Cameras, like operating systems or mobile devices, inspire a religious fanaticism among their fans. Whether its Nikon vs. Canon, Panny vs. Sony or RED vs. DSLRs, you don’t have to look far to find a gold mine of profanity laced flame wars about which gear is better.
In the last two years with the rise of DSLRs for video, it seems like shooting with a 5D or 7D paints a target on your head for RED users to boast, curse and engage in blog-snarkery about how unprofessional you are for shooting with a camera with high-compression footage and low resolution.
Hah. So much blog-snarkery…
Plenty to Go Around
There’s plenty of blog-snarkery to go around though, for example in an article on EOSHD.com, it’s practically giddy as it points out the impotence of RED in its inability to follow through with the concept for its Scarlet camera.
Besides making an obvious illustration for the prideful and sinful nature of man, the “Fanboy” phenomenon reminds me of this post on TechCrunch reminding us that Fanboys can actually be a good thing. The fact that users feel passionate about their gear is a good sign that an RED and Canon are making good products.
However, I think its important for us as Christians to remember James 4:6:
But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.
I have a lot of snarky opinions about camera gear, but most of the time when I really think about the humility to which I am called, I refrain from sharing them.
Ok maybe not most of the time, but some of the time. How do you guys do balancing your passion for your gear and humility?
Kevin says
Man, I wish I could say the same. I’m a open source fanboy. It makes me a wide open target, allowing me to stick my foot in my mouth in conversation and come across as the jerk I am rather regularly. I also think people would probably listen more seriously if I didn’t get on my soapbox all the time. However, I am very passionate about it and I can’t seem to leave it alone. On the other hand, I know why I am passionate about it. I’m passionate about open source software not because of a feature set or a usable interface, but because open source is built on principles that are worth being passionate about: sharing, collaboration, the common good, access for everyone, freedom, openness. Who thinks those are horrible or even not worthwhile? Not many, I would think. I take on a “religious fanaticism” because for me it is about religion. I see the principles in the open source movement and I see mirrors of commands from Christ and the rest of the new testament. Now, that’s not to say they are equivalents, but just (very) compatibles. But I see that and I wonder why Christians aren’t leading the way to encourage more of it and it really bothers me at a base moral level. So, I fight the inner battle of being more pleasant and not bringing it up in polite conversation, and challenging people to expand their view of how to apply biblical principles in a digital world.
On the other hand, I’m also a Apple “hater” for similar reasons. I don’t like the principles that the company (and many others) are built on. But can you be a Christian “hater”?
Kevin
http://opensourcechurch.com
BrianNotess says
Notice right after I said that, I added, I don’t refrain all the time.
When we feel passionate about things it’s a short trip to becoming prideful about them, and pride is something God tells us over and over again that He doesn’t like. I think as Christians we have to err on the side of humility when it comes to things that aren’t so important… like cameras, or business practices of technology companies.
We should always have an eternal perspective.
That said, I #FAIL all the time at being humble… it seems so countercultural especially to tech fanboys like me.
Kevin says
Um. Maybe I didn’t convey things properly. My point was that business practices of technology companies are different than technical differences of their products. Business practices ARE important…very important because they show the principles of that company (although not every business practice falls into that category of showing the company’s principles, but many do). I believe principles show those inner things about us and our values. Just to be straight, again, cameras are not equal to business practices. One is a technology decision, the other is a ethical decision. We do need to be humble in these interactions. But the partner of humility is honesty. You can’t really have one without the other. When your honest about technology differences, you have to admit that their are always strengths and weaknesses, good and bad (if there wasn’t it, there would be no need of fanboys to argue about things). Therefore, there is need for humility and the ability to concede. However, when we are honest about principles, we have to admit that certain principles are either good or bad. Sharing is always good. Freedom is always good (until you encroach on others’ freedom, but then that brings up other principles). Selfishness is always bad. Pride could go both ways in some sense, but when you push it to be more descriptive about they type of pride you would come down on one side or the other pretty quickly. Conceding about principles points not to humility, but to moral relativism. That’s the nature of principles. And principles are important and have meaning, technical differences aren’t important and don’t have meaning.
Kevin
http://opensourcechurch.com
BrianNotess says
My point (although poorly made) was that we can be guilty of pride (which God opposes) about anything.
For example the Pharisees were very prideful about their principles and Jesus called them out on it.
Again, I think as Christians we need to err on the side of extreme humility.
Kevin says
I get where you’re going, but this is what drives me nuts about this discussion and makes me even more passionate. I fundamentally disagree with your application of scripture. The Pharisees had all the “technical details” correct, but had lost sight of the underlying principles that those details were built on. Therefore, Jesus called them out on it. This is why Jesus called them hypocrites. This is why Jesus got so angry and passionate about it. I think we would agree that Jesus embodied perfect humility too. So, calling religious people out because they’ve dropped their principles doesn’t necessarily show a lack of humility (again, because that humility is built on honesty).
Here comes the humble part though…I realize I am not Jesus and I could be wrong about my principles. However, me being wrong about principles is different than me being wrong about technical details because of the underlying nature of principles that I’ve already explained. You’d have to show that the principle I’m talking about that I think is good is really bad (or vice versa). On the other hand, there is really no right or wrong answer for technical details.
Jesus ministry was built on applying principles, not technical details. This is why he always used parables and never gave the religious leaders straight answers when they asked about the technical details. He was always saying, learn the principles and apply them simply.
