I am constantly amazed (and amused) by the people in various photography forums who continue to lust for and demand that camera makers do a better job of producing new cameras. They want higher ISO (3200 is not enough), they want better dynamic range (ok, that’s not too bad), they want this feature and that feature added. They want fast primes and telephotos that don’t cost a lot and are a quarter of the size of the current crop of lenses available. Forget the laws of physics as they relate to optics. Some want manual controls, some want touchscreen systems. Some want a compact camera with a small sensor to provide the same shallow depth of field as a DSLR with a full size sensor. The list is endless, it just never stops. No matter how good the latest camera is, it’s never good enough.
It seems that many are so caught up in the technology of digital photography that they have let the actual skill of being a photographer fall by the wayside. Heaven forbid that a photographer might have to think about a shot.. the camera should do that, right? It’s as if the technology alone will make them better photographers and therefore they quest for and demand more and more from the camera makers.
We’ve all seen the sad photographs from the owners of top end gear from Nikon, Canon and Leica produce images a $399 point and shoot could have produced and somehow it is the camera’s fault because it lacks a certain “must have feature” that inhibits the photographer from creating an amazing image rather than yet another snapshot.
If those in the online forums would spend as much time developing their photographic skills and extending their knowlege of basic photography as they do whining about the inadequacies of their gear they might actually produce an outstanding image.
I read a post this morning on one of the photography forums in which a guy was asking the question: What do you want in the GH3? The GH2, produced by Panasonic, has only been out for a short while and many who have ordered the GH2 have not yet received their cameras due to Panasonic’s inability to keep up with demand, self included. So the GH2 is not yet in the hands of many who ordered it and already there are threads on various photography forums wanting to know what the GH3 should have in the way of features. It’s insane. It’s madness. No really, these people are suffering from Phototechitis.. There is no cure and those who suffer from this malady will never be happy with any camera. The only cure would be.. wait for it… The Perfect Camera. Of course, such a camera does not and will not ever exist.
If you want to be a better photographer, take the time to develop your skill as a photographer. Don’t spend your time chasing The Perfect Camera.. because even if it did exist, some would not have the skill to use it and would then demand more features to make The Perfect Camera… more perfect.
Some will say…. But Jim, didn’t YOU order a GH2? What was wrong with the camera you already have?
Answer: We’re all insane.