Thursday, December 29, 2011

Sony Digital Camera - From Mavica to Translucent-Mirror Technology

The year 1981 was the benchmark year for the Sony digital camera, when the company introduced the prototype Mavica (Magnetic Video Camera) that took still images and stored them on floppy discs. The images could then be viewed on a television monitor in the maximum highest possible quality for television screens at that time. Seven years later, Sony launched the consumer version of the Mavica, which paved the way for greater innovations in digital cameras.

Another eight years would pass until Sony introduced the first Cyber-Shot model with a 1.8-inch liquid crystal display screen in 1996. Then, in 1998, a further innovation was introduced when Sony developed a digital camera capable of storing images on external memory rather than on the erstwhile internalized storage.

Sony introduced several more innovative digital cameras in the succeeding years, but they had all been effectively point-and-shoot and bridge cameras, targeted towards the casual photographer. While Sony had already developed a single lens reflex camera in 1988, it was not for the serious photographer, as it was limited to a fixed lens.

In 2006, the Sony digital camera took a step towards claiming a slice of the pie aimed at the serious photographer by purchasing the digital SLR assets of camera manufacturing giant, Konica-Minolta. Very soon thereafter, Sony launched the Alpha line of digital SLRs with interchangeable lenses, by releasing the A100 model, which drew on technology first developed by digital SLR maker Konica-Minolta. The Alpha brand name (Maxxum in some countries) was first used in Japan by Minolta in their groundbreaking and world's first autofocus film SLR camera, the Alpha 7000 in 1985. Sony has since then used the Alpha brand name in their line of digital interchangeable lens cameras, including the world's smallest such camera, the Alpha NEX series, which was introduced in 2010.

The Alpha line of cameras uses the bayonet lens mount of the original Minolta autofocus cameras, thus allowing Minolta Alpha or Maxxum autofocus lens to be used with the newer Sony Alpha cameras.

In 2010, Sony also introduced the first commercial use of translucent-mirror technology. Translucent-mirror technology allows for faster autofocus speeds in both still photographs and video. Previously, cameras relied on reflex mirrors that allow for the measurement of exposure through the viewfinder. These reflex mirrors flip up to allow light to pass through to expose the film, causing a momentary delay between the pressing of the shutter and the exposure of the film.

Indeed, Sony's bold steps in photography have allowed it to be a leader in the digital camera field, producing top quality digital cameras for both the hobbyist and professional photographer.

Interchangeable Lens Camera

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Best SLR Digital Camera For 2009

Digital SLR comes from digital single lens reflex, which is named this way because of the mirror that sits behind the lens of the camera and sends the light to the viewfinder.

The digital SLR's are designed in such a way that you can use a lot of different lenses, with different focal lengths. This versatility is the reason why digital SLR cameras are so popular among professionals. When you're using a camera that is not a SLR, you need to match the angle of the viewing lens with the angle of view. If you're doing short-range zoom or you have a fixed lens, then it's OK, but at different focal lengths it can be much more difficult. The SLR is better because the viewing and taking lens are the same.

While entry level digital SLR cameras don't always have Live View, advanced models usually do, and they let you compose the photos just like you do with a snapshot camera. The basic models will lock the mirror, and the prism will divert the image towards a sensor that is small. Then, instead of sending it to a capture sensor, it will be sent to the LCD screen, which can take down the performance a bit. If you're getting an older model you might need to focus on the image manually when you are in Live View, though contrast autofocus is available in newer digital cameras.

Digital SLR Camera Types

Digital SLR With Interchangeable-lens

These models are those considered as SLR's by most people. They're also the ones that we'll be talking about in this article. Just like the name says, in these SLR cameras you can change their lenses. This way you're able to switch from a supertelephoto lens to an ultra wide angle.

Examples: Basically, most digital SLR cameras that are sold today belong to this type.

Digital SLR With Fixed Lens

On these digital SLR's, the versatility is limited by the fact that you can't change the default lens. The mirror that bounces the light towards the viewfinder is nonmoving and semi-transparent in most of these models.

One example of a camera with fixed lens is the Olympus E-20N

Camera similar to SLR's

Cameras that look like digital SLR cameras are usually digicams that have either an optical finder or a small LCD. You can't consider them as digital SLR cameras since the mirror is missing, and the quality of the photos isn't even close to what you can do with a true SLR. Usually, this type of camera has a very long zoom, and another name for them is magazooms or ZLRs.

Interchangeable Lens Camera

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Better Photos From Better Cameras - Digital SLR Cameras For The Masses

Digital single lens reflex cameras (aka DSLR) are the newest rage in photography. While they have always been the choice of professionals, recent camera buyers are opting for these types of cameras much more frequently. All major manufacturers have models available, but the most popular brands are Nikon and Canon. Mid-range DSLR cameras can be purchased for about 00. This is a real bargain when you consider prices only a few years ago were much higher. Right now, you can get one of the budget models for about 0.

If you have followed the trends in digital photography, you know that the size of image sensors has found a happy medium after a few years of intense competition, starting at 6-megapixels and increasing to the present day 14-18 megapixel sensors. Currently, if you get a camera with a 14-megapixel sensor, you will have plenty of "pixel-power" to produce images of the finest quality at just about any size for hanging on your wall.

In addition, features and settings have improved tremendously. Video is now a common feature and it usually comes with stereo sound and full HD quality. There are creative features and additional mode settings so that you can choose a photo style that will give you a finished photo with a professional look. This simply means that you can shoot your pictures and practically eliminate the post processing that was previously needed to get your images to wow your audiences.

Of course, the one thing that most new buyers state as their top reason for buying a mid-range DSLR camera is the flexibility that comes with interchangeable lenses. Lens choice can make a night-and-day difference in the outcome of a photo shoot. If you want to take more professional looking portraits, you can choose a lens just for that purpose. If, on the other hand, your goal is to get much better at nature photography, you would choose a different lens. The beauty is that the lenses go on the same camera. It is true that the lenses can actually cost as much or more than the unit you attach them to, but even if you can't afford the biggest and best at first, you can build your kit as time goes on. And if you discover at a later time that macro photography is the way you want to go, again, the lens is all you need.

You may wonder if getting a lens that is more expensive than the camera is a good investment. The answer is, yes. This is a decision you will have to make as your skills develop. But experts agree that the lens is as important as the camera.

And the most important of all is the one who is holding all this fabulous equipment. You will have to develop your knowledge and skill to reach your goal of taking better pictures. If you don't study and practice, you may as well just keep taking pictures with your old point and shoot model or your cell phone.

Interchangeable Lens Camera

Monday, December 19, 2011

How to Take Great Pictures With a DSLR Camera - 5 Tips

Do you have a DSLR and want to make the most out of your photos? These tips will help you do just that. With DSLR cameras becoming more affordable, many people are upgrading their cameras in order to take advantage of the increased flexibility and performance that these cameras offer. The 5 tips below will help you make the most of your DSLR camera.

1. Use the lens hood when taking pictures

DSLR cameras have interchangeable lenses. Most of these lenses have a matching lens hood that fits on the front of the lens. The hood blocks light from coming in at an angle and causing a reflection on the front lens element. Shooting through this reflection will reduce your sharpness and contrast. Consistently using your lens hood will make your photos look crisper. It will also help protect the front of the lens from damage.

2. Take the camera out of automatic mode when necessary

Camera meters are calibrated to give good results when you take a picture of an average scene. When the scene is not average, you will need to adjust the exposure to compensate. If the scene is very bright (like snow), you have to set the camera to expose a little more to get things brighter. If the scene is very dark, you have to reduce the exposure to make it darker. If the subject is backlit, you need to increase the exposure so that the subject is not underexposed. You can adjust the exposure by using the exposure compensation controls or by switching to manual exposure mode.

3. Use continuous autofocus mode when the subject is moving

DSLR cameras typically have a continuous autofocus mode, which will track a moving subject and continuously adjust the focus until you press the shutter to take the picture. Make sure to use this mode when shooting things that move. This mode would be perfect for taking pictures of kids or pets running around.

4. Use an external flash so you can bounce the light off a ceiling or wall

Most DSLR cameras have a built-in flash. Unfortunately, the integral flash does not provide very good results. The pop-up flash lacks power and can't be bounced. To get natural looking photos with a flash, you really have to bounce the light off a ceiling or wall to make the light more diffuse. Direct flash might be fine for snapshots, but for more critical work, you need to use an external flash with bounce capability.

5. Adjust the ISO speed based on the shooting conditions

The ISO speed determines how sensitive the image sensor is to light. A higher ISO setting reduces the required exposure, but increases the noise in the photo. For best results when taking photos, you should use the lowest ISO setting that you can. When taking action or low light photos, you may have to raise the ISO setting accordingly.

If you keep these 5 tips in mind, you will be well on your way to making the most out of your DSLR.

Interchangeable Lens Camera

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Digital Camera History

The digital camera is a development of the videotape recorder (VTR), wherein the data of television cameras are turned into digital and stored in a magnetic tape. It was John Mullin, who headed the engineering department of Bing Crosby laboratories that perfected the VTR technology. Back then, charged coupled device or CCD was used to recognize radiant colors and intensity. Meanwhile, NASA sends representations and related data of their inquest from the moon's surface to the earth by converting analog signals into digital. The department also took advantage of the growing advancement of computer to further enhance all the data that was sent by the research team. The government sector as well as private companies have made notable improvements on the development of digicams.

