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

Thursday, November 17, 2011

The Canon EOS 400D Knows How to Clean House

It is not the first time that this has happened. The more modest camera model assumes a responsibility to reveal a new technology that will eventually be taken over by more glamorous models. Thus it came to pass, that the EOS400D played the role of guinea pig. It was the first Canon SLR system with integrated sensor cleaning. With this service as a cornerstone of its current cutting edge cameras, the EOS 400D paved the way for other entry level SLR products from Canon. Some minor amendments and more than 2-megapixel resolution helps distinguish it from the EOS 350D, which inherits its good quality, good price ... and some outstanding issues for improvement from it's predecessor.

It was inevitable and necessary. I refer of course to the inclusion of the cleaning system sensor that Canon has developed and, for the first time, has installed on a SLR. Apart from the 10 megapixels or pricing discrepancies, there is no doubt that the EOS 400D is the company's response to a demand for a automatic dust cleaning system, that allows photographers to focus exclusively on taking pictures.

Maybe the new users that come first to the world of interchangeable lens cameras (SLRs) will not attach greater importance to this detail and prefer to focus on value for money offered by the cameras. However, with the inclusion of the cleaning system, Canon has managed to kill two birds or flecks of dust with one stone: First of all, to become more competitive with other manufacturers already offering this feature, and tempting more automatic compact camera users to the SLR fold.

That is why, given the striking similarities in the EOS 400D with its predecessor, in addition to the new cleaning mechanism the current SLR landscape is changing.

The aforementioned cleaning system is based on two separate actions for the same purpose. On the one hand, the sensor-or rather, the Low Pass Filter, has a special coating that seeks to prevent dust particles from attaching to it.

Secondly, it is the low pass filter, immediately before the sensor, which vibrates under the control of the Self clean sensor unit. A procedure that strongly recalls the filter SSWF Olympus uses in all its digital SLR. As if this were not enough, the EOS 400D includes the option of taking a photo reference, via software on your computer to help remove any additional imperfections in your photos.

This cleaning process takes place whenever you turn on the camera, and lasts less than a second. It can also be activated manually, by a simple pressure on the shutter trigger, prior to capturing a photographic moment. Of course, the cleaning system can be activated at will and at any time. Moreover, we can always raise the mirror to perform a manual cleaning process, the old way.

The lens that came with the basic EOS 400D kit is the Canon EF-S 18-55 mm f3.5-5.6. One should try to avoid prolonged exposure of the CMOS to the environment as this will also help keep things dust free.

Tests of the new cleaning system with a more challenging dirt have occurred. Deliberately placing dust particles on the sensor surface, the vibration could not complete eliminate all dust. In this case you would have to resort to manual cleaning.

Interchangeable Lens Camera

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

How to Photograph Nature and Wildlife

Nature has the endless mine of wonders and beauty which we all want to capture. We often get amazed by the stunning Nature or Wildlife photographs in the popular travel or science magazines. So what is the secret of taking stunning Nature photographs? Well, as true for every form of Art, Photography is something which you need to master. Knowledge, practice, creativity and a good Camera is what you need most of the time. Please be aware that this article is not meant for pros. This is targeted to help someone who has just got started or thinking of getting started.

Tip 1: Camera.
So which Camera? As digital is the way to go, I would recommend any entry level Digital SLR will do the job. May be it is Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fuji or Pentax. They all produce good cameras. So choose the Camera which fits your budget and into your bag. Digital SLRs feature interchangeable lens. They all will come with kit lens which is typically about 17-55mm 2.8-3.5f. Those kit lenses are not very useful for Nature photography. For Nature photography a good 28-105mm and a 100-300mm will work best. Lens with image stabilizer and auto focus feature will be an added advantage if you shoot Wildlife. Oh don't forget a good tripod.

Tip 2: See the Light.
Nature photography is a lot about seeing the light. Same spot can look different in different part of the day depending on the light, presence or absence of cloud, dust or moisture in the air. So see the light and analyze it in your mind. If you see the light in the morning, it will have a warm golden or yellow tone. Noon is bright with deep shadow or if the weather is dusty making it less attractive for photo shoots, it will create a haze; evening or afternoon light will be reddish yellow or red. So being able to feel and see the light and choosing your landscape subject or theme based on the lights available is something you need to learn and practice.

Tip 3: Travel
Travelling is essential to take better landscape photograph. Travelling should not be limited to surveying the area but it should entail visiting the place in different parts of the year. Once you choose the area for example a forest or a valley, you should walk around as much as possible to find out different interesting spots or spots of great natural beauty. Once you identify those spots, you may be able to imaging some interesting compositions in your mind before taking photo. Also keep in mind that same location could look different in different parts of the year. For example, in rain, it may look lush green; in winter, it may be dry and dull or in spring, it may be colorful due to bloom time. Also please remember to take the other elements into account such as birds or butterflies etc.

