Archive for May 7th, 2006
If you are embarking on a hobby or even a professional career in photography, you have a multitude of models and features to choose from. Instead of getting lost in the sea of choices or getting stuck with the wrong model, you can base your decision on certain features that cater to the specific requirements that you have. Your choice of a camera can be narrowed down based on a few key evaluation criteria. The parameters discussed here will serve as a simple guideline to help you put into perspective the features that you might like to have in your camera system.
These parameters are discussed at 2 levels:
-Based on degree of functional use of available features
-Based on the type of photography you want to attempt
–>Based on degree of functional use of available features
A person who is happy with his or her camera model usually responds with the following words of praise.
‘Incredible ease of use’
‘User-friendly controls’
‘Intelligently and thoughtfully designed’
‘Excellent value for money’
‘Light and compact’
These are the kind of terms that you will come across from camera owners who are satisfied with their camera models. These superlatives sum up what people usually look for or could look for at an overall level in their camera. It is a broad evaluation based on design elements, size and affordability,
Before you make a decision to purchase you should explore a little further and study the type of features available to you. Unless you make the attempt to understand the features at your disposal, there is the risk of being stuck with a model that does not suit your particular requirements. Let’s take a look at what features you should look for, as well as the features that you should be wary of when you choose a camera system.
–>Features to Look For
1. The lens is by far the most important device in your camera. The quality of the lens ensures the sharpness of your image. The camera lens is described by length (given in mm), known as the focal length of the lens. 50mm is the standard focal length in a lens. A lens of shorter length is known as a wide-angle lens and is used usually by landscape photographers. A lens with focal length greater than 50mm is called a telephoto lens and is especially useful to professional photographers in capturing distant images.
There are also cameras with a zoom lens. A zoom lens can offer various focal lengths, so you have a lens capable of many focal lengths. Simple put, when you use a zoom lens you can make your subject bigger or smaller within the frame.
For instance, a wide-angle zoom can cover a range of focal lengths below 50mm, or a telephoto zoom gives you a range of higher order focal lengths. Some superior zoom lenses can take you from wide angle to standard and through to telephoto ranges. The power of the zoom lens is defined by the extent of magnification from a lower focal length to a higher end and is given as 2x, 3x and so on.
Some lens tips:
–A 50mm or 100mm lens is considered adequate for most non-professional hobby users. The professionals usually go for telephoto lenses of 200mm or more. A lens with higher focal length costs a lot more. Most beginners don’t need to invest in a telephoto lens.
–Check if your camera is compatible with the range of lenses that the manufacturer of your model has on offer. Most manufacturers have hundreds of lens options on offer and your requirement for lenses varies as you progress in photography. Your camera has to be compatible with lenses of higher focal length and speed. If you are planning to upgrade your camera by buying another model from the same manufacturer, check for compatibility with older accessories so that you can put to use some of the lenses already available with you and save yourself an additional expense.
2. Depth-of-field preview button
A depth-of-field preview button is a necessity if you want to achieve better focus. It allows you to identify the area that will be in focus in your photograph. This area is referred to as the ‘depth of field’. When you adjust the focus in your camera the preview button is a useful tool that can help you vary the focus and depth of field in different shots.
3. Image sensor resolution
In digital cameras, there is no film in use but this is instead replaced by a device called the image sensor. The image sensor renders colors, is sensitive to light and is the device that captures images in small pixels on its surface.
Image resolution is a measure of the sharpness or level of detail in photographic images. Image resolution is expressed as a number and is measured in mega pixels. High-end professional use cameras have an image sensor resolution of around 12 mega pixels and the most advanced professional models go up to almost 14 mega pixels. At the mid range you have camera models with resolution ranging from 2 - 6 mega pixels. To deliver large format prints of superior quality, you should go for models with resolution greater than 3 mega pixels. At the lower end, you have models of 1 mega pixel or less and the sharpness of the photograph is slightly inferior compared to cameras with higher values of image sensor resolution. Lower pixel models are best suited for small format prints.
4. If you have the facility for Auto-bracketing it can be a very useful tool. Auto-bracketing enables the camera to automatically take 3 exposures or in some cameras 5 exposures of the same shot by varying the Exposure Value (EV) to lighten or darken an image. Each of the images will be slightly differently exposed and this is a great tool to ensure that you capture the moment perfectly. You can bank on at least one being a properly exposed picture. This tool comes in handy especially for professional photographers.
