"Wow, you have a really nice camera"

I answered a post like this not too long ago. I'm not offended at all. I feel I CAN take better pictures now with my DSLR versus my old p&s. So usually when a friend or family member says this, I answer "Thank you. I'm pretty happy with it. In fact, I love it!"

No, it doesn't bother me. I DO have a nice camera, and am proud of it. The fact that they like my pictures justifies me buying it! Not everyone can justify buying a DSLR

A few years ago I was walking towards the upper pond at Wild Animal Park in San Diego with a D200 attached to a Nikon 200-400 F4 lens hanging from my right shoulder. A young couple walked by me and the guy said "nice camera". His girl friend (I think) chimed in "no stupid, that's a lens".

Alternatively, get a crappy camera. At $6.47, the Vivitar PN2011 is a good place to start. Or you could splash out on a

Holga. When (if!) you <i>do</i> get good pictures, you can then boast about the crappiness of your gear.

I don't think I have ever gotten that comment on my photography, but I get that comment all the time when people see me taking pictures. A lot of people get all nostalgic when they see me using my OM-1n, apprently a lot of people used to own an Oly SLR back in the day...or at least everyone who ever did likes commenting on my camera and how nice it is to see someone using one still.

I also agree with Ian. This is just not worthy of getting upset about. That being said, I do make a distinction

between someone walking up to me and making a comment about my gear when I am out shooting and someone looking at

a print and making a similar comment. In the first instance I often hear comments or questions regarding how

nice the resulting pictures must be and inquiries about whether I am a pro. Apparent to some people DSLR = pro

shooter. I cannot image anyone being bothered by this type of situation.

 

The other slightly irksome reaction comes from people who look at an image and ascribe its quality to the camera

rather than a combination of the photographer's skill AND the gear. IMO those people do not intend offense but

neither have they thought through the comment before making it.

 

I took some photos of a friends children. He showed the images to his ex-wife and she said

" Wow! he must have a nice camera ". I told him to tell his ex-wife I like her kids, she must have a nice womb.

"Usually they think that you are a pro if you have a fancy camera with all the do-dads."

 

"I frequently use Mamiya TLRs (C3,C220, C330), which usually elicit a comment along the lines of, "What in God's

Name is that !?""

 

The funny thing in my case, when I took a speed graphic a Mamiya TLR or Universal to a car show or railroad

museum. People took me for the professional!

I guess they thought that only pros would use that type of camera these days.

I think it's funny. They think my Rebel XTi takes good photos.... just wait till they see a 1Ds MK 3!

I had that comment once by a pretty, young lady who wanted to see the photos on the camera's screen as she reached out to grab my camera. Then I saw a guy watching us from behind a tree. I don't know if it was a scam, but something felt very wrong about the situation, so I said that I had to go, and I rolled away. Ah, the joys of living in southern CA!

"I took some photos of a friends children. He showed the images to his ex-wife and she said " Wow! he must have a nice camera ". I told him to tell his ex-wife I like her kids, she must have a nice womb."

 

Gordon, I almost spit out my drink! LOL

Brad, I bet those two wanted to steal your camera.

An anecdote from themusical world:

Admirer to Isaac Stern: "My, that Stradivarius sounds so beautiful."

Isaac Stern to admirer: "Yes, and isn't it nice that someone is playing it, too?"

Similar statement.....

"You're soooooo talented !"

Yeah, like 40 years of experience count for nothing, some higher power just imbued me with "talent'.

 

 

Bill P.

Always remember its not the price or model of the camera that makes you good.. its your eye and talent and the

camera is only a tool to capture the image. Dont be a gear head!

Be a photographer!

SonikSid

"Wow, you have a really nice camera"! What are you filming? (Taking picturs with an Hasselblad 500c/m)

I gently tell them that I'm taking pictures.Response: "Great, can I see them now?" "I say no becuase I'm shooting film". Response: "Oh, so you are filming?" Getting a bit more irritated. "No, I'm taking pictures with a film based camera. Analog. Oh, great, but why are you doing that?

 

Normaly I tend to leave or get very occupied at this moment and only go away. The peoples that ask me this are normaly under the age of 25, so I can understand. It feels a bit like when my yonger sister asked me what those black round things were, when she helped me move once. It was my LPs....

 

Alain

I take these comments as what they are: genuine curiosity. They sometimes work on your advantage, as useful

icebreakers. And it's happened to me a lot with either my Leicas or my Nikons. For instance, checking in an airplane to

go to Germany, the airline security guy looked at my Leicas and asked "Are you a professional?"

 

I chuckled and replied "I wish..., but then, if I were, I wouldn't like taking pictures that much."

 

He smiled and waived me in, no further search.

 

Also, in CR, carrying my F100 and a nice 80-200, a lady asked "When do I get to see my photo in the paper? Aren't you

with `La Nacion'?"

 

"No," I said, "I'm on my own, for my own collection."

 

"Hmm... you kinda look professional, so I thought"

 

In the end, I offered her a print for the next time I go to CR. It'll take some time, but I hope to see her again.

 

Never has it ever crossed my mind to throw back an Irving Penn kind of reply. I know how to pick my battles.

no one ever says that to me:( I have a Nikon coolpix s10 point and shoot.

