Every new beginning comes from some other beginnings end.
All technologies have a shelf life. What was once cutting edge becomes something you couldn't even give away (remember CRT TV's!). The 35mm SLR film camera had had a good run. But analog was out... a relic of a bygone era. There was a new kid on the block, a young up-and-comer...
Digital
Pre-DSLR Cameras
My first digital camera was a point & shoot Panasonic Lumix. I bought it because it had a "Leica" lens. It was decent for a point & shoot - 3 megapixel and took video without sound. The pictures looked great on a computer and you could easily print 4x6 photos. I wish I still had this camera, but I ended up giving it away to a family member years ago. Oh well, I'm sure they enjoyed it. This camera was a turning point for me. It opened my eyes to the convenience of digital cameras and the power of editing your own photos. No longer were you a slave to the dark room at your local camera shop.
I bought it because it had a "Leica" lens.
I can still remember watching some of the first action camera videos on YouTube. I was creating videos of my home-built dune buggy by duct-taping my point and shoot camera to the roll bars. It was ok, but it certainly didn't compare to these new ultra-wide angle videos coming out of a small little camera called GoPro HERO. I dipped my toes into the GoPro HERO action camera world with an original HERO HD. It was a decent unit for the day. I could shoot 720 @ 60fps but 1080 was limited to 30fps. Over time I upgraded to the HERO3, 4, and then 5! The photos out of the HERO3 and HERO4 were so good, I ended up ditching my point & shoot in favor of the GoPro. I absolutely loved that super wide-angle field of view!
Depth of field, motion blur, bounce flash, double exposures - you were only limited by your imagination!
Back to my Creative Photography Roots
Back when I had my film camera, family members would always ask me to bring my camera out to gatherings because "it took really good photos." Never seen a camera take a pic without a human behind it, but whatever eh! SLR's gave you complete creative control - depth of field, motion blur, bounce flash, double exposures - you were only limited by your imagination! The point-&-shoot and GoPros were nice, but I was really starting to miss that creative control. Lucky for me, the price on decent DSLR's had finally reached a level that I was comfortable with. So with money in hand and some guidance from my good photographer friend Shelby Mahon from Backcountry Motorsports Media, I headed off to Henry's.
Say hello to the Canon 80D!
For an intermediate level camera, this thing was packed with awesome features, both photo and video.
- 24 megapixel APS-C sensor
- 45 cross type autofocus points
- 12.6 stops of dynamic range
- 8 frames/second bust mode
- ridiculously fast nano USM focusing
- 1080 60fps video capture with dual-pixel autofocus
A Renewed Pasion for Photography
Just like riding a bike, it really didn't take me long to transition my SLR film knowledge to the new digital age. ISO, Aperture, Shutter Speed - nothing new there. It took a bit to understand all the new options for light metering, and there was all kinds of new modes for selecting autofocus points. The power of RAW files completely blew my mind! This camera could crank out some amazing photos, as seen below.
The power of RAW files completely blew my mind!
A Whole New World of Video Quality
I had pretty much hit the limit of what I could accomplish creatively with GoPro video cameras. There's only so much you can do with ultra-wide-angle-everything-in-focus video. Luckily for me, the 80D was a powerhouse when it came to video. I started using the camera in my '74 Challenger video series, the Microburst 600 SxS videos, and even started creating videos for clients!
Nothing could compare with my 35mm Pentax SRL loaded up with slide film...
I remember hating digital cameras when they first hit the market. I mocked them for their awful image quality and their top shelf price tag. Nothing could compare with my 35mm Pentax SRL loaded up with slide film, well, at least in my mind. Yet here I am almost 4 years later since I bought my first DSLR, loving every minute with it!
See you next time folks!
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