Seeing Rebels....

[wsmith96]

these people will not purchase a new camera for at least another 5 years.

Funny - I just bought a 60D coming from a T1i I purchased in 2009. You were dead on too - it had all of the features I wanted at the time and it still works well today, though I now prefer the ergonomics and speed of the 60D. Not sure how long I'll have the 60D, I'm getting anxious to see about this new camera in September. I can't complain though - it was a heck of an upgrade for $460.

 

[9VIII]

As far as I'm concerned any Rebel is a fantastic investment over a point and shoot. And the T3 is about as good as it gets for a travel camera, it gets about 30% longer battery life than any other entry level SLR and it's cheap enough not to worry about.

I would pick up a second (then I would have three batteries!) but chances are by the time anything goes wrong I'll be able to get the successor to the SL1 (which should have DPAF).

 

[3kramd5]

Am I the only one who doesn't care what mode random people use? It's one thing to observe what camera someone has (and since manufacturers often put the model name on the strap, it's easy for those of us to don't follow the mass market offerings closely) from afar, but getting up close enough to observe mode-selection dials? That's weird. IJS.

It's kinda obvious when rebel users came to me and asked for photography advice. Not only they were shooting in the green mode, they were also using auto focus(camera focus to nearest point.)

Would that considered as "weird"?

Of course when someone asks you for advise it isn't weird to first observe what they are currently doing. That's appropriate.

I just got the impression (for example from the post above citing a percentage) that people were scoping out random passers by, "haha that dude is on automatic, he must be a total noob," or "lol that chick bumped her dial to bulb and she probably won't notice until it's too late to get the bride and groom kissing, loser."

It's not like I particularly care if people look at the dials on my cameras, it's just kinda a weird curiosity, especially since the dials don't tell the whole story.

 

[mrsfotografie]

I think Australia is rapidly become mirrorless central. In particular, I'm noticing a lot more Sony Nex and Olympus cameras.

Europe is the same. For some reason the US is not in on the mirrorless revolution (yet). But maybe they prefer 'big' over 'small' (fits the stereotype too)

 

[Dylan777]

Am I the only one who doesn't care what mode random people use?

No you are not the only one. I try to spend the majority of my time not worrying about what other people do.

Besides, for a tourist picture, there is nothing wrong with setting the camera on Automatic. Nothing.

To the vast majority of the people who own DSLRs, it is a tool to take a picture. Nothing more or less. Besides the automatic setting on modern DSLRs does a pretty good job.

Really?
About proper shutter speed? About DOF? about focus on the subject that you intended to focus?

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

I'd guess that the Rebels outsell all the other Canon models by 50-1, so its surprising that you don't see more.

With the small aperture kit lens, the green dial works fine. Many casual users want a big depth of field. They get lots of good images too.

Obviously, they are not pro photographers obsessing over depth of field and shutter speeds, they just shoot, and have a good time, just like tourists have since the point and shoot was invented. There were lots of excellent images taken with 35mm film in a disposable camera. No AF or Aperture settings at all.

 

[privatebydesign]

I was at Kennnedy Space Center the other week, I ended up getting on the launch pad transfer bus first and sat down on the first seat, I then had thirty to fourty people pass by me, there were about eight DSLR'S and every one of them was a Rebel. No mirror less, no Nikons, no 5D Mk III's, 6D's or anything else. Lots of different nationalities from both USA and abroad, the only cameras on that bus were Rebels and iPhones. This fascinated me so I kept looking, didn't see anything but Rebels and iPhones/phones for the rest of trip including the return bus trip where I made a point of looking.

 

[KeithBreazeal]

I use a bunch of Canon DSLRs, but sometimes the smallest one is the most fun. The Rebel SL1 (100D) is super light and small, easiest to carry, and it works with all of my Canon lenses. By comparison, all of the other Rebels are big!

I got an SL1 for making a pole-cam. Very light and surprisingly good image quality. My 5D III was way too heavy after 5 minutes.

Bodie / pole cam © Keith Breazeal by Keith Breazeal Photography, on Flickr

 

[Dylan777]

I'd guess that the Rebels outsell all the other Canon models by 50-1, so its surprising that you don't see more.

With the small aperture kit lens, the green dial works fine. Many casual users want a big depth of field. They get lots of good images too.

Obviously, they are not pro photographers obsessing over depth of field and shutter speeds, they just shoot, and have a good time, just like tourists have since the point and shoot was invented. There were lots of excellent images taken with 35mm film in a disposable camera. No AF or Aperture settings at all.

When I first started playing golf, the 1st thing I did wrong was taking golf lessons from a high 90ish handicap golfer(my co-worker). Bad habits are easy to pickup and adapt. Fixing them are not easy. Buying pro Taylormade driver, fairway woods, irons and ScottyCameron putter didn't help me finding the fairways.

After spending 30hrs with the local golf instructor on/off golf courses, my handicap improved.
Understanding the fundamental our hobbies will help us enjoy them even more...

With today Tech, latest golf clubs help golfers gain more in distance and more control approaching the greens.

 

[timmy_650]

I live in Utah and I have been seeing a lot of Nikon. I went hiking at Alta today and I saw 2-1 Nikons to Canons. I think I only saw 2-3 other canon shooter and Nikon was 4-6.

 

[AcutancePhotography]

Am I the only one who doesn't care what mode random people use?

No you are not the only one. I try to spend the majority of my time not worrying about what other people do.

Besides, for a tourist picture, there is nothing wrong with setting the camera on Automatic. Nothing.

To the vast majority of the people who own DSLRs, it is a tool to take a picture. Nothing more or less. Besides the automatic setting on modern DSLRs does a pretty good job.

