Bells and Whistles (Page 2): 77 yrs old, been shooting since 1956 I use auto focus for most everything, except macro. I am happy shooting manual, center focus and RAW, auto WB the two...

Manglesphoto Loc: 70 miles south of St.Louis

Retired fat guy with a camera wrote:

I would like to do a informal survey.
How many of us, use all the bells and whistles our cameras have to offer?
If your camera has video, do you use it often?
Do you really use a 64,954,846 ISO?
What other features did you have to have, only to find you really didn't need them.
If you could be so kind, would you please state your age.
I am trying to learn if younger photographer's use their cameras differently than me, an old, very un-hip, kinda guy.
I am 63. I have two main cameras. A Canon 1D Mark lll and a 1Ds Mark lll. I have 2 more bodies that are gathering dust, the original Canon 1Ds and a 1D Mark III that has issues. I had a shutter replaced and it only makes images, if the shutter is less than 300th of a second. I was told it was a firmware issue. Oh well. You might have deduced, I like 1D bodies.
I have owned a 10D, a 50D, and a 5D. They were all good cameras, and I got great images out of them all. But, I was never totally satisfied with them. I researched, and read and then read some more [I did not ask this forum, which one to buy] and finally decided on the Mark lll's. I have not regretted that choice for a second. Plus, I got them all for $1,680.37 [including shipping on two of them]. 4 pro cameras, that had low shutter counts, for less than anyone of them new.
I shoot anything that catches my eye, birds, barns, people, landscapes, it doesn't matter. I have 4, L lenses, ranging from a 24mm - to a 300 mm L prime lens. I also have a 1.4 extender that I am not wild about.
My camera and lenses fit my needs. Although, I do want a 100mm L and a 17-40 mm L, but who doesn't want more glass?
So, to make a long story longer.
I take pictures, I have no desire to make movies, one bell gone.
My idea of a late, wild, night, is staying up and watching 2 movies, instead of just one, eating popcorn at home.
I am not in the clubs, or out past dark very often, So I do not need a camera, that has a 64,000 Iso, unless I am in a dark room, I rarely shoot anything over a 400 Iso. One whistle gone.
My prints are mostly 8x10's, both my cameras have enough mega pixels to take care of that size.
Do I need a 50 mega pixel camera? Nope. More bells and whistle I don't need.
How about you?
Inquiring mind want to know!

I would like to do a informal survey. br How many ... (show quote)

77 yrs old, been shooting since 1956 I use auto focus for most everything, except macro. I am happy shooting manual, center focus and RAW, auto WB the two little wheels are my friend, all the other bells are more confusing
than helpful to me.I photograph most anything with Landscapes being my least favorite ( Usually boring as hell even if beautiful).
Cameras D810, D800,D7100 and a D70 converted to I/R ( very old conversion).

Cdouthitt Loc: Traverse City, MI

I use video, mostly for clips of my kids. I stick to ISO 6400 and below, since everything above that is too grainy. I use my wifi all the time for my remote shutter release. Special features like live time and art filters are occasionally used. Haven't used the 60 fps, but I do shoot with my electronic shutter most of the time.

VTMatwood Loc: Displaced Vermonta in Central New Hampsha

At 49 years young ... I seem to be one of the younger members

Digital: Nikon D7100 (24.1MP) with an 18-55 kit lens, 70-300 VRII lens, and a Tokina 400 ATX SD AF lens
Old school: Canon T90 with a small truckload of lenses

