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There’s the sixty-somethings if thaz what you mean. Just young punks, really.

AnotherBob

I suppose that depends on your definition of "youngster." A 91 year old friend referred to me that way just a few days ago.

My first camera, in about 1958, was a Kodak Brownie Holiday Flash. It was "fully automatic," shutter speed or aperture adjustments neither necessary nor possible. Used 127 film. Still have it, but haven't used it for about 40 years. It was replaced by an 35 mm Agfa Silette I, then multiple Minolta SRT-101's, before shifting to a flock of Nikon digitals.

Photocraig

My reaction, after about 65 years of serious photography, is that the auto-MAGIC features usually add a convenience or speed to an already proven process on basic manual, but fully featured gear. They start with eliminating the basic failures, over/under exposure, subject blur (took a while for that), and improper shutter speed selection.

It is nice to choose a "mode" that allows me to concentrate on composing and remaining aware of action developing rather than fiddling with DOF Preview, pre-focusing (although it still applied and improves my hit ration for AF). The extent of photo-automation on cameras, today go so far beyond capture aids and seem to seamlessly move into pre-processing. I haven't wrapped my photo mind around that yet, beyond the established thinking required for appropriate media (film/filtration/developing/printing) material selection.

The biggest thing for me was, and still is (even after Cataract and more eye surgery) is auto focus. I was shooting a top compact manual focus camera with a "publishable" keeper rate of about 15%. I had a chance to buy an automatic top line 35mm used SLR "on approval." I took it to one of the best urban parks you never heard of, and set the two cameras on separate tripods. Essentially capturing nearly identical scenes, including many shore birds. I used my best lens on the manual camera, and the provided, out of date "kit" lens on the Automatic SLR.

BINGO!!!! I justified the (well priced) purchase, not on saved processing costs, but just on the saved "keeper" processing and film costs. Growing that system with better lenses etc. brings me to today. A happy Digital photographer, happy to be processing in a computer instead of a smelly darkroom, and ever looking for ways to use the extra enhanced capabilities of the newer cameras to help me get done what I know I need to get the shots, and to compensate for some of my diminished abilities by executing what I once did---automagically.

If a mechanical "rote" process is done for you by an instrument, it takes out the opportunity for YOU to introduce human error. Add to that the marvelous auto focus systems in cameras today, improved in camera metering, ease of shifting from spot to partials to whole frame and center view, etc. The dramatic improvement of digital screens for compositions, exposure selections and focus point selections, gives me the full visibility of a 20+ pound View Camera in my hand (less the rise and fall and left and right perspective shifts). Because we are able to build a special purpose computer into our camera, we can make it do what we want it to do, conveniently, and correctly every time.

Put me down for an "Emeritus-Priced" EOS R1!
C

Charles 46277 Loc: Fulton County, KY

When the Internet started in the 1990's I became addicted to the Photography chat on AOL--they had pros, amateurs, and often kids would ask questions.

When I went away to college, I remember a Christmas dinner party during break that I was invited to that had a few students, various interesting adults, and some old timers. We got snowed in and stayed over (big house), even though I lived only 5 blocks away. Everyone enjoyed the Christmas spirit and camaraderie. Today I don't think (outside families--if then) all ages could socialize or converse very well together. We have become polarized by age as well as other ways, yes? The Internet sorts us out into groups of our own kind.

It was my generation that tossed out the etiquette books, and today the old rules sound silly, but they served people well. At a dinner party, for instance, a married or engaged couple were not seated together--they were seated by somebody interesting.

https://queenanneeducation.com/formal-dinner-etiquette/

Quixdraw Loc: x

Something of a tangent - Today you are fortunate to find someone interesting to talk to at any events ex. those you organize yourself. As to manners, when was the last time you saw a formal table setting? Or for that matter, patrons at a fine restaurant well dressed. To Quote Yogi, "The future ain't what it used to be."

Charles 46277 Loc: Fulton County, KY

We cannot expect much of a generation who grew up eating in the car. I was in a good-sized small town and asked about a nice place to eat, and all they mentioned were fast food chains. When I suggested table cloths, they were at a loss.

Curmudgeon Loc: SE Arizona

Hey, I'm only 78

Quixdraw Loc: x

Was it Carl Reiner who said "Life begins at 80"? He made it to 98!

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

We're always the same age inside.

Quixdraw Loc: x

I know what you mean, but at what age does it lock in internally? I can think of...but at least I never got arrested! Hopefully we always learn and grow.

lreisner Loc: Union,NJ

Mostly we have traveled the same path in our development. I believe that there is no substitute for experience in the creative process. Working in a darkroom doing black and white photography gave me great insights that have come in handy in post processing of my photos. Back in the days of film it was necessary to think before hitting the shutter unless you had an unlimited supply of film and money, which I did not. To this day, I see the picture and compose it before I even put the camera to my eye.

It took me a while before I jumped from film to digital and finally from digital to mirror less. Cameras are simply the tools of a photographer's trade/hobby as are the new digital darkrooms, such as Lightroom/Photoshop/Capture One and so on. The technology advances have allowed me to up the quality of my photography's end result. I now use my cell phone camera, a bridge camera and a high megapixel Mirrorless camera, depending on either which tool I have on me or the goals of what I am trying to capture.

The issue is not whether one shoots 100% in manual or fully in auto mode, or anything in between, but in knowing which is best for the situation. This is all where experience comes into play. I do not see why I should have to worry about shooting HDR when the newer cameras have a wider dynamic range. That is a good thing. If I do not have to lug around a tripod because I have in camera stabilization, I think that is a good thing. Being able to shoot in low light situations and not to have to worry about high ISO s is a good thing and on and on. In the end, it is the end result that counts. In the end, the viewer either appreciates what they see or does not. Either way they probably do not care how the picture was created.

Photography in my book is and always has been an art form including documentary photography. As an artist, the equipment is just the tools of the trade that I use to express my artist creations, in this case photographs. Perhaps think of it this way, "Do clothes make the person?" Probably not, but they sure have been proven to have a psychological effect. "Does top of the line camera equipment make the photographer?" Once again probably not, but in the hands of a experienced photographer, it will likely up their game. Is it needed to be a great artist, no, but it sure doesn't hurt either.

goldenyears Loc: Lake Osewgo

I'm a slow learner and have too many other interests. Most of the members here have probably taken many thousands of photos... I'm at 301 as of today.

goldenyears Loc: Lake Osewgo

For twenty years I drove a 57 Ford pickup as a daily driver. It was twenty years old when I bought it for $750. It had 4-on-the-floor. I loved driving it. One day when I started down the hill from our house the brakes failed. Thank goodness for the emergency brake. I backed it up, parked and called Goodwill to come and pick it up. A week later I got a donation slip in the mail... it had been appraised at $4800. The following year the IRS revised the regulations on vehicle donations... from that point on the limit was what ever Goodwill sold it for.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

I deleted more than that today.

Turnings Loc: Rogers, MN

We now have multiple choices of brushes, color mediums and canvases. Does this make the artist good or great. I think not. The development of the eye or imagination is a skill that takes practice, review & study to develop or master. The camera may help with exposure issues but the ability to envision is out of the hands of the equipment & thrust into the hands of the artist.