Friday 8 August 2008

Shooting in the dark!


Brits are baffled the most by digital cameras!

According to online gadget review site reevoo.com who surveyed 2,000 people recently, they discovered that the gadget consumers feel most confusing are digital cameras. Also, more than 25% surveyed have no idea how to use their cameras properly and do not bother to read the manuals either. What gives...!

Top Ten Baffling Gadgets according to the Survey

  1. Digital camera
  2. GPS/SatNav
  3. Mobile phone
  4. Washing machine
  5. Camcorder
  6. DVD player
  7. Gamers console
  8. TV remote control
  9. MP3 player
  10. Microwave
I have to say that camera manufacturers have to take a big share of the blame. Why on God's good earth do compact digitals need PSAM functions? Blur already? PSAM ! what's that, where got? Some high end compacts have this little dial on top of the camera with PSAM stamped on it and also an icon of a girl's face and a mountain. If you got one and don't know what it does, go READ the manual that came with your digicam. 'Manual' - its an instruction book! Tricky though..manufacturers are quite cunning sometimes. In order to save the forests and wanting to be seen Green, knowing most of their customers won't read any manuals, they now print their instructions onto CDs, so worse still, no one bothers now, hence..blur lah.

Consumer digicams now sport 10 - 14 Million pixels. Now why on earth does the holiday snapper require so much resolution from their beach snaps? A conspiracy exists to my mind. The larger files sizes generated requires larger memory cards and storage space on computers, hence, suckers (like me and you) are urged to splash out on newer, faster and bigger laptops and peripheral devices like external hard drives every 6 months. So, the process is an on-going one.

Buyer-led demand or producer-led greed?
When was the last time you printed a 13'' x 20'' print of your beach sunset from your digicam? I will rephrase..when was the last time you printed any thing off your digicam? We all confess we take far too many photos and 99% of them stay in our memory cards or computers and never see paper in daylight. I know someone who keeps buying new memory cards when one is full. It's sad but true.

I advocate PHD cameras to all consumers. 'Press Here Dummy' cameras. Bring back simplicity and ease of use. 'Face-detection' is the latest innovation to greet consumers. Cameras can now track and focus up to 9 faces (human, although chimps work too) to make damn sure that at least one happy subject will be in focus. 'Smile' detection is also finding its way into cameras. Cameras will only release the shutter when the detected face puts on a cheesy grin
! How cool is that! No more "Smile please, say cheese!"

Don't get me started on mobile phones..


4 comments:

Saya... said...

This was so funny yet true, Steven. I am SO GLAD that I am not the only one whose pics stay in the camera which gets full, and then i unload it all into my computer, which then gets all hot and heavy..heh heh

I find that the night mode is really tricky. You can't move...and that doesn't work for me, coz my hands are shaky!

Ye, bring back the "press here dummies"...but then sometimes, I do have a little fun with the digital cam.

MP3's are from outer space. Who needs em!

svllee said...

Hot n heavy computer?! LOL! That's a new one!

Night modes : ah yes, the forced slow shutter speeds usually require a steady hand and heart! Try getting a small table top tripod for those important moments.

Pak Zawi said...

svllee,
As per your advice, decided not to have the 18-200 mm lens yet until I have mastered the various functions of my Alpha 350 which is still under repair at Soney Service.
I am another guilty guy when I will only look up to the manual when I am stuck with an unknown function.

svllee said...

Hi Pak Zawi, thanks for dropping by! Sorry to hear that your camera is under repair? What went wrong with it? I am sure that it would still be under warranty. Do you have a backup machine to make those wonderful pictures for your blogs?