jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

"Chimping" refers to the practice of looking at your LCD after every shot and going, "Ooh! Ooh!" Yes, the camera did the take the picture. What a surprise. If you are shooting in Auto, or you have decent experience with a camera, you can be pretty certain that the shot will turn out okay. Unless you're tethered to a computer screen or an iPad, that tiny LCD on the camera isn't gong to reveal the fine points of the photo. Too much chimping can make you look like an amateur and even cause you to lose good shots.

When I'm out doing a lot of shooting, I turn the LCD off. It's a distraction, and it uses up the battery. One little poke at that Review arrow can show me the image if I have to see it.

Okay, it's your turn. Let the attacks begin! :D

dcampbell52 Loc: Clearwater Fl

I agree completely. While I don't turn the display off ( I have enough fortitude to trust my shots AND I vary my exposure enough that my at least 1 of my shots are "probably" going to come out. My main concern is expressions and if the subject (human, animal or bird) is looking the direction I wanted or I have to wait for and anticipate it again. For nature, if I am shooting seascapes, I try to time the shot to catch a wave, fish jump or whatever just right so I do tend to look. But, I generally shoot in groups of 3 shots anyway and one of the shots is likely to be ok. After all, its digital and I have two 64gb sd cards in the camera and 4 more in my pocket plus 3 extra batteries so it isn't like I am going to run out of a 24 or 36 exposure roll of film. (well, in honesty, even when I shot film I had a high capacity film back and motor drive for my Nikon F2 so I didn't worry about film as much as I did the batteries for my potato masher Honeywell Strobe and the 4 extra belt attached batteries). Now, with cameras that the digital sensor is ISO versatile so I can keep my shutter speed, aperture or both in tolerable adjustments for the shot, I just concentrate on the image and let the camera do the work within the parameters that I have set for the shot. NOTE: I, whenever possible, keep the ISO locked at 100 when I can but will put it on auto ISO if I am shooting action in shade and want my somewhat slow lens (f/5.6 when zoomed to 300mm) is shooting action in shade. Otherwise, I get some fuzzy pics and say naughty words.

Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.

I do the same thing Jerry, I leave it off.

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

Excessive chimping can certainly be a distraction, but being able to review my shots is too valuable to give up entirely. Back when shooting film, I had missed shots because I couldn't check them. Especially when shooting people, or any moving subjects, being able to check for off expressions or closed eyes, or assure you got the peak action is invaluable.

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

I used to chimp, but lost too many images. I'm wiser now, and only chimp AFTER the film is out of the fixer!

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Good article. Watch the video.

http://www.diyphotography.net/never-chimp-camera/

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Not all of the time, but I like to confirm that I got what I wanted, or see if I need to change anything. 8-)

skidooman Loc: Minnesota

There is not a cloud in the sky, so her lighting conditions are not changing. I see no reason in this scenario to be chimping.

It does seem to get overused/abused. Maybe people can't remember what they just took a picture of. :)

LFingar Loc: Claverack, NY

C'mon now Jerry! I know you have watched Joel Sartore's videos. He admits to chimping quite regularly and he is far from an amateur. I chimp when I feel the need and the heck with what anyone else thinks. More then once I caught something I didn't like about the shot and I did it over.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: ;)

Singing Swan

Chimping is one of the great things about digital photography. It certainly keeps me from getting a 36 roll of film developed only to find them all dark or all out of focus.

And sometimes when I think a particular setting will be right but boy, is it ever NOT!! then I can go on from there and have a better day.

blackest Loc: Ireland

I disagree with your definition of chimping to be fair.
It depends on the camera how much it needs to be monitored, e.g my panasonic regularly blows highlights if i let it, by default.

The metering is dumb on all camera's it goes for 18% gray all the time, leading to under or over exposed shots when the scene doesn't match expectations. Then there is white balance how about auto white balance for a sunset?

Plus the camera does not necessarily produce the shot you want maybe you want the subject in silhouette or would rather blow the sky and capture more shadow detail. Or perhaps you have exposure compensation set wrong for the scene. Maybe you set the white balance for flash and everything is coming out blue.

If you are using manual flash it is a good idea to check if the power levels are suiting your subject it may be too weak or too strong.

You do not have to review every shot, but it's fair to say that it is probably best to check at the beginning of a scene and check at the end of a scene before moving on.

The LCD screen will not be able to tell you if you nailed the focus when looking at the whole scene but you may see issues like rubbish in the frame or trees growing out of people's heads a bad color balance and when you zoom into your focus point you will see how sharp your image is at that point, and at other points the depth of field.

Did you catch your subject in an unflattering pose with their eyes closed or mouth half open?

Most importantly does the camera produce the image that you want? There is no correct exposure as such, if you want to be creative, you do not let the camera take control, rather let it assist you to get the shot you want. Chimping every shot is unnecessary not reviewing the settings and results when needed also foolish.

marki3rd Loc: Columbus, Indiana

I shoot a lot in manual mode and find it can often be an advantage to view the first shot in a series histogram.

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

With film it's not called chimping, it's called, "PRAYING"!! :lol:
SS

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

:D