In 1972, it was the Texas Instruments Company that got the right of first publication of the invention of an electronic camera without film and it was the Sony Company that launched the first electronic camera in August 1981, which is intended for public use. The camera was popularly known as Sony Mavica. At this time, taken images were only saved in a mini disc. To be able to view the picture, a video reader is needed to link the disc to a monitor or printer. However, this remarkable gadget was still not acknowledged as a real digital camera, since a video camera was still used to record a picture in the first place.

A few years later, several camera companies continued to make specific enhancements on the said gadget. Kodak has made various solid-state sensors, which is capable of converting electronic images from light. The company's discoveries continue to advance until such time they have invented the mega pixel sensor. These mega pixels are responsible for producing a digital photo print with 5x7 inches in measurement. In 1990, Kodak broadcasted the first photo CD system in the world, which lead to the perfection of digicams. Just after a year, Kodak announced the release of the first professional digital camera. The model was a Nikon F-3 with 1.3 mega pixel sensor. The Apple QuickTake 100 was the first digicam that was intended for average camera users. It was then followed by successive release of various digital cameras such as Sony's Cyber Shot Digital Still Camera, Casio QV-11, and Kodak DC40.

For the past years, digicam's development continues to progress. Several types have been invented to further provide more satisfying image results like bridge cameras, mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, line-scan camera systems, digital single lens reflex, digital range finders and compact digital cameras.

Interchangeable Lens Camera

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Impressive Digital Cameras Best Buys On The Market

The Sony Alpha NEX-3 is one of the more impressive digital cameras best buys on the market. It is small and very compact, but the size is not reflective of the vast capability and technology of this camera. This camera delivers 14.2 megapixels with an APS-C image sensor that is actually thirteen times the strength of normal sensors in most digital cameras. This great function optimizes photographs giving them a polished look. Featuring 16mm interchangeable lens, as of 2010, this camera was considered to be the smallest and lightest digital camera with an interchangeable lens.

There are many capabilities packaged into the Sony Alpha NEX-3. It has several modes including Sweep Panorama, Handheld Twilight and Anti Motion Blur modes to enhance photographs. The Handheld Twilight mode allows consumers to shoot up to six photos very quickly once the shutter is released. This is accomplished by lining up and combining six shots into one.

This camera also features video recording capability in high definition by pressing only one button that is just for recording. It does not use ordinary buttons but features a turn and click style wheel and soft keys. Sony makes it easy to use this camera by incorporating on screen tips and an on screen help guide.

Another impressive digital camera on the market is the Olympus Stylus Tough. Featuring 14 megapixels this camera delivers vibrant photographs with great clarity. The 5x wide angle zoom gives consumers the ability to shoot pictures from a distance all while maintaining picture integrity. The 2.7 inch LCD has an anti-glare feature allowing glare free viewing.

This camera is capable of handling rough situations. Immerse this camera in up to 33 feet of water without worrying because it has waterproof technology. The shockproof technology keeps this camera safe up to a 6.6 foot drop.

The Olympus Stylus Tough 8010 is safe in cold weather due to freeze proof technology up to 14 degrees F (-10 degrees C). This camera is also crushproof giving it the ability to withstand 220 pounds of weight. Consumers are able to record video in 720p high definition by using one button that is dedicated to recording. Advance Face Detection will automatically detect up to 12 faces while automatically focusing to ensure the best picture possible. AF tracking is quite sophisticated and is able to keep up with fast moving targets without blurriness.

These cameras are impressive digital cameras best buys on the market.

Interchangeable Lens Camera

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Choosing a Camera - Point and Shoot or Single Lens Reflex

At some point and time, all those who take pictures or are interested in starting to take pictures will need to decide which type camera they should use. There is no clear cut answer because it all depends on what you are planning to do with your camera. There are basically two types of cameras that the average consumer (non- professionals) can choose from. They are the Point and Shoot type, and the Single Lens Reflex type. In this article I am only addressing digital cameras for both types, since for most purposes, film cameras are dead. I will briefly list some characteristics of both type cameras and hopefully you can decide which is best for you.

First lets look at Point and Shoot cameras. They are the most cost effective. Digital Single Lens Reflex cameras cost a lot more. Point and Shoot cameras are also more convenient to use. Most are small enough to fit in a shirt pocket. Just turn them on and start shooting. They have permanent fixed lenses built into the camera. You wont be able to zoom in and out beyond the capacity of your camera. (but the range on most of them is fine for most casual users). Generally, they come in the JPEG format which compresses the images you take so that you will have more space in your memory card to take and display more pictures. Although the quality is not the same when a photo is compressed, most casual photographers and viewers wont even notice the difference.

Digital Single Lens Reflex Cameras. As I mentioned earlier, they are more costly than point and shoot cameras. They can also take pictures in the JPEG format, but the big difference is they can also take pictures in the RAW format which is not compressed. This will give a much better quality image for those who are really particular about it. Single Lens Reflex cameras can also use interchangeable lenses for various purposes. Meaning you can put on a very wide angle lens and then put on an extreme telephoto lens.

In both cases they will outdo what the point and shoot will do. You also have the option of manual focusing, the ability to use filters and also use a flash that is not built into the camera so that you may improvise with lighting. There are a lot of other things it can do, but it would be too technical to list here in a short article.

So, if you just want to take pictures at the kids birthday party or on holidays, a Point and Shoot camera will more than fulfill your needs. But if you are interested in higher quality images, the ability to control lighting and other factors that go into creating an image, a Digital Single Lens Reflex camera might be better for you.

Interchangeable Lens Camera

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

EVIL Cameras - A Formidable Foe To The Modern Day DSLRs

Some of you may have already heard about them. For those who haven't, these systems are a new breed of cameras that share similar functionalities to DSLR cameras but are much smaller in physical size. There is a possibility that it may even have more features than the DLSR you currently own. Now that's truly EVIL. One such system is the Sony NEX 5.

EVIL stands for Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens. Unlike the DSLR camera it doesn't have a through the lens optical viewfinder which is probably one of the main reasons why DSLR cameras are so big. Like DSLR cameras, you have the ability to change lenses.

So what's the big deal about these cameras? Aren't DSLR cameras the way to go?

To answer these questions, lets look at some of its pros and cons.

- Depending on the brand and model, the sensor size may be similar to the DSLR counter parts. This is the case for the Sony NEX 3 and NEX 5. Both these systems use an Advanced Photo System type-C (APS-C) sensor, which are the same as what you will find in the entry level DSLR cameras in the Sony Alpha line. Compared to the sensors in your PnS camera, these sensors are about 9 times larger! This means you can take better pictures in lower lighted environments in comparison to the PnS cameras.

- As the systems are smaller, these systems are extremely portable (fits nicely into your hand bag) and light. This also means that the camera body is too small to place the same number of hard buttons as DSLR cameras. You may have to navigate in a menu to access certain functionalities.

- At this point in time, optical view finders are still preferred by professionals as its easier to see your subject in poorly lighted environments. However, technology may improve in the near future. Who knows, we may have night vision features like what's offered in some Handy cams one day.

- As EVIL cameras are relatively new in the market, they offer some of the latest features that digital cameras can offer. The Sony NEX 3 and NEX 5 have the ability to take HD videos, Sweep Panorama shots, 3D shots, auto HDR and more. None of these features are available with the DSLR camera that I own and use.

- As these systems are quite advanced, they cost as much as entry level DSLR cameras. Sometimes a little more than the cheapest DSLR cameras in the market.

So how do I decide on which type of camera is best for me?

You should get a PnS camera if

- You are on a tight budget.
- High quality pictures and low light capability are not important.
- You want a small digital camera that performs better than your mobile phone.

You should get an EVIL camera if

- You have a higher budget.
- Quality pictures and low light capability is important to you.
- You want your system to be small enough to fit into your handbag or maybe even into your pocket.
- You want the ability to change lens.
- Your main objective for using a digital camera are for casual shoots only e.g. group shots with your friends, travel pictures when you go for a business trip etc.

You should get a DSLR camera if

- You are a serious about photography and wish to explore all it has to offer (e.g. usage of a wide range of accessories to get interesting results).
- the genres of photography that you are interested in require to be able to change your camera settings quickly e.g. weddings.
- You intend to do photography professionally.
There are sensors that are bigger than the APS-C sensor, which offers other benefits. However, these systems are preferred by a totally different group of people with different requirements. I hope what I have written so far would give you a good idea about EVIL cameras and how you might prefer getting one to a DSLR camera. Cheers!

Interchangeable Lens Camera

Monday, December 12, 2011

How to Get the Best Depth of Field - Wide Angle Vs Telephoto

As someone who is passionate about, you are probably interested in knowing how to include more depth of field in your photos. There is a lot of literature on this subject. If you're a professional photographer, you've probably learned some things about wide angle (shorter focal length) and telephoto lenses (long focal length). For years photography textbooks and magazines have been promoting the idea that a wide-angle lens provides more depth of field compared to a telephoto one. However, if you type 'depth of field' on Google, you will soon come across a lot of articles arguing this assumption.

Recent tests taken by experts, including several photo magazines, have proven that, technically speaking, a wide-angle length does not provide more depth of field. These tests are quite easy and you can conduct them yourself to verify the conclusions. But how does this impact your work as a photographer? All these tests assume that you keep the picture size constant. They go like this: take a photo of some subject using a telephoto and then zoom out and use the wide angle lens. You can also use interchangeable telephoto and wide angle lenses. Then take the photo made with the short focus lens and enlarge a selected portion of it until is the same size as the same portion in the other photo. You will see that there is no significant difference between them. This proves that wide angle lenses don't actually provide more depth of field.

