Tổng quan về chụp ảnh!

1.Sơ bộ về lịch sử nhiếp ảnh:

Từ rất xa xưa(có tài liệu ghi trước công nguyên khoảng 3 thế kỷ) con người đã phát hiện ra nguyên lý thu hình: Một lỗ thủng bé ở tường nhà cho ánh sáng bên ngoài lọ vào trong phòng tối đã đem theo hình ảnh đối diện nó.

Nguyên lý này đã được Leonardo Da Vinci (Nhà bác học nổi tiếng nhiều lĩnh vực, mà hiện nay quyển sách viết về ông Mật mã Da Vinci đang bán chạy) nhắc đến năm 1519 khi nói về cách quan sát bầu trời những khi có nhật thực.

Cùng thế kỷ 16 nhà vật lý Morolico đã rút nhỏ không gian buồng tối trên thành hộp tối. Chiếc hộp tối này được làm bằng một cái hộp kín, một mặt ngắn tạo lỗ thủng nhỏ cho ánh sáng đi vào. Mặt đối diện là tâm kính mờ để quan sát.

Vào năm 1568 ông Danielo Barbaro đã sáng chế ra một hộp tối có một thấu kính và một lỗ có thể thay đổi đường kính để tăng độ nét của ảnh. Trước đó mọi người còn biết đến hộp Porta được các hoạ sĩ dùng để vẽ ảnh phóng tranh...

Cái hộp kiểu này vẫn còn chụp ảnh ngon Very Happy . Các bạn có thể nhìn thấy khi xem triển lãm ảnh “Hà Nội nhìn qua một cái hộp” ngày 12-1-2005 tại sảnh triển lãm của Trung tâm văn hóa Pháp L’ Espace (24, Tràng Tiền, Hà Nội). Do hai nhà nhiếp ảnh Francois Perri và Philippe Masson hướng dẫn các em trẻ mồ côi làm quen với kỹ thuật chụp ảnh bằng hộp tối sténopé.

Đó là một công cụ nhiếp ảnh đơn giản, làm từ vỏ đồ hộp, không có bất kỳ chi tiết cơ khí nào, không có thấu kính. Nó giúp các em quan sát, sáng tạo hình ảnh, học cách làm thời gian ngừng lại, giúp các em hiểu rõ hơn về thời gian và ánh sáng.

Một hiện tượng ngẫu nhiên như quả táo của Niwton đã đến với nhiếp ảnh đó là vào năm 1727,một nhà khoa học người Đức tên là Schulet khi phơi tờ giấy có tráng muối bạc AgNO3, chẳng may cái lá cây rơi xuống. Một lúc sau thì in rõ hình chiếc lá... Sau đó các nhà Khoa học đã khẳng định nguyễn lý nhiễm hình.

Và năm 1824 khi Nicéphore Niépce nhaf khoa học người Pháp - người đặc biết chú ý đến các chất nhiễm hình, cộng tác với Daguerre, dùng hộp tối Porta để chụp ảnh. Sự kiện này được coi như đánh dấu sự khai sinh của Nhiếp ảnh, năm đó bức ảnh đầu tiên của Nghệ thuât nhiếp ảnh với thời gian chụp mất 8 tiếng đồng hồ về "nóc phố" được ra đời.

Khoảng năm 1833 khi Nicéphore Niépce mất. Daguerre đã sáng tạo ra máy chụp lấy tên là Daguerreobtypes, đây được coi như là chiếc máy ảnh hoàn chỉnh đầu tiên.

2. Sơ bộ về hoạt động của máy ảnh:

Từ Nhiếp ảnh do một người Anh gọi đầu tiên, theo nghĩa gốc La tinh có nghĩa là : Vẽ bằng ánh sáng. Chính vì vậy mà mọi bộ phận của máy ảnh chỉ phục vụ cho ánh sáng mà thôi Very Happy .

Còn chụp ảnh được hiểu là sự tổng hợp của các biện pháp về hoá học, vật lý, quang học, thẩm mỹ, tâm lý.. kết hợp lại với nhau để thành một sản phẩm hoàn chỉnh.

Máy ảnh và mắt chúng ta đều có sự hoạt động tương đồng. Chủ đề cần chụp nhờ ánh sáng phản chiếu qua hệ thống dẫn sáng (ống kính, đối với mắt đó là thuỷ tinh thể), lượng ánh sáng vào nhiều hay ít được điều khiến bởi khẩu độ (như chấm đen con ngươi trên mắt người). Qua màn chập (cửa chớp) để điều khiển tốc độ vào của ánh sáng nhanh hay chậm (đối với mắt đó là bờ mi nó chỉ khác máy ảnh là nó lại nằm ngoài). Cuối cùng hiện lên phim (lấy nét sai thì hình ảnh sẽ hiện đằng trước hoặc sau phim, đôí với mắt đó chính là võng mạc). Mắt chung ta tự điều tiết được con máy ảnh thì không... Ba yếu tố độ nhậy (Iso), khẩu độ (f) , tốc độ (s) là ba yếu tố quan trọng bậc nhất để quyết định tính chất kỹ thuật của ảnh. Các yếu tố khác như đo sáng, cân bằng trắng... cần nắm vững để phục vụ, phối hợp tốt cho 3 yếu tố đầu tiên...

- Cảnh vật nhìn được là do chúng phản chiếu ánh sáng.
- Ống kính để truyền ánh sáng.
- Khẩu độ điều khiển khiển về lượng của ánh sáng.
- Màn chập để điều khiển thời gian vào của ánh sáng.
- Phim (cảm biến) là nơi tiếp nhận ánh sáng.

Trước khi xác định các chỉ số máy ảnh những động tác sau đây cũng rất cần lưu ý:

2.1. Cầm máy:

Đối với cách cầm dọc hay ngang thì động tác truyền thống vẫn là một tay đỡ ống kính một tay cầm máy. Chỉ lưu ý đừng che các "Mắt thần" của máy.
Bác nào cho em cái ảnh minh hoạ nhé vì không tự chụp mình được Very Happy Nhưng cũng rất cần chắc chắn vì nó không chỉ là tài sản lớn mà là đồ nghề yêu quý.

- Đeo dây vào cổ hoặc tay nếu có thể.
- Tránh để va chạm hay bụi đầu ống kính

2.2. Lấy nét:

Riêng lấy nét phải đọc kỹ hướng dẫn của từng máy. Chỉ lưu ý là có loại ống kính zoom lệch nét. Nghĩa là nếu ta đã lấy nét ở 35mm khi zoom lê 70mm nó bị lêch nét phải lấy lại chứ không khoá lấy nét được.

Đối với trường hợp thao tác bằng tay (M). Chỉ áp dụng cho Ống kính không có Af (lấy nét tự động) hoặc có cả Af và M. Chụp theo cách này phụ thuộc vào dự đoán của bạn về khoảng cách đến đối tượng chụp. Tuy nhiên cần lưu ý:

- Khi đã lấy nét đối tượng chụp cần kiểm tra lại bằng cách lấy nét quá (thấy đối tượng chụp hơi mờ) rồi lại vặn trở lại.

- Ống kính có cả Af thì khi sử dụng chế độ này xong hãy chuyển ngay về chế độ Af và phải kiểm tra lại trước khi chụp tiếp, không có thể cả bộ ảnh của bạn sẽ tan theo mây khói.

Vậy phải kiểm tra mọi thông số của máy trước khi chụp

Các máy đều cho phép ta lấy nét và khoá bằng cách bấm nhẹ vào nút chụp. Nên đừng bấm một cách vội vàng nhất là đối với chân dung và Macro..

3.Khẩu độ và xác định khẩu độ:

3.1. Khẩu độ (Aperture):

Cái van điều tiết lượng sáng vào máy ảnh này dược gọi là cửa điều sáng, độ mở ống kính và giá trị đo nó được gọi là khẩu độ. Ánh sáng cũng như thời gian nó hình như "vô hình" với con người. Nên đôi khi chúng ta quên nó, không hình dung rõ về nó. Vì vậy để minh hoạ tôi cứ ví như cái vòi nước.

Cửa thoát nước cấu tạo như cửa điều sáng (f nhỏ (1;1.4;2.Cool là cửa mở to và ngược lại). Chúng ta mở to của thoát nước, nước sẽ vào nhiều (tương đương f nhỏ (1.4;2.Cool thì ánh sáng vào nhiều) nhưng lại nước chảy ngay trước vòi (tương đương với Dof ngắn). Còn để lỗ nhỏ nước vào ít (f lớn (16;22) ánh sáng vào ít) nhưng sẽ bắn ra xa hơn (tương đương Dof dài), đây chính là cách để hình dung trực quan nhất về Vùng ảnh rõ (dof)

Khẩu độ ống kính tức là độ mở tương đối của cửa điều sáng.Theo quy ước của hội nghị Nhiếp ảnh quốc tế năm 1909 thì khẩu độ cho máy ảnh từ mở hết cỡ đến đóng hết cỡ như sau:

f/1.4, f/2, f/2.8, f/4, f5.6, f/8, f/11, f/16, f/22, f/32.



Cơ cấu chỉnh khẩu độ chính là một loại cửa điều tiết ánh sáng đặt trong ống kính, cấu tạo bởi các lá thép mỏng chồng so le với nhau, ở giữa mở ra một lỗ tròn đồng tâm với các thấu kính.

