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Bells and Whistles
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Not sure if this is the place to post this if not I do apologise
The following item I shall state from the start is my own personal opinion and experience .
A long time ago I got a gift of a camera it was nothing fancy it had no bells or whistles it was an ordinary
Praktica MTL5 . But it started me out on the road of photography. Even when the rest of the world had moved on and the technology came along for such cameras that for all the world a blind man could set the cameras to programme and take a perfectly exposed photograph . I was still using the old Praktica,But a long time after I got an old Minolta 7000. It was one could say when I got it. It was long out of date and cameras had long moved on. But the old Praktica was calling . The temptation to stick the Minolta on programme was to damn easy. Besides that I had a load of lenses I wasn’t using. Then a nice man advised me to get an adaptor that will allow me to use all my old lenses in the Minolta . Yes it would not work in programme when I used them I would have to go back to manual. So I did.
Now a few weeks ago I got another camera an all whistles and bells one. I have been using it for a few weeks ago. it’s a nice digital SLR and to be honest I should have got one a long time ago. The difference is there to be seen. But its not the same I wonder sometimes if they have made it all to damn easy.
There was something not just right about it. I wasn’t getting the same kind of buzz I was getting before from photography. It was the bells and whistles. Yes there is a time and place for them and they are brilliant.But it did not feel like I was doing anything. It was the blind man could take a great photograph with one of them again. For the most part I felt like the camera was controlling the situation and I just happened to be looking in the view finder at the time. It hasn’t been long and the old lenses are out again the adaptor I got for the Minolta fits it and I am using it manually only and with the trusted light meter I have .I am enjoying it again maybe its because I am taking a greater part in the process. Or maybe I am just one of many who do manage to turn off the camera brain and use the one I have.
I was wondering if there are many out there who turn off the bells and whistles and go back to basics.
Is there such a thing as a fully manual digital SLR for people who don’t just like to point and press a button.
So maybe the powers that be here would like to set a date in the future and proclaim the day .National bells and whistles turn off day. That every one will go out and use their cameras in fully manual mode for that day.Kindest regards to all
Brian Ireland
Hi, very interesting post. Few times I had a chance to shoot with a film camera and yes, work with DSLR is much easier (the main advantage is that you immediately see what you took and also you don´t have to pay for the films, which is huge plus especially for journalists), on the other hand I can´t agree that a blind man could use it, it´s still just a “stupid machine” which is far from doing everything for you.
Yes, there are many people who think that if they buy a DSLR they immediately become professionals and that a €5000 camera will do the entire job for them, however the reality is usually different – their photos usually suck (as you could see if you have read the topic about the wedding photographer).“Is there such a thing as a fully manual digital SLR for people who don’t just like to point and press a button.”
EVERY DSLR has fully manual mode as well as manual focus. If you (or anybody else) think you can use a DSLR as a P&S then you don´t understand what is a DSLR for.
Yes, your DSLR is sometimes much more intelligent than you think, but it will be never more intelligent than you.“every one will go out and use their cameras in fully manual mode for that day”
That´s a great idea, I like it, what about tomorrow?
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