The Future of the DSLR, an opinion (Page 4): My daughter has a new iPhone and I am often amazed by how good her pictures are. She has an art degree and has a good eye, but she does...

Heirloom Tomato Loc: Oregon

Elliern wrote:

A lot of truth in this short essay. The thing is,... (show quote)

My daughter has a new iPhone and I am often amazed by how good her pictures are. She has an art degree and has a good eye, but she does very well with the iPhone. She has no interest in learning the intricacies of regular cameras. My iPhone is older and can't match what the iPhone 5 can do. I think I should upgrade my phone just to keep up with her. :-P

CHOLLY Loc: THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE!

Like young artisans throughout the ages she will realize that if she REALLY wants to become a good photographer... she'll have to become a good photographer. ;)

asyncritus

Hi Rac

I really am not sure why the sensor size should make that vast amount of difference. The Leica's certainly isn't small (1/2.3" ), and the camera has produced some startlingly good pics, which have been enlarged very successfully without any visible pixellation or other quality loss.

At the end of the day, I think the vlux4 wins simply because of the lens quality. Nobody, but nobody produces better lenses than Leica.

Here's some proof:

I spotted some pics from the very high end Nikon 200-400 zoom ($6000+) which are here:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/nikkor200-400vr/

and here are a few from my vlux4: http://myleicavlux4.blogspot.co.uk/

The vlux4 with 25 - 600mm zoom cost me £610.

The 200 -400 zoom lens alone for the Nikon is something like $6000 USD (£4999 from John Lewis in the UK).

Sensor size Rac? Worth all that dough, when you can get as good if not better pics from the Leica lens? And an extra 200mm zoom to boot?

Nossir. You could go on holiday with the money saved - and take hassle-free, beautiful pics with the understated, un-pretentious, quietly spoken Leica while you're there!

I said 'quietly-spoken', and I mean that literally. Just check out my blog (above) for a silly true story about that!

Delderby Loc: Derby UK

Don't forget the "Gadget Men" who enjoy playing with buttons and levers that do clever things. I am one and I'm sure many Hogs are too. Photos are a measure of how well we play.

big ed Loc: Dudley UK

You say the average camera buyer is predominantly over 50yr.. as time moves on the youngsters will be over 50, and the balance will be restored....

spdmn54 Loc: Avon Lake, Ohio

Just my opinion, but I am seeing something with my children. All 4 are glued to their phones, taking"selfies", snapping pictures constantly and sharing. However, when the see the shots I capture of holidays and their kids, then they really see the difference and are amazed. This has prompted 2 of them to take interest in dslrs. I think that this trend will continue, especially as this younger generation ages, and learns to appreciate the art of photography.

Photogdog Loc: New Kensington, PA

RPbySC wrote:

If I had a New Year's resolution, what you just said would be it. Re-focus on WHY I'm taking the photo and what I want to express. I also enjoy PP with Nik/Topaz. For me, these programs help with the creative process. I also find them fun!

RPbySC,

I have both the Canon 5D MkII and the Canon 7D along with a bunch of lenses.

That said, I also have the Sony NEX-7 (along with a bunch of lenses including the Zeiss 24mm f1.8)

I also own the Sony RX 1, RX-100II & the RX-100. I usually take the Sonys out to play with & use the Canons for the more serious stuff.

I shot this with the RX 1 last Saturday night right after sunset. I took 5 shots using RAW capture and then combined them in Photomatix Pro converting it into a High Resolution jpeg. Then I added some more jpegs that I shot using the in-camera filter effects (monochrome + red, yellow, blue & green). I balanced, adjusted for crop, light, contrast, saturation and added a light touch of sharpening in Photoshop Elements 10.

Photogdog

Sony RX 1, Zeiss 35mm f2.0 Lens. Shot at f8.0. 6"-30" ISO 100, Manfrotto Tripod with Ball Head, Photomatix Pro & Photoshop Elelments 10

christofras Loc: Gold Coast Australia

timmah1979 wrote:

People who have been saying the DLSR industry is dying reminds me of people who have said Rock N Roll is dying. That's been dying for 40 years LOL

Could not agree more with that statement!....as I am a Rock & Roller myself. As far as technology changes go in cameras, I am self assured that what I have got at present will suffice my future needs. The way forward is no doubt mirrorless.However,I think I will be dead and buried when they invent a small 300mm f2.8 or 400mm 2.8.

