Photography Holy Wars

[MarkBarbieri]

I don't want to start one, but I was just thinking about the different ones that have and do exist. Maybe the list can serve as a warning for those that don't realize they are treading on dangerous grounds in some discussions. So what are the big photography religious divides? Here are the ones I can think of off the top of my head.

1) Obviously, the brand wars - Canon vs Nikon vs Pentax vs Sony vs Olympus vs Sigma vs Fuji vs Kodak vs Casio vs .......

2) The big guys vs small guys - Canon and Nikon vs everyone else

3) UV filters - To use or not to use

4) RAW vs JPEG

5) OEM lenses vs 3rd party lenses (this seems to have faded as a holy war issue)

I've seen lively discussions on the efficacy of mirror lockup but never with the passion of a holy war. The same is true for tripod vs monopod vs handheld.

I've seen a few debates on in-lens vs in-body stabilization. For the most part they've stayed reasonable. Holy war or not? I don't recall any major arguments over in-body vs in-lens focusing motors.

Oh, the grand-daddy:

6) Slides vs Film

7) Film vs Digital

 

[cjstarr]

I don't want to start one, but I was just thinking about the different ones that have and do exist. Maybe the list can serve as a warning for those that don't realize they are treading on dangerous grounds in some discussions. So what are the big photography religious divides? Here are the ones I can think of off the top of my head.

1) Obviously, the brand wars - Canon vs Nikon vs Pentax vs Sony vs Olympus vs Sigma vs Fuji vs Kodak vs Casio vs .......

2) The big guys vs small guys - Canon and Nikon vs everyone else

3) UV filters - To use or not to use

4) RAW vs JPEG

5) OEM lenses vs 3rd party lenses (this seems to have faded as a holy war issue)

I've seen lively discussions on the efficacy of mirror lockup but never with the passion of a holy war. The same is true for tripod vs monopod vs handheld.

I've seen a few debates on in-lens vs in-body stabilization. For the most part they've stayed reasonable. Holy war or not? I don't recall any major arguments over in-body vs in-lens focusing motors.

Oh, the grand-daddy:

6) Slides vs Film

7) Film vs Digital

Mark I think one of the biggest Holy wars is between DSLR & D-P&S cameras.
For those that use a P&S they can see no other way and will argue that their P&S is the best no matter what brand and will take as good or better pictures then a DSLR.

 

[ukcatfan]

Flash vs. Available light

 

[fitzperry]

Post-processing vs. getting it right "in camera."

 

[handicap18]

Shooting in Manual vs shooting in aperture or shutter priority or program. And also to use the pre-programed icon modes (portrait, landscape, night, sports, etc...) or to use A, S, P or M.

 

[Master Mason]

smugmug vs zenfolio

watermark or no watermark

does the rotating ring on a canon kit lens make a circular polorizer not work or just more difficult to use

(Well those are some of the ones from around here at least )

 

[Code]

I've seen a few debates on in-lens vs in-body stabilization. For the most part they've stayed reasonable. Holy war or not?

I've definitely seen holy-war level discussions on in-body vs in-lens stabilization on a certain forum that will not be named.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

more megapixels vs less megapixels

sensor size and type

to bring or not to bring (to WDW)

flash/photography on rides, in shows

where to buy

 

[BeautyLLM]

Buy the current model of any given camera or wait for the next one.

 

[Suburbanmom]

New equipment: Is is a toy or a tool?

 

[0bli0]

Kodak vs. Fuji
Kodak vs. Ilford
Holga vs. Diana
(d)slr vs. Rangefinder
wide angle vs. telephoto
Red vs. White
Coke vs. Pepsi

 

[AZ JazzyJ]

Another one that seems to come up quite often is:

Photoshop vs. Paint Shop Pro

 

[singjenn]

Here is one........Tripod or no tripod

 

[MarkBarbieri]

All things considered, it's fair to say that a good photographer is always going to shoot with a Canon tool (not a toy) rather than Nikon (and certainly not one of the "off" brands), never use a UV filter, always shoot RAW, always use a Canon lens, certainly use an SLR and a digital one at that, use flash whenever it helps, get everything right at the time of the shot, shoot in full manual (including the flashes), use a tripod, use an in-lens stabilizer, manually focus, using a sensor with the most possible megapixels, use only a full frame sensor, using the latest possible version of their camera, doing their post production in Photoshop CS3 in the ProPhotoRGB colorspace on a calibrated LCD monitor, post their watermarkless photo on Smugmug, and make their own prints using an Epson printer and specialty matte papers (carefully profiled). Anything else would be stupid. And then they'll post a link on DPReview and call anyone with any suggestions an idiot.

