Photography facts and fallacies.

[I @ M]

Anyone who spends any time reading through the maze of photography related forums and web sites will invariably come across many "facts" regarding cameras, lenses and techniques that are simply wrong yet they are repeated and quoted in almost parrot like fashion until people start to believe them.

What is your favourite "fact" that you see repeated on the 'net or anywhere for that matter that is wrong?

My favourite is that only aperture openings determine exposure levels when using flash / strobe equipment where there is no intruding ambient light.

[ameerat42]

:(-ly, the mix-up between actual focal length and resulting image size, and the glossed over equivalent for crop sensor cameras.
It is often eagerly expressed something like:

"Ohh! That's the same as having an f=1000mm lens:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:"

(There are some others but I can't think of them just now.)

[ricktas]

"I am going to buy a better camera, cause the one I have is not taking very good photos" (or similar)

"I want recommendations on a really good lens, I want to take great macro photos, my budget is $100"

"I got a camera for my birthday from (husband/wife/partner), and I have already booked my first wedding, it is next month, can someone give me tips and ideas"

Brand wars :D

[Kym]

A few from the net...


Photography documents reality
There is one correct exposure
A "Normal" lens is 50mm (32mm in APS-C)
Place the Subject at a 1/3 Point
I would take better pictures if only I had a better camera
Expensive equipment is require to take Great Pictures
Horizons must be horizontal - only sometimes
I'm not going out to shoot today because the light is bad
I shoot 1,000 frames in a day so that I increase my chances of having a lot of keepers!
I can’t shoot, I forgot my tripod
I'm in a creative rut, I need to go to an exotic location to get out of it (tell the Mrs :p )
Being a photographer is a glamorous job
Autofocus works by measuring the distance to the subject
Tele-photo lenses have a shallow DOF
The singular of lenses is lense (learn English ya mug :p )
Hyperfocal Shooting Makes Everything In Focus
Dark and Light Scenes Fool/Trick the Meter
Raising the ISO Makes the Sensor More Sensitive (no, the signal is amplified and thus we get noise)
You Should Put a Filter on Your Lens for Protection (this is a great sales pitch)
You Should Learn Composition With a Fixed Focal Length Lens
An Image Straight Out of the Camera is Authentic and Post-Processing is cheating
Wide-aperture Lenses Allow More Light to Reach the AF Sensor
You HAVE to shoot in RAW for quality results
Asking a professional what kind of camera they use or how much their camera cost is a compliment
Getting lots of compliments means it’s time to turn professional
A verbal agreements and handshakes are suitable contracts :D
Enjoy photography? Then you’ll love being a professional photographer

[Kym]

Canon is better than Nikon for <insert genre> (when the truth is :plogo: Rocks! ) :lol2:

Brand wars :D

[ricktas]

Canon is better than Nikon for <insert genre> (when the truth is :plogo: Rocks! ) :lol2:

Brand wars :D

oi!

[Kym]

oi!

It is a fallacy to say C > N :p

[MissionMan]

Fallacy

1. Things that Ken Rockwell say should be taken as gospel
2. Being a moderator at Ausphotography makes you a good photographer
3. If you can't afford a Nikon, you should buy a Pentax. In reality, if you can't afford a Nikon, then you should buy a Canon, if you can't afford a Canon, then you should buy an Olympus, if you can't afford an Olympus, you should buy a Pentax

Fact

1. Pentax make a good weight tool for tripods they call a DSLR. Putting a number of them in a canvas bag can be useful for holding down your tripod in windy conditions while you mount a real camera (Nikon or Canon) on the tripod.

:lol2:

[ameerat42]

Fallacy

...2. Being a moderator at Ausphotography makes you a good photographer...
:lol2:...

Being on AP makes you a good photographer... and if you stay long enough you'll be a great photographer.:rolleyes:

Secondly, KR is always right!!! Don't you read his stuff? He tells you so.

[mudman]

Fallacy

1. Things that Ken Rockwell say should be taken as gospel
2. Being a moderator at Ausphotography makes you a good photographer
3. If you can't afford a Nikon, you should buy a Pentax. In reality, if you can't afford a Nikon, then you should buy a Canon, if you can't afford a Canon, then you should buy an Olympus, if you can't afford an Olympus, you should buy a Pentax

Fact

1. Pentax make a good weight tool for tripods they call a DSLR. Putting a number of them in a canvas bag can be useful for holding down your tripod in windy conditions while you mount a real camera (Nikon or Canon) on the tripod.

