500; but that is now a 100-400mm IS on my list.
It's nuts.
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06/12/2004 03:33:59 PM · #6 |
you have some updating to do jacko, your 50 1.4 isnt there.
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06/12/2004 03:36:53 PM · #7 |
Unless you are a big (very big) printer and/or like to crop alot there really is no reason to move from the rebel. I moved to the Canon PowerShot Pro1 8MP from the PowerShot S50 (which is a awesome 5MP camera and served me well) because I need a little wider angle and a bit more zoom. I looked at the DSLR's and just knew that if I went that route it would get real expensive for me because I would buy all the accessories just because they are there.
You start working with 8MP pictures and things get a little crazy. I am watching my hard disk get gobbled up by 45+MB TIF's per picture. Trying to edit these beasts is a lot of fun as well, at a 100% my 19" monitor might catch a corner of the picture.
I've had a friend print up some 16x20's for me, and the quality was amazing.
And cropping well, you can pull 4 or 5 high quality shots (web or 5x7's)out of one picture.
If you don't print big or are crop happy you are probably just fine with what you got.
It was all worth it for me, as once it get a 420Ex speedlite and a TeleConverter, I'll have about $1200 invested and be done with it, and have a decent rig to take photos/poster prints with. |
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06/12/2004 03:39:41 PM · #8 |
| I look at it this way. Now that I have a Rebel, I can get a new "camera" every time I get a new lens. Right now, all I have is the kit lens. When I get a xx-200, I'll have a long zoom camera -- about 12x with both lenses. Every speciality lens I get along the way will be like having a specialty camera with a great sensor and plenty of pixels. Rationalization is fun, isn't it? |
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06/12/2004 04:18:09 PM · #9 |
I actually went to Ritz camera, with money to buy the Rebel kit. I backed out when the salesperson started showing me all the lenses. I knew I would be hooked, and chickened out.
I told myself.... well, self...If you improve your photography skills enough to win three ribbons then I will take the dive.
Sence that will probably never happen.....
I still may take the leap sometime, but right now I am pretty satisfied. |
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06/12/2004 04:27:35 PM · #10 |
Now you can start yourself on a lens addiction!
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06/12/2004 04:35:02 PM · #11 |
Originally posted by dsidwell:
Now you can start yourself on a lens addiction! |
You are a fantastic example of why I need to improve my photography skills before making another investment in equiptment.
And I mean that as a huge complment. |
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06/13/2004 07:19:40 AM · #12 |
you know whats funny I was looking yesterday at the shop for cameras and seeing what Kodak has new to offer, Kodaks SLR's with 14 mp cost more than my car and truck cost me put together and you can add my mustang and the paint job weve done to it too..... I still am keeping my eyes on the canon rebel might be awhile another year or so but no its never gonna be enough!
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06/13/2004 10:02:08 AM · #13 |
I know the feeling. I started with a film rebel camera in the 80's then went on to an Elan 2 in the 90's, got my first digital a Canon G2 in 2001, then got my Digital Rebel in 2003, now I'm starting my lens collection and ordered the 1D Mark 2...where will it end...
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06/13/2004 10:15:07 AM · #14 |
Some people will probably put a bounty on my head for this, but, what's the point in having so many lenses? I mean, I know there's not point in having so many cameras either, but at least they all have different features. Lenses, they are all the same pretty much. Am I wrong? Am I missing something?
June
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06/13/2004 11:13:41 AM · #15 |
Originally posted by chiqui74:
Some people will probably put a bounty on my head for this, but, what's the point in having so many lenses? I mean, I know there's not point in having so many cameras either, but at least they all have different features. Lenses, they are all the same pretty much. Am I wrong? Am I missing something?
June |
Really, a good lens is a joy and a cheesey one can be a drag. That's why you'll find much space devoted to the quality issue in non-interchangable cams... HOWEVER,
I agree... Some find it rewarding to have the whole collection of lenses and more power to 'em. The biggest lens I ever owned was a 500mm for my Honeywell Pentax which was stolen in L.A....23 years ago... never missed it. Until I went digital 6 years ago, my basic kit included: 50, 135 and 80-200zoom, macro and a doubler. I like to travel light. Flexibility is a two-way street. |
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06/13/2004 11:31:29 AM · #16 |
Originally posted by chiqui74:
Some people will probably put a bounty on my head for this, but, what's the point in having so many lenses? I mean, I know there's not point in having so many cameras either, but at least they all have different features. Lenses, they are all the same pretty much. Am I wrong? Am I missing something?
