A real camera.

[BetterSense]

A new coworker mildly noted the Program Plus around my neck.

"I don't have one of those" she said.

"what, a camera?"

"well, I have a digital camera, but not one like that.

You know, a real camera"

What makes a film camera more real, even to a non-photographer?

 

[JBrunner]

Tradition.

 

[arigram]

Physicality of the image produced.

 

[AutumnJazz]

Anything larger than 35mm.

 

[reellis67]

Judging from the people that I know, both Jay and Ari are spot on.

- Randy

 

[John Koehrer]

Ever try to pick one of them there electrons the digital camera uses?
They're so tiny! You can hold film in your hand, it's just more comforting.

 

[Anscojohn]

Some of us would say a camera with programmed exposure control is not a "real" camera (vbg)

 

[JBrunner]

Some of us would say a camera with programmed exposure control is not a "real" camera (vbg)

Hicks once made the point that one photographer will look at a modern camera with all it's buttons, menus, and modes, and say "way too complicated" and another that owned such a camera would look at a manual camera and hand held meters and attendant mental gyrations, and with the same conviction say "way too complicated".

 

[Markok765]

Maybe real camera=SLR or better?

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

I was taking pictures in the park one winter and a couple passed and asked "Black and white?"

"Yes," I responded.

"Ah, real pictures." He said, and they walked on.

 

[arigram]

I was taking pictures in the park one winter and a couple passed and asked "Black and white?"

"Yes," I responded.

"Ah, real pictures." He said, and they walked on.

In that respect, the word "real" is equal to "valuable", as in "proper, artistic photographs" instead of "worthless personal snapshots". As such, the differentiation becomes the intent and aesthetics of the photograph and not the capturing media.

 

[Trevor Crone]

A similar thing happened to me only last week. While I had my 4x5 camera set up on a tripod an elderly man came by on his bicycle. On seeing me he turned his bike around while calling out, "am I looking at a REAL photographer?" I replied, "no one has ever called me a REAL photographer before." He stopped, we spoke for a while then he asked what I was taking a picture of. When I explained what was of interest in the scene before us, he bid a courteous farewell, got back on his bike and cycled off, probably saying to himself, "he's not even a photographer, let alone a real photographer."

 

[keeds]

Must have been your "white chair" project... ;-)

 

[eddym]

You know, a real camera"

What makes a film camera more real, even to a non-photographer?

It takes real pictures. Those pixel thingies don't really exist, you know. Have you ever seen a pixel hanging on the wall?

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

Those pixel thingies don't really exist, you know.

Ah, but in today's world it isn't real until it has become virtual.

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

In that respect, the word "real" is equal to "valuable", as in "proper, artistic photographs" instead of "worthless personal snapshots". As such, the differentiation becomes the intent and aesthetics of the photograph and not the capturing media.

Not many people take black and white snapshots.

However, black and white personal snapshots are part of the new aesthetic and have become worth quite a bit as 'vernacular photographs'. It seems that, along with whores and politicians, snapshots become respectable if they get old enough.

The link between black and white and "proper and artistic" may not be strictly causal but it has become correlative.

The medium is the message.

 

[TheDreadPirateRobins]

I thought a "real" camera had lots of tricky dials and levers and such on it.

 

[mooseontheloose]

Hicks once made the point that one photographer will look at a modern camera with all it's buttons, menus, and modes, and say "way too complicated" and another that owned such a camera would look at a manual camera and hand held meters and attendant mental gyrations, and with the same conviction say "way too complicated".

I had that very thing said to me recently while I was changing lenses on my Nikon FE. I was a bit at a loss for words trying to understand how she thought fiddling with the menu on her digicam was easier than press a button, twist off old lens, twist on new lens.

Similarly, when I worked at a museum in Toronto I used to spin fleece on a spinning wheel. Both children and adults would ask me if the spinning wheel was real, and I could never figure out if they meant it was an antique, or that is was not automated, or what. Never did I get credit for the wool that was spun -- as we all know, it's the camera...uh, I mean wheel, that does the work, not the operator.

 

[BetterSense]

Maybe real camera=SLR or better?

She has a D40.

 

[Markok765]

She has a D40.

Thats not a real camera! A real camera is one that takes film and is made of metal!

 

[DBP]

Thats not a real camera! A real camera is one that takes film and is made of metal!

Or wood.

 

[Markok765]

Or wood.

Sorry, forgot about you LF folks.

 

[Michael Finder]

Isn't a "real" camera one that's loaded, ready to shoot and "in the hand"?

 

[dpurdy]

Real as opposed to simulated. Digital stuff goes to great lengths to look like film. Doesn't it? Why is photoshop offering burning in and dodging? maybe I am wrong. Now digital prints can be made on fiber based silver gel paper. Just as good as a real print.

 

[Trevor Crone]

Real as opposed to simulated. Digital stuff goes to great lengths to look like film. Doesn't it? Why is photoshop offering burning in and dodging? maybe I am wrong. Now digital prints can be made on fiber based silver gel paper. Just as good as a real print.

Indeed; why does digital photography feel that it needs to reinvent the wheel?

What really drives me to distraction is when manufacturers market their FB ink jet papers as looking like, Record Rapid! We've had RR its now gone. Has digital photography not got an original concept? Why does it feel the need to copy darkroom based photography?