Tomcat5133 Loc: Gladwyne PA

Very thoughtful commentary. I had must first camera a pentax at 19. And in the 80's an AV production company with a bunch of Nikons. Now I am a producer who is shooting much more for a few clients and myself. With that background what is see.
An amazing amount of your people (more women) with smaller quality DSLR's in Mexico recently and everywhere. A new prosumer movement interested in the gear and acquisition of good imagery. Especially video which is what I am doing now. A crazy amount of photo's and video. Hard to predict where this will go. I have currently a Panasonic HMC150, Sony NX-30, 2 D800's with lens, 2 Sony RX100's (great small camera) and Sony NEX-7 with some lens.
This is the dance of the future who can say where we go.
Good luck thanks for thinking. Tom

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

RPbySC wrote:

A professional photographer I know sent the following out by email just as an interesting opinion. It seems that most people on UHH are in the older generation as far as photography experience goes. Anybody agree or disagree or not care?

I'm leaning toward "not care." Young and old have always bought different products, partly because of financial considerations. Like everything else electronic, the camera industry is changing, with cell phones being major players. I buy what I want and use it the way I want.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Heirloom Tomato wrote:

My daughter has a new iPhone and I am often amazed by how good her pictures are. She has an art degree and has a good eye, but she does very well with the iPhone. She has no interest in learning the intricacies of regular cameras. My iPhone is older and can't match what the iPhone 5 can do. I think I should upgrade my phone just to keep up with her. :-P

Wait for the next iPhone. The camera will be better.

berchman Loc: South Central PA

asyncritus wrote:

Hi Rac br br I really am not sure why the sensor ... (show quote)

Try shooting street shot candids in low light and tell me that sensor size doesn't matter. Almost any point and shoot these days can make a technically pleasing shot of flowers (like yours) in good light.

I used a Leica Monochrome with a Summilux 35mm f/1.4 for a day, shooting street candids. I hated the lack of autofocus, the lack of zoom, and the crappy LCD for reviewing the shot. To get my candids I had to preset the focus and set the f stop for the range of in-focus I needed. I acknowledge that the black and white tonal quality of the Leica was unsurpassed, but, compared to my Nikon D800, it could not do nearly as well in capturing those fleeting unposed moments. Is that Leica body worth $8000?

Robert R Loc: Indianapolis and Naples

I volunteer at Corkscrew Swamp in SW Florida. We have a 2.25 mile boardwalk through a ancient cypress forest. We have several different habitats, so photo ops for all. My observations are not a scientific study, but being interested in photography I try to notice the equipment the visitors use. Last season I think I saw 2 film cameras. I talked to a guest from Europe who uses a polaroid camera and bought his film from Austria. Most of DSLR users I see have either Canon or Nikon, it seems like slightly more Canon but it may be because I have Canon and want to see what lens they use. Some DSLR users have a baby stroller to carry lenses, a few use a spouse. One Nikon user has his tripod on wheels and just wheels it around. We have had all kind of cameras dropped into the swamp. One unfortunate man someway dumped both DSLR and tripod into the lake. Probably more that the DSLR's are the digital point and shoot cameras, and I find many people do not know how to use them, sometimes asking for help. They may ask one of the volunteers take a picture of their party, and sometimes their settings are way off. I see very few video cameras. More and more, especially younger people, pull out the cell phone and take pictures. Some get pretty good images, and that does seem to be the trend, each year more and more use the cell phone.

jwt Loc: Texas Hill Country

A very interesting article for sure and it contains many valid points. However I see market share as a driving force behind the direction that photography as an art and consequently photographic equipment will take in the future. If market share was the only driving force behind photography as an art, the art of photography would have been stamped out by Kodak when they produced the Instamatic camera series. The stark truth is that there is plenty of room in the commercial world for both types of photographic pursuits and the equipment needed for each kind. Such photo images as those posted on instagram, Facebook and other social media places can be easily addressed by a cell phone camera or its ilk. However, real art especially in the natural world can only be addressed by photographers interested in educating themselves to produce such art and therefore equipment sophisticated enough to handle the job. I believe that the future for real photography is just as bright as the future for "SELFIES" from a cell phone camera but real photographic art requires a lot more sophistication and equipment power.

Chris Williams

As a high school and Junior College and Adult Ed photography teacher I see a lot of things falling apart. Grade wise we are satisfied with just barley passing even if we have A grade capabilities. I own a stereo that would kick but and have speakers placed in the ceiling of my great room that are concert quality. The music and movies that play out of them are unbelievable and all the kids that experience it think that it is wonderful and then they go listen to their music on their Iphones and it sounds terrible but they are happy with it like their grades. Camera wise it is the same, as a phone shot satisfies them. But funny, when their picture looks like SHIT they come to me for magic on my computer. I see a great deal of society looking for the lowest common denominator in everything. Hell, look at the food these people eat and wonder why they will never make our ages minus anything else. I am beginning to think our government even wants it that way, whether it be in education, health care or what ever. Those kind of people are easy to control.
Sorry for the rant but I even did it in class many times. I managed to reach a few of them but most just don't care.
They want the great pics, the great music quality, the great whatever but they want it given to them. They don't want to sacrifice for it, either physically or economically.

Sorry again