Really?
About proper shutter speed? About DOF? about focus on the subject that you intended to focus?

Yup, Really. ;D Automatic handles all that stuff pretty well these days.

If some one just wants a snapshot of something on vacation, automatic is most likely all they will need.

Now if they want to take a more technical or artistic picture, then of course, automatic is limiting. But how many tourists care about that? Percentage wise, I think we can round that to the nearest zero. ;D

In my opinion, what tourists care about is being able to take the picture quickly, easily, and reliabily so they can get on with what they were doing -- enjoying being there. ;D

That's the difference between a tourist and a photographer. A tourist enjoys being there, a photographer is too worried about the picture to enjoy being there. LoL

But seriously, it is all about what the shooter is looking for in their picture. Not every picture needs to be artistic. Some may just want a snapshot to share.

 

[mrsfotografie]

Am I the only one who doesn't care what mode random people use?

No you are not the only one. I try to spend the majority of my time not worrying about what other people do.

Besides, for a tourist picture, there is nothing wrong with setting the camera on Automatic. Nothing.

To the vast majority of the people who own DSLRs, it is a tool to take a picture. Nothing more or less. Besides the automatic setting on modern DSLRs does a pretty good job.

Really?
About proper shutter speed? About DOF? about focus on the subject that you intended to focus?

Yup, Really. ;D Automatic handles all that stuff pretty well these days.

If some one just wants a snapshot of something on vacation, automatic is most likely all they will need.

Now if they want to take a more technical or artistic picture, then of course, automatic is limiting. But how many tourists care about that? Percentage wise, I think we can round that to the nearest zero. ;D

In my opinion, what tourists care about is being able to take the picture quickly, easily, and reliabily so they can get on with what they were doing -- enjoying being there. ;D

That's the difference between a tourist and a photographer. A tourist enjoys being there, a photographer is too worried about the picture to enjoy being there. LoL

But seriously, it is all about what the shooter is looking for in their picture. Not every picture needs to be artistic. Some may just want a snapshot to share.

Tourists are on holiday, not a photography shoot. Let them enjoy their holidays and their snapshots. Life is complicated enough as it is.

I find it quite challenging to combine photography with my holidays; it's a bit of a trade-off so when I'm not quite satisfied with the results, I remind myself I had a great holiday

 

[KeithBreazeal]

Auto mode is only for 2 reasons- the clueless or when you're in a situation where there is no second chance under crazy conditions.
My SL1 is 90% a "pole-cam" and stays in Auto. It has never failed me. Can't say the same for some of my setting guesses on the 7D or 5DIII.

 

[sdsr]

Tourists are on holiday, not a photography shoot. Let them enjoy their holidays and their snapshots. Life is complicated enough as it is.

Yes, of course; to that extent you and acutancephotography are right - A-mode is just fine (but then if snapshots are the criterion, one has to wonder why they're using a dslr of any sort in the first place...). What amuses/interests me is the implicit assumption that tourist photography is just about replicating postcards and providing photos of husbands/wives posing awkwardly in front of monuments - or is that simply what the term has come to mean (just as "soccer mom" has somehow come, rather insultingly, in the US to be the archetype of a certain sort of clueless/lazy/uninterested photographer)? Maybe that's Dylan777's point.

Regardless of that, is it really still the case that in A mode you can't select focus points? That would drive me nuts. (The only camera I have with me is a Sony a6000, but as the lens attached to it is an elderly Pentax-M I can't use the camera in either of its two "intelligent auto" modes to find out first-hand.)

 

[Dylan777]

Am I the only one who doesn't care what mode random people use?

No you are not the only one. I try to spend the majority of my time not worrying about what other people do.

Besides, for a tourist picture, there is nothing wrong with setting the camera on Automatic. Nothing.

To the vast majority of the people who own DSLRs, it is a tool to take a picture. Nothing more or less. Besides the automatic setting on modern DSLRs does a pretty good job.

Really?
About proper shutter speed? About DOF? about focus on the subject that you intended to focus?

Yup, Really. ;D Automatic handles all that stuff pretty well these days.

If some one just wants a snapshot of something on vacation, automatic is most likely all they will need.

Now if they want to take a more technical or artistic picture, then of course, automatic is limiting. But how many tourists care about that? Percentage wise, I think we can round that to the nearest zero. ;D

In my opinion, what tourists care about is being able to take the picture quickly, easily, and reliabily so they can get on with what they were doing -- enjoying being there. ;D

That's the difference between a tourist and a photographer. A tourist enjoys being there, a photographer is too worried about the picture to enjoy being there. LoL

But seriously, it is all about what the shooter is looking for in their picture. Not every picture needs to be artistic. Some may just want a snapshot to share.

Tourists are on holiday, not a photography shoot. Let them enjoy their holidays and their snapshots. Life is complicated enough as it is.

I find it quite challenging to combine photography with my holidays; it's a bit of a trade-off so when I'm not quite satisfied with the results, I remind myself I had a great holiday

To pick a target that you want the camera to focus is not that complicate. Even my 5yrs knows how to dial proper shutter speed when she photographs her 3yrs sister running in the front yard.

Uhmmm Tourists....Tourists : : :

 

[DRR]

I was in NY recently (I am from there originally but only visit a couple times a year these days - at best) and was noticing people's cameras also.

American and European tourists - about 2:1 Canon:Nikon. To be honest there were a lot of Nikons, more than I was expecting.

Asian tourists - lots of mirrorless, saw a surprising number of Samsung mirrorless, a bunch of others I didn't recognize.

Saw a Leica or two.

Saw someone who "uglified" their camera to make it less appealing to thieves. Since I know about the technique, I took a closer look and could tell it was a 5D Mark III.

And about a million iPhones used as cameras.