Tip 4: Take notes
Taking notes is a good habit for landscape photographers. Note should include date, time of the year, description of the location and landscape, part of the country and the theme of the photos. Also note should include the technical detail of the Camera and the shooting information. Next time, you can analyze them and find out your shortcomings and find out how to get the best out of a situation.

Tip 5: Compose your shot
Composing landscape or nature photography takes a lot of creativity and also good observing ability. Sometimes, getting close or far from a subject brings out the best of the subject and its surroundings. For example, if you see a flower, you may like to get close to it to take a close up or you may also include the surrounding bushes or trees to create interesting perspective. Same is true for taking mountains, rivers or valley etc.

Tip 6: Use Tripod
Using Tripod is a good habit specially when you are taking photos in low light or photos of a fast moving objects (for example, running Deer or flying Bird). For low light photography, you may have to use the shutter speed like 1/50 or higher. If you don't use Tripod in these occasions, you will surely end up blurring your picture. So carry a Tripod whenever possible. Try carbon fiber Tripods instead of metal one as these are light weight and easier to carry.

Tip 7: Love Nature and Wildlife
If you love Nature and Wildlife, you will take the Photographs from heart and it will be your passion to bring the best of its beauty and its secrets. So try to develop the love from within by thinking positive about it and reading some great books on Nature and Wildlife.

Tip 8: Take as many Photographs as you can
Take lot of photographs from different angle, distance, close up, different shutter speed, different exposure etc. You never know which one will create the best effects or which one will bring the best out of that place. For example, if you are taking the picture of Sunset, you will notice that within few minutes, the Sun is changing its color from golden yellow to red and it's shape will get bigger as it drops more towards the horizon. So taking few pictures in close interval of a setting Sun will give you some interesting effects. It will also include changing sky color or color of reflection on passing cloud or water etc.

Tip 9: See the Works of Great Photographers
I have learnt a lot by seeing the great works of some great landscape and Wildlife Photographers. For example, seeing the work of Ansel Adam will make you think or look at nature from a whole different angle. So see lot of photos. Also keep Magazines like National Geographic etc.

Tip 10: Believe in luck and have patience
Nature photography or Wildlife photography is sometime just luck. You may be in a spot for sometime but it may occur that some interesting thing may happen after you leave. Of you may see something interesting but before you are ready, it is over. So yes believe in luck in those cases as you can't control the environment or your subjects. Also have patience while taking Wildlife or landscape photos. You may have spotted a bird's nest but you may have to wait for hours patiently for the bird to come back to its nest. Similar may be true if you want to spot a Tiger or a Wild Animal.

Interchangeable Lens Camera

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Choosing a Camera to Take on Holiday - 7 Tips For Successful Photographs

Don't lose those precious travel memories when you go on vacation. Careful camera choice and knowledge of how it works will save a lot of embarrassment when those important times don't look nearly as good in digital form as they did in real life. Or they have vanished altogether. Here are seven things you can do to keep those moments forever fresh.

Choose your camera before you leave on vacation

It's easy to save some money by getting your camera duty free, but your chances of being able to operate it efficiently in a hurry are fairly slim. Modern cameras are becoming cheaper and have better quality lenses, sensors, specs and overall quality than they did even two years ago. Make the investment and enjoy superior results. Stay with the well known brands. 0 and up will get you a great camera in the point and shoot range.

Get comfortable with your camera

Ask to hold your camera before you buy it. Do the controls fit under your fingers, or are they so tiny you press several at once? Are they placed logically for you? Ask the demonstrator to show you how to hold the camera firmly. Get an explanation of how the menu works. It's hard to shoot quickly if you can't find the right settings.

Is the viewfinder convenient and easy to see?

Some cameras come with an LCD screen only, and some have an electronic viewfinder as well. A screen can be very hard to see in the sun. An electronic viewfinder is really a very small LCD screen. It uses up battery power, and a further disadvantage is that, because electronic viewfinders cannot resolve fine detail, it's hard to see whether the subject's eyes are open or closed, for instance. An optical system viewfinder does not have this problem.

Optical versus digital zoom

These are often confused, but there is a big difference in the quality between them. Digital zoom takes a portion of the picture and enlarges it back to the original size. Individual pixels in the image are removed or magnified causing quality loss and a lower resolution. It's also not true magnification. The picture is manipulated electronically, and the end result is that your image won't look great. Optical zoom is made by the lens and will not affect picture quality, so this should be your first choice always. Some manufacturers will combine the optical and digital magnifications to give a more impressive specification, but ignore this and find the true optical value.

Is the camera small enough to carry?

How much equipment do you really need? Do you want to carry a lot extra as you would with a bigger camera with interchangeable lenses? Or will something that fits into your pocket do? Be realistic about your skill level, and don't pay a lot for extras you will hardly if ever use. Let the professionals pay the big bucks. Just make sure you have a good protection pouch to carry it in.

Don't put all your eggs in one basket

There are many memory cards on the market with capacities of 8GB and more, and in February 2010 an SCXD card was released with a 64GB capacity. However while these may sound grand, there is always the possibility of card failure or corruption with any of these devices. This usually means irretrievable loss of your precious images. I feel far more comfortable with two or three cards of 4GB or less, so if one card develops a problem, I haven't lost all my images.

