Cameras: Want or Need?

English: Cameras from Large to Small, Film to Digital. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

19-Jan-2013

For so long a time, I have not been reading any article about cameras, or even posting articles to my blogs. But today, I came to open dpreview.com page, just to glance on what's the latest news.

Right on time, today's article was something about the review of cameras, raising the question behind the acquisitioin of a camera unit: is it a want or need?

To defend myself, I would immediately say, "Mine is need". However, I would have to be honest about this. I desired to have the D4, even at a time when my photography skill isn't yet at a level I can be proud of, but because the camera's specs was better than what I now have, an entry-level's unit: D5000.

But when I happen to talk to a fellow photographer, a beginner just like me, he'd say, "Yeah, yeah," most of the time, but at the end, asked a rhetoric question: "But why would you need a 16MB picture file size, if you would just be uploading them to Flickr?"

True enough, sometimes I vascilate between want and need, especially that these are sometimes not cheap. But one thing is sure: when I have the extra money, I'm buying a ew Yamaha or Casio keyboard, something that i can use to teach my kids something else other than photography.

Still an art, but a different kind of expression.

As for the article, here it is: Do we value cameras as tools or objects?

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• Taking my sweet time

It's 2012, and what has been in my photography journey

Image via Wikipedia03-Jan-2012

For so long a time that I haven't posted, here's a quick update, as much as I can remember:

Dec-2012, I attended a basic photography workshop, provided for free by NTUC, which I am a member of, and as it turned out, it isn't so basic after all. And many of the attendants aren't starters as well. Just to see what is offered, and to see what can be offered afterwards.

Of course, there are those participants who really are beginners, and since the topic, the discussions, as far as I can tell, is somewhere between beginner-intermediate to intermediate-advance, many are lost!

But it still is a good offering, and while it was drizzling when the class ended, which signalled the start of hands-on, snapping pictures here and there and applying what has been taught, we waited a while, some of us, not all, and the rest, well, they just went on their way, perhaps to practice on their own.

One of the not-so-beginner attendees has been doing photography for the last 8 years or so, and he was showing his 'works', using his iPhone, which are all stored online through Flickr. That got me into creating my own profile in Flickr, which I have known for some time already, but never bothered to see what's in there... but now I do.

You see, as much as I can tell, I like doing nature photography, so I should be getting a macro lens. I like leaves and flowers, and I am getting better learning to use the tripod for a clear and sharp photographs of small objects, using my 55-200mm lens zoomed out all the way, so they appear bigger and closer to the naked eye, especially when viewed on the computer.

Then, I did the photoshoot of our department's Christmas party 2 weeks after the photography workshop, and I can tell that I have to improve on my skills for snapping moving objects, moving people, candid shots, 'live' pictures.

And I go about asking people on how they take this kind of photograph, what setting, etc., and not just reading books. I now freely take my camera out, and snap pictures here and there, and I don't limit myself to using the dSLR anymore, but I snap pictures using my handphone as well. There's a wealth of resources out in the open for photographers to utilize nowadays, not just the 'official' camera units we call dSLRs, be they entry-level, mid-level or pro-level. But there's always the good and bad to it.

Anyway, what got me even more snapping pictures is when the second batch of photos i uploaded to Flickr got the attention of one professional photographer. Sure, it's not actually a price-winning photograph, but it one that is candid, and one that tells me there's the right frame at the right time, at the right setting, and it doesn't have to be a professional or seasoned photographer, just a willing individual who takes the camera out and snaps pictures - and not stopping afterwards to rest on his 'laurels' - but continues on - to his journey in photography.

Till then!

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A Good dSLR Photography Site

Image via WikipediaI found one good site to learn and share dSLR photography. No, I have not reached a level where I can be proud of my shots at every push of the button. In fact, I am still switching a lot between the auto (preset) modes and manual mode, comparing and studying and re-shooting at different angles and settings now and then, but for me, since photography is one area that I can say is quite subjective and very personal, that is how I learn.

And with that, i want to introduce to you the dSLR website that I know is good, one look, and the photos and tutorials and all others will be of help to you as well, as it is to me, in our dSLR Photography journey.

Enjoy!

Base Digital Photography

 

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A transitionary place

We sold our flat in Sembawang, and we bought a flat in Woodlands. We have to move out, as the new owners are coming in, but we can’t move in to the new flat yet because the owners of the other flat have not yet moved out, and they actually requested for a 3-week extended stay.

We rented a flat with some others, who are the real tenants.

Anyway, I managed to get a shot of the sunset there with some of the place’s buildings, and this one is clear while the other 2 are not.

So, here it is!

By the way, we are in Woodlands Drive 50 for the next 2 months… at most.

Basic Photography Terms You Should Know

Image via Wikipedia

If there are 3 pillars in photography that you should know, then there are basic photography terms that you should know as well.

Here, the author cites the number as 10, so there are 10 photography terms that you should know, to help you in your SLR photography journey.

