Dec, 05
There have been several great photography and camera related threads over at MetaFilter and Ask MetaFilter lately. Here’s a quick list and summary (or quote) from each.
Is that a rangefinder in your pocket?
I’ve developed an obsession of sorts with old cameras. You should too. Digital was cool for a while, but there is something about film. Now, I’m not saying run out and get a Lomo. Lomos are for lamers. No, get yourself a Kiev 35, the poor man’s Minox, or perhaps an Olympux XA. Can’t find batteries for your old cameras? You’re not looking hard enough. Want to hold something a bit more substational? Perhaps you should check out a Yashica Rangefinder or a Canon Canonet. A good rangefinder will make you look like better photographer, and that’s what it is all about.
Getting started in alternative photography?
I want to get started with alternative photography. I’ve been using my 350D and a normal film 35mm SLR for a while now and I feel creatively stale. I want to delve into the world of alternative photography. Help me MeFi. By alternative photography I mean everything from medium format to pinhole, polaroids to lomos, everything. What’s fun, what’s interesting, what’s wacky, what have you had the best experiences experimenting with?
Oct, 05
Calling all DSLR photographers: I think I’ve found the forums for you!
Rob Galbraith’s Digital Photography Forums is a resource that has definitely earned a place at the top of my photography bookmarks. These forums seem to be the place to go for some solid tips and tricks from serious digital photographers.
In addition to forums specific to DSLR models (or DSLR model families), there are numerous forums covering lighting, image storage, software, and other hardware like scanners. There are also forums for discussion on specific types of photography: weddings, outdoor, wildlife, events, and more. From the few days I’ve been poking through the forums it’s obvious to me that this is a meeting place for those who take photography seriously.
In addition to the forums, Rob Galbraith’s main site, Digital Photography Insights, also sports a wealth of information for digital photographers. He provides in-depth DSLR news and software (like firmware) updates.
Oct, 05
If you’ve picked up a photography magazine like Popular Photography or PCPhoto at the bookstore you’ve no doubt noticed the camera shop advertisements in the back. Actually, you can’t miss them; they take up almost the last quarter of the magazine! Many seem to have camera deals too good to believe. Well, perhaps you shouldn’t believe them. If a deal seems to good to be true, it probably isn’t.
If you hop over to the Camera Shops forum on Photo.net you’ll find many horror stories of folks being taken in by bad deals and bad customer service. Before you get too excited about the fantastic deal you spotted in the advertisement, you may want to take a peek at what some previous customers have had to say about the place.
The horror stories range from misleading prices (their camera is $50 cheaper because it doesn’t include the manual or any of the standard accessories that come in the box; those cost extra!) or being sold a camera that isn’t in stock (after being told it was), and high-pressure sales tactics to get you to buy other accessories or products that you don’t need.
Luckily, it isn’t all doom and gloom in the Camera Shops forum. There are some shops who have amassed many excellent buying experiences; they just seem to be fewer and far between. However, one of the editors of Photo.net pops into one of the forums to warn readers that some of the positive reviews were paid for. So, even some of the positive reviews should be taken with a grain of salt.
Here are a couple more resources for checking up on a company’s reputation:
- Search for complaints on a company at the Better Business Bureau
- Browse the store reviews and ratings at BizRate
