R E V I E W S
I have a passion for photography. However, I don't always have the time or money to follow that passion.
As a child, I had the fortunately luck to travel a lot, due to both parents working for the airlines. My aunt, who also worked for the airlines, took me different places all over the world, and she always had her camera with her. She wasn't a professional photographer, by any means, and it used it primarily for photo-keepsakes and family snapshots. However, it did get me very interested in photography. So, I took a few photography classes in college to meet my "art" requirements and, obviously, to learn more about photography. My aunt gave me her old Canon AE-1 when she found out I was taking photography classes, and I toted that thing around for years afterwards, even when everyone else had "newer" cameras.
The photography classes taught me the basics of the camera, what shutter speeds and f-stops to use. We were taught how to see light and shadow, how to compose photographs, how to develop film, and how to use the darkroom, and when we had actual photographs in hand--how to mount and display them. It was also the place where we were taught to "see", and we had assignments dealing with patterns of light, textures, and the ilk; nothing fancy, just simple things that we take for granted.
In college, photography was not exactly "expensive", relatively. We paid a lab fee for use of the darkrooms, and all we had to do was supply film & photography paper, which on a student's budget is *extremely* expensive. However, I made do with what I could afford. But photography wasn't my major, and if the classes didn't fit into my regular schedule, I couldn't justify taking a photography course over a major requirement, esp. since I was paying for my own tuition.
I continued to carry my camera around taking photographs, even after I stopped taking photography courses, but had to use commercial labs to develop & print my photos...which got extremely expensive. I turned to developing my photos at the local drug store, but the quality was not that great, but, again, I made do. At one point, someone gave me their Canon EOS Rebel, and my interest in photography renewed itself. I toyed with the idea of having my own darkroom, repeatedly, but shelling out $$$$ for darkroom equipment just wasn't in my budget, even after I graduated college and started working full-time.
As time passed, however, I started carrying the cameras around less and less. I got heavily into competive sports when I transferred from junior college to a university, and lugging around sports equipment WITH camera equipment was just too darn much. After a while, I wasn't carrying it around anymore, but I was still very interested in photography.
Then, (many *ahem* many) years later, came the advent of digital photography. I was very intrigued by this new phenomena, but at the time, digital cameras were still an expensive "toy" I really couldn't afford, but being in the computer industry, I knew that if I just waited long enough, prices would come down, and I could look into getting a decent digital camera within my budget.
In the meantime, I worked in the computer/software industry of Silicon Valley, working in technical communications, learning Adobe Photoshop (when it was 4.0), Illustrator, PageMaker, DreamMaker, FrameMaker, etc...all for layout, design, and technical communications. I had adequate home computers to do complex layouts & designs for work. Little did I know I was prepping myself for the digital photography age.
So, time marches on, and I buy my first home, and eventually end up selling it four years later, and I realized that it was nigh time to get into the digital era of photography.
I scoured reviews on various photography forums such as DPREVIEW and PhotoNews. My mind whirled with concepts of Megapixels, sensors, storage mediums (such as CF cards), and other techie terms. I couldn't afford a DSLR (waay out of my budget), but I didn't exactly wanted a simple Point-and-Shoot either. I had multiple lenses for my old cameras, and I wanted that same versatility in a digital camera.
So, after many months of doing research on cameras, lenses, and equipment (and agonizing over every little decision), I finally settled on the Canon G3 and I bought the following lenses over the course of a few months after purchasing the G3.
At the time, the Canon G6 had just come out, and was having a few minor issues, but it had greater megapixels. After reading more on megapixels and the falltraps associated with that "magic word", I decided that even at 3-4 megapixels of the G3 were more than adequate for me versus the 6 megapixels of the Canon G6.
And I have to say, I've been very happy with the camera so far. I probably would have also been happy with the G6, but I felt that to stay within my wallet's overall financial happiness (and to be able to buy the additional lenses), I would stick with the G3.
And once I got the G3, I realized exactly how much I had forgotten from my photography classes; it had been, afterall, a good 3-5 years since I used the camera for more than just taking holiday/vacation snapshots. So, I reopened all those photography books I had from college, and started putzing around with the camera; learning its particular quirks, and remembering all the lessons from class.
I still feel like a beginning photographer at times, fumbling to remember the best settings for what situation, etc. But, it's a fun learning experience.
And now, after having the G3 for several years, and knowing more what kind of photography I want to do, I have begun to see its limitations. It's still a wonderful camera, and one I will continue to use for a long while, but now, I am beginning to look more into the DSLR areas, armed with the knowledge of what digital can do, what I've read so far.
There will be a learning curve with the new camera I get, but, like the learning curve with the AE-1, EoS Rebel, and the G3, I'm sure that the DSLR will be a fun learning curve as well....
As soon as I save enough money to buy one :-D
(Edited 3/06/06: I finally got a DSLR some time ago, but only now got to writing a little bit about that).