Now, let's see why you actually zoom out. Say you are in front of an amazingly beautiful scenery, such as a mountain landscape beautifully colored with sunrise light. You zoom in and take the picture with a telephoto setting. Then you zoom out and take the photo using the wide angle setting. You expect to get more depth of field with the last photo and that's what it looks like. You would never think that if you enlarge a portion of it this apparent depth of field will disappear. When you use a wide angle setting, you zoom out because you want to capture more things in your picture. You are aware that the objects will look smaller and it doesn't bother you. In the same way, when you zoom in you want to focus on a certain aspect of the photo even though you know you will loose depth of field. Zooming in and out and using different focal length setting makes you perceive that the depth of field also varies. Photos taken with the wide angle appear to include more depth of field compared to those taken with the telephoto. This may not be true technically. But what is in fact a photograph? What appears to the viewer. If you don't place technical correctness above everything else, you should stick to what you've known and has proven right for years. As long as you like what you get, why drop it? Your photos will prove if you are on the right path or not.

Interchangeable Lens Camera

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Engagement Photography Tips, Article 1

Professional Thoughts

Engagement photos from a professional can be very expensive. Many of the top pros charge a session fee in addition to very expensive reprint rates (I've seen some photographers that charge or more for an 8x10).

I don't blame the photographers: most of them are good enough to charge such rates. And I know, from having shot engagement sessions before that the sessions can take quite a bit of time. For me, an average session would take about 6 hours of total time (initial contacts/communications with the couple, driving to the photo site, taking the photos, downloading/processing the raw images, and then processing the couple's order).

A money-saving tip: some professionals offer the engagement photos as a part of their wedding package. If your wedding photographer offers such a service - take advantage of it! Even if you don't order a lot of reprints it will give you and your fiancée an excellent opportunity to see how well you interact with your photographer.

If you can't afford (or don't want to spend the money on) a professional photographer: don't throw out the idea of engagement photos!!

Friend Alternatives

Find a friend that owns a DSLR and a zoom lens. The DSLR cameras are the digital cameras with interchangeable lenses. Such camera prices are falling (often one can be purchased for about 0) and their popularity is increasing.

See if your friend has a good zoom lens. Such a zoom lens will often go from 100mm out to about 200mm or even 300mm. If your friend doesn't have such a lens perhaps they could be talked into buying one. I've seen a consumer-version Nikon (and Canon) 75mm-300mm zoom lens for about 0!

While you probably won't get photos that are good as professional, you can get very nice photos from such a setup. And I'm going to give you two huge bits of advice that will make a world of difference in those results.

Tip #1 - The Zoom

If you want a nice, blurred, background in your engagement photos, you'll need to have them taken with a zoom lens. Using a 200mm zoom lens will beautifully blur out the background behind you. And don't stand too close to your background: I'd recommend being at least 15-20 feet away from any background. If your friend knows what the camera's aperture is (the f-stop), have them set it to be as wide open as possible (the lowest Aperture number available - perhaps F4.5 or even F2.8).

Tip #2 - Evening Shade

Don't go out on a bright sunny day at noon and expect to get beautiful photos! While you may stumble upon some good photos, it is actually harder to take nice images in the bright sun due to the harsh lighting, dark shadows, and squinty eyes.

I recommend you take your engagement photos on a sunny day - but start the photo session about an hour before sunset. Try to find a park that has beautiful green grass and trees. I generally try to find areas that have a large amount of shade. At that time of the evening a hill will often provide a large area of gently-lit shade.

You will be amazed at the quality of light that is available at such a time!

To be honest, as a working professional who has shot a number of engagements, the vast majority of my images are taken in that exact lighting with ZERO modifications (no reflectors, strobes, etc.).

A final thought: have fun with the photo session. Don't be too serious or you might ruin the results!

Interchangeable Lens Camera

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Sports Photography Tips

It's that time of year again, no matter what time of year that is,it's the beginning of one sport or another. Are you ready to capture that big hit, winning basket, or 50 yard touchdown.

Good sports photography involves quite a few elements, the first being proper camera and lens. It's important to have a camera with interchangeable lenses and a good fast zoom lens.

You can take sports photographs with a regular rangefinder type cameras, but they are usually not responsive enough and you will miss your shot, and they don't usually have a strong enough telephoto feature so you are usually too far away from the subject.

Most people are now using digital cameras, and an affordable one with interchangeable lenses can be had for around 0.00. These cameras are just like the film cameras that you are used to except you get instant feedback and with sports photography that is a big advantage

As with any type of photography you want to try and have your light source to your back, shooting into the light will give you silhouettes and results you will not be happy with. This also gives you the most light which you need so that you can adjust your lens to its fastest setting to stop the action which you get with sports.

Positioning is also quite important, it is best to be positioned in front of the action so that the athlete is coming towards you, it is easier to catch the action this way and you are able to focus on the subject for a longer period of time.

It also does not hurt to familiarize yourself with the sport you are going to photograph so that you can anticipate what is going to happen next.

These are a few tips that will make a big difference in capturing action at sporting events and giving you the best chance at getting great photographs. And make sure to get out of the way when athletes come towards you, that telephoto lens makes them seem further away than they are and they are usually moving pretty fast.

Interchangeable Lens Camera

Friday, December 9, 2011

Evolt E510 - The Olympus SLR Camera For Pros and Amateurs

I've been using the Evolt E510 Olympus SLR camera for about a month now, and I wanted to share my impressions and evaluations to help those who are planning on getting a digital SLR camera of their own. If you're planning on getting a dSLR, make sure you think carefully before buying one because these cameras don't come cheap. If all you intend to do is point and shoot in Auto mode, perhaps you might want to consider other high-quality, high-resolution digital cameras. But if you're looking for top-notch image quality in terms of color and ISO, a digital SLR camera is the way to go.

Digital SLR cameras are meant to be explored and used in different settings and speed. If you want to maximize the use of your expensive dSLR, I suggest you get interchangeable lens and go for models that have a dynamic range. You should also be willing to invest time on taking different shots using different settings under different conditions. Unless you choose the right settings for the shots you take, images taken using a dSLR may not necessarily yield extraordinary results.

Most of the complaints I've read about the Evolt E510 revolve around focusing and exposure. This is why I can't stress enough the importance of familiarizing yourself with how your camera works, such as which focusing modes and metering would work best with the shots you take. You also have to know whether to shoot shutter priority or aperture priority, and shadow or high-key area. All that said, here are some of the features of the Olympus Evolt E510 that I like:

I like that I can get come up with sharp shots with stabilized lenses and at 1/30 when I use focals of 300mm in 35mm equivalent. The Evolt E510's high ISO, up to 800, is totally usable though it has little noise reduction. You can also try ISO 1600 if you want to get better image results. Another wonderful thing about the camera is that even with the noise filter turned off, the images come out with excellent color and sharpness. The Supersonic Wave Filter or SSWF is also an effective dust-buster. I change lenses a lot and yet I never saw a single peck of dust on the sensor. Even in drive mode, the Evolt E510 has a shooting speed of 3 frames a second.

Although there are still some features that I wish the Evolt E510 had, it still makes for a great camera especially for amateur and semi-pro photographers.

Interchangeable Lens Camera

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Tips On How To Buy A Digital SLR Camera

For many years the SLR film camera has been the choice of both amateur and professional photographers alike for the best and most versatile camera equipment. And now that the digital photo age has begun, the digital SLR is still the best choice for those that want more than just snapshots. Here are a few things to look for when choosing a digital SLR camera.

First of all, if you already have a SLR film camera with multiple interchangeable lenses, then you may be able to save a lot of money by just buying the same brand of digital SLR as most brands allow their older film camera lenses to be used on the new digital models. But just make sure before you buy because a few major brands do not allow this kind of migration and so there is no benefit in staying with that brand for lens equipment savings.

Resolution is important in digital SLRs,and is usually represented by how many megapixels the camera uses to save its digital photo files. For most uses a 6-8 megapixel camera will work fine with enlargements on up to 11 X 14, but if you like making even larger prints or do heavy image editing, you may want even more resolution to work with to ensure that your photos remain clear and sharp.

If you like to use fill flash for many of your outdoor shots, you will want to consider a digital SLR that has a very fast flash sync too, such as 1/500 second. Below 1/250 second the flash sync speed is really only useful mainly for indoor shots instead.

Being able to see the images and controls that you use on a dSLR is important too, so check the LCD screen for brightness and visibility not only indoors but also outside too, as this is an area where some very good SLRs can let you down. Also make sure that the viewfinder itself gives you a bright, clear image in all types of light, enabling you to easily see and manipulate the camera settings at all times.

If you like to use your camera for closeup shots then you will want to get a dSLR that has a mirror lockup feature. This lets you lock the mirror up out of the way before taking the photo and reduces the camera shake that is inherent when the mirror flips up out of the way and then lands back into position again. This doesn't normally create a problem for most average shots, but when taking closeups and vibration of the camera at all can results in a blurry unfocused image.

Also check the size and weight of a digital SLR camera before buying it to be sure that it will not be uncomfortable to carry for a prolonged period of time, and that the knobs and controls are easily manipulated. Some cameras are so small that their controls can be difficult for those with larger fingers and hands to easily use.

These simple suggestions can help you buy a digital SLR camera that will best fit your own unique needs.

