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DSLR Cameras: Passion or Fashion?
Posted by Chris in Gadgets, Style, Technology
Image credit: Urban Outlaw | Creative Commons
Around 1 in every 7 people that I know has a DSLR camera. You know that big camera for professionals that you only see in studios about a few years back but has now found it’s way dangling around necks of people you see in malls?
As a blogger, you might think that I have one. But in reality, I don’t. I find it expensive and too bulky to carry along so small cameras are best for me. Maybe I just don’t need one at the moment but I’m not saying that I won’t buy one in the future. For now, I’d rather be in front of the camera lens. 
But with so many guys treating these professional cameras like ordinary cellphones and gadgets, bringing them everyday (with multiple lenses) wherever they go – do you think that it’s for their passion in digital photography or for fashion and style?
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do you think that it’s for passion in digital photography or for fashion in carrying them around?
Neither! Its part of a FAD hobby. There are so many people IN TO photography as a hobby na konting seminar, edit sa photoshop, at google nila about lighting Etc… self proclaimed professional photographer na sila.
Siyempre with the DSLR, hanap sila ng mga friends nilang models tapos lagay ng konting drama “journalism” na yun.
Siyempre sasama na dyan yung light source detector thingie nila and that umbrella para complete na yung getup nila.
Well as they say, buying a DSLR does not make you a photographer. It makes you a DSLR owner.
While bringing a camera may be a necessity for some, to be carrying a DSLR with multiple lens everyday is just too much for a person who is not even a photojournalist or a professional photographer. It’s like your gear makes the images good, and not you. Not to mention that a camera’s dial set on full auto gives away the poseur snapshooter.
I shoot photos for school and other stuff, and even if I have a DSLR, I think bringing it everyday just does not work. A real photographer should not be afraid to use any kind of camera.
To me it is not passion nor fashion. It’s pretension.
could never be for fashion. yes its a fad hobby. some though really appreciate the sharpness of the photos and the multiple capacity of lenses for different situations.
most of DSLR owners these days, nakikisakay sa bandwagon… although, siguro nga, naa-appreciate nila ang ganda ng pix
pero sad to say, marami sa kanila– walang ‘eye’ for photography. ang pagsabak naman o pag-aral sa seminar regarding DSLR use– pang-formality sake lang.
Magkakaalaman lang pagdating sa kanilang finish products.
I agree. It’s a fad hobby nga. I have friends na may DLSR but none of them can produce a good shot. Sana binigay na lang sa aking yung DSLR nila.
it’s true, who would carry it around in malls? I think this is much more a hobby than a fashion thing. This is timely, I am about to buy a new digi cam, what cheap but good model do you recomend?
I also agree, It is just a hobby. I also wanted to buy one but its too expensive for me. The first and big reason why I wanted to have one is because I really love the effects on the images but I know that it will not tell that I’m a professional photographer.
Sorry, but many people with DSLRs nowadays are just tools. They don’t even know what to do with these things. Some of them just leave it on auto mode. It’s no different from the people that think that more megapixels = better photos.
It’s partly irrelevant but totally deregatory for labeling a casual user as another fashion victim or pretentious. Jumping the bandwagon, YES it’s very notcieable and you guys even have the statistics for it. But putting a DSLR up in a pedestal and limiting it for professional use is reserved for purist but i’ll bet my butt even pros would recommend an entry level DSLR for the casual user. Me? I’m just a hobbyist with couple of priimes and a zoom to spare. I promote DSLR to friends who are pissed with their P&S for not getting high quality pictures, very poor low light and speed performance. On most cases, if I perceive that this friend is vunerable to be bitten by the shutterbug. I’d easily recommend the prosumers instead of the entry level models.
Pahabol, I even thank these ‘people’ who brought up the big demand for DSLR…. Why? Because the big demand brought down the prices and even incorporate typical P&S features like the live view and video capture to the snobbish DSLR.
I think BOTH.
I think pwede both.
Samin kasi sa ADDU, of course, maraming mga rich kids *excluding me, toink* so one can really expect to see DSLRs around students’ neck everywhere.
Some have it because they really dig photography, while others have it for fashion’s sake. Kasi, you can’t really deny the fact din naman Chris na having an expensive DSLR camera dangling around your neck really gives one the so-called pogi points and extra-chick-points.
For example ako. I’m a writer for our university publication paper. Pero minsan, hinihiram ko ung DSLR ng mga photojourns namin pampa sikat lang sa labas lalo na pag wash day. Ang iba din ganyan. toink. hehe
Anyway, great article Chris! *napaisip ako bigla, eh* LOL
Ay mali pala un first line Chris.
Kaw nalang bahala mag bura please. Pati nitong message na to. Thanks.
I also agree, It is just a hobby. I also wanted to buy one but its too expensive for me. The first and big reason why I wanted to have one is because I really love the effects on the images but I know that it will not tell that I’m aprofessional photographer.
