Poll Your Age Group , Please.

Glen Barrington · Feb 8, 2015

And 66.8 % over. Considering the high cost of entry (and the cost of staying current) for this interest, that makes a certain amount of sense. Younger people have more demands on disposable income and their time than older people.

I think including the 40 - 50 YO people as "Younger" in this case is valid in that they are smack in the middle of career issues, getting kids off to college, etc. Placing them in the category of having life issues that limit photographic participation.

I suspect this poll should be moved to the OPEN forum for a better representation overall though. But I suspect younger people, regardles, would seem more likely to turn to photographic options that fit into a life with much different sets of pressures and social dynamics than people at or near retirement.

quezra · Feb 8, 2015

Yes, but this poll makes sense now. I'm in my mid-30s with two young kids whom I have to carry frequently, so I don't even notice the weight of my gear when I'm not carrying my kids. So I've had trouble understanding how people here put so much premium on size/weight ... until I saw these results. Now I get it.

Ron Evers · Feb 8, 2015

Guy Parsons said:
nzmacro said:

Guy Parsons said:

It's quite well understood that the young ones (anyone under 70 ) live in social sites with "must post now" photos and chatter about what they ate for breakfast

Click to expand...

Toast and vegemite ;-)

Click to expand...

Well, you can't be serious about the Internet chatter box, you neglected to post a picture of your breakfast. Or your cat. Or your dirty socks. Or 1,000 other boring things.....

Regards.... Guy

Beast stew for supper last night. :>)

I am also 73.

--
The wood is clear between the knots.

Peter Del · Feb 8, 2015

Guy,

I have not read the posts in this thread, but in my case the older one gets, the lighter one wants the camera to be; I suspect that this 'rule' can be generally applied.

I'm 70.

Peter Del

Marty4650 · Feb 8, 2015

Glen Barrington said:
And 66.8 % over. Considering the high cost of entry (and the cost of staying current) for this interest, that makes a certain amount of sense. Younger people have more demands on disposable income and their time than older people.

I think including the 40 - 50 YO people as "Younger" in this case is valid in that they are smack in the middle of career issues, getting kids off to college, etc. Placing them in the category of having life issues that limit photographic participation.

I suspect this poll should be moved to the OPEN forum for a better representation overall though. But I suspect younger people, regardles, would seem more likely to turn to photographic options that fit into a life with much different sets of pressures and social dynamics than people at or near retirement.

In the open forum, it might be a different poll.

Guy placed it here in the M4/3 forum because he was probably curious about the age distribution of M4/3 users. The open forum would have DSLR users, and P&S users as well.

What might be interesting is putting this same poll in the Olympus DSLR forum, to see if the age distribution is very different. Both forums use a 4/3 sensor, and both are for ILC, so some of the variables are removed.

My initial feeling is that it could cut both ways. Older people probably prefer lighter gear, but younger people might prefer newer technology and not have any sentimentality or nostalgia about SLRs. So those factors could cancel each other out, and result in the exact same distribution but for different reasons!

One thing for sure, if you ran the poll in a cellphone forum, the age distributions would probably be flipped. While most of us old farts have smartphones, and do use them occasionally for snapshots, not very many of us would use them as a primary camera. All five of my children, aged 22-35, do exactly that.

If I gave one of them an Olympus EM1 as a gift, they would probably sell it on ebay!

Terminal Boy · Feb 8, 2015

Almost 50 year old here. Tried a basic Canon SLR back in early 1990s, but found I was leaving at home due its bulk. Traded it in for a digital point & shoot and never regretted it. Found the Panasonic Lumix range very easy to use over the years, so I was an instant M43 convert when I picked up a GM1.

yslee1 · Feb 8, 2015

Guy Parsons said:
Guy Parsons wrote:
It's quite well understood that the young ones (anyone under 70 ) live in social sites with "must post now" photos and chatter about what they ate for breakfast and get involved in whatever is the latest craze site this year. We oldies have seen the rise and fall of many sites, but so far DPReview seems rather solid.

Thanks for that generalisation, but I was referring to young, enthusiastic photographers. The ones who scrimp and save to get their dream DSLRs and lighting setups so they can practice their craft. Most of them aren't tuned to forums, and prefer to express themselves and connect on social media.

Tony8232 · Feb 8, 2015

Ron Evers said:
Guy Parsons said:

nzmacro said:

Guy Parsons said:

It's quite well understood that the young ones (anyone under 70 ) live in social sites with "must post now" photos and chatter about what they ate for breakfast

Click to expand...

Toast and vegemite ;-)

Click to expand...

Well, you can't be serious about the Internet chatter box, you neglected to post a picture of your breakfast. Or your cat. Or your dirty socks. Or 1,000 other boring things.....

Regards.... Guy

Click to expand...

Beast stew for supper last night. :>)

I am also 73.

--
The wood is clear between the knots.

Are those little biscuits on top?? Looks delicious..

--

Anthony Gasparetto

Explore Anthony Gasparetto’s 485 photos on Flickr!

www.flickr.com

Colin Smith1 · Feb 8, 2015

Guy Parsons said:
Alex Notpro said:

I am surprised to be among the youngest in the crowd. I don't understand why small/light cameras would appeal only to "older" people.

Click to expand...

A few reasons that I can think of (being in the 70's bunch)....

Weight and size lessened.

M4/3 good enough for 99.9% of uses (anyway, way better than that 35mm film junk).