Batteries

With travel, a decent battery system is a major concern. Battery failure at the wrong moment will often cause an irreplaceable loss of a shot. Don't rely on standard AA batteries. Get the best for your camera, and lithium rechargeables are great.

A little thought and careful shopping will go a long way to bring you pleasure after the holiday with successful photographs. Decide what you want your camera to do, make a list of the features you need and then go shopping. Stay with the major brands, keep it simple, learn the automatic features first and then experiment further with the other settings. Happy holidays!

Interchangeable Lens Camera

Monday, November 14, 2011

Panasonic Digital Cameras - The Panasonic DMC-G2K

The Panasonic DMC G2K is a successor of G1. It is smaller in size and lighter weight than an SLR which will make it easier to carry around with you for long outings. It does have advanced features but the settings and navigation features are easy enough for a novice photographer to learn and use. It is considered to be "user friendly" and is a good step up from it's predecessor.

The quick menu will allow you to access all of the settings with just two touches. The Panasonic Lumix DMC G2 has 12.1 MP Live MOS Interchangeable lens camera with 3-Inch Touch Screen LCD and 14-42mm Lumix G VARIO f/3.5-5.6 MEGA OIS. It has received very high ratings for ease of use, image quality, interface and construction quality.

The Panasonic G2K is considered to be the best micro four thirds camera on the market today. It has full HD Video and a Touch Screen LCD. The built in Electronic Viewfinder and a Video Recording button definitely add quality to this camera.

If, you are tired of lugging around a larger and heavier SLR then this might be the camera for you. It has very solid and good construction but, it is still small and lightweight. The swivel screen allows for odd angle pictures which will only add to the variety of photo's that can be taken with this versatile little camera. It is small only in size and not the capacity for what it can do.

Interchangeable Lens Camera

Sunday, November 13, 2011

The Best Wildlife Camera To Take On Safari

Good wildlife camera equipment on safari can make the difference between pictures you will be proud to show your friends and family when you get back and ones where it's difficult to figure out exactly what you were photographing because it's only a fuzzy black dot surrounded by green vegetation.

I take wildlife photographs for a living and I have had to quickly figure out what the best cameras and lenses are to get the job done effectively.

Digital or Film - Which is better for a safari?

Wild animals are very unpredictable. That's one aspect of safari photography that makes it so exciting because you never know what you are going to get but this also means that the number of pictures you need to take to get a keeper increases.

And if you use film that can become very expensive whereas with a digital wildlife camera you can take as many as you want and then just delete the ones where the lion has ducked behind a bush, the cheetah has blurred because the autofocus locked onto a twig in front of it and the exposure of the hippo was way off because of the reflected sunlight in the water.

You can also make consistent use of bracketing to get the perfect exposures without worrying about cost or running out of film which can be a problem in certain remote areas of Africa where safaris take place.

So more is better in this case but what about quality? The fact is that digital quality is fast catching up to film unless you fall into the professional category and are going to be selling your safari pictures or entering them into competitions. In that case it might be better to stick to film because the trained eye will be able to spot the difference but in most other cases digital quality is more than adequate.

Digital also gives you valuable feedback while you are still on safari so that you can try and improve on that elephant picture with the ear cut off the next day. You also have a lot more control over the final product because you can use software like Photoshop to enhance and fine tune your pictures.

Digital SLR or Compact Wildlife Camera

A safari is the dream trip of a lifetime and it's a great opportunity to get some fantastic wildlife pictures but it's not necessary to buy the latest and greatest digital SLR and lenses to get them unless you are planning to take nature pictures for a living or are a serious photography enthusiast and are going to make regular use of the camera and lenses after the safari anyway.

The cost of a digital SLR wildlife camera is high compared to a compact but that is only half the story. The lenses that you need to purchase for decent wildlife photography often cost more than the camera itself making it a very expensive business indeed.

And a bulky camera body and multiple interchangeable lenses do add to the weight of your luggage and the inconvenience of carrying everything around with you.

Digital compact cameras on the other hand are not extremely expensive and the results that you can obtain from them are almost on a par with a digital SLR camera and you don't have to worry about any additional lenses if the compact you buy has a decent zoom covering the range from 80mm to about 300mm. There are a few of them on the market that do have lenses like this and the range of the zooms increase every year.

And compact cameras live up to their name by being relatively small and light and one lens means no additional weight or carrying and no time wasted changing to another lens to suit the situation.

The Best SLR Digital Wildlife Camera for Nature Photography

If you have decided to go with a digital SLR then by all accounts the best one to purchase for wildlife photography at the moment is the Canon EOS 20D due to the blinding speed of its shutter release (near instantaneous) and its continuous shooting speed of 5 frames per second to a maximum burst depth of twenty three frames. It also powers up in next to no time at all.

This wildlife camera is as fast as you will ever need to freeze wildlife action and get the picture in the can before the animal moves off into the undergrowth.

