My siMple caMera - A blog comment on the Leica M-D (typ 262) - Response from the blog host along with a beautiful pinhole image.
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Luxembourg Gardens 2003
Luxembourg Gardens, Paris, 2003 — 2 1/4 x 2 1/4 Pinhole Negative Straight Scan
“The manner in which one waits for elements to fall into place is far more important than the assistive capability of the software in your camera […] Two truths, one created by a bunch of Adobe’s programmers to impress and allegedly to aid in creativity, the other is the truth of the aggregated knowledge along with the quirks inherent in every human mind.” — Stephen J
A simple camera gets out of the way and encourages us to compose/see a snap, in my case mostly useless. The hunt continues though… Travelling hopefully, and why not?
On the other hand, I can employ an iPhone (or other computational camera) and let the camera produce a vastly reduced range of ideas, but more impressive image than my last iPhone. Otherwise known as "the blessed algorithm".
The manner in which one waits for elements to fall into place is far more important than the assistive capability of the software in your camera. I am thinking of those HDR type renderings that were popular, not only have none of us ever seen a reality that looks that way, it is clear that the elements that were chosen would never fall into place on their own.
Two truths, one created by a bunch of Adobe’s programmers to impress and allegedly to aid in creativity? The other is the truth of the aggregated knowledge along with the quirks inherent in every human mind.
It seems to me that the popularity of simple film cameras, is that they do only tell one truth… Hence the popularity of polaroid and pinholio etc., the snapper’s truth. I suspect that it is this aspect of analogue v digital that is the main issue, camera manufacturers really want you to be happy with their product, and if it makes your snaps look like HCB’s without the dance, so much the better.
It is pretty much irrelevant whether the sensor is a piece of film or a piece of silicone, it is all the other aids that try to tell “a truth” that most of us cannot make, and those are supplied by all makers bar one, and even that company treat simplicity as a premium advantage, and chuck an extra grand onto the retail price.
The Leica M-D 262 is the model for a decent digital camera, even its replacement (M10-D) that employs the iPhone and an app to provide that magical software that the manufacturers want us to “benefit” from, is more than is needed.
Set the aperture, shutter speed, focus and fire. Oh, there is one advantage over film, the ISO can be changed with every exposure, there is a big wheel on the back of the camera.
Even that, in some cases is too much.