You can only be a good photrographer if you have a camera with a red dot

pierods · Wednesday at 1:17 PM

I can't believe how gullible I have been to marketing and advertising. Was going through my old photos...this one (and many more). Nikon N80 ($450 euro at launch, $800 adjusted for inflation, $80 today), Nikkor 70-300mm F/4-5.6D ED ($400 at launch, $700 adjusted for inflation, $80 today), foma reversal 100.
I even picked fights online about resolution graphs, famous photographers can't be wrong and whatever else...

Also - scanned at home, not minilab...

Donald Qualls · Wednesday at 1:21 PM

I've got a couple old Kodaks with red dots and they've produced some of my favorite images. I'm on board with the theory.

pierods · Wednesday at 1:29 PM

Donald Qualls said:
I've got a couple old Kodaks with red dots and they've produced some of my favorite images. I'm on board with the theory.

Chan Tran · Wednesday at 1:38 PM

pierods said:
I can't believe how gullible I have been to marketing and advertising. Was going through my old photos...this one (and many more). Nikon N80 ($450 euro at launch, $800 adjusted for inflation, $80 today), Nikkor 70-300mm F/4-5.6D ED ($400 at launch, $700 adjusted for inflation, $80 today), foma reversal 100.
I even picked fights online about resolution graphs, famous photographers can't be wrong and whatever else...

Also - scanned at home, not minilab...

If you have the red dot it would be a lot better.

Arthurwg · Wednesday at 1:50 PM

"It's not the ships, it's the men in them."

bags27 · Wednesday at 1:53 PM

I once saw a exhibit of Ansel Adams's youthful shots with a Brownie. It blew me away.

Donald Qualls · Wednesday at 2:19 PM

bags27 said:
Ansel Adams's youthful shots with a Brownie.

Talent is inherent. Skill is learned. The camera is just a tool. Yes, some kinds of results are easier with certain kinds of tools, but you can make art with a Brownie Hawkeye Flash as well as with an M6.

Pieter12 · Wednesday at 2:28 PM

So that explains it. I have covered all the red dots on mine, the pictures are really terrible.

chuckroast · Wednesday at 2:30 PM

Donald Qualls said:
Talent is inherent. Skill is learned. The camera is just a tool. Yes, some kinds of results are easier with certain kinds of tools, but you can make art with a Brownie Hawkeye Flash as well as with an M6.

Cameras and lenses are brushes with which we analogously paint. Some brushes are more appropriate for certain kinds of painting. No paintbrush will inherently make your paintings better.

I waited until I'd owned and used something like 20 different camera systems, many of which are still in my assortment of "brushes". A few years ago, I got Red Dot Fever (tm) and bought a few of those as well. They have allowed me to work on things I'd not have much considered in the past. The nice thing about them is that Red Dot Brushes can be found in excellent used condition, used for a while, and resold at- or above what you paid, if one is careful.

Petrochemist · Wednesday at 2:46 PM

Most of my camera systems use a red dot to indicate lens mount alignment.

Resale value of my gear is fairly irrelevant to me as I hardly ever sell any.

pierods · Wednesday at 2:50 PM

Chan Tran said:
If you have the red dot it would be a lot better.

Exactly that!
Marketers know how to play with imposter's syndrome - "yes but it could be better" etc.
While I was gazing at ads for Summitrons and Ultrons and Noktagons, I was shooting my 70-300 at 300 and 1/ 60, dipping film in the wrong developer, scanning wrong...

Maybe you remember this guy, Yusuf Dikec, shooting with both eyes open and one hand in pocket:

Marcelo Paniagua · Wednesday at 2:53 PM

Well my Calumet CC- 400 have the red dot so yeah on board too

pierods · Wednesday at 2:55 PM

bags27 said:
I once saw a exhibit of Ansel Adams's youthful shots with a Brownie. It blew me away.

Yes, and George Hurrell. Using only ortho film b/c no money for panchromatic, using only one light b/c no money for more lights, hand retouching glass negative with a brush and ink.

RezaLoghme · Wednesday at 2:56 PM

SLRs with said "red dots" are provoking both the die-hard red dot community AND the reverse snobberists.

Nicholas Lindan · Wednesday at 3:04 PM

Real Leicas don't have red dots.

That said most of my cameras have red dots on them, but the dots are small indicating shutter lock, self-timer, metering, IR focus ... not really a status thing.

chuckroast · Wednesday at 3:11 PM

Nicholas Lindan said:
Real Leicas don't have red dots.

That said most of my cameras have red dots on them, but the dots are small indicating shutter lock, self-timer, metering, IR focus ... not really a status thing.

I dunno about that Nicholas. I have three M bodies with red dots on them to indicate the lens mounting point alignment, and I sorta consider them "real" Leicas. Then again, my IIIf has no such thing so perhaps that is what you meant...

Nicholas Lindan · Wednesday at 3:23 PM

chuckroast said:
I dunno about that Nicholas. I have three M bodies with red dots on them to indicate the lens mounting point alignment.

On mine the dot is on the lens. I think the red plastic hemisphere was standard on M mount lenses from the start.

I wonder if there is a market for replacement black alignment dots...

chuckroast · Wednesday at 3:26 PM

Nicholas Lindan said:
On mine the dot is on the lens. I think the red plastic hemisphere was standard on M mount lenses from the start.

You're right, of course. As it turns out, neither the M2 or M4 have a dot on the body itself, but the M5 I looked at did, in fact, have one. Go figure.

Nicholas Lindan said:
I wonder if there is a market for replacement black alignment dots...

Naw, you gotta go for the hipster/kool kids crows: Crocodile patterned dots

snusmumriken · Wednesday at 3:39 PM

I put a red dot on the film cassette, I find it helps a lot.

Vaughn · Wednesday at 8:16 PM

Red dots are for cats and snipers...

Don_ih · Wednesday at 8:20 PM

There's nothing about a Leica that says you can't take good photos with a different brand of camera.

RalphLambrecht · Wednesday at 8:22 PM

Donald Qualls said:
I've got a couple old Kodaks with red dots and they've produced some of my favorite images. I'm on board with the theory.

I think one can purchase red dots somewhere as a sticker to put it on any camera.

Pieter12 · Wednesday at 8:28 PM

chuckroast said:
You're right, of course. As it turns out, neither the M2 or M4 have a dot on the body itself, but the M5 I looked at did, in fact, have one. Go figure.

Naw, you gotta go for the hipster/kool kids crows: Crocodile patterned dots

The M5 does not have a red dot, except for the lens release button.

chuckroast · Wednesday at 8:30 PM

Pieter12 said:
The M5 does not have a red dot, except for the lens release button.

yes. that was the context

AnselMortensen · Wednesday at 8:45 PM

Whew...glad I can be a good photographer, too!

You can only be a good photrographer if you have a camera with a red dot

pierods

Donald Qualls

pierods

Chan Tran

Arthurwg

bags27

Donald Qualls

Pieter12

chuckroast

Petrochemist

pierods

Marcelo Paniagua

pierods

RezaLoghme

Nicholas Lindan

Advertiser

chuckroast

Nicholas Lindan

Advertiser

chuckroast

snusmumriken

Vaughn

Don_ih

RalphLambrecht

Pieter12

chuckroast

AnselMortensen

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