I shoot mostly wildlife and nature, some landscapes, and anything else that strikes me as photo worthy
From a digital perspective, I *think* I use a fair amount of the camera's capabilities. I generate RAW files and PP in Lightroom and Photoshop. I do not shoot video, have used ISO 6400 and do use different AF / metering settings dependent upon what / where I am shooting. I almost always shoot in Aperture Priority mode, with Shutter Priority and manual being next in line. Rarely use HDR but do use exposure compensation and bracketing, and often shoot in continuous mode at 5FPS. I never use Live View. I love the dual SD card feature of the D7100 and the fact that I can use lenses with no motor for AF. I have printed as large as 24x36 and have em hanging in my home. Ultimately, I don't see a need for me to buy "bigger and better" any time soon... in fact, my D7100 was a Nikon refurb with 3200 actuations on it. I love it all the same. My quest is for better, longer glass to let me reach out and touch the osprey and eagles that live near me, but never seem to be in range for a good shot

Cdouthitt Loc: Traverse City, MI

VTMatwood wrote:

At 49 years young ... I seem to be one of the younger members

42 here...ya old fart ;-)

kmocabee

I'm 61 and my first "real" camera was a Nikon F, no meter so I used a Luna Pro for exposure. Everything manual, and it was all great. I am still a Nikon guy, and shoot with a D7000, which is a fantastic machine. The amount of processing and features is kind of mind boggling. But to answer your question, I do shoot video from time to time. I do use the bracketing feature sometimes when the light is dodgy. I love the higher ISO settings with low light, even with a bit of noise because I generally hate flashes. I use autofocus and I do use the metering. I will often shoot with shutter speed or aperture priority, but don't use all of the preset exposure settings. I have used the interval and timer very seldom. I shoot raw at the highest res and never change it.

What I don't use is the custom white balance (I fix in Lightroom) or all of those things like D-Lighting, all of those focusing settings, distortion control, picture control, color space, etc.

I have been meaning to test the Active D-Lighting though. That does look useful for tricky lighting.

steve03 Loc: long Lsland

I almost take all my pictures in manual an use a flash gun instead of the popup. For night photography and fireworks on the 4th i have pushed up the ISO, thats it. the rest are just there.
I have a friend who uses a Nikon D40 with 6 MP and she takes terrific pictures.
Now if you want to talk lenses thats another story.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Retired fat guy with a camera wrote:

I would like to do a informal survey.
How many of us, use all the bells and whistles our cameras have to offer?
If your camera has video, do you use it often?
Do you really use a 64,954,846 ISO?
What other features did you have to have, only to find you really didn't need them.
If you could be so kind, would you please state your age.
I am trying to learn if younger photographer's use their cameras differently than me, an old, very un-hip, kinda guy.
I am 63. I have two main cameras. A Canon 1D Mark lll and a 1Ds Mark lll. I have 2 more bodies that are gathering dust, the original Canon 1Ds and a 1D Mark III that has issues. I had a shutter replaced and it only makes images, if the shutter is less than 300th of a second. I was told it was a firmware issue. Oh well. You might have deduced, I like 1D bodies.
I have owned a 10D, a 50D, and a 5D. They were all good cameras, and I got great images out of them all. But, I was never totally satisfied with them. I researched, and read and then read some more [I did not ask this forum, which one to buy] and finally decided on the Mark lll's. I have not regretted that choice for a second. Plus, I got them all for $1,680.37 [including shipping on two of them]. 4 pro cameras, that had low shutter counts, for less than anyone of them new.
I shoot anything that catches my eye, birds, barns, people, landscapes, it doesn't matter. I have 4, L lenses, ranging from a 24mm - to a 300 mm L prime lens. I also have a 1.4 extender that I am not wild about.
My camera and lenses fit my needs. Although, I do want a 100mm L and a 17-40 mm L, but who doesn't want more glass?
So, to make a long story longer.
I take pictures, I have no desire to make movies, one bell gone.
My idea of a late, wild, night, is staying up and watching 2 movies, instead of just one, eating popcorn at home.
I am not in the clubs, or out past dark very often, So I do not need a camera, that has a 64,000 Iso, unless I am in a dark room, I rarely shoot anything over a 400 Iso. One whistle gone.
My prints are mostly 8x10's, both my cameras have enough mega pixels to take care of that size.
Do I need a 50 mega pixel camera? Nope. More bells and whistle I don't need.
How about you?
Inquiring mind want to know!

