Gees are they really that bad? I've never owned a camera not attached to a phone so I've got no frame of reference here. I guess I could go to a best buy and do some comparison shots or something... :-/
DO NOT GO TO BEST BUY!
If you are looking for real camera advise look for a real camera shop with people who work with them everyday.
Yeah I know Best Buy is awful, my intention was that I need to get ahold of some cameras in person and snap some shots and compare them to my phone... Best Buy was the first place I thought of. :-P
Suppose I am interested in photography as a hobby, but have incredibly shaky hands. Would you still recommend going into photography, or would my money and efforts be better spent on a different hobby (say, cooking or carpentry)?
Yeah I know Best Buy is awful, my intention was that I need to get ahold of some cameras in person and snap some shots and compare them to my phone... Best Buy was the first place I thought of. :-P
Best Buy is probably just fine for that then. You can do all your checking out of stuff without feeling guilty about wasting the time of a mom-and-pop camera store owner who actually knows their stuff. Once you have a real idea of what you want, then go to a real camera shop.
Suppose I am interested in photography as a hobby, but have incredibly shaky hands. Would you still recommend going into photography, or would my money and efforts be better spent on a different hobby (say, cooking or carpentry)?
You can take plenty of pictures with shaky hands. If you get a camera with a viewfinder you can press it against your face for stability. Your shaking also won't affect photos with fast shutter speed. Even people with steady hands need tripods for long exposure shots, you'll just also need them for moderate exposure. Don't let it stop you.
Gees are they really that bad? I've never owned a camera not attached to a phone so I've got no frame of reference here. I guess I could go to a best buy and do some comparison shots or something... :-/
DO NOT GO TO BEST BUY!
If you are looking for real camera advise look for a real camera shop with people who work with them everyday.
I'm not sure I've ever seen a shop dedicated to selling cameras.
Gees are they really that bad? I've never owned a camera not attached to a phone so I've got no frame of reference here. I guess I could go to a best buy and do some comparison shots or something... :-/
DO NOT GO TO BEST BUY!
If you are looking for real camera advise look for a real camera shop with people who work with them everyday.
I'm not sure I've ever seen a shop dedicated to selling cameras.
I've noticed that camera shops are hard to spot since they usually don't create window displays full of cameras. Instead it's usually lights, tripods, Nikon/Canon logo banners, etc.
Also, this is the best site in the universe for camera reviews and such.
Suppose I am interested in photography as a hobby, but have incredibly shaky hands. Would you still recommend going into photography, or would my money and efforts be better spent on a different hobby (say, cooking or carpentry)?
You can take plenty of pictures with shaky hands. If you get a camera with a viewfinder you can press it against your face for stability. Your shaking also won't affect photos with fast shutter speed. Even people with steady hands need tripods for long exposure shots, you'll just also need them for moderate exposure. Don't let it stop you.
This. Also, eat a lot of bananas; quite a lot of involuntary muscle tremor occurs due to low potassium.
So, are the reviews BS and just making it look like its amazing? This is just as good as my iPhone? This is why I want real people feedback instead of just relying on reviews, I'm such a newb with cameras. The consensus so far seems to be that I should not get a camera unless its the expensive fancy one. If I rule out the cheaper camera, I will follow this advice and either pony up the money or just not get one. But I want to rule out the cheaper ones first. :-P
That camera has 16MP compared to my S3's 8MP. But, megapixels are general marketing shittiness; you want resolution as an indicator of quality. The S3 takes pictures and video in 1080p, while that camera maxes out at 720p. So, my S3 beats that camera for resolution. Caveat: My D90 only does video in 720p but shoots photos at 4288x2848. Resolutions can vary internally; a lot of this has to do with the sensor. The D90's CMOS sensor is theoretically capable of 1080p, but the sensor would overheat and shutdown in minutes.
Additionally, lenses are really important. That camera's sensor is pretty meh, but you pay a lot of money for the glass. That said, the S3 also has a f/2.6 aperture, just like that camera. In comparison to a DSLR, there is no contest; you can change lenses as much as you like, and pop a 35mm f/1.4 on it for that beautiful, blown-out, soft-focus photoshoot look you like.