Interchangeable Lens Camera

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Digital Prosumer Cameras for Birders or Bird Photographers

Digital prosumer cameras are very convenient and rather small and compact cameras that have a great potential as part of the basic birding equipment. Normally we think of cameras for birders like with big telephoto lenses on digital single lens reflex cameras.

These are still the optimal camera equipment for real bird photographers. But for the many birders who are keener on observing the birds without breaking the back - or breaking the bank - the modern prosumer cameras come in very handy.

In the following article I will offer you my own experience from using a number of rather small digital super zoom cameras and highlight the qualities you should look for when deciding what kind of camera to buy for your birding activities. But first let us see the camera as a part of the birders total equipment.

The camera as part of the birder's equipment

When we go birding we bring the following equipment:

- binoculars for birding

- our bird note book

- a bird field guide book

- food and drinks according to the length of the trip and character of the birding location

- rain coat or whatever extra protection might be needed

Some birders also bring:

- a telescope for birding

- a stable tripod for the telescope

- a map and other equipment facilitating the observations

- mobile phone / smart phone to be in contact with other birders

- electronic devices to replay bird songs or to make play backs to call the birds, or to record our findings

- a small chair if you expect to sit and observe the birds for a longer time

- camera equipment

- first aid kit

- other tools and items of convenience

- all typically packed in a backpack.

If bird photography is your main passion when going birding then the bulk of your camera gear would probably be the most heavy to carry and handle of your total equipment. But for the birder - man or woman alike - the convenience of being able to move around fast and silent without fatigue might be more important. So let us see what the birder needs from a suitable camera to carry on for every birding trip.

Requirements for a camera for birders

No need to say that these days a digital camera is a must. With a digital camera you can take 1000 frames and throw 990 away and it will not cost you anything extra even with this extraordinary waste. This is not just speculation, as all bird photographers will know we make a lot of bird pictures that are not sharp or not good from other criteria and we have to through them away.

But in fact we will want to use the camera for many kinds of bird motives:

Taking pictures of:

- standing individual birds on the ground, in vegetation, on the water or elsewhere

- flocks of birds on the ground or flying in the air

- birds doing their specific behaviour

- bird's nets

- found dead birds

- found bird feathers etc.

- close-ups of birds cached for bird ringing by others (or ourselves)

- bird habitats

- displays at bird sanctuaries and natural parks

- local maps displayed at birding locations

- fellow birders and friends on the trip

A so-called prosumer camera with a long zoom lens should be able to provide you with all these opportunities. Compared to a big single lens reflex camera equipment these different kinds of pictures would require at least 2- 3 interchangeable lenses to use on the camera body.

What is a prosumer camera?

Among camera producers the different segments of potential camera buyers are divided into the professional photographer segment and the consumer segment. We are all to be regarded as common consumers for areas that are not our occupation area.

With the wording prosumer camera the understanding is cameras of rather professional quality but expected to be bought by consumers who are more serious with their photography than the mainstream consumer.

Essential this means that prosumer cameras are very capable cameras with plenty of options and very good picture quality. To be accessible for the not-professional kinds of comsumers the pricing needs to be rather low compared to full-fledged big camera systems.

The capacity of prosumer cameras As a bird watcher who is also doing professional stock photography I know these distinctions rather well. As an author of a number of published printed books I have with full satisfaction made use of digital pictures from prosumer cameras and even from less sophisticated cameras. This tells me that these kinds of digital cameras - if treated well - are very capable of producing pictures for quality printing; at least when the printing is for normal book size pictures.

Prosumer cameras for birders

When we discuss prosumer cameras for us birders we have to be more selective. As mentioned we need a camera with a lot of options build in. The most important will be long zoom range. When I started bird photography for a generation ago, the standard lens for a 24x36 mm single lines reflex camera was a 400 mm, focus 5.6 telephoto lens.

These were rather expensive lenses for a normal household budget. A 400 mm tele photo lens would give a magnification of 8 times compared to the standard lens of 50 mm.

When we talk about modern digital cameras this is a rather small magnification. The camera manufacture will often display the exact magnification in all promotion material for the camera.

For Olympus SP-800 UZ it is 30× magnification but be aware that is measured from the wide level of the zoom (28 mm) to the long tele photo reach (840 mm) here mentioned as 35 mm film camera equivalent.

As impressive such data is do not be fooled by this aspect of the lens in itself. It is next to impossible to keep such a camera steady when using the longest zoom function. And even with a good tripod and optimum photo conditions you might not be able to take your dream shot of your seldom bird or whatever in your mind.

On the other hand most of these super zoom cameras now come with lens stabilisers that will help you 2-4 f.-stops to avoid hand shake.

Such cameras are often in trouble when focussing on rather small items in low light or with less contrast when using the full zoom.

To take sharp pictures of birds in flight is often impossible with these small and convenient cameras.

The camera models are becoming better and better to take pictures in high ISO settings with a low noise level. Luckily, every year these aspects are being improved.

To feel comfortable with your prosumer camera for birding you might want to get a new camera model every second year to feel you have the best equipment for your bird watching.

Interchangeable Lens Camera

Monday, December 5, 2011

Digital SLR Camera Reviews - Best Picks

A digital single lens reflex camera is an incredibly versatile and flexible piece of photographic equipment that can help you take the best photos of your life. There are several brands to choose from today that all have interchangeable lenses, allowing you to choose from a wide variety of shots from wide angle and closeups to telephoto images.

But before you decide that a digital single lens reflex camera is just what you need, first consider how you plan on using it. If you mainly like to take snapshots of your family and friends and maybe some special events like weddings and anniversaries, you probably don't really need a camera as sophisticated and complicated as a digital SLR. In fact, a compact digital camera with a fixed lens will probably do the job just fine. So you can save yourself the added expense and steeper learning curve associated with dSLRs.

But on the other hand, if you are a photography hobbyist or perhaps you plan on increasing your photography skills in the near future, then a digital SLR camera will probably fit your needs well. Or perhaps you need a camera that can do double duty as both a simple fully automated point and shoot camera and a more sophisticated manual camera too, as more than one person with different skill levels will be using it. Happily, a digital SLR can fit the bill here too as most of them also have completely automated settings that can be used by almost anyone.

But if you decide that a digital SLR will work for you, which camera is best for you? Most likely you will need to do some research to find out what models are available in your price range and then read some digital SLR camera reviews online to learn more about which models are the best in that price range.

But from reading many of the online digital slr camera reviews by both independent reviewers and consumers, we have found two cameras that we can highly recommend based on their popularity in these unbiased reviews. For beginners, the Pentax ist DX is often mentioned as an extremely easy camera to learn and use and with a 18-55mm zoom lens and costs just under ,000. For more advanced users that require even more features and capabilities, the Nikon D70s is well reported on by almost all reviewers that we saw, and with a 18-70mm lens, it costs around 00. Of course, both of these cameras can be bought for less if you really make a good search for them online.

Regardless of which digital single lens reflex camera that you choose, they will all bring a higher level of photographic capability and sophistication to any photo that you take. If you follow the guidelines and tips provided above it can help you decide whether or not a digital SLR will fit your needs and help you decide also on which one will work best for you.

Interchangeable Lens Camera

Sunday, December 4, 2011

How to Buy a Digital Camera - What You Need to Know

I know it is hard to decide how to buy a digital camera, with all the different brands, models, and styles, there are to choose from. Not to mention finding a reputable place to purchase your camera. After all, if something happens to go wrong, (which seldom happens if you stay with a proven brand) you need to know you can get prompt reliable service. Before you jump in feet first and buy a digital camera you need to ask yourself a few questions.

What is your budget? Price is going to be a determining factor in which style of digital camera you will end up buying. If you are on a limited budget, of lets say, below 0.00. Your best bet is to stay with a higher quality point and shoot digital camera, or a high quality used dSLR camera. Just be sure to stay with a good name brand like Canon, Nikon, Pentax, or Kodak. I personally use all Canon equipment, and have for 30 years, without ever having a problem.

What style of camera do you want or need? If your a novice or if you just want total ease of operation, then a point and shoot camera with auto exposure and auto focus is the way to go. The newer point and shoot digital cameras have larger high quality image sensors and produce images of saleable quality. So if you happen to get lucky you might even make a buck or two. Just make sure the model you choose has an optical zoom lens and not a digital zoom. Digital zooms use a smaller portion of your image sensor and produce a lower quality image. If you stay with digital cameras with optical zoom lenses you can get some high quality photos with a point and shoot digital camera.

If you want more creative control and higher quality photographs a digital SLR is a must have! A Digital Single Lens Reflex camera (dSLR) is the only way to go if you are going to get serious, and want total control of how your photos turn out. Rather than just relying on the camera to take the picture you have complete control. There are some very distinct advantages to using an SLR style camera. First you can have interchangeable lenses. Next you have the option of shooting in either automatic or manual mode. This will give complete control over how your photograph turns out. Now if price is an issue, you can find some very good buys, on high quality dSLR cameras. Amazon.com usually has very competitive pricing and a great support system.

In Summary: Decide what kind of camera style you prefer and what features you really need or want. Read a few reviews on the different digital camera models and find a camera within your budget. Then make your purchase. You'll be glad you took the little extra time to find exactly what you wanted.

Conclusion:

I recommend taking some professional lessons to get the most out of your photographic experience. There are some very good, inexpensive online photography lesson plans available. Finding the best digital camera buys and studying a good photography lesson plan can be quite rewarding, both emotionally and financially. You may even be fortunate enough to turn your photography hobby into a rewarding profession like I did.