There are other SLR cameras that are nearly as good like the Nikon D70 and the Pentax ist D so take a look at them too before making a decision.

The Best Compact Digital Wildlife Camera for Nature Photography

Canon comes up trumps again in the compact camera category with the Canon Powershot S2 IS. The factor that makes this camera ideal for safari wildlife photography is its huge 12X optical zoom lens (36 - 432mm equivalent) with a built in image stabiliser which cuts down on blur when using such a massive zoom lens.

A 5 megapixal sensor is more than enough to produce stunning safari images and as long as you can live with a slight shutter release lag and power up delay this compact wildlife camera is perfect for a safari trip.

Interchangeable Lens Camera

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Best Cameras For Jewelry Photography

A very large part of managing your own jewelry business is being able to professionally present your jewelry products to your customers. Without being able to display your products in a manner that highlights the quality of the work or the special details in a piece you are trying to sell there is very little chance of your business doing well in the long run. If you are mainly trying to sell your line directly to customers in a face-to-face manner then this should not be a huge concern as your customers can examine your pieces on their own. If your business is centered around selling your creations on the Internet then you will need a better way of conveying the quality of your products.

Unless you are willing to pay for a professional photographer to take high quality pictures of your work then you are going to need to be able to take the pictures on your own. While it is really important to know how to frame a shot and use lighting to highlight the attributes of the product you are taking a picture of, the camera you select to take the pictures themselves is equally important. Selecting the camera you will be using to take the pictures is a huge decision and should not be made lightly.

When selecting a camera to use to photograph your work the first thing you should consider is your budget. This will be a key determinate of what kind of cameras you can choose from when making your decision. Some jewelry makes that are just starting out can make do with generic digital cameras, if this isn't for you then there are several options to choose from. The main thing to decide if you are using a digital camera is how many pixels you want for the pictures; generally, anything over 3 megapixels is a good choice. You also want to consider two other features: Macro Mode (a closer focus mode that lets you get extremely close to items and provides a nice clean shot) and White Balance (different programming in the cameras that allow them to compensate for reflective nature of jewelry pieces).

Most jewelry professionals recommend purchasing a DSLR. These are digital single-lens reflex cameras. Professionals really like these cameras because of their ability to pretty accurately preview the picture you will be taking as well as giving you the option to use interchangeable lenses for different types of shots. When it comes down to choosing between different DSLR's it is really all about personal preference as to whether or not you like one brand over another or how many different functional options you want to come with the camera.

Canon has excellent reviews for shooting still life items such as jewelry. A lot of full time home jewelers that take their own pictures recommend the Canon Rebel series. There are different options, and different price ranges for the various options in the Rebel series, but all have really good reviews on performance and quality of the pictures that are taken. I would recommend buying a lower end DSLR and splurging on a really good Macro lense. In the end, however, it really does just come down to personal preference. Luckily most high-end camera stores will let you try out their products before you actually select one, so you can try out a few different types before committing to one over another.

Interchangeable Lens Camera

Friday, November 11, 2011

Memories and Photographs

The Greeks call light as "photo." Graph" in the same language means to write. And the word photography is really " writing with light".

Many of us become less understandable, we sound hollow, and find it not easy to explain the salient points of our travels abroad simply because of our lack of evidence to support our descriptions of scenes that we have encountered, first hand, in other exotic lands abroad. Being men of few words we could not articulate more on the beauty that nature there provided due to the photographs and snapshots that we missed to take because we failed to carry one camera that moment in time.

There are two groups of still cameras in the market today that are available for enthusiasts to choose from. The film and digital cameras. One has a distinct advantage over the other in terms of cost, resolution, weight, versatility and ease of operation. A digital camera may reach a ,000 mark while the film cameras may cost ,000 or less. Both are capable of taking pictures through-the-lens that is coupled with sensitive meters that measures light quickly and accurately even when taking a picture of distant subjects using telephoto lenses. Through-the-lens metering systems also provide correct readings even with filters over the lens automatically accounting for the additional exposure required to acquire a perfect picture. Correct exposures can be obtained with through-the-lens metering even when an accessory such as the extension tube or bellows is placed between the lens and the camera body. It further heightens the flexibility and operational ease incorporated in a through-the-lens camera. Some camera manufacturers employ the use of central processing units to handle enormous amounts of calculations required for automatic exposure correction. With the use of these cameras, vistas and worlds previously unnoticed or unseen become accessible to the naked eye.

By changing lenses on cameras, the viewfinder reveals different worlds. Distances may appear to be longer or shorter than in actuality and the feeling of depth is modified or enhanced. Details previously unnoticed become clear and vivid and beauty is intensified on the subject. With almost 50 interchangeable lenses to choose from, the world of photography reveals tremendous breadth and creative freedom that is boundless. Some reveals its beauty in an unusual compositions that are unplanned, accidental and unintentionally captured and suddenly become a favorite one.

Some digital cameras offer image quality that stems from the integration of innumerable system components. They employ shutter systems, camera bodies and high performance lenses, software, digital sensors and processors. The integration of all these elements makes it all possible to offer features not available with other systems but the cost may be higher than that of a film camera.