:lol2:
Will the mods please censor missionman for his confrontational behaviour

[WhoDo]

Will the mods please censor missionman for his confrontational behaviour

Why, when he's right! :p

- - - Updated - - -

Oh, wait! You said "censor" not "censure"! :D

[arthurking83]

My favourite fallacy is the one about spending your upgrade money on a lens 'cause it'll last you for years, where we now know that it most likely wont.



.....

Fact

1. Pentax make a good weight tool for tripods they call a DSLR. Putting a number of them in a canvas bag can be useful for holding down your tripod in windy conditions while you mount a real camera (Nikon or Canon) on the tripod.

:lol2:

Strangely enough Pentax do make the best DSLR currently on the market.
You just need a minimum of $10K to get into this system.

[MissionMan]

Will the mods please censor missionman for his confrontational behaviour

My deepest and humblest apologies. I'll remove the comment about ken Rockwell :th3:

[WhoDo]

My deepest and humblest apologies. I'll remove the comment about ken Rockwell :th3:

Again, why ... when you're right!:p

[MissionMan]

Again, why ... when you're right!:p

Sorry, i thought it was Ken who made the complaint :D

[ricktas]

Missionman, consider yourself sensored. :p

[Kym]

Fact

1. Pentax make a good weight tool for tripods they call a DSLR. Putting a number of them in a canvas bag can be useful for holding down your tripod in windy conditions while you mount a real camera (Nikon or Canon) on the tripod.

Four character response... 645z (http://www.us.ricoh-imaging.com/645z/)
:lol:

[Kym]

All Ken Rockwell references should be removed as they are notoriously unreliable.
Refer http://www.kenrockwell.com/about.htm quote:

This website is my way of giving back to our community. It is a work of fiction, entirely the product of my own imagination. This website is my personal opinion. To use words of Ansel Adams on page 193 of his autobiography, this site is my "aggressive personal opinion," and not a "logical presentation of fact."
Seriously, he is downright dangerous as noobs think he is being sensible and they get led down the proverbial garden path.

[Kym]

Strangely enough Pentax do make the best DSLR currently on the market.
You just need a minimum of $10K to get into this system.


More like $15k as you will need a couple of lenses at $2k - $3k each
http://www.us.ricoh-imaging.com/645z/lens.html

[ameerat42]

Missionman, consider yourself sensored. :p

Add a severe crop-factor to that:action::action::action:

[MissionMan]

Four character response... 645z (http://www.us.ricoh-imaging.com/645z/)
:lol:

Exactly. Have you seen how heavy that bastard is? It's a perfect paperweight. Overpriced lenses on an outdated overpriced sensor. Think spindle vs ssd or film vs digital :)

Medium format isn't a real DSLR

Plus, you know the whole large sensor more light argument is so old school. :)

[mudman]

My deepest and humblest apologies. I'll remove the comment about ken Rockwell :th3:
well actually i was refering to your comments about pentax. but this will do, for now

[Nick Cliff]

Another fallacy ,no serious photographer would attempt to use a mirrorless system camera for commercial work ,regards Nick.

[Kym]

Another fallacy ,no serious photographer would attempt to use a mirrorless system camera for commercial work ,regards Nick.

And back in 2003... "no serious photographer would attempt to use a digital system camera for commercial work" :tog:

[Nick Cliff]

:lol:

[Nick Cliff]

Another fallacy ,you cant take a good photo after ten am,regards Nick.

[MattNQ]

Got a chuckle out the preceding posts. :lol:

A couple more fallacies;

You need a high fps camera to get good sports photos.
Noise is always bad.
You'll never get shallow DoF and/or nice bokeh from a m4/3 camera
Third party lenses are always inferior.(Sigma has blown that out of the water)

[geoffsta]

1. I'm too busy to take photos today.
2. It's raining. I can't take photos.
3. My wife/husband/partner says I can't go out today.
4. I need a bigger censor. My mouth is going to get me in trouble one day. But the sensor on my camera is just fine.....

By the way.... Who the hell is Ken Rockwell? My gods are all on ausphotography..

[bricat]

Taking photo's is easy ((well this is essentially true)
Taking award winning photo's is easier(you just have to be lucky and in the right place at the right time)
:D

[ameerat42]

In summary, nothing's true and that's a fact:rolleyes:

[Nick Cliff]

I recall the comedian Tim Minchin wrote a song called storm which is about this fact versus opinion bit ,probably easy to find on youtube if you are unfamiliar with this song and want a laugh .I mention this in regard to ameerats post,regards Nick.