Interchangeable Lens Camera

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Photo Safari

Travel photography is a great way to appreciate your time away from home. When you look for things to photograph it heightens your level of observation and makes you more aware of your surroundings. It may seem like a pain to constantly be carrying a camera and it is somewhat of a trade off, but I have always found it to be worth it. You can carry a simple point and shoot that will fit in your pocket but it will not take very good pictures. Canon does make some extremely advanced point and shoots like the G11 which will take good pictures, but that is the exception. To capture high quality images consistently you will have to invest in a DSLR or a micro four thirds camera with interchangeable lenses. Don't worry about megapixels. It really doesn't matter how many your camera has as long as it has at least 12. Almost all DSLRs on the market today have that many. DSLRs have become more and more affordable. Until recently it would be difficult to find one for under 0 USD but now you can find some on sale much closer to the 0 mark. I would take a 0 DSLR over a 0 point and shoot any day.

It's important to take care of your camera when you travel. I would always recommend a bag made specifically for a camera. You may spend a little more but you need to protect your investment. You also have to be on the alert for thieves. If you are eating out at an outdoor café you don't want to just set the camera on your table. Keep the strap around some part of your body; seriously. It may sound paranoid but better safe than sorry.

Another thing to keep in mind is lens selection. When I travel I want to have at least one lens that is very wide, at least 18mm. I like to capture those wide shots that can encompass an entire valley or a large group of people up close. I also like to have one very fast lens and by that I mean a lens with a large maximum aperture such as f1.8. These lenses are indispensable if you want to shoot inside or at night. They open wider and allow more light to hit the sensor. I really like to shoot inside the restaurants I dine at on vacation so I really couldn't go without one of these as I prefer not to use flash. For me having my camera and documenting my vacation is half the fun. It motivates me to get out more and see all the sights instead of wasting precious vacation time on the hotel bed. So book your plane, book your car rental, and grab your camera. You have some shooting to do!

Interchangeable Lens Camera

Friday, December 2, 2011

Digital Photography - SLR Vs Point and Shoot

Since the very first digital camera was released to the public, we have fallen in love with the convenience and photo quality of these cameras.

Like all computer electronics products, digital cameras become more affordable over time. The popular point and shoot models have become affordable for most consumers today. The average user of point and shoot models enjoy the ease of use and automatic settings. A good point and shoot camera produces good results for family photos, vacation photos and the like.

Today more of us are swapping the ease of use that is provided by the point and shoot models, for the superior results obtainable by the SLR models.

What Are SLR Cameras?

SLR cameras were originally designed for the professional photographer, and produce superior results in most any situation. SLR stands for Single Lens Reflex. With an SLR camera you have complete control over all camera settings, providing photographers total flexibility.

The SLR camera utilizes interchangeable lenses, allowing photographers to take crystal clear long distance photos, as well as stunning close-ups. The superior results achieved by SLR cameras compared to those of the point and shoot models, has resulted in the SLR models being the top sellers on the market today.

Comparison Of The SLR And Point And Shoot Models

1) Though the point and shoot models offer users exceptional ease of use, they are not capable of producing the high quality results obtained with the SLR models.

2) With a point and shoot camera you have no choice of the lens you use, limiting photo results. The capability to change lenses on the SLR model provides complete control over photographic results.

3) The price of the point and shoot camera makes it affordable for most consumers today. An SLR camera is considerably more expensive, however, the superior results are well worth the extra expense.

4) Most point and shoot cameras are compact and light weight, making them very convenient to carry in a pocket or purse. Many SLR model cameras tend to be bulky and are not as convenient to carry.

Why Would You Want An SLR Model Camera?

Whether your a professional photographer or just enjoy photography as a hobby, you want your photos be the best they can possibly be. With an SLR model camera you'll get the perfect results you want.

If you don't mind the fact that the SLR model is a little bulkier to carry with you, you will appreciate the crisp professional results you achieve.

Today SLR cameras are becoming more affordable for consumers. A decent entry level SLR model can be purchased for around 0.00. If you are considering the purchase of an SLR camera it is advisable to do your home work. Shop around, read consumer reviews and consider the availability and cost of lenses.

Interchangeable Lens Camera

Thursday, December 1, 2011

The Perfect Cycling Eyewear

Cyclists should think about protecting their most delicate body parts whenever they are cycling. This is why they should procure the proper cycling apparel and gear that fits them suitably. The most exposed delicate body parts of the cyclists are the eyes. To protect their eyes, they need to get themselves their own cycling eyewear.

Cycling eyewear does not only make the cyclists look good, as they also come in various designs to cater for the needs of their clients or customers who are also interested in looking fashionable. Moreover, manufacturers actually purposely designed cycling eyewear in order to protect the cyclist's eyes from potentially harmful agents.

There are many different kinds of cycling eyewear that can be found in the market today and cyclists oftentimes find themselves confused regarding which particular one they should be getting. It is a good thing that they can avail of cycling guides that can be found in the market in order to inform or suggest to them which ones are best for them or most suitable for their needs.

Whenever they are going to participate in a race, they have to wear eyewear that has been readily installed with photochromic lenses. This kind of lenses allows smooth transition from a low kind of light to a much brighter one, without having to require the cyclist to manually interchange the lenses. This way, cyclists get to save more time and also from further hassle.

Ideally, the kind of eyewear that cyclists should be wearing must be relatively light. Excessive pressure that is applied to the ears can make the ears feel numb as time goes by. Also, light cycling eyewear can provide appropriate ventilation, which, in turn, helps in avoiding misting on the lens when they are cycling through cold weather conditions or in cold places.

Of course, cyclists should also make sure that the pair they purchase actually feels comfortable on their heads or faces. They can determine if a pair has the ability to provide them with comfort if it has side arms that do not easily break off whenever pressure is applied to it, something that is quite common when cyclists are cycling on rough terrains.

Expert cyclists also recommend to their fellow cyclists to purchase ones that have interchangeable lenses, just in case ones with photochromic lenses are unavailable. The supply of the latter kind is usually outnumbered by the buyers as the number of cycling eyewear with photochromic lenses are running out in today's market.

Interchangeable Lens Camera

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Canon Zoom Lenses

Choosing a digital camera can be quite overwhelming with all of the models that are available on the market today. Finding the most suitable of canon zoom lenses can be daunting, but very possible.

When thinking of deciding which canon zoom lenses interest you, the whole point of a camera with interchangeable lenses is you can attach whatever lens you need. Unlike a simple point and shoot with its non-removable lens you are not limited to whatever the manufacturer builds into the camera. Second, everyone has different needs and budgets. So it is usually desirable not to include a lens so you can choose the lens or lenses which are right for you, not a generic lens. Third, what if you were to buy another camera? Then you would have two of the same lenses.

There are three general categories of canon zoom lenses when it comes to how much of a scene they can take in, and the field of view of each type is defined by an optical property known as the focal length of the lens.

A so-called normal lens roughly approximates the perspective, though not the area of, a scene seen by one human eye. By convention a normal lens on a 35mm film camera (and thus a full-frame EOS digital SLR) has a focal length of 50mm or so. Think of normal lenses as being good for taking pictures in close, but not intimate, proximity to a subject, like a waist-up picture of a person in an ordinary room.

A wide-angle lens can take in a large area of a scene. This has two common applications - first, it means you can take in sweeping panoramic landscape scenes, and second, you can take in large areas of an ordinary room. If you want to take a photo of a group of friends at a dinner party you'll need a wide angle lens unless you can back up far enough to get everyone in. On a 35mm film camera a wide angle lens would have a focal length of, say, 35mm or less.

Looking through a telephoto lens is like using a telescope - it narrows down what can be seen in a scene or makes the subject seem much closer than it really is. A telephoto lens might have a focal length of 70mm or more on a 35mm camera.

You may or may not have an idea of which canon zoom lenses you may want to use. The categories I mentioned above, are of course broad, and there are huge variations in each one. This is where you need to decide which lens will be suitable for your picture taking needs.

Interchangeable Lens Camera

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Review Of The Sharp AN3DG10S 3D Glasses

Sharp recently unveiled its new 3D glasses, and it appears they thought of everything. The Sharp AN3DG10S 3D glasses uses active shutter technology to interpret signals wirelessly transmitted from your 3D TV. While these innovative Sharp 3D glasses have up to 75 hours of continuous operation, an automatic shut-off feature activates if a signal is not detected for about three to five minutes, saving precious battery power. In addition, the glasses fit the large or small person with interchangeable nose pads, so a special set is not needed for the little ones. Sharp also offers the ability to switch back and forth from 3D to 2D, so that the non-3D viewer watches the same film in the same room.

The Sharp AN3DG10S glasses offer stability and comfort, as well as a quality product. The weight of the glasses at 3.2 ounces has been compared to other manufacturers of 3D glasses, with Sharp outweighing most. While the weight seems insignificant, it provides for a more solid product, one not so easily damaged.

Product Features

* Liquid crystal shutter lens
* Auto shut-off feature
* 3D to 2D mode conversion button

Battery

* Life: 75 hours of continuous use
* Type: CR2032

Included Items

* 2 types of nose pads designed to fit adults and children
* Dedicated glasses band for a perfect fit
* Specially designed case and cleaning cloth
* Extra battery
* One-year warranty covering defects in material or workmanship

After reviewing 3D glasses of other manufacturers, the Sharp AN3DG10S certainly provides more bang for the buck. With the inclusion of such items as a carrying case and an extra battery, the consumer stands to gain a more complete package than offered by Sharps competitors. The unique set of features presented by Sharp promises a greater enhancement to the 3D experience.