5. If tonal quality of the photograph is your top priority when you choose a camera then it is best that you go for a digital camera. Photographic prints of scenes captured on a digital camera have a level of tonal quality that is far superior to best quality traditional prints.
6. There are sophisticated camera models available today that can capture movement and audio-visual images. If you want to go beyond static images and capture the first steps of a child or activities during family get-togethers, then you should look for a camera with these advanced capabilities. It will create a better experience when you go down memory lane. The Kodak Easyshare LS753 Zoom Digital Camera is one such model that offers audio-visual capability.
–>Features to be Wary Of
Some features or the lack of certain functions can prove to be a stumbling block for a photographer. Be careful when you select your camera system and pick those models where such drawbacks are minimized or not present. Being aware of such drawbacks is important if you want to make a smart choice.
1. If you want to go in for a camera model with a zoom lens, look for an optical zoom, not a digital zoom. The optical zoom provides variable focal length whereas a digital zoom merely increases the magnification in the center portion of the picture. If the camera you choose has both optical and digital zoom, then make sure that you can disable digital zoom
2. Some cameras are not all that effective in low light conditions and dark places, the flash a not powerful enough. Be sure you don’t select such a model
3. The shift between exposure-modes should be a simple one-step process. In some models shifting between ‘shutter priority’ and ‘aperture priority’ takes longer since it is a little more complicated, involving more than one step in the process of shifting between modes.
4. In some camera models you run into the problem of dust collecting in the film compartment. Look out for any obvious fine openings that can cause this problem.
5. Slow and noisy Auto Focusing can be irritating. Look for a quieter model.
6. A camera has to have the four key exposure modes: auto, manual, aperture priority and shutter priority. There are models with many more exposure modes but choose such models only if your requirements warrant the confusion that goes along with having a whole host of exposure modes.
–>Based on the Type of Photography Your Want to Attempt
You choice of camera and the functions that you need depend quite a bit on the type of photography that you go in for.
1. If you are into wildlife photography, look for a camera that includes Center-weighted metering.
Center-weighted metering is considered best by wildlife photographers for the flexibility it offers. With the center-weighted meter the attention is on the center of the frame as the meter reads the light reflected from the subject. The sensitivity of the meter is concentrated on the subject located at the center of the picture frame. You can adjust the size of the sensing area to 8mm, 15mm or 20mm based on the size of the subject and its distance from you. Nikon is credited with introduced the world’s first Center-Weighted Meter.
2. For landscape photographers, the key features suggested are -a spot meter, a wide angle lens and a memory exposure lock. These three features are considered the perfect tools for landscapes.
The spot meter allows for creative thinking when you compose your shot because the spot meter has a major role to play when you want to meter only a small portion of the scene. The spot meter allows for concentrating the meter’s sensitivity on a chosen spot of the scene during exposure. Using a spot meter can be time consuming but its application in executing creative ideas makes the time spent worthwhile. For instance, taking a shot of the sun setting over the sea or capturing the pattern of snow atop a mountain peak can be done with the help of a spot meter. The memory exposure lock is the mechanism with which you can lock the spot meter reading. The camera will use the locked in reading when you click for an exposure.
A wide-angle lens is capable of highlighting objects in the center or foreground. In landscape photography the tendency is to usually have a prominent object like a tree, landmark or person in the foreground to emphasize the scale of the picture against the distant elements in the scenic setting. This feature brings out the depth in the photograph and the wide-angle lens makes this effect possible.
3.Those who indulge in trekking and mountaineering and are looking for functions that is adaptable in contrasting light conditions such as night-time camp fire or early morning at sunrise or at sun-set, should go in for a feature known as ‘multi segment metering’. The multi-segment meter divides the frame into several areas and takes into account the different tones of color in the scene.
4. If you are an inveterate traveler then the camera size and weight should probably be a key consideration. Compact, light cameras are ideal during travel or for trekking.
5. Digital cameras are evolving at a rapid pace in their capabilities. Available to you are cameras that can offer ‘programmed scene modes’ for different types of photography situations and these options are available to you within the same camera model. For instance, the Kodak Easyshare LS753 zoom digital camera has around nineteen automatic scene modes. The mode can be varied depending on the subject and the scene before you, such as - children, snow, beach, backlight, flower or fireworks. This model also has the night mode for night shots and the sport mode that allows you to capture action without the problem of blurring. If your interest in photography is varied but you don’t have the technical knowledge to change the settings for different scenes and subjects, then a digital model with automatic programmed scene modes is your best bet.