[CapnBloodbeard]

You can't get a good photo in auto!

[ricktas]

JPG is better than RAW

[Kym]

JPG is better than RAW

... for Mum and Dad taking happy snaps, selfies, foodies and cat photos :p

[MissionMan]

... for Mum and Dad taking happy snaps, selfies, foodies and cat photos :p

How do I switch on RAW with my iPhone? I do take pictures of cats and selfies but I want more flexibility. :th3:

[I @ M]

How do I switch on RAW with my iPhone?

Follow these steps exactly for the leaked hack to enable raw capture on the eyephone. It was released on the net by an factory worker in China who has a mate that sells apples at a market.

Hold the eyephone in your right hand with your left thumb close to the power on / off button. Lower the phone slowly into a 12.5 litre bucket which contains precisely a 42.5% NaOH solution whilst depressing the power button to turn it on. Hold the phone and button in the bucket for 2.24 minutes.

Guaranteed raw eyephone.

[mudman]

Follow these steps exactly for the leaked hack to enable raw capture on the eyephone. It was released on the net by an factory worker in China who has a mate that sells apples at a market.

Hold the eyephone in your right hand with your left thumb close to the power on / off button. Lower the phone slowly into a 12.5 litre bucket which contains precisely a 42.5% NaOH solution whilst depressing the power button to turn it on. Hold the phone and button in the bucket for 2.24 minutes.

Guaranteed raw eyephone.
sounds like a nice snack for mongo :D

[MattNQ]

JPG is better than RAW

Is that a fact or fallacy Rick? - you didn't specify:D

I think it is both!

[arthurking83]

Follow these steps exactly for the leaked hack to enable raw capture on the eyephone. It was released on the net by an factory worker in China who has a mate that sells apples at a market.

Hold the eyephone in your right hand with your left thumb close to the power on / off button. Lower the phone slowly into a 12.5 litre bucket which contains precisely a 42.5% NaOH solution whilst depressing the power button to turn it on. Hold the phone and button in the bucket for 2.24 minutes.

Guaranteed raw eyephone.

substitute NaOH with H2FSbF6 .... better known as fluorium hexafluoridoantimonate(1-) .... and diminish the time factor by 2:23 mins, and you got a deal.
Not only do you get a raw capable eyephone... but a raw hand, raw eyeballs, and raw bones just about everywhere else on your body too. A right proper cleansing.

Could be easier to switch to Android's latest playthings (http://petapixel.com/2014/06/29/android-l-5-0-brings-raw-support-manual-controls-mobile-shooters/) that can produce proper raw images ... that still look yuk! :p

[MissionMan]

substitute NaOH with H2FSbF6 .... better known as fluorium hexafluoridoantimonate(1-) .... and diminish the time factor by 2:23 mins, and you got a deal.
Not only do you get a raw capable eyephone... but a raw hand, raw eyeballs, and raw bones just about everywhere else on your body too. A right proper cleansing.

Could be easier to switch to Android's latest playthings (http://petapixel.com/2014/06/29/android-l-5-0-brings-raw-support-manual-controls-mobile-shooters/) that can produce proper raw images ... that still look yuk! :p

Yeah, I never quite got the pixel chase with mobile phones. Yeah, now you can have pictures that are 5 times the size and still look crap, and you'll still upload to Facebook at 1024x768

[arthurking83]

Yeah, I never quite got the pixel chase with mobile phones. Yeah, now you can have pictures that are 5 times the size and still look crap, and you'll still upload to Facebook at 1024x768

Actually Lumia 1020 showed us why .. (the pixel chase in cam phones).

Because lens design is restricted in a phone cam(by size) .. they can't really create zoom lenses easily or effectively.
Lumia's response to this is to crop digitally!
45Mp down to 8Mp is quite a massive crop ratio .. looks like a zoom action keeps the don't-really-care set happy as they get all that they want.

Makes sense to me(from a make zillions of dollars by selling to the masses perspective .. not from a I-want-the-best-image-quality gearheaded point of view!)

[Nick Cliff]

Another fallacy,if its the latest lens it must be the greatest,regards Nick.

[Kym]

:plogo: primes are so razor sharp they come with a warning to avoid injuries.

[russrad]

And back in 2003... "no serious photographer would attempt to use a digital system camera for commercial work" :tog:
And going a bit further back - ' no serious photographer would use 35mm for commercial work'

[Nick Cliff]

Pentax primes must only be used with a tripod for portraits of the ladies (kick tripod during shutter actuation),fact,regards Nick.