Do you need a DSLR? – Digital Camera Buying Guide
Over the last few weeks I’ve been promoting my new online photography course – “Master your DSLR,” and it was brought to my attention several times that many of you might not be sure what exactly a DSLR is. For many beginners in photography this is where you take the leap from just taking snapshots to being a little more creative with your photos. As part of my Digital Camera Buying Guide series let’s look at the “Big Daddy” which is the DSLR.
What exactly is a DSLR?
A DSLR camera (Digital Single Lens Reflex camera) consists of two parts – a camera body and an interchangeable lens. The body houses the camera sensor (where the image is made), all the electronics and a mirror system that allows the photographer to see exactly the image that the camera is recording. This camera body also has the ability to add on additional flash through a hot-shoe on the top of the camera but on most entry level DSLRs there is also a pop up built-in flash unit.
The interchangeable lens is what really makes the difference between an DSLR and and compact camera. Usually a DSLR will come with a standard “kit” lens which will allow you to take a variety of shots at various focal lengths, from wide angle to telephoto. If you require additional lenses for a specific purpose, these are purchased separately and they usually don’t come cheap!
There is also a plethora of other accessories that can be used with your DSLR to enhance your photography such as tripods, lens hoods, filters, lighting systems to name a few.
Why choose a DSLR?
If your someone who feels stifled by their Point and Shoot’s lack of creative control or someone who wants to really understand photography then a DSLR is really the only way you are going to learn and will ultimately be what will take your photography to the next level. The size of the lens alone should be an indication to you of how much better your pictures can potentially be. The beauty of today’s entry level DSLRS is that you can use them in full auto mode where the camera still does all of the thinking for you, through semi-manual shooting modes where you begin to have creative control, right through to full manual setting where you can control every aspect of the photograph.
One of my pet peeves is to see people wielding these big DSLR cameras only to switch them into Auto mode and use it like a big hefty point and shoot camera. Why bother? They are using about 10% of the camera’s functionality and paid a nice price for the privilege. If this is you I suggest you get out of your comfort zone and start experimenting! Sure your gonna end up with a few dodgy pics in there along the way, but it’s only with this experimenting that your gonna LEARN anything about photography and eventually you will improve.
Buying a Digital SLR
Buying a DSLR is a considerable investment so it’s important to do your research and find the one that’s going to be best for you. The two top brands that are always competing head to head are Canon and Nikon. Personally I’m a Canon girl – always have been always will be I think!) but that’s only because that’s what I started out with. Nikon are equally as good and in some models boast superior features.
Some things to consider which might help you make your decision:
1. Has anyone in the family/ friends got either a Canon or Nikon.
This is important to consider as you might be able to swap and borrow lenses from them and they might be able to help you out with technical problems
2. What feels good in your hands?
Some say Canons are for girls and Nikons are for boys. While this is not true, some of the entry level Canon cameras may feel small in a guys hands and where the buttons are etc. will have an effect of the cameras ease of use for you. So although I’m a great advocate of shopping online, I also feel that its a good idea to get your hands on a few cameras before you buy. Ask a friend or go to a specialty store to get a feel for the different models. You might be surprised at their weight or by how light they are. Some people like a lightweight and others want to feel they are getting their money’s worth by the pound!
3. Special deals or twin lens kits.
In some stores you will see cameras bundled as twin lens kits with the standard lens bundled together with an additional zoom lens and sometimes a kit bag, a book, a card etc. These can be really great deals but this depends on whether or not you really think you’ll need that particular zoom lens. For example, landscapes might be your thing so in that case it might be more prudent for you to invest in a super wide angle lens at some point. Be aware that just because a lens has a huge focal length – i.e can zoom in really far away, it doesn’t mean its a great lens. There are lots of factors to consider so only buy what you need for now and buy the best you can afford – it should last you quite a while.
4. Finally, think about factoring in the cost of some education to learn how to work the thing.
There is no point in spending a lot of money on a fancy DSLR only to stick it in Green Auto and to try and learn about photography from the user manual. You will drive yourself batty! Buy a book, read a blog, take a course for some direction but put some effort into learning about your camera and you’ll be rewarded with unique photos for the rest of your life!
Happy Snapping!
