JPG Magazine: Stories: My Precious: Bigger is Better

Bigger is Better

Four words that would forever change how I look at photography: "This camera is badass". Uttered by my friend Insoo on a random excursion we had to Best Buy. It had a very unique swivel mechanism that could not be found on any other camera. It also had a huge lens attached to it. Dammit, it really must be badass, was my thought. When it came time for me to purchase my first digital camera, those were the only words that rang repeatedly through my mind. Sure, there were other more compact, "cute" cameras on the market that would fit well into my pocket. But I needed the badass one. I needed to be badass. I'm a guy; I like to carry a big gun.

So in my on-going effort to increase my male fortitude, I made the purchase, and the Sony DSC-F717 came into my possession. I would carry it with me like sniper would carry his rifle, scoping out my targets and shooting them down into 512MB memory sticks. The swivel mechanism allowed me to shoot from my waist, when the target least suspected. The exceptional Zeiss optics attached to the camera allowed me to capture images with the sharpness and clarity that I had never experienced.

My positive, initial experience with this camera allowed me become interested enough to actually read the whole manual and starting teaching myself about the technical aspects of photography. Wow, there was so much to learn and explore; this was definitely a hobby worth pursuing. And explore I did, playing with the shutter speeds and aperture settings, figuring out ways of compensating for exposure, reading the histogram, white balance, ISO, etc, etc... Like most cameras that have manual functionality, this camera had all the necessary functions required to learn the basics of photography and more.

As time went on, the price of digital SLR's dropped and I began do see people of lower stature carrying bigger guns than I had. It made me feel inadequate. I needed to prove my manhood once more, and I plunged into the digital SLR market, getting the biggest body and longest lens I could possibly afford. After some practice, I found I could make it take some damn good pictures. I felt adequate once again.

After all that, which camera do I use the most? I wouldn't be writing this article if the answer wasn't the F717. There are many reasons for my love of this camera. The new camera I got with the big white lens was so heavy it started to hurt my shoulder. All of the lenses and accessories I gathered for the DSLR required me to carry a huge bag wherever I went. I felt like I was missing too many photo opportunities carrying the beast around.

The F717 allows me to be stealth, and at the same time, it takes great photos. When used correctly or accidentally, the result can rival the quality of a DSLR. Many times, it is easier and faster to get a good shot out of the F717 than the DSLR. Ultimately, getting the shot is what matters. It doesn't exactly fit in my pocket, but that's fine with me since it keeps me feeling somewhat badass and not too girly.

Even after all this time, I am still finding creative ways to use the F717 in ways I have never imagined. For example, I have recently begun to use the macro mode in situations where you wouldn't expect the macro mode to be used. Also, I have always thought the night vision aspect of this camera to be a gimmick, but when combined with some digital darkroom techniques, it can create some really interesting results.

I am not trashing DSLR's. There are applications that it is good for and my DSLR has greatened my love for photography. Perhaps I trashed it too much in my attempts to make this story a more interesting read. The F717 continues to allow me to expand my artistic horizons to this day. With photography, technology and art become one, and the line between "badass" or "cute" become blurred. I love that concept for some reason.

Report a Problem

VOTE: Should this story be published in JPG?