Bugfan Loc: Toronto, Canada

I do a variety of photo seminars. I begin each session advising my audience that I don't have a clue how to set their cameras, each camera is often different making it impossible to know. In the seminar description the same thing is said. The audience is expected to bring their manuals.

After the session I will stay behind if someone wants to learn how to navigate their camera menus and having the camera and the manual there at the time, that's relatively easy for me. After all the key issues and settings generally have the same names in all brands.

During the session I do talk about various settings why they are needed and what they're good for but it remains the responsibility of the student to eventually figure out how to make the setting.

I also do field trips sometimes and the rules remain the same. We'll look at something in the field and I may make suggestions on what kinds of settings to consider but again the students have to know how to make the settings, I don't do that for them.

Keep in mind that you're trying to teach photography, not how to use individual cameras. So if you stay at that level you'll be fine.

Where I have a problem is when a friend asks me to teach him or her how to use their personal camera which could be a point and shoot or an SLR and often a brand I know nothing about. When that happens I'll download the manual and look it through. After I'll sit down with my friend and teach how the camera is used.

katkase Loc: Grapeview, WA

Hi, I found out that I can go to the manufacturers website and download the manuals of cameras I am interested in. It is better than buying so many cameras and it gives you a way to study the different features of the camera. cheaper too.

frozenhermitphoto

First, I would like to thank you for validating my point. Zoom compression is a matter of relative distance; when you stand farther from subject and zoom in, the background appears to be closer to the subject because of the relative difference between the two objects. I never mention a change of perspective; did you pull that out of thin air?

Since I cannot provide a hot link to the texts I have read, I did google it (Yahoo actually) and the first thing that came up was this article, with photographs included so that even people like I can understand it.

http://www.photocrati.com/the-curious-case-of-lens-compression/

Whether or not you think this phenomenon is aptly named, this is what is commonly referred to by photographers world wide as zoom compression, even though the effects can be duplicated by using two different focal length primes.

You may think I misunderstand this phenomenon because I did not say "back up and zoom in" in the original reply, but I didn't think I had to. Didn't realize I was speaking to a troll lawyer.

So bite me! :hunf:

Raz Theo Loc: Music City

You may think I misunderstand this phenomenon because I did not say "back up and zoom in" in the original reply, but I didn't think I had to. Didn't realize I was speaking to a troll lawyer.

So bite me! :hunf:[/quote]

Pompous, arrogant, thin-skinned, insecure and churlish behavior, masked by a sneering disrespect and a pseudo intellectual veneer, tends to invite negative response. But you sir, in spite of this assholiness, have managed to garner some thoughtful and supportive advice from some of the more remarkable photographic minds available. And you don't even know it.
I left out "pitiful". (You can call me your "troll shrink")

frozenhermitphoto

Pompous, arrogant, thin-skinned, insecure and churlish behavior, masked by a sneering disrespect and a pseudo intellectual veneer, tends to invite negative response. But you sir, in spite of this assholiness, have managed to garner some thoughtful and supportive advice from some of the more remarkable photographic minds available. And you don't even know it.
I left out "pitiful". (You can call me your "troll shrink")[/quote]

You have no idea what you are talking about; just hurling insults. Did I offend you? Awwww.... sowwy bout dat.

frozenhermitphoto

Did you notice that I did thank those that gave earnest, pertinent advice? Other come on here and insult me yet I am the asshole? You can bite me too.

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

Amusing. "Zoom compression" is perspective. There is no other compression. And it is distance (i.e., your location) and absolutely not focal length.

You say "when you stand farther from the subject" you nail it. When you add "and zoom in" you blow it. Zooming in doesn't change the compression. You don't need to zoom, and can take the shot with any focal length you like, but the compression will still be the same.


You should have read what the guy said. He had to move back to get the second image to have the compression it shows. Just changing the lens focal length did nothing for compression.


Looks like you got bitten pretty bad...

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

I have an idea, perhaps goofy, but sincere. Get a job at a camera store. Paid, or see if you can hang out. You will learn a lot that way. I commend you for your desire, but I too think it's going very tough to accomplish. As a photographer for almost 50 years, I have random people come up to me and ask how to work their camera all the time. Many Nikons (what I shoot) are similar enough that I can usually at least lead them in the right direction. If the camera is a Canon, I can tell the very basics, but not much more. Good luck with your teaching endeavor.

dickwilber Loc: Indiana (currently)

Then, you are not qualified to teach this class! To become qualified will require considerable time and practice with the various brands and models of cameras available in the market. Canon, Nikon, Sony, Sigma, Fujifilm, Olympus, Samsung, Panasonic, Pentax, ... maybe someone will show up with a discontinued Minolta DSLR.

I've been shooting Nikon for a quarter of a century (film SLRs and most recently four different model DSLRs) and every new one is sufficiently different that I need to spend hours familiarizing myself with it's manual. Even then, with hundreds of thousands of Nikon DSLR exposures behind me I had to spend time last week, watching a video on how to use a specific function!

I've been taking photos for over six decades and have made a living behind a camera. I suspect I could teach a course on photography, but not if I had to become familiar with the operation of all the cameras students might show up with.

I apologize for being brutal in my assessment, but I feel strongly that you are asking too much of yourself. But, if you could find someone who works in a camera shop and is familiar with the basics of operating many different camera models to assist with the first class or two, then your mission might return to the realm of the possible!

I also apologize for jumping in before following this thread through before jumping in. I just felt very strongly that you were creating an impossible challenge. Good luck.

marcomarks Loc: Ft. Myers, FL

I agree. It's not feasible for one person to know all the menu systems of all brands of cameras and all models within each brand. Most of us have a hard enough time remembering one menu system.

marcomarks Loc: Ft. Myers, FL

It seems you're starting to become a little bit snippy here. Please realize that what you plan on doing in person is what many of us do here on UHH every day - teach newbies. It takes a cast of hundreds here to retain all the information on all camera brands and models to intelligently answer newbie questions. Even then some resort to Internet research and giving a link in their reply to helpfully provide an answer.

You are setting yourself up for standing in a classroom with your pants down regularly as your students intentionally try to stump you with questions you can't possibly answer because no one human is a walking encyclopedia of knowledge of all brands. Companies train store employees and company reps for weeks and weeks on one brand so they can answer public questions. In your "word of mouth" northern Michigan environment, I'd think you'd know better than to attempt this because you know what the outcome is going to be.

cambriaman Loc: Central CA Coast

I would avoid the individual characteristics and controls of each unique brand. Teach Photography. I agree the students should be asked to study their own cameras manual for application information. You should teach the elements of exposure, what white balance and how it changes the image, what color temperature means. The concepts of depth of field, bracketing, zone focusing etc should be explained. You will be in a hopelesss morass of details unique to given camera brands and of no valuer except to the person whose camera you are addressing, everyone else will be bored or at least distracted. I have taught photography and found sticking to basics is the only was get get a positive result.