It is very important to read the brochures of your travel destinations to be aware of the picturesque locations before arrival and find a not so common angles in capturing them so that people will want to see those photos in detail again and again. Shot with excitement and with a discriminating eye for the unusual.

Interchangeable Lens Camera

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Hybrid Cameras Explained

Hybrid cameras, also called mirror less cameras, are a new breed of camera that combine the compactness of a compact digital camera with the picture quality of a digital single lens reflex camera. The new hybrid cameras don't have a single lens reflex mirror taking away some of the bulk of a DSLR, but have a larger image sensor than your standard compact digital for better photos. A hybrid camera also does not have a standard viewfinder as in a DSLR, but rather uses an LCD screen or an electronic viewfinder that can be purchased separately. The hybrid cameras have interchangeable lenses like a DSLR, making them versatile enough to get many types of shots. They also take incredible HD video in 780p or 1080p format.

Hybrid cameras are the answer to that middle market of customers who don't want to invest in high end DSLRs, but want to get higher quality pictures than a compact digital. The hybrids are compact enough to carry around very easily. On many models, you can instantly record HD video without going through a menu. Most models run in the 0 - ,000 range, making them very affordable to many.

Olympus and Panasonic use what's known as a micro four thirds format for interchangeable lenses. This is an attempt to come up with a standard format for digital camera lenses to make it possible to exchange with advanced DSLR lenses. Micro four thirds refer to the ratio of the image sensor, which is a 4 X 3. This size is smaller than a standard 35mm, but about 10 times larger than a standard digital compact. The increased size and quality allow the photographer to shoot in lower light without the graininess associated with smaller image sensors.

Many major camera brands have come out with their own version of a hybrid camera. Panasonic led the way with the Lumix G1, then came Olympus with the PEN series. Sony came out with the NEX 3 and 5. Nikon and Canon have plans to come out with hybrids very soon.

With all of the hype surrounding the new hybrid cameras, it remains to be seen if the market for this type of camera will take off. Sales have steadily increased since 2008 and it is predicted to take off by 2012.

Hybrids offer the best of both worlds. They are compact enough to carry around easily and powerful enough to take great photos with the right lens.

Interchangeable Lens Camera

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

The World's Best Binoculars, A Personal Choice

The question is which of the market leaders in the field of optics can lay claim to having produced the world's best binoculars?

It's not too hard to identify those that deserve a place in a directory for the world's best binoculars, optics are specialist bits of kit and there is a clear divide between the basically poor, the reasonable to good quality and the exceptional. However to single out one of the exceptional as the out and out best binoculars isn't so easy given that personal taste and binocular application both have a strong influence in the decision.

What can be said is that for any pair of binoculars to feature in a world's best binoculars list they must create a passion, excite you when you pick them up and make you never want to put them down. An exceptional pair of binoculars should not only have outstanding quality optics but be so well balanced that you don't even know they are in your hand allowing you to observe for extended periods of time in perfect comfort.

Unless you have experienced the difference between good and absolutely superb you won't ever understand how the world's best feels, so, if you really want to know just test a pair of Swarovski 8.5 x 42 EL's against perhaps a Pentax DCF SP 8 x 43. The Pentax is good, very good but the Swarovski is special. One word of warning, don't do this unless you can afford to upgrade as lesser priced binoculars will never seem the same again!!

As I said personal taste is important and there will often be disagreements with one user believing that Swarovski are the world's best binoculars while another will swear by Leica (for example) but what the top binoculars have in common is the manufacturers absolute attention to detail in regards to design, weight, size and balance and the exceptional quality of the optics and optical coatings.

Application is really important because the world's best binoculars for birding would be absolutely useless for astronomy or for the marine environment and binoculars that work well for sports, travel or theatre wouldn't be so good for observing nature or hunting.

For marine use the Steiner Commander binoculars are hard to beat. They are the only marine binoculars to come with Steiner's Nano protection against the environment, they are salt water resistant, waterproof to 10mtrs, have long life NBR rubber armouring, high performance optics, interchangeable eyecup system with a specific eyecup for spectacle wearers and a 30 year guarantee. These are truly professional marine binoculars which deliver an amazing performance in all light conditions, a strong contender for the world's best binoculars in a marine environment. Other options are the Nikon Stabileyes which are twice the price but offer image stabilizing technology or Canon IS binoculars although these are specifically designed for marine use.

If you are after image stabilizing binoculars take a look at the Canon 10x42 WP IS binoculars. Users absolutely rave about them. They are the first binoculars with lenses which carry the red L-series ring only previously found on Canon professional camera lenses, are fully waterproof and have unrivalled IS capabilities (in any moving environment).

For the world's best binoculars for birding you might want to try the Swarovski EL 8.5 x 42's, a truly outstanding bit of kit which delivers a user experience you will never forget. Another great bird binocular is the Leica Ultravid 42 series, absolutely stunning binos, compact (for their class) and yet exceptionally bright.

