All the gear - no idea?

digitalfailure said:
I've always been the type of person who buys the very best I can afford even if it's beyond my current ability, at least I know then I have the luxury of being able to grow into it iykwim.

Cheaper in the long run than upgrading every couple of months.
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I agree.:thumbs: and simply don't care what people ask me, if I can help them then I will.
 
We seem to have long considered shopping as some defining activity, but recent prosperity has allowed us to 'express ourselves' through the consumption of goods like never before. You are what you buy, what your possessions say you are. Shopping has become a carefully practised art of studied decisions, and we see many people select the things they buy with the care of a museum curator. Everyone longs for exactly the right stuff in his or her personal gallery of treasured possessions.

Once upon a time, owning the right-stuff hardware without having the right-stuff skills suggested that you were just a poseur. But the stupefying technical progress year after year inevitably increases the likelihood of finding your cousin at the wedding with a D3x point-and-shoot.

More important, however, having the right-stuff hardware is an attitude that so drives consumers now that the ability to use these goods expertly assumes far less importance than before. It's perfectly acceptable to buy an expedition-weight three-layer Gore-Tex Alpenglow reinforced Marmot Thunderlight jacket to walk your dog. People get judged on the quality of their gear, so when buying stuff, you prove you are a serious and expert player by buying the highest quality gear. "You have to show you're smart enough to spend the very most."

Of course any 'real' photographer and dedicated non-poseurs will utterly ignore all this ego driven materialistic jewelleryfest and enjoy take good pictures with a pocket digital camera or even some old mechanical thing loaded with film. :D
 
A well thought out post there Voyager, thanks :thumbs:
 
i have always bought the best i could afford in everything i do, i bought a 40D to start with and soon realised that the type of photography that interested me required a faster focus system, so i got a 1Dmk2 and some L glass, i am still very much a beginner but i believe having decent equipment gives me a better chance of success, why should being a beginner mean i should use inferior equipment ? with what i have i am confident that i can learn and progress, yes i probably will ask one or two daft questions but whatever the answer to those questions i know i am equipped to succeed, especially with the advice from the good people on this forum

besides......i don't need good camera stuff to be annoying ::suspect: :D
 
Doesn't bother me in the slightest if a novice photographer upgrades from a P&S to a D3x - it's their money to spend as they see fit. What DOES bother me is that some people are too lazy to read the manual - or even the quick start guide, after all, it's far quicker to spend 10 minutes typing a question here then waiting around for 1/2 an hour before bumping the thread, only to get the answer a day later than it is to look in the index of the manual to find the answer.

I'll aggree that some manuals aren't the easiest to understand - and I have no problem with questions like "what does it mean in the manual when it says... ?" but there have been plenty of questions that are answered in easy to understand terms in the manuals. I'#m not going to go looking for any specific examples since (apart from anything else) that's against forum rules, however I shall continue to point people towards the manual (where appropriate) or a previous post.
 
Voyager for PM I say. The most eloquent well thought out post I've ever read.
Nail on the head stuff.
 
A while ago I asked a similar type question on here "what would you spend your money on" as I had about £2k to spend on gear and I considered upgrading my 40D whilst I had the money. A lot of people on here told me don't be daft, learn the trade first, save the money and understand the camera you have got until perfection then when you are ready take the leap.

I mulled this over for a few days and decided in the end to spend the money on a 1D MKIII and a 24-105L Lens which cost me just over the £2k at the time (this was only about September last year). The camera was just under 6 months old and came with a 2 year warranty which I was pleased about. Since then I have progressed a fair bit in my work and managed to get some pics printed a few weeks ago which I was pleased about.

Yes at the time I was one of those people who had all the gear and little idea (wouldn't say no idea but was still learning lots) but my gamble paid off because I now have a camera and a lens for just over £2k which If I were to buy at todays prices would be probably double that amount, and since having this kit I have improved a fair bit.

Its all too easy to poke fun at those who are just starting and ask the simple questions that we too were probably asking when we first started but didnt do so on such a public forum like this. Everyone has to learn somehow and if they can afford the best kit and can learn with the best kit then this isnt such a bad idea....But hey thats just my twopence worth ;)
 
It bothers me about as much as seeing an old man pootling around in London traffic in a Gallardo Superleggera.....i.e. not at all.

If they've got the money and desire to own top notch toys and it makes them happy, fair play to them, doesn't make any difference to me.

Complaining about other people having better kit than you is nothing but bitterness to be honest.
 
well... i must admit that i experianced an example of this aboout two weeks ago. I was chantting to a friend, and photography was brought up (as i had just shot a gig for his band two nights befor) and he mentioned that his dad had a nikon D3, now i was just like fair enough, there quite a well off family so its not to suprising... but then all of a sudden this guy started ranting about how he was going to buy a D3 as he would take excelent photos. Once again, i thought ok fair enough, and said in a joking way, ah its a great camera, but just prepare for weeks of learning all the settings and how to use it :p'. To which he replied 'nope, whats the point of that, if im buying a 3 grand camera, im going to want it to be automatic, and do all the work for me'....