I would like to do a informal survey. br How many ... (show quote)

The main feature I use is the camera's ability to take pictures. I use A, S, ISO, bracketing, rapid shooting, remote, long exposure, and probably some others. Not much video.

RickL Loc: Vail, Az

Retired fat guy with a camera wrote:

I would like to do a informal survey.
How many of us, use all the bells and whistles our cameras have to offer?
If your camera has video, do you use it often?
Do you really use a 64,954,846 ISO?
What other features did you have to have, only to find you really didn't need them.
If you could be so kind, would you please state your age.
I am trying to learn if younger photographer's use their cameras differently than me, an old, very un-hip, kinda guy.
I am 63. I have two main cameras. A Canon 1D Mark lll and a 1Ds Mark lll. I have 2 more bodies that are gathering dust, the original Canon 1Ds and a 1D Mark III that has issues. I had a shutter replaced and it only makes images, if the shutter is less than 300th of a second. I was told it was a firmware issue. Oh well. You might have deduced, I like 1D bodies.
I have owned a 10D, a 50D, and a 5D. They were all good cameras, and I got great images out of them all. But, I was never totally satisfied with them. I researched, and read and then read some more [I did not ask this forum, which one to buy] and finally decided on the Mark lll's. I have not regretted that choice for a second. Plus, I got them all for $1,680.37 [including shipping on two of them]. 4 pro cameras, that had low shutter counts, for less than anyone of them new.
I shoot anything that catches my eye, birds, barns, people, landscapes, it doesn't matter. I have 4, L lenses, ranging from a 24mm - to a 300 mm L prime lens. I also have a 1.4 extender that I am not wild about.
My camera and lenses fit my needs. Although, I do want a 100mm L and a 17-40 mm L, but who doesn't want more glass?
So, to make a long story longer.
I take pictures, I have no desire to make movies, one bell gone.
My idea of a late, wild, night, is staying up and watching 2 movies, instead of just one, eating popcorn at home.
I am not in the clubs, or out past dark very often, So I do not need a camera, that has a 64,000 Iso, unless I am in a dark room, I rarely shoot anything over a 400 Iso. One whistle gone.
My prints are mostly 8x10's, both my cameras have enough mega pixels to take care of that size.
Do I need a 50 mega pixel camera? Nope. More bells and whistle I don't need.
How about you?
Inquiring mind want to know!

I would like to do a informal survey. br How many ... (show quote)

I don't use video on my D810 and enjoy the room the 36mps give me. I shoot mostly nature and some landscape

brucebc Loc: Tooele, Utah

I'm getting close to 71. I have a Pentax K-1 full frame that is packed with crazy things I haven't tried yet. Astrotracker, level horizon, wi-fi, and a few more. But I'm planing trips to try some of them out. Still a kid at heart I guess.

jgunkler

You who never shoot video must not spend time with grandkids. Video is indispensable to me. Just this week I shot video of grandkids riding the ocean waves in their boards. Sometimes I shoot video mostly to capture the sounds - kids chattering and laughing, a babbling brook in a Japanese garden, the sounds of a rainstorm, bird songs in the woods, etc., etc.

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

Hi. I am 66 and rapidly approaching 67. Primary photographic interests are railroads, landscapes (emphasis on geology), meteorology, and events, but like everyone, these are not all-inclusive.

I used a D200 for 12 years, Photography was mostly a secondary hobby and support for my engineering career. Using what gradually became an "older" camera required that I learn and use most camera features to get the best possible results. Shooting modes to this point have varied between A, S, and P, but my conclusion is that if you are going to surrender control, Program mode will help avoid some really bad combinations most of the time. Apart from that, I do use most camera controls frequently, and have selected many non-default options in both the setup and shooting menus.

