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Re: [OM] Digital Olympus accessories/flash - anyone knowsanything?

Subject: Re: [OM] Digital Olympus accessories/flash - anyone knowsanything?
From: "John A. Lind" <jlind@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 08 Feb 2001 23:11:58 +0000
At 08:58 2/8/01, Thomas Clausen wrote (in part):
Observation: taking a "good" shot with a digital camera usually takes much
much longer than with a regular film-camera. I've noticed that, when
taking pictures digitally, lots of time is spent on compensating for
lightning (push-buttons are inconvenient for this) . . .

I've noticed this with the Wunderbrick SLR's also . . . people flipping between options on an LCD panel to get the AF and Program modes they want it to use. By the time they're done, the photo opportunity has dissolved. Fewer gizmos to pick options from equals simpler operation . . . but it requires more thinking on the part of the end user. IMO the human mind can switch between focusing and exposure modes faster, but it takes knowledge and experience. There's a learning curve to it. Enough consumers want "Plug 'n Play" that marketing departments are willing to sell them the dream they can have it with the latest and greatest product being offered. That is what marketing is . . . the selling of a dream (vision ??) to potential customers to entice them into being customers. Is that dream ever completely fulfilled after the sale?

I also recognize, that when I take medium-format, the percentage of wasted
frames is smaller - much smaller - than when I take 35mm.  . . .
[snip]
I guess that my point is something like this: the easier (including price)
it is to take pictures, the less "care" is put into each picture. And thus
the quality degrades (in general. Of course, it is very possible to get a
good shot with a digital camera - through conciously applying the
care. My point is that digital cameras intuitively inspires less care).

In general, I dunno. This is just my own observations from myself and
people around me. Anyone else who shares this experience?

Having shot MF for a while now, the process is more consciously reflective and contemplative. It's not just the cost. It's also the size and weight of the hardware that consume more time to set up and make the photograph. Combined this with the time it takes to reload a film insert. If one is using 120, it's 15 frames of 645, 12 frames of 6x6, and even less for larger negative sizes, per each roll of film.

Early on I found myself taking more time and thinking more about exactly what was desired for the image. It has changed the approach to much of my 35mm work . . . taking greater care with each shot . . . but it is easy to back-slide into a "shotgun method" for getting good images (or trying to) when I pick up the 35mm SLR. My conclusion? 35mm is easier to use and for all that nice convenience, it also creates that pitfall.

-- John


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