Photography is brilliant! It’s an accessible art form adopted by millions of amazing people. However, there are some things it should have developed from now on. Here are my bottom six things we should give up in 2023.
1. Full-frame Equivalence Discussion
My words, isn’t that being beaten to death? It’s the weirdest thing people still discuss, and it’s both tedious and ridiculous. Some 35mm full-frame sensor advocates despise smaller sensors the same way medium format photographers did when David Bailey started shooting with the Pentax S3 DSLR. That is snobbery. Every system has its pros and cons, and saying one is better than another is like saying Porsches are better than Land Rovers are better than 18-wheelers. (I won’t offend your wits by explaining that analogy.)
But there’s more to it than that. As a photography writer, I feel pressured to include a 35mm-equivalent lens in other systems’ lenses. However, it makes no sense to use a sensor size as an arbitrary standard for evaluating lenses. If you put a 50mm lens on a 35mm camera, you’re not saying it’s equivalent to 80mm on a medium format camera. Why should we compare the crop factor with any other system, especially the one that occupies a minority position in the market, like full frame?
If I were shot with my OM-1, I choose the right lens for the situation. I didn’t even think about what lens would fit in my 35mm or medium format camera. Likewise, when I choose a 35mm camera, I choose the lens that best suits what I’m shooting with that lens. To say that this lens and its settings on this system are equivalent to those on that system is nonsense.
For those of us who regularly shoot with Micro Four Thirds, we choose the right lenses and learn how to use the camera differently than when we use a 35mm camera. Photographers using APS-C cameras will do the same. It’s pointless to compare cameras and lenses in this way, as all major branded cameras take great pictures once the photographer has learned how to use them.
Let’s drop the idea of equivalence and talk about a much more practical field. Include a depth of field at a subject distance of 1 meter at the widest aperture of the lens. That’s what’s useful for the photographer, not what another system does with those specs.
2. NFT is dying, thank God
In the UK in 2016, a man made headlines by selling 580 ml (1 pint) bottle of British fresh air for the rich in China. They sell for £80 (about $96). NFC is like this: money is for nothing. In early 2022, the news was flooded with news about NFC. Like cryptocurrencies, they are the next big thing that makes people rich. They seemed nothing more than the Emperor’s New Clothes. People have paid huge amounts of money for nothing. When the bottom falls — so does cryptocurrencies — the gullible are left alone.
Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter, sold his first Tweet for more than $2.9 million. A few years later, it was put on the market again. It is only bid up to $280. The cost of NFT’s high initial values is driven by nothing more than hype; it’s everyone’s fear of missing out.
3. Buy the newest camera because it’s the newest camera
Over the past two decades, the fear of missing out has also fueled camera upgrade sales. People have caught on to that now, and it’s been a contributing factor to the decline in camera sales.
Think about the camera you have now. Can it take great photos? Is it good enough for what you do? When the next upgrade comes out, do you need it?
Sometimes there are creative cameras that break the mold. Last year, several models with stacked sensors did just that. I bought $2,199 OM-1 because that’s a significant leap from what was on the market before. Such cameras and other professional models such as Sony Alpha A1 $6,949 and $4,498 A9 II, $5,999 Canon EOS R3, Nikon Z9 $5,496.95and Fujifilm X-H2S $2,499 attract buyers because of this improvement. But most of the upgrades over the past few years have brought only minor changes to the specs, especially the number of pixels on the sensor.
Most cameras on the market today have more than enough resolution and good enough image quality for photographers. Most focusing is fast enough. Shutters can capture more frames per second than we know what to do. The higher resolution is beneficial in some niches, such as astrophotography, but most sensors go well beyond the specs we need. If you doubt this, forum posts from 2009 show that photographers have successfully created A1, 40” x 60” and 50” x 40” prints from the Canon 1D Mark II with great sensitivity. variable 8.2 megapixels.
If your needs have changed and you want to upgrade from a hobby camera to a professional camera or you need something smaller and lighter to carry around than a giant camera strap around your neck, it makes sense to swap. However, buying the latest version of what you have right now, unless it’s equipped with useful, innovative features, will cost you the money you should have spent on a new lens.
4. By fake online photography
Again, this is something I mentioned in a recent post. There are online businesses that sell photography courses, that’s fine; it’s a great way to learn. However, some pretend to sell accredited degrees by calling their courses “diplomas”. If you are considering entering the industry, these certifications are meaningless.
In the UK, the National Vocational Certificate, or NVQ, is nationally recognized. In Scotland, they are known as SVQs. They are given to levels one through eight. One is the equivalent of a high school degree, level 6 is a full Bachelor’s degree and level 8 is a doctorate. Reputable organizations give the same name to their internal photographic certificates, which are not as valid as the paper they are written on. There are no regulations to protect the unsuspecting.
Recently, I had a client attend an advanced technical seminar with me. I always check their experience first; On this occasion, he told me that he had a 4th degree. When they arrived, it was clear that they did not understand the relationship between the camera’s exposure settings. Their diploma is a certificate of attendance from a low-quality training provider. This happened a few times.
As I mentioned in my previous post, it is well known in the industry that people who constantly make negative comments on forums are not good photographers. If they spend as much time improving their work as they spend revealing their secrets online, they can leave a legacy that positively impacts the world of photography. After all, it’s just taking pictures and not worth their stress and heart attack. As the saying goes, “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say it.” Disagree with an opinion. For example, this article is just an opinion and I suspect some people will think that Canon EOS Rebel T100 is the best beginner camera ever made. I am getting that. I am willing to listen and respect your constructive criticism.
What’s worse is when people jump in with unwelcome critiques of other people’s work. I don’t use Facebook every day, but lately I have a reason to visit it. There was a post from Fstoppers that appeared in my feed. It marks an interesting looking article. Below the post is a comment from a reader and someone who responded to her criticized her way of taking pictures. I took a look, and the woman’s photo is amazing. The amazing thing is that the person who made that unfriendly comment was also promoting a photography business. How much damage has he done to that business?
Do I ever write about that business and advertise for them? When we see uninvited comments about creative work, whether it’s a photo or an article of someone, it always says more about the person making those comments. whatever. It damages their reputation the most and can lead to them being held back.
6. Canon EOS Rebel T100 DSLR and other cheap plastic cameras
If you own one of these, I’m really sorry.
Out of all the cameras I handle, the camera Canon EOS Rebel T100, known as the 4000D in Europe, is probably the worst machine I’ve ever used. I feel sorry for the people who have spent their hard earned wages on this creepy, flimsy and low specification junkyard fodder. Aside from the creaky construction, it is very difficult to use. It’s not because it’s complicated. No, the cramped, low-quality LCD and small viewfinder, not even diopter adjustment, make it difficult to frame the shot.
Furthermore, it has only nine focus points. Shooting a bleak three frames per second, you’ll miss the action of your pet turtle by the time this slug camera finally comes into focus. It usually comes with an equally shabby and bland EF-S 18-55mm III lens.
I was about to mention other cameras from other brands that are equally bad, but this one has a class of its own. If you want to buy a camera to help beginners with photography, this is the one to buy.
This camera may be the ultimate example of the company’s skepticism towards its customers. It’s there to attract new photographers to the brand, so they need to upgrade quickly. Never mind if it hurts and frustrates others along the way.
On the plus side, owning one of these cameras will make you work hard to get great photos. If you own one and are taking great photos, think about what you can get with a decent camera.
For less money, you can buy high-end professional cameras from online retailers, albeit slightly older ones.
I know some of those opinions are controversial and you can disagree with me if yours are different. Instead, there are other things you’d like to see relegated to history. It will be interesting to hear them in the comments.