Here goes:

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10 Photography Terms You Should Know

Terminology is key to any form of photography. Know your terms and what you can do with those functions or features and your photographic world opens up to you. Terms are easy to learn. What is a challenge is to make use of what these terms describe.

Getting to grips with your terminology really frees you up to grow on your photographic journey. It may not seem necessary but join a group of avid photographers and you will soon realise your lack. So let's have a look at my top 10 terms you should know.

1. Aperture

Aperture is the size of the lens opening that determines how much light reaches the digital sensor or film in an SLR camera. It is measured in f-stops ranging from f1.2 to f32.

2. Shutter speed

How fast the shutter opens. It also determines for how long the sensor or film is exposed to the light.

3. ISO

This is the sensitivity to light of a digital sensor or the film in an SLR camera. The higher the ISO, the higher digital noise in a digital image or the grain in a film image.

4. Exposure compensation

When a camera light meter sets the exposure on a camera, it is sometimes not 100% correct. It either overexposes or underexposures. In order to correct this there is a setting called exposure compensation which allows you to change the exposure by stops of a third to half to a full stop.

5. Depth of field

This is the depth of focus of an image. When you look at an image and see the area that is in focus in front of and behind the subject it's called the depth of field. How much of it that is in focus is called either a narrow or wide depth of field. This is controlled by the size of the aperture setting. A small aperture gives a wide depth of field while a large aperture gives a narrow depth of field.

6. F-stops

These are the individual aperture sizes that help control the depth of field and regulate the amount of light that is allowed to reach the sensor or film.

7. Fill in flash

This is a very useful way of filling areas of shadow with flash especially outdoors in the full sunshine when shadows fall across a person's face.

8. Aperture priotity

When set to this setting the camera allows you to choose the aperture while it automatically chooses the correct shutter speed.

9. Shutter priority

This is opposite to the aperture priority. The camera chooses the aperture while allowing you to choose the shutter speed.

10. Rule of thirds

This is one of the basic rules of composition. Imagine a tic-tac-toe or noughts and crosses grid superimposed over the image. Where these lines intersect is where you place your focal point or subject creating a wonderfully balanced image.

Learn these ten terms and the principles, functions or  settings they represent and you will dramatically improve your photography.

Do you want to learn more about photography in a digital  world? I've just completed a brand new e-course delivered by  e-mail. Download it here for free by clicking here:  http://www.21steps2perfectphotos.com/. To learn how you can  take your photography from ordinary to outstanding click  here - http://www.21steps2perfectphotos.com/21steps.htm.


Wayne Turner has been teaching photography for 25 years and  has written three books on photography.

Article Directory: EzineArticles

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Taken from Ezine article directory:
10 Photography Terms You Should Know
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Really Basics of DSLR Photography

Image via Wikipedia

If you are a beginner in DSLR Photography, you'll have the dilemma of having a good piece of equipment, and not knowing how to use it. Much less, to play with it!

Not to fret; all hope is not lost.

You already have your camera. The other thing you need is a picture viewer/editor, one that has the function or capability to show the camera settings when the picture was taken. Good candidate: Picasa. Hey, this one is free; just search and download from the web.

OK, so where do we go from here?

Since we are beginners, let us crank that dial on the camera, and use and try and use and try those automatic modes. Let the camera teach you. Let the camera's computer technology guide you.

1. Set the dial to each automatic mode and take pictures.
2. Upload the pictures to your computer.
3. View each picture, and study the values that the camera set for each auto mode.

Based on those data, you may take note of what value the setting was for:

• ISO
• Aperture
• Shutter Speed
• etc.

First three are of utmost importance. if you have read a book or two, go back to the book and how it explains on the 3 settings. If you haven't read a book, now is the time to do so.

Study how the 3 settings are used, and when. Basically, analog or digital, SLRs are making use of these 3 settings the most - they are the pillars of creative photography.

Having said that, here's now what I learned:

• To control or capture motion, shutter speed priority is the main setting.
• To control or define depth of field, aperture priority is the main setting

Enjoy afterward!

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Canon EOS 550D DSLR Review

Canon has now released their latest DSLR camera: the EOS 550D.

Again, main selling point is its 18-megapixel sensor.

But will it sell?

For those who thinks that the higher the megapixel, the better, then the Canon EOS 550D will probably make sense.

But at its initial release, the camera unit is quite expensive.

And besides, compared to the Nikon D40, although already considered an obsolete model, the higher sensor resolution doesn't really quite deliver a very distinctive quality!

What's more, higher megapixel could mean 1 or more of the below problems:

• The files are twice as big
• Shooting in RAW and JPEG will be exacting to your camera unit
  
• Your SD cards will fill up faster with the bigger file size
• Your HDD will fill up faster as well
• Your PC will be slow when opening/editing RAW files

To think really that something can be done doesn't mean that you simply do it.

So will the 18-megapixel help sell the Canon EOS 550D camera?
Maybe. But then again, maybe not.


Have you anything to say about this?

 

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