The best giant binoculars can deliver some stunning views of sky objects and the right ones make an excellent addition to the astronomer's toolbox. Fujinon produce top quality astronomy binoculars (up to 150mm objective diameter) although at a price which is beyond the reach of the average user. The Nikon 10 x 70 IF SP WP's are more affordable and make an excellent pair of astronomy binoculars.

Fujinon also make some of the world's best night vision binoculars but they come with a very high price tag!

For every application there is often a different short list for the 'world's best binoculars' in that class so as a starting point you need to decide exactly what you want to use your binoculars for. This will then enable you to narrow down your search in regard to magnification, size of objective lens etc. and manufacturers generally indicate suitable applications for their binoculars. Always check out the quality of the lenses and lens coatings, don't settle for anything less than fully multi-coated optics and Bak-4 prisms (unless price is an issue for you). Price isn't always an indication as to how good a pair of binoculars is so birding / astronomy forums etc are a good place to find those little gems that perform as well as the known top performers but for a lesser price tag.

Happy hunting for the world's best binoculars.

Interchangeable Lens Camera

Monday, November 7, 2011

Digital Cameras - What Fun

Taking pictures can be a ton of fun. In today's world of digital cameras you can get a really nice camera for less than 0. A huge part of the fun is the end result. When taking pictures don't just go for the normal shot. Take a photo of the same thing but change the angle of the camera and see how it looks. That is one of the great things about digital cameras, you see the shot right away.

Make sure to not just focus on the main subject but look around and behind the subject. Get rid of the ugly stuff in the frame and keep the good stuff. Sometimes this is done by moving the camera just a little bit up, down, right or left. Sometimes taking a step in one direction or the other will create a totally different shot and produce great lifelong photo's.

If you are a little more advanced and looking for more than just a point and shoot camera, you can get some really nice digital SLR's for under 0. I love the Nikon D90 and use it a lot. I got mine slightly used for 0.

Some of the advantages of the SLR are the interchangeable lens and controlling the depth of field. There are many many more advantages but I will save those for another article or author.

Depth of field... what you see behind your subject... the less the number the less that will be in focus. The higher the number the more in focus. The f-stop which controls the depth of field also controls how much light will be in the photo. the lower the number the more light and the higher number the less light. this will also effect at what speed the camera will shoot.

Don't buy a nice camera and put it on AUTO and not get to know how you can effect the photo by playing with a few settings. Play with the f-stop, the speed, the ISO settings and the WB (if your camera has this). You can really change a picture dramatically by just playing around a bit. It will be a teaching experience and bring lots of fun.

Sometimes the clouds behind your subject are good and sometimes there bad so shoot from different angles and have fun.

The real fun part is sharing the end result. Have fun and don't be afraid or in too big of a hurry to experiment.

Interchangeable Lens Camera

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Home Spy Cams

Spy cams have revolutionized the field of home security. They are the most effective tool to tackle vandalism and burglary which is rampant these days. In case of a burglary or an intrusion, the police can view the video captured by these spy cams and this makes their task easier.

Home spy cameras are easy to install and use. They work with TVs and VCRs, so you don't need any extra equipment. They are ingeniously designed so that they look inconspicuous in any environment.

Standard security cameras for homes include pinhole cameras, cameras with microphone, bullet shaped weather proof cameras, wide angle door viewer cameras, aluminum infra red dome cameras and night vision indoor/outdoor camera. The pin hole camera measures just an inch and can be placed anywhere. The picture quality of this tiny camera is amazing. Infra red dome cameras and the night vision cameras have IR LEDs for night time viewing. These cameras can see up to 200 feet in the dark and produce decent quality images. Instead of peeping through the peep hole on your door to check a visitor, you can fit a wide angle door camera and connect it to your TV for viewing.

Pan/Tilt/Zoom camera is another type of spy camera that can be fitted in your home. By panning and tilting the camera you can view any spot or room in your home. It allows 360 degree panning rotation and 0-90 degree tilt. It is controllable using the Internet and has auto iris interchangeable lens to help you change lenses when you need.

Wireless spy cams and send and receive signals up to seven hundred feet and can also penetrate walls and other opaque objects. They are built using CCD chip technology and produce 380 lines of resolution for color images.

Spy cameras safeguard home to a great extent and can also be used to monitor babies and small kids from another room.

Interchangeable Lens Camera

Saturday, November 5, 2011

How to Hold Your SLR Camera Correctly

Have you ever wondered why your photographs are sometimes blurry or even feel that your hands are very exhausted after an hour of photo taking session? This may likely be the way you hold your SLR camera.

It is very important that you hold your SLR correctly in order to have a firm and stable grip. Without a proper knowledge on this, you may potentially encounter camera shake which delivers blurry photographs. To be honest, this can be very frustrating especially when photographing indoors or under low light conditions (without tripod or flash of course) where the shutter speed is slower.

