Digital, What's that???

[lumix]

I've been wondering if I should upgrade to digital. Had this old camera, that was given to me by my grandad, for a good few years now and although it still works ok every thing in the viewfinder is upside down. I'm attracted to one of them Digital gadgets that takes the picture the right way up. My biggest problem is that I've got used to a big screen and I'm not sure if I'd get on with a 2" thing. Also as I'm used to taking the lens cap off and counting to 10 to expose the plate, will I be able to get the lens cap off and on again quick enough for one of these new digital cameras. You see in the passed, with my old hands getting loss of feeling, I have dropped the dam lens cap but all I had to do then was hang my hat over the lens till I found it. So what do you think, am I ready for digital.

[Stephen]

Re: Digital, What's that

Ron, I'm not so sure. With hands like yours will you be able to hold it steady and even use all those new fangled buttons. No not shirt buttons, its a bit like them buttons you get at the front door to ring a bell, only smaller and they don't ring bells. Then I wonder if you will be able to understand these menus they have. No nothing to do with restaurant menus, its like a list of commands that help control the camera using those buttons I mentioned earlier. Then of course there is the command and sub command wheels on the camera, no not like in a car, you don't steer a camera silly, its to alter the aperture and shutter speeds. Oh yes I forgot to mention the lenses on these new camera don't have aperture rings, but you have to turn this little wheel to do it instead on the camera body. Some cameras have more little buttons, like I mentioned earlier, to do it. Are you following all this Ron?

Now I reckon with glasses like those your eyes are not that great, so you could be right about the little 2" screen, which has all these menus menus on that you control with all the buttons I mentioned earlier or the wheels that control the shutter speed and aperture as well. Are you with me so far Ron. Don't forget also you can see the pictures you have taken in this screen, as its not only for menus you know, oh sorry Ron you don't know.

Now I don't want you to forget that these digital cameras don't use sheet film, so what you need is a little card to store the pictures on. No not a post card, Oh heck I wish I hadn't got into this. Just remember you need a memory flash card, that doesn't flash and its not made out of card, but it stores your photos, understand?

Now the other thing you may not be happy with is that these new cameras don't need to be mounted on a tripod all the time, and there is no room on the top of them to put your birdie, so I'm not sure what you will do with that

So I want you to think carefully about your decision Ron, cos it may be you are not ready for a digital camera yet.

[lumix]

Re: Digital, What's that

By heck mate, that's a blow, no where for me pet bird and I've got to hold the camera in my hands no stand. Thought things had improve more than that. Will have to give it serious thought sounds all a bit far fetched to me. No film and bits of card, you having a laugh. I know I'm getting on now but you youngsters do try it on with us old timers. Another question if you would be so kind. I read that I need to by a photoshop or something like that. Who do you suggest, Dixons or Jessops, or can I get by with a smaller shop like the one in my village.

[Ian]

Re: Digital, What's that

By heck mate, that's a blow, no where for me pet bird and I've got to hold the camera in my hands no stand. Thought things had improve more than that. Will have to give it serious thought sounds all a bit far fetched to me. No film and bits of card, you having a laugh. I know I'm getting on now but you youngsters do try it on with us old timers. Another question if you would be so kind. I read that I need to by a photoshop or something like that. Who do you suggest, Dixons or Jessops, or can I get by with a smaller shop like the one in my village.

Oh Ron, you'll never get used to the stupefyingly extended depth of field in digital cameras - everything's sharp no matter where you focus

And colour - who needs it? Just means problems like purple fringing and all those nasty JPEG and sharpening artefacts.

And you have to remember to keep things called batteries charged up all the time - sounds dangerous to me

Ian

[Stephen]

Re: Digital, What's that

By heck mate, that's a blow, no where for me pet bird and I've got to hold the camera in my hands no stand. Thought things had improve more than that. Will have to give it serious thought sounds all a bit far fetched to me. No film and bits of card, you having a laugh. I know I'm getting on now but you youngsters do try it on with us old timers. Another question if you would be so kind. I read that I need to by a photoshop or something like that. Who do you suggest, Dixons or Jessops, or can I get by with a smaller shop like the one in my village.

