Originally posted by Kendra59 This is a question I have been pondering on for quite a while. My answer is yes, IF a photographer doesn’t understand the fundamental principles of photography, or how to adjust their cameras to get the results they are looking for.
My views were formed over the last decade, when I went from being quite comfortable with using my Nikon DSLR camera and understanding how to get pretty good results, to having several strokes and not being able to engage with photography AT all for almost 5 years, to buying and using a medium format film camera with MF lenses to “relearn the fundamentals again” to where I am today, using a Pentax K-50 DSLR with a mix of AF and MF lenses and having fun again.
I have found a level of technology that works for me. It forces me to work on improving my own skills, it gives me more to be proud of when I master something new (or something I used to know, but forgot), and it makes me happy. If I upgrade to a different camera body, it would only be so I could get a full-frame camera, and have my film era MF lenses work as they were designed to.
More advanced cameras and lenses does not automatically make a better photographer. Without a better understanding of photography, the creative process, and how to get the most from our equipment, we can only get so far.
I'm sorry to hear of your stroke, thankfully it seems your long term photographic interest has been an ideal gateway to rehabilitation.
The K-50 is an enabling camera with the drive functions and auto options that it has and is ideal as a mid entry level camera, at least I found it so.
Someone starting out needs a certain level of technology in the camera, because they will read of various techniques and want to try them out and in that sense the camera gets out of their way. It would be frustrating to have disabled camera in that case and would stifle creativity.
Conversely, one thing I wanted in the K-3ii was GPS, and it came with astrotracer that I naturally wanted to try out. Astro is a rabbit hole that can become a bit obsessive, to the detriment of other creative streams of thought.
When I read of a photographer 'just' using manual, I am at once envious and a little annoyed, since the camera is packed with features that are being ignored. That said I have a hard time with Tv mode, I would prefer manual over that.
I'm happy to have a camera without any serious restrictions since I am not set in my ways and will at least try new techniques over time so me the technology is good.