I regard learning how to hold your SLR camera correctly being more important than learning other photography tips and techniques. There is no point applying mind-blowing techniques to your photographs, which turn out to be blurry. Also, it is inevitable that you will perceive to be more professional when you are holding your SLR camera in a professional way. The worst thing is to hold your SLR camera like you are taking a photograph using a compact camera!

Always remember that your left hand is the supporting hand, regardless of whether you are taking in portrait or landscape format. Have the base of your SLR camera resting on your left palm. You may want to have the lens resting on your left palm instead if you are using a heavy lens. The trick here is to have your left elbow tucking close to your body for added support. By doing this, you are already creating a good and firm support for your camera without your right hand.

Next, you simply have to ensure that you have a comfortable grip onto the camera's hand grip with your right hand. Turn your camera anti-clockwise direction when switching from landscape format to portrait. Remember that your left palm will always act as a support.

I strongly discourage you to turn your camera clockwise when taking portraits. This is because you will be giving your right wrist a lot of strain, especially when you are attaching a heavy lens onto your camera. Not only that, it is more challenging to press the shutter button this way, let alone to make any quick adjustment necessary when viewing through the view-finder.

Another trick is to wrap your camera strap around your right hand for added support. It is actually a good habit to always keep this practice. Who knows when "accident" will happen and your camera will always be close to you even if you let go both hands. Trust me, having your camera landing on the ground is not an item you want to have in your wish-list.

Interchangeable Lens Camera

Friday, November 4, 2011

Motorcycle Goggles - How to Find the Right Pair For Riding

Being out on the open road, riding your bike, is one of the greatest feelings. But when road debris, dirt, and dust, gets blown into your eyes, it can cut the day short. It's important to find a pair that's going to be comfortable enough to wear all day, and look stylish too. As more and more states are requiring that riders wear helmets, having a good pair of goggles to wear with it may become one of your favorite pieces of safety equipment.

Debris, like rocks, can be flung off the road by cars. These can be fling back by cars, and may seriously injure you if they were to strike you in your eyes. When picking out goggles, make sure you find a pair with polycarbonate lenses. Glass lenses are not safe, because they can be shattered by a blow from a rock. This will make them useless. Polycarbonate is a plastic that is nearly shatterproof, and will protect your eyes from serious damage.

Goggles are available in all kinds of colors and tints. Choosing darker tints will allow you to see during the day, and help prevent glare. By not having to worry about glare and having to squint to see around, you'll be safer on the road. However, at night, darker lenses can be more dangerous than helpful. Switching to a pair with light lenses or polarized lenses will increase nighttime contrast. Companies offer goggles with all kinds of lenses for all different levels of light. You'll still need goggles at night, so find a pair that gives you enough visibility to make it possible to see at night.

If you don't want to carry around multiple pairs of goggles when you're out riding, some goggles offer pairs with interchangeable lenses. You can change them as you need them, based on how bright it may be as you're out riding. You'll only have to carry around all the different lenses. Another option is photochromic lenses, albeit they are more expensive. They can change how much light is allowed in through the lens depending on how much light is being shined in from the outside. They may be the most expensive choice, but they can also be the most convenience.

Sometimes you can't always sacrifice the necessity of prescription glasses in order to wear a pair of goggles. But companies are now offering pairs with oversized lenses that accommodate for prescription glasses. A pair that is big enough for your prescription frames will give you protection from debris, and still give you plenty of visibility. Some brands even offer goggles with prescription lenses. You can order them through the manufacturer. They'll give you great visibility and protection, but they aren't as big and bulky as other goggle types may be. Often the bigger goggles can put too much pressure on your face, which is why you may want to order a pair of prescription goggles.

Interchangeable Lens Camera

Thursday, November 3, 2011

The Importance Of Camera Lens

The most essential element to a photographer is their camera and the camera lens. The camera plays the roles of processing image, image stabilization and so on. While the lens perform as what are the images that it is capable of capturing hence pass it to the camera to process the images. Many people might think that camera is more important than the lens or other equipment. However professional photography is not such an easy thing to be play around. It requires multiple elements in order to be capable of taking the perfect photograph, you will need a powerful camera, sharp lens and the most important element would be skills. With the best equipment and lens, it doesn't means that you will be able to take photo at the level of professional does.

The camera main function is to enable you to take photo. Lenses are for you to be able to capture sharp and high quality images. To take photo with appropriate timing, angle, lighting and so on are depends on your skills and luck. You will be able to be more skillful as you have more experience and the passion to keep continues in pursuing photography. However if your lens is unable to capture the quality that you desire, you will not feel satisfied of the picture that you have taken. The image that you are capable of taking with your level of skill cannot be accomplished with the lens. This is where you should think of upgrading your camera or lens.

The joy of sharpening your skills and playing with the camera to get stunning photo cannot be achieve through compact digital cameras. Even though the current compact digital camera have powerful processor, image processing and other function, but its limitation would be it lens. Compact cameras don't have the flexibility of changing lens. You should get your lens from reputable manufacturer such as Nikon or Leica. However sometimes you might faced problem such as compatibility issues. You should always do your research before buying. The best way to do research would be browsing for more information online or joining forums and ask questions when you have doubts.

