What do you want out of photos...

[colonel00]

It's been mentioned many times where folks want to dive into the realm of "fancier" cameras. To me at least, it's all about what you want out of those photos that should drive the decisions as to what you should get for equipment. Much like everything else we deal with here, it will be personal preference and also depend on budget and intended usage.

For instance, a decent point and shoot or even a phone camera can produce some decent images. At least for posting on an internet forum or facyspace or for small prints even.

For me, the difference comes when you want a large print or you want to zoom in or otherwise manipulate the image. That's where a "good" camera system shines.

Fun test, which of these was on a cell phone?

 

[dotman]

Easy, the one without your name

 

[tipsntails7]

It's been mentioned many times where folks want to dive into the realm of "fancier" cameras. To me at least, it's all about what you want out of those photos that should drive the decisions as to what you should get for equipment. Much like everything else we deal with here, it will be personal preference and also depend on budget and intended usage.

For instance, a decent point and shoot or even a phone camera can produce some decent images. At least for posting on an internet forum or facyspace or for small prints even.

For me, the difference comes when you want a large print or you want to zoom in or otherwise manipulate the image. That's where a "good" camera system shines.

Fun test, which of these was on a cell phone?

Brad, I'll go with the top as it looks like you've lightened the clouds in the second photo, unfortunately if you download them both and zoom in they both pixelate badly due to how the website hosts them. That's what i really like about DPreview forums, however they host the photo files they don't compress them.

Brad you have come a long way as far as your photo's, and i enjoy looking at your shots quite a bit.

I think if your going to spend 3-5K for camera gear, you need to love photos and they should be for you.

And you have proven you can still take good shots with a Pentax

 

[colonel00]

Easy, the one without your name

Better?

 

[colonel00]

Brad, I'll go with the top as it looks like you've lightened the clouds in the second photo, unfortunately if you download them both and zoom in they both pixelate badly due to how the website hosts them. That's what i really like about DPreview forums, however they host the photo files they don't compress them.

Brad you have come a long way as far as your photo's, and i enjoy looking at your shots quite a bit.

I think if your going to spend 3-5K for camera gear, you need to love photos and they should be for you.

And you have proven you can still take good shots with a Pentax

That's odd, the second photo should be a full file when you download it from Google Photos.

Regardless, my point was simply that for many folks, photos can show up nicely in a forum or some other social media outlet or even printed at 4x6, maybe up to 8x10. If that's all someone wants or "needs" then a P&S or even a cell phone may be just fine. It takes a special breed of stupid to want to carry around extra camera gear and glass when weight is already a priority.

I think if your going to spend 3-5K for camera gear, you need to love photos and they should be for you

Exactly! As with much of the gear we discuss and use on this site, it is a rabbit hole that can quickly swallow you up.

 

[tipsntails7]

That's odd, the second photo should be a full file when you download it from Google Photos.

Regardless, my point was simply that for many folks, photos can show up nicely in a forum or some other social media outlet or even printed at 4x6, maybe up to 8x10. If that's all someone wants or "needs" then a P&S or even a cell phone may be just fine. It takes a special breed of stupid to want to carry around extra camera gear and glass when weight is already a priority.



Exactly! As with much of the gear we discuss and use on this site, it is a rabbit hole that can quickly swallow you up.

Absolutely. I compare it to looking through your first pair of high end optics. once you work with a large sensor Raw file and see the output that it allows its tuff to go back to a point and shoot. Now when i buy something expensive and light to cut wait its solely so i can bring more camera gear.

 

[chindits]

I don't want what you displayed. I want to be able to count points and determine mass at a mile away in limited light and on windy days. I don't want to carry more weight than a light weight spotter and a point and shoot. I'm not going to buy a smart phone just to take pictures and I spend too much time on a computer at work so I don't care for any other smart phone features when I am not working. The big thing I want is distant photos with critter judging details in limited light such as sun rise/sun set. That's all.

 

[Travis Bertrand]

Good topic here. A good point and shoot camera has all the same options as a dslr it's just getting to those options can be a pain.

 

[daron]

Both photos look good but the second one appears to be blurred so I think it's the taken from mobile phone. However, I might be wring because their are phones that could take good and clear photos.

 

[colonel00]

I don't want what you displayed. I want to be able to count points and determine mass at a mile away in limited light and on windy days. I don't want to carry more weight than a light weight spotter and a point and shoot. I'm not going to buy a smart phone just to take pictures and I spend too much time on a computer at work so I don't care for any other smart phone features when I am not working. The big thing I want is distant photos with critter judging details in limited light such as sun rise/sun set. That's all.

Almost forgot about this thread. Absolutely chindits, it's all about what you want and what works for you. A P&S mounted on a spotter sounds like a very good option for the results you want.

Good topic here. A good point and shoot camera has all the same options as a dslr it's just getting to those options can be a pain.

Yeah, many P&S cameras do have a lot of options now like full Manual and even Bulb modes. The biggest drawback of the P&S is again, the sensor size. Photos will look fine on a forum or small prints. It's just when you blow a photo up for a big print or you want to crop a photo to "zoom" in on something that you really see the limitations of the small sensors.

Both photos look good but the second one appears to be blurred so I think it's the taken from mobile phone. However, I might be wring because their are phones that could take good and clear photos.

Yeah, there is a little blur in the second one. Could also be due to me handholding my phone while the camera was on a tripod.

 

[Clinch]

colonel00, these are some timely threads you have going. 20ish years ago I took a trip to Alaska to visit friends and took a mess of disposable film cameras. You can imagine my disappointment after getting back and getting them developed. I'm sure it was in no small part due to me not knowing what I was doing. So I borrowed a 35mm slr and took some classes. It was a blast and I learned a lot, but it was all black and white with silver based film and I wasn't going to build a dark room. I picked up a digital camera (one of those kind of hybrid looking things) and learned a little there and had fun for a few years, but a change of jobs took a lot of my time and hobbies suffered. I taught my wife some and since she didn't really have much in the way of hobbies I let her have free reign. While pregnant with my daughter, my wife decided she wanted pics of babies like were on the walls of the doctors office. I talked her into letting me get a dslr and let us take the pics instead of hiring someone. Just Jody of two years later I find myself getting more into photography because it's the one hobby I have that I can do with my daughter on a day to day basis. So what I want out of photography is an excuse to get outside with my kid and improve myself a little.


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[colonel00]

One of the things I enjoy about wildlife photography is it's almost like hunting in the off season. You still have to get pretty close to animals for decent shots and while I'm not usually decked out in camo, I do have to be wary of my surroundings and movement so I don't spook the game. I just wish there was more big game around that I could chase.