When we last left I had gone over the basics of cameras in general. The final decision on what camera you do choose, I feel, you need to get your hands on one before you buy one. The camera should feel good in your hands, and you should be able to switch easily between modes, controls and all the other parts of the camera relative easily. You need to feel comfortable with your choice.
neighbor fishing in The Rifle River Aranac Co MI
That said...now to the extras...
Lenses
Flashes
Tripods
and
other stuff
These items can make a big differences in your pictures. The accessories can change your pictures, how you take them, what you shoot, and what you'll have in your galleries to come. Each one of the above list will take you into a new photo experience. Just a quick note...most of the following will have their greatest impact when working with a Dslr system. If you have the money, and are reading this, there is a good chance you'll get there sooner or later, so you should know it anyways.
A pair of Fox pups @ Tawas Point State Park Tawas MI
Close up of a car at the Downriver cuise Southgate, MI
Lenses...The final determining factor in many pictures. They can bring things closer, like the fox pups who were more than 75' away from me as I shot them playing. or you can get so close you can shoot the very back of an eye ball...sorry not showing any pics of that...lets just say...not a pretty pic of me. Lenses can be fish-eye, Zoom, fixed, auto focus or or just there. The choice of lens can change the world...or at least your view of it. Here are a few basics about lenses that people need to know.
Cell phone 33rd District court Woodhaven, MI
1- The lens size is important. The bigger the glass, and better cut, the better the picture will be. Its not an accident that the pros use cameras with high quality glass. It just works better. The P&S's can still do great for you, just realize that you tend to get what you pay for. Make it real simple on your self and buy quality. In P&S's this means, for the most part buy the name. Stay with the big boys...Nikon, Olympus, Canon, Sony (formally Minolta), Panasonic (Lumix) or anything with a Zeiss or Leica lens...and you should be OK.
Fall splendor of an Ogamaw Co MI tree
2- They label to the public P&S's zoom capability's differently. They tell you How much larger the object you are aiming at will seem compared to normal vision. Nikon is advertising their line this year this very way with claims on some of their cameras as high as 20x (20 times) closer. this labeling comes from the world of binoculars and shooting scopes. The thing to look out for is, again, optical (actual through the lens) and digital (manipulated by the processor) zoom. I will always prefer optical over digital, if possible...for you can always do even more digitally, if need be, later off the optically zoomed image, with less degradation...pixelization.
3- The Dslr zooms are normally given labels to dimensions in their manufacturing and/or scaling of the image related to past standards. Most Dslr base cameras come with a starter zoom lens. mostly a 18mm-55mm. This just happens to be very close in range to most P&S cameras. The major difference is that you can change out Dslr lenses as desired for your need. You can go fish-eye to an almost unlimited lens length. There are even a few telescope and microscope companies that are adaptable for Dslr's. With the right zoom you can see atoms or solar systems, now a days. Almost forgot...many Dslr companies have designed into their systems the ability to use older lenses. Please check it out with the makers.
Flashes...The portable sun. They can make most missed shots better. Most people make the mistake in thinking that their camera is smart. They are not. They read light levels, not where the light is coming from. The most made mistake, by people, is made when they rely on their camera to know to flash on people standing with the light coming from the rear...the silouets of the family standing in front of the picture window. Just force the issue...turn the fill flash on. then the camera can make the adjustments, but now with proper lighting. Same with side sun shots...it eliminates the shadows.
Ms. Khaili Conway
Now that I have that off my chest...lets get back to flashes. Most cameras...including more & more cell phones have a built in flash . these are great and for 90% of the people out there these will be more than enough. The only thing I would want you to do is to take a piece of clear tape and either a drop of white out or sized to fit tissue paper and tape over your flash with the tissue paper or white out the tape...tissue under tape...white out over the tape. What you've done is created a defuserr...the big studio umbrella... and this will soften the flash sightly & severely reduce red-eye. Another quick tip... try to shoot your portrait pics horizontally instead of vertical. The verticals in a confined area will cause aquard shadows, unless you have a slave to add an additional burst of light in those shadow cast areas.
Clinging vine in the deep woods of Aranac Co. MI
Detroit's people mover & freedom festival Fireworks
Miners Falls Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Munising, MI
The last part of this posting is the odds and ends that should thought of as part of a photographer's tool chest. These include the following...
1- Camera Bag....Keep it simple. Buy one that will hold all of your need to carry stuff...flashes, extra lenses, filters, any cords, batteries and chargers, and storage devices...extra film or data cards.
2- Filters...These are "lenses for the lenses that can alter the colour you will see in your pictures...that blue fog in many movies is a filter effect. Better to do with a computer for that type of effect. Effect filters will give you some interesting options to work into your pictures...star filters. I don't use these. The only 2 filters I use are polarized and UV. I never take the UV off my lenses...they add protection and gives a truer image. The polarized is like sunglasses for your camera, so it is great for high glare situations....so here is another great tip for P&S users...buy a cheap polarized pair of sunglasses and shoot through them for snow and sea shots.
3- Computer... Do I need to tell you how much you can do with a computer to play with the images. I try to keep my pictures as clean and untouched by the computer as possible, but I will play with the brightness and other minor adjustments. What you want to do with your pics is up to you.
Sana Monica Pier 4/2006 Sana Monica CA
Lisa Loeb in concert 7/3/2006 @ Suncoast Casino Las Vegas NV
In conclusion, here is my idea of what everyone wanting to take great pictures with their Dslr are...
Dslr body... preferably by a name brand producer.
18mm-55mm & 55mm-300mm lenses...the extra length on the 300 is worth every penny with the prices out there today
UV filters for all lenses...polarizers in the bag...see above.
extra storage...never have enough film as old photographers say.
Tripod with a tilt to vertical top, and quick release. Don't forget a beanbag for when a tripod isn't available.
That's it for the hardware part of the series. With the next posting we break into technique.
Another Carnival in Lincoln Park, MI
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