The new box Brownie?

[E-P1 fan]

Got thinking this morning.

Am I wrong - or does every man and his dog have a dlsr these days? Not just amateur, semi-pro photography enthusiasts - but occasional snappers too?

At a recent event I was struck by the numbers of people of all ages but particularly 'twenty somethings- ' sporting entry level Nikons and Canons.

In film days - I'm sure the only people with decent serious cameras - slr's, tlr's, medium format etc - used to be enthusiasts. Most snappers had Instamatics or one of the range of point and shoot automatics. Slr's were seen as pro gear= complicated and expensive. Zenit E owners of course got the pro-ness at a budget price thanks to Communist Party subsidies in USSR.

Has the dslr ceased to stand as an a signifier of 'serious photography'?
Is the entry level dslr the new Instamatic or Box Brownie? :confused:

[mike_j]

I don't think it has gone quite as far as 'Box Brownie' but there is something in what you say. Let's hope that many of these new users move on past the auto-everything stage to enjoy a deeper understanding of photography.

It does suggest that the micro 4/3 is well targeted, doesn't it?

[knikki]

Welcome ot the digital age :D

These days, as everyone keeps pointing out, digital is so much easier and quicker to use than film.

Everyone has a computer
Everyone has internet access
Digital cameras are loads cheaper than there film counter parts
DSLRs can simply be used as point and shoots, no matter how much money you spend on them.

I think any DSLR is a box brownie these days, the only way to tell if the user is serious is if they move the camera off the 'P' setting :D

[Xpres]

Push the button and we do the rest - or something like that, made the brownie so popular. It was simple.
It's funny how the Brownie has now become an enthusiasts camera. The only way to use it is with black and white film processed at home - it's fun and the results have a certain 'quality'. Well I like it :cool:
But now the Dslr is 'simple' when combined with the pc or printing kiosks, but why a Dslr? Why not a compact digital that fits in a shirt pocket?

A shot from my first Brownie - last year.

http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/3636/467/1600/111266/Brownie%20snap.jpg

[E-P1 fan]

but why a Dslr? Why not a compact digital that fits in a shirt pocket?

That was the point really - there's loads of really good shirt pocket cameras - they'd be a perfect digital instamatic I'd have thought.

I don't get the dslr use by people who are not 'into' photography. Even a simple kit setup is bulky and obtrusive compared to say one of those lovely shirt pocket Olympus' I was looking at today.

And we know dslr's can attract unwanted attention from plods, plodettes, security operatives et al - so further hassle for the casual snapper too.


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What's this digital age then knikki - is it like 'the finger' :D

[R MacE]

It does suggest that the micro 4/3 is well targeted, doesn't it?

I would have suggested that the opposite was true. If people are buying DSLR's to use as P&S cameras then they're buying the (Pro) image. I can't see an m4/3rds having the same appeal.

I had a quick look at a G1 today (Jessops) not bad at all, the EVF was extremely good, the various buttons such as WB and ISO are accessed from the D pad and pretty easy to find even after only a few minutes. Not much need to delve into the menu either. It initially felt really small (I take a size 10 glove) and I couldn't even find the command dial but at the end of 5-10 minutes I was able to operate it quite easily. I only really scratched the surface with regard to what the EVF can display but I like what I see.

I'll certainly keep it in mind if the credit crunch eases up :)

[scanny]

Amoungst some friends at uni the dslr is seen as one of those "posh toys" that you eventually buy into and then delve into photography. There is a feeling that its a little of the "ipod effect" with a dslr (nikon especially, i have had nikon envy at a few events ive been to!) and it being a fashionable thing to have, but being students at least all my friends have activly taken up photography as a hobby and then go on bashing their bank accounts buying further kit. I know i went straight from occasionally using a sony cybershot last year to an e400 (and now far too much spent for my own good) after trying a friends D200 and liking it. My only requsite was i wanted a camera that could take a picture of what i see(size, quality,colour ect)- i reckon i found one

As for the older age groups (25>40) id say half the couples i seen at loch lomond last week had dslr's, some hanging their nikons of the pram! I dont know if its just the "you notice more of them because you have one" or if there are more people buying them.