Các cánh thép này có thể trượt trên nhau khi ta điều chỉnh để tạo ra độ mở lớn hay nhỏ cho ánh sáng đi qua. Hoạt động bóp nhỏ/mở rộng khẩu độ khẩu độ của ống kính giống như sự điều tiết của con ngươi mắt. Độ mở lớn hay nhỏ sẽ cho ánh sáng đi vào phim nhiều hay ít. Trị số khẩu độ được sắp xếp theo chuỗi lớn dần gọi là f-number.

Công thức tính:

f-number = độ dài tiêu cự ống kính (focal length) / đường kính lỗ xuyên sáng (đường kính lỗ xuyên sáng do các lá thép mở ra.).

Focal length = khoảng cách từ tâm ống kính tới mặt phim của nó

1-----1.4-----2.0-----2.8-----4.0-----5.6-----8.0-----11-----16-----22
---1.2-----1.8----2.5----3.5------4.5-----6.7-----9.1----13-----19

Trên cùng một dãy ngang, các trị số liền kề chênh lệch nhau một khẩu (f-stop). Ví dụ từ 1.4 sang 2.0 hay 2.5 sang 3.5 (hàng dưới).

Xoay sang trái là mở mọt khẩu, xoay sang phải là đóng một khẩu. Ví dụ Xoay vòng chỉnh từ 2.8 sang 4.0 là đóng một khẩu, về giá trị 2.0 là mở một khẩu.

Theo chiều từ trái qua phải, trên một hàng ngang, lượng ánh sáng đi qua mỗi khẩu độ sẽ giảm còn một nửa.

Hàng số bên dưới hiển thị các giá trị lệch nửa khẩu so với hàng trên. Ví dụ: từ 2.5 sang 2,8 là đóng hẹp lại nửa khẩu, nhưng khi chuyển từ 2,5 sang 3,5 tức là đóng một khẩu.

Lưu ý:

- Tuy chức năng chính của cơ cấu chỉnh khẩu độ là điều chỉnh lượng ánh sáng đi vào phim, nó còn có tác dụng chi phối độ nét sâu (depth of field) trên hình ảnh cuối cùng ghi vào phim . Độ mở càng nhỏ thì ảnh càng nét sâu, độ mở càng lớn thì vùng ảnh rõ càng cạn (như hình dung về vòi nước đã nêu trên).

- Những máy ảnh kỹ thuật số ngày nay cửa điều sáng luôn ở trong trạng thái mở lớn nhất để hỗ trợ ánh sáng cho việc canh nét. Chỉ khi có trập nhấn xuống thì cơ phận chỉnh khẩu độ mới đóng các lá thép lại theo thông số xác định trước.

Điều này lại dẫn đến một nhược điểm là khung cảnh hiện ra trong kính ngắm luôn ở tình trạng nét nông nhất và không phản ánh đúng chiều sâu ảnh trường thực tế sẽ được ghi hình.

Nhược điểm này được khắc phục bằng nút bấm xem trước vùng ảnh rõ(depth of field preview button). Khi nút này được nhấn, máy sẽ điều chỉnh các lá thép đóng lại theo khẩu độ định trước để người chụp thấy chiều sâu ảnh thực tế sẽ được ghi vào phim. Chụp macro không nên bỏ qua nút này

4.2. Tác dụng của Khẩu độ:

Việc đóng hẹp hay mở rộng khẩu độ sẽ ảnh hưởng tới độ sáng của vật chụp, góc chụp và độ nét sâu (hay còn gọi là chiều sâu rõ nét của ảnh trường) theo các quy luật sau:

- Càng đóng nhỏ khẩu độ (trị số f càng lớn) càng làm giảm độ sáng của vật chụp.

- Càng mở rộng khẩu độ thì góc chụp càng nhỏ.

- Khẩu độ càng đóng hẹp thì vùng ảnh rõ càng dài.

Các Nhiếp ảnh gia thường điều chỉnh khẩu độ để phục vụ cho độ nét nông hay sâu của ảnh.

Các bạn có thể xem hai ảnh dưới đây, thông qua độ rõ nét của hàng ghế để thấy sự ảnh hưởng của khẩu độ tới độ nét nông hay sâu.


Ảnh 1: Với khẩu độ F/2.8 - Ảnh 2: Với khẩu độ F/22

3.3. Những gợi ý tham khảo về khẩu độ:

- Đối với chụp phong cảnh (landscape) người chụp luôn mong muốn sẽ lấy được sắc nét toàn bộ khung cảnh từ điểm gần nhất cho tới điểm xa nhất vì vậy mà độ mở ống kính thường được để ở độ mở nhỏ nhất.

- Khi chụp chân dung, người chụp thường mong muốn có được bức ảnh trong đó mặt người được chụp sẽ sắc nét nhất trong khi hậu cảnh sẽ mờ hơn nhằm làm nổi bật chủ đề chụp lúc này độ mở ống kính càng lớn càng tốt.

- Ống kính có độ mở càng lớn thì càng dễ chụp trong ánh sáng yếu cũng như các chủ đề chụp chuyển động nhanh.

-Đối với chụp ảnh bắn pháo hoa, bạn sẽ có được những tấm ảnh đẹp khi đứng xa nơi bắn pháo hoa. Đứng xa nơi bắn, bạn cũng sẽ không bị những người khác che khuất máy ảnh. Nên mang theo chân máy vì sẽ phải mất vài giây pháo hoa mới phóng lên bầu trời được. Hãy chụp nhiều kiểu ở nhiều góc độ để kết hợp trên máy tính.

Để có những tấm hình đẹp, nên đặt độ sáng làm sao khi chụp lên bầu trời sẽ có màu đen thẫm hoặc xanh đen thẫm. Cụ thể, bạn hãy để độ mở ống kính là f/11 đến f/22. Máy cơ với tốc độ B.

-Chụp ánh trăng thì thời điểm thích hợp nhất là trăng tròn và không bị mây che phủ. Thông thường nên để độ mở ống kính f/5.6 trong 15-30 giây. Bạn cũng nên chụp thử vài kiểu trước. Để máy ảnh ở chế độ “B” (Đối với máy cơ) để bạn có thể mở ống kính và chờ trong một thời gian. Thời gian chụp ánh trăng tốt nhất là một vài giờ sau khi trăng mọc, nên tránh chụp quá nhiều khoảng trời.

-Chụp toàn cảnh thành phố về đêm thì hãy tập trung vào các đường phố với xe cộ nối đuôi nhau để tạo thành những vệt sáng kéo dài. Hãy để ISO ở 100 (nếu có thể)và độ mở ống kính f/11, có thể thay đổi một chút tùy thuộc vào tốc độ giao thông trên đường. Đặc biệt, nếu có thể chụp được cả các tòa nhà xung quanh thì bức ảnh của bạn sẽ còn đẹp hơn nữa nhờ sự cộng hưởng của các ánh sáng hắt xuống từ các tòa nhà này lên đường phố. Bạn có thể bổ sung màu sắc vào các bức ảnh của mình nhờ vào đèn chiếu màu.

- Cảnh phố xá sáng đèn về đêm, nếu mặt đường mưa càng hay cho việc phản chiếu ánh sáng có thể chọn f2.8 với ISO 400 hoặc f 4 với ISO 1000.

- F4 cùng được sử dụng nhiều trong chụp lửa trại, với dân báo chí là chụp cháy nhà về đêm, nhà hát các khu vui chơi ban đêm các bảng hiệu quảng cáo với ISO trung bình là 400.

- Nếu chụp bóng đá về đêm nên dùng F2.8

- Chụp sân khấu, biểu diễn xiếc, múa rối nước, bơi nghệ thuật, hay trong nhà thi đấu thể thao f2.8 và f4.0 được dùng thchs hợp nhất ISO từ 200 đến 800 tuỳ theo ánh sáng và tốc độ tác giả muốn thể hiện.

- Ánh nến sinh nhật thì f2 hay 2.8 là điều nên nghĩ đầu tiên.

Hầu hết các kiến thức trên đây là để áp dụng cho dòng máy cơ kỹ thuật số DSLR (Canon EOS, Nikon D..) còn các bạn nếu sử dụng máy kỹ thuật số bình thường thì không cần quan tâm nhiều, chủ yếu ngắm và chụp cho chuẩn thôi .

(Nguồn Photo.com.vn)

Digital SLR Cameras, Lenses and Film

(From: photo.net)

Do you need good lenses with digital SLR cameras?

I often see comments that run along the lines of "Since digital cameras don't have the resolution of film, you don't get any benefit from premium lenses since the digital sensor limits image quality". I also see statements to the effect that digital sensors need the very best lenses to give good results. True? Well from a theoretical viewpoint I can make a convincing argument based on convolution of MTF curves that better lenses should give better images even on small sensor, limited pixel count digital SLR camera. But what do real tests show?

Well, I took some digital shots using a Canon EOS 10D 6MP DSLR and both a Canon EF 75-300/4-5.6 IS lens (IS off) and a Canon EF 300/4L lens. Both lenses were used at f5.6 and ISO 100 sensitivity was used on the camera. Shutter speed was around 1/750s and the camera (or lens) was mounted on a sturdy tripod. Note that these images are 400% blowups from the original digital file. We are looking in close detail at the very limit of resolution so everything looks somewhat blurred.

Here, in the center of the image, you can see that the better lens not only resulted in higher contrast, but also greater perceived sharpness. Resolution is limited by the sensor, not the lens, but the better lens does give a better image. The difference is less than you'd see on film under optimum conditions. Still, you can score one for the better lens.

At the corner of the image the difference is more obvious. Again contrast with the better lens is higher, but in this case the cheaper lens is clearly showing much more chromatic aberration (green/purple fringes on the tangential lines). Score another one for the better lens.