Interchangeable Lens Camera

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

What Equipment Is Needed For A Photography Business?

You love taking pictures and would like to use your talent to earn some extra money. You might be asking yourself, what equipment is needed for a photography business?

Luckily, it is one of the businesses that does not require a lot when you are first starting out.

We will start with the obvious, a camera. Whether you are taking pictures of objects, (houses for real estate agents for example) or people, you will want a DSLR or Digital Single-Lens Reflex camera. What these cameras do is mimic the functions of a film camera. They snap pictures rapidly unlike point and shoot digital cameras. This is essential for portraits, weddings, or events.

The lenses are interchangeable so if you are taking pictures of a house listing for a Realtor, you have the ability to put on a wide angle lens. DSLR cameras also allow for a larger more powerful flash to be attached which is needed for weddings and portraits.

Is a website needed? Not necessarily. There are companies like Smugmug who will host your work on their website for a yearly fee. If you start to get real serious, then you might want to get your own site. But even this isn't all that difficult or expensive. WordPress sites are easy to create. You can find a web host for as low as five dollars a month. Domain names are pretty cheap, running about ten dollars. If you got serious with wedding photography, I would recommend your own website. Getting a wedding job can be tough so you really need to stand out above the competition.

Photo editing software is required now a days. If you are taking senior pictures, people expect that a blemish be removed from a teenagers face, or braces taken out. If you have some good poses that you took but the lighting is off, or there is an object you don't want in the picture, you can fix it and be able to use the picture. You can spend a ton of money on the top version of Photoshop but this is not needed when you are staring your business. I would look for an older version of Photoshop to start. You can always upgrade later as you get comfortable with the software.

Tripods will come in handy for portraits or real estate photography and are pretty inexpensive. Always make sure to purchase extra batteries and memory cards to have on hand at a shoot. You don't want to be in the middle of a photo shoot and have to stop because your batteries died.

Hopefully this answers the question of what equipment is needed when starting a photography business. As your business grows you can look for other things like a portable backdrop, different lenses, flashes, diffuser etc. Start out with the basics first, then invest in your business when you start making a profit.

Interchangeable Lens Camera

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Digital Cameras: Caring for the Camera Lens

Digital Cameras: Caring for the Interchangeable Camera Lens

The popularity of a digital camera is due in part to the vivid, life like photographs that it can produce. The lens of a camera is the key to creating these clear, sharp images. However, dust, fingerprints, scratches, and other dirt and smudges can destroy contrast, produce pictures that appear out of focus, and eventually can result in the expense of having to replace the lens, or camera, altogether.

Obviously, proper care can help extend the life of the lens and assure better quality images. Following just a few basic tips can go a long way in assuring a digital Interchangeable Camera Lens does not fail.

Easy tip of caring interchangeable camera lens

Avoid contact with the Interchangeable Camera Lens when possible. Keeping the lens cover on and placing the camera in the bag when not in use can shield it from dust and other potential damage. Basically, anything that comes in contact with the interchangeable camera lens of a digital camera can damage the special coatings that allow the lens to function properly. Extra care should be taken when shooting pictures to assure that the interchangeable camera lens is not touched as it is grasped in the hands.
Keep lenses away from excessive heat which can breakdown the greases used within the barrel of the lens.
Add a UV filter over the interchangeable camera lens as an extra layer of protection.
Keep the lens dry. Moisture whether from your breath, condensation, a cleaner or another source can create fogging and, in some case, can warp the lens housing. Because of the potential damage from moisture, care must be taken in exposing your camera to cold as condensation may form when it is returned to a warmer environment.
Remove visible particles from the interchangeable camera lens without touching it when possible. Using an ear syringe or special dust blower is the preferred method. Soft bristled brushes are available as well but care must be taken to assure that the brushes are clean and do not scratch the surface of the camera lens.
Remove fingerprints and smudges with a dry microfiber cloth. Lens cleaning fluids are available and can also be applied to the microfiber cloth as needed. The fluid should not be applied directly to the lens. Only cleaners made specifically for camera lenses should be used; do not use cleaners made for eyeglasses.
Use extra care in harsher environments. As described above heat and cold extremes can cause damage to lenses as well as the camera itself. Because cameras travel with us however, they are sometimes exposed to environments that are somewhat "hostile". Thus, extra precautions are sometimes necessary. For instance, in extremely cold weather it is generally best to carry the camera close to the body, perhaps covered by a coat to keep it warmer. On rainy days wrapping the camera in a plastic bag can help shield it from the moisture. The beach can also be hostile due to the potential exposure to wind, sand, moisture, and heat. Again, covering the camera with a plastic bag and shading it from the sun are good preventative measures.

Reducing contact and exposure to contaminants, proper cleaning, and protecting the lens from extreme environments are key to assuring the longevity of a interchangeable camera lens. These basic precautions entail minimal expense and time commitment and can become second nature very quickly to beginning photographers.

Interchangeable Lens Camera