Why did you buy a DSLR? And what are your goals?

billybob_jcv said:

In my biz (IT Manager) we refer to them generically as "clients"
and "servers". The clients are delivered to the end-users, and can
be a Mac, Dell, IBM, laptop, desktop, PDA, whatever. The servers
are in the datacenter, and they can be IBM, Dell, Compaq, Sun, etc,
and may run Windows, Linux, Solaris, AIX, etc. We have organized
our IT group in a similar fashion - we have an IT group for "client
support" and a separate group for "servers & network
infrastructure".

I don't go back in the biz to 1968 - but I do remember the Altair
from the 70's (keyboard? - I don't need no stinkin' keyboard!), as
well as the MUCH more modern Commodore PET line.

Click to expand...

I remember when the Altair first appeared in Popular electronics, back in the early to mid 70's. You could buy it in kit form, and it was a HUGE seller back then. Funny thing is, when the Altair was announced as being available, there was no programming software even developed for it yet The guy who invented it, said they were working on it. People bought it anyway, and much to inventers surprise, he got a letter from someone saying they had a basic programming lanquage for it. The letterhead name was from a Mr. Bill Gates

Because paying the price to get quality developing done sucks.

Because you can never remember which settings you used to get the best of a batch of pictures.

Because you can't remember what metering mode you were using, or where you had pointed it before you recomposed.

Because reciprocity failure sucks.

Goals? I don't need no steekin goals.

Norman L. Allen said:

Mike-

You are correct. But regardless of how things were named then, do
you know how/why they are they they are now? It's a mystery to me
how PC vs Mac is still around (sort of). Why aren't laptops called
PCs? If you think about it, a laptop is more of a PC than a
desktop... Why do they make everything so difficult .

Click to expand...

What kills me is how many companies still call it the "personal pc" in their ads. The personal personal computer- LOL

Florindo Gallicchio said:

Good thread, BigMike.

Click to expand...

Thanks, Florindo. That is some animal you shot a photo of! I would of probably needed a clean pair of shorts if I would seen that thing that close to me As for the point and shoots you meantioned, I agree completely. Along with my Rebel, I have a Fuji S7000, and I have managed to get some great shots with it also.

I was starting 25 years ago with an 35 mm foghtlander.
haved a dark room black and white,later i tryed color
with mixed results meaking color pictures was not easy.
used a durst projector and a phillips color lab.
then i was of for some years.
when the digital camera's came out I buyed an 1mil pixel camera from
fuji my furst one,not thad good but i was able to make pictures and print them.
some year later a buyed an olympus point and shoot,not thad great to.
bad pictures and always to dark.

later one a buyed another camera fuji 4900 zoom alot better,but the pictures had an blue color cast.
then i runned on dprevieuw checking for another camera.
I was shocked at furst when I saw the rating of the camera i buyed.

after this point I was sure to not buy an new camera if i thid know everthing about it.
and so i was here buyed an E10 and now I am waiting for my 300-D
I wanted the 300-D becouse of the low noise the pictures have.
And i can tel you the E10 got alot of noise even in good light situations.
but its a verry nice camera,a bit slow for now.

but when i boucht this camera 3 and a hald years a go its was super fast for thad time.
afcours the new camera's are better in pictures and in speed.
but hi 3 years a go my computer look fast,
now my new model is super fast but for how long.
in a few years i got slow again.
so I ordered the 300 D becouse of the good pictures low noise,and speed.

do not get me whrong the E10 is a good camera,but the 300 D is alot better,becouse of the time in a few years i gone tel you the same of the 300 D

sorry for my bad english,I am from belgium.
I think a good camera is when you are happy with the pictures.
and the person begint the camera can only use the tools hi have.
but in my opinium the better the tools the better are the photo's.
afcours the photographer must be good to.
If you buy an piano but can play on it,what is the reason to have an piano.

best regard Claus Marnix.

Nuala said:

and because I love gadgets.

I've always loved photography - did a course when I was at college.
Had a Pentax SLR and a number of lenses and my own darkroom at
home. Then left college, got a job, got caught up in the real
world and sold all my gear. Then had children and spent years
taking snapshots with Pentax point and shoots.

I've always been a heavy computer user - had a BBC B many, many
years ago - and when digital became affordable I jumped right in.
Got my first digital camera - an Olympus D490 - cost £500 - but I
was immediately hooked - I loved the immediacy of it all. I went
to Majorca for my summer holiday and took 700 photographs!