That camera is realistically a pretty good bridge camera, but if you do any serious photography, you'll likely find yourself saying, "I need a bigger aperture," or, "I need more rez," way sooner than you expected.
It's possible to take a great picture with any camera. Being in the right place at the right time with the right lighting and the camera aimed counts for more than all the fancy hardware in the world. If you search on Flickr you can find amazing photos taken with every camera that has ever existed, including ones much worse than your iPhone camera. Just look at these iPhone 4S photos.
Someone out there is taking better pictures with their iPhone than I have ever taken with my interchangeable lens camera. If you can't max out the potential of your phone camera, what makes you think you will magically be able to take much better pictures if you buy a $200 camera or a $2000 camera? Expensive cameras can take bad pictures too. They don't magically make everything look amazing, or photographers would be out of a job.
Hmmm. There are SO many hipster chicks at UIUC running around taking snaps with DSLRs set to Auto and Autofocus. Now, while I agree with Matt's core sentiment due to this phenomenon, I will say that there are many (many) things you can do on a DSLR (and to a lesser extent, a mirrorless) that you simply cannot do with a point-n-shoot. Getting better equipment without knowing your stock, optics, and theory will not improve your photos, but getting better equipment while committing to learning about those things quite possibly will.
Interchangable lens photography is kind of a distinct art from cell/PnS photography, in the same way that SLR/TLR film photography is distinct from pinhole photography.
Anyway, my post above details the differences. Take both these comments into account while you read it, and then decide if you want to be a person who takes pictures, or a photographer.
Any camera that has interchangeable lenses and allows the user to manually set the aperture, shutter speed, exposure, ISO and focus will give you plenty of room for growth. You will also naturally learn photography if you simply put in the effort to take better pictures.
Playing around with something like this is a good way to figure out if photography is something that you like without having to spend any money to find out.
Suppose I am interested in photography as a hobby, but have incredibly shaky hands. Would you still recommend going into photography, or would my money and efforts be better spent on a different hobby (say, cooking or carpentry)?
You can take plenty of pictures with shaky hands. If you get a camera with a viewfinder you can press it against your face for stability. Your shaking also won't affect photos with fast shutter speed. Even people with steady hands need tripods for long exposure shots, you'll just also need them for moderate exposure. Don't let it stop you.
In addition, if you're willing to fork over the cash, there are lenses for DSLRs that have image stabilization features that use gyroscopes and whatnot to steady the lens even if your hands aren't steady.
Suppose I am interested in photography as a hobby, but have incredibly shaky hands. Would you still recommend going into photography, or would my money and efforts be better spent on a different hobby (say, cooking or carpentry)?
You can take plenty of pictures with shaky hands. If you get a camera with a viewfinder you can press it against your face for stability. Your shaking also won't affect photos with fast shutter speed. Even people with steady hands need tripods for long exposure shots, you'll just also need them for moderate exposure. Don't let it stop you.
In addition, if you're willing to fork over the cash, there are lenses for DSLRs that have image stabilization features that use gyroscopes and whatnot to steady the lens even if your hands aren't steady.
No, you wouldn't. Trust me on this: a VR superzoom is basically a lens with a switch that says "Add Extra Talent." It's arguably the best thing you can do for your photos after you start shooting in RAW and editing in lightroom, and a Manfrotto tripod would cost about the same anyway.
The nice thing about photography is that it is very much an artistic skill in the manner of drawing. You need a creative mind to take good pictures, but your technical prowess is only limited by how much you practice. I recommend that anyone with a DSLR gets a neat camera bag (Timbuk2 Snoop for all your laptop needs, Domke Ruggedwear otherwise) and just get in the habit of ALWAYS carrying your shooting setup. You'll get really good in no time.
I appreciate everyone's input and taking time to address my questions. I guess in the end I have to say, I'm not trying to do anything professional or become a photographer, I have way too many hobbies already to get into that. I just thought it'd be cool to have something nicer than my iPhone for a reasonable price. I just wanna get the best bang for my buck, yanno? I honestly think if I have to spend too much for it, its really not worth getting because I'll barely be using it and wasting its potential. It'd be like me getting a super crazy gaming machine when all I wanna do is play Morrowind. :-P So I think I'll just go with my gut and pick something, test it out, and if I don't like it I'll return it.
