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From: herbie@watdcsu.UUCP (Herb Chong [DCS])
Newsgroups: net.rec.photo
Subject: Re: New technology worth it?
Message-ID: <1025@watdcsu.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 27-Feb-85 11:33:01 EST
Article-I.D.: watdcsu.1025
Posted: Wed Feb 27 11:33:01 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 28-Feb-85 20:29:20 EST
References: <641@asgb.UUCP> <1472@emory.UUCP>
Reply-To: herbie@watdcsu.UUCP (Herb Chong [DCS])
Organization: U of Waterloo
Lines: 75
Summary: 

In article <1472@emory.UUCP> tony@emory.UUCP (Tony Vincent) writes:
>>> Is the new technology in cameras (like the new Canon) really worth it?
>>
>>I suppose it really depends on what kind of photography you want to
>>do.  In my opinion, REAL photography requires lots of patience,
>>thought, and attention to detail.  REAL Photographers (with a capital
>>'P') must consider all of the variables in exposure, composition,
>>lighting, and (preferably) processing and their effect towards the end
>>result of an expressive Photograph.
>>...
>>On the other hand, I'll very quickly acknowledge that the
>>auto-everything machines are fine tools for the Art of
>>Photojournalism. - Please note the distinction between what I refer to
>>as two different Arts, in the same medium.
>>
>>Mike Rosenlof		
>===========
>...I find that I NEVER do serious
>artistic photography with it in ANY of the auto modes...
>I do however find that when I am going to be taking LOTS of pictures
>of an event (particularly sports where you hardly even have time
>to focus) use the shutter priority mode most often and occasionally,
>and I do mean occasionally, I use the programmed mode....
>Tony Vincent

i have two Pentax cameras, an MX, which is a fully manual camera that
happens to have a builtin meter (it uses LEDs instead of a needle) and
it doesn't depend upon batteries for functioning, and i have an ME Super
Program, which has programmed, shutter- and aperture-priority exposure
and other modes too (like the Canon A-1) and which is completely
useless when the batteries die.  

`artistic' photography is something that i seldom do, but i have to
agree that when doing that kind of work, you can determine exposure at
your leisure and spend your time worrying about composition and
lighting, which is AS IT SHOULD BE.  automation is about as redundant
as it is possible to be.  the automatic exposure and progammed exposure
cameras are for people who either don't have time or don't know how to
expose properly, even with the aid of a meter (builtin or otherwise).

most of the photography that i do would come under the photojournalism
category.  i am an advanced amateur, if my skill level had to be
labelled.  i have sold photo's to people other than my friends, but
that doesn't make me semi-pro or anything.  i find that i tend to use
my ME Super Program in shutter priority most of the time and manual for
a great deal of the rest.  seldom do i use programmed or aperture
priority.  under the typical conditions that i work, i will take
several hundred exposures in a few hour span under varying, though not
wildly varying, lighting conditions.  it is useful to know that my
exposures will not be out by more than a stop or so whether i remember
to change exposures or not, as i have had happen to me with my MX.

both my cameras have winders that i purchased separately.  for the type
of work that i do, they are extremely handy, although by no means
essential.  they are too noisy for some applications.  i have a small
selection of lenses to cover my basic needs and have found that, for me
anyway, lightness is of extreme importance, even more so than
durability.  try carrying a heavy camera, lens, winder, and flash
around your neck for most of a day and you'll know what i mean.

minor flame:  who says photojournalists aren't REAL PHOTOGRAPHERS?
they pay attention to the same things that any other serious
photographer would.  they just don't have as much time to do it and
have to rely more on reflex and experience.  it takes just a much
skill.  i have the suspicion that many photojournalistic photographers
don't do `artistic' photography because they find it boring.

Herb Chong...

I'm user-friendly -- I don't byte, I nybble....

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