PS If you feel like your someone who could benefit with a little guidance on using your DSL R to it’s potential, check out www.CameraShyClasses.com for my online courses which will help you do just that!
Growing As An Artist
This is a guest post by Larry Lourcey. Hope you enjoy!
Photography used to work kind of like this…. there were the pros, who had the high-end, mega cameras and the amateurs who had point and shoots. The line between great artists and everyday shooters was pretty easy to spot. Things have changed now with digital. Technology has allowed even a part-time amateur to have a camera that isn’t much different than what the pros use.
So how do you set yourself apart from the pack? Quite simply, you do it by growing as an artist.
Now there are two components to this process – input and output. I wrote a blog article a while back about the first part. Basically, you have to feed your brain with creative nutrition if you want it to work for you.
The second part is practice. You won’t get better at photography by thinking up great concepts, you have to actually try to create them. Are you going to fail on some of this projects? Absolutely. Is your vision always going to translate to the printed image? Nope. Will it help you to grow as an artist? You bet! So where do you start?
I’m a big fan of self-assignments. What this means is that you come up with an idea and give yourself a deadline to get it done… then actually DO it. I’ll even give you a few ideas to get you started:
Do a series of self portraits. I’ve done this one and it is much tougher than it sounds. The good news is, you always have access to the model!
Grab your favorite CD and create an image to illustrate each song on the album. It can illustrate the meaning of the song or maybe just a literal portrayal of the title. Lots of wiggle room here!
Do a series of 12 portraits, each representing a month of the year.
Photograph landmarks of your hometown – just do it in a creative way.
There are literally thousands of ideas you can come up with. The concept isn’t nearly as important as the execution. Pick one and go for it. You’ll be surprised what you come up with!
*****
Larry Lourcey is a professional portrait artist, located in Plano, Texas. In addition to his Photography Blog, he also has a website dedicated to photography education . You can follow him on Twitter at @larryphoto
Optical Zoom vs Digital Zoom – What’s the difference?
This week on the blog I did a review of the Nikon P100. I was inspired to do so because of a video my dad , Joe made about it at Diamond Imaging. You can check out the video here and see him do a hands on review of some of the best features of this camera.
One of the most powerful features that struck me is the size of it’s Optical zoom lens. You can see the pictures we took with the camera, standing from the same spot and you’ll notice how much you can see with that optical zoom lens without loosing any quality – it’s pretty cool!
Nearly every digital camera has some form of an optical zoom lens these days and it’s almost something that we have come to expect. It’s rare to see a compact camera with a fixed focus lens – usually this is left up to the camera phones although these are even beginning to have zoom lenses too.
Most camera have both an Optical Zoom lens and a Digital Zoom lens – so what’s the difference?
Optical Zoom Vs Digital Zoom
An Optical Zoom lens will allow you to take subjects that are much further away without loosing any quality. The camera uses the true optical capacity of the cameras lenses to magnify you subject hence rendering a clear crisp image. You’ll see the size of the optical zoom of your compact camera denoted somewhere on your camera body or perhaps on the side of the lens e.g. 3X Zoom, 5X zoom, or in the P100’s case 26X Zoom.
A Digital Zoom is quite different Instead of using the optics in the camera lens to bring you closer to your subject, the digital zoom simply digitally magnifies the image that you already can see through your viewfinder. This has the same effect as what happens if you zoom in on a picture on you computer, in effect magnifying the pixels. You loose resolution or picture quality. Lot’s of compact cameras will boast a large digital zoom but in reality this means little to what your camera can do.
Most compacts have a combination of an optical and digital zoom. When buying a new compact camera always be clear if the zoom size advertised on the box is the true optical zoom or if iti is in fact the combined size of the digital and optical zoom. Some manufacturers have been known to use this misleading marketing ploy.
How do I know which zoom is working?
You can see which zoom is in operation on your camera by one of the following methods:
1. Listening – You can usually hear the mechanics of an optical zoom in action. A digital zoom is silent.
2. Look at your lens in the front of the camera – is it moving in and out? -If yes then it’s the optical zoom lens in operation. No movement while you zoom usually means you are now using your digital zoom.