I would say, as Christians, we need to err on the side of being Christ-like: stick to principles which encompass your extreme humility along with the balancing of other things as well. This is exactly why I think we need to rethink our ethics in a digital world.
Kevin
http://opensourcechurch.com
BrianNotess says
I agree man, I’m not calling you out, just trying to remind everyone to try to stay humble even when we’re passionate.
My point was: you can have principles and be prideful. You can have principles and be humble. You’re right. like the Pharisees, sometimes we can think we’re following principles but get lost in the technicalities.
I really hope I’m not improperly applying scripture.
Kevin says
Thanks for going along with me on that ride. I know that you aren’t calling me out. I was just going down the path of why I find the line between humility and passion really hard when it comes to open source software. To say it a different way, I don’t think everyone must use open source software (that’s a technical detail), however, I do think Christians should be using every opportunity to share, cooperate and help others and it makes me wonder why we, as Christians, aren’t a stronger presence in the open source community. My guess is that we’ve lost sight of some principles which is easy to do when things are changing the technical details as fast as they are and need to rethink things a bit.
Thanks again,
Kevin
http://opensourcechurch.com
Ryan Spilhaus says
John – I’d just like to point out how pretty these comment threads are 🙂 Love the stacked effect 😉
BrianNotess says
It is pretty sweet!
BrianNotess says
I wonder how deep you have to go before they get ridiculously small.
Kevin says
Still noodling on a better way to say things.
My passion towards open source software is never to say that open source software is always the right answer (that’s a technical detail and needs a humility). However, in my experience when Christian organizations choose their software they almost always only consider feature set and price point (with the latter secondary). When I mention using open source software to people in the Christian community, the biggest hindrance to people using open source software is usability. To me this is a tragedy because usability is a technical detail. Adding principles such as sharing and helping others should be part of that decision and part of why you pick a software package. Because those principles are (almost always) conspicuously absent, maybe we should all take a look again at how we are applying our Christian principles because we’re probably missing something. Again, it’s not about whether you end up choosing open source software. It’s about whether you’re applying Christian principles to that process. That’s the dichotomy that makes being a fanboy for open source software hard. People read what I’m passionate about as a technical detail when it really is about Christian principles.
ps. I’m pretty sure principle was not the best word to use in this thread for what I’m talking about, but as we know from software use, it’s hard to change something once it is in use.
Sorry to drag this on, I’m really just trying to process how to convey things rather than expecting anyone to respond to my ramblings…this thread really does have quite enough stacked layers which is very technically well done indeed, John. 🙂
Kevin
http://opensourcechurch.com
Kevin says
I reread my post and realized my alternative application of scripture might not have been as explicit as I hoped. So here’s a little more:
The Pharisees were very prideful, but they were prideful in the technical details, not in their principles. The Pharisees had all the “technical details” correct…
Hope that helps,
Kevin
http://opensourcechurch.com
DKP says
It’s a good thing that this post isn’t really about comparing a RED cam to a DSLR. That would be tragic.
I know that there are a lot of people that are fans of particular products for one reason or another. I’d like to think that I’m not one of them.
I choose products based on: technical ability (quality), purpose, and price. When it comes to video cameras there is no comparison between a RED cam and DSLR. Two vastly different cameras with completely different purposes. I am not a “fanboy” of either, because I will use the one that suits my purpose for the production. (Now I’m curious, I wonder what a 5D would look like blown up to 4k res for theater projection. Hmmm . . . )
I love Apple comps because I like the way they operate. I am not a “fanboy” of Apple products because just like everything else, they have problems. Contrary to the myth – they freeze, crash, and die just like every other computer.
I think it’s definitely okay to share opinions about gear – as long as it doesn’t get personal and stupid. The reality is that “iron sharpens iron” so through debate and discourse, we actually help each other grow.
BrianNotess says
I agree.
I also think it’s pretty ridiculous to compare the 5D to the RED cameras (just because of the price difference).
You should check out these tests though, where Zacuto compare 5Ds (actually all of the DSLRs at the time) to film. It’s pretty mind blowing.
http://www.zacuto.com/shootout
You’re right though, it does come down to what camera is right for each project, or even each scene.
PhillipGibb says
Not sure what all the fuss is about, I also added a few comments on that article. My assumption is that they did it as a typical “Controversial Post” to garner hits and engagement.
What RED are doing and have done is amazing. They bear the brunt on antagonists because of their open conversation policy. As for removing of negative comments – well – yes if they are made for ulterior motives and without basis.
BrianNotess says
It’s just kind of funny how passionate and/or prideful people get about camera gear. Well, funny and sad.
PhillipGibb says
lol, so true.
I was kind of in that boat recently when it came to recommending a camera. It was a choice between an HVX200A, HPX170 or some JVC camera that did HDV but looked like a toy. I couldn’t understand why I had to be the one justifying the HPX over the JVC and not the other person justifying their choice of the JVC. I was filled with EGO and pride – thinking “hey, who have been eating, breathing, living cameras for the last 5 years – take my word for it”
I kept quiet and let it happen. Fortunately, sanity was restored when they opted to ask the guys at NorthPoint what they recommended. They suggested the HPX170.
Didn’t help with my pride issue. However I did not say “I told you so”
lol
So – yeah. HPX170 will be a reality in a short time.
And I will be getting myself a Canon 550D as well – woot.
Fun time
Big time
Too bad there wasn’t a RED there as well – I am a fanboy of RED!!