I do not believe that anyone who bought a DSLR wants to pretend to be a professional photographer. Anyone who has one (Entry-level, or Semi-pro) has their own reason. I am sure when you see a person in a party shooting with DSLR will automatically think “this must be the photographer” but when you see a person in malls or street you automatically think “this guy must be rich” or “this guys must be pretending to be one” FAD? maybe, but what strucks you to get one of these babies? Friend? Relatives? or your Family? But definitly not someone in the mall or park.
People are wiser, keen in detail, and more into new technology. We use it everyday. just like PC, Ipod Iphone. They give us the what we seek. and that is why we patronize their products. Do we need these? its up to you to answer.
I may have a DSLR, but i don’t have other stuff like Iphone, Mac book and GPRS gadgets. Because i don’t think i need it. So why get a DSLR? because i want to learn, achieve, and get most of picture as much as i can for myself, my family, my friends, my vacation spots. Time is really Gol. And if it passes, you will never get it back. The only way to freeze the moment is by taking a picture.
Why DSLR not Point and shoot? believe me…there’s plenty to learn about DSLR than saying its expensive and performs as well as Point and shoot.
Ask yourself, when you get married. would you consider your No. 1 photographer in the country to use point and shoot at your wedding? if your answer is yes. Then please show us the results.
Good day guys!
for me a person who takes a photo is a photographer! thats it! at gaya ngang sabi ng karamihan, “kanya kanyang trip lang yan”..
Amen to you Death Trap. Very well said.
for me some people are just to judgemental on others. we all have different points of view on things, like our opinions on people with DSLR’s hanging around their necks.
honestly i always carry with me 2 DSLR’s one lens is my wide angle and other is telefoto. why you might ask im doing this? its for the reason that i dont want to miss a thing when an opportunity arises and there is a great shot. its not because i want to flaunt to everyone that i can afford to buy 2 DSLR’s, its because i want to capture the moment, and with that i want to make sure that i have the right tools to get the results i want. for me its almost the same in school, we need a red and black ballpen. one for writing and the other for correcting.
i am not a professional photographer, im just a hobbyist just like some of you here but i guess im more keen on details and i want to get the best results that i can get……sabi nga isang sikat na american photographer/author (scott kelby) “sometimes to get results as the pros do you have to use equipments that the pros use too”….
i mean, is it my fault if im OC with the results of every photo that i take? i think not, for me its an art and i want to excel on it.
i find it funny everytime i see a person carrying a DSLR inside the malls and if you’ll look at their pics its all snap shots! I own a DSLR but i only bring it when i have a photo shoot or when i travel. But for snapshots i use my point and shoot.
Me i bring my dslr with L lens pa inside the malls to take a snapshot of my daughter since i don’t have a point and shoot camera i don’t have a choice
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@merbo
I have a DSLR, I want to bring it to the mall cause I wanna take some snapshots of my family.. What does that make me? Should I just buy a smaller P&S and use it instead?
@Sowhat
if you want to use your DSLR for snapshots then go no one here is stopping you its your camera.
let us not forget economics and marginal utility…because of the advent of cheaper entry level dslrs..the prices of good point and shoots and entry level dslrs are not very far apart…so people who are aiming to buy good cameras tend to lean towards entry level dslrs due to the perceived function that they have over point and shoots…while the buyer, in his mind is increasing the marginal utility of his salary or the value of his money….
we can play semantics, economics and what not all day long…it all just points out to what each person’s preference is …. you may opt to buy nike while i opt for adidas because u prefer nikes, u may opt to buy levi’s while i buy those cheap jeans at sm department stores … u may opt to eat at nice restaurants while i go to fastfoods and turo-turos…thats because we prefer different things and we value different things differently … i think those people who hate on others because of other stuff are only mainly after publicity or are just jealous…but again, thats just me and how i perceive it
@merbo
But u find it funny right?
im also curious why do you find it funny?
@Sowhat and iche
Thats just me. Please dont get offended we dont know each other so why bother right? but if youre bothered by me finding it funny then theres a reason for you to use P&S for your snaps.
@merbo
Nah, not bothered at all buddy.. Just wondering what kind of humor u’re practicing.. Thanks for the clarification good sir..
Now to find me a good jester hat to go w/ my cam..
natawa ko kung makita ko sa facebook ang page na to e: “Hindi purkit may SLR ka na, e Photographer ka na!” lolz
natawa ko kung makita ko sa facebook ang page na to e: “Hindi purkit may DSLR ka na, e Photographer ka na!” lolz
There will come a time that these “pa-cool” people will realize that they do not need their SLRs and that they can recreate what they want with high-end ‘di-SLRs(point and shoots). Some of them will progress into genuine hobbyists, and some will even turn into pros. In time, malalaman kung sino talaga ang photographer.
Having an SLR is like having a significant other, minsan nagciclick, minsan hindi… ayun break ang abot haha.
It is very good that people are getting into photography whatever the reason is. I am glad that people are now more aware of the photographer as a profession not just a manong or a manang na utus-utusan lang ng kumuha lang ng picture