Re: SLR and not SLR

You will read in newsgroups, forums, blogs, and other open sources of
"absolute" knowledge that non-dSLR camera couldn't possibly take a
useful picture. The big reason is that they have way too much digital
noise. Apparently this noise is absolutely catestrophic to photographs.

As a photographer who used to love shooting with Ilford Delta 3200 B&W
film, the obsession with noise seems very overrated to me. Yes, you can
see noise when you zoom into 200% or more. Yes, really bad noise will
tend to cover up some minute detail in some pictures. However, almost
all noise can be dealt with satisfactorily.

First, it may not matter. I take pictures with a Konica Minolta A2
camera. If you read all the accounts on the Internet about it, it has
horrible noise at ISO 800. It is often referred to as "unusable". Yes,
you certainly can see noise at 100% zoom in Photoshop. Oddly, to most,
you don't see it when printed. I have printed 8x10" pictures on my
Epson R800 that were shot at 800. It is very hard to see any noise at
all.

Second, use a good noise reduction program. I use Noise Ninja and have
experimented with many ways to use it. By using NN and a few other
techniques, I can get 8x10" prints that show NO noise at all - at all
ISO speeds. I don't care if you can see any noise at 200% zoom; I don't
expect anyone to view my pictures like that.

I am a professional wedding photographer and give my brides and grooms
beautiful pictures that are smooth, sharp, and they are very happy
with. I do the best with what I have and try not to shoot above ISO
200, but sometimes I have to.

The A2 is small, light, and I don't have to change lenses. My Minolta
5600HS(D) flash works very well with it and gives me the light I need.
The camera has Anti-Shake that is a great help for those shots during
the ceremony. Just as important, it is absolutely silent taking
pictures. That is very important during the ceremony.

There is no dSLR that is as small, light, and quiet as this. There is
no dSLR lens that will give me 28-200mm f/2.8-3.5 without having to
change lenses. Important things always happen at weddings when you
don't have the right lens and are changing.

My A2 doesn't shoot blazing fast, but more than fast enough for a
wedding and reception. I always pre-focus and that makes any camera
faster. (I like to know what is in focus.) It certainly doesn't do
everything, but it doesn't need to. It is the best wedding camera I've
ever used. That certainly goes for those all manual film cameras that I
used in the distant past.

Don't forget that my KM A2 is miles ahead of the picture capturing
cababilities of the cameras/film that most of the world's great
photographs were taken with. Those old masters would have killed for
what I carry. If I do my part, it will capture pictures that DO give me
beautiful, stunning, pictures that my brides love - and no one is
pickier than a bride, with the possible exception of her mother.

My point is that you need to carefully and honestly evaluate what you
take pictures of. Answer the question: what does MY camera really need
to do? Then match the camera to that. If it works, use it. (BTW, I have
had brides select pictures from a Canon SD10 taken by my assistant. It
is a great camera to sneak in and get shots that no will be clinching
up for.) Never forget that the final picture is all that matters.

Clyde

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Relevant Pages

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