 

[Code]

All things considered, it's fair to say that a good photographer is always going to shoot with a Canon tool (not a toy) rather than Nikon (and certainly not one of the "off" brands), never use a UV filter, always shoot RAW, always use a Canon lens, certainly use an SLR and a digital one at that, use flash whenever it helps, get everything right at the time of the shot, shoot in full manual (including the flashes), use a tripod, use an in-lens stabilizer, manually focus, using a sensor with the most possible megapixels, use only a full frame sensor, using the latest possible version of their camera, doing their post production in Photoshop CS3 in the ProPhotoRGB colorspace on a calibrated LCD monitor, post their watermarkless photo on Smugmug, and make their own prints using an Epson printer and specialty matte papers (carefully profiled). Anything else would be stupid. And then they'll post a link on DPReview and call anyone with any suggestions an idiot.

 

[BeautyLLM]

All things considered, it's fair to say that a good photographer is always going to shoot with a Canon tool (not a toy) rather than Nikon (and certainly not one of the "off" brands), never use a UV filter, always shoot RAW, always use a Canon lens, certainly use an SLR and a digital one at that, use flash whenever it helps, get everything right at the time of the shot, shoot in full manual (including the flashes), use a tripod, use an in-lens stabilizer, manually focus, using a sensor with the most possible megapixels, use only a full frame sensor, using the latest possible version of their camera, doing their post production in Photoshop CS3 in the ProPhotoRGB colorspace on a calibrated LCD monitor, post their watermarkless photo on Smugmug, and make their own prints using an Epson printer and specialty matte papers (carefully profiled). Anything else would be stupid. And then they'll post a link on DPReview and call anyone with any suggestions an idiot.

(especially liked the part about dpreview...so true, so true)

 

[boBQuincy]

All things considered, it's fair to say that a good photographer is always going to shoot with a Canon tool (not a toy) rather than Nikon (and certainly not one of the "off" brands), never use a UV filter, always shoot RAW, always use a Canon lens...

Not just "a" good photographer, *any* good photographer! And they will always use "L" lenses! Anything less would obviously interfere with the true creative process.

They will also make backups in the field on their portable hard drive, in the hotel room on their external DVD burner, at home on DVD *and* external drives, and upload all files to at least two web hosts. Anything less is, as you say, idiotic!

 

[Groucho]

I can't believe no one mentioned primes vs zooms!

Then there's the different lens coatings that are used... and in-body vs in-lens IS is definitely a big one. (I think that in-body is clearly winning that war now as they get better and better, but I supposed the in-lens people will keep on kicking and screaming to the end.

Here's a good one. Who makes the worst basic kit lens - Canon, Nikon, or Sony? I have an opinion on this but won't state it as we're talking about holy wars, not participating.

 

[MICKEY88]

whether it's ok or not to just take someone elses photos for scrapbooking


vest or bag for WDW...or any location shoot for that matter..

 

[elizke]

All things considered, it's fair to say that a good photographer is always going to shoot with a Canon tool (not a toy) rather than Nikon (and certainly not one of the "off" brands), never use a UV filter, always shoot RAW, always use a Canon lens, certainly use an SLR and a digital one at that, use flash whenever it helps, get everything right at the time of the shot, shoot in full manual (including the flashes), use a tripod, use an in-lens stabilizer, manually focus, using a sensor with the most possible megapixels, use only a full frame sensor, using the latest possible version of their camera, doing their post production in Photoshop CS3 in the ProPhotoRGB colorspace on a calibrated LCD monitor, post their watermarkless photo on Smugmug, and make their own prints using an Epson printer and specialty matte papers (carefully profiled). Anything else would be stupid. And then they'll post a link on DPReview and call anyone with any suggestions an idiot.

Wow. Well put. This covers most all of it. Especially how everyone else who may think otherwise is an idiot. Almost as bad as politics sometimes on camera forums!

I find the brand devotion most irritating, when it becomes a religion or at worst an elitist snobbery. I always want to say geez folks it's just a camera, an editing program, a lens.

Whatever camera, (etc.) YOU enjoy getting good pics with is THE BEST!