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02-06-2016, 12:27 PM   #61
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QuoteOriginally posted by normhead Quote
But that won't save you from the mindset of most current day photography teachers. With all due respect, they are brand specialized hacks. They can tell you what the Canon solution is, but they can't tell you what the Pentax of Nikon or Sony solution is. The qualifications for teaching photography at a University these days seem to be pretty lax.
Wow Norm....sorry you've had such a poor experience with photo teachers. I'm a photo teacher, perhaps, because I had GREAT life-changing teachers.

Taft Jr. High, George Easterbrooks, built the best darkroom I've ever been in with his own money and time, and started teaching me photography with a Yashica TLR and Konica SLR.

UCLA, Frank Valert, escaped Soviet invaded Czechoslovakia in 1968. A passionate genius in cinematography.

Boston University, Amy Lithimane, while getting my masters in art education, she was younger than any of the students. Brilliant and motivational.

I have colleagues and ex-students from Emily Carr U. of Art & Design in Vancouver, Cal Arts, CCA in Oakland, Chapman, RIT, York, the list would bore you, but if anything, most are overqualified. And this is not to mention all the awesome workshops that are run by the likes of Dewitt Jones, Gerd Ludwig, and many others.

I have no doubt the glass may be half empty, but please know that for some, no class and no teacher will help them become skilled photographers, but for others, they need and want formal instruction and there are excellent photo educators among us.

02-06-2016, 12:28 PM   #62
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QuoteOriginally posted by Nicolas06 Quote
A must see for anybody that is thinking he doesn't have good enough gea
QuoteOriginally posted by Nicolas06 Quote
This is fantastic !!! A must watch i love how a pro worldwide fashion shooter manage to get stunning shots with what is basically a 0.3MP camera for small childs or Zak Arias that manage to use a crapy old camera with his pro flash to get quite interresting shots !

A must see for anybody that is thinking he doesn't have good enough gear.
Fun to watch those...and very informative too. How many hundreds of times have we heard "it's not the camera"...yet here we are once again talking about cameras and gear.

I'm not in the same league as most here, don't need to be.....I shoot squirrels and any squirrel shot is a good shot!

Right Otis?


Makes life simple!

Regards!
02-06-2016, 12:28 PM   #63
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QuoteOriginally posted by Nicolas06 Quote
This is fantastic !!! A must watch i love how a pro worldwide fashion shooter manage to get stunning shots with what is basically a 0.3MP camera for small childs or Zak Arias that manage to use a crapy old camera with his pro flash to get quite interresting shots !

A must see for anybody that is thinking he doesn't have good enough gear.
Well... That is the point I am trying to make so good! I have a father who was obsessed with primes but slowly is learning that with his limited mobility zooms make more sense. The person behind the camera is far more interesting than the gear. LBA may still strike me but not to get better shots - just because it is fun to play with different tools.
02-06-2016, 12:31 PM   #64
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of course, a thread cannot be properly derailed without rupert's squirrel obsession.

well done old chap

02-06-2016, 12:59 PM   #65
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I'm in a curmudgeon mood today. Good thing I think the OP is sincere.
02-06-2016, 01:32 PM   #66
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Buy a cheap, used Canon to leap over your professor's hurdles

QuoteOriginally posted by Alex645 Quote
QuoteOriginally posted by Digitalis Quote
*there are some teachers who try, they are the worst kind of teacher: they only produce copies of themselves, and the fools that follow them only inherit their limitations.
Unless this was a typo, I think you meant there are some teachers who don't try; they are the worst kind of teacher. . . .
To be fair to Digitalis, I think you missed the part of his message he linked with the asterisk. The quote should really look like this:
QuoteOriginally posted by Digitalis Quote
. . . Musicality cannot be taught* . . . *there are some teachers who try, they are the worst kind of teacher: they only produce copies of themselves, and the fools that follow them only inherit their limitations. [it is something that can be cultivated..and there are no magical shortcuts to developing it.]
QuoteQuote:
. . . And if anyone is still reading this far, my worst students (and teachers too) are the bullies. They are so full of themselves, that they put down anything that threatens their ego or power. They fail to "grow up" and become adult bullies. Ugh. All this to say for the OP, don't be bullied by ignorance. The quality of the photography is a result of mostly the photographer, then the lens, and last the camera make.
I think you and Digitalis are agreeing about the role of the teacher in the classroom.


Incidentally, I agree with your opinion of the Original Poster: kudos to him for asking, and for specifically going somewhere that would present the Pentax side of the story. Kudos to him for seeking answers rather than being bullied. I think some of the folks here, who have undoubtedly seen more trolling about this subject than I have, have overreacted a bit to what sounds like a legitimate question from someone who's taking a photo class from a faculty trying to appear more knowledgeable than they really are -- rather than try to understand or accommodate different brands, they blame his brand so they can eliminate a variable.

