How can I convince both my parents to understanding that a digital SLR camera is not a waste of money?
I really want to pursue my hobby in photography, but to do so, I’m pretty sure I’ll need a camera. I’ve been researching things and have been looking at cameras I might be interested in purchasing. The only thing wrong is that my parents keep telling me that it’s a waste of money and that you can take pictures just as well with a regular digital camera. How can I explain to them that it’s not a waste?
Tags: both, Understanding, parents, Money, Digital, convince, Camera, digital slr camera, waste
Show them what you can do with it.
Go online and show them what other people have done with their footage.
Show them what you are intersted in learning-what skills you want to acquire, and how the features on the camera you are interested in purchasing will help you to achieve that.
Be specific and use real examples that they can relate to.
Hope this helps you sell the idea to them.
Good luck in becoming a great photographer.
Define waste. For the sake of an argument, a digital SLR is about $400-500 more than a reasonable digital camera, or a film SLR. Several years ago, I started with a used Yashica film camera and really cheap lenses and extenders, then gradually built up to a better and better system as I could afford it. To plunk down $1000 on a “hobby” with no track record is pretty insane, but I guess film camera bodies are becoming obsolete.
Do your research and your homework and maybe you can find a deal on Olympus or Nikon cameras that are inexpensive with the ability to upgrade. IIRC Nikon lenses are interchangeable from film to digital, or look for an inexpensive SLR on eBay or the camera houses. I think my wife even has an old Nikon in the closet that she could be persuaded to part with for a few hundred $$$ and we have a couple of lenses with it. (My old Pentax will be buried with me!)
BTW a Nikon D60 Explorer package is a nice “in-between” system http://www.elitecamcorders.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=Nikon+D60 Justify this one by pointing out that it is about $150 more than a medium Kodak “through the lens” optical/digital zoom camera (street price about $280) vs. $430 and you “might” be able to sell it.
Carl
I believe it’s more of an excuse to not spend money to buy a dslr than what they actualy think.
If you do manage to come out with a valid point, they’ll start saying a photo from a regular compact camera looks just as nice, and it’s good “as long as you can recognise the face of the person in the photo”.
I’m not old enough to have a kid old enough to ask for a dslr, but if I do, I’ll make sure he/she is serious enough to pursue the hobby for years to come, not just 3 months later and forget everything about it.
Show your parents you’re serious, show them what you can do and what you want to do. You know your parents more than everyone here, so only you know what to do. If all things failed, save up your allowance, get a part time job, “suffer” for months and you’ll get a dslr soon enough, like how I did. Got mine years back when I’m still studying, saved up for over a year and only manage to get a 2nd hand dslr. With that money today I could easily afford a new one, it really is getting cheaper.
suggest to them that a 35mm SLR is not as good as a Kodak Instamatic and look at the response.
That is the difference. A point and shoot digital is the Instamatic and the 35MM SLR has been replaced with the DSLR.
You can take photos with the Instamatic, but if you want to make money from your photography, you need the DSLR.
If YOU’RE the one who is actually paying for it…and it’s what YOU want to pursue, then go for it.
Film camera’s will be obsolete some day so buying a digital just makes sense. Also with a digtal one, you can retouch your own photos and will have alot more control over it. By using a digital photo you will be only printing photos you really want to and you save money that way also (no more “mistakes” photos).
Perhaps they would like to buy you one, but don’t have enough money. Take what they offer and learn, then when you become famous and wealthy you can get your own back and not buy them a big car
Buy a Practical Photography magazine, show them the difference between a high resolution quality image taken from an SLR compared to a pants image from your standard digital camera.
Then explain how you can get a million different lenses for your SLR giving you a wider range of images than your pants digital zoom offers. Then explain how you can’t photo-manipulate a pants “1 billion mega-pixel zoom” image to anywhere near the same standard of quality as an SLR image. Then explain how having an SLR is a better buy for something that will still be worth alot in the future- your top of the range digital compact cameras really don’t get you the same thing for the same amount of money and they’ll depreciate in value as soon as the next model comes out. Investing in a decent camera body gives you a great range in new lenses for the future, thus opening up more doors for picture opportunities in the future.
If you want a light weight camera for friends and fun stuff then a standard compact camera it is. If you want a decent picture you can manipulate without ruining and print to a decent size to hang on your wall and be proud of- an SLR it is!
Your parents are correct. You can take pictures just as well with a point and shoot camera as long you know what you’re doing. If their budget is tight and you already have a camera, deal with it. Practice a lot and show them what you can do. Maybe in time, if you really do great with a compact camera, they will be convinced you do need a much more expensive dSLR to tinker.
If you’re convinced that you absolutely need one to excel as a photographer, you most likely don’t. The best photographers can shoot great pictures no matter what camera they’re using. Picture quality is dependent on the photographer. The camera is just a tool.
C’mon. It’s not always about you. If you think you really need one badly, take some baby sitting jobs and earn enough dough to buy one.