My job is managing newspapers and in 2002 I launched a glossy
magazine which is all about the photographs and this got me totally
focussed on the quality of the image.

Bought a Fuji 602 and loved the improvement but the shutter release
lag was such a pain - most of my photographs are of children and
cats (sad I know) - and I kept missing the moment.

I feel a bit of a cheat owning such a great camera as I am a real
amateur and I suppose I could have got by with an advanced point
and shoot but when the 300D came out, just after I had had a good
bonus, I couldn't resist.

And I love it - I love the speed and the images blow me away - even
though mostly when I get a good result it's the camera not me. I
just wish I could work out the low light focussing - then it would
be perfect for me.

Nuala

Click to expand...

It's kind of like Microsoft inventing their own terminology and changing existing terminology. They really know how to confuse those that have been around computers for a long time and are used to a certain term or phrase.

I think Microsoft believes that they own the computer glossary and can dispense with known terms and make it's own at will.

Regards,
Mike

--
300D Gallery:
http://tkis.com/mike/

Joy in looking and comprehending is nature's most beautiful gift. -- Albert Einstein

I had a $150.00 HP digital. It just wasn't working right any more and I wanted "great" snap shots of the pups.
Goal: to get some "snap shots" that are light enough and in focus enough to
make 8 x 10

Katz



Money can buy you a pretty good dog, but it can't buy the wag of his tail... Josh Billings

I took a photo course in college, and learned the basics of SLR, medium and large format (including processing in a darkroom of course).

I was interested in the high resolution of the view camera and medium format, and was not impressed with 35mm, except because of its portability. But I liked the crisp effects gotten from big lenses and the high contrast pictures you can make with
them.

This was in 1983 or so. I remember calculating that to get the digital equivalent of film resolution of a 35mm slide was about 3000x2000 pixels. I told myself that if digital cameras ever got to that resolution with decent lenses, I would get one.

Lo and behold, 20 years later, the digital rebel appears, at a price I could justify. We have cute kids now, so I could actually justify the expense to my wife by telling her about the wonderful pictures we would make of them.

Now I am rediscovering all those old things that interested me in photography, but
I never wanted to bother with the hassles of film processing.

Displaying images on an LCD monitor is pretty nice, much like a slide projector, with

very high contrast, so I am looking forward to the future when large 4000x6000 displays on the wall or projectors will be cheap and we can have giant 10 Gbyte

slideshows of our vacations, much like my parents did with 35mm slides way back when. But we have the advantage of keeping the "negatives" digitally perfect and easily indexed on a computer now.

BigMike said:

I tried my own film darkroom when I was much younger, but the
chemicals about made me puke

Click to expand...

I could handle the chemistry, but when I lost access to film and paper procesisng at work, I had to face the fact that setting up a colour darkroom at home is just not financially viable (unless you have a lot of spare cash). I love B&W work, but even there it gets expensive.

--Pat
http://www.patcroteau.com

noisebeam said:

BigMike said:

noisebeam said:

Photography is a hobby I have been in for almost 20yrs. Actually
it started before that using my parents camera when I was quite
young. But got into black and white in summer camp, took photo in
junior high, high school and then college and community college
courses after college while I was working. I always used Nikon F3
and Minolta XE-7 - 28mm and 50mm lenses only, except when borrowing
lenses from friends.

But i stopped taking photos for 5yrs and got into music (to force
change from visual to time domain). Got a film P&S got back into
it, got a Canon s45 two years ago, and a 300D more recently.

DSLR because I want flexibility with lenses, long exposures.

Click to expand...

My old Canon A40 did a great job for me for years, and is still
being used by my daughter. In what capacity were you into music? Do
you play an instrument?

Click to expand...

I really like the s45, I take it with me on trips (cycling mostly)
where I can't easily take 300D. I also take it with me on
wilderness hikes and set it up in intervalometer mode to take 99
shots at 1min intervals - to make time lapse movies of clouds,
approaching storms, etc. Then I'll plan to come back to place I
left it later.

Learned keyboard, the guitar. Experiemented with recording. Still
do.

Al

Click to expand...