 

However, after I show them some of the chosen few photos that did work out OK, then they see my camera they are somewhat surprised...

 

no point in telling them how many shots I had to take, and the time and patience that went into getting those pictures.

I just have two add my two cents... I recently went to a childhood-friend's wedding (a very small event). They didn't have a photographer. So I show up with two cameras around my neck; and I'm the only person who's obviously putting some thought into my pictures and using the *gasp* viewfinder instead of the LCD screen.

 

Here's where it gets funny... I had several people ask if I was a professional wedding photographer.

 

I said "no, I'm just an amatuer..."

 

They reply "nice cameras". (I use a Sony H5 and a Minolta X-700.)

 

So then I point out the X-700 is manual focus, and I take my 'good' pictures on film.

That's when they give me confused looks!

 

Sometimes ignorance is bliss.

I have a nice Stratocaster too. It actually plays itself!

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http://iantaylor.ca/the_9ths.mp3

As others have said, I think it depends on the situation.

 

If I can see it's more of an inquisitiveness about the camera, that's fine. I once had an acquaintance compliment me on my

photos. A friend of mine responded with, "Yeah, but you should see her camera..". I have to admit that got to me.

 

Gear does matter, but it's not everything! (I take about half my pictures on a p&s, the other half with a KM 7d.)

Not so much you have a nice camera thing (it has happened) but I quite often get "Can we see them now?" -- which on an EOS 3 doesn't work too well (it's a 35mm film SLR) and also because I am loathed to using flash on anything at parties/late night celebrations I'm most likely using a high speed black and white film like Delta 3200 and Neopan 1600. The amount of people who are still posing after I have taken the picture and moved the camera from my eyes is amusing :) "Have you taken it yet?" "Yeah just did" "Oh, but what about the flash" "There is no flash. Fast film and fast lens" (in simple terms) "Oh. *confused look*" :)

 

There again I was out with my Mamiya C330 TLR the other week and a kid with his mum came down the path and over the gate where I was admiring the view, he said "Wow cool camera!" - I suppose most people don't see TLRs at all these days with compact digitals and SLRs being the most common thing to see :)

No, it doesn't bug me neither flatters me.To have a nice camera...well it depends who says this.Photographers will give this compliment for a REAL exquisite one that helps a lot for making great photos.Ignorant people will just be impressed by name, dimensions and big lenses.At some point they are right.So, if your photos are popular among your beloved persons share their joy and blink an eye to your camera.You both deserve it.Cheers

If I am out shooting and someone compliments my gear I just take it in stride and say thanks. If its a pretty girl I usually offer my portrait services.

 

Who cares?

 

A camera is just a tool and there are specific tools for each job. I cant take a photo without my camera, whichever one it happens to be, and my camera cant operate without me.

We could all try being humble and polite-"Thanks, it is a nice camera and i put in a lot of time and research before i bought it". Then we could patiently explain to them that we also put in a lot of time and research studying the art of photography and that is why they responded so favourably to the picture. Perhaps we could even encourage them to investigate photography for themselves so they too could enjoy the magic we do. We need to realise that when they comment on our "nice camera" they are really saying "Hey, great shot". Instead of abruptly shutting them out with a curt response, why don't we invite them in?

Usually when someone says that to me, I respond with "Thank you, I like to play". I remember that line and the look on

Garth's face (in Wayne's World- movie after he was caught jamming out on the drums in the music store) and it was kind of

a humble yet proud and almost embarrassed look on his face. That would pretty much sum up how I feel. Humble because

it is a talent as well as a learning process, proud of myself that I can do it, yet embarrassed that someone picked me out of

the crowd. My husband has gone on to show people all the "cool" features of the camera (and how "easy" it is to use, he

only uses "AUTO", lol) and I bet at least one person has gone out and purchased a camera after his sales pitch.

 

When I started getting more than what I would call "standard compliments" from people on my photos, that prompted me to

WANT to learn more about photography, realizing that other people were seeing more than I was in my photos. Growing up

my parents had larger cameras (Minolta, etc), and developed their own photos so to me it seemed natural that I would be

interested in photography, and I didn't know anything other than the larger size cameras. My first camera was a P&S that I

got for my birthday one year. The very first photo I took with it was actually just by chance, my son stood up in his crib for

the first time. I had just loaded it and turned it on and looked up and there is was, a perfect shot! It was then I knew I

wanted to learn more about photography, but was always frustrated that I was wasting my money developing photos I didn't

like. Then after getting married we got our DSLR Nikon and the rest is history...

 

I would say that I think people are intimiated by people with larger cameras. When we see larger cameras, we

think "professional", JCPenney, Sears, Olan Mills, paparazzi, newspaper, etc. Somebody "important".

 

People have struck up conversations with me about my camera, asking me if they were going to be in the newspaper or

who I was taking photos for (newspaper, etc). I have often asked people if they want me to take a picture with their camera

so their "photographer" can be in the photo too. Sometimes if they think my camera is that much better than theirs, I will

take a few photos with mine and offer to email them to them. Of course the ones I take with my camera are SO much better

than theirs... at least they think so. At that point, I just smile, bid them good day and walk away :)