6. For beginners still learning the ropes of photography, the criteria for selection should be on features that simplify usage rather than those that complicate the process of learning. For instance, some cameras have a feature called the viewfinder LED. This feature allows the camera to determine the shutter speed that is required for a proper exposure. If you don’t use the right setting, the LED changes from green to yellow to give a warning that the shutter speed is too slow to get a sharp picture. This is a form of auto-assistance that can be a big help to a new photography enthusiast.
To sum up, it is imperative that you explore all your options before you make a final purchase, no matter how time-consuming this process may be. The Internet is a great way to do some pre-purchase information search. Do your Internet research to shortlist options - most major camera manufacturers have websites with extensive product descriptions and price details. You can also do your cost comparisons online at sites like shopping.com. Shopping.com lists 410 products in Point and Shoot Cameras, 153 products in 35mm SLR Cameras, 1,500 products in Digital Cameras besides other camera types and accessories.
Once you have a shortlist, make a visit to the retail outlets. Check out a few alternatives brands and models based on your requirements. Assess them on size, weight, ease-of-use of controls and features. A beginner usually looks for a user-friendly model with significant simplicity in operation. Camera models with manual dials are considered easier to use and quicker to learn and manage by some beginners. But some prefer the panel of buttons. Choose the type that suits you. Ease of use in placement of buttons has to be checked. You have to be comfortable with the ‘layout’ of the various buttons when you handle your camera. The placement of the control layout has to be logical.
And then finally, zero in on the camera that you want. Anyone who wants to experiment, learn and enjoy photography should look for a model that is versatile. For example, your ideal camera could be one with a combination of optical zoom lens of 3x magnification (this is a standard level), a depth of field preview button and an image sensor resolution of at least 3 mega-pixels.
If you make the right choice, your camera system can take you on a long fruitful journey of creativity, learning and fun.
About The Author
Chris Haslego is founder of http://www.cameramanualstore.com, the internet’s foremost source of camera manuals. With over 4000+ camera manuals available from all major manufacturers.
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BERLIN (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush told a German newspaper his best moment in more than five years in office was catching a big perch in his own lake.
“You know, I’ve experienced many great moments and it’s hard to name the best,” Bush told weekly Bild am Sonntag when asked about his high point since becoming president in January 2001.
“I would say the best moment of all was when I caught a 7.5 pound (3.402 kilos) perch in my lake,” he told the newspaper in an interview published on Sunday.
Bush said the worst moment was September 11 when hijacked planes crashed into the World Trade Centre in New York and the Pentagon in Washington.
“In such a situation it takes a while before one understands what is happening,” Bush said. “I would say that this was the hardest moment, once I had the real picture before my eyes.”
Because Bild could not immediately furnish English quotes, Bush’s comments were translated from the German. The paper said the White House planned to release an authorised English version of the interview on Monday.
That is pretty sad when the highlight of a President’s oval office career is catching a fish!
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President Hugo Chavez said yesterday that Venezuelan voters should have the chance to decide whether he should govern the country for the next 25 years.
Venezuela is noted for the large amount of drugs passing through from Columbia. Hugo Chavez must have intercepted a shipment and personally tested it. How else could he propose that he would be the best President for the next 25 years?
Chavez said Friday that he said he might seek “indefinite” re-election through a referendum if the opposition boycotts the presidential vote.
Here’s how the CIA describes Venezuela -
Venezuela was one of three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others being Ecuador and New Granada, which became Colombia). For most of the first half of the 20th century, Venezuela was ruled by generally benevolent military strongmen, who promoted the oil industry and allowed for some social reforms. Democratically elected governments have held sway since 1959. Current concerns include: a weakening of democratic institutions, political polarization, a politicized military, drug-related violence along the Colombian border, increasing internal drug consumption, overdependence on the petroleum industry with its price fluctuations, and irresponsible mining operations that are endangering the rain forest and indigenous peoples.
Once again, the issue of requiring passports to cross the U.S. - Canadian border has reared its ugly head. Proponents, especially the Bush administration, say it will make our country more secure. I have one word to say to that - HOOEY! It is nothing more than part of the dog and pony show being put on by this administration to make us feel safer. Bush’s policy is best summed up by the phrase “perception is reality”. The lesson he has failed to learn is that eventually the perception collapses and reality sets in.
Requiring passports, in this day and age, is quite unnecessary with the computer technology that exists. There is no reason that the information provided on a driver’s license, and other forms of ID, isn’t sufficient. The licenses have photographs and readable data embedded.
With the rising Canadian dollar, our neighbors to the north are once again flocking to the U.S. to find shopping deals. This is a boon for the sluggish Western New York economy. Imposing passport requirements, or other talked about ID’s, is like imposing a user tax on border crossing. The only benefit is to the coffers of the government. It would deter many people from crossing the Peace Bridge, in either direction.
Today’s Buffalo News has an article, Stronger Canadian dollar aids area malls, about the increase in Canadian shoppers here. We want to encourage this, not make it more difficult.
Many years ago when portable home video first came on the market I had a small business focused on taking inventories of peoples houses on video tape so that they would be protected if there ever were an insurance need. It was a great idea, something that everyone needs back then and even today. However the shortfall of my business plan at that time was the basic distrust folks had with regard to letting a strange into their house to take video of their stuff. Then of course who could blame them? I was a good honest young man trying to make a living but let’s just say I did not set the world on fire with this business. This was even true despite marketing directly to high-income neighborhoods.
All needed the concept and service but the execution was not great on my part. Now however each and every one of you has the ability to do this for yourselves and it is not too hard. Start with the basics and get as in depth as you think is necessary.
Take digital pictures of all your stuff, your house, your car, and your collections, everything you love that you own and store it away digitally. You can either store the images on a memory card, which you place in your safe deposit box at the bank, or you can load them off to a CD or DVD disc and store them that way. No need for a box load prints, a VHS tape or two, which may not last more than 8-10 years before breaking down, or a written list of inventory.
Take the pictures! Do it this weekend and you are all set. Shoot pictures of your new stuff as you acquire it. Here is the plan in short order:
Start with the big stuff first as this will help you systematically organize your important items such as the car, the appliances, TV, stereo, computers and so on. Computers usually have a variety of items connected to them so make sure to get model numbers and serial numbers of all of them on tape. You can do a v can do a voice over as you go along telling when you think you bought the item, how much you spent, and even where you got it.
There are certain things that you are going to want to get on tape with good detailed close up shots. Jewelry, silverware, collections, is especially valuable to us and so you want to lay them out on a table. Put down a dark colored cloth first and then spread your items out on the cloth. Make sure there is good light so the details will shine. Put your digital video camera on a tripod and take good close up shots of each item.
Now you don’t have to go crazy shooting video of every single thing in your place but rather find a balance between what you love and what is just stuff.
When you are done make a second copy of the tape, carefully label both of them and then store them away in your safe deposit box, in home safe or other secure area where you can access it should the need ever arise where you need to document your possessions in the case of disaster or theft.
About the author:
Kevin Rockwell worked as a network TV cameraman for 20 years shooting news and sports. Now a devoted fan of digital photography he works to gather information, tips and news for digital camera users. Free ->http://great-digital-cameras.com/gdcj.html
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I spent a lot of time outside this week due to the really nice weather we had. I couldn’t help but notice how many cars fail to stop completely for stop signs. Does this qualify as one of those quality of life crimes our Mayor is vowing to crack down on? If it is, he really needs to consider the big picture.
How many people are really harmed by someone executing a rolling stop? I don’t think the number is very high, if even significant. Rolling stops can be quite beneficial if you think about it. You will have less wear and tear on the brakes. It saves time when you’re in a hurry. Traffic moves faster. As long as a little commonsense is used, there’s no harm. Obviously, you must have a clear view to make sure there are no approaching pedestrians or vehicles which would cause a problem.
I would even venture to say that the rolling stop is very patriotic. It increases gas mileage which helps to keep the pressure off of upwardly spiraling prices. If every single driver, starting tomorrow, makes a complete stop at every stop sign, we would see a tremendous increase in overall gasoline use. This would increase our dependence on foreign oil, something the President promises to reduce.
The next time you are stopped by a cop for not stopping completely, tell him you are just trying to help out President Bush, he needs all the help he can get.
1. Pet photos - advertise a Pet Photography business where you photograph pets with their owners. Most owners won’t struggle to take a photograph with their pet all by themselves. You can be the one who makes it easy on them. Not only can you charge for the service and your time, but you can offer the photograph in it’s digital form or as a print that you can mail to them later - either created by your own photo printer or by a photo processing service.
2. Fishing contests - be around at the end of a fishing contest to take photographs of the contestants that didn’t even think about bringing a camera. Most fishermen are more concerned about fishing than carrying cameras, and most fisherman also want a picture of their stringer full of fish or the big one that they’re going to have mounted.
3. Parades - be in position to get great shots of folks and floats in the parade and sell the prints back to the individuals or to their family members. The folks who take part in the parades are often way to busy to take pictures before or after, so someone who captures them in action might really be doing them a favor - and a profitable service.
4. Landmark and tourist photographer - if there’s a famous landmark in your area, offer your photography services to tourists who want their photo taken in front of it. Even if the tourists are carrying a camera and get someone else to take their photo, often the camera won’t be digital with a display so it means the tourists won’t know how the picture turns out until they’re long gone. With your digital camera, you should be able to show them it’s a good picture.
5. Graduations - preschool, high school, or college graduations offer dozens, if not hundreds of opportunities to capture a significant moment in someone’s life. If the family members of the graduate aren’t located in as good a location or don’t have as good a camera as yourself - you’ll have even greater opportunity at getting the shots they couldn’t.
6. Holiday Family Postcards - offer your services to families that want their picture taken and put on a postcard that they can send to their extended family and friends. By using your digital camera you can not only get photo-postcards through online photo-processors, but you can make the prints available in your online gallery and have the customers refer their extended friends and family there to purchase a larger print if they desire it.
7. Photo Novelty Items - take photographs of people that want the pictures of themselves of their loved ones imprinted on coffee mugs, mouse pads, keychains, tee-shirts, and other items. Usually you can find suppliers of such photo-transfer merchandise and equipment in business opportunity publications, such as “Mind Your Business 101: How to Select & Start Your Own Business”
8. Used Car Photos - work out an arrangement to take snapshots of cars for used car dealers who don’t have photographs of their current inventory. If any of the car dealers don’t have websites that need photographs you could, provide an additional service by learning how to make and maintain a website of their inventory.
9. Promotional slideshow production - taking digital photos of a convention, church, business, college campus, or other promotable location - you can create a digital slideshow on Video CD or DVD for your customers to promote their business, organization, or event.
10. Newborn photo service - parents of newborns are some of the busiest people in the world. Advertise your services on an on-call basis so that you can take informal snapshots for the growing family either before they leave the hospital, or after they get home. This way both parents and the child(ren) can be in more of the pictures all together, and the parents have one less thing to try and figure out.
About The Author
C.S. Deam is a small business owner. His eBook Leverage Yourself Out of the Rat Race is available for immediate download at www.LinkertonPublishing.com where you can sign up for FREE E-Courses & Newsletters to help you on your path to self-employment.
CSDeam@LinkertonPublishing.com
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Everyone seems to be talking about digital photography because it’s fun, fast and less costly than we might think. It’s almost everywhere – in printed materials, in the news, and on the net. What makes digital photography a hit? One, digital takes the fear out of photography because it lets us take as many pictures as we want. Two, we can see right away if we got our desired image and delete the pictures we don’t like. Three, we can upload and share those pictures with our loved ones using a computer or a mobile phone anytime, anywhere. Four, digital costs less because we don’t need films and we don’t pay developing fees. Lastly, almost all people such as doctors, scientists, fire fighters, police officers, insurance agents, and real estate agents use digital photography in their work everyday.
In digital photography, Adobe Photoshop allows digital photographers, web and graphic designers to work more efficiently, explore new creative options, and produce the highest quality images for print, web and other media. Its software delivers a comprehensive toolset that helps users to meet any creative or production challenge. Its creative tools help graphic art professionals generate appealing visual effects and stay ahead of the competition. It is no doubt that it’s very significant to general users, web designers, and even, video editors.
The book, “Enhancing Digital Photography with Adobe Photoshop” by Chris Orwig, will guide us through the workflow of getting our digital photos from our camera to a computer and then into our hands. We will learn about the basics of taking digital pictures, loading photos to our computer, and using Adobe Photoshop to adjust our images and printing and sharing our images. Truly, this is a great way for new users to get up to speed on digital photography and modify photos using this application. This full color book provides an approachable introduction to Photoshop Elements and offers tips and insights into the vital aspects of photo manipulation. The book will offer the clearest possible route to achieving great images with Photoshop Elements as illustrated with full color images.
Do you have a digital camera, a computer, a printer and an Internet connection? Then, you’re set to go digital. But remember, even with this technology, you still need the imaginative idea and the enthusiasm to be entertained. Indeed, “Enhancing Digital Photography with Adobe Photoshop” is expected to greatly increase the digital imaging skills and creativity of professional photographers, imaging professionals, and enthusiasts. With this book, you can work through the examples or branch out with your own Photoshop ideas. From here, welcome to the brave new world of digital photography!
About the Author
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