Interchangeable Lens Camera

Monday, November 28, 2011

Insights of Digital SLR Tutorials

For a very long time now using of the camera to take pictures has been used widely as a form of experiencing ones self in terms of art. This in the process has elicited a lot of passion when it comes to taking picture sand see these picture stay for posterity. There are however different types of cameras that with it requires different ways of operating to achieve the best pictures. This has in the process led to there being digital SLR tutorials for different digital cameras that most people are using now days.

One thing that comes in handy with digital SLR is the ease with which one can take pictures with it. To achieve this, there is a mount which enables the lens to be interchangeable. With this in place one can be able to set the different types of lens here to see to it that the picture taken is of high clarity. The lens type found here come as macro, fish-eye, wide angle, or even tilt-shift. With different picture setting, different types of these lenses can be used.

The viewfinder that is present in a digital SLR is similar in function to that found in a point and shoot. This is made possible by the ability of the viewfinder to show exactly what the eye sees even without the camera. This comes very much in handy especially where one is intending to manipulate the final outcome of the picture.

In some setting one may be required to take pictures quickly before the window of opportunity closes. Here a Digital SLR can be very helpful in that it has a very high responsive rate when it comes to picture shooting. This is made possible through the ability of instant focusing coupled with the simultaneous continuous shooting being readily achieved.

Interchangeable Lens Camera

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Photography - Understanding How Image Stabilizing Lenses Work

If you have not yet purchased an image stabilizing lens, you might nonetheless have heard the term "image stabilization" or "vibration reduction" bandied about in reference to various point-and-shoot cameras and SLR lenses. In that case you probably understand that IS or VR technology supposedly results in sharper images. But does the technology really work, and how well? What actually happens to make it work? In what situations does it not work at all? And most important of all, do you really need it?

The answer to the first question is yes, image stabilization technology not only works, it works well. If it did not, the remainder of this article would be entirely unnecessary. But it is useful to understand exactly what image stabilization is, and when it can be used to improve your photography before you shell out the extra few hundred dollars for a lens that has IS built into it.

Note: While the term "image stabilization" is used more frequently by writers when discussing this topic, "vibration reduction" is the term that Nikon uses to describe the same feature in its lenses, and it also happens to better describe what is going on. You should consider the two terms as interchangeable.

To understand how vibration reduction works, let's consider for a moment the effect that it corrects for. When a camera is hand-held, and the shutter is open for a duration longer than the camera can be pointed in one direction without moving, then the resulting image is seen to be blurred. What happens is that as the camera lens tilts upwards, sideways, or a combination of the two, the focused image shifts position on the image sensor. A focused point of light ends up being rendered as a line. The accumulation of all the shifted points of light that make up an image results in a blurred image.

The obvious correction therefore would be to shift the image sensor by the same amount that each point of light is shifted, so the image and the image sensor move together in relative lock-step. Some camera manufacturers implement this exact solution, and float the image sensor so that it can track the image if the camera shifts during exposure. But this is the exception, rather than the norm. Generally the solution is achieved by adding the vibration reduction to the lens, rather than the camera body.

So how does this work? Actually it is fairly simple to understand. Instead of a floating image sensor, the lens body contains floating lens elements. The position of these lens elements is controlled by motors that are coupled to sensors which detect how much the lens body is rotated vertically or horizontally during exposure.

If the lens body rotates upward, the sensors compensate by telling the motors to drop the floating lens elements down a little to maintain the optical path of light traveling through the lens elements. If the lens body is rotated to the left, the lens elements shift to the right to compensate. The end result is that the image maintains its position on the image sensor during the exposure, creating a much sharper image than if the vibration reduction system had been deactivated (which it can be).

It might seem remarkable that the system can track camera shake so well. In fact, it is remarkable, but it all works because camera motion can be monitored about every 1/1000th of a second, while the camera wobble occurs on a time scale of, say, 1/30th, 1/15th, or even 1/4th of a second.

Vendors of these image stabilizing lenses claim that the technology allows you to gain about 3 to 4 stops on your exposures. This means that if, for a given photographic situation, the slowest hand-held shutter speed that consistently results in an OK image is 1/125th of a second, then by adding vibration reduction you ought to be able to shoot at 1/15th or perhaps even 1/8th of a second. This is a big deal if you are forced to shoot into shadow, or the light is fading, or you need to close down the aperture to improve depth of field.

But image stabilization only proves itself in a range of shutter speeds that are neither too great, nor too small. If you try to hand-hold a 1 second exposure it's unlikely your VR compensation will be able to keep up with the erratic motions you supply it. Likewise, if you are shooting at 1/500th of a second or higher, the camera won't have a chance to experience any wobbling, so the VR system will not add any improvement.

Another thing to remember about vibration reduction is that it has to do with compensating for camera motion during exposure. It has nothing to do with the speed of the object you are trying to photograph. So that fast-moving baseball will still be rendered as a blur unless you capture it at 1/500th of a second.

Do you need IS or VR lenses to improve your photography? This one is fairly easy to answer. If you regularly find yourself shooting at speeds less than 1/250th of a second then there is a very good chance you can rid yourself of a substantial number of those blurred, or unsharp, shots by investing in a good VR lens. Better yet, when you buy your next digital camera, simply go for a point-and-shoot with vibration reduction built in, or if you purchase a digital SLR, try to grab a model with vibration reduction built into the supplied kit lens.

Interchangeable Lens Camera

Friday, November 25, 2011

Is Lumix GF2 Camera Worth the Price?

There is only a week left until the new exciting Panasonic camera is going to be released to the public. It has already been priced and dated in Japan in November last year. Just like it's predecesor, it has been released in Japan one month earlier, Japanese retailers started to buy stocks since December 3. In US and Europe, it is going to be released at the end of January, and most likely the date will not change.

The price in Japan is a bit higher than in US. In Japan people are paying 1 for the camera body alone, 1 for camera+LUMIX G 14mm F2.5 ASPH lens kit and 81 for camera+both lens kits. A typical Panasonic camera case is priced . The colors are black, red and white, but in UK the silver version is soon to be released.

The price was announced in India also, it is 42000 INR.

GF2 predecesor, GF1 M4/3 camera hit the stores 2 years ago, in spring, the model was nothing out of the standards. The price however was about 0 for the camera and one lens and compared to this, the new Lumix gf2 price is very affordable (please consider the next exciting features included, like the touch screen functions and ability to span 3d pictures. Also, the lag is extremely small, non existent I might say).

I'm absolutely sure that in US and EU the price will drop after no more than 2 months because of the competition. By the end of the year, Panasonic Lumix GF2 prices will drop consistently as new products will be released on the market, like the expected canon d800 which will also be released in February this year.

Interchangeable Lens Camera

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Panasonic LUMIX DMC-L1: Their 1st Ever Digital SLR Camera with Interchangeable Lenses

Panasonic has announced the launch date for the DMC-L1, its first digital single-lens reflex (SLR) camera with interchangeable lens. From 22nd July 2006 this camera will be available in Japan and already looks set to be a firm favourite.

Leica D Lens provides a superior optical performance and matches perfectly with the digital SLR camera body

The DMC-L1 has a new LEICA D VARIO-ELMARIT 14-50mm/F2.8-3.5 lens equipped with an aperture ring, focus ring and zoom ring, for easy, direct aperture setting. The focal length range is equivalent to 28mm (wide) to 100mm (medium telescopic) on a 35mm film and provides exceptional results.
The lens also provides outstanding macro shooting due to a 29cm minimum shooting distance (0.32x maximum magnification, 35mm equivalent) across the entire zoom range.

Superb image rendering with MEGA O.I.S

The DMC-L1 comes with Panasonic's Optical Image Stabiliser feature which minimises jitter from shaky hands. Thanks to the gyrosensors and Venus Engine Plus LSI built into the lens, the system detects camera movement at a rate of 4,000 times per second
O.I.S features two further corrective modes. Mode one constantly and continuously compensates for movements, ensuring that the image in the LCD and viewfinder is always clear. Mode two only stabilises the image the instant the shutter button is pressed. Both modes work with the DMC-L1, providing consumers with outstanding benefits. Mode one will be available for Olympus users if they are using the new Leica D lens.

Refined design makes the camera a pleasure to hold and use

This new camera features a shutter speed dial on top of the camera body, enhancing the sense of camera control. Combined with a classic design this ensure the Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1 is distinct in both design and operation. The body periphery and grip are covered with textured, simulated leather ensuring a secure and comfortable hold.

Complies with Four Thirds(TM)* Standard

The DMC-L1 incorporates a live MOS sensor that conforms to the Four Thirds standard and offers 7.5 megapixels. It can be used with lenses made by a variety of manufacturers, giving users a host of equipment options. Noise is minimised by a special processing technology the runs on voltage as low as 5V.
*Four Thirds? is a registered trademark.

The power of the Venus Engine III LSI

The Venus Engine III is a newly developed image processing LSI which maximises the performance of the Live MOS sensor. Offering high resolution, superior colour reproduction and detailed gradation, the Venus Engine III also reduces noise to the level expected from a digital SLR, thus achieving stunning picture quality. The Venus Engine III also improves camera responsiveness supporting high-performance consecutive shooting and a short shutter interval. The Venus Engine III requires only 80% as much power as its predecessor and when combined with the Live MOS sensor's low energy consumption results in longer battery life.