June |
Ohhh, yeah, June, you're missing something! Think of your cam as a basic tool, and each lens allows that basic tool to be adapted to do something quite different. There's the obvious: choice of focal length, from 8mm fisheye to 400mm tele (and beyond, if you have the $$$$) and speed, down to f/1.4 or even f/1.2 (as opposed to f/3.5-5.6). There's also the less obvious, like true macro capability, or tilt & shift capablility (you'll know you've come a long way up the knowledge curve when you start to desire one of these, and know exactly what it's useful for).
When you move away from the kit lens (or consumer zoom) to a high-quality, purpose-specific lens you will be amazed at the performance difference. A lens that is optimized for it's intended task can perform that task at a much higher level of competency. Once you've experienced that level of performance, there will be no going back. "lens addiction" takes the place of camera addiction. In Canon Land, the most advanced state of this is referred to as "L disease" and there is no cure, only 12-step programs.
BTW, after working with your 300D, my guess is that you would be underwhelmed with the 8Mpx consumer cams. They won't provide anymore detail than your 300D with a good lens, and the noise levels are very high in comparison. And you're back in "shutter lag city".
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06/13/2004 11:49:18 AM · #17 |
What else could you buy with the money?
other photo aids...
photocshop...
scanner or evena computer...
for $1500 I got a jeep wrangler last week - to get to the good shots (LOL)
you could take a photo class or weekend seminar type thing.
Keep the economy rolling, buy buy buy.
The credit card companies need more money, charge charge charge
you have the cash...tell your boss you will work for less money if you can have an extra day off a week (ok, that won't work as the extra time to take pics will increase your interest ina new camera ;)
And lastly, there are underpriveleged folk in africa that don't have any digital cameras!
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06/13/2004 12:04:03 PM · #18 |
Originally posted by kirbic:
"lens addiction" takes the place of camera addiction. In Canon Land, the most advanced state of this is referred to as "L disease" and there is no cure, only 12-step programs. |
Actually, my wife is working on a cure for this. She's found that abject poverty and lack of credit cards nearby keep me from indulging my "habit". I'm just kidding; kinda.
It seems like the initial question posed was more personal as opposed to directed at the scientific evaluation of the growth of this industry (eg. - sensor size, signal-to-noise ratios, etc) so my answer is more personal in nature to reflect that.
Once you shoot with high quality optics and fast shutter speed you, too, will understand the purpose of SLR's and interchangeable lenses. My wife questioned my "investment" in the Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8 L IS lens ($1649 + ins + shipping from 17th Street for a total of $1801 USD); then she saw the results. It took exactly one trip out with our 16-month old daughter before she agreed that this was an investment that would pay off for years to come. The pictures are sharper right out of the camera; they have more contrast; the DOF and bokeh are absolutely more suited to portrait work. I like my 17-40 f/4 L because the shots are truly brighter with more contrast than with my old 35mm f/3.5. I LOVE my 70-200 and I'm just counting the days until I get my 24-70 f/2.8 L. After that I'd love the 300 f/2.8 L IS and then the . . . .
Now I want to get the 1Ds or perhaps more to the point I want to get whatever Canon releases to surpass it. I like shooting fashion and glamour portraiture. I'm looking to put in a fashion studio here in my hometown and for that I want to spend several thousand on Speedotrons (middle-of-the-road 2400ws lights at about $500 per light and $2500 per powerpack).
When will it be enough? Well, (A) spending money is fun, (B) having the coolest toys is a blast and (C) when I began this financial rollercoaster I said that this was totally about me finding a voice; a method to express myself artistically. Over the last year I've invested a ton into this "hobby" or "addiction". I've shot well over 40,000 frames in 10 months and a hefty portion of those (over 30%) have been shot with models. I've begun to find a voice and with my work in hand (or more appropriately in portfolio) several models have started to get paid for their work. Now did my work make anyone look more handsome or prettier? Nope but at least I know that my work didn't hinder anyone from getting any jobs. I got to express myself working with young men and women and their parents and help them get started on their dreams. Along the way I've gotten better at taking portraits and learning the tools that I have invested in. I'm sure I'll always want some little goody out there and frankly as I've stated this is all about self-expression for me. It's about how I see someone and how I photograph him, her or the couple. If I never make a dime then that's OK. If something happens to my income or, God forbid, something happens to my family where I need to direct those funds elsewhere then so be it. I'll be glad that I had the opportunity to express myself and I will know that I have the finest quality equipment that is made at the time (as far as the lenses go) so that I can continue to make digital pictures going forward without any future investments.
As far as camera bodies go, I'm satisfied with what I have now. I can shoot work that easily can be cropped and put into or, hopefully, onto a magazine. As far as getting lenses, to me, and to my financial partner (my wife) we have both seen a definite difference in the quality output that is generated when quality optics are used.
Kev
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