Cool. I have been playing keyboards in local bands for about the past 35 years. I love music. I have a small home recording studio that I spend a lot of time in. Mostly do it for fun, but from time to time I do a little multimedia work for one of our local radio stations, whos morning DJ just happens to be my band's base player. Never hurts to have somebody on the inside

Wild-Mike said:

It's kind of like Microsoft inventing their own terminology and
changing existing terminology. They really know how to confuse
those that have been around computers for a long time and are used
to a certain term or phrase.

I think Microsoft believes that they own the computer glossary and
can dispense with known terms and make it's own at will.

Regards,
Mike

Click to expand...

Isn't that the truth. Old Bill about changed everything when it comes to the home computer market, for better or worse.

tomkatzid said:

I had a $150.00 HP digital. It just wasn't working right any more
and I wanted "great" snap shots of the pups.
Goal: to get some "snap shots" that are light enough and in focus
enough to
make 8 x 10

Katz

Click to expand...

I just had to have my cat put to sleep for health related problems he was having. Greatest cat I ever had, it was tough thing to have to do. I got a lot of good shots of him over the years, but can't get myself to go look at them yes. In time though.

Nuala said:

and because I love gadgets.

I've always loved photography - did a course when I was at college.
Had a Pentax SLR and a number of lenses and my own darkroom at
home. Then left college, got a job, got caught up in the real
world and sold all my gear. Then had children and spent years
taking snapshots with Pentax point and shoots.

I've always been a heavy computer user - had a BBC B many, many
years ago - and when digital became affordable I jumped right in.
Got my first digital camera - an Olympus D490 - cost £500 - but I
was immediately hooked - I loved the immediacy of it all. I went
to Majorca for my summer holiday and took 700 photographs!

My job is managing newspapers and in 2002 I launched a glossy
magazine which is all about the photographs and this got me totally
focussed on the quality of the image.

Bought a Fuji 602 and loved the improvement but the shutter release
lag was such a pain - most of my photographs are of children and
cats (sad I know) - and I kept missing the moment.

I feel a bit of a cheat owning such a great camera as I am a real
amateur and I suppose I could have got by with an advanced point
and shoot but when the 300D came out, just after I had had a good
bonus, I couldn't resist.

And I love it - I love the speed and the images blow me away - even
though mostly when I get a good result it's the camera not me. I
just wish I could work out the low light focussing - then it would
be perfect for me.

Nuala

Click to expand...

That Fuji 602 is a great camera, as is my Fuji S7000. Even though I still use my S7000, and it takes some great shots, I turn to the Rebel for serious work. As far as being an amateur, I am one also, but we will catch up in time. Even the greatest photographers were at the same point we are at one time.

I am so sorry to hear about your kitty. It is a very sad day when we loose a life long friend. I had my Leroy for 19 years and still miss him. Kelcee, in my signature, is 16. She is in the first stages of kidney failure. The vet said right on schedule for her age. Poor girl. I added theis poem for you:

""Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together.... ""
Author unknown...

BigMike said:

tomkatzid said:

I had a $150.00 HP digital. It just wasn't working right any more
and I wanted "great" snap shots of the pups.
Goal: to get some "snap shots" that are light enough and in focus
enough to
make 8 x 10

Katz

Click to expand...

I just had to have my cat put to sleep for health related problems
he was having. Greatest cat I ever had, it was tough thing to have
to do. I got a lot of good shots of him over the years, but can't
get myself to go look at them yes. In time though.

Click to expand...

--



Money can buy you a pretty good dog, but it can't buy the wag of his tail... Josh Billings

JohnNYC said:

KIDDING!!!!

I did it for the added versatility on shooting different situations
(i.e. indoors/low light, nature, landscapes and etc....)

I did it for the low noise on higher ISO.

I did it for faster auto-focus and more DOF control.

ANd most importantly......

I did it to replace arm workouts at the gym ;-)

Ro1

Click to expand...

LOL - I hear that that! Me and gyms just don't mix. I love walking for miles though, with a camera around my neck. Go figure...

tomkatzid said:

""Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here,
that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for
all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There
is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and
comfortable.
All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and
vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong
again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times
gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small
thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be
left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly
stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His
eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group,
flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and
faster.
You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally
meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted
again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again
caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting
eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from
your heart.
Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together.... ""
Author unknown...