Full-time Live View for a whole new style of Digital SLR shooting

The heart of a digital SLR is the mirror box unit, which integrates a quick-return mirror, viewfinder, and AE sensor. This, combined with the full-time image output function of the Live MOS sensor, achieves a full-time Live View function that displays the image on the LCD directly from the sensor signal. This incredibly useful function can be selected in both Auto Focus and Manual Focus modes. In Manual Focus, photographers can enlarge an image within the frame and then select the area focusing, making it easier to check the focusing condition on the large 2.5inch, high resolution, 207,000 pixel LCD. It is also possible to check the depth of field by pressing the Aperture button.

Shake off dust with the Supersonic Wave Filter system

A big problem with digital SLRs with interchangeable lenses is the possibility of dust getting inside the camera during the lens changes and contaminating the image sensor. If this happens, professional cleaning is often required. The DMC-L1 manages this problem by incorporating a Supersonic Wave Filter dust reduction, which uses supersonic vibration to shake off dust that might otherwise affect the image.

A Digital SLR offering home networking capabilities

As with all Panasonic Lumix cameras, the DMC-L1 is uses SD memory and is also compatible with mass-storage SD standard based on FAT32. This includes the upcoming super-high-capacity SD Memory Cards allowing more than 2GB (SDHC).

Interchangeable Lens Camera

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Photography and Why You May Want a Digital SLR Camera

If your just beginning to take your photography a bit more serious and maybe want to try your hand at making some money with your photography, you will want to look into getting a digital slr camera. SLR stands for single lens reflex, so you add the digital and you have the d-slr camera.

D-slr cameras can cost quite a bit more than a top line point and click camera, but if you are wanting to become the more serious photographer this will be one of the best investments that you will make. The second investment that you can make is taken the time to understand your camera completely. You would be amazed on what you can learn about photography by knowing how to use your camera.

You see the beauty of the digital slr is that you have the artistic control of the traditional slr and the convenience of digital files. When you use interchangeable lens you have the choice of both manual and automatic settings. This makes it easy to play around with the camera and see what is best for you and what you want.

To help you decide whether a digital slr camera is right for you I am going to show you a few reasons why you want to purchase a digital slr camera. The first of these reasons would be that the d-slr allows you to get the perfect lens for the perfect photo. Manufacturers have a very large variety of d-slr lenses. You can have zooms, super zooms, and even ultra wide angles. The list goes on, there is a lens for just about any type of photography that you can think of.

Another thing about the digital slr is the faster power up. The d-slr power up is almost instantly and this allows you to react quickly so that you do not miss what could be a once in a lifetime shot. This in itself is reason to go from the point and click camera to a d-slr camera. With the rapid frame rate you can take several pictures within a second. You can do this because the d-slr has a fast image processor and large buffer.

Now at the top of the list would be that you get better image quality. A digital image that is taken with the d-slr is almost always a lot better that a point and click, I mean a lot better. You have higher light sensitivities and some digital slr cameras have a mega pixel rating up to 16 mega pixels.

A few more things that I think you should know is that with the digital slr you have threw the lens viewing. With this you can get away from the sun on your screen and not being able to see what you are shooting. This also stands true for areas that are dimly lit. Also you easy access to controls with thumb and forefinger wheels that control feature exposure settings. This is real important when it comes to not missing a shot, you do not have to look for the control wheel that you want. And end up losing the shot.

Last but just as important as the rest of the others benefits to having the d-slr is that you have more creativity and flexibility with camera accessories. These accessories include external flashes, wireless transmitters, and even remote triggering devices. As with the lens the list goes on with way to many accessories for me to list here.

Interchangeable Lens Camera

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

In Review: Dewalt's DCT410S1 12v MAX Inspection Camera Kit

Bursting onto the industrial scene in early October of 2010, Dewalt's DCT410S1 inspection camera kit is fast becoming one of the most interesting, most talked about tools on the market. Accompanying six other tools in a new release from Dewalt, the camera is compact and innovative to literally provide craftsmen with a new way to look at their jobsites.

Before this little rascal joined the power tool pool, inspection cameras we much more akin to, well, the kind of power tool no one gets exactly excited to work with. After a heartfelt and hearty amount of research though, Dewalt's DCT410S1 enters the scene quite a bit more prepared than the competition. A flexible snake-like cable with a camera lens attached to its end makes up one half of the new inspection camera. The cable, of course, is waterproof for protection in less than perfect working conditions, and as the thing reaches 3 feet long (36 inches), it has the length to get your spyglass into otherwise impossible spaces. In fact, the camera lens at the tip of the cable allows users to see into, record, and photograph a jobsite's virtually impossible spaces.

Peeping behind walls, inside pipes, and into the depths of other workzone nooks and crannies, the camera is ideal for electricians, plumbers, remodelers, installers, and any other general someone who needs eyes in a too tight, too small, too awkward, or generally too impossible environment.

Additionally, as the camera's LCD screen is cordless and detachable, you can essentially see what's going on in you bathroom pipes while sitting on the couch in your living room. This is clearly not the most efficient use of this tool, but its possible nonetheless. The detachable monitor allows users to accurately see the opposite end of a carefully positioned camera without compromising camera angles or positioning. This, of course, renders the tool smart and simple to use with a convenience feature that really makes a difference on the job. The LCD screen is 3.5 inches to provide an even better view, and with a 3x zoom capability, this inspection camera is seriously the envy of all others. The LCD screen additionally charges directly from the camera handle allowing users to simply reattach the screen or replace the battery to continue working.

The inspection camera is powered with Dewalt's lithium ion technology to ensure there's a strong, long-lasting, and fast charging power source behind this truly awesome little gadget. And as if all that weren't enough, the batteries are interchangeable across the entire 12v line.

Interchangeable Lens Camera

Monday, November 21, 2011

The Best Binoculars, Make an Informed Decision

Before answering the question 'what are the best binoculars (UK)' I need to make it very clear that a good pair of binoculars is something you can and should get really passionate about. The best binoculars bring distant images to life with amazing resolution and clarity making you feel as if you are part of a completely new and exciting world.

Imagine being able to see every little detail of what you are viewing with absolutely perfect contrast and clarity no matter where you are and what you are doing. If you experience such perfection you will become passionate and you'll wonder how you ever lived without the very best binoculars. UK binoculars do vary from what is available in the US and the two environments are completely different so the best binoculars in the US may not be available in the UK or may not perform so well under the different environmental conditions.

You also have to consider that people's opinions vary, sometimes quite dramatically, so what each person considers too be the best binoculars is probably not the same. Also, you need to be clear as to what you want to use the binoculars for, the best binoculars for astronomy won't necessarily be much good for bird watching and the best sport binoculars won't necessarily be very good as marine binoculars.

One thing that you need to look for in any binoculars is the quality of the lenses and prisms. The best binoculars come with fully multi-coated lenses and top quality Bak-4 prisms. Given the generally damp environment, the best binoculars for the UK, if you want to use them regularly outdoors, should be waterproof and fog-free to ensure a perfect viewing experience.

If you are looking for best marine binoculars in the UK then take a look at the Steiner Commander XP binoculars, they are amazingly high spec, waterproof to 10mtrs, nitrogen sealed with Steiner Nano-Protection (weather proof protection against the environment), high performance HD XP optics, long life rubber armouring and interchangeable eyecup system, truly professional marine binoculars which delivery an amazing performance in low light conditions and come with a 30 year guarantee.

For the best image stabilizing binoculars then look no further than the Canon IS Binoculars. I know I don't stand alone when I say that once you own the Canon 10x42L IS binoculars you'll wonder how you survived without them. Users absolutely rave about them. The lenses are just fantastic, they are the first binoculars to carry the red L-series ring only previously found on Canon professional camera lenses. These binoculars must come high up the list for the best binoculars, fully waterproof, unrivalled IS capabilities (in any moving environment), superb lens quality, close focus distance of just 2.5mtrs and long eye relief. The one main downside is perhaps weight (1030g) but to get the IS technology there always has to be a compromise regarding the weight.

Bushnell make great binoculars so in your search for the best binoculars for you take a look at the Bushnell Elite. Premium Bak-4 phase coated prisms, fully multi-coated lenses, waterproof, nitrogen sealed, rainguard lens coating and long eye relief. The new XTR technology utilises no less than 60 layers of coatings on each prism to deliver a combined 90% light transmission.

There are some great little compact binoculars to, one of my favourites is the Olympus RC I compact binoculars. Only 195g in weight, credit card size when folded, really stylish, high index Bak-4 prisms and multi-coated lenses.

When buying binoculars it all comes down to what you want to use them for and how much you are prepared to pay. Price doesn't always denote quality and binoculars that are ideal for one activity aren't necessarily good for another. Don't however make the mistake of paying too little, finding they are useless and casting them aside. Top quality lenses do cost! No one can say what are the absolute best binoculars (UK) unless they know what the binoculars are to be used for and even then, as I said, its still a matter of opinion. Just watch out for the lens coatings and the quality of the prisms, make sure the weight suits you, don't go for too high a magnification if the binoculars are to be hand held (unless you buy IS binoculars), for outdoors, in the UK, waterproof is usually best, if you are new to binoculars and looking to observe fast moving objects then go for binoculars with a wider field of view and if you wear glasses you want an eye relief of 15mm plus. Happy hunting for the best binoculars in the UK.

Interchangeable Lens Camera

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Digital Camera and Photography Terms Explained

You want to buy a new digital camera but you wonder what all these abbreviations and strange terms are and what do they mean? Here are a few which I have tried to explain in a simple way.

