sasaki@harvard.ARPA (Marty Sasaki) (03/01/85)
Cameras are just tools. You can be a Real Photographer and use a pin
hole camera. The automatic vs. manual camera snobism is no different
than the view camera vs. 35mm snobism. The important thing about being a
Real Photographer is your attitude and the way you use the tools.
Of the photos that I have taken, my favorite color images were made with
a Pentax ME or an SX-70, both automatic cameras (the ME is aperature
preferred, the SX-70 should be considered a "program" camera). I have
made beautiful black and white photos using a Diana (really cheap
instamatic type, plastic everything camera).
The point and shoot cameras have raised the quality of the images that
most people make. I very rarely hear the question "did they all come
out?", they usually do come out. In general they are a good thing, SLRs
have become cheaper because they are now mass market goods rather than
specialty items.
Their main problem is that people treat these cameras as black boxes and
don't understand what is going on. Why have the aperture setting in the
viewfinder, the normal user doesn't need it? You don't need a depth of
field preview since no one will use one. But remember the self-timer so
that the photographer can be in the picture.
Who cares as long as the cameras are of good quality? A Real
Photographer should be able to take a good picture using any camera.
--
Marty Sasaki
Havard University Science Center
sasaki@harvard.{arpa,uucp}
617-495-1270