Since retiring last fall, I've become interested in learning what has changed in the last 10 years or so and easing into more up to date equipment. So a trade of some old Mamiya medium equipment yielded a very used but fully functional D300 (since replaced by a really beautiful one found on this forum) and a much nicer D300s. The additional functionality and performance of those bodies (and I use most of that also) has encouraged me to look at FX options.

A really nice D610 bought on this forum has validated the benefits of full frame photography. I probably will not keep it, though, because I am finding the smaller form factor body difficult to deal with, and the operating system is too different from the D200 & D300. Much of my photography is "opportunistic," and I need to be able to respond quickly, without taking time to remember what camera I'm using. The answer will almost certainly be a D810, with almost identical control layout and very similar operating system to the other bodies that I have.

I have no interest in the video capability offered by the D300s, D610, or D810. It is unlikely that this feature will ever be used, although we have to be really careful when using the word "never." I'd rather use a a purpose-designed video camera. I also have no interest in a tilting or gimballing monitor. It's just something else to break or wear out, which was verified in discussions with my local authorized Nikon repair center folks. (But ask me about this again after I've gotten a little bit older.) The built-in horizon indicators on the D300s and D610 are very cool to have in some circumstances.

I do use the full range of available ISO settings, but always try to use the lowest one that will do the job.

Because of my years as an Industrial Engineer, I have a real penchant around doing a job one time and getting it right. My intent is to capture the best image possible. I use camera, lens, and flash functions and adjustments extensively, so that I can capture the best possible image in partnership with my equipment (my tools). And even though is is not in the mainstream with many members of this forum (as I learned very clearly last week), I try to use post processing as little as possible. But I will combine bracketed images in HDRI software, or stack multiple focus layers in software like Helicon Focus.

I've written a lot here. To summarize, I try to partner with my equipment to get the best images possible. That means using almost all of the features at one time or another.

Larry

Rich1939 Loc: Pike County Penna.

78 years, My first introduction to photography was watching the magic of an image appearing in a tray of developer back in 1947. Been involved off and on ever since. The closest I ever came to being a pro was owning a camera store, that don't make you a pro as you spend far too much time trying to make a living selling product instead of using it. But you sure get to learn a lot just from talking with the pros. My current camera is a lucky D600 (no oil spots). I don't use video, 1 bell gone. Do not use high ISO, 1 more bell gone. U1 and U2. Another bell done gone.
BUT I lean heavily on auto focus, without it I couldn't play. I can no longer see fine detail and depend on modern science to keep me in the game.

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

78
Depending on what I am shooting yes I will use bells and whistles in my D500 and D810 ye some videos, Auto ISO Time Lapse etc.

WillieWisconsin

[quote=Retired fat guy with a camera]I would like to do a informal survey.
How many of us, use all the bells and whistles our cameras have to offer?
If your camera has video, do you use it often? ....

In response to your question about using all the bells and whistles available on our cameras, I'd have to say I do use them all, with the exception of video, which I don't use at all. Photographing weddings with my D810's, I love the capability to use higher ISO's to pull in the background light when doing some formals at the altar, or outdoors when I'm losing light in the evening.

When anyone talks about "bells and whistles," that could be a very subjective thing. What some don't need or use, others find it necessary and useful; depending of course what they use their camera for. Besides, with cameras costing as much as they do now these days, I'll take all the features you want to throw in them.

Reinaldokool Loc: San Rafael, CA

I'm shooting Sony a6000 and a6300. I regularly print 16x20-24 and sometimes larger. I sometimes shoot in old, dark, Mexican churches and jump the ISO to 6400-12800 to do so. Fortunately the a6300 gives me close to noise free at those. Never tried beyond.
For the record I am 81. I'm about to head to San Miguel de Allende for a couple weeks. But I'll just take my a6300 and my Sennheiser microphone to shoot videos of Mexican Independence. Probably be shooting high ISOs there too because the kickoff is 11pm when Hidalgo y Costilla made his Independence speech.