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mother_sheep
Aug 7, 2003, 8:32 PM
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Is it possible to take a really great picture with a really bad camera? For example, I have yet to buy a digital camera or any descent camera for that matter. Most of my shots are taken from bottom of the line, got it from my grandmother or the grocery store kind of cameras. But I think every so often, I get a really good shot. Maybe its because my eye is untrained. If the lighting and other environmental factors are in your favor, is it still possible to get a high quality photo?
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dsafanda
Aug 7, 2003, 8:44 PM
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Ofcoarse it's possible to capture a perfect moment with a crappy camera. You can capture a great composition and wonderful lighting conditions but often you're going to wish you had taken the same shot with better equipment.
I have a photo I that took about 8 years ago that I love. However, I used crappy film and a cheap ass lens. I still like the shot but it kills me that it could have been amazing if it was just a bit more tack sharp. I've gone back to the spot several times over many years and have never found the exact same conditions.
You usually only get once chance. Why not stack the odds in your favor by using the right tools for the job?
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thrillseeker05
Aug 7, 2003, 11:00 PM
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Yeah It’s possible.. I’ve used a disposable camera to take some really good shots. No one would believe that it came from such low quality equipment…
You can also take some really crappy shots with the best equipment..
Having the “eye” for a great shot is what matters.
Have fun.
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dsafanda
Aug 7, 2003, 11:39 PM
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Perfect example of what I was talking about. That looks great as a 72dpi web image but it would be really nice hanging in your living room wouldn't it? Is the quality such that you can get a gorgeous large print made from the negative you have?
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rockmx
Aug 7, 2003, 11:49 PM
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My climbing friend Jose took this photo from the summit of "blanc Check", if you like a copy of this photo email me you address and I can ship to you a copy of the negatives.
Blanc check is a route located in "Cañon tajo" Baja Ca. Mexico" it's a place whit 300 routs but no more than 10 climbers on the weekends.
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rwaltermyer
Aug 8, 2003, 12:16 AM
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Popular Photography did an article on that a while back, they out some of the best photographers w/ disposable cameras. And they got amazing results.
But THEY know just about everything there is. If you don't, utlizing a sweet metering system and good autofocus camera won't hurt. BUT never shoot on P mode. Thats for wussies!
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mother_sheep
Aug 8, 2003, 2:50 PM
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Wow! Its amazing how the lighting was just right to capture that. How beautiful. Truth is, I don't even have a REAL camera. All of my pictures from my web site w/the exception of the Ellingwood Arete page were all taken from disposable cameras. I think I have a pretty good eye. Once I finish buying up the climbing gear I need, I'll be in the market for a good camera.
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rwaltermyer
Aug 8, 2003, 2:55 PM
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I can't imagine taking climbing shots w/o my wideangle lens or my telephoto!!
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akornylak
Aug 8, 2003, 3:27 PM
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In reply to: Is it possible to take a really great picture with a really bad camera? For example, I have yet to buy a digital camera or any descent camera for that matter. Most of my shots are taken from bottom of the line, got it from my grandmother or the grocery store kind of cameras. But I think every so often, I get a really good shot. Maybe its because my eye is untrained. If the lighting and other environmental factors are in your favor, is it still possible to get a high quality photo?
Its also possible to get really bad pictures with a really good camera! I have a friend, who is just getting into photography, that showed me some pics from his tiny Canon Elph 3-megapixel point-and-shoot. They were amazingly good. They may not be tack-sharp with perfect color rendition when enlarged, but the composition and lighting was excellent, the moment captured. It made me once again re-evaluate my equipment selection.
I am convinced that a camera that allows you to be more creative and instinctive in your photography is the better camera, regardless of quality. Some of the most famous, once-in-a-lifetime photographs were of bad quality: blurry, tilted, bad exposure, etc. Look at Capa, for example!
Somewhat related is a book by John Loengard called "Celebrating the Negative". Its fascinating to look at the raw negatives of famous photographs.
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jeffers_mz
Aug 8, 2003, 6:47 PM
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Best thing to look for Tracy, is balance. Yes, you'll get sharper and better exposed images with an SLR or digital that allows you control over shutter speed, aperature and zoom, with halfway decent glass like you get from any of the major manufactureres like Minolta, Olympus, etc.
True, you can get even better shots with Nikon glass or large format negatives, but you reach a point of diminishing returns, in weight, in expense, in the effort you have to put into it all.
A good place to start reaching for that balance would be a fully manual 35mm body and a medium grade zoom lense. Say a Nikkormat (takes Nikon and Nikkor lenses) or a Pentax K-1000 with a 35 to 85 mm zoom. You can probably pick that up used at a local camera store for around a hundred bucks.
That'll help you pick up basic exposure, depth of field, even some darkroom stuff if you want to run a few rolls of black and white. That's where I learned the most in the shortest time. Shooting a roll or two and then immediately going in the darkroom and seeing what I'd done wrong soon enough to remember the settings in question.
Darkrooms are at local colleges and schools, adult ed classes, etc.
Enjoy the upgrade but remember to keep the balance, once you pass a certain point it's more and mor about your timing and eye and less and less about your equipment.
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climbsomething
Aug 8, 2003, 7:48 PM
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It's certainly possible... one of my favorite shots was taken on a $18 Vivitar point n shoot cheapo I got at Wal-Mart:
http://hillarydavis.com/...re/saguarosunset.jpg
Another one of my favorites is this self-portrait, scored on the JamCam, a super-cheap ($25 clearance bin... I love Wal-Mart!) digital camera. I cropped it a bit, converted to black and white, and blacked out the background because it was just my distractingly messy bedroom, but otherwise, I did not alter it. I am not smart enough to alter photos on anything besides Microsoft Paint ;)
http://hillarydavis.com/albums/me/halfbw.jpg
It's true that a strong eye matters more than a nice camera... I've seen stuff from people who have really nice equipment and who talk a good game, but all they take is junk and (climbing) ass-shots. (spray inhabits the photography world too... heh) But I tend to consider getting good shots from a cheap camera a happy accident, at least in my experience. If you think you have a good eye, have a keen interest, and want good photos more often than luck allows, then you may as well invest in a real camera.
Think of it this way: Chris Sharma could up and down lead our 11a projects in his tennies, but the rest of us need Stealth rubber. Just a little handicap helps our game, yah? ;)
I am glad to see somebody mentioned the fully manual Pentax K-1000. That's what this photography gumby is having a blast learning on 8)
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reno
Aug 8, 2003, 9:55 PM
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In reply to: Another one of my favorites is this self-portrait, scored on the JamCam, a super-cheap ($25 clearance bin... I love Wal-Mart!)
Wow...
Wow.
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