I"m certainly not saying dealers are not needed: quite the contrary, in that I think them essential; it's the closing of so many due to the Internet-based outlets that annoys me because it makes contact difficult.
My problem is it's the cameras have become too smart; consequently the manuals have become huge just to help people work their way around the functions they might have to learn, and which I am happy to ignore, most of the time. I like photography simple, just like my needs from photography.
Rob
It depends on the camera. The little Sony's and Olympus takes an online manual and notepad to set the menu.
My contax/phase backs are like film. Pop it on, set the speed, wb, turn the camera nobs and shoot.
Nothing can be more complicated than a digital cinema camera, (some makes) but acclaimed dp's like Roger Deakins shoots with the same set up all the time and uses one or two luts for base color on every movie he shoots.
With my older RED 1s I have used them for years, so in pre production, I set them up, match them, build my own look in cameras and tell any b or c operator, or assistant operator not to touch anything other than the t stops and the record button. They always do, but I always catch it.
The only thing I dislike about newer digital cameras is they are too smooth and not as film looking as the older ones.
Sure they have more useable stops and go to higher iso's, but comparing a new dslr to my first canon 1ds, I always prefered the look of that camera and probably because it required fill cards or lights, which meant more craft to the image.
Though it's a shame how people buy now. They go into a camera store, tie up the sales people for an hour, test the camera, then go online to save $75, then if there is an issue go back to the store they tested it with and want a fix for a soft lens or knowledge of how to set it up.
That's really not fair.
Anyway, when setting up my 1dx 1 and 2 I use the old 1ds as a baseline for the look. Never get exact but can get pretty close.
But just like film, once you get zoned in on a look, all you need to change is a focus point, wb and iso. The rest is easy.
But in my experience I've always had great service (except once) from cps and though I use older phase backs and a Leica S2, always had amazing service from CI and Steve Hendrix.
IMO
BC
