Reply #5: The shutter delay on a P&S or pocket camera is frustrating [View All]

[F.Gordon]

But it's really frustrating on a pinhole camera.
:rofl:

Most people that are looking to purchase a Point & Shoot - Compact - Pocket camera really aren't concerned with shutter delay, ISO, aperture, shutter speed, white balance, focus.... they just want something that can take perty pictures. Nothing wrong with that, but my RANT with this is that people who own Point & Shoot - Compact - Pocket cameras don't utilitze a fraction of the cameras capacity. Just set to auto... "say cheese"... and click.

There's also the issue of what people "see" when they look through the viewfinder or on the rear view screen. Most are happy to just to get their subject in the snap. Again, nothing wrong with that, but just taking a little more time.... moving the camera around... looking at everything that will be in the snap and thinkin' "how can I make this shot of Grandpa picking his nose interesting".... can make a big difference in getting a ho-hum snap and a really good snap.

I guess I might be guilty of throwing a log on the fire with the Coke vs. Pepsi "discussions" but I do so only for a chuckle and the hope that those reading it can see that it is purely esoteric and insignificant.

Oh, and using my Canon DigitalSLR isn't quite as easy to use in Manual... using the steps you outlined.. as my new :P Pentax FilmSLR or your ol' Minolta but it's damn close. You just watch the metering level in the view finder and adjust either the shutter speed or the aperture. The advancements... the "AUTOMATION" are primarily things that have to do with speed, metering, and focus. You don't have to be concerned with these things. You can use a DigitalSLR the very same way you use a FilmSLR.

Have to tell ya' though.. being able to "lock the focus" on your subject and move the camera to recompose your snap without losing your focus... and doing so very quickly.... stuff like that is pretty awesome once you start using it.

Your comment on "VASTLY larger budgets" bothers me. One thing that I fear from all the esoteric discussions (I'm guilty of this too) is that it might intimidate or scare off people who'd like to participate in this group.... share photos... but don't "think they're good enough" or that "they don't have an expensive camera"... so they just lurk.

Not that I'm going to "sell" anyone on my photographemicalistic skills :silly: but the first two were taken with my point & shoot - compact - pocket camera and the 3rd was taken with a $3.00 disposable camera. It was the only "normal" snap I had handy cause I mainly play around with funky-artsy-fartsy snaps with the disposables...







The biggest problem, and it reallly isn't a problem if you "watch your light" with point & shoot - compact - pocket cameras is that they aren't the best for metering light. In the 2nd snap above you can see where the camera said "screw this" and there are some blown out bits and very dark shadows.

Wholey Chit.. someone needs to just step away from the coffee...
:crazy:

Sorry for the long post.
:hi: