does the way a camera feels matter to you?

fallen_mathi

fallen_mathi

Messages
539
Edit My Images
No
:)
Which would you prefer:

Camera A:
Technically brilliant, massive resolution, great iso handling, huge sensor etc etc etc... but was completely uninspiring to use, and lacked any kind of feeling

Camera B:
Technically flawed, bad iso handling, small resolution etc etc, but felt brilliant to use, and inspired you to take photos each time you picked it up.

(by feeling i don’t just mean how easy it is to use, but how it makes you feel as a photographer, eg. how a lecia makes some feel when using it)

Just curious, as although my rational side tells me that my camera is technically very good, and i don’t need more, i find it completely un-inspiring to use....:(

what are your thoughts? Which one would you buy?:)

(if this thread makes no sense to anyone, just let it dye a quick death ;) )
 
I use camera A for work but when it's just for me, camera B every time.

There is so much more to making images than megapixies and ISO handling and it all starts with passion. If you're not inspired, then what's the point really?
 
Camera A for me, performance is more important than aesthetics.

It's a bit like driving a new car, takes a bit of getting used to but it becomes second nature over time. Not a great analogy but it's the only one I've got :p
 
weird question with lots of answers

the enthusiast will say
"if it wasn't B we'd all be wearing £5 casio digital watches"

the pro will say
" A it's a tool of my craft"

and don't forget you're talking bodies not lenses
cheat :)
get a modern body and adapt old manual lenses ;)

best of both worlds :thumbs:
 
I love the way my camera feels its perfect to hold and its perfect the way it works to, good resolution, brilliant iso for my needs, so A+B work for me in one camera and never had a bad one yet apart from the S2Pro which simply ate batteries
 
A and B - I use a D3 and D3x...lol

and I always did think Nikon had the edge when it came to ergonomics...
 
I bought my first DSLR (D80) because if fitted my hands better than the Canon at the time. The Nikon just 'felt right'. I have now moved onto the D300 and D3. So, I would say A and B.
They feel right and produce superb results.

Kev.
 
Ergonomics are important. I was reminded of that on Monday when I got my mitts on Gary's D3. I use a 1Ds so weight wise I'm used to it and overall, if you look at them side by side they are roughly the same size.........BUT The D3 has a huge grip compared to the 1Ds (and I'm only little) and I could not get my right hand properly in control of the camera never mind use it effectively. I could not reach any of the buttons properly. So, much as I admire the D3 as a stonking camera, it's a no go for me before I even switch it on.

And that's one very good reason why we should ALL try handling a camera before we buy.
 
AliB said:
...and that's one very good reason why we should ALL try handling a camera before we buy.
Click to expand...

Quite right...matters not what others say - unless it feels right to you...then it's no good...
 
Jayst84 said:
It's a b****r when it's work kit though isn't it. I mean, if you hated using Nikon gear, would you just have to lump it?

Same with staff photographers at some newspapers / agencies.
Click to expand...

Not so - Corporal Rupert Frere who's one of our Phots just brings his personal Canon kit on jobs 'cause he hates Nikons - even to Afghanistan - lunatic that he is - I wouldn't bring my personal kit here - not on Army wages, anyway....
Agency phots get to choose their kit which the Agency pays for - likewise staff phots on newspapers...
At least PA, Reuters and MGN do...
 
Arkady said:
Not so - Corporal Rupert Frere who's one of our Phots just brings his personal Canon kit on jobs 'cause he hates Nikons - even to Afghanistan - lunatic that he is - I wouldn't bring my personal kit here - not on Army wages, anyway....
Agency phots get to choose their kit which the Agency pays for - likewise staff phots on newspapers...
At least PA, Reuters and MGN do...
Click to expand...

That's cool.

Not always the case with places over here though, some of the big papers have a stockroom of Canon and Nikon, but others just supply the one brand.

As the Corporal brings his personal kit, are you guys just given the choice of our Nikon, or you bring your own?
 
Jayst84 said:
That's cool.

Not always the case with places over here though, some of the big papers have a stockroom of Canon and Nikon, but others just supply the one brand.

As the Corporal brings his personal kit, are you guys just given the choice of our Nikon, or you bring your own?
Click to expand...

No, we get what's on offer which is always the top-end camera - which suits me fine!!!
Until January this year we were using D2x and D2xs bodies.
New kit appears as a rolling upgrade, prioritises according to need - Operations take priority, then Mobile News Teams, then Brigade Photographers...the Brigade phot at 7Bde in Germany where I was previously based is still soldiering-on with my tatty old D2x bodies which are now in dire need of service and repair!

I now have D3's issued for out here, but there are a half-dozen D3x bodies available for less strenuous jobs back in the UK.
 
Got to feel right in my hands.
I like a camera to feel robust and not be very small.

Fortunately, in real life it is not an A or B choice.
 
For work would definitely be A :)

A - Canon 50/5d

B - Zenit 11 (Look it up)
 
The choice is a bit arbitrary and extreme. A lot of photographers have to make compromises - apart from affordability - because no particular body is perfect for them, in every way, under all circumstances.

I prefer to feel comfortable with the camera, and the way it works, but I wouldn't sacrifice performance for a slight improvement in ergonomics and feel or vice versa.

FWIW, I have a 30D and I've used the Nikon D200 and D300 too. I'm pretty comfortable with both systems, and don't have a strong preference for either, but I wouldn't want to use them at the same time. There's enough difference in the controls and ergonomics to get confusing.
 
Camera C which does what I want it to, gives results I'm happy with and fits me well.
 
Nod said:
Camera C which does what I want it to, gives results I'm happy with and fits me well.
Click to expand...

yeh... i thought about doing an option C...for those who have a camera that does both... but then that would be the obvious choice for everyone:p
 
MartynK said:
The choice is a bit arbitrary and extreme. A lot of photographers have to make compromises - apart from affordability - because no particular body is perfect for them, in every way, under all circumstances.

I prefer to feel comfortable with the camera, and the way it works, but I wouldn't sacrifice performance for a slight improvement in ergonomics and feel or vice versa.

FWIW, I have a 30D and I've used the Nikon D200 and D300 too. I'm pretty comfortable with both systems, and don't have a strong preference for either, but I wouldn't want to use them at the same time. There's enough difference in the controls and ergonomics to get confusing.
Click to expand...


yes it is abit extreem... but then its a hypothetical question... just to see what people value more, i mean its never going to happen in the real world, that a camera is either one or the other, but some tend to lean one way :)
 
While chosing my original DSLR, the D70 just felt better in the hand than the EOS300. As the price, image quality and features were about the same, I went with the D70.
At the end of the day though, the camera is simply a means to an end, i.e. a tool to produce images. If the images it produces are rubbish, but it feels great to use, then it's a poor camera.
 
I love my D700, but even with the a grip found it very uncomfortable when using for long periods (I've got ape sized hands), the D3 I find much better - so how it feels is essential now for me...
 
When I chose my originanal slr, I chose from two similarly priced cameras - nikon and canon. Went with the canon as it felt a bit better. When I upgraded to a dslr, I didn't bother looking at nikon as I had a couple of canon lenses. Ended up with the 40D as the 400D felt too small!

I was in PC World with my husband the other day and saw a higher end Nikon on display (either D300 or D700 can't remember which), so I had a play with it and I didn't like the feel of it at all - much preferred my 40D!

So to sum up, yes the feel of a camera is more important to me!
 
You can get used to anything to be honest. Providing its not too big/heavy or equally too small and fiddly...

Like cars, all camera bodies have their own little nice unique features but its all about the technical spec for me.
 
Ergonomics first for me - if you don't like the way a camera feels to use then you won't use it, no matter how many megapixies are working away inside it
 
I recently bought my first DSLR, upgrading from my compact Samsung S850. After coming into a small inheritance that just HAD to be spent, I went into my local branch of Wilkinson's, where the staff were just fabulous!

I'd been recommended to buy Nikon or Canon, but none of them felt right, if you know what I mean. They were cumbersome, heavy and just fiendishly complicated for a complete beginner. Purely intuitive, but I just didn't like them!

The salesman then pointed me in the direction of an Olympus E520....it was not only much less than I expected to spend, allowing me the luxury of an additional macro lens, but I just loved the feel of it!

Result! Yes, I could have spent more, but thanks to the guys in the shop, I now have a camera that goes everywhere with me, and that I'm comfortable with. It takes some great shots, only limited by the eejit behind the lens...

I went for the camera that just felt "right" and I haven't regretted it.

Janet
 
i look originally at olympus due to the crop factor

then used a pro nikon body felt great, played with a canon 1dsmk1 that felt great too...

at the time its was a D80, or a second-hand d50

then was in a jessops, played with a canon 30d or 400d well it was a few years back lol

but i pick the d80 over the canon only due to the comfort and the handling over canon....

unfortunatly its upto you. some like the small olympus feel and yes you can put a battery grip on it. and the lens are great more expensive and slightly harder to find good suppliers. canon at the time was a great camera but i prefered nikon over canon. simple as that really

over a period of time built up a nice collection of glass but still want more.....

only you can choose... the new fiji is meant to be nice but its will use nikon lenses

get a canon 1dsmkIII and youll have a great time in photography...
 
It's not too important to me although I have been lucky in that all of my bodies have felt comfortable
 
You're never going to come across two such massively different cameras in the modern age.

If you were saying a D2Hs (great ergonomics, poor sensor by modern standards) against a D5000 (great sensor, pants body size for semi-pro use) then I'd probably opt for the D5000, the first of your options, simply because I'd have to get better IQ.

If I was shooting for myself, and perhaps had a penchant for a bit of sports, then I'd probably use the D2Hs because in the hand it would be so much more comfortable to use.

I suppose the thing is to get the best of both worlds you need to spend an absolute fortune; otherwise we have to make the compromise....
 
specialman said:
...If you were saying a D2Hs (great ergonomics, poor sensor by modern standards) against a D5000 (great sensor, pants body size for semi-pro use) then I'd probably opt for the D5000, the first of your options, simply because I'd have to get better IQ.
If I was shooting for myself, and perhaps had a penchant for a bit of sports, then I'd probably use the D2Hs because in the hand it would be so much more comfortable to use.

....
Click to expand...

I had a play with a D5000 only yesterday and it felt like a toy in my hands...I'd go for the D2Hs in that case or even a D1x TBH...
Putting my 70-200 on the D5000 meant I couldn't access half the controls anyway...it looked like a lens-cap stuck on the back...lol
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top