So it's certainly true that better lenses give better results even on a 6.3 MP 10D. Does that mean you should only use "L" lenses - of course not. There are many excellent non-L lenses. For example the 50/1.8, the 24/2.8 and the 28-105/3.5-4.5 are all good lenses. In fact the 75-300 is a very good lens at the shorter end, but as you can see above does suffer somewhat when zoomed to 300mm and used wide open. It's still not bad, just not as good as the 300/4L. What is equally true is that you can't just say "Well, the 10D doesn't have the resolution of film so it really doesn't matter what lens I use". Just like with film, choice of lens is still a factor in image quality, though probably not quite as big a factor.

Just as an aside, one very interesting aspect of using a digital sensor is that, to a large extent, the image resolution is independent of the ISO setting. Above are resolution patches shot at ISO 100 and ISO 800. While the ISO 100 patch might not be quite as good as an equivalent film test and high resolution scan, the ISO 800 patch looks just as good! There's a bit more noise, but not enough to have any effect on resolution. You can't say that about film!

What about film. Won't I get better results shooting film and scanning?

In theory, yes. It's not difficult to show that film with 80 lp/mm resolution scanned at 4000dpi should give higher resolution than a 6.3MP digital image. 100 lp/mm film scanned on a drum scanner should be even better. But those are just numbers. Also, resolution is not sharpness. Sharpness is a subjective quality that depends on contrast, acutance (edge sharpness) and resolution, moreover the perception of sharpness is related to some spatial frequency filtering that the eye/brain system does. Our perception of sharpness depends more on how well certain spatial frequency bands are reproduced and these aren't always the highest spatial frequencies. Grain and noise probably come into the equation too. There's much more to sharpness than just high lp/mm numbers. The only real way to judge which of two images is sharper is to look at them under the conditions that they will actually be looked at!

Test Targets: Here's a comparison of a two digital and one scanned film shot of a cropped section of an image of a resolution test target (all corrected to the same size on screen). The rightmost image is a section of a shot of a test target taken with a 300/4L lens at f5.6 on Kodachome 25 film and scanned at 4000dpi with a Canoscan FS4000US scanner. The leftmost image is a shot taken with the EOS 10D 6.3MP camera with the same lens from the same distance. Since there's a 1.6x "digital multiplier", the field of view of the 35mm image was cropped. The leftmost image compares the native resolution of the 10D sensor with Kodachrome 25 scanned at 4000dpi. As you can see, there's really not a lot of difference. Note that the 6.3 MP sensor on the 10D is about 15 x 22mm. If we had a full frame 24 x 36 mm sensor with the same pixel density it would be a 16 MP sensor, so you can think of the 10D as having a cropped 16 MP full frame sensor! That's better than any current DSLR, better than the 11 MP Canon 1Ds and even better the 14MP Kodak 14n. Yes, it's true, the 10D has a higher pixel density than either the 1Ds or the 14n - but of course the sensor is 1.6x smaller so the total pixel count is less. Given this and all the hype (some deserved, some not deserved) about the 1Ds and 14n being better than 35mm film it shouldn't be surprising that the left and rightmost images are quite similar.

However comparing the native resolution of the sensor to scanned film isn't really a fair comparison in real world applications. To get the same digital shot with the same magnification and field of view as the film shot we need to use a lens 1.6x shorter in focal length, i.e. 187.5mm, so the center image was shot with a 70-200/4L zoom set to 187.5mm and f5.6. Now the field of view of the digital camera is exactly the same as the field of view of the film camera. As you can see, under these conditions the resolution from the 10D is clearly lower than the scanned film

A second way to look at these images is to say the left and rightmost images represent what you might see if the made equal prints from the 10D and from a 15 x 22 mm cropped section of the 35mm negative (the 10D sensor is 15 x 22 mm). In this case resolution is very similar. The center and rightmost images represent what you might see if you made the same sized print from the 10D and from the full frame 35mm slide. The 10D image needs 1.6x more magnification to get to the same print size and thus resolution suffers

But we don't spend our time taking pictures of test targets and looking at the scans under high magnification - well, most of us don't anyway. We shoot real objects and look at prints. In the real world, differences you can easily see in scientific tests may not be so obvious. Nor may these differences be as significant as they appear to be from scientific tests. Most real objects don't have detail in the form of high contrast black and white bars with sub-mm spacing.

Real Images: It we want to look at real images we have the problem of what to compare with what, but for this test I chose to shoot 35mm film with a 500/4.5L lens on Sensia 100 and scan at 4000dpi with a Canoscan FS4000US scanner, since that's a pretty typical example of what I use. The comparison digital shot was made with an EOS 10D set to ISO 100 and a 300/4L lens at f5.6. I know from previous testing that the 300/4L and 500/4.5L give very similar - and very high - image quality. Both are capable of putting over 80 lp/mm on film in the center of the frame. With the "digital multiplier" of 1.6x the "effective focal length", or more correctly angular coverage, of the 300/4L on the 10D sensor was equivalent to that of a 480mm lens on 35mm film, so I didn't need to change my shooting position much to get the same image as with the 500mm lens. The full frame shot is shown below (it's the digital shot) and the red box shows the area enlarged,

Below is the first enlarged image. It's a 100% crop from the scanned film. On my 17" monitor with a screen resolution of 1280x1024 this would represent a "real life size" section from a 40" x 60" print. It's approximately a 3.25mm square section on the slide. Your monitor and screen resolution will give a different scaling factor of course (unless it's a 17" using 1280x1024).

Now here (below) is the same section reproduced to the same scale from the 10D image it had to be upsized by about 200% to match the scale of the 4000 dpi scan since it started out around 2000 x 3000 pixels whereas the 4000 dpi scan started out around 4000 x 6000 pixels. Actual lp/mm resolution is lower, as evidenced by the less smooth diagonal lines, but viewed from a distance it's hard to tell (remember, on my monitor this is equivalent to a 40" x 60" print!). Also, the shadow detail is better AND the highlight detail is better, even the color balance is better. Now maybe I could do a more optimized scan (maybe not). Maybe I could have shot on Velvia rather than Sensia 100 - but I wouldn't normally do that. Maybe my exposure could have been tweaked a little, but this is what I got in real life and represents what I'd be likely to get under typical shooting condiions in the real world. This scan probably took 5-10 minutes including loading the slide, running the preview, running the final scan and tweaking it slightly to try to color correct. The digital image is straight out of the camera, saved as a JPEG (not even as a RAW file) with the default camera parameters and aperture priority autoexposure with multizone metering and aufofocus. I pushed the shutter and this was what was recorded.

Again remember that though this image shows "jaggies" on some of the diagonal lines, this image represents a section of a print much larger than anyone would attempt to make from a 6MP DSLR file. Below is a representation of a 20" x 30" print and a 10" x 15" print (as displayed on my 17" 1280x1024 monitor). These are just approximate sizes of course, but I don't want people to get a false impression of image quality (or lack of it) by looking at greatly enlarged images without realizing just how enlarged they are.

20" x 30"

10" x 15"

Conclusions

Based on MY particular film and digital workflow:

• Even on a 6MP Digital SLR like the EOS 10D, better lenses give better results
• Digital scans of high resolution film (Kodachrome 25) at 4000dpi on a FS4000US scanner yields higher resolution images than those shot directly with an EOS 10D. Not surprising, but confirmed by experiment.
• While 10D resolution is somewhat lower than ISO 100 film, it's very little affected by ISO setting so it's quite possible that high ISO digital resolution may be better than scanned high ISO film.
• From a practical viewpoint, 10D images printed on an inkjet from digital files are probably equal film up to maybe 11x14. They are certainly good enough to be very hard to distinguish from film.
• As an aside, if you want the ultimate in sharpness do it the right way. Get a large format camera and shoot film!

Of course it's possible that if I shot everything on Velvia and had professional drum scans made of my slides, film would look better than it does when I shoot Sensia 100 and scan on an FS4000US. In fact I'm sure it would. If I regularly made 20x30 prints, maybe drum scanned Velvia would be significantly better than 10D digital images. Again, I'm pretty sure they would. However the point is that I don't get professional drum scans done, and for most of my work I don't use Velvia and I don't think I've ever had a 20x30 print made from a 35mm slide, so such comparisons, while valid in the abstract, aren't really valid for me and my workflow. I'm just not going to use nothing but Velvia at EI 40, I can't afford to get everything drum scanned and I'm not in the business of making 20x30 prints. So while film may be better in the abstract case, for me it's not.

For me I think digital has now replaced film. Not 100% but certainly 90%. I'll still shoot some film, but the first camera I'll reach for is digital and I'll only use film when I think it can do something digital can't or if I really need the higher resolution that scanned fine grain high resolution film can give. Most of the time I think the digital images will be good enough and for most of my applications they won't look much different than optimized film scans.

Note I'm not saying "digital is better than film" or even "digital is as good as film". I'm just saying that for me, most of the time digital (from an EOS 10D) will likely meet my needs for image quality.

(C) Copyright 2003 Robert M. Atkins All Rights Reserved

Cann EOS 1D MkIII Preview

(From: photo.net)

The Canon EOS 1D Mk III is perhaps the most technologically advanced Digital SLR available today. This isn't based on just one feature - such as the ability to capture at 10 frames/second - but rather on a whole host of features which are improvements on the Canon EOS-1D Mark II N (review)

The EOS 1D MKIII is aimed at the professional photographer who needs to record fast action in all types of conditions. The shutter is rated for 300,000 cycles (more than any other EOS SLR), the camera is weathersealed (as are many EOS "L" Series lenses and the new 580EX II speedlite), the buffer can store over 100 large jpg files and with the ability to capture at ISO 6400, the EOS 1D Mk III can continue taking pictures when lesser cameras have given up and gone home!

Those who value the number of pixels above all else might be surprised to learn that the sensor in the EOS 1D MkIII is "only" 10MP, no more than a Digital Rebel XTi. However the number of pixels isn't everything. The 1D MkIII pixels are larger and have lower noise levels. The sensor has a better microlens assembly and captures light more efficiently. Dual Digic processors extract the data via a 14-bit A/D converter, compared to a 12-bit A/D in other other EOS DSLRs. The sensor is 28.1mm x 18.7mm and has a 1.3x multiplier factor, midway between the size of the APS-C sensor found in Canon's Digital Rebel series and the full-frame sensor of the Canon EOS 5D, $2700 (review). Though the pixel size of the 1D MkIII is smaller than that of the 1D MKII N, the actual area of the photodiodes is the same due to optimized fabrication techniques, meaning there is no loss of sensitivity.

The reason that the 1D MkIII doesn't use a full frame sensor is probably because the 1.3x sensors (also known as APS-H format) are the largest sensors that can be imaged in one pass using cutting edge semiconductor manufacturing technology. This gives them a significant cost advantage over full frame sensors.

The EOS 1D MkIII is the first Canon DSLR that allows "live preview" of the image on the LCD screen (or a remote monitor). Live preview only works, however, with the mirror locked up, autofocus disabled, and metering set to evaluative mode. By enlarging a section of the preview on the LCD, accurate manual focus is possible.

The camera may be ordered from Amazon.com, $4500.

Major Features of the Canon EOS 1D Mk III

• World's fastest AF DSLR with approximately 10 fps continuous operation in One-Shot AF or AI Servo AF
• Maximum burst (JPEG Large, compression level 8) approximately 110 shots; RAW, approximately 30 shots (based on Canon's testing standards)
• Dual DIGIC III Image Processors
• ISO 100-3200 with ISO speed extension, L = 50, H = 6400
• 14-bit A/D conversion for fine gradation
• Live View in camera and remote, wired and wireless
• New 45-point Area AF sensor with 19 high-precision, cross-type points (f/2.8 compatible), 26 standard-precision Assist AF points
• AF micro-adjustment (fine adjustment of AF point of focus)
• New 10.1-megapixel CMOS sensor, APS-H size
• Improved microlens array and pixel fill factor plus optimized photodiode structure to increase light-reception efficiency
• Professional EOS Integrated Cleaning System with Self-Cleaning Sensor Unit, Dust Delete Data acquisition
• RAW, sRAW (new Small RAW), RAW+JPEG, sRAW+JPEG, JPEG+JPEG simultaneous recording
• Increased shutter durability of approximately 300,000 cycles
• Large and bright 3.0-inch LCD monitor with 230,000 pixels and wide viewing angle
• Selectable noise reduction for high ISO images, 50% less shadow noise for all images
• Selectable Highlight Tone Priority
• High-speed shutter with 1/8000 sec. maximum speed and high-speed X-sync at 1/300 sec. with EX Speedlites
• Compatible with SDHC (SD High-Capacity) memory cards as well as high capacity CF cards
• High-magnification, wide-coverage viewfinder and improved focusing screen with 100% finder coverage
• 63-zone metering sensor for more stable exposure control with ambient light and flash
• High-capacity, lightweight and compact lithium-ion battery with estimated battery life display
• ISO speed and metering pattern always displayed in viewfinder and on top LCD data panel
• Maintains water resistance with new 580EX II Speedlite

The Canon Japan Web site has a number of full sized sample images from the EOS 1d MkIII available for download.

Canon's Press Release

The EOS-1D Mark III features an all-new Canon 10.1 megapixel APS-H size CMOS sensor with an expanded sensitivity range of ISO 50–6400. 14-bit A/D conversion means fine gradation and a significant drop in digital and shadow noise.

To combat against stray dust that enters the camera and adheres to the image sensor during a lens change, the 1D Mark III features Canon-designed Self-Cleaning Sensor Unit. The IR-cut filter cleans itself automatically with ultrasonic vibrations, removing dust from the sensor assembly

Dust that has been missed by the Integrated Self-Cleaning Sensor Unit can also be erased with software included in Digital Photo Professional (DPP) Version 3.0. The 1D Mark III's imaging sensor is able to single out the dust particles on its surface, then plots out their location coordinates within the image. This data is transmitted along with the image, whether JPEG or RAW, and can be either manually or automatically erased in Canon's DPP version 3.0. This added software option ensures the cleanest possible image, perfect for printing or archiving.

With a maximum continuous shooting speed of approximately 10 frames-per-second, for up to 110 shots, the EOS-1D Mark III is the world's fastest digital SLR. Bursts are first recorded to the camera's internal memory to ensure maximum speed and then transferred to memory cards for storage. The number of shots remaining during a burst is displayed on the right side of the viewfinder.

The EOS-1D Mark III raises the bar for AF performance. It uses an extraordinary 45-point high-density area AF system that provides not only the industry's largest continuous AF coverage area, but also the greatest range of control over focusing point selection. The focusing point can be selected automatically by the camera (based on high-speed microcomputer analysis of image content), or users can manually select any of 19 high precision, cross-type AF points which can be complemented by 26 additional Assist Points for pin sharp accuracy, instantaneously.

A processing unit devoted solely to focusing the 1D Mark III uses advanced algorithms that ensure the fastest, most accurate AF performance under the widest variety of conditions, with processing up to 3 times faster and a full stop darker than on the EOS-1D Mark II N. The One-Shot AF mode is ideal for more static subjects. The camera rapidly selects the optimum focusing point and the subject is instantly brought into focus even if it is off-center. The AI Servo AF mode is excellent for moving subjects. Aided by a highly "intelligent" predictive focusing algorithm, it precisely tracks subject movement, even at speeds of up to 10 fps. Even with erratic or rapid subject movement, the photographer can shoot continuously, concentrating solely on image composition.

The largest LCD monitor ever in an SLR with interchangeable lenses (as of February, 2007), the 3.0-inch LCD monitor on the EOS-1D Mark III contains another: a Live View option, where the photographer can compose and shoot directly from the LCD monitor. Achieved via a menu setting (by raising the SLR camera's mirror) and perfect for a number of applications, Live View enables the photographer to zoom in and navigate the composition at 5x or 10x normal size, while enabling critical manual focus and allowing more attention to detail. Users can even choose a grid overlay, perfect for architectural photography.

In response to requests from professional users, the new EOS-1D Mark III is more rugged, yet lighter than its predecessor. Able to withstand shooting in the roughest conditions, the 1D Mark III is clad in a magnesium alloy shell, chassis and top panel, providing impressive strength without excessive weight. All of the 1D Mark III controls and external cover seams are sealed from water and dust. Even the perimeter of the 1D Mark III's hot-shoe is ribbed for water resistance, enabling flash photography with Canon's new Speedlite 580EX II. Other new features include an improved shutter, durability tested to 300,000 exposures, powerful new metering, a new control interface that mirrors the design of other popular EOS Digital SLR cameras and a 100% coverage viewfinder with a larger pentaprism for higher magnification, plus a number of optional focusing screens. Canon is also introducing a new, lightweight lithium-ion battery system that provides feedback on the LCD monitor, including number of shots taken on a charge, percentage of battery power remaining and whether the battery should be reconditioned with the charger. With the new battery installed, the EOS-1D Mark III body is about 1/2 pound (approx. 225g) lighter than the EOS-1D Mark II N body.

Full Specifications

Type	Digital AF/AE SLR
Recording Medium	CF Card Type I and II, SD/SDHC Memory Card (1 slot each), and/or External media (USB v.2.0 hard drive, via optional Canon WFT-E2A transmitter)
Image Format	1.11 x 0.74 in./28.1 x 18.7mm (APS-H size sensor)
Compatible Lenses	Canon EF, TS-E, and MP-E lenses (except EF-S lenses)
Lens Mount	Canon EF mount
Lens Multiplier	1.3x
Image Sensor
Type	High-sensitivity, high-resolution, single-plate, CMOS sensor
Pixels	Approx. 10.10 megapixels
Total Pixels	Approx. 10.70 megapixels
Aspect Ratio	3:2 (Horizontal:Vertical)
Color Filter System	RGB primary color filters
Low-pass Filter	Fixed position in front of the CMOS sensor
Recording System
Recording Format	DCF 2.0 (Exif 2.21): JPEG, RAW and RAW+JPEG simultaneous recording possible. Multiple options for recording images on two memory cards, and onto compatible external USB hard drives (via optional Wireless File Transmitter WFT-E2A)
Image Format	JPEG, RAW (Canon .CR2)
File Size	(1) JPEG/Large: Approx. 10.1MB (3,888 x 2,592) (2) JPEG/Medium 1: Approx. 8.0MB (3,456 x 2,304) (3) JPEG/Medium 2: Approx. 5.3MB (2,816 x 1,880) (4) JPEG/Small: Approx. 2.5MB (1,936 x 1,288) (5) RAW: Approx. 10.1MB (3,888 x 2,592) (6) sRAW: Approx. 2.5MB (1,936 x 1,288)
Folders	Can be manually created by user, and freely selected for subsequent images.
File Numbering	(1) Continuous numbering (2) Auto reset (3) Manual reset (the image numbering is reset to 0001, a new folder is created automatically)
Color Space	Selectable between sRGB and Adobe RGB
Interface	USB 2.0 Hi-Speed, mini-B port. NTSC/PAL for video output
White Balance
Settings	Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten Light, White Fluorescent Light, Flash, five Custom WB settings (1–5), user-set Color Temperature (2,500~10,000K), five Personal White Balance PC-1 to PC-5 (Total 10 WB types)
Auto White Balance	Auto white balance, taken from imaging sensor
Color Temperature Compensation	White balance bracketing: Three consecutive images, Up to +/- 3 levels in 1-stop increments White balance correction: blue/amber bias and/or magenta/green bias +/- 9 levels; manually set by user When blue/amber bias and magenta/green bias set with White balance correction, white balance bracketing cannot be set together during white balance correction
Viewfinder
Type	Eye-level SLR with fixed pentaprism
Coverage	Approx. 100% horizontally and vertically
Magnification	0.76x (-1 dpt with 50mm lens at infinity)
Eyepoint	Approx. 20mm
Dioptric Adjustment Correction	-3.0 to +1.0 diopter
Mirror	Quick-return half mirror (Transmission: reflection ratio of 37:63)
Viewfinder Information	AF (AF points, focus confirmation light), Exposure (metering mode, spot metering area, shutter speed, aperture, manual exposure, AE lock, ISO speed, exposure level, exposure compensation, exposure warning), Flash (flash ready, high-speed sync, FE lock, flash exposure level), Image (JPEG recording, RAW recording, shots remaining, white balance correction, memory card information), Battery check
Depth-of-Field Preview	Enabled with depth-of-field preview button; possible in Live View mode
Eyepiece Shutter	Built-in
Autofocus
Type	TTL-AREA-SIR AF-dedicated CMOS sensor
AF Points	19 cross-type AF points (plus 26 Assist AF points)
AF Working Range	EV -1 ~18 (ISO 100 at 73°F/23°C)
Focusing Modes	Autofocus (One-Shot AF, Predictive AI Servo AF), Manual Focus (MF)
AF Point Selection	Automatic selection; Manual AF point selection: 19 AF points, Inner 9 AF points (C.Fn III-9-1), Outer 9 AF points (C.Fn III-9-2)
Selected AF Point Display	Superimposed in viewfinder and on LCD panel
AF-assist Beam	None. Emitted by EX-series Speedlite or optional ST-E2 Speedlite Transmitter
Exposure Control
Metering Modes	63-zone TTL full aperture metering (1) Evaluative metering (linked to all AF points) (2) Partial metering (approx. 13.5% of screen, at center) (3) Spot metering (approx. 3.8% of screen) Center spot metering AF point-linked spot metering Multi-spot metering (max. 8 spot metering entries) (4) Centerweighted average metering
Metering Range	EV 0-20 (ISO 100 at 73°F/23°C with EF 50mm f/1.4 USM lens, ISO 100)
Exposure Control Systems	Program AE (shiftable), Shutter speed-priority AE, Aperture-priority AE, E-TTL II program AE (Evaluative flash metering, Averaged flash metering), Manual
ISO Speed Range	Equivalent to ISO 100-3200 (in 1/3-stop or whole stop increments), ISO speed can be expanded to ISO 50 and 6400 (via C.Fn I-3)* *Standard Output Sensitivity. Recommended Exposure Index.
Exposure Compensation	Exposure Compensation (user-set): +/-3 stops in 1/3- or 1/2-stop increments. Auto Bracketing (AEB): 3 shots, up to +/- 3 stops, in 1/3 or 1/2 stop increments, in all exposure modes. Can be changed via C.Fn I-6 to 2, 5, or 7 shots. Bracketing order can be changed via C.Fn I-5.
AE Lock	Auto: Applied in One-Shot AF mode with evaluative metering when focus is achieved Manual (user-set): By AE lock button in all metering modes
Shutter
Type	Vertical-travel, mechanical, focal-plane shutter with all speeds electronically controlled
Shutter Speeds	1/8000 to 30 sec. (1/3-stop increments), X-sync at 1/300 sec. (with EOS Speedlites; 1/250 maximum with other shoe-mount flashes, and up to 1/60 with studio strobes)
Shutter Release	Soft-touch electromagnetic release
Self-timer	10 sec. delay, 2 sec. delay
Remote Control	Canon N3 type terminal
External Speedlite
EOS External Flash or Dedicated Speedlites	E-TTL II autoflash with all EX Series Speedlites
PC Terminal	Provided; accepts third-party flash units with sync line voltages up to 250V maximum
Drive System
Drive Modes	Single, silent, high-speed continuous (approx. 10 fps), low-speed continuous (approx. 3 fps), 10- or 2-sec. self-timer
Continuous Shooting Speed	Approx. 10 fps (at a shutter speed of 1/500 sec. or faster in all recording modes); fastest speed can be lowered if desired via C.Fn III-15
Max. Burst During Continuous Shooting	JPEG: approx. 110 frames (Large/Fine, at standard level 8 compression setting) RAW: approx. 30 frames RAW+JPEG: approx. 22 frames (Large/Fine)
LCD Monitor
Type	TFT color, liquid-crystal monitor
Screen Monitor size	3.0 in.
Pixels	Approx. 230,000 pixels
Coverage	Approx. 100%
Brightness Control	7 levels provided
Playback
Image Display Format	Single image, 4-image index, 9-image index, Jump, Magnified zoom (approx. 1.5x to 10x), Histogram, Auto rotate, Rotate Live view: view image before shooting on LCD monitor; live histogram and live simulation of exposure level possible with C.Fn IV-16-1
Highlight Alert	In the single image display and (INFO) display, over-exposed highlight areas will blink
Image Protection and Erase
Protection	Single image, all images in a folder, or all images in the memory card can be protected or cancel the image protection
Erase	Single image, all images in a folder, all images in the memory card or check-marked images can be erased or unprotected.
Direct Printing from the Camera	Possible with compatible PictBridge-enabled printers
Compatible Printers	CP and SELPHY Compact Photo Printers, PIXMA Photo Printers and PictBridge compatible printers (via USB Interface Cable IFC-200U, included with camera kit)
Settings	Print quantity, style (image, paper size, paper type, printing effects, layout, date, file number), trimming
New Features
Dust Delete Feature	Via built-in microphone at rear of camera body; activated by pressing recording button on camera. Sound file attached to image file on memory card.
Picture Style	WAV
Recording Time	Max. 30 sec. per recording
Menus
Menu Categories	(1) Shooting (2) Playback (3) Setup, (4) Custom function/My Menu
LCD Monitor Language	18 (English, German, French, Dutch, Danish, Portuguese, Finnish, Italian, Norwegian, Swedish, Spanish, Greek, Russian, Polish, Simplified/Traditional Chinese, Korean, Japanese)
Power Source
Battery	One dedicated lithium-ion battery LP-E4 AC power can be supplied via the AC Adapter Kit ACK-E4
Number of Shots	At 68°F/20°C: Approx. 2000 At 32°F/0°C: Approx. 1700 The above figures apply when a fully-charged Battery Pack LP-E4 is used
Battery Check	Automatic
Power Saving	Provided. Power turns off after 1, 2, 4, 8, 15, 30 min.
Back-up Battery	One CR2025 lithium battery
Dimensions and Weight
Dimensions (W x H x D)	6.1 x 6.2 x 3.1 in./156 x 156.6 x 79.9mm
Weight	40.7 oz./1,155g
Operating Environment
Operating Temperature Range	32-113°F/0-45°C
Operating Humidity Range	85% or less

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H9 and DSC-H7

(From: dpreview.com)

Pre-PMA 2007: Today is the day that Sony has chosen to unveil its PMA compact digital camera annoucements, perhaps the worst-kept secret of the year so far. For anyone who hasn't seen the leaked information there are additions and updates to the T, W and H series. We'll start with the big boys; the DSC-H7 and H9, which replace the H2 and H5. The new models both sport 8.1 megapixel sensors, HDTV output, 15x stabilized zooms and - in the case of the H9 - NightShot technology for, apparently, shooting in total darkness. This being 2007 both models (the difference is basically the screen size) also have automatic face detection technology, without which any camera is now officially, old hat.

CALL THE SHOTS AND ZOOM AHEAD WITH SONY’S NEW CYBER-SHOT DIGITAL CAMERAS

LAS VEGAS, Feb. 27, 2007 – Responding to the growing demand for super zoom digital cameras, Sony is introducing its new 8-megapixel DSC-H9 and DSC-H7 models. Designed to appeal to families with budding athletes in their broods, the cameras debut Sony’s new advanced sports shooting mode.

This mode combines high shutter speed shooting and intelligent continuous auto-focusing. The cameras can quickly focus on fast-moving subjects by predicting where those subjects will be in the frame. This predictive technology also helps to reduce shutter lag, the time it takes for the camera to focus and shoot.

Both cameras feature powerful Carl Zeiss® 15x optical zoom lenses for up-close shots of big plays on the field. You won’t miss the look of victory in your champion’s face with Sony’s new face detection technology. It can identify up to eight faces in the camera’s LCD frame, and automatically adjust white balance and flash as well as focus and exposure for correctly exposed, sharp photos.

The Big Game Is Even Bigger In High Definition

Half the fun is playing the game and the other half is re-living the experience by viewing and sharing your photos. Why huddle around the PC to look at pictures when you can impress family and friends with the visual impact of the game in the utmost clarity, color and detail on an HDTV set.

These new cameras feature high-definition outputs. Simply connect them to your HDTV with the Sony VMC-MHC1 high-definition component cable, sold separately, and turn photo viewing into an entertainment experience.

Shoot At The Speed of Life

Even if you’re not at full speed during the soccer match on Saturday morning, the H9 and H7 models will be. These new cameras can shoot up to 1/4000 of a second, a critical speed for capturing fast-moving sports and freezing the action.

Both cameras are powered by the Bionz™ processing engine, first used in Sony’s Alpha digital SLR camera system. This new circuitry speeds up response times and delivers the fast image processing speeds needed to produce color-rich, detailed pictures for true high-definition photo viewing.

Capturing fast action does not have to result in blurry photos. The H9 and H7 cameras incorporate Super Steady Shot® optical image stabilization to minimize blur caused by camera shake, an important feature when shooting at slow shutter speeds at full zoom. Their high sensitivity, up to ISO3200, also helps to fight blur resulting from fast-moving subjects.

The H9 camera takes fast-action shooting a step further. It sports a 3-inch, flip-up LCD screen so that you can shoot comfortably from nearly any position. You can hold the camera low to the ground for eye-level shots of kids, without having to contort yourself or crawl on the ground, or hold it high for shots of the crowd. The H7 camera has a non-articulating but large 2.5-inch LCD screen for easy sharing and viewing.

Capture The Mood

The H9 camera is the only Cyber-shot model in this year’s line to feature NightShot® technology. This feature allows you to take photographs in environments with virtually no light so you won’t miss the action, even at a late night game.

Both cameras’ high sensitivity (up to ISO 3200) will also help preserve the mood of your pictures by capturing well-exposed, natural-looking photos, even in challenging low-light conditions. You can shoot at higher shutter speeds to take in the maximum amount of light without using the flash. Picture noise, common to pictures shot at high ISO levels, is minimized by Sony's Clear RAW ™ noise reduction technology.

The Winning Finish

The H-series cameras incorporate selectable in-camera editing functions so you can spend more time on the field and less time behind a computer. Equipped with Sony’s Dynamic Range Optimizer, originally developed for the Alpha digital SLR system, the new cameras can analyze captured image data and instantly determine the best exposure and tonality of each picture before JPEG compression.

Other helpful in-camera functions include red-eye correction and photo retouching effects with filters. You can create fun and artistic photos with up to four filter selections, such as the partial color filter that can highlight your star athlete in color while the background of the photo is in black-and-white.

The DSC-H9 and DSC-H7 cameras will ship in April for about $480 and $400, respectively. The VMC-HD1 high-definition component cable will also be available in April for about $40. Additional accessories will include wide and telephoto conversion lenses, filters, batteries, travel chargers, sports packs and cases. All can be purchased online at sonystyle.com, at Sony Style® retail stores (www.sonystyle.com/retail), and at authorized dealers nationwide. Pre-orders begin on Feb. 28 at www.sonystyle.com/newcameras.

Sony DSC-H9 and DSC-H7 specifications

	DSC-H9	DSC-H7
Sensor	• 1/2.5 " Type CCD • 8.1 million effective pixels
Image sizes	• 3264 x 2448 • 2592 x 1944 • 2048 x 1536 • 640 x 480 • 3264 x 2176 (3:2) • 1920 x 1080 (16:9)
Movie clips	• MPEG VX Fine / Standard (640 x 480 @ 30 / 16 fps MPEG-1 with audio)
File formats	• JPEG • DPOF
Lens	• Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar • 31-465mm (35mm equiv) • 15x optical zoom • F2.7-4.5
Image stabilization	Super Steady Shot
Conversion lenses	Yes
Digital zoom	Precision 2x, TTL 30x
Focus	• Auto • Macro • Single • Monitoring
AF area modes	• 9-point • Face Detection
AF assist lamp	Yes
Focus distance	50cm
Metering	• Multi-pattern • Center-weighted • Spot
ISO sensitivity	• Auto • ISO 80 • ISO 100 • ISO 200 • ISO 400 • ISO 800 • ISO 1600 • ISO 3200
Exposure compensation	+/- 2EV in 1/3EV stop increments
Exposure bracketing	• Sharpness Setting:+/-1EV in 1 step increments • Contrast Setting: +/-1EV i n step increments • 3 frames, +/-0.3/0.7/1.0EV
Shuttter speed	• Auto: 1/4-1/4000sec • P: 1"-1/4000sec • S: 30"-1/4000sec • A: 8"-1/2000sec • M: 30"-1/4000sec
Aperture	F2.7-5.6 (w) F4.5-8 (t)
Modes	• Auto • Program • Shutter Priority • Aperture Priority • Manual • Scene
Scene modes	• Twilight • Twilight Portrait • Portrait • Landscape • Beach • Snow • Fireworks • High Sensitivity • Advanced Sports Shooting
White balance	• Auto • Daylight • Cloudy • Fluorescent 1, 2, 3 • Incandescent • Flash WB • Manual
White balance fine tune	n/a
Self timer	2 or 10sec
Continuous shooting	100 shots, 2.2fps, 8MP (max)
Image parameters	Color Modes: Natural, Vivid, Sepia, B&W
Flash	• Auto • On • Slow Synch • Off • Red-eye reduction • Front/rear synch • Auto/Daylight synch • Range: 0.2 - 9.8m (wide) 1.2 - 6m (tele)
Viewfinder	EVF
LCD monitor	• 3.0-inch tilt • 230,000 pixels	• 2.5-inch • 115,000 pixels
Connectivity	• USB • HD • AV w/multi-jack • DC in
Print compliance	PictBridge
Storage	• Memory Stick / Pro Duo • 31MB internal
Power	• Lithium-ion NP-BG1 battery • BC-CSG Charger
Weight (no batt)	407 g (14.3 oz)	375 g (13.2 oz)
Dimensions	109.5 x 83.4 x 85.7 mm (4 5/16x 3 5/16x 3 3/8in)

Travel Photography - What to Take in your Kit?

Last week we talked about What DSRL Lenses to Take when Traveling and in response had another question from the same reader, Trish:

“Thank you for your article on lenses, it’s helped a lot. I was wondering if you might do a follow up article exploring what else I should consider taking on my trip? I want to travel as light as possible but also want to be as prepared as I can. How much should I pack?”

Thanks again for your question Trish. Packing for a trip is a camera bag is a very personal thing and each traveler will have their own preferences as they attempt to balance weight issues with functionality but let me share a few of the items I pack as well as a few other options you might want to consider depending upon your own destination and requirements (Trish is a DSLR user and so am I so this will largely be aimed at people like us, although a lot of it will translate to point and shoot users):

• Extra Batteries - depending upon how many shots you tend to take in a day I find that most digital cameras these days don’t tend to run out of batteries in a days shooting. However it’s always important to have extra batteries for long days and those days when you forgot to recharge your batteries the night before. Some point and shoot cameras will take AA (or different standard size) batteries but I would recommend investing in a couple of sets of rechargeable ones as you’ll end up saving considerable money in the long run with them.

• Recharger - of course when you have a rechargeable battery you’ll want to remember a way to charge it up.

• Power Adapter - if you’re traveling overseas always do a little research before you leave on what power sources they have an what type of adapter plugs you’ll need. Most travel shops will be able to set you up with the right types.

• Cleaning Gear - I generally take some basic cleaning gear including a lens cloth, a cloth for wiping down the outside of the camera and a bulb blower. I don’t clean my own image sensor (I’d rather have a professional handle that delicate part of my camera) but regularly clean the outside of my camera and it’s lenses and filters while on the road.

• Filters - all of my lenses have UV filters (for protection as much as anything) and I generally carry polarizing filters for most of my lenses. These are great for cutting out flare and have a considerable impact when photographing water, glass or sky. I used to travel with warm up filters when I shot with film but find that most other effects can be done these days in post production.

• Flash - external flash units can be very handy to have while you travel although can add significantly to the weight of your kit (and you’ll need more batteries for them of course). The improvement in results from using a dedicated flash that can swivel, bounce and with manual controls are significant over a built in flash. If I’m traveling and do take one with me I generally don’t take it out with my unless it’s night or if I know ahead of time that I’ll need it due to weight considerations.

• Memory Cards - gone are the days of having to haul mountains of film around with you but giving careful consideration to the way you store you images while away is definitely worth some careful consideration. Memory cards come in a large variety of capacities in most cases ranging from small ones (my first camera came with a 16MB card) through to cards with gigabytes of memory. One might be tempted just to get the largest size available but should consider the risks of this approach also. What if your card becomes damaged, what if it’s stolen, what if you lose it? In any of these scenarios hundreds and hundreds of photos will be lost unless you have some sort of a backup plan. The options for combatting such loss are many. On my last trip abroad I came across people who were doing everything from sending images home via email (imaging the bandwidth) to backing up photos on their iPods, to using multiple memory cards so if they lost one they’d still have some photos from their trip. Whatever your strategy (I’ll write a post on more of the options in the weeks ahead) you’ll need to pack the equipment concerned.

• Camera Bag - personal preference also comes into play here. If you are traveling with a few lenses, filters, flash and more you’ll need something that is reasonably sizable. Backpacks might be an option for you, although they are not easily accessible for quick lens changes. Should slinging bags can be more accessible but are probably not as good for your back. I have both a backpack and shoulder bag (the Crumpler one pictured which is available at Amazon. They also make bigger and smaller ones) which I swap between depending upon the trip I’m taking. The main thing is to pick something that fits everything in and that is comfortable. You should also consider how weather proof the bag is as well as how much it looks like a camera bag (and therefor makes it a target for theft). Another option that some photographers use is to take two bags - one to transport your gear with on travel days (ie as hand luggage on a plane) and the other which you use on a day to day basis for taking what you’ll need that day (usually smaller and lighter). To be honest, I’ve never found the perfect bag or combination (as much as I’ve searched) - if you find one, let me know.

• Tripod - I tend not to travel with a tripod or monopod these days (although have once or twice if I was traveling in a car and not going overseas). Instead if shooting in low light I tend to find fence posts, use my camera bag or find other stationary objects along the way to support the weight of the camera. Some use the mini tripods that are all the rage these days, but they tend to be best with lighter point and shoot cameras than larger and heavier DSLRs.

• Point and Shoot - some DSLR users back a compact point and shoot camera as well. This is for those nights when they hit the town and don’t want to haul all their gear around with them but want to record the night. This is a bit of a luxury and indulgence really but if you’ve got the camera and want the flexibility - why not?

Of course with all of this gear on top of your lenses and camera body you might also need to bring some sort of small vehicle or to hire a porter. Seasoned travelers work out after a trip or two that ultimately you can get by on a lot less than you might initially pack for a trip. On most occasions after I pack for a trip I then challenge myself to remove at least one or two items. Usually by the end of the trip I’m glad that I have!

PS: Don’t forget to make sure your travel insurance covers your equipment!

DSLR Lenses - An Introduction

When I first started writing about digital cameras the main question i was asked by readers was ‘Which Camera should I buy?‘ Usually they were in the market for a point, fairly entry level point and shoot digital camera.

However these days with the increase in people buying DSLR cameras (they are so much cheaper and more people are feeling comfortable enough with digital now that they want to take it to the next level) the biggest question that I’m now asked is ‘Which Lens Should I buy for my DSLR?‘

Answering the question is something of a minefield as each digital camera manufacturer offers a large range of lenses of different qualities and budgets. Add to this that each photographer shoots differently and has their own styles and preferences and it can be something of a minefield to navigate to answer the ‘which lens’ question.

What follows below is an attempt to unpack the different types of lenses that most manufacturers offer in the DSLR market. I’m not going to get into talking about specific lenses but want to give a brief introduction to some of the terms and types of lenses that you’ll come across as you begin to explore the DSLR lens market.

Keep in mind that most DSLRs are not what are known as ‘full frame’ cameras. Their sensors are generally smaller than full frame and as a result lenses don’t have the same impact on these cameras as they would on a film camera. This is why you’ll often hear manufacturers talking about the ‘equivalent’ focal length of a lens.

Types of DSLR Lenses

Standard Lenses - this is a term that seems to be disappearing a little from terminology. Traditionally on film cameras it was used to describe lenses in the 50mm range because this is what usually came with the camera.

Kit Lenses - These days the lens that is offered as a package with the DSLR is generally called the ‘kit lens’. It is generally an entry level quality zoom lens. They are usually a fairly general purpose lens designed for everyday shooting. My personal preference is always to buy the DSLR as a body only and to upgrade the lens from the kit lens as they are generally at a lower to medium end of the spectrum of lenses.

Prime Lenses - A prime lens is a lens that has one focal length only. They are becoming less popular in an age where photographers like to have the convenience of a range of focal lengths at their finger tips (see zoom lenses) but they are definitely worth considering. Zoom lenses are increasing in the quality that they offer but prime lenses are known (especially at the top end) for their image quality and speed (faster aperture).

While many like the convenience of zoom lenses I actually enjoy the challenge of prime lenses and find that they make me think about my photography a little more than when I have a zoom attached (I get a little lazy).

Telephoto Zoom Lenses - Zoom lenses are the most popular DSLR lenses at present and come in a range of configurations and levels of quality. Obviously the benefit of zooms are that you do not need to physically get closer to your subject to get a tighter framing of the image. These lenses can have quite narrow ranges or quite long ones.

Keep in mind that if you buy one with a long focal length (for examples you can get them in lengths ranging up to 300mm or longer) that the longer your focal length the more impact that camera shake has on your images. More and more lenses these days are being released with Image Stabilisation (IS) to combat camera shake.

Macro Lenses - these lenses are specifically designed for shooting objects up close. Many lenses and cameras come with a ‘macro’ setting but true macro lenses will produce images that are life size and that enable you to get in incredibly close from the subject you’re shooting.

Wide Angle Lenses - As their name suggests, these lenses enable their users to take shots with a very wide perspective. They are useful for landscapes and for getting in nice and close to subjects still fitting a lot of them in.

Wide angle lenses come both as prime lenses but also are being found at the lower end of telephoto zoom lenses increasingly. Be aware that very wide lenses will sometimes distort your image a little (or a lot), especially at the edges of your photos where they can be quite curved. This can be used to great effect but can also be quite frustrating at times.

At the extreme end of the ‘wide angle’ range are ‘fisheye lenses’ which purposely distort your image in a curved way to get more into the shot. Again this is a style of photography that many love but is an art to get right.

So there you have it - you’re now at least equipped with some definitions and starting points for shopping for your next DSLR lens purchase.

From: http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/an-introduction-to-types-of-dlsr-lenses/

Pre-Focus to Combat Shutter Lag

My first foray into digital photography was with a small Canon point and shoot camera. I immediately fell in love with the medium due to being able to take large amounts of shots at no cost, being able to see shots immediately after taking them and the ease at which I could use the images in different ways.

However there was one one aspect of digital photography that I immediately began to hate - shutter lag.

In the first few shots that I took with my new point and shoot I realized that pressing down the shutter release didn’t mean that the scene that I was looking at would be captured just the way I saw it - there was at least a 1 second delay before the shot was taken.

Most modern day digital cameras have cut down the annoying shutter delay/lag problems significantly. In fact the only camera that I’ve tested with any significant lag has been my new camera phone (the Nokia N95 - which has a 5 megapixel camera in it - but which is annoyingly slow to use). Most point and shoot cameras these days will not have a noticeable shutter lag, however I still get asked about it a lot.

One of the reasons that I suspect many still think they suffer from shutter lag is that they don’t allow the camera time to focus. I realized this earlier in the week when out with a point and shoot user and watching their technique. They would see a scene - lift the camera to their eye and immediately hit the shutter in one jerking movement - expecting an instantaneous result.

Of course the camera needed a moment to focus and the resulting small delay while it did so was labeled ’shutter lag’ by my friend.

If you’re wanting to capture a moment in timed to the smallest delay possible it’s worth pre-focussing your camera on the scene - before you want to take the shot.

The way to do this is to frame the scene and then push your shutter release down half way. Once you’ve done this - continue to hold down the shutter release half way down until the moment you want to capture the scene - when you’ll press the shutter the rest of the way.

I showed my friend this simple technique and he was amazed at how exact he could get the timing on his point and shoot camera. His ’shutter lag’ was gone - all he needed to do was learn about pre-focussing.

From: http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/pre-focus-to-combat-shutter-lag/

How to Decide Which DSLR is for You?

From: http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/how-to-buy-a-dslr-camera/

So how do you decide which DSLR to buy? There are an increasing array of them on the market so you have a real choice ahead of you.

Here are a few factors to consider when looking for a DSLR:

1. Price - a good place to start when thinking about buying a DSLR is obviously price. DSLRs price range in price from some quite affordable deals at the lower end to extremely high prices at the professional end. Set yourself a budget for your purchase early on but make sure that you keep in mind that you’ll need to consider other costs of owning one including:

• Lenses (some deals offer ‘kit lenses’ but you should consider upgrading - see below for more on this)
• Batteries (all models will come with one but if you are travelling you might need a spare)
• Memory Cards (some models come with one but most are inadequate in terms of size. Even if you’re lucky enough to have one included you’ll probably want to upgrade to at least a 1 gigabyte card).
• Camera Bag (some dealers will throw one in - but once again don’t expect a high quality ‘free’ bag. Your DSLR is something worth protecting - invest in a good bag)
• Filters (at the least you’ll want to get a UV filter for each lens you purchase - but you might also want to consider other types down the track also).
• Extended Warrantees (there’s a variety of opinions on whether they’re good or not - but they’re worth considering)

2. What will You use it For? - when you head into a camera store to purchase any type of question the first thing most sales people will ask you what type of photography you want to do. It is well worth asking yourself this question up front as it will help you think through the type of features and accessories you’ll need.

Will this be a general purpose camera for recording ‘life’? Are you wanting to travel with the camera? Is it for sports photography? Macro Photography? Low Light Photography? Make a realistic list of the type of photography you will use it for (note I said ‘realistic’ - it’s easy to dream of all kinds of things you’ll photograph - but in reality most of us only do half what we think we will).

3. Size - DSLRs are all more sizeable than compact point and shoot cameras but there is a fair bit of variation in size between them also. Some photographers don’t mind carrying around weighty gear but if you’re going to use it for on the go photography (travel, bushwalking etc) then small and light models can be very handy.

4. Previous Gear - the attractive thing about DSLRs is that in many cases they are compatible with some of the gear you might already have.

• This is particularly the case for lenses. The chances are that if you have a film SLR that your lenses might well be compatible with a DSLR made by the same manufacturer. Don’t assume that all lenses will be compatible (particularly older gear) but it’s well worth asking the question as it could save you considerable money.
• If you have a point and shoot camera you might also want to look at the type of memory card that it takes as some models of DSLRs could also be compatible with them. This probably won’t be a major consideration as memory cards are considerably cheaper than they used to be but it could be a factor to consider.

5. Resolution - ‘how many megapixels does it have’ is a question that is often one of the first to be asked about a new camera. While I think ‘megapixels’ are sometimes over emphasised (more is not always best) it is a question to consider as DSLRs come with a wide range of megapixel ratings. Megapixels come into play as you consider how you’ll use your images. If you’re looking to print enlargements then more can be good - if you’re just going to print in small sizes or use them for e-mailing friends then it’s not so crucial.

6. Sensor Size - Another related question to consider is how big the image sensor is. The term ‘crop factor’ comes up when you talk about image sensor size - I’ll upack this further in a future article as it’s perhaps a little complicated for the scope of this one. In general a larger sensor has some advantages over a smaller one (although there are costs too). But I’ll unpack this in a future post (stay tuned).

7. Future Upgrades - will you be in a position to upgrade your camera again in the foreseeable future? While entry level DSLRs are attractively priced they tend to date more quickly than higher end models and you run the risk of growing out of them as your expertise grows and you thirst for more professional features. Ask yourself some questions about your current level of expertise in photography and whether you’re the type of person who learns how to master something and then wants to go to a higher model that gives you more control and features. It’s a difficult question but you might find it’s worthwhile to pay a little more in the short term for a model that you can grow into.

8. Other Features

Most DSLRs have a large array of features that will probably overwhelm and confuse you at first as you compare them with one another. All have basic features like the ability to use aperture and shutter priority, auto or manual focus etc but there’s also a lot of variation in what is or isn’t offered. Here are some of the more common features that you might want to consider:

• Burst Mode - the ability to shoot a burst of images quickly by just holding down the shutter release - great for sports and action photography. DSLRs vary both in the number of frames that they can shoot per second as well as how many images they can shoot in a single burst.
• Maximum Shutter Speed - most DSLRs will have a decent range of speeds available to you but some will have some pretty impressive top speeds which will be very useful if you’re into sports or action photography.
• ISO Ratings - Similarly, most DSLRs will offer a good range of ISO settings but some take it to the next level which is useful in low light photography.
• LCD Size - It’s amazing how much difference half an inch can make when viewing images on your cameras LCD. I noticed this recently when testing a camera with a 2.5 inch screen after using my own 1.8 inch one. While it might not change the way you shoot photos (people tend to use viewfinders at this level to frame shots) it certainly can be nice to view your shots on a larger screen.
• Anti Shake - in the past few weeks a range of new DSLRs have been announced by manufacturers in the lead up to the Christmas rush. One of the features that is featuring more and more in them is anti shake technology. While it’s been common to get ‘image stabilisation’ technology in lenses the idea of it being built into camera bodies is something that is attractive.
• Dust Protection - another feature that has started appearing in the latest round of cameras is image sensor dust protection (and in some cases self cleaning for image sensors) - something that will help alleviate a lot of frustration that many DSLR photographers have. To this point this is a feature that is mainly on lower end DSLRs but it’s bound to appear on new professional models also.
• Connectivity - Getting photos out of your DSLR and into a computer or printer generally happens these days via USB but some people like FireWire and/or Wireless.
• Semi-Auto Modes - As with point and shoot cameras - many DSLRs (especially lower end ones) come with an array of shooting modes. These generally include ‘portrait’, ’sports’, ‘night’ etc. If you rely upon these modes on your point and shoot you may well use them on your DSLR too. Higher end DSLRs often don’t have them.
• Flash - Generally professional grade DSLRs don’t offer built in flash and just have a hotshoe while entry level DSLRs include a built in flash.

10 Reasons to Buy a DSLR Camera

One of the most common questions I get as related to photography is "What camera should I buy?" Before I get into the reasons I recommend buying a DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera, I'd like to state why you should NOT buy a DSLR.

There is a saying among photographers: "The camera doesn't make the photo, the photographer does." The point is that no matter how expensive your gear is, it means nothing without someone who knows how to properly use it. A great artist can create masterpieces with ordinary tools.

I urge you not to buy that Canon EOS 30D or Nikon D80 or [insert other DSLR model here] if you plan to leave it on full automatic mode. DSLRs are expensive light-capturing tools that can help you create some amazing images, but only if you have the time and patience to learn what you are doing and be creative.

As a side note, I will link to some various websites below which I think are useful in the context of this article. Please note that we are not paid for endorsements by any of these websites. I'm simply sharing what I think are some very useful links for people who aren't already "in-the-know."

With my public service announcement out of the way, I present to you 10 Reasons to Buy a DSLR Camera:

Creative Control: This is probably the single most obvious advantage of DSLR cameras. These cameras have a multitude of settings that are just begging to be adjusted. Everything from shutter speed and aperture to white balance, in-camera sharpening and contrast, white balance and white balance shift, flash synchronization, and more...

Superior Sensors: DSLRs typically use a sensor that is approximately the same dimensions as an APS film negative (22.7 x 15.1 mm). In contrast, the 2/3" sensor size of an 8 Megapixel digicam is dramatically smaller, about the size of the tip of your pinky (8.8 x 6.6 mm). The larger sensor translates directly to higher image quality in terms of detail, color depth, and dynamic range.

Less Noise: Noise is the digital equivalent of film grain. The fact that DSLRs display less noise is at least in part a result of the larger sensor size mentioned above, however it is significant enough to warrant getting its very own bullet point. With your typical digicam, you will get noticeable noise which is detrimental to image quality at pretty much anything above the lowest possible ISO setting. Contrast that with your typical modern DSLR, where you can actually make acceptable prints even at some of the highest ISO settings. I should note that in the literal sense, DSLRs usually make MORE noise when you click the shutter than a point-n-shoot, hehe.

Accessories Galore: DSLR cameras can almost be considered upgradeable, they have so many accessories... There are lenses, filters, adapters, extension tubes, flashes, strobes, brackets, and the list goes on. For example, you can buy affordable general purpose lenses or high-end lenses with superior quality. Some lenses serve special functions as well, such as those with image stabilization, macro abilities, tilt-shift functionality, and soft focus. You get the idea. With a DSLR, you have a lot of compatible tools at your disposal which opens the door to new creative possibilities.

No Shutter Lag: Shutter lag is that awful delay between the time that you click the shutter on a digicam and the time that an image is actually taken. With DSLRs, there is virtually no delay between the time that you click the shutter and the image is taken. How many times have you missed a great photo opportunity because the camera didn't focus fast enough and then didn't take the shot fast enough once it was focused?

Instant Startup: Most DSLRs have nearly instant startup times. That means if your camera is hanging around your neck and in the OFF position, and you see a three-legged man riding a unicycle towards you, you can quickly turn the camera on and snap the shot. And the aforementioned lack of shutter lag will further help in getting the photo. With a digicam it will usually take several seconds to startup, and then you'll have to wait a second or so for it to focus, and then when you click the shutter there will be maybe another second before the image is actually taken - and the three-legged man will be gone.

Higher Build Quality: Most digicams are plastic, plastic, and more plastic. They feel flimsy and they're not all that hard to break. DSLRs are built to much higher standards, increasingly so as you get into the more expensive models of course. Some of the cheaper DSLRs are still going to have a lot of plastic in them, but overall they're more durable than a similarly priced digicam. When you get into some of the more expensive models in the $1,000+ range, bodies are ruggedized with largely metal bodies and nice rubberized grips. The ultra-high-end professional bodies are the most rugged and are weather-sealed so you can use them in the harshest environments without a problem. I don't think you'll find many war photographers using a rinky-dink digicam.

Viewfinder: This can be a plus and a minus, but mainly it's a plus. With a DSLR, you do not compose your shots on the camera's LCD, you do so through the viewfinder, and you're actually looking through the lens (that's what TTL stands for, though not to be confused with TheTechLounge). Looking through the viewfinder allows you to see more detail as you compose your shots with regard to what's in focus, and you won't have to worry about glare on an LCD interfering with composition. The only negative looking through the viewfinder really has is that if you are in a situation where you have to shoot from the hip or over your head, you have to sort of blindly shoot. By contrast, some digicams have swiveling and rotating LCD screens which allow you to compose such a shot without a problem. It's a small sacrifice. I suppose there's also the fact that it might be less comfortable to press your face against the back of the camera, but you get used to it.

Ergonomics: Back when I used to shoot with a small digicam, I would notice that my hand would cramp after a while of holding the tiny camera. DSLRs are larger and have molded grips which (to a varying degree) make holding the camera for long periods much more comfortable. The cheaper DSLRs are smaller and less comfortable, whereas the more expensive ones are usually larger and more comfortable. This is actually the main reason why I chose to purchase a Canon 20D over a Canon Digital Rebel XT - the 20D feels much better in my hand. And since I'm on the computer pretty much all day every day and I already experience occasional pain in my hands, I wanted a very comfortable camera to hold.

Price: DSLR cameras are practically affordable nowadays. The big two (Canon and Nikon) currently offer DSLRs for as low as $500-$600 (Canon Digital Rebel XT and Nikon D50) and they've been encroaching on point-n-shoot price territory more and more each year. Believe it or not, this is actually already cheaper than some digicams out there. Not to mention the fact that you can often find a great deal on a used DSLR at some major online stores such as BHPhotoVideo.com and KEH.com. Another great source for used equipment is the Buy & Sell forums (registration is required, but free) over at FredMiranda.com. Incidentally, FredMiranda is also a great site to learn from other photographers, and it's also a good resource for camera and lens reviews by the site's users.

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For me, the above list represents 10 good reasons to buy a DSLR over a point-n-shoot digicam. However, I don't want to paint a picture that DSLRs are the perfect solution for everybody. There are some aspects which some would view as a negative of DSLR cameras. You definitely won't be able to put a DSLR in your pocket, it may not be convenient for parties where people are likely to bump into it or spill drinks on it, you'll definitely get more attention with a DSLR around your neck than with a tiny digicam, it's heavier to carry around for long periods, there is a steep learning curve, and it's also an addictive hobby that may get you spending more on lenses and other accessories than you initially planned. These are all compromises I'm willing to make, but only you can decide if a DSLR is truly right for you.