....now i will admit that did really annoy me... but i will also admit, that the only reason it did annoy me was complete jealosy... still, i guess its the culture we live in, where people like this, presume that its the camera that takes great photos, and nothing else...

rant over...
 
I too think this whole thing just reflects modern Western consumerism - having the best of everything - living the dream and all that. Much as already stated.

It doesn't bother me. Bemuse yes, but not bother.
 
Doesn't bother me either. If someone believes they'll be happy spending x amount on camera equipment, then fine.
I used to see it sometimes with guitar players; 'if I have that guitar and that amp and run it through those effects, then I'll make great music'.
But as I said, if it puts a smile on their face, then that's all that matters. I'll always try to stick to buying and using what I know I need, rather that what I think I want.
 
if they/you can afford it, go for it. Id feel self conscious that i was over geared (i felt v self conscious when first started using current camera) but a lot of folk wouldn't and fair play to them.
 
If someone has better gear than I do,(:razz:) good luck to them! If someone asks a :help:question that I consider to be a 'dumb' question, I do not have a problem answering them as I think it is fair to assume that if they knew the answer, they would not ask and we were all dumb once! Now where is that fireworks button? :nuts:

:rules:Be nice to people on their way up because one day you will likely pass them on your way down and they might just bite your ass!:rules:
 
Be nice to people on their way up because one day you will likely pass them on your way down and they might just bite your ass!
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the best thing said on this thread :thumbs:
 
I also blame the camera mfrs, even my D90 aimed at "serious amatuers" has a number of "scene" modes. I never use them, as I know what settings I want, all you need is av,tv m and program(which you can adjust) I could actually work with any one of these as after al whether you choose the av or tv, you will need a particular shutter speed, or aperture, and one determines the other.

I learnt on a Zenit e with pre set diaphram, and separate exposure meter - you HAD to learn! These days its too easy so few learn!
 
Errm I was joking when I asked what the 5 meant. I know it's just a helpful reminder about fruit and veg
 
Your posts at '666' are you being a little devil;)
 
Talking of silly questions.....why do they make viewfinders so dark?


33tp6ch.jpg
 
personally I do not give 2 hoots what camera some one has or what questions they ask. We all started once, the only sutpid question asked is the one that us not asked. I will always help someone if I can. Would not matter if it was in photography or every day life.

Just a question for everyone who it annoys.

Would you help someone change a flat tyre on a car? Even if it was a ferarri (sp) or would you just drive past going " well they have a Ferrari they should be a fully qualified mechanic and know how to do that"

I am sure you don't think like that in everyday life so why do it with photography?
 
Davec223 said:
personally I do not give 2 hoots what camera some one has or what questions they ask. We all started once, the only sutpid question asked is the one that us not asked. I will always help someone if I can. Would not matter if it was in photography or every day life.

Just a question for everyone who it annoys.

Would you help someone change a flat tyre on a car? Even if it was a ferarri (sp) or would you just drive past going " well they have a Ferrari they should be a fully qualified mechanic and know how to do that"

I am sure you don't think like that in everyday life so why do it with photography?
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quoted for truth. :clap:
 
i HAVE JUST READ THE THREAD THE WHOLE WAY THROUGH AND IM PLEASED TO SEE MOST PEEPS DONT CARE WHAT OTHERS HAVE.

[sorry bout caps!]

I am not bothered about what someone else has at all and if they ask a question i can answer i will try to.

Some questions are very basic but hey if they dont know the answer its a good question.

And as for looking up the answer on the web sometimes I have searched for an answer and got nowhere BUT when I ask on here I get an answer written in plain english and I understand straight away.
 
i prefer the other side of the coin

theres nothing better (to me) than seeing someone with the worst stuff imaginable and running rings round people using pure talent to get results

this applies to most hobbies etc and i just love to see it !
 
At the end of the day they are all boxes with a small hole at the front and the most expensive can be as easy to use as a compact, do you really need to own such an expensive advanced camera? Of course not but if you can afford it you will. There are enough people tking their kids to school in 4x4s where a pair of legs will do the same job but some people just aren't like that. All I worry about is how I perform with the gear I have and if I'm happy that's good enough for me. I would and have helped plenty of people with better gear than me and good luck to them, photography is about more then the gear thank god ;)
 
I think if people want to blow a fortune on expensive high end equipment, before having a clue how to use it, then they should be allowed to! :)

People don't need to justify their expenses, or their choices. I bought a D200 and a bag of lenses, all brand new, without even the FOGGIEST of a clue of how to use it.

Read it and weep: http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=41963 :)

About 4 months after writing that post, I bought a D3 and I am now officially hooked.