AE Lock. This means Auto Exposure Lock and means that you can point to your subject matter, get a light reading, then swing the camera to set up the complete picture, still retaining that setting.

Aperture. Size of the variable opening in the lens that controls the amount of light that passes through the lens to the sensor (CCD) and which is usually expressed as an f/number.The higher the f/number the smaller aperture, and the lower the f/number the larger the aperture. Also controls depth of field.

Aperture Priority. This is a semi-manual setting in some cameras. The user sets the aperture for the depth of field they want and the camera sets the shutter speed to obtain correct exposure.

Auto Focus. Most digital cameras have an auto-focus mode which focuses the lens

Battery. Cameras come with different types of batteries which power the camera. Each manufacturer tends to have their own variation on this and batteries are not usually interchangeable between cameras.

Bracketing. Bracketing shots is where a photographer takes shots of the same scene three times or more at different exposures. This can be done automatically on some cameras.

Card reader. Device that is used to connect the computer with your memory card

CCD or charged coupled device. This refers to the chip inside the camera which is used to record image information (on a non-digital camera this would be the film).
Light hits the CCD when a photo is taken, and then the analog CCD converts the information to digital.

Contrast. This is the difference between the lightest and darkest part of a photo.

Depth of Field. The distance between the nearest point and farthest point, that is sharp and in focus. This varies with aperture setting. A small aperture will give greater depth of field than a large aperture.

Digital Zoom. Some cameras will provide digital zoom which really means that it "zooms" into the center part of the image and enlarges the pixels. This causes " noise" or poor resolution. Optical zoom is far superior.

DPI Dots per inch. Printers define the sharpness of an image by DPI. A figure of 1200 dpi, or higher is required for printing photographs.

Exposure. Exposure is a combination of how long the shutter is open and how wide the aperture is.

EXIF. The exchangeable image file. This is used by cameras to record data of a shot such as date, time taken, exposure etc which can be read sometimes in the camera or in software. This is useful for knowing what was happening when a picture was taken.

Exposure Control. Controlling exposure settings through shutter speed and aperture is important to serious photographers. Cheaper digital cameras will only shoot in auto mode. If you feel that you might want to take photography more seriously at some point this needs to be considered.

Focal length.Focal length describes the magnification of the lens. The greater the focal length, the greater the magnification.

F-Stop (or f/number or stop). The size of the opening in the diaphragm which allows light into the camera

Histogram.A histogram is a graph which shows image tones or a graph of brightness. Can be used to check exposure of a shot to see if you need to adjust and shoot again.

JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group). A format, that that allows the camera to squeeze a large picture into a small amount of memory. This is the most common system used by digital cameras

LCD Liquid Crystal Display. The majority of digital cameras have a screen at the back of the camera which can be used for viewing shots taken or sometimes as a viewfinder. A heavy user of battery power!

Macro.This is the camera mode for taking extreme close-ups.

Manual mode. This is found on top end cameras and is used by experienced photographers as this gives full control over shutter speed and aperture.

Megapixel. This is a million pixels and can describe the sensor's capacity. Megapixels define the quality of your image. More megapixels means a better and sharper picture or that it can be enlarged without losing quality.

Memory Card.The majority of digital cameras store pictures taken onto memory cards which can be removed and the pictures transferred to your computer. Cards are of various shapes and sizes but all do the same job.

Memory Stick. Memory Stick is a removable flash memory card format, launched by Sony in October 1998 and is also used in general to describe the whole family of Memory Sticks.

Optical zoom. This is a true zoom that brings you closer to the subject without moving by magnifying the image. It is preferable and superior to digital zoom. It is recommended to get at least 3x optical zoom.

Pictbridge. Pictbridge is a standard technology that allows the transfer of images direct from a camera to a compliant printer, bypassing the computer.

Pixels. A pixel, meaning picture element, is the base component or building block of a digital image and can have color and tone.
There can be several million "building blocks" in an image.

RAW .The name is to identify the virtually raw data (has had no internal processing by the camera) image file format.

Resolution. A measure of an image expressed as picture size or pixel (megapixel) size or dots per inch on a printed image i.e. the more pixels there are in an image the sharper the picture will be. This is usually shown as, for example, 1200 x 1800 which relates to height and width.

Shutter priority. This is a semi-manual mode and the opposite of aperture priority.
The photographer chooses the shutter speed and the camera sets the correct aperture for the conditions.
Useful for action shots or the need to blur shots.

SLR. Single Lens Reflex is a camera which has a mirror that reflects the image onto a pentaprism and then on to the viewfinder screen. This means you see what the camera sees and is useful for framing your shots accurately.
The mirror reflexes out of the way when you take the picture.

Secure Digital (SD) is a flash memory card format developed for use in portable devices.

Sensor or CCD.An electronic chip, or light sensor which contains light- sensitive pixels and which records the image when you take a picture.

Shutter Speed. Speed of the shutter as it opens and close to allow light onto the sensor. It is expressed in fractions of a second i.e.1/60, 1/250

TIFF Tagged Image File Format. TIFF is an image file format that does not lose any quality when it is saved and compressed.

Tripod. If you are taking landscape or portrait photos a tripod is essential for clear, sharp photos in order to reduce camera shake and blurring of images.

USB. Universal Serial Bus. This is a standard interface on all computers that allows accessories to be connected to the computer while it is turned on.

I hope this is useful!

Interchangeable Lens Camera

Saturday, November 19, 2011

SLR Cameras - What Is A Single Lens Reflex?

The hottest thing in the digital camera market is undoubtedly the digital SLR, which is better known as a dSLR. While dSLRs are flying off dealer shelves, many new users are confused about the terminology. Most people know that SLR stands for "single lens reflex." Since nearly all SLRs accept interchangeable lenses, it would appear they should be known as multiple lens reflex (MLR) cameras.

If you want to understand how the SLR received it's name, you have to dip into the history of the camera. Early cameras were similar to the view cameras used today. The photographer looked through the lens, focused, composed and then inserted a single film plate behind the optics to make an image. While the entire process was crude by modern standards, the photographer enjoyed great control, since he looked directly through the actual imaging lens to compose the shot.

While this was fine for still life, portraits and landscapes, this process did not lend itself to action photography. These early cameras could only record a single image at a time. Which is why you have never seen a motor-driven view camera.

Realizing the need to offer sequences of exposures, camera makers begin to experiment with various roll-film designs. With a roll of film in the camera, the photographer could fire off numerous images without reloading. Although this improved throughput dramatically, it caused another problem. The roll of film had to pass closely behind the camera's optics, which meant that the photographer could no longer look through the camera lens to compose and focus.

Rangefinder cameras appear to keep things in focus

The lower-end, consumer roll-film cameras generally used an inexpensive "fixed-focus" lens, so a simple viewfinder was sufficient. Better quality optics, however, require the lens to be focused, and since the photographer could not look through the lens with a roll-film camera, this was a major problem. One of the first solutions to this problem was the Rangefinder -- a type of camera that offered a distance measuring scale in the viewfinder. By determining the range from the viewfinder, the photographer could then adjust the focus to match -- usually with very good results.

Twin Lens Reflex cameras offer another solution

While the rangefinder type cameras worked well, the camera industry is always evolving. A second method of allowing the photographer to focus and compose appeared in the "Twin-Lens Reflex" cameras. These cameras used two identical lenses, arranged one on top of the other in the manner of an over-and-under shotgun. The film winds past the lower lens, while the photographer can focus through the upper lens. The twin-lens cameras were fairly bulky, so designers added a mirror and ground glass to the top of the camera, hence the term "reflex.

Now the user could hold the camera at waist level and look down at the ground glass which previewed the image via the mirror behind the upper lens. As the user adjusted the focus on the upper lens, a gear mechanism moved the lower "taking lens" to match.

While both rangefinders and twin-lens reflex cameras offered a credible way to focus and preview a shot, neither allowed the photographer to actually look through the lens. This sometimes made exact composition difficult.

SLRs take cameras another step forward

In their quest to allow users to see through the actual "taking" lens, camera makers turned to the periscope -- a simple device using two mirrors placed at opposite angles to bend the light path. Periscopes are easy to understand -- any kid can construct one from a couple of mirrors and some scrap wood.

In a camera, the lower mirror is placed at a 45 degree angle directly behind the lens. Light striking the mirror is projected upwards to a ground glass. While a second mirror would show the image on the ground glass to the user, it would not appear right, because mirrors tend to reverse things. So camera designers added a prism arrangement that corrects the reversed image. When you peer through the viewfinder on a SLR, you look through a prism, which displays the image on a ground glass, which displays the projected image from the mirror located behind the lens.

There is just one problem. If you have been paying attention, you have no-doubt realized that the lower mirror blocks the light path to the film (or digital sensor as the case may be.) Now the photographer can look though the lens, but the image cannot be projected on to the filmplane.

So the camera designers had to add another wrinkle. They had to move that mirror. Just long enough to make an exposure, since when the mirror moved, the photographer could no longer see anything through the lens. So they designed the "instant-return" mirror. At the instant of exposure, the mirror flies upward, the shutter fires and the mirror snaps back down. It is a incredible feat, when you consider that instant return mirrors have to flip up and back in a heartbeat, over and over for the life of the camera.

Once the instant return mirror was perfected, photographers could once again design their images by looking through the lens. Unlike the twin lens reflex, this new breed of camera needed only one lens to focus and shoot with. So they became known as... you guessed it.... Single-Lens Reflex cameras.

Interchangeable Lens Camera