Are Cameras Becoming Too Complicated? (Page 6): Nothing you get out of box is built for a specific user. Companies build it for everyone and than you just pick what you want to use.

Coyote9269 Loc: USA

joer wrote:

The manual of my new camera has over 500 pages (all English). I'm not about to read it cover to cover.

Watched an Art Wolf video where he admitted that he only uses about 4% of his camera's features.

Are we paying for things we'll never use?

I know I am.

Nothing you get out of box is built for a specific user. Companies build it for everyone and than you just pick what you want to use. The good part is with time if you want to you can learn and challenge your self to use other features. I never had a need nor until a year or so ago ever heard of screen shots on a computer. In the last month I have had to use the feature a few times.

While we have to pay for all the technology and only use some I like to try and learn the rest. While I may not use it everyday I do want to get my monies worth and continue to expand my mind.

The Villages Loc: The Villages, Florida

I feel there is validity to the comment. Are we more interested in making use of the multitude of features that cameras have OR taking the best picture posisible through proper composition and other facets?

So much of it depends on the situation you are in when taking the picture. If you are a landscape or portrait photographer, then time is on you side and you can fiddle with the controls. Being a street photograper, taking pictures when with a tour group on a cruise, catching candid shots or alike, then you are taking pictures "on the go", and then don't have time to micro shoot.

While PP may not be to everyone's likiing, you can make corrections that you may not have been able to take advantage
of while in the field...therefore the best of both worlds.

ricardo7 Loc: Washington, DC - Santiago, Chile

I can do 3 things with my Hasselblad; focus, set aperture, set shutter speed. You tell me if today's cameras are too complicated.

OLDJIM Loc: N.London.UK

Hi All, Yes folks, I'm also suffering from too much information syndrome. The main problem is that I experiment with setting's say WHITE BALANCE. I get what I need, then being decrepid I take the camera out again and ruin a bunch of shots that all have a BLUE tint. In other words my instructions do not default and go back to where they were!!! I need a new brain with lots of RAM and ROM!
Am I alone here? I would buy a LEICA if I could afford it. I did enjoy my old Pentax Spotmatic with just aperture,focus and shutter speed.ks

Bye folks............... OLD JIM (84)

amehta Loc: Boston

joer wrote:

Sort of like buying a tool then looking for an application instead of the other way around.

That's a very reasonable approach. I need a drill to hang pictures, so I buy a drill. Then I think, what else would this do for me? There are lots of projects I never considered because I didn't think I had the tools for them. Now, with a drill, I might consider some.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

amehta wrote:

The D810.

Why would anyone want a D810 and not want to know everything about it?

amehta Loc: Boston

Marionsho wrote:

That's exactly why this Canon user wants a DF. :thumbup:

NOOOOO!!!!!! Please get a real camera instead! :-)

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

Phyllis wrote:

Just give me settings for aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. That's all I want. I focus manually. I don't need anything else.

I'm with you. The lenses I use most don't even have automatic diaphragms. My camera has a slew of features I'll never have use for, but at least they aren't in the way of those I do.
Much of the discussion on this forum concerns gear rather than technique, but that's always been the case with camera buffs. I enjoy it without practicing it.

Phyllis Loc: NE PA

RWR wrote:

I'm with you. The lenses I use most don't even have automatic diaphragms. My camera has a slew of features I'll never have use for, but at least they aren't in the way of those I do.
Much of the discussion on this forum concerns gear rather than technique, but that's always been the case with camera buffs. I enjoy it without practicing it.

Thank You, RWR. I think that part of the fun of photography, and certainly part of the satisfaction, comes from doing everything yourself manually. And, the results are amazing.

Years ago I learned photography on a Minolta SRT 202. Then I switched to automatic, or program, mode as I updated my gear and my photos were not as good. Now I shoot with a Leica M9 and I love it. The fun of taking pictures is back. : )

Kingmapix Loc: Mesa, Arizona

My answer is YES.
I go by the KISS rule: Keep It Simple Stupid

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

joer wrote:

The manual of my new camera has over 500 pages (all English). I'm not about to read it cover to cover.

Watched an Art Wolf video where he admitted that he only uses about 4% of his camera's features.

Are we paying for things we'll never use?

I know I am.

When I bought my first DSLR, I had to read through half the manual to find out why there was no rewind crank! :lol:

asiafish Loc: Bakersfield, CA

Some of us pay ALOT to not have all of those features. My camera doesn't even shoot color (Leica M Monochrom) and the thing couldn't be simpler to use. Of course i had to sell my Harley-Davidson to pay for it.

Phyllis Loc: NE PA

RWR wrote:

When I bought my first DSLR, I had to read through half the manual to find out why there was no rewind crank! :lol:

: )

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

If you REALLY want to stump one of those "know everything" teenagers in your life, just give him or her an old film SLR camera and a roil of film and say "Here, go take yourself some photographs."
Its always good for a few laughs and to shut one of them up for an hour because they are too embarrassed to ask an old guy how to do it! ;) ;)

(And you thought camera phones were complicated?)

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

asiafish wrote:

Some of us pay ALOT to not have all of those features. My camera doesn't even shoot color (Leica M Monochrom) and the thing couldn't be simpler to use. Of course i had to sell my Harley-Davidson to pay for it.

I could never sell my Harley to buy ANY camera. Where the heck would I mount my Go Pro if I did? :thumbup: