One question I get asked a lot is “which DSLR should I get”. Whether it’s a first purchase or an upgrade, the answer usually depends on what type of shooting you want to do and your budget.
About a year ago, I found a Web site that makes it easier to find what you’re looking for. At Snapsort.com, you can learn about cameras, explore different types or just type in your budget and kind of camera you’re looking for; whether it’s a DSLR or point-and-shoot. But the tool I like and use the most is the compare feature.
[Disclaimer: Snapsort is holding a contest for anyone who blogs about the site, but that is not why I am writing this. I've known about the site for a while and I refer people there often. I just referred someone there a couple of days ago, so I thought I should let other people know]
What I like about the compare feature is being able to compare the specs of two cameras side-by-side. The site used to declare a “winner” which I disagreed with. Now it just gives each camera a score and gives a recommendation. I even take this with a grain of salt. You see, the “winner” or recommendation is based on specs; but your needs may be different. Compare, for example the Canon 5D MKII with the 1D MK IV. The 5D is full frame but shoots just under 4 frames per second. Where the MK IV has an APS-H sensor and shoots 10 frames per second. Which is better? It depends on what you shoot. A sports shooter would love the MK IV where a landscape photographer would choose the 5D. Still, being able to see the specs side-by-side for yourself is a quick and convenient way to decide. The cameras are evaluated on things like resolution, ISO, viewfinder coverage, LCD resolution, video capabilities and more.
Nikon and Canon’s Web sites let you compare its models; but the Snapsort site lets you compare any make with another. So you can compare Nikons with Canons or Sony’s etc. Apples and Apples or Apples and Oranges. Pretty handy if you’re trying to decide which brand to go with.
The comparison gives you reasons to consider each camera and gives you a list of competitors to consider.
To find the right lens, use the tools at LensHero. Simply input your camera, budget and what type of lens you’re looking for and it spits out recommendations complete with specs, prices and reviews.
So if you’re struggling with choosing the right camera or looking to purchase that next lens, these two stops will make researching a lot easier and help you make the right choice.
Super Moon on 3/19/11. (f/11, ISO200, 1/90th @ 200mm)
Get out those telephoto lenses! This Saturday, March 19, the moon will make its closest approach to planet Earth in 18 years and it’ll be full. At just 221,567 miles away, the moon will look 10-15% larger than normal.
While astrologers are predicting earthquakes and tsunamis, there probably isn’t a better time to shoot the moon. So here are a few tips..
1.) Most people assume that because it’s dark out that they’ll need a slow shutter speed, high ISO, wide aperture or some combination. But remember, you’re shooting a very bright object surrounded by darkness. Your camera’s meter will react to the contrast. So you’ll actually need a narrow aperture (f11 or so), a low ISO (100) and a fast shutter speed. The narrow aperture will also ensure that you have a wide depth-of-field which will bring out more detail. It’ll take a few tries, but just check your LCD to see if you are overexposing. You may need to use exposure compensation to under-expose by a stop or so.
2.)This goes without saying, but a tripod is a must. A cable release would also help.
3.) Try different metering modes. In evaluative or matrix metering, your camera will factor any black sky in the frame. If you use spot metering, for instance, and set the focus point on the moon, your camera will expose for the brightness of the moon.
4.) Telephoto lenses work best, obviously, but pay attention to the angle of your lens. The first time I tried to shoot the moon with a 70-200mm lens, I had the camera fairly low, which meant I had to tilt it up. When I looked at my images, I noticed the moon had more of an oblong shape; like someone was squeezing it. So get the tripod nice and high.
5.) Try different white balances to get the color of the moon just the way you like it. Since the moon reflects sunlight, you might try the sunlight setting. But if it’s too warm, try tungsten. Too cool? See what “auto” gives you.
6.) Try shooting the moon around sunset. When the moon is lower on the horizon, it’ll have an orange tint to it.
I wrote a blog last May about Photography Education and Inspiration. In it, I point readers to web sites where they learn about photography. Another great resource is Webinars and Webcasts. Top industry professionals and merchants often give hour-long classes on various topics. Often, if you can’t watch it live, you can go back and watch a recording. The following is a list of resources in no particular order.
1.) Creative Live. This Seattle-based group offers workshops that span 8-hours over three days (usually Fri-Sun) on topics such as; wedding photography, studio lighting and children’s photography. They get top-notch pros like Jasmine Star and Zack Arias to teach the workshop live. You can register and watch it for free or pre-purchase the entire show before the workshop ends at a discounted price. Once the workshop is over, you’ll have to pay more for the download. There’s a workshop starting tomorrow with Vincent LaForet for photographers looking to move into shooting video with their DSLRs.
2.)Peachpit Photo Club. The publisher of many photography books also hosts live webcasts with the likes of: Canon Speedliter, Syl Area; wedding photographer David Ziser and Photoshop Gurus, Scott Kelby and Matt Kloskowski. You can watch past webcasts on the site or register for upcoming shows.
3.)OnOne University. OnOne makes Photoshop plug-ins so, yes, their webinars are a little biased toward their products. But you can still learn from top photographers and see their editing workflows. Check out this link for a calendar of upcoming classes.
4.) X-Rite Photo. This is another merchant that is pushing its product while spreading some knowledge. There’s a webinar scheduled for today, in fact, about getting started in Lightroom.
5.) Friday Photo School. Every Friday there’s a new class on topics such as off-camera flash, posing and portrait lighting. They do offer the occasional free episode and you can download them from the archive. Most of the classes, however, cost $10 to watch or $15 to download later. Be sure to check out the library for the free ones.
In past blogs, I’ve already mentioned Kelby TV, which is the central location for shows such as: Lightroom Killer Tips, Photoshop User TV, Ask Dave and D-Town TV. On Monday, Scott Kelby is launching a new live show at 12:30 EST called “The Grid”. It’ll be available to watch later if you can’t make the live broadcast.
So there you have it. It’s like going to photography school without the tuition! Yes, it requires a time commitment, but if you want to be a better photographer, what better way to do it than to spend some time with the pros offering a free education?
Tripods are like camera bags. You spend a lot of time researching for the one that suits your needs and not long after you’ve found the perfect one you find you need another one.
When choosing a tripod, make sure it’s a solid one. That last thing you want is to put your thousand-dollar DSLR on a 20-dollar tripod from Best Buy. It might get you by for a little while, but if you want to get serious about taking rock-steady and tack-sharp images, then you need to step up to the professional level; and as you’re about to find out, it’s not as expensive as you might think thanks to a little known brand.
So when do I use a tripod? Whenever my shutter speed is below 1/60th of a second. Or when shooting portraits and I need to lock down my composition for repeated shots.
My first tripod is the one pictured above; the Manfrotto 190 CX PRO3 Carbon Fiber. I was attracted to carbon fiber from my days shooting TV news. The carbon fiber sticks were rare and on the few occasions I got to use one it was a dream compared to the big, bulky tripods needed to support a huge television news camera.
Pros and Cons
There’s nothing wrong with my tripod. It’s super light, which is great ’cause my camera bag is a back-pack and the tripod attaches to it and I hardly feel the weight. Another cool feature is the center column can go vertical which, when you spread the legs, allows your camera to be just inches from the ground; great for low angle or macro photography.
Check out this review for close-up pictures and images of the different configurations.
The only drawback is a purely aesthetic one. I was surprised at how thin the legs were. Sure, this contributes to the low weight, but when I look at my tripod, it just doesn’t look professional; at least not like the sticks I used in news or see other pro photogs using. Then there’s the concern that thin legs can lead to instability, not that I can report that problem.
Hey, Nice Legs!
Let’s face it, “carbon fiber” is sexy. It sounds a lot better than “aluminum”. I use an aluminum Manfrotto for my interior/architecture shoots and it’s not that heavy. The legs are thicker, and two of the them are padded (adding, in my opinion to that professional look) so I’m not sure I’d want to carry it on my back for extended periods of time; but what I’m saying is, aluminum has come a long way and you can save money by forgoing the “sex-appeal” of carbon fiber.
The problem with carbon fiber, of course, is cost. The big names like Gitzo, Manfrotto and Slik charge a hefty premium for its respective carbon fiber line.
Induro CT-213 Carbon Fiber Tripod
I don’t know how I first heard of it, but there’s a company called Induro that makes relatively inexpensive tripods, both aluminum and carbon fiber. Some of their legs+head kits go for as little as $136.
Well, there has to be a catch, right? Maybe poor quality? So I researched and found only positive reviews, including this oneby Scott Bourne. He reviews the CT 414, Induro’s largest carbon fiber. I have my eye on the smaller CT-213 pictured above. I don’t have it yet so I can’t tell you what it’s like; but I like what I’ve seen and read.
Heads
There are essentially two types of heads; ball heads and pan/tilt. Ball heads give you quick adjustments. I use the Manfrotto 322 RC2 joystick style head.
Manfrotto 322 RC2
There are more traditional ball heads, I just liked the pistol grip of the RC2. I also use a pan and tilt model for my interior work. I find it gives me more exact movements on three different planes or axis.
But what if you could combine a ball-head with a pan/tilt and achieve motion on FIVE different planes? That’s just what Induro did with the PHQ 3.
Induro PHQ3
Again, I don’t have it yet, but Scott Bourne reviewed the PHQ3 here. What’s so special about it? Well I can’t say it any better than this video from the company:
I know this seems like a love-fest for Induro. I may be infatuated, but remember, I have not tried these products. Induro also makes more affordable heads (both ball and pan/tilt). I suggest shopping around and comparing the brands and models. Manfrotto is a well known name with some affordable options and Scott Kelby swears by the Really Right Stuffbrand.
Weigh Your Options
One last consideration is the weight of your gear. Check the specs of the tripod AND head to make sure it’ll hold the gear you have now and plan to use in the future. On my 190CX, for example, I can mount a Canon 40D with battery grip, flash and lens (either the 17-55 or 70-200) with no problem. But when I tilt the whole rig vertically, the head starts to slip; just too much weight. The box or instructions for your equipment should list its weight (usually in grams). Add this up and if you need to, look for a grams-to-pounds converter on the web.
Also make sure the legs extend as tall or collapse as low as you need it. The number of sections (more sections usually means lighter, but less stable), the type of feet and features like the moveable center column I mentioned are all things to consider.
A good tripod will last you years but it likely won’t be your only one.
I love shooting at twilight. I especially love taking long exposures at twilight. The trick is knowing when to shoot; the window closes very quickly.
Go to Google and type in “sunset times for [insert your city]“. You might have to select an option that shows you “Civil, Nautical and Astronomical” twilight times. Each period of twilight has a scientific explanation depending on how many degrees below the horizon the sun is. You should also note that twilight happens in the morning and the evening; but I like to sleep so I’m going to stick to evening times.
In Orlando, for January 17th, the sun sets at 5:52pm. Civil twilight comes first and “ends” at 6:18pm. I say “ends” because it started in the morning at 6:53am (but my alarm went off 8 minutes ago so screw it). This means that from 5:52pm to 6:18pm you get those nice golden sunset colors. Colors will change quickly as the amount of light falls off.
Nautical twilight ends at 6:47pm. This is my favorite time to shoot.
From 6:18 to 6:47, you’d get these deep blue colors in the sky. This is a good time to play around with white balance. Try tungsten for more dramatic skies. If you’re shooting buildings, pay attention to what kind of lights they might be using. Most office or commercial buildings might be using flourescent lights; residential will have tungsten.
Of course with such low light, you’re going to need a tripod; which goes without saying for the long exposure stuff. I usually shoot at f/22 to get the “star” effect from the lights which means really slow shutter speeds. A cable release is also helpful.
The last phase of twilight is called “astronomical“. On this day it ends at 7:15pm. So from 6:47pm to 7:15pm, you’ll get much darker skies. Personally, I find the effect I’m looking for is lost by this time. After 7:15pm would officially be nightfall and too dark to shoot anything with an interesting sky.
So you can see that each phase of twilight lasts for about a half-hour. This varies based on where in the world you live and what time of year it is.
Oh, remember I said I didn’t like to catch the morning twilight? Well, I had to once. This last image was taken just after 6am.
If you happen to be an early riser, just keep in mind that the phases happen in reverse to what I just described. Astronomical twilight would happen first, then nautical, then civil (the orange colors of the sunrise).
Most photographers are focused on shooting sunsets, or portraits taken at sunset. But don’t overlook the opportunities that exists after the sun goes down..and the vampires come out! Get it? Twilight. Sigh. Sorry.
So I was trying to figure out how old some Canon DSLR models were and I had trouble finding one source until I found the nifty little graph above in an on-line forum. Click for a larger view and underneath the model number you’ll see the megapixel count and the sensor crop factor (1.0x = full frame, 1.6x = APS-C, etc.). For more on crop factors, check out this previous blog.
The graph ends in 2009. For a list which includes 2010 check out this list on Wikipedia.
The prices are interesting. Eight-thousand for the 1DS MKIII in December of 2007! Three years later it goes for about 6-thousand. Not bad depreciation.
It’s also interesting to see how quickly or slowly Canon and Nikon replace some models. The 50D, for example, replaced the 40D in only one year. But the 5D MKII came along about 3 years after the 5D. Nikon seems to average about 2-years between upgrades. This is why I tell people to invest in good lenses and not to worry too much about camera bodies. My problem is… I want both!
Here’s hoping you get one or the other in 2011 if you didn’t for Christmas. On that note…Happy New Year!
The New York Times published its Holiday Gift Guide for Photo Hobbyist. It speaks in very basic terms to the beginner who just got a camera and wants to take the next step in both gear and education.
One item mentioned is a “fast” prime lens, like the f/1.8 50mm for both Canon and Nikon. For about 100-bucks you can get a wide aperture that lets in lots of light. Interestingly, Adorama published an article about whether 1.8 is better than 1.4. I can tell you I’ve shot with both (Canon) and found the 1.8 produced ghosting and flaring. Just saying.
Whether you’re considering the nifty fifty or another lens, renting is a good way to test drive before you buy; not to mention saving big bucks. ”The Complete Guide to Renting a Lens Online” breaks down some things you should know. For my Central Florida readers, it mentions local shop The Lens Depot which I’ve used before.
If you’re not sure which lens to rent or buy, the new site, LensHero.com helps you sort it out. Just enter your camera body, your budget and what kind of shooting you want to do and it spits out a list of lenses with prices, specs and reviews.
Camera bags are functional, but can they be fashionable? Let’s face it, camera bags are big, bulky and often come in one color: black.
So what if you’re a woman and looking for something a little more appealing? Enter the likes of products like Shootsac. Designed by photographer Jessica Claire, the bags are made of the same stuff wetsuits are made of and you can buy interchangeable covers to change the look of your bag.
A photographer friend of mine, Mikkel, loves her Shootsac and blogged about it HERE. She says to expect the covers to go on a “major” sale for the holidays!
If you visit the site, you’ll see a picture of a guy wearing a plain black one; so yes, it’s not just for women. The bag will run you $179. The slip covers run from $39 to $59.
The next line look more like purses than camera bags and they come from Kelly Moore Bags.
Image from Kelly Moore Bags Website
Kelly is also a photographer who was looking for a stylish camera bag that was also functional. So she designed her own line. Now the bags are a little pricey, running from $159 to $250. But you can easily spend that much on a good camera bag and, from what I understand, a designer hand bag. You’ll also notice there is a model for men, in your choice of mustard or brown.
Keeping in the theme of being fashionable, Capturing Couturealso has a camera bag in two flavors for $119. They also have wristlets and camera straps in funky designs.
For more funky camera straps and wristlets check out Trendy Camera Straps; yes, guys, they have stuff for us too!
Ok, one more camera strap that’s a little more traditional but designed just for women. Black Rapid makes a camera strap called the R-Strap. It allows you to sling the strap across your body so your camera rests at your hip and it’s designed so you can bring it up to your face rapidly (hence the R-Strap). But women found that the strap was uncomfortable when it laid across their lady humps (yeah I said it!). Well, now there’s the RS WS-1 (I’m guessing the “W” stands for “women”). It’s just like the regular R-Strap but it has a curve in the design to fit around the aforementioned lady humps. It even comes in a floral print!
Black Rapid's RS-W1
So when you need form to meet function there are products out there made to suit your needs. Stay tuned for my next post which will cover more camera straps including one that isn’t a strap at all!
So you might remember from a past blog postthis cool video showing a flame thrower versus a fire extinguisher:
Well, if you can’t afford the expensive Phantom camera ($2,500 a day to rent) used to shoot that, why not use a Canon Rebel with a kit lens and a $300 program?
The program is called Twixtor and it was also used to shoot this video with a Canon 7D:
I was watching a recent episode of D-Town TV with Scott Kelby and Matt Kloskowski and they were explaining why you want to use “full frame” lenses on full frame cameras. It’s the difference between DX and FX lenses for Nikon and EF or EF-S lenses for Canon. But they kind of glossed over something for Canon users: EF-S lenses will not fit on a full frame body. So why does any of this matter?
Take a look at the image above. The “Full Frame” line shows a full-sized sensor. Pictures taken with this sensor will give you the equivalent of a standard 35mm film camera. Canon only makes two full frame cameras: The 5D MKII and the 1Ds MKIII. Nikon has four: the D700, D3, D3s and D3x.
The next line is APS-H. Canon’s 1D MKIV and 1D MKIII have this sensor. Here is where the “crop factor” or “focal length multiplier” comes into play. With these cameras any lens you put on, you have to multipy by 1.3 to get the actual focal length. So your 50mm lens on a 1D MKIV would actually be a 65mm.
The next two lines are APS-C. The majority of Nikon and Canon cameras use this type of sensor. Nikon’s APS-C sensors have a crop factor of 1.5 and Canon’s is 1.6. That means a 50mm on most Nikons is 75mm and on most Canons its 80mm.
The only way to get a true 50mm is to use an EF lens on a full frame Canon or an FX lens on a full frame Nikon. Check out this video to see the difference on a 5D MKII and 7D.
As you can see, the difference is pretty telling. This all comes into play depending on the type of photography you do. If you shoot landscapes or interiors, then you want as much information as possible on your sensor. That’s why I use a full frame camera and a wide-angle lens for my interior and architecture images. If you shoot sports, then you might want the benefit of the crop factor. My 70-200, for example, on most Canons is actually, 112 to 320. I can get an extra 120mm on the long end by using a cropped sensor.
I mentioned DX, FX, EF and EF-S lenses. Canon’s EF lenses will fit any Canon camera. The EF-S lenses are made specifically for APS-C sized sensor cameras. On the body, where the lens attaches to the camera, you’ll notice a white or red dot. The white dot is where an EF-S lens attaches. The red dot is where an EF lens attaches. As mentioned earlier an EF-S lens will not fit on a full frame camera. If you try, the rear lens element will break your mirror. So if you have EF-S lenses and you upgrade to a full frame camera, then you’ll need new lenses too! As I understand it, a DX lens will fit on an FX camera but you can’t really use it on the wide end of the focal length without getting some severe vignetting. Also, your image size is decreased. Click the D-Town link above and watch the video for a more detailed explanation on that point.
Well I hope this helps. I’ve found a lot of DSLR owners never know that the lens they’re using isn’t giving them the focal length they think. Some people also ask what camera or lens they should buy. I always say to think about what you want to shoot and then take the sensor size into consideration.
