originally posted to ChangingOptics.org

SHOW, DONT TELL

Its New Years Day 2021 and that means #settinggoals

For me that means moving to fully mirrorless cameras this year but speaking philosophically (which is the purpose of Changing Optics, to talk about the meaning of Photography ) i wanted to talk about this

DSLR utilizes mirrors and prisms to show us exactly what our eyes see.....but when we click the shutter the final image never looks like that because OVF is just a tool that is basically seperate from the camera itself.

Its up to us and our understanding of the cameras capability and limitations to communicate to the camera what WE (the photographer) want the camera to capture. We are "telling" the camera the scene. Remember the kids game Telephone? Miscommunication happens ALOT

Mirrorless cameras remove the mirror and thus show us only what the camera is capable of capturing. We then as photographers help the camera to see the scene. We are "showing" them it. There is much less miscommunication

However its the miscommunication that makes us better photographers. Its the missed shots that help you grow.

Mirrorless will give us better pictures

BUT ........

DSLR makes us BETTER photographers