For them to help him, what he might want to do is pick up a cheap, used Canon (I understand you can get an original 5D for under $400 now) and a kit lens just to use at school (so they can help him more effectively), and then use what he learns to make the "system decision" once he's confident in his ability to choose properly. This should relieve his professor of his mental anguish about dealing with aliens. It doesn't matter what camera you learn on because what you learn will tell what you need to know about the capabilities other cameras and brands offer. The original 5D is full frame, has "enough" resolution, and as far as I know, compatible with all current Canon lenses, no? What's not to like for a photography student? How many thousands of dollars do photography schools expect you to spend on lenses and flashes for learning? I'd think you could _learn_ with a kit lens and a manual strobe.

Last edited by fredralphfred; 02-06-2016 at 01:33 PM. Reason: Forgot a bit
02-06-2016, 01:41 PM   #67
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QuoteOriginally posted by fredralphfred Quote
rather than try to understand or accommodate different brands, they blame his brand so they can eliminate a variable.
Well, Fred, he and his fellow students need to know that Pentax offer everything from the little Q to the 645Z - no other brand does this - and lenses ranging in price from $100 to MF ones costing thousands.

If they're blaming their gear for their pics, I'd like them to give us a link to their portfolios and we can see for ourselves. :-)

02-06-2016, 01:52 PM   #68
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QuoteOriginally posted by wibbly Quote
of course, a thread cannot be properly derailed without rupert's squirrel obsession.
Hey, you'd be disappointed if squirrels didn't even make an attempt!

You know, I spend a lot of time in the various photo threads and for the life of me can't see what is missing in Pentax or Pentax gear? Are there crummy shots? Sure, you can find those with any brand. The degree of superb shots is outstanding.....there is no need to defend, just go take a tour and be amazed.

BTW-There is no bigger Pentax defender than Otis....be grateful I don't turn him loose in this thread! He just goes plumb loco, so I try to keep him entertained with lots of exotic nuts when we have a thread like this....

Regards!
02-06-2016, 02:00 PM - 2 Likes   #69
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QuoteOriginally posted by Alex645 Quote
Wow Norm....sorry you've had such a poor experience with photo teachers. I'm a photo teacher, perhaps, because I had GREAT life-changing teachers.

Taft Jr. High, George Easterbrooks, built the best darkroom I've ever been in with his own money and time, and started teaching me photography with a Yashica TLR and Konica SLR.

UCLA, Frank Valert, escaped Soviet invaded Czechoslovakia in 1968. A passionate genius in cinematography.

Boston University, Amy Lithimane, while getting my masters in art education, she was younger than any of the students. Brilliant and motivational.

I have colleagues and ex-students from Emily Carr U. of Art & Design in Vancouver, Cal Arts, CCA in Oakland, Chapman, RIT, York, the list would bore you, but if anything, most are overqualified. And this is not to mention all the awesome workshops that are run by the likes of Dewitt Jones, Gerd Ludwig, and many others.

I have no doubt the glass may be half empty, but please know that for some, no class and no teacher will help them become skilled photographers, but for others, they need and want formal instruction and there are excellent photo educators among us.
My own photo teachers at Ryerson Politech, were great, and all my high school compatriot were top notch, experienced pros with a lot to offer. But talking to the university crowd in Canada, I'd have to say, in Ontario, the University people have left me shaking my head. Ryerson is not as highly thought of in Canada but as far as I can tell, there isn't a university course in Ontario that rivals either Ryerson University (formerly Ryerson Politechnical) or Sheridan college (a community college) , for photography.

Most Ontario students would almost die to hav Emily Car U, here instead of 3000 kms away.

My associate and I him a Sheridan grad and me a Ryerson attendee would recruit our best students and try to send them to our school. It was as real competition, that often involved visits to both campuses by the students. But an Ontario University? I can't recommend one.

Last edited by normhead; 02-06-2016 at 08:04 PM.
02-06-2016, 02:00 PM   #70
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QuoteOriginally posted by BrianCollins Quote
But, among the great feedback I've gotten here at school is that my current gear is somewhat limiting. Another reason that I came here for input.
it's not that your equipment is limiting you, it's that you haven't been able to identify any specific scenarios where better gear would improve your photos.

so what you are asking the forum to do is come up with a solution to a problem that doesn't exist.

you need to give the forum some direction; i.e., pentax autofocus isn't accurate, pentax flash system isn't exposing my photos correctly, pentax xyz lens is not sharp, etc.

or, better yet, what's the big picture look like, i.e., "i want to shoot fashion professionally, who makes the best gear for that?", or "i want to shoot sports professionally, is pentax the best system for that?", etc.

if you don't know what kind of professional work you want to do, buying into any specific platform right now could be a big mistake; i.e., "i want to shoot both stills and video professionally", is going to eliminate pentax completely, and to a large extent, nikon as well.

"i want to be a professional landscape photographer, and backpack for days on end" could eliminate all dslrs, due to weight and ovf manual focusing problems.