Edit: Forgot to add, silly me being a newb didn't think about the other stuff I'd have to buy, like a case, battery charger, SD card, etc. That's moar moneys to factor in :-P.
Alright! Now I can make a recommendation: The Powershot S100 is probably the best, thinnest, most powerful point-n-shoot you can buy. Failing that, I'm a fan of the ELPH series.
Try one out and see how you like it. These point-n-shoots are good enough to take awesome pictures and not limit your capabilities too much while you work out if you actually want to get into photography. You might be surprised by how much you like it!
Another option is see if you can pick up an older DSLR body from someone who is upgrading. For example, I'm planning on upgrading my original Canon Digital Rebel to something newer in the next 6 months or so (now that I'm going to be a dad, I want something that shoots HD video as well as takes still shots). I'd offer to sell mine, but my wife apparently wants her own DSLR camera as well and already laid a claim to my old one.
Comments
If you are looking for real camera advise look for a real camera shop with people who work with them everyday.
Also, this is the best site in the universe for camera reviews and such.
http://www.dpreview.com/
So, are the reviews BS and just making it look like its amazing? This is just as good as my iPhone? This is why I want real people feedback instead of just relying on reviews, I'm such a newb with cameras. The consensus so far seems to be that I should not get a camera unless its the expensive fancy one. If I rule out the cheaper camera, I will follow this advice and either pony up the money or just not get one. But I want to rule out the cheaper ones first. :-P
That camera has 16MP compared to my S3's 8MP. But, megapixels are general marketing shittiness; you want resolution as an indicator of quality. The S3 takes pictures and video in 1080p, while that camera maxes out at 720p. So, my S3 beats that camera for resolution. Caveat: My D90 only does video in 720p but shoots photos at 4288x2848. Resolutions can vary internally; a lot of this has to do with the sensor. The D90's CMOS sensor is theoretically capable of 1080p, but the sensor would overheat and shutdown in minutes.
Additionally, lenses are really important. That camera's sensor is pretty meh, but you pay a lot of money for the glass. That said, the S3 also has a f/2.6 aperture, just like that camera. In comparison to a DSLR, there is no contest; you can change lenses as much as you like, and pop a 35mm f/1.4 on it for that beautiful, blown-out, soft-focus photoshoot look you like.
That camera is realistically a pretty good bridge camera, but if you do any serious photography, you'll likely find yourself saying, "I need a bigger aperture," or, "I need more rez," way sooner than you expected.
http://www.flickr.com/cameras/apple/iphone_4s/
Someone out there is taking better pictures with their iPhone than I have ever taken with my interchangeable lens camera. If you can't max out the potential of your phone camera, what makes you think you will magically be able to take much better pictures if you buy a $200 camera or a $2000 camera? Expensive cameras can take bad pictures too. They don't magically make everything look amazing, or photographers would be out of a job.
Interchangable lens photography is kind of a distinct art from cell/PnS photography, in the same way that SLR/TLR film photography is distinct from pinhole photography.
Anyway, my post above details the differences. Take both these comments into account while you read it, and then decide if you want to be a person who takes pictures, or a photographer.
Playing around with something like this is a good way to figure out if photography is something that you like without having to spend any money to find out.
http://camerasim.com/camera-simulator/
Also, shaky hands + carpentry = bloody hands.
The nice thing about photography is that it is very much an artistic skill in the manner of drawing. You need a creative mind to take good pictures, but your technical prowess is only limited by how much you practice. I recommend that anyone with a DSLR gets a neat camera bag (Timbuk2 Snoop for all your laptop needs, Domke Ruggedwear otherwise) and just get in the habit of ALWAYS carrying your shooting setup. You'll get really good in no time.
Also, does anyone know of any fun modern text adventures?
Figure out what you want to do, find the cameras that are the best at that thing, and THEN look at price point.
http://frotz.sourceforge.net/
Edit: Forgot to add, silly me being a newb didn't think about the other stuff I'd have to buy, like a case, battery charger, SD card, etc. That's moar moneys to factor in :-P.
Try one out and see how you like it. These point-n-shoots are good enough to take awesome pictures and not limit your capabilities too much while you work out if you actually want to get into photography. You might be surprised by how much you like it!