Call it stupidity, arrogance, ignorance, whatever. Water, ducks back etc :)

Gary.
 
mid_gen said:
It bothers me about as much as seeing an old man pootling around in London traffic in a Gallardo Superleggera....
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That ****es me off no end! What a waste!!! Sports cars deserve to be driven!!
When I see someone who has clearly bought such a car just to "look good" - I'm afraid it just makes my blood boil. :suspect:

A mate of mine bought a brand new Saab a while back (he ended up having to sell it about 6 or 9 months later at a tremendous loss, but that's another story!) and it subsequently transpired he didn't have a clue what ABS is. I was just thinking to myself WTF!?!? You spend £23 grand on a car, and you don't know what ABS is? I mean, I guess I can understand it if <blatant chauvinism> you're a girl </blatant chauvinism> (or, y'know, just anyone who wants a nice car for getting themselves from A to B), but this is a bloke who's a bit "picky" about cars, and who on more than one occasion now has insisted on buying a slightly "sporty" model (of hatchback / family car). Turns out he doesn't know about weight-distribution, either - what makes an MX5 or an Elise handle well. I thought this was absolutely essential knowledge for guys who like cars. I've only ever bought secondhand not-quite-bangers, and I seem to know far more about cars than he does.

fallen_mathi said:
... but then all of a sudden this guy started ranting about how he was going to buy a D3 as he would take excelent photos. ... ah its a great camera, but just prepare for weeks of learning all the settings and how to use it :p'. To which he replied 'nope, whats the point of that, if im buying a 3 grand camera, im going to want it to be automatic, and do all the work for me'....

....now i will admit that did really annoy me...
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When someone brings sports cars into the discussion, I can quite easily sympathise with this point of view. It's one thing buying a good camera if you intend to learn, but if someone were to spend two grand on a dSLR and then be proud of their ignorance... I'd probably be insanely jealous.

Stroller.
 
Strolls said:
That ****es me off no end! What a waste!!! Sports cars deserve to be driven!!
When I see someone who has clearly bought such a car just to "look good" - I'm afraid it just makes my blood boil. :suspect:

A mate of mine bought a brand new Saab a while back (he ended up having to sell it about 6 or 9 months later at a tremendous loss, but that's another story!) and it subsequently transpired he didn't have a clue what ABS is. I was just thinking to myself WTF!?!? You spend £23 grand on a car, and you don't know what ABS is? I mean, I guess I can understand it if <blatant chauvinism> you're a girl </blatant chauvinism> (or, y'know, just anyone who wants a nice car for getting themselves from A to B), but this is a bloke who's a bit "picky" about cars, and who on more than one occasion now has insisted on buying a slightly "sporty" model (of hatchback / family car). Turns out he doesn't know about weight-distribution, either - what makes an MX5 or an Elise handle well. I thought this was absolutely essential knowledge for guys who like cars. I've only ever bought secondhand not-quite-bangers, and I seem to know far more about cars than he does.


When someone brings sports cars into the discussion, I can quite easily sympathise with this point of view. It's one thing buying a good camera if you intend to learn, but if someone were to spend two grand on a dSLR and then be proud of their ignorance... I'd probably be insanely jealous.

Stroller.
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Have we met? :lol:
 
EdinburghGary said:
I think if people want to blow a fortune on expensive high end equipment, before having a clue how to use it, then they should be allowed to! :)

People don't need to justify their expenses, or their choices. I bought a D200 and a bag of lenses, all brand new, without even the FOGGIEST of a clue of how to use it.

Read it and weep: http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=41963 :)

About 4 months after writing that post, I bought a D3 and I am now officially hooked.

Call it stupidity, arrogance, ignorance, whatever. Water, ducks back etc :)

Gary.
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I have spent a fair few quid on of gear like yourself (but mine is better cos it has Canon on it :razz: ) and why did I buy it, cos I could afford it and I hoped to 'grow' into it, thats why!

And tbh there are a lot of people on here that could use it a lot better than I do but do I care?

I work bloody hard, I don't smoke, I don't drink and its my hobby... Why the hell shouldn't I have it ???

In the future I hope to be good with it, but if im not then who has the right to say I shouldn't have it because I don't know how it all works.

One day I might have a real simple question to ask, and I would like to ask it here without people passing judgement on me because of the gear I own. :shake:

Scott.
 
:lol:

well i love these threads...:clap:

personally i have a 1ds very nice camera imo do i know how to use it :nuts: nowhere near .
it will do things i will never ask it to.

put it this way i am a steel fabricator by trade so why would i get a 1ds

answer because i did :razz:

am i bothered by others gear no jealous hell yes...:lol:


md:thumbs:
 
If you've got more ability than your gear can cope with then the result can be frustration
If you've got more gear than your ability can cope with then the result can also be frustration

See, we're all equal :)

Bob
 
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