Don't be daft Ron, Photoshop isn't a shop, its a program. No not a TV prog, its a computer program, software, but its not soft (sometimes wonder if I'm soft) you have to put it on a thing called a computer, thats called hardware, and yes it is hard, kinda. Anyway this photoshop software program allows you to see and adjust your pictures from your flash card on your computer. Amazing I know, but it's a bit like your darkroom you have in the shed, or is the bathroom Ron. The only difference is you don't need an enlarger and and there are no chemicals, great eh? Actually someof those old darkroom skills might actually come in useful, cos you can alter exposure, contrast and dodge and burn just like in the darkroom.

Anyway this computer prog doesn't have to be Photoshop, cos I know a fella who uses one made by that Bill Gates chap, and he's dead pleased with it.

[Pol]

Re: Digital, What's that

What are you all going on about and why are you making it all sound so complicated?

That man in that photo is already using digital because he uses his digits to click it and take things on and off. So what's the problem?

He put his picture on our screens too. That was very clever! Do you do that by pushing it in the slot thingy on your boxy thing that is under your television screen thing that isn't really a television but just looks like one?

Pol

[Ian]

Re: Digital, What's that

What are you all going on about and why are you making it all sound so complicated?

That man in that photo is already using digital because he uses his digits to click it and take things on and off. So what's the problem?

He put his picture on our screens too. That was very clever! Do you do that by pushing it in the slot thingy on your boxy thing that is under your television screen thing that isn't really a television but just looks like one?

Pol

He definitely has a hands-on approach to photography

Ian

[lumix]

Re: Digital, What's that

That picture was me 56 years ago. When I look at it I can't help wondering what will happen to photography in the next 56 years. Will there be as much change in technology as I have seen. Imagine awakening from a coma and trying to get up to speed with the modern world. We except progress on a daily bases and take it in our stride. Dose you good some times to stop and look back and remember the old days and then I think that makes you thankful for what we enjoy today. Ok it was just a bit of fun, and now my nurse has given me my pills and tucked me into my bath-chair I will try to behave normal. Thanks for all the good advice Stephen, Ian and Pol. With out you youngsters helping us old fogeys we would get left behind in the dust.

[Ian]

Re: Digital, What's that

Wow, Ron! I must admit I thought that picture was from the 20s, not the 50s

I was over at my mother's place at the weekend and there are all sorts of old pictures of me and my sisters there - intriguing as well as a little sobering.

My children (born 1996 and 199 have been documented copiously in video, film and digital stills since day one - they will have a very rich record of their lives to enjoy. As far as I am aware there is no motion picture footage of me (I was born in 1961) before my teens, though quite a few prints and slides.

I firmly believe that the future will see a versatie high definition and high resolution hybrid digital stills and video camera and it will be pocket sized. It will probably be a communications and information terminal device too. It won't have local storage, but will send images directly to a mass storage server on a global wireless communications network.

Time will tell

Ian

[lumix]

Re: Digital, What's that

Wow, Ron! I must admit I thought that picture was from the 20s, not the 50s

I was over at my mother's place at the weekend and there are all sorts of old pictures of me and my sisters there - intriguing as well as a little sobering.

My children (born 1996 and 199 have been documented copiously in video, film and digital stills since day one - they will have a very rich record of their lives to enjoy. As far as I am aware there is no motion picture footage of me (I was born in 1961) before my teens, though quite a few prints and slides.

I firmly believe that the future will see a versatie high definition and high resolution hybrid digital stills and video camera and it will be pocket sized. It will probably be a communications and information terminal device too. It won't have local storage, but will send images directly to a mass storage server on a global wireless communications network.

Time will tell

Ian

The camera in that photo was given to me about 3 yrs. before I was photographed with it. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed playing with that camera. Spent hours in the garden with my head under a bit of cloth so I could see the images (all upside down) on the ground glass at the back. My first real camera that I could use to take pictures with was a Baldina 2 1/4 sq. That had a fold out lens on a bellows and a super fast shutter of 1/250 sec. and f4.5 lens. An uncle bought it for me and that was the start of my life in photographic terms.
As for the future, who knows. More importantly, will It be so perfect that the fun/art of getting good images will be lost.

[Pops]

Re: Digital, What's that

ya barmy..the lot of ya LOL

[Ian]

Re: Digital, What's that

More importantly, will It be so perfect that the fun/art of getting good images will be lost.

Ron, there I think you should not be so worried - it is a frequently discussed point but great photographers will take consustently great photos no matter what camera they use, while poor photographers will continue you to take poor pictures no matter how good the equipment. What I firmly believe is that better equipment will help those inbetween take better pictures - but only to a degree.

Ian