How to convice someone they don't need....
How to convice someone they don't need....
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14-7

Original Poster:

6,233 posts

220 months

Friday 7th December 2012
quotequote all
a DSLR.

A mate of mine who is the most impatient person going when it comes to technology has decided that in order to take good photos they must get a DSLR. I have tried a few times to convice them they would be better off with a decent point and shoot like a Canon S100/110 but it seems to be falling on deaf ears at the moment.

The main crux of his reasoning is that he has seen some of my photos and assumes that if he buys an SLR it will automatically mean his photos will be the same. As I mentioned previously he is quite impatient and spends loads of money on stuff then never uses it (went camping once then spent about £1k on gear and never used it, changes cars often because the next one has an extra 5bhp so must be better etc etc).

He has no interest in photography so how would people on here go about getting it through to someone that it is possible to get good pics from compacts? Or do I just think sod it and let him waste his money?

james_tigerwoods

16,347 posts

226 months

Friday 7th December 2012
quotequote all
Let him waste his money.

Or, in a slightly underhanded way, spec him up some gear that you want, wait 6 months and then buy it off him smile

getmecoat



Ari

19,814 posts

244 months

Friday 7th December 2012
quotequote all
Point him at a Nikon D7000.

I bought mine when I suddenly needed as good a camera as I could get and operate with no knowledge at all of aperture, shutter speed, ISO, depth of field, anything at all.

I used it on "Auto", or one of the many pre programmed settings (such as action, or Portrait, or Landscape, or candle-light, there are loads) which sets up the camera to a pretty good guess of what you're trying to achieve.

It worked brilliantly! I got some great shots considering I knew nothing!

Since then I've worked really hard to understand and "grow" my photography, and don't use any of the auto functions anymore, but I still look at the early shots and am amazed at what I got.

Tell him to get a D7000, he'll use it and get great results straight out of the box, good enough to really impress him, and if he does get keen enough to put some effort into learning it will grow with him.

anonymous-user

83 months

Friday 7th December 2012
quotequote all
or the D3100/D3200. They at least have guided options.

Even on auto my 350D DSLR takes a better photo than my Sony HX20. The Sony fits in my pocket though.

onesickpuppy

2,672 posts

186 months

Friday 7th December 2012
quotequote all
james_tigerwoods said:
Let him waste his money.

Or, in a slightly underhanded way, spec him up some gear that you want, wait 6 months and then buy it off him smile

getmecoat
This man talks sense.

Simpo Two

92,708 posts

294 months

Friday 7th December 2012
quotequote all
Tell him that real photographers shoot manual and RAW. He will still buy the camera, but find it impossible to use.

markmullen

15,877 posts

263 months

Friday 7th December 2012
quotequote all
james_tigerwoods said:
Let him waste his money.

Or, in a slightly underhanded way, spec him up some gear that you want, wait 6 months and then buy it off him smile

getmecoat
Exactly what I was going to recommend. Tell him he needs a Zeiss Distagon 18mm in Canon ZE fit and a Canon 24mm TS-E II and I'll see you right!

RobDickinson

31,343 posts

283 months

Friday 7th December 2012
quotequote all
Ask him if he bought a paintbrush could he paint like Rembrandt?

A P&S is more like painting by numbers, ultimately not as good results but anyone can do ok with it.

A camera is a tool just like any tool if you dont learn how it works then you wont get good results.

But hell, sounds like he has money, point him at canon.

Simpo Two

92,708 posts

294 months

Friday 7th December 2012
quotequote all
Heck, make it a Leica. Think of all the famous togs that used Leica biggrin