Luminous Landscape Forum

The Art of Photography => The Coffee Corner => Topic started by: stamper on January 25, 2011, 05:14:04 am

Title: Useless
Post by: stamper on January 25, 2011, 05:14:04 am
What is the most useless photographic gadget or accessory that you have purchased, been given or stolen that has come into your possession?  I will start it off. A Lowepro 400 aw back pack. I could get all of my possesions and half my debts into one. Too big. ::)
Title: Re: Useless
Post by: David Sutton on January 25, 2011, 07:47:38 am
Flash brackets. All of them. Every single one.
I've given up and gone radio.
David
Title: Re: Useless
Post by: Roger Calixto on January 25, 2011, 01:00:23 pm
Cheap $15-20 tripods. I've broken all 4 I've had. Then I finally bought a manfrotto, for $100. If I'd only started there....
Title: Re: Useless
Post by: Joe Behar on January 25, 2011, 01:30:23 pm
Collapsible rubber lens hoods...
Title: Re: Useless
Post by: tom b on January 25, 2011, 02:04:02 pm
The Arctic Butterfly I got for the work 5D mkII. There has been no need to use it.

I had the original Arctic Butterfly for my 20D and it worked quite well however it was one of the worst industrial designs that I have seen. It constantly fell apart getting dirt on the brush. It finally fell apart once too often and this time the brush snapped off. Maybe they should have gotten someone from Oral B to design it.

Cheers,
Title: Re: Useless
Post by: Rob C on January 25, 2011, 03:13:39 pm
Probably everything. Once there's no work, it's not a heap of use.

If the question was wider, I'd probably have to say the new car: should never have gone smaller; should have gone out in a blaze of glory instead. Never thought about the effect your car can have on your self-image. Must be an age thing: I forgot.

;-(

Rob C
Title: Re: Useless
Post by: degrub on January 25, 2011, 08:55:02 pm
it's a photographic accessory  ;)
Without  it , we couldn't get there to take all these pictures !

everyone should have an old beat up pickup truck  ;D
it's a necessity !

Greatly improves the attitude  with or without the dog  ;D

Frank
Title: Re: Useless
Post by: ronkruger on January 25, 2011, 09:49:37 pm
I have the truck and the dog. Never though of taking a picture of the truck, but here's the dog, Jake, on his couch in my office. I include him in pictures often.
Most useless thing I have is a wife.
Title: Re: Useless
Post by: Rob C on January 26, 2011, 04:35:40 am
it's a photographic accessory  ;)
Without  it , we couldn't get there to take all these pictures !

everyone should have an old beat up pickup truck  ;D
it's a necessity !

Greatly improves the attitude  with or without the dog  ;D

Frank


Well I've still got the beat up Escort (not really beat up, just rusting because of the salty sea air), but it's sitting in the dealer's awaiting either a cheap sale or the scrap heap and severe compression. The problem with a small new one is that I've come to the rather late conclusion that it looks like the best you can afford, which isn't the case; what is the case is that so much constant talk about 'crisis' has spooked me into acting and believing, wrongly, that my own crisis is financial where, in truth, it's worse than that: it's emotional. So I've effed myself yet again. I don't recommend it.

Having said which, the basic problem (mine) with cars has always been the same as with boats: I've never been able to afford what I really, really want, so with boats I've simply not bought any. You can't live like that with cars - they are essentials.

;-(

Rob C
Title: Re: Useless
Post by: Rob C on January 26, 2011, 11:45:25 am
I have the truck and the dog. Never though of taking a picture of the truck, but here's the dog, Jake, on his couch in my office. I include him in pictures often.
Most useless thing I have is a wife.




Interesting take, which I hope is a jest.

My most valuable asset, ever, was my wife.

Rob C
Title: Re: Useless
Post by: Owin on January 26, 2011, 02:00:56 pm
The Arctic Butterfly

+1, if the blower wont shift the crud, then I usually just do a wet clean.
Title: Re: Useless
Post by: wolfnowl on January 26, 2011, 02:05:56 pm
Quote
Interesting take, which I hope is a jest.

My most valuable asset, ever, was my wife.

I'll second that.  My wife is more than my partner, best friend, confidante, advisor...

Mike.
Title: Re: Useless
Post by: EduPerez on January 26, 2011, 04:53:10 pm
"Digital Photographer's Handbook", by Tom Ang.
Title: Re: Useless
Post by: Justinr on January 26, 2011, 06:02:53 pm
"Digital Photographer's Handbook", by Tom Ang.

Not seen that particular book that I can recall but I'd go along with the sentiment. They all seem to be something of an ego trip for the author and particularly useless in explaining just how a camera works.

Title: Re: Useless
Post by: Eric Myrvaagnes on January 26, 2011, 06:58:58 pm
A couple of 8x10" film holders that I missed when I got rid of the camera,
Hanging film holders for processing sheet film (I could never get even development with them; tray processing always worked just fine),
My assortment of lenscaps that don't fit any lenses I've owned for many years,
...
Title: Re: Useless
Post by: Peter_DL on January 26, 2011, 07:29:54 pm
What is the most useless photographic gadget or accessory that you have purchased, ...

Every piece of Minolta, Nikon, Canon
- bought before (or after) I could afford a Leica R-equipment.
As simple as that.

Well, this would have been my answer fifteen years ago.
Today I'm unsure. The 'war chest' is bigger than my willingness to buy.