BigMike said:

tomkatzid said:

I had a $150.00 HP digital. It just wasn't working right any more
and I wanted "great" snap shots of the pups.
Goal: to get some "snap shots" that are light enough and in focus
enough to
make 8 x 10

Katz

Click to expand...

I just had to have my cat put to sleep for health related problems
he was having. Greatest cat I ever had, it was tough thing to have
to do. I got a lot of good shots of him over the years, but can't
get myself to go look at them yes. In time though.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Thanks tomkatzid, for the poem. Absolutely beautiful!

And my future goal is to get better pictures than these. For a time I was making money from my photography but I found that it was sucking all of the fun out of it so I am back to just having it as a hobby.

Greg

--

I purchased a DSLR for a number of reasons.

First, I learned my way around photography in high school photo club, and used a Pentax K1000 (w/ 50mm, 70-205mm, 35mm). The control you have with a fully manual camera teaches you how to compose your shots, and how to use the various setting to achieve different effects.

The DSLR was a no brainer because I wanted to be able to use different lenses for different shooting situations. As a hobbyist I enjoy many different types of photography from landscapes, macros, wildlife, action, people - almost any type. The DSLR lets you choose a lens to fit your shooting situation while also allowing you to choose between manual and automatic shooting mode. Long exposures, various ISO settings, faster shutter speeds on the upper end and optical excellence in the lens arena were also factors.

Quality of the images was the other main reason. While I haven't shot with any of the newer P&S digitals, the older P&S cameras didn't allow you much creative lattitude. Adjusting your depth of field, shutter speed and sensor sensitivity was lacking in the P&S cameras that I have used in the past - so the DRebel's pricing made it affordable for me to get into the DSLR market without taking out a 2nd mortgage.

The Digital Rebel has most certianly (as evidenced by this forum) caused a major surge in the DSLR market in the mainstream consumer segment. Some here have called it revolutionary - and I agree.

I have already amassed a fair assortment of equipment to help me get back into photography as a hobby. I have the DR, Kit Lens, EF 50-200mm F3.5-4.5, 50mm F1.8, EF 35-80mm F4-5.6, EF 28-105 USM, a Cobra 440AF external flash (useful only in manual modes) and a set of filters for my lenses. The flexibility of this system is wonderful and I'm very happy with the performance of the camera.

Happy Shooting - and may the light be just right.

--
Andy
http://www.pandasystems.net/gallery

noisebeam said:

But i stopped taking photos for 5yrs and got into music (to force
change from visual to time domain). Got a film P&S got back into
it, got a Canon s45 two years ago, and a 300D more recently.

DSLR because I want flexibility with lenses, long exposures.

Al

BigMike said:

Thought it might be insightful to find out everybody's reason for
buying a DSLR, and what their goals are as a photographer. Do you
do it just for fun as a hobby? Are you looking at a future career?
Is it already your career?

I'll start things off by saying I bought mine, because I found out
that I enjoyed photography after buying a P&S digital camera
several years ago. As a musician, I enjoy art, and just seemed to
find photography to share similar artisitc qualities. My goal is to
combine the two together, but I have a ways to go with learning and
then honing my photography skills. I do have to admit, it is
addictive. Sometimes frustrating, and at other times exhilarating,
but always fun. The rebel was a good choice, since it gave me all
the features I needed at a price I could afford. The kit lens and
an inexpensive Canon 80-200 gave me plenty of range. Learning post
processing skills has been as big a challange for me, as learning
how to use a DSLR, but just like photography, post processing
becomes addictive, and frustrating, and a lot of fun.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

I'm an IT Manager also. I usually refer to them as clients/servers, but not to "users". I guess when you're in IT, you learn to talk differently about technology to the users .

billybob_jcv said:

In my biz (IT Manager) we refer to them generically as "clients"
and "servers". The clients are delivered to the end-users, and can
be a Mac, Dell, IBM, laptop, desktop, PDA, whatever. The servers
are in the datacenter, and they can be IBM, Dell, Compaq, Sun, etc,
and may run Windows, Linux, Solaris, AIX, etc. We have organized
our IT group in a similar fashion - we have an IT group for "client
support" and a separate group for "servers & network
infrastructure".

I don't go back in the biz to 1968 - but I do remember the Altair
from the 70's (keyboard? - I don't need no stinkin' keyboard!), as
well as the MUCH more modern Commodore PET line.

Click to expand...

Agreed 100%. I guess people don't think about what things really mean hehehe.