3. Look for the icon on the back of your camera that indicates that your zoom is in operation. This is usually a scale with a bar illustration from W – T. (W meaning wide angle and T meaning Telephoto.) Sometimes when you begin to use your digital zoom the color of this bar will change to red. And sometimes there’s an indicator on your camera LCD screen like a dividing line showing you that you are now in your digital zoom area. Check out your own camera manual to see which one applies to you.
I always suggest to my students, to turn off the digital zoom capabilities of their camera so that they will not be tempted to use it and hence loose quality. You can do this simply by going into your cameras set up menu and turning off the option for Digital zoom.
All in all a digital zoom really doesn’t add any value to your pictures with the exception of that one time where you really just want to see what’s going on really far away from you. You might be able to make out the scene but the resulting picture will not be too hot.
My advice – if you really need to get closer then firstly – Move Your Feet!
Happy Snapping!
Thinking of a Bridge Camera? – Nikon P100 Review
What’s a Bridge Camera?
I’m lucky enough to teach a wide variety of students in person and get my hands on so many different cameras. Lot’s of my students are DSLR users and some people just have a compact camera that they want to get the most from. But a trend I’ve been beginning to notice is the popularity of the bridge camera.
A bridge camera is not a DSLR – it doesn’t use the mirror system that a digital SLR uses, you can’t change the lenses and the sensor size is much smaller – but it’s not quite a compact either.
Bridge cameras usually have lots more features and mainly lots more controls than you get with the average point and shoot. The biggest bonus is usually the inclusion of a super dooper telephoto zoom lens. In the following article I’ve taken one of the very popular bridge cameras by Nikon – the P100, and reviewed it for you so you an get an ideas of what I mean by a bridge camera and if you’re thinking of buying a new camera, perhaps this is the next step for you.
A closer look at the Nikon P100
As you can see from the picture below, on first look, the Nikon P100 is a really compact little machine.
It weighs in at a mere 3lbs which means it’s perfect if your going to be traveling or out walking or even dare I say it fit, to into your diaper bag! It’s packed with really useful features, most of which you’ll find on most bridge cameras but some are unique to the P100. One of these is the 3 inch vari-angle LCD screen with you can pull out and adjust to suit your shooting position.
The camera comes with a brilliant Lithium ion battery and charger which, by all accounts, really holds it’s charge for a long time. I’m not really an advocate of buying a spare battery as they can be quite expensive. Instead I suggest that if you are going on a trip, just take your battery charger with you and charge up every night. Of course if your climbing in the Himalayas this might not apply…
Lots of Options
As you can see from the image of the mode dial below, the P100 has many of the manual modes you would expect to see from a DSLR camera. 
This means it’s the perfect camera for giving you an introduction to shooting in manual modes and enables you to really get creative with your shots. For those times when you don’t want to think too much about what your shooting, flip it to one of the 17 scene modes and you’ll be assured of a great result.
26X Optical Zoom Lens
Of course the best thing about the P100 as far as I’m concerned the lens. Not only do you get a 26mm wide-angle lens which will give you a much wide angle of view than most compact cameras, you also get a whopping 26 x optical zoom lens. If you wanted this type of magnification on your DSLR you’d have to pay a LOT of money, not to mention tote a massive bag around! And to have a 26mm wide angle in there as well means that scenery, big group shots or anything where you need to get more of the picture in, is a breeze.
Something which I’m usually not that into as I’m definitely a stills kinda gal is the High Definition 1080i video capabilities of this little camera. It is awesome! You even get stereo sound. This really would cut down on the amount of gear you’d need for a big trip.
Who is this camera best suited to?
I would say that this is a great camera for anyone who wants to challenge themselves a little more than what they can do with a simple point and shoot camera. It is definitely more bulky than a compact but what you get squeezed in there is that massive, high quality zoom lens. If wildlife, or travel is you thing – then this camera is definitely for you. Not ready to commit to a DSLR? Try out this bridge camera for lots of the manual control without the added bulk. If however you don’t think you’ll ever use the big zoom then maybe this isn’t the camera for you, although truthfully once you get used to a zoom this size it is difficult to adjust to not having one. I also think this in some ways this camera is ideally suited to females. The small size and grip might make it a little awkward in a guys hands – perhaps a little too small for them.