"i want to be a professional wedding photographer" really eliminates nothing, but you could argue for nikon, because they have a good flash system.
02-06-2016, 02:16 PM   #71
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QuoteOriginally posted by clackers Quote
Well, Fred, he and his fellow students need to know that Pentax offer everything from the little Q to the 645Z - no other brand does this - and lenses ranging in price from $100 to MF ones costing thousands.

If they're blaming their gear for their pics, I'd like them to give us a link to their portfolios and we can see for ourselves. :-)
I guess I didn't make myself clear -- I thought he could keep his Pentax gear for "real" shooting and pick up a cheap, used Canon kit to use for school assignments to assuage his professor. Then, once he's done with college, he can decide what direction he needs to go.
02-06-2016, 02:19 PM   #72
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QuoteOriginally posted by osv Quote
it's not that your equipment is limiting you, it's that you haven't been able to identify any specific scenarios where better gear would improve your photos.

so what you are asking the forum to do is come up with a solution to a problem that doesn't exist.

you need to give the forum some direction; i.e., pentax autofocus isn't accurate, pentax flash system isn't exposing my photos correctly, pentax xyz lens is not sharp, etc.

or, better yet, what's the big picture look like, i.e., "i want to shoot fashion professionally, who makes the best gear for that?", or "i want to shoot sports professionally, is pentax the best system for that?", etc.

if you don't know what kind of professional work you want to do, buying into any specific platform right now could be a big mistake; i.e., "i want to shoot both stills and video professionally", is going to eliminate pentax completely, and to a large extent, nikon as well.

"i want to be a professional landscape photographer, and backpack for days on end" could eliminate all dslrs, due to weight and ovf manual focusing problems.

"i want to be a professional wedding photographer" really eliminates nothing, but you could argue for nikon, because they have a good flash system.
I think OSV is right. You can learn to shoot on any camera and once you do, the differences in camera systems will be dwarfed by the similarities. At the same time, there are a few specific things that Pentax may not do as well as others -- tracking auto focus is one and video is another. If there is one of those things that you specifically struggle with, then I would look elsewhere, but first you need to identify that specific deficit in functionality or gear.

My wife shoots weddings with a K3 and K5 II and has very happy clients and as much business as she can handle. She has learned to use flash and available light and where to use each. We own a decent lens line up that took awhile to build but was cheaper than similar quality lenses from Nikon/Canon.

I know forums tend to be pretty gear-centric in their views of things, but the reality is that most modern cameras and lenses are pretty decent and it is more about learning to use them, then it is about getting better quality.
02-06-2016, 02:21 PM   #73
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QuoteOriginally posted by fredralphfred Quote
pick up a cheap, used Canon kit to use for school assignments to assuage his professor.
I would think spending money to change gear rather than your technique to keep a college lecturer happy would be a sad situation. ☺

Last edited by clackers; 02-06-2016 at 02:28 PM.
02-06-2016, 02:24 PM   #74
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QuoteOriginally posted by Sandy Hancock Quote
I smell troll flesh.
Now the OP has finally responded with some more detail, I'll concede my olfactory senses may have misled me.

Brian - if your colleagues and teachers are genuinely telling you that your current equipment, or even worse the *brand* is holding you back they either displaying ignorance, bias, or both. A shop assistant can give you advice on gear - the course is supposed to make you a better *photographer*. I would suggest you smile sweetly at heir "advice", finish your course without blowing big money on switching systems, and only then think about which system is likely to fulfil your needs.

In the meantime, look critically at your work and that of the others and try to see where your images are lacking. Focus, exposure, lighting, composition, subject matter, stability and processing are just some of the possible factors. Your K-5, FA50 and DFA100WR are capable of exceptional output - go out there and show 'em!
02-06-2016, 02:31 PM   #75
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QuoteOriginally posted by fredralphfred Quote
I guess I didn't make myself clear -- I thought he could keep his Pentax gear for "real" shooting and pick up a cheap, used Canon kit to use for school assignments to assuage his professor. Then, once he's done with college, he can decide what direction he needs to go.
I agree that this may be the path of least resistance, but there is something more fundamental that the OP needs to realize. Any professor who preaches gear, gear, gear clearly knows less about photography than he should, and a wise student may question if it is worth learning from such a tutor. Now if it's other students preaching gear, gear, gear; yeah, that will happen. Ironically, if the OP brought in stunning images shot on his K-5, the other students in the class would probably rush out an buy Pentax gear, failing to comprehend that their Canon gear is just fine and it's the artist's skill, not the camera, that creates a great image.

A thought did occur to me though, perhaps if the OP is relying on the camera's autofocus system, it may be in need of adjustment. That might account for less-than-sharp images. Sometimes it's a universal adjustment that need to be applied tot he camera's AF module, or sometimes it's on an individual lens basis, but it's worth exploring since it's free and easy to fix if that is indeed the problem.
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