Older people have actually grown up, and find no need to try and impress others with ridiculously large cameras.

M4/3 just plain makes most logical sense as a camera, it's getting nearer to a digital system camera. Next the global shutter will truly make it digital.

Guy Parsons said:

My first and last film SLR was a Pentax ZX-10, which I picked because it was so much smaller and lighter than the market-leading Canon SLR of the time. I bought it when I was 22 years old and used it until age 30, when I got attracted to even smaller and lighter compact digital cameras (when 3MP cams started giving me similar results to film).

Click to expand...

Started with Minolta SR1 in 1960 and ended film days with Nikon N8008s (F801s), a truly nice camera, possibly the best ever made for an enthusiast, the right balance of features albeit in what now seems a large size.

Also went through medium format with KowaSix 6x6 and also Bronica ETRS 6x4.5 at various stages, plus Olympus Pen FT half frame as well along the way. Seen it all, but way nicest camera to use of all is my current E-P5 with 12-40/2.8 lens. Perfection.

Regards...... Guy

Good reasons for an older demographic. Certainly applies to me at age 67 and facing shoulder surgery next week. My days of wildlife photography and huge Canon full frame lenses and tripods are over. I am thankful for my Olympus M4/3 s gear and better quality than I expected. I have talked one Pro friend, who is nearly my age, into an E-M1 and two Pro lenses. He feels the end of his Canon days coming fast.

Zindanfel · Feb 8, 2015

At what point in the cooking process do you add the dumplings? I assume the pot is set on "High."

Ron Evers · Feb 8, 2015

"Are those little biscuits on top?? Looks delicious.."

Thanks. They are dumplings or as the folk from our east coast would say, doughboys.

Ron Evers · Feb 8, 2015

Zindanfel said:
At what point in the cooking process do you add the dumplings? I assume the pot is set on "High."

Wormsmeat · Feb 8, 2015

Sorry, haven't got time to read the whole thread...why do you ask and are you conducting similar polls in other areas?

Sabatia · Feb 8, 2015

Exact opposite happened to 66yo me. I lightened my camera load so that I could hike more and to more remote areas to shoot. Hiking more now than when I was younger and weighted down with admittedly wonderful gear. And I've lost weight in pursuit of my hiking/skiing/photography goals.

Michael J Davis · Feb 8, 2015

Glen Barrington said:
And 66.8 % over. Considering the high cost of entry (and the cost of staying current) for this interest, that makes a certain amount of sense. Younger people have more demands on disposable income and their time than older people.

I think including the 40 - 50 YO people as "Younger" in this case is valid in that they are smack in the middle of career issues, getting kids off to college, etc. Placing them in the category of having life issues that limit photographic participation.

I suspect this poll should be moved to the OPEN forum for a better representation overall though. But I suspect younger people, regardles, would seem more likely to turn to photographic options that fit into a life with much different sets of pressures and social dynamics than people at or near retirement.

Surely all it means is that us oldies have more time to read and respond to news forums?

Mike

sderdiarian · Feb 8, 2015

At the apparently youngish age of going on 61, if I'm honest with myself I often use my cameras as an excuse for a long leisurely walk around a beloved nearby nature sanctuary here in New England.

Don't get me wrong, I love photography, but its simply the act of being there, often in the peace of early morning light, that makes my day. I also find the act of taking a photo helps me to better see and appreciate the details of my surroundings, much as watercolors help to see the gamut of colors. It gets us in touch.

M43's cameras haven't been such a ground breaker for me in terms of getting about, having always used small SLR's and DSLR's, both mostly Olympus, before my E-M5. It's really all in the lenses, being able to carry a nice range in my pockets, no bag required. And in the IBIS, letting me leave the tripod behind other than for specific shoots.

And it's in the design and features of modern cameras. For me, the E-M5 is like something I would have dreamed of back in the day. Our age group can perhaps best appreciate the magic they have wrought here.

As for our "mature" group here, I've long sensed evidence in our often longish posts (like this one!). We can drone on, god bless us!

While I still have a full-time job, being on the forum is my downtime where I can stretch out a bit. At its best, it can almost seem like sitting in front of a fire in a cozy room with some buds with similar interests just basically gabbing. Nothing wrong with that ;-) !

Enjoy the day, all.

Olymore · Feb 8, 2015

Jim,

That would be perfect for me too :-D

1964 was a good year.

Olymore · Feb 8, 2015

I don't think it's as simple as that. It also depends on what you're doing when you're carrying you camera gear.

Plus many middle aged and older people grew up using compact film SLRs and don't want to carry around unwieldy larger cameras even if we're capable of it. I've tried carrying (smaller) medium format film cameras and larger dSLRS up mountains and it's not something I want to do if I can avoid it.

--

There are 10 types of people.
Those that understand binary and those that don't.

Diacyclops81 · Feb 8, 2015

Happy to be in the peak of the histogram. I presume this 60s group has the free time now to obsess in hobbies, seek tutorial and conspirational help to do it, are educated enough to pursue an interest that requires intelligence and imagination, and are busy doing it before we get too decrepit to fling a frisbee. Saluting fellow seniors...now if they would just start giving senior discounts at the camera stores!

sderdiarian · Feb 8, 2015

Diacyclops81 said:
now if they would just start giving senior discounts at the camera stores!

That would likely drive them right out of business, LOL!

-- Sailin' Steve

"I don't Tweet, I talk"

** Poll ** Your Age Group , Please.