Future of photography

I was just looking at the video's on the new Nikon D4. What a engineering master piece this is. Considering all the features this camera has you have to wonder where camera's will be in 10 years from now, heck where will photographers be in 10 years?

Almost looks like understanding of technology will be 80% of what is needed to be a successful photographer and 20% will be skill!

Care to drop your thoughts on this?

It's NOT the instrument, it's how you play it . . . . . .

That is part of the problem. Too many think the get a high end camera and they are instant pros.

One of my customers has a D90 and high end lenses. His shots are crap.

At a club gathering last night, there was some discussion of software under development (I think Adobe) that would take an out of focus image and interpolate the data to make the image sharp. When then composition and all the other skills still need to be there. Hand ten people identical cameras/lenses and you will get ten different results, so I agree with Dori and Gary.

I think photos will become better and better as technology increases, this allows photographers to focus more on the creativity of the photo. Other technologies just make the life of a photographer easier.

LOL imagine seeing Photoshop post processing in cameras?!

A camera is just a tool. A drill has become better over the years, but it's still a drill.

KZAM wrote: Almost looks like understanding of technology will be 80% of what is needed to be a successful photographer and 20% will be skill!

No, the D4 doesn't have an scene modes and other hand holding features. You actually have to know what you're doing to get the most out of it. In fact i'd say an unskilled photographer will take way worse photos with a D4.

Heck the way I have my camera setup, if I hand it to someone else (who doesn't know what they are doing), they'll nearly ALWAYS take a crap photo. They don't know how to move the AF point, adjust the aperture, SS etc.

For pros and skilled people, it's always better to have more paints in the paintbox (or more tools in the toolbox, however you want to put it).

I actually dislike the idea that some people have that (for example) "A pro can take a great photo with an iPhone". While semi true, given some nice lighting etc. etc. you can get good results from an iPhone. It's a silly argument because the lacking features just restricts people who know how to use the advanced features on a better camera.

Basically if you know what you need, you should know if you need a D4 or not. If you don't KNOW if you need one, then you probably don't.

Corrina wrote: A camera is just a tool. A drill has become better over the years, but it's still a drill.

You made a logical error here (category mistake). A drill is a hole making tool, it's not a sophisticated machine. Your argument is like saying a bicycle is as good as a car because they both have wheels.

I know what you mean though. A camera's basic job is a light gathering box. However it's more complicated than that. Much more complicated than drilling a hole. The basic construction and mechanics of a drill bit are the same as they were hundreds of years ago. A camera is vastly different now to what it was even 20 years ago.

So anyway, a better camera is always gonna be a better tool for the photographer, making their job a tad easier to do. Just make sure you actually know what you're doing and don't expect a more expensive camera to magically make your photos better.

KZAM wrote: I was just looking at the video's on the new Nikon D4. What a engineering master piece this is. Considering all the features this camera has you have to wonder where camera's will be in 10 years from now, heck where will photographers be in 10 years?

Almost looks like understanding of technology will be 80% of what is needed to be a successful photographer and 20% will be skill!

Care to drop your thoughts on this?

Well the camera makers certainly want you to think its 80% their product and 20% your eye.

The D4 is no more the future of photography than the F4 was in the 1990s.

Having less limits bound by technology, means you can be more creative.


Shoot one of these for a week. Put on ISO 12,800 and shoot in extremely low light conditions.


It'll change the way you make images and you'll NEVER be able to go back.

Scotty wrote: Having less limits bound by technology, means you can be more creative.


Shoot one of these for a week. Put on ISO 12,800 and shoot in extremely low light conditions.


It'll change you make images and you'll NEVER be able to go back.

Right.

ISO 12,800.

This is ISO 8000 on my D3s.

The D4 will make it even cleaner.


There was no room for a tripod, and a monopod would not do at all. This shot was almost impossible without the technology.

Right, new tech opens doors to those with the knowledge and skills to open them.

Resisting new tech means one of three things:
1. You're poor.
2. You're scared.
3. You're unskilled.

You can't help being poor, but don't be scared and most certainly don't be unskilled.

LOL

Did you use any noise software in post processing? The shot has some nice feeling of depth to it.

Photo Mojo wrote: Did you use any noise software in post processing? The shot has some nice feeling of depth to it.

Nope.

Scotty wrote:

Photo Mojo wrote: Did you use any noise software in post processing? The shot has some nice feeling of depth to it.

Nope.

Technology wins!

Flawless Victory.