Ive found there to be a camera class structure and intimidation with them. As soon as i pulled out me 510 at uni on wednesday to take pictures of a pressure vessel test my lecturer started dropping in photographic terms and trying to prove something (hes a doctor of mechanics he shouldnt have to feel he should know about cameras too!), ive had that happen a few times especially if talking with someone who used 35mm, they get a little frisky and feel they have to show off what they know- or the couple who ask you to take a snap on their disposable camera then feel they have to say "its not as advanced as yours but it suffices". It might just be me but i keep feeling the undertonnes. Conversly you get the person whos read amatuer photographer and starts namedropping the latest model and a few features try to show off, which can be fun to debate with

[Naughty Nigel]

Amoungst some friends at uni the dslr is seen as one of those "posh toys" that you eventually buy into and then delve into photography. There is a feeling that its a little of the "ipod effect" with a dslr (nikon especially, i have had nikon envy at a few events ive been to!) and it being a fashionable thing to have.......

I suspect there is a lot of truth in this.

I must admit I have noted a lot more people with DSLR's over the past year or two. His 'n hers DSLRs seem to be particularly popular. I have to say I have also noticed more entry level Nikons and some E System cameras than other brands; including Canon.

Why is this? I'm not sure, but I think the 'fashion accessory' theory has some value. It seems to me that many people try hard to appear successful to others, and dangling an impressive looking camera around one's neck is one way of achieving this, whilst possibly fulfilling a useful function. A DSLR is also a lot cheaper than a BMW / GTI / A Series or whatever, and can be worn around the shops, so from a perceived status point of view it probably has some merit.

At the same time, most truly compact cameras have dropped significantly in price over the past few years, and now reside firmly in Waynesville territory. Indeed, I have heard that some of these compacts even have their own passports to Faliraki and the Costas.:(

Interestingly, the higher quality compacts, such as the Canon G series seem to get overlooked in all of this; possibly because at £350 or so their cost is very little less than an entry level DSLR, and a DSLR is much more visible.

But does this help photography? I’m sure it does, if only because of economy of scale, and increased funding for development of new cameras. More people with DSLR’s also means that CSOs and the various private Securitate outfits will have their work cut out.;)

[knikki]

What's this digital age then knikki - is it like 'the finger' :D

Don't know *shrug I read it on this interwibble things :D

I know my technobabble I'll have you know *laugh

[Naughty Nigel]

Ive found there to be a camera class structure and intimidation with them. As soon as i pulled out me 510 at uni on wednesday to take pictures of a pressure vessel test my lecturer started dropping in photographic terms and trying to prove something (hes a doctor of mechanics he shouldnt have to feel he should know about cameras too!), ive had that happen a few times especially if talking with someone who used 35mm, they get a little frisky and feel they have to show off what they know- or the couple who ask you to take a snap on their disposable camera then feel they have to say "its not as advanced as yours but it suffices". It might just be me but i keep feeling the undertonnes. Conversly you get the person whos read amatuer photographer and starts namedropping the latest model and a few features try to show off, which can be fun to debate with

There is some truth in this too.

Whenever I get the Mamiya out I seem to get comments like, "now that is a real camera. How many megapixels is that?" At one time I would try to explain that (IMHO) medium format film produces better results than digital, but nowadays I usually just say "56 megapixels"; which is about what it scans to at 4,000 dpi.;) That tends to put most people off the scent before they start trying to defend their own choice of camera.

Then there are those with L Glass, who always seem to glare at anyone else with an SLR, as if to say "don't even look at me; I'm a Pro". I suppose it’s a bit like sales reps glaring at each other at traffic lights.*chr

[Makonde]

I think people with any money like to buy a 'good' camera and because of the cultural inheritance of 35mm film, for most that implies a (D)SLR. It seems that the great majority, however, don't go on to use their good cameras as anything more than P&S and mostly on auto. I get a lot of locals hereabouts submitting photos for the website and local quartlery mag I do; and most of them are, frankly, awful snaps when they use their DSLRs.

Mind you, I don't look down on using auto - and most of us are using nearly full auto most of the time, once we've chosen aperture / shutter priority and setting, and maybe ISO. And look at the best fireworks pics here during the past week - all shot using the E5** 's 'fireworks' mode :-))

Personally I think DSLRs are on the way out except in studios. They are large, heavy and clunky. The likes of micro 4/3 with fully electronic doodahs like EVF, sensors that are just as good, and that can work silently and without vibration are on the way in over the next decade. But they won't fit easily into a pocket. For me, compacts have some genuine advantages and should be part of one's armoury. Fit in a pocket, quickly ready and take reliable pics; no dust / lens-changing problems and silent unobtrusive operation. Nothing to look down on, at all!

[Naughty Nigel]

For me, compacts have some genuine advantages and should be part of one's armoury. Fit in a pocket, quickly ready and take reliable pics; no dust / lens-changing problems and silent unobtrusive operation. Nothing to look down on, at all!

I agree: I use one myself, and believe they fulfill an important role in photography. Sadly though, many people do look down at compacts; and usually for all the wrong reasons.