Which camera to buy if you want to avoid or minimize post editing

[jj_adams]

When I had my Digital Rebel, I had to edit almost every single

picture, which took the joy out of using it. I was spending more

time editing the images than actually shooting them. Are there any

high quality cameras that do not require post editing? Thanks

[brodeub]

A film camera.

[bob_bell]

The nature of the beast with digital cams is some post editing. You can build macro's so you don't have to sit there and watch it, but you still have to do it. The funny thing is that when you deliver rolls of film to be finished, you are paying them to edit and color balance your images.

[mark_herring]

Someone beat me to the punch!! (The answer is FILM)

 

The real question is what is your motivation for getting a digital camera?

[david_haynes]

Taken at ISO 100, f/2.4 @ 90mm (equivalent). This photo was

not manipulated in any way for color, contrast, sharpness,

brightness, etc. Aside from resizing it's exactly as the camera

processed it.

 

http://www.studioblountsprings.com/digi2.html

[Greg M]

If you want to stick with the digital process you'd need to go with a non-slr digicam to avoid MOST of the post processing. Most of those build in a large amount of processing into JPEG imaging before it gets out of the camera. My Canon G5 produces images that, for the most part, come out ready to be printed. There are some touch-ups you might want to do, but for the most part you don't have to. It also offers every type control available to pro model cameras, many of which are not included on the Digital Rebel like choice of metering patterns with true spot metering among others, and accepts the same batteries and flash units.

 

The downside is, by comparison with the Digital Rebel, AWFUL autofocus performance in low-light situations if you try zooming in at all. Every shot taken at ISO 200 and 400 need processing through Neat Image to clean up the noise, something that's non-existant in the D-Rebel until ISO 800. Most all the downsides in a digicam can be worked through if you develope the unique style it takes to excel with one despite the shortcomings. One think I do to defeat the terrible indoor AF is to set a custom setting consisting of manual focusm set to 5 feet and an aperture of f5.6 (zone focus), which means everything from 2.5 feet to virtually infinity is in focus and no AF worries.

 

The problems with going back to (print) film is the often inconsistent processing & printing that drove me crazy unless you are willing to pay top dollar to go to a pro processor. Even the good labs I found were inconsistent enough to drive me crazy. The latest roll I took to BWC (Pro) lab here in Dallas was dissapointing in terms of printing- an ugly streak across the top of every print- something I never would have expected from them. Slides are the obvious way to go, but then you have to scan anything you want to work digitally unless you are willing to pay a good lab $12 per scan for a high quality, high rez scan.

 

I still have my film camera, but I wouldn't be without a digital SLR for serious shooting these days. However, I do like staying away from processing too when I'm out taking fun shots or traveling (not to mention keeping the weight down), which is why the G5 is going with me on a two week cruise this April.

[andrew robertson]

I don't think that choosing a non-DSLR would guarantee that you don't need post

processing. ANY digital image will require post processing to get the most out of it.

DSLRs generally produce bland images out of camera to allow for maximum post

processing, but you can certainly crank up the sharpness, contrast and saturation for as

exciting of an image as you could get with any P&S digicam. The real question is: Are your

images worth working on? If not, I don't think it matters what camera you choose. Any

2MP+ digicam will do. If you want the most flexibility choose a DSLR.

[jj_adams]

Thank you, Greg for your excellent comments. I am considering digital for the following reasons:

 

1) Inconsistent printing of films

 

 

2) Ability to shoot more photos with digital than film

 

3) Instant gratification with digital

 

4) To avoid driving to the photo lab to hand in the film roll for processing. The cost of driving to the lab may be more than film processing fees.

[Spearhead]

The answer is only film if you think someone who isn't a photographer running a machine that may or may not be calibrated, have clean chemistry, and be cleaned regularly, is the way to go. If you want to get good results from film, it takes post-processing, and anyone who has ever printed themselves knows how much work this is.

 

If the goal is to ignore the second half of the process, using film or digital and a drugstore lab is the way to go. If the goal is to produce the best photographs possible, something after shooting is required regardless of the medium. And it's a lot more work with film, as anyone who has done it knows.

[Greg M]

You are absolutely right Andrew. That's why I said a camera like my G5 allows me to avoid MOST (capitalized in my first message too) post processing. Shots at higher ISO's have to be cleaned up noise-wise, some of the shots have to be worked with the curves to come out just like I want, but nothing like the post processing it takes for virtually every shot with my Digital Rebel, especially if I'm using the smaller 420EX flash, and even some of my shots with the 550EX have to have quite a bit of brightening done. No digital process is without work afterwards, but some equipment requires less.

[jeff_fiore]

I used to shoot BW 35mm and medium format. I would spend hours in the darkroom with post-editing to get what I wanted. I now shoot digital and am very happy with the post-processing in Photoshop. I can do in minutes what used to take me hours in the darkroom so, for me, digital is a blessing.

 

Because you sent out your film to a lab where they do the post-processing for you, it is hard to appreciate the faster (relatively speaking) and more gratifying results you get with Photoshop post-process.

[jeff_fiore]

As an added note, I like the fact that I can shoot hundreds of photos and it doesn't cost me a penny. I also like the instant gratification post-photo preview on the LCD screen so I can quickly change and adjust my exposure, composition, etc..

 

If you find that your post-editing is all very simmilar, you can automate the task in Photoshop and run a batch process. I haven't done this yet but in the future, I'm sure I will.

[ellis_vener_photography]

If you are looking to jmostly make prints then consider any camera and get one of the

newer Canon or Epson printers that lets you plug the media card directly into the

printer. You edit on a small pop up LCD screen. I tried this with a Canon i900D and an

SD card loaded with images shot with an HP945 camera . The results were impressive.

[ellis_vener_photography]

If you are looking to mostly make prints then consider any camera and get one of the

newer Canon or Epson printers that lets you plug the media card directly into the

printer. You edit on a small pop up LCD screen. I tried this with a Canon i900D and an

SD card loaded with images shot with an HP945 camera . The results were impressive.

[scott_eaton]

<I>The real question is what is your motivation for getting a digital camera?</i><P>I'm more curious how you scan film and manage to not post process it.<P>What does it take to have threads on digital without retarded troll answers like this?

[Troll]

The Olympus E-20 is a DSLR (without an interchangable lens). It can produce ready-to-go pictures at 5 MP, like a P&S. The best of all worlds.

[jj_adams]

Scott,

 

I never scanned films. I give a roll of film to labs and they give me the prints. Unfortunately, printing is not consistent. One particular lab uploads the images to its server after the prints are made. These images can be edited. I have only done this in rare occasions when I needed reprints. I dislike post editing because it takes a lot of time, at least for me. I wish Canon had included more in-camera processing options in Digital Rebel, so users would have a greater choice in selecting the level of in-camera processing they want.

[greg s]

Fuji S2