Peter

--
Title: Re: Useless
Post by: degrub on January 26, 2011, 08:47:46 pm

Well I've still got the beat up Escort (not really beat up, just rusting because of the salty sea air), but it's sitting in the dealer's awaiting either a cheap sale or the scrap heap and severe compression. The problem with a small new one is that I've come to the rather late conclusion that it looks like the best you can afford, which isn't the case; what is the case is that so much constant talk about 'crisis' has spooked me into acting and believing, wrongly, that my own crisis is financial where, in truth, it's worse than that: it's emotional. So I've effed myself yet again. I don't recommend it.

Having said which, the basic problem (mine) with cars has always been the same as with boats: I've never been able to afford what I really, really want, so with boats I've simply not bought any. You can't live like that with cars - they are essentials.

;-(

Rob C


That's why the dog is so important.

Frank
Title: Re: Useless
Post by: PierreVandevenne on January 27, 2011, 03:46:15 am
Lowe Pro Dryzone 200. I once fell into a pond, barely managing to keep the 5D and 300 2.8L above my head. Told myself it would never happen again and bought the Dryzone. Started daydreaming about fancy photographic adventures in hostile locations. There was only one problem though: the bag was so cumbersome to use I spent more time packing/unpacking stuff than taking pictures.
Title: Re: Useless
Post by: Joe Behar on January 27, 2011, 11:02:22 am
A couple of 8x10" film holders that I missed when I got rid of the camera,

Eric,

I'd be happy to take those off your hands....I'll pay shipping.
Title: Re: Useless
Post by: Eric Myrvaagnes on January 27, 2011, 12:14:20 pm
Eric,

I'd be happy to take those off your hands....I'll pay shipping.

Joe,

Let me look for them and see what condition they're in. I know I got them (well-) used, but I always kept them in individual plastic bags to lessen dust and spotting. I'll pm you as soon as I've located them.

Eric
Title: Re: Useless
Post by: Joe Behar on January 27, 2011, 01:38:58 pm
Thanks Eric,

Just to be clear, I don't shoot 8x10 film, but with a couple of push pins the hangers make very unique print frames...you still want to get rid of them?

Title: Re: Useless
Post by: tokengirl on January 27, 2011, 02:21:08 pm
Lowe Pro Dryzone 200. I once fell into a pond, barely managing to keep the 5D and 300 2.8L above my head. Told myself it would never happen again and bought the Dryzone. Started daydreaming about fancy photographic adventures in hostile locations. There was only one problem though: the bag was so cumbersome to use I spent more time packing/unpacking stuff than taking pictures.

+1.  Including the bit about falling into the water.  Really.
Title: Re: Useless
Post by: Riaan van Wyk on January 28, 2011, 03:19:17 am
A Sigma 18-125 lens- it's as soft as baby porridge.
Title: Re: Useless
Post by: RSL on January 28, 2011, 10:21:01 am
Any book that's going to teach you to make "good photographs." Barnes & Noble and Borders are full of them. As Justin pointed out that kind of book is nothing but an ego trip for the author.
Title: Re: Useless
Post by: Rob C on January 28, 2011, 11:22:30 am
Any book that's going to teach you to make "good photographs." Barnes & Noble and Borders are full of them. As Justin pointed out that kind of book is nothing but an ego trip for the author.



But you haven't actually bought one of those, have you, Russ?

I bought the Adobe book for PS 7 and it was so opaque that I didn't even play the cd that came stuck inside it, never mind buy the programme!

Rob C
Title: Re: Useless
Post by: RSL on January 28, 2011, 11:48:45 am
But you haven't actually bought one of those, have you, Russ?

Actually, Rob, I have. But, as Elliott Erwitt said about the time he printed two negatives sandwiched together: "I was [young], didn't know any better, and I soon got over it."

Quote
I bought the Adobe book for PS 7 and it was so opaque that I didn't even play the cd that came stuck inside it, never mind buy the programme!

Yes. Adobe's "classroom in a book" books all have two things in common: (1) they're way over-priced, and (2) they'd be no bargain at half the price.
Title: Re: Useless
Post by: tom b on January 28, 2011, 03:48:41 pm
I consider my computer to be part of my photographic gear and Russ seems to agree.

After 20 years of using a Mac I have turned up to my new job yesterday to find that I was given a PC to use. I work as an illustrator/graphic designer and so I do a lot of drawing as well as photography at work. Being a Mac user I have used one click mouses for 20 years.

I previously posted the Arctic Butterfly as the most useless photographic object but if you include computers then the subject of the mouse comes up. I have used a mouse 7 hours a day to draw with for years.

So the most useless object that I have used is, to be heretical, the round Mac mouse. What a useless piece of $*%*^%$ &%$$%$ that was.

Not to be confused, coming a very close second is the standard PC mouse. Having 20 years experience using a Mac mouse with a straight finger click, moving my finger 15° to the left to click is unnatural and unacceptable. So on the first day of my new job, the first thing I did after work was to go to a computer shop and by a Logiteck PC mouse that ergonomically positions my finger for a straight click. Hopefully that will solve the problem or there will be a lot of mouses bouncing off walls.

As a result of thinking about this I had the insight to go to the system preference of my new Mac and to turn off the right click on my new mighty mouse. I now have a straight click and scroll wheel less scrolling. Having used Adobe products for years the left hand is used for keyboard shortcuts and in this case right clicks with the control key. All is good in the world, I'm happy!

Cheers,
Title: Re: Useless
Post by: EduPerez on January 31, 2011, 06:17:07 pm
But you haven't actually bought one of those, have you, Russ?

I bought the Adobe book for PS 7 and it was so opaque that I didn't even play the cd that came stuck inside it, never mind buy the programme!

Rob C

In my case, the dreadful book was given to me as a present; I still feel sad for the person who paid such a large amount of money for a paper-made paperweight.