Is the gist of this "size does matter"?
>Of course, this conversation seems to be somewhat limited as to what a "pro" >is. > >More than a few photographers who make a living at this use, for instance M >series Leicas (Salgado, for one, although he also uses R series slr's, and >they ain't small). > >Last summer, I was shooting some frames at Toronto's Gay Pride Parade >(always a good spectacle), and I noticed a fellow with a truly beat up >looking M3. It had been painted olive drab (didn't look like a factory >job), and had so much brassing that there seemed to be more brass than >paint. > >He told me it had actually been through many war zones, but that it was a >great street camera, due in part to it's shabby looks. He assured me it >still worked like a charm. Hmmmm. A forty year old camera that's been to >war, and still works. I'd say that is the very definition of reliability, >despite it's small size <g>. > >For some styles of photography, big is a downright disadvantage. I know on >the street, more people look at my camera when it's the LX, a Spotmatic or >even the MX when I have the Winder MX on it. I get very few noticing me >when I have the Leica CL slung over my shoulder. > >Anyway, my main point is that not all pros are PJ's (not that you said they >were - I'm just expanding the convo a bit), and that some of those other >pros have vastly different needs from their cameras. > >regards, >frank > >"The optimist thinks this is the best of all possible worlds. The pessimist >fears it is true." -J. Robert Oppenheimer > > > > >>From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>CC: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>Subject: big is beautiful >>Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2004 00:12:18 -0600 (CST) >> >> >From: graywolf <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> >> >Small black cameras do not have the psychological impact with >> >photographers's >> >customers that big black cameras do. To a very large percent of the >> >population's >> >minds "big black camera" and "pro" are synonymous. >> >>I agree that carrying a big black camera and a big black bag tends to get >>respect. I normally take the camera out of the bag and drape it around >>my neck when I'm going to sporting events just to make it clear to the >>guys at the gate why I'm not handing them a ticket. I find that I get >>a lot less hassle that way. >> >> >You better believe that Nikon and Canon know this, and it is why their >> >top end >> >cameras are 1/2 again as large as they need to be. >> >>No. Nikon has been trying damn hard to make their pro cameras smaller, >>probably a result of getting an earful over the size of the F4 which many >>small-handed photogs disliked and even I will admit was HEAVY. >>A lot of the extra size is for the extra batteries which are needed to >>drive the things at warp speed, plus the actual warp motors which are not >>small. Back in the old days, most of the warp drives were external >>(just like on the Enterprise) and the Nikon F2 and F3 were not much >>bigger than the Spotmatics or K-series except the full-frame, high >>eyepoint viewfinders. >>The top end Nikon and Canon cameras are bigger because they are tougher >>and more capable than anything else out there, and you just can't shrink >>that but so much. >> >> >So as a pro camera, yes the small size is a fault. As a user's camera, no >> >it is >> >not, in fact it is a major benefit. >> >>It's not so much that the public doesn't trust pros with small cameras, >>but that pros don't themselves trust small cameras. Something that small >>can't be tough enough and capable enough, they think. I remember one >>member of the white house press corps describing the Nikon 8008, which was >>the second best camera in the Nikon line at the time, as "a lightweight". >>My own experience tends to confirm the relatively lower durability of >>small cameras. >> >>DJE >> > >_________________________________________________________________ >MSN Premium includes powerful parental controls and get 2 months FREE* >http://join.msn.com/?pgmarket=en-ca&page=byoa/prem&xAPID=1994&DI=1034&SU=http://hotmail.com/enca&HL=Market_MSNIS_Taglines > > >