So just to give you an idea of what it is exactly I’m talking about when I say BIG zoom we took some pictures to show you what you can achieve without having to move your feet! Watch for the monument way far in the distance in the first shot.
As you can see that’s pretty powerful! The P100 also has the added bonus of an VR or Vibration Reduction – which means that every shot should be steady as a rock – really important when you have a big zoom like this.
Is it all good?
The one negative I see with the this camera is the electronic viewfinder as opposed to an optical viewfinder. Being a traditionalist I still like to use this type of camera by peeking throughout the viewfinder and the digital display just doesn’t do it for me. I guess it’s probably because I’m used to a DSLR. This probably wont make a difference to most of you though because most people are totally comfortable using the LCD screen to frame their shot.
So all in all I would give this camera very definite thumbs up, for the right person. As I have said many times there’s no camera where one size fits all and it’s important to choose the best camera to suit your own specific needs.
But if you like to travel, nature, birds or just the all round flexibility of having the convenience of a large telephoto zoom in a small package then the Nikon P100 is for you! Get Free Shipping from ordering here through Amazon.
Happy Snapping
P.S. Still not convinced? Check out what other consumers have to say about the P100 here.
Picaboo Calendar Giveaway!!
This week I have something special for all my readers here on the blog. My friends over at Picaboo.com have given me a free 11 x 14 Premium calendar to give away to one lucky ready – a retail value of $29.99! I’ve been a fan of Picaboo and creating photobooks there for a while now and their calendars are a great way to try out their services.
With more than 40 themes and hundreds of backgrounds to choose from, and the ability to create your own from scratch, Picaboo makes it easy and fun to create gorgeous calendars that will make it hard to resist flipping to the next month. Photo pages are completely customizable allowing you to move photos and captions anywhere on a page – so easy to do. They recently added editable calendar grids, which allow you to personalize special dates with important dates like birthdays, anniversaries, or anything else you want to be sure to remember 🙂 I think this is a super cool feature and makes your calendar truly unique.
The Premium calendar features 12 laminated, glossy photo pages that give your pictures a little extra pop, and matte date pages allow for easy writing. Use photos from 2010 to create the perfect gift that is enjoyed every day of 2011!
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How to win:
Mandatory Entry: Leave a comment below telling me you’d like to win – How’s that for easy?!
Extra Entry: “Like” CameraShy on Facebook and leave a comment below telling me that you did
Extra Entry: Subscribe to Snapshot – my Newsletter (see above right) and leave a comment below telling me you did
Extra Entry : Follow me on Twitter – leave comment below letting me know you did
That’s 4 possible entries peeps!
The contest will end on Tuesday Jan 18th at 9pm EST and the winner will be contacted by email on Wednesday Jan 19th.
Please note that the contest is for a coupon code which will allow the winner to create their own fully customizable Premium calendar. It does not cover the cost of shipping. The coupon will expire on 2/15/11 – this could be a great Valentine’s
Day gift for a friend or loved one! Order by Monday, 2/1 to ensure delivery by Valentine’s Day with Ground shipping (within the continental US).
Good luck!
Ingrid
Introducing CameraShy’s Online Photography Courses
As you may or may not know I’ve been teaching Photography Courses in the offline world for many years. This year actually I’m celebrating my 10th year as a photography instructor. Wow! I hadn’t really thought about that until right now but that’s a LOOONG time! Here in Atlanta I have the privilege of teaching students on a one-on-one basis and although I love doing this, I also wanted a way to share all the stuff that I teach with everyone, including people like you! So over the last 6 months I’ve been creating my very own CameraShy University over at www.CameraShyClasses.com.
Access Material Online – Anytime!
So now you don’t have to be located in Atlanta to benefit from my training material. By visiting www.CameraShyClasses.com you can check out some of the courses I’m currently offering (more being added all the time!) You can take these courses online at any time that suits YOUR schedule. If you like to access lots of information quickly, then all the material is available for you right from the point you sign-up. Conversely, if you would like to absorb the information slowly, and take your time with the Action Points and Assignments, the material can be accessed for up to 6 months.
One of my most popular online photography courses is “Master your DSLR” which teaches you how to get a handle on your Digital SLR camera so that the basics of photography become second nature to you. This is perