Tips for Saving Lenses and Cameras

High and continuous humidity can damage electronic components and camera sensors, while mold can grow and develop in optical lenses. Once the fungus grows, the optical quality can be affected and we have to bother cleaning it. If the fungus is stuck to the outer surface, it's still easy, if the growth inside the lens element on the inside we will be very inconvenient. Don't forget, also read tips on storing the lens cap and back cover so that it doesn't easily disappear.

Cameras and lenses have mechanical components that need to move smoothly, did you know inside the lens or the camera is also oiled so that mechanical movement is smooth and not dragging? Now if you place the camera and lens in a very dry area (humidity is too low) then this risks mechanical functions can be dragged and disturbed.

What is the Ideal Humidity Number?

Figures around 40 - 50% RH (relative humidity, relative humidity) are ideal for cameras and lenses according to various articles. The safest rule is to check your lens and camera manual, look for the ideal operating range words, then check the recommended humidity range. Now for long-term storage, divide the number by two.

For example, the ideal operating humidity for the Canon 5D Mark II is 85% or lower. Then the ideal storage is around 35 to 45%.

Some of the Best Storage Methods

Here are some storage methods you can do to maintain the condition of the lens and the camera to remain optimal and excellent.

Buy a Special Dry Cabinet or Dry Box, a dry cabinet is a special cabinet that is designed to store electronic goods like the photo above. You can buy it at a camera shop or a large home appliance store. Depending on the specifications, we can adjust the humidity numbers in the storage space as desired.

Silica Gel and Airtight Box, For an inexpensive alternative you can use an airtight box that is commonly used to store and put some silica gel bags. You can also buy special silica gel with a color indicator to find out the water content in the gel as in the photo below. When the silica gel in the box is saturated with water, you can plug it into electricity to dry it again.

I recommend not buying a camera storage box that has a heating element, the risk of the element getting too hot is quite large. When the heater gets too hot, the sensor inside the camera can be affected by the sap.

Hue & Saturation and Channel Mixers in Black and White Photography

So why do we need so many ways to convert a color image to black and white? Light users of Photoshop and non-photographers are not aware of this, but photographers, especially those who are seriously into black and white, know the one problem photographers faced even before digital technology: that some colors reproduce as almost the same tones (shades of gray) in black and white (B&W).

Take for example an image, which is a picture of a red tomato surrounded by green vegetables. When converted to 88W, both the red and the green colors have the same gray tones, diminishing the distinctiveness of the red tomato.

What photographers did when shooting with Black & White film was to use color filters over the lens, called contrast filters. Through a red filter, the red tomato turned out much lighter than the green vegetables. Through a green filter, the red tomato appeared darker while the green leaves appeared much lighter. The desired effect was easy to remember: a filter lightened its color and darkened its opposite color. Thus, we used a yellow or red filter to darken blue skies, a blue one to lighten them.

In digital photography, we can use Photoshop's 'Hue/Saturation' or 'Channel Mixer' commands to achieve the same result as contrast filters. They allow us to manipulate the colors in our RGB images to give us better control over the tones during conversion to B&W. Photoshop will sample the color and if it is a combination of the basic colors, will list down that color in the drop-down menu.

Hue & Saturation

Step 1: Open the file

Open the file to be converted into B&W. It may help if you do some tonal adjustments before converting the image to B&W.

Step 2: Duplicate the Image

It would also help to simultaneously view a color version of the image as you manipulate the colors in your image during conversion to B&W. To duplicates go to Image > Duplicate.

If necessary, reduce the windows so you can see both documents at the same time.

Step 3: Choose Hue/Saturation

At the bottom of the 'Layers' palette, choose the 'Create new adjustment layer' option and 'Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer' from the drop-down menu.

Note: Choosing an adjustment layer rather than choosing the adjustment command (under the 'image' menu) gives you more flexibility.

Step 4: Desaturate the Image

In the Hue & Saturation dialog box, desaturate the image by moving the Saturation slider all the way to the left (-100). This removes all the colors in your image, making it monochromatic. I

Step 5: Adjust the Tones

Although the image is now monochromatic, you can still lighten or darken the Individual colors that make up the image, increasing their tonal separation.

Channel Mixer

Step 1: Open the file

Open the file to be converted to B&W. Sometimes it helps if you first adjust the contrast and brightness of the Image before conversion.

Step 2: Duplicate the Image

As In the first technique, it will help when manipulating the colors in your image during conversion if you have a color copy of the image for reference. To duplicate, go to image > Duplicate.

If necessary, reduce the window so you can see both documents at the same time.

Step 3: Choose Channel Mixer

At the bottom of the layers palette, click on the Create new adjustment layer icon and choose Channel Mixer Adjustment Layer.

Step 4: Desaturate the Image

In the Channel Mixers dialog box, click the Monochrome option to turn the color image into grayscale.

In this example, when we converted the Image into grayscale the red orchid lost its prominence.

Step 5: Adjust the Tones.

Although the image is now monochrome, you can still lighten or darken the individual colors that make up the Image, increasing their tonal separation. Unlike in Hue/Saturation above, in Channel Mixer, you are presented only with Red, Green, and Blue sliders. Moving the Red slider to the right (increasing the percentage) tightens anything that has a red component in the Image (remember the rule of thumb of contrast filters). It will also lighten the overall image, as you are effectively increasing the intensity of light! To avoid overexposure, you have to keep the total of the three sliders within 100%.

Black and White Digital Photography Tips

People enjoy making black and white digital photos because of their aesthetics and old-fashioned feel. There are two ways to make black and white photos - either shoot your imagery in black and white with your digital camera or use picture-editing software to convert a digital color photo into a black and white photo.

Here are digital photography tips for shooting black and white directly with a digital camera, if it comes with appropriate filters. You may find the setting labeled as "monochrome mode."

• Your camera may offer different file formats to store your images. Many file formats process the image and alter colors, saturation, sharpness, etc. If you have 'raw' format available use it - unlike JPEG format, raw does not process the image. So you get the original image as is. You can control whatever post-processing you desire.
• You can control the light sensitivity in a digital camera. The light sensitivity setting are given in ISO numbers such as ISO 100, ISO 200, etc. A high ISO number implies greater sensitivity to light. This is a good setting to capture digital photos in dim light. But high light sensitivity also results in more noise in the image. You must choose the ISO setting optimally for the imagery you want to photograph - neither too high nor too low.
• You must set the shutter speed of your camera optimally. You need a high shutter speed to shoot moving objects like cars or trains.
• The aperture settings on your digital camera determine the depth of focus you need. You can have one object in very sharp focus and allow everything in the backdrop to fade by controlling this.
• While optical zoom will work well with good lenses, avoid using digital zoom as it cause loss of details and poor resolution in the captured photo.
• Set your digital camera to shoot in maximum resolution to get subtleties and details if you have enough memory available.
• If you are just getting started on using your digital camera, stick to the auto mode where the camera automatically adjusts the shutter speed, aperture and ISO settings depending on the scenery.
• If you need to use a flash to improve lighting, position yourself so that you do not get light from it reflecting back into the camera due to shiny surfaces in the scenery.

If you do not have a sophisticated camera which can be fine tuned for black and white photography, simply take color photos and convert them to black and white using software like Adobe Photoshop. The software will simply strip out the color information (expressed in red, blue and green components) and leave only luminosity information in the image. You may find the following photography tips useful to get you started.

1. Capture the color image in raw format.
2. You can use the Image >> Adjustments >> Black and White setting to convert to convert your color photo to black and white.
3. You can alter the contrast, sharpness and brightness of the picture by playing with the Image >> Adjustments menu which allows you to alter the red, green and color components of the underlying image.

Practice makes perfect. So try different settings on the digital camera and learn what works best.

Digital Photography - Tips for Better Photographs

As digital cameras become more popular and allow people to take more photographs than ever before, we are constantly looking for a few simple tricks to make our photographs a little more interesting and to differentiate them from the hundreds of other similar photos out there. Whether you are taking them to sell, or just taking holiday snaps or pictures of family there are a few techniques we can all use to make our photographs a little less mundane and a little more wall worthy.

Changing the level can often help you create a more interesting photograph. If the subject is low to the ground then you can try getting low and taking the picture from their level. Particularly if you are shooting animals then this can be a great way to change it up and make those photographs or your family pet a little more interesting. If you're subject is a little taller then try making the photograph more interesting by standing on a chair or ladder to get a little higher. This can make a photograph of a group of people a little more interesting.

The background also has a lot to do with what you see in a photo. Try and photograph something against a plain background instead of a complicated one. You can also try and get close to the subject so the focus softens the background. This technique draws more attention to the subject of the photograph and takes it away from the background - a great technique if your subject is interesting but is being over-powered by a loud or complex background.

You can also try moving the subject away from the center of the photograph. This makes the eye move away from the center of the photograph as well and makes it a more interesting photograph. If you move the subject about a third of the way left, right, up or down then you can sometimes create a stunning visual with the use of only an average subject. This is a technique called the rule of thirds and you can read more about it all over the web.

If you're looking for a few more tips you can check out our Guide to Digital Photography which has some extra tips on taking great shots as well as some ideas about where and what you can shoot to create some of your original artwork to spice up your living space.

5 Insightful Tips Only an “Old” Professional Photographer Would Know

You could search online for tips and advice on photography. But you'll probably see the same "helpful" hints from site to site. Here are a few of mine. Some I learned but only after YEARS in the business. So hopefully I'm saving you valuable time in trial and error. These are helpful photography tips I don't hear many others talk about, but maybe they should.

NEVER Buy New

Don't fall prey to the "I NEED the latest in technology" school of thought. Some of the greatest photos were taken with simple film cameras. Just earlier today, I bought an old version of Adobe Lightroom for post processing photos. It originally retailed for $300. I got mine for $18! Sure it's Version 1, but I usually don't need those advance tools featured in the later, pricier versions. Nothing wrong with manipulating photos but I mainly cover events. So I shoot "as is". I've learned to keep things simple. That's Tip 1½. This keeps costs down. All my gear is used. Since I shoot "as is" I don't need the latest in gadgetry. The iMac I'm composing this article on, $1200 new but I bought mine recently for $400 at a local Goodwill!

Make a Lists

How organized you are is in direct proportion to how successful you'll become. Make lists: from a daily "to do" list to a list of shots you plan to do on your shoot to a list of what you need to do to prepare for each shoot like cleaning your equipment, replacing batteries, formatting memory cards, etc. And perform those tasks the same way every time. That's Tip 2 ½. It's like an athlete training for the performance. It'll become routine and eventually you won't need to refer to a list. This is invaluable, especially on important, STRESSFUL shoots. It's one less thing to worry about.

Think Like an Art Director

Magazines don't show up somewhere with a crew and start shooting. They're carefully planned out. Put some thought into your photo making. At least have a list of shots you'd like to do. I always have some game plan, theme or concept. I'll research online for photos that inspire me. I then gather them onto a page or two and bring the print outs on shoots. They're nice to reference to, especially when working with newer models.

Carry a Camera Phone

At least, carry a note pad. You never know when that next great idea will come to you. I've taken pictures of mall mannequins, billboards and items on store shelves because they gave me an idea for a photo.

Be Stealthy

As an event photographer, I like to "blend in" with the crowd. I wear black but anything dark and solid will do...no patterns, stripes, etc. If it's not a wedding where I need 2 cameras, I prefer using a backpack. It's one less thing that calls attention to you. Because of my "stealthiness", I've shot in locations other have been booted from. I think it's because I try NOT to look like a professional photographer. But being nice and cordial to security helps too!

Fisheye Lens Effect - Photography Tutorial

I'm not a big believer in expensive camera brand names, although I have been a consistent Nikon user for over two decades. If I can do a good job and get the results that I want with any brand of equipment; I'm happy. Not to mention that when I bring expensive gear to exotic locations, I'd be worrying more about my equipment than my assignment.

Recently, I took my newly purchased third party 4.5mm f/2.8 circular fisheye lens for a ride through four countries. I started on Corregidor Island in the Philippines, a few hours' boat ride from Manila. I have been to Corregidor several times, but I never had any success photographing the big cannons that were used in World War II. (The Americans installed these big expensive weapons; however, it is said that they never fired a single shot.) With the fisheye lens, even standing right next to the gun I was able to "shoot the cannon." Finally, I could fit an entire cannon in a single frame without any difficulty.

That was the very first image I recorded with this lens. Though it was exciting and fun, I realized that the lens did not come without problems.

First, you cannot use a tripod the normal way with the fisheye lens. When the lens axis is parallel to the ground, the Iegs of the tripod will be included in the image. This can only be avoided if you shoot upwards.

Second, I realized that most camera meters are not optimized for such a wide view, so you may find it difficult, as I did, to balance extreme contrasts in the scene such as bright sky and shaded ground. It worked well enough in none-too-contrasty scenes such as indoors or in shaded areas. But whether shooting indoors or outdoors you will have better control over your exposure if your camera is set for spot metering. After my return trip overseas, having learned to handle metering with the fisheye, I managed a fantastic shot of the outdoor wedding of Jory and Kat in Club Paradise in Palawan-a perfect capture of puffy clouds, backlit white sand, and billowing white streamers.

Third, since the lens does not take filters over the front element, but rather in a slot behind the rear element, one of my biggest problems was keeping the lens free of dust and fingerprints. This is another reason that the lens is more difficult to use outdoors, besides the metering problem.

On Using A Fisheye Lens

Be careful you don't include your tripod legs or your own feet in the frame. With a field of view, nearly 180 degrees wide, it's apt to include more than you bargained for.

You will have better control and fewer surprises if you set your camera for spot metering. Camera meters are not optimally equipped to handle a 180-degree view.

You will be able to take pictures with better contrast range and saturation in shaded areas, indoors, or after sunset.

Look out for dust and fingerprints, since the protruding half-dome front element precludes using filters of any kind, even for protection.

The lens sees the world in a different way from the rectangular or square formats we are used to seeing. Maximize, but don't overdo it.

Curved or circular subjects will not exhibit barrel distortion as much as linear objects.

The lens creates three-dimensional depth more dramatically than any other wideangle lens.

When looking through a fisheye lens, it's easy to forget that you may be just inches or a foot from your subject.

What Brand of Digital Camera is Best?

With so many digital cameras on the market, it is hard to know which brand of camera you should invest in. After all, who makes the best digital camera?

Sony, Canon, Fuji, Nikon, Kodak... they all make digital cameras. If digital sales were the indicator of what was the best, Canon would be the winner, easily – at least according to Amazon. That just means someone has done a great job of advertising.

So how do you know the best brand of digital camera? It can be overwhelming trying to make that decision and everything you read says something different. Not to worry, because it’s really quite simple – you compare features and choose the digital camera that has the features you are looking for at the price point you want.

1. What kind of photography are you planning to use your digital camera for?

2. Make sure that the camera has the right lens for the type of photography you want to do. Point and shoot cameras usually don’t allow for lens changes to you need to get the right lens right away.

3. Look for the features that you are interested in such as built in flash or the ability to add an external flash. Of course, the features are endless, so be real about what it you will use and what you will never use, because you are going to be paying for those features.

4. Consider the camera weight and size – even point and shoots vary from very light to heavy. Size is very important too. If you want to pack it around in your pocket vs. carry in a case, you will need to choose smaller. 

5. Look at warranties. You might be surprised to learn they do vary. Some manufacturers also offer extended warranties on their products. If you spend more than $500 this might want to consider purchasing an extended warranty.

6. Make sure it is in your price point. There are many different price points’ in point and shoot digital cameras and the price doesn’t always reflect the quality of the camera or the features it has to offer.

It’s easy to compare cameras online. By doing so you can see which cameras offer the features you want for the price you want to pay. It’s a convenient way to compare products and match you with the right camera for your needs. 

Are You Getting the Most Out of Your Digital Camera?

Having an inexpensive point and shoot doesn’t mean you can’t take amazing photos. There are a number of things you can do to take your point and shoot to the next level, let’s have a look.

Even though we hear a lot about DSLR cameras, the majority of people don’t own one unless they are a professional photographer. They are bulky, heavy, expensive and inconvenient. On the other hand, a point and shoot is light, compact, affordable and convenient. So if you are one of the many that owns a point and shoot it’s time you started getting the most out of it.

Start by reading your manual. Not only does it tell you all about the features of your camera and how to use them. You will also find tips and tricks on making the most of your camera. It might seem somewhat monotonous but it’s worth your time.

Next, it is time to become familiar with your menus. Once you have read about your features in your manual, you need to start to play and experiment with those menu features. It’s better to know how to get what you want in advance rather than fumbling when you most need to capture that special moment.

In fact, take some time to play with your camera and take photos when it is not important that you get a good photo. Try out every setting on your camera and all the various scenarios such as sunny days or low light situations.

It’s important to take some time to work on your techniques. One of the first things you can learn is to not snipe your subjects. In other words, stop framing the people who are in your image as if you are a trophy hunter looking to add another prize catch. These photos are boring and uninspiring. Try something different. Experiment and learn what works and what doesn’t.

While you are at it take some time to play with the Rule of Thirds. Every photo you are going to take should be thought of as being in a nine square grid. Then start to avoid putting things right square in the center. To improve your skills look at photos in magazines and look at print ads to see how the Rule of Thirds is being applied. In addition to the Rule of Thirds, avoid taking photos in conventional ways that have become boring. Try playing with angles and don’t be afraid to shoot from above, below or… well just about anywhere.

Getting the most out of your digital camera starts with getting the most out of your picture taking abilities. Why not get busy today.

8 Digital Camera Brands You Should Know About

Buying a digital camera can be a lot of fun, after all the choices are endless. However, it can also be a bit daunting. By knowing what camera brands are available will help you when you are shopping. Let’s look at 8 popular digital camera brands.

Canon

This is a brand that’s loved by many. Canon was making cameras back in the film ear. Today they make point and click as well as DSLR cameras. Canon manufactures a number of lenses including the 3L series lenses. They are considered the best in still photography with Sony in the running.

Nikon

The majority of professional photographers use Nikon who makes a top notch line of cameras that are user friendly. Nikon definitely gets a thumbs up. Nikon isn’t interested in making cameras for teenagers or the disposable market. They make a product that’s of the finest quality and meant to last, and that’s why those who use their product enjoy their experience. In fact, no other brand can meet Nikon when it comes to SLR cameras.

Sony

Sony was one of the first on the scene for digital cameras and today remains a viable competitor. They remain a contender with the DSLR line; however, they have been focusing a great deal on their point and shoot market too. Many see this as a wise business decision, hooking the teenagers into their products should turn them into adult buyers.

Pentax

When it comes to price, quality and experience there is no company that can touch Pentax. Canon and Nikon will cost you hundreds of dollars more than the same camera from Pentax, so it definitely pays to compare. Pentax is known for building a reliable camera. They also have earned recognition for not using deceptive marketing tricks. Pentax is backwards compatible with many different lenses so that offers you an opportunity to use lenses you already have. And their waterproof Optio point and shoot deserves mentioning.

Olympus

Many consumers like what they see in the Olympus, which is often overlooked as a result of not getting the exposure that some of the others do. This is a camera that offers a well made product with plenty of features for a reasonable price, making it a great choice for those on a budget.

Samsung

Samsung offers an affordable middle of the road digital camera that’s stylish and easy to use. It has the most experience at this price point offering the highest technical features for the least amount of money. It also has a convenient easy to use photo transfer system.

Panasonic

This reliable and easy to use camera takes great pictures and their 3D mode is definitely worth mentioning. Many agree that this camera is definitely good value for the money. Make sure to check it out when you are trying to decide on the best buy for you.

Casio

This is a camera that often gets overlooked. Don’t let its small size fool you because it does a great job.

When shopping for a digital camera reviewing these 8 picks is a great place to start.

5 Rules to Buying a Point and Shoot Camera

The point and shoot digital camera are compact and easy to use. All you need to do is press your shutter button and the camera takes care of everything else (shutter speed, focus, light sensitivity, focus, etc.) Trying to choose from the hundreds of cameras with different price points and different features can be daunting. Here are 5 rules to help you buy a point and shoot camera.

Don’t Just Focus on Megapixels

Far too often consumers put all their focus on the megapixels, and in the earlier days of 2-3 megapixels, it was important; however, with megapixels up around 16 it no longer matters, as most people will never print images large enough to take advantage of the extra pixels. The size of the sensor is far more important.

Weigh Size versus Features

You can find very time point and shoot cameras but they usually don’t have a long zoom lens and other more advanced features, because the slim body just doesn’t have room for it. If you have big hands, you may also find it awkward to operate such a tiny camera. Take this into consideration when buying your camera.

Watch the Lens Focal Length as well as the Zoom Factor

We tend to put a lot of focus on the zoom factor but really, what’s far more important is the lens focal length. This is generally expressed as a 35mm equivalent value so if you have two cameras both with a 5x lens but one covers 28-140mm while the other covers 24-120mm the first ones better if you are going to be shooting in spaces that are small and tight, while the latter is going to be better if you have a longer telephoto reach. The better point and shoots begin around 28mm.

Display Resolution is as Important as Size with LCD Screens

The rear LCD is handy to frame your photos and videos and then review them. Look for a camera with a 3” screen. LCDs are measured in dots. The larger the value the sharper the image. Touch screen interfaces are also available and they are very handy.

Image Stabilization is a Must

Optical image stabilization compensates for shaky hands, a perfect feature especially when you don’t have tripod handy. It’s not always available on the lower end cameras but it is one feature that’s worth paying a little extra for.

Good Low-Light Performance Lessens the Need for Flash

A higher ISO performance of your camera makes it more sensitive to light and so it requires less flash use. Look for a camera that allows you to set it higher than 100 ISO.

Put these 5 rules into play when buying a point and shoot camera and you won’t be disappointed.

4 Digital Camera Features You Should Understand

Digital cameras have many different features and functions that you can choose from. In fact, there are so many that it can all become a bit overwhelming when you are trying to choose a digital camera. Let’s look at four digital camera features that you should understand when you are in the market for a camera.

Audio and Video Modes

If you are going to be shooting many videos and you are serious about videos, you are should not rely on a digital camera to perform to such a high level. Instead, opt to buy a dedicated video camera. Even the best video on a digital camera is no competition for a video camera. However, if you just want to be able to shoot a little video every now and then with your focus on taking pictures, and you like the idea of carrying one device, there are plenty of digital cameras that are prepared to accommodate you. If you want the best motion-picture power a digital camera can offer, look for one that captures video and audio. You should also look for extended video, which limits your video shoot only to the size of your media device.

White Balance

We hear a lot about white balance but if you don’t really understand it, you aren’t alone. White balance allows your camera to calculate the right color balance for the shot you are about to take. All digital cameras come with this feature. Some models let you choose from a number of preset white balances that have been calibrated for specific lighting, such as incandescent, cloudy, fluorescent, or sunny. This is a very handy feature that takes a lot of guess work out of your shot and offers you the best shot every time. If you like to play, then you might look for a digital camera with manual white-balance controls.

Scene Modes

Many of today’s digital cameras offer scene modes, a handy feature that optimizes your camera settings for a specific scene such as twilight, portrait, pan-focus, landscape, etc. Scene modes affect the focus settings, exposure, and more. It’s a feature that’s worth looking for.

Exposure Mode

All digital cameras have an automatic exposure mode – we call it point and shoot. But some cameras offer you the ability to manually set your exposure. Now for some of us we never want to do anything other than let the camera decide, but for many others they would like the ability to play with their shutter speed, F-stops, aperture, etc. If that describes you, look for a camera with a manual override.

There you have it,  4 digital camera features you should consider when buying a camera. Set your budget, decide what features you must have, decide what features you’d like to have, and then start shopping.

3 Basics to Consider When Buying a Digital Camera

When looking to buy a digital camera there are some things we actively watch such as the lens, megapixels, and sensor. However, we often overlook three other important components: media, batteries and flash. Let’s have a look at what you should watch for.

The Media

If you are buying a cheap digital camera with only internal memory that’s fine, but for most digital cameras you are going to have some type of external removable storage medium. The most common types are SmartMedia and CompactFlash. Most Sony cameras use memory sticks and a few actually still use mini CDs. IBM Microdrives and MultiMedia Cards (MMC) are commonly used. What’s most important is ensuring the camera you buy offers you the type of storage that will provide you with the amount of storage space you are looking for. It is a good idea to understand the difference between these media options before making your final choice.

The Batteries

All digital cameras use some type of battery – either lithium-ion, nickel-metal-hydride, or alkaline batteries. You can buy alkaline batteries anywhere, which makes them really convenient; however, they do not last very long and so if you take a lot of photos this can get very expensive. If a digital camera comes with a rechargeable battery than the charger should also come with it. Some cameras allow the use of more than one battery type. Whatever battery you have make sure that you have adequate spares so that you don’t find yourself missing that great shot because your batteries are dead.

The Flash

If you have low light conditions it can be hard to shoot unless you have a good reliable built in automatic flash. Cameras that have all kinds of presets for your flash are really great too because you don’t have to do anything but point and click. After all, not all of us want to understand about the lighting, we just want to point and click, and get a great picture. Look for forced fill flash and slow sync flash too. If you want more power out of your flash than built in flashes offer then look for a digital camera that is equipped with a hotshoe or that is compatible with off camera flashes. If there isn’t a recommended flash unit there are many different providers out there so shop around for a good price.

Choose the right media, batteries and flash will make owning your digital camera that much more enjoyable.

Why Having a DSLR is Like Having a Second Camera

When it comes to buying a digital camera there are a lot of things to take into consideration. After all, you have many options. The cheapest and easiest to use is the point and shoot digital camera. Professionals are not likely to be using these cameras. Then there are level entry DSLR cameras, which have a few more features than the point and shoot, but they are still relatively easy to use, and that is one of the reasons people are drawn to them. From there you can move from mid range to high end DSLR cameras, which is where most professionals are looking. Trying to decide what is right for you can be a bit daunting.

There is one perk to any DSLR and that is the fact that you are actually getting two cameras for the price of one. Yes, that’s right! You get your digital camera and you get a video camera. Right from the beginning, the three key manufacturers Nikon, Sony, and Canon included 1080 Full HD video functionality and some even have a stereo sound recording.

The professional photographers were not thrilled to see a video camera included in their high end cameras. After all, most of these photographers came are accustomed to the more traditional still photography. Initially only a handful of digital cameras had video but today just about every digital camera from entry level DSLR to the high end DSLR.

Professional photographers are also starting to recognize that there are certain benefits to having a video camera in their DSLR. They also know that the most successful photographers are going to offer a multi media mix that includes photography and video. The DSLR makes this easy. You can ramp up your business services without any additional costs.

You have not yet seen the best of what DSLRs have to offer in the video department. With extra features like Live View, basic editing options, autofocus during recording and even the ability to record still photos while you are shooting video becoming common place, the features are likely to continue to grow. In fact, you may be surprised to learn that many movies are now being shot using a high end DSLR camera.

So you can quickly see, why it might be beneficial to invest in a DSLR – it’s like getting a video camera for free – it really is like getting two cameras for the price of one.

Digital Zoom Versus Optical Zoom

Many digital cameras offer both digital and optical zoom.  These two often confuse the average camera buyer, until you know what you’re looking at.

Optical zoom works much like the zoom lens on a 35 mm film camera. It changes the length of your camera’s lens and draws the subject closer to you.  The optical zoom keeps the quality of the picture. Digital zoom works differently. It simply takes the picture and crops it then enlarges the part that is left.  It causes the quality of the photo to be reduced, sometimes greatly.

What this means in terms of output is you may have a larger view of an object with the digital zoom, but chances are your image will become unfocused.  Details will become lost.  It is actually best to turn off the digital zoom feature of your camera if possible.  This will prevent you automatically zooming in too close as the digital zoom is often an extension of the optical.

There are a couple of things you can do if you want a closer view of a subject but want the quality of your picture to still be good.  Try moving in closer when you take the picture.  Often only a foot or two will do the trick.  If this isn’t possible, you can set your camera to take a picture at its highest file size.  This will result in a photo that can be cropped to include only your desired subject, yet allow for an image that is still clear.

Digital zoom has its place.  It can be used if the only destiny of your photo is the internet.  Photos online can be a much lower quality in the camera and still appear acceptable when sent through e-mail or posted on a web gallery.  If your goal is printing, however, seek a camera that has a greater optical zoom and turn off the digital zoom.  Your pictures will be better in the end, even if they are not as close up.

How To Make Your Digital Camera Battery Last Longer

Digital cameras have many features these days, and you may find keeping batteries a problem.  This could well be your biggest expense, but there are some things you can do to increase the length of time your batteries stay charged. In this article we will talk about how to make your digital camera battery last longer.

Let’s start with the three biggest sources of power drain. The LCD screen takes up the most power.  It is possible to turn this feature off unless you really feel the need for it.  Using the camera’s viewfinder will conserve power.  Another big power drain is the flash.  Whenever you can, use natural lighting to take your photos and turn off the flash.  This will help save your battery for times when you absolutely need the flash.  A third drain on your battery is constantly using your zoom.  It takes more power zooming in and out than it does keeping your zoom at a steady place.  Try to find a setting you like and sticking with it as much as possible.

Some other things you can do to make your battery last longer are::

• Make sure Power Saving mode is on, or simply switch off your camera when you're not using it.
• In cold weather, keep your camera and batteries warm in your jacket until you are ready to use them. The cold drains batteries very quickly.
• Store batteries in a cool, dry location away from sunlight and other heat sources.
• Avoid unnecessary playback of your already taken images.  Try to decide when you take the picture if it is a “keeper” or needs deleted and then refrain from reviewing until the pictures are downloaded to your computer.
• Use the AC adapter. Most digital cameras have an adapter that allows you to plug directly into a power point.  If you don’t plan on moving around a lot and are near an outlet, the AC adapter will increase the life of your batteries.

Needing to buy more or recharge your battery is something you won’t be able to avoid completely, but with a few precautions this won’t be needed as often. Hope "How To Make Your Digital Camera Battery Last Longer" helps you out.

How Many Mega-Pixels Do You Need

One of the confusing things in choosing a digital camera is deciding how many mega-pixels you should look for.  The answer depends on what you plan on doing with the finished pictures.

First, you need to understand what a pixel is.  In terms of digital prints, a pixel simply means a dot of color that makes up the image.  A mega-pixel is equal to one million pixels.  The more mega-pixels a camera has, the greater the amount of information it records. 

The easiest way to decide what to look for is to know what size prints you are likely to print from your camera.  A one mega-pixel camera is fine for those who don’t plan on printing photos but rather just post them on the internet.  A small print, say 4 x 6, will print acceptably from this camera.

A 2 mega-pixel camera will enable you to produce good quality 5 x 7 prints and fair quality 8 x 10 prints.  When you reach 4 mega-pixels you can print out excellent quality 8 x 10 prints and acceptable 11 x 17 prints and a 5 mega pixel camera will allow you to print out high quality 11 x 17 prints.

Most families find a camera in the 3.2 Mega-pixel range to be the best choice.  The quality of both 5 x & and 8 X 10 prints is very good yet the files on your computer are not so large you need worry about not having enough space.

Any camera over 5 mega-pixels is unnecessary for all but professionals in photography; even then, only those who have need for poster-size prints find that many mega-pixels worth the money.  Most freelance photographers find 4 or 5 mega-pixels to be sufficient for excellent-quality prints.

The choice is yours.  Look to what you plan on doing with your photos and then decide.  In most cases spending the money for increased optical zoom and lower mega-pixels is the best choice.

A Worthy Upgrade To Nikon D7100

I decided to take the plunge and upgrade to Nikon D7100. The color renditions are very accurate, also. I would say to anyone still considering this camera just buy it. You will not regret it at all. Just be sure you take the time to setup the camera the way you prefer it before you rush out and start taking pictures. I upgraded from the D7000, which is a great camera in its own right. This one blows it away in all aspects from low light shots to portraits or landscapes and everything in between. It is a little bit lighter than the D7000 and it feels great in my hands. I have not used the video yet so I can't comment on that part. The 1.3x crop is more useful than I expected. It is wonderful for sports shots for the extra length it provides on your lenses.

NEW 24.1 MEGAPIXEL SENSOR, 1.3x CROP MODE, NO AA FILTER
Although I didn't really care about having more megapixels, there are advantages. The most obvious is cropping and the 1.3x crop mode is a nice feature if you are into bird & wildlife photography. The crop mode delivers an in camera crop that essentially discards pixels around the outer perimeter of the image (instead of a 6000x4000 DX image, the camera captures a cropped 4800x3200 image). Because the resulting cropped files are smaller (about 16 megapixel) the cameras gets a slight boost in frame rate to 7 fps. There are focusing advantages as well, since all 51 focus points cover almost the entire frame of the image. Nikon has worked wonders with the 24.1 megapixel sensor, delivering amazing resolution detail while keeping noise in check. The noise that appears in higher ISO images has a grain quality that's more pleasing to my eye than previous Nikon cameras I have owned (YMMV). The removal of the AA filter is icing on the cake, placing this camera in the company of the D800E (which merely canceled its AA filter - the D7100 deletes it altogether). The new crop mode, combined with enhanced sharpness, were key selling points to me. After extensive use of the D7100, I'm happy to report that the camera is SHARP. I was never 100% pleased with the sharpness of images coming out of my D7000, but this new camera is amazing in that department. Whether this performance is the result of the deletion of the AA filter, I do not know - but I know the camera is sharp.

NEW WEATHER-SEALED BODY
The camera feels great in my hands, solid and substantial without being a brick. The body is now fully weather sealed (reportedly to the standard of the D800) and the button layout changes are logical and well thought out. I like the new "i" button - it's a cinch to change key camera settings, especially toggling the image area between DX and 1.3x crop modes. Nikon has tweaked the ergonomics nicely, with the larger thumb rest and raised "OK" button control pad. The LCD screen is 3.2", larger, brighter, and higher resolution than the D7000 screen. ALL of these changes are subtle but significant improvements. Note also that pressing the "OK" button during shot review zooms to a 100% review of the image at the focus point, allowing you to pixel peep on the fly - a great feature that will become essential once you start using it.

51 AUTOFOCUS POINTS
The AF is improved as well, with a whopping 51 AF points (that extend edge-to-edge in 1.3x crop mode). The camera focuses quickly and (for the most part) accurately.

COLOR
I'm liking the color captured by the D7100 better than that of the D5100. It's warmer and more organic to my eye.

VIDEO UPGRADES
I shoot a lot of video, so I'm happy about the new frame rates (including 60P). The new location of the movie record button, next to the shutter release, makes sense. I'm particularly happy that we now have a headphone jack on the camera. Sure, we don't always use the in camera audio, but it is nice to be able to monitor it now if necessary. The camera LCD display now sports audio level indicators, too.

POSSIBLE WEAKNESSES
The sharp 24 megapixels demand better lenses and better technique to get the results you want - is that a weakness? In other words, the ceiling of performance is higher with the D7100, but you will need the lens and technique to take advantage of it.

The buffer could be larger - this will be the Achilles Heel for some bird shooters. By limiting the buffer, Nikon has left the door open for a true D300 replacement to slot above this camera in the lineup. For me, the many considerable upsides of the D7100 outweigh the buffer issue.

I'm not a big fan of the new locking control dial (I never had problems with the old dial) but it works fine - it just slows down operation a bit, and I worry that it may break. Just a minor quibble: the shutter sound is different, perhaps a little louder, than the D7000 shutter.

CONCLUSION
Brilliant camera. Nikon has dialed up the D7000 in every area you would expect, and a few you would not expect. The D7000 is an outstanding camera, but the D7100 offers improvements across the board. Better weather-sealed body, better ergonomics, more resolution, better color, more AF points, no AA filter, a 1.3X crop mode, a headphone jack, 60P frame rate, on screen audio levels.

Cool Things You Might Not Know The D7000 Can Do

This camera (Nikon D7000) is brilliant to hold and use. Nikon has done it again and has made the user interface more usable and streamlined. What to change flash modes. Press the flash pop-up button and rotate the control wheel. Sweet. Want to change create and use a User defined mode? There are two. Set your mode up. Go to the menu and save it. To use it rotate the shooting mode dial to U1 or U2. Presto you are there. In the D300 and D700 you to have to setup things in the menu and switch in the menu. Also, there were 2 sets of things you could change and they were not all inclusive. It was all horribly confusing and I never used it. Speaking of shooting modes. There is now one position on the shooting mode dial for scene mode shooting. You change through the different scene modes with the control wheel and the type scene shows up on the back screen. Sweet. I can go on and on but needless to say. Nikon have really improved their interface. One caveat, I don't think it is quite up to par with the GH1 to change exposure compensation but still a huge step in the correct direction in handling.

Just take it for granted that this takes amazing pictures under all conditions, including low light, and that it contains all the manual controls that you'd ever want. Instead, here's some things that the camera does that you might not have heard about:

* Built-in EyeFi support

If you've used EyeFi SD cards before, you probably assumed that it would work with the D7000, since the D7000 now uses SD cards instead of CF. But not only do you not have to mess around with SD-to-CF adapters, the camera is actually EyeFi aware-- you can choose to have it upload or not upload on a slot-by-slot basis (so you might have it automatically upload the RAW files you saved to an EyeFi Pro card in slot 1, but not bother to upload the JPEGs you saved to the EyeFi Explorer card in slot 2), and there is also an icon that appears on the Info display to indicate that there are files waiting to upload, that the upload is in progress or disabled, etc.

The Nikon Wifi adapter is going for $400. A 4GB, class 6 EyeFi card goes for $40. If you really want to move RAW files, snag the Pro version for $80. Yes, the Nikon adapter does things that EyeFi can't, but if you just want to get your files onto a PC without pulling the card, why spend 10X the money?

You're stuck with the usual limitations of the EyeFi card, but I fully expect to use this feature a LOT with studio portraits-- yeah, it only takes 10 seconds to pull the card and have Windows recognize that you added it, then another 5 seconds to eject the card and stick it back in the camera. But if you just want a quick check that your exposure or focus is where you want it, wouldn't you rather just hit a single key and see your last shot, then get right back into the flow? You may want to drop your JPEG file sizes to speed up the transfer.

* In-camera RAW file processing

The camera contains a ton of built-in settings, in addition to the basics like Standard, Normal, Landscape, etc, you also get all the various Scene modes, which are basically variations on those main settings.

RAW processing allows you to see how the shot would have looked had you used one of those other modes. In other words, you shoot in Normal, which basically applies no processing to the image, then select the RAW file, and choose how you'd like to adjust it. You can change the white balance settings, exposure, basic picture setting (landscape, portrait, etc), noise reduction, color space, and dynamic lighting. With the exception of the advanced details on the basic picture settings, you see a preview of how your change will affect the picture.

If you like it, just hit EXEcute and it writes out a JPEG to your card. Don't like it, just back out and nothing's saved.

This means that you don't have to worry that shooting in Vivid is going to result in an oversaturated image, or you can punch something up even more after the fact. The only real drawback here to me is that it is going to kick out a JPEG, so if you're planning on doing further editing in Photoshop, this may not be the best route. But if you're just looking to go right from the camera to the web, or want to get an idea of how playing with custom settings will affect your shots, this is a massive shortcut to taking and then deleting a ton of shots. (And keep in mind that Photoshop will allow you to mess with most of these settings when importing RAW files anyway, and the plugin D7000-compatible RAW plugin had a release candidate posted yesterday, so you can finally open your RAW shots.)

And a related feature that's in most other Nikons, but that you might not know about-- you can define your own basic picture settings. Want something that's super-saturated and super-contrasty? Just hit a few buttons, choose a name, and you're done. On the older Nikons, you had to edit the basic profile itself, now, you can use one as a starting point and adjust from there. Much cleaner.

* User-defined settings on the control knob

Not as hidden as the first two, but I can't emphasize how cool this feature is. Here's the situation I was in last night-- I was shooting a singing contest in a dimly-lit venue. I was allowed to use a flash, but I didn't want to constantly be blasting the singers while they were performing.

I defined one setting as shutter priority, 1/60th, ISO Hi 2, center-weighted metering & focus, no flash. The second setting was automatic, ISO auto, full metering and autofocus, flash enabled. I'd take a couple shots in U2 with the flash, close the flash down and switch to U1 and shoot a half a dozen shots, then switch back to U2 and use the flash for a couple more shots. There was no fumbling for controls, no worrying that I changed the shutter speed without realizing it when changing between Auto and S-- every time I went from U2 to U1, all my settings were reset to where I put them before the event started.

I don't think I ever felt as confident about my camera settings in a rapidly changing situation as I did last night- with just a simple twist of a knob, I was able to change to a completely different shooting configuration with absolute confidence that it was what I wanted.

To me, the utility of this is almost endless- I'll probably set up one setting for studio portraits, and the other for landscape stuff. If I was still shooting news, I'd probably be swapping between flash and no-flash configurations. For sports, I'd change between action modes and post-game portraits.

The only thing that would make this even better would be if I could import and export settings for later use-- even if you use the "Save/Load" settings option to back up your current configuration to a memory card, it doesn't appear that this information is stored. However, it may be a bug in the Load settings feature, as a number of my settings were incorrectly reset when I tried to load in settings. Either way, it would work better if I could treat these like custom basic picture settings, saving them by name and loading them at will.

* Built-in interval timer shooting

Want to take time-lapse pictures? Just set up your camera on the tripod, specify when you want it to start, how many pictures to take overall, and how many pictures to take each interval and walk away. When it's time to start taking pictures, the camera will automatically focus and shoot, then go back to waiting for the next shot. No messing around with tethering, 3rd party software, whatever-- it's all in the camera, and it's all super-easy to set up. You'll find yourself taking pictures of your living room just to see what your cat actually does all day while you're at work.

* Zoom in live view

This might just be "new to me," but I found it to be very cool for manually adjusting focus when on a tripod-- frame your basic shot, then change to live view. From there, zoom in with the magnifying glass key, and move around the image with the navigation pad until you find the point you want to focus on, then manually focus. Since you can zoom into a tiny portion of the overall image, you can see that you're getting exactly the focus point you want before you take the shot. One gotcha that I always forget, though-- don't forget to pick your aperture BEFORE going into live view, as you can't change it once live view has started.

* Adjustable shooting rate

Again, might be "new to me," but in addition to blasting away at 6fps, you can manually adjust that from 1 to 5 FPS in order to get a different effect. You obviously need to be using a fast enough shutter speed to support your choice, if you're at 1/2 a second, you're not going to shoot faster than 2FPS.

As I mentioned in one of my other reviews, I used to be a semi-pro photographer. While I never owned as many cameras as a true pro would have (that semi- means that I never made enough money at it to be able to really spring for equipment), I have shot with a lot of other people's equipment, and I can honestly say that this is the best camera I've ever used.

Modes In Digital SLR Camera

AUTO = Automatic Mode

The camera will measure light, interpret and then adjust the camera settings. When the camera feel less environmental light conditions, the camera will automatically turn on the flash to compensate for the shortage.

Practical use automatic mode, but we are not free to adjust the camera settings, so that we can not create optimally. That's why this mode is only intended by the user who lay on photography. In some advanced and professional cameras, this mode does not exist.

P = Program Mode

Such as the automatic mode, the camera will determine the aperture setting, shutter speed automatically. The difference with the auto mode is, you can change the aperture value and shutter speed combination. In this mode, the camera will not turn on the flash though environmental conditions are quite dark. We also freely choose other camera settings, including determining the value of the ISO.

A / Av = Aperture priority

In this mode, we determine the magnitude of the lens aperture, and the camera determines shutter speed (shutter speed) as appropriate.

This mode includes my favorite mode, because I can define the sharp. Example, if I were photographing portraits of man, and I want to blur the background, then I would use a large aperture like f/2.8 or f/1.4. whereas if I were taking a group picture or scenery, and I want everything to be in sharp photo / focus, then I set a small aperture f / 8 or f/16.

Aperture also determines how much light enters. If I were a dark place and need more light, I will enlarge the openings let more light through.

To note in this mode if the ambient light is dark, the camera had to choose a slow shutter speed. It can make a photo blur due to camera shake when recording images. To that end, the solution is to use a tripod, or compensate by raising the ISO.

S / TV = Shutter priority

In this mode, we determine the value of shutter speed, aperture and the camera determines. This setting is used when we want to get the effect of freeze (frozen) or the effects of motion (motion).

If we set a fast shutter speed such as 1/500 sec, then the result is the movement of people or objects that are moving into the frozen, otherwise if we set 1/15 second or lower objects / people are moving, then we will capture the motion blur. This technique is suitable for recording the movement of the water at the beach, or recording motion waterfall of light passing cars at night. Such as aperture, shutter speed also affects the extent of the incoming light.

The problem that often arises is the camera not find the right aperture setting. If that happens, the images will be dark or too bright. If the camera is giving signs such as blinking, another evaluation value of shutter speed and ISO are used.

M = Manual Exposure

In this mode, we determine the aperture setting, shutter speed independently. We can also determine if the ISO Auto ISO is off.

I normally use manual mode if it is I want to get the photos with certain effects, for example if I wanted the photos are dark (low-key photography) so the end result is rather mysterious, dramatic. I also use manual focus if you want to make a silhouette of an object.

I also often use manual mode when the condition of the room / environment berganti2 intensity camera light is so confusing. Examples such as at a concert, the light is on with the intensity and direction changing, sometimes very bright, sometimes very dark.

I also often use manual when lighting conditions are not changing. For example, when a school basketball game in the room. At that time, I wrote the opening live set, and ISO speed before the game begins. The images will be consistent lighting and I can use this mode throughout the game.

Nikon D5200 or Sony Alpha NEX-6 – Which is the Best Buy?

There are a number of digital cameras in the $700 to $1000 range, but we’re going to look at two that have garnered a lot of attention and both are around the $800 price tag. The Nikon D5200 and the Sony Alpha NEX 6. Which is the best buy? Let’s have a look.

Nikon D5200

The Nikon D5200 takes excellent photos and videos. In fact, it’s thought to be one of the best in its class. It has an excellent set of features and is nicely designed. You get good value for your money for the home user who wants a little more out of their camera.

The sluggishness in performance in the D5100 is gone in the D5200. It now has some of the features of the D600 such as metering systems and a new autofocus.  The D5200 does a good job for optimizing JPEGs. Raw gives you more adjustments than JPEG but there aren’t a lot of benefits for noise reduction or sharpness unless you are at ISO 1600 and remain usable right up to ISO 6400.

Sony Alpha NEX-6

The Sony Alpha NEX-6 has an excellent design and offers decent video quality too. It has some of the best performance ratings in its class. What the Sony Alpha NEX-6 lacks is the ability for the user to save custom settings, which is rather annoying. The implementation of the wireless component is rather awkward and their app system is extremely annoying. The Sony Alpha NEX-6 definitely offers performance, design, and image quality that is unbeatable, even though it’s a little more expensive.

The ISO 400 is excellent – nice and clean. It can go up to ISO 6400 and if it’s scaled down ISO 12800. Shooting raw is still a good option if you need to make exposure corrections above ISO 800.

Comparison

It’s easy to see that there two cameras give each other a run for their money. Which one is best for you, will depend on the finer details of the two cameras, although the Nikon D5200 tends to come out just a little ahead of the Sony. What’s more important than the manufacturer is ensuring you buy the digital camera that has the features you desire. It’s also a good idea to examine the finer details such as how long the warranty is and how warranties are handled, or what the life expectancy is on average, all important factors in making your final decision.