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Ack! I'll NEVER get that damned bridge to stop bouncing.Here's a question for my photographer friends. I've been giving strong consideration to making the jump from point-and-shoot to SLR... but the thing that's been hanging me up is the size and weight of SLRs, as I like to carry my camera with me all the time. When you start adding up the weight of a camera, a laptop and a Kindle that's a lot to be toting around.
Then I heard about the new Micro Four Thirds cameras, which have a lot of appeal to me. Have any of you gotten your mitts on a Panasonic LUMIX or an Olympic PEN? Pros? Cons?
Seriously! Grandbaby is on the way in September, and I want a good camera in my hands by then (and before is even better so I can get a little practice in before the big event).
All comments will be gratefully taken into consideration.
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Not too long ago I had words with my Darling Baby Brother about the fact that he really, really needs to quit buying his girls everything they want the minute it comes out. I pointed out that it made it really difficult to buy them Christmas and birthday gifts, and it takes the magic out of a spontaneous gift. Not only that, it doesn't teach them the value of a dollar or the necessity of waiting to buy something until you can afford it.
Now, DBB does not like to hear stuff like this -- however, he also has a son who can't keep a dollar in his pocket because he was raised the exact same way -- so he listens even when it's PITA Big Sis giving him what-for.
Apparently Terry Savage caught holy hell for doing the same thing with that lemonade stand column I wrote about last weekend.
She's right, though. We have a problem with people not knowing the value of a dollar, let alone appreciating it. Two things that she said stood out:
- Clearly there is a great misconception that entrepreneurship and generosity are incompatible. But that's far from the truth. Just look at Bill Gates and Warren Buffett -- two of our country's greatest entrepreneurs, who are in the process of giving away hundreds of millions of dollars to causes they think are worthwhile. But first they had to earn that money!
- It's important to start teaching those financial lessons at an early age. These little girls, around age 7 or 8, are already targets of consumer marketing -- for everything from toys to videos, from fashion to food. Certainly, it's also the right time to teach them the value of the money they spend, and how difficult it is to earn it.
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JihadGene says, "It's Friday! Let's Dance!"
I say, "Giddy-Up-A-Go-Go!"
You?
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P.S. -- I are a lucky girl. Just so you know.
4 comments:
The best answer is... it depends. I know it sounds like a cop out but it really does depend on you and what you want and what you want to put into it!
Okay here's the deal. A DSLR - the advantages are
-- it's fast. This may not be a huge issue when the baby is a teeny baby, but when you miss those toddler shots it can be a problem. Toddlers move fast. heh. So when you turn on a DSLR it's on right now - no lines no waiting. When you click the shutter - it clicks now not 3 seconds from now! That's a big consideration.
- you can get different lenses for it from wide angle to telephoto. For use in various conditions. If you really get into photography you can upgrade the body and keep the lenses so you don't lose your investment in good "glass"
- Nike and Canon are the best and have the best lense selection for DSLR
- the ISO ( the amount of light needed ) is usually better than a P&S because the sensor in the camera is larger. The better the camera the better the low light performance.
The cons:
- a bit larger than a P&S
- pricier as most P&S are on the low end of the scale
- a real learning curve
Here's an article by pro photographer Scott Bourne that you should read through as you decide.
http://tinyurl.com/298e2ur
The tween cameras you talk about are good even great, I just don't know about the shutter lag in relation to taking shots of children and that's important! There is still the learning curve to use them right.
To get more out of your current P&S and any other digital camera in your future I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend Derrick Story's book The Digital Photography Companion. Even if you only have a P&S it will help you improve you photography. And check out his web site and podcast at
The Digital Story it will be time well invested. Plus if you search his site he reviews these cameras. Keep in mind he's a pro and he's looking at them as a back up camera for the most part not the primary camera.
good luck!
Thanks, Teresa. I have a great book -- Confessions of a Compact Camera Shooter by Rick Sammon -- that's been really helpful with my P&S.
Shutter lag is an issue with action shots, that's for sure. I'm ready to move up -- it's just size and weight that are issues.
I'm pretty sure a Four Thirds camera is more what I want, as you can even get an adapter to use regular DSLR lenses if you want to, and there are a lot of Four Thirds lens options, too. The question is, which camera to choose? I'd really like feedback from people who've used them.
My brother is a camera pro/photographer. He say that the Olympus Pen is an EXCELLENT camera. Its middle of the road between SLR and point and shoot. He said its more versatile than a point and shoot because you can change lenses. If you want, email me and I'll have him give you TONS of info. He truly is a camera guru!
And just another thought on your bro's kids.
When Lauren was little I WANTED so badly to give her all the new cool stuff. And I could do most of it, BUT I learned something from a friend of mine about teaching kids the value of a dollar.
If Lauren REALLY wanted something bad, we'd make a deal. She had to save half the money for it. This started very young too, I'd say around 5 or 6 years old.
For example if she wanted the new Disney movie out on VHS and it cost $20.00, she had to save $10.00 for it. Now she got 1 dollar a week from my dad for brushing her teeth twice a day. (dont ask, its just what he did for her) So it would take her two and a half months to save that 10.00. In that time, 3 other things would come up that she REALLY wanted. It would make her really think (even at a young age) about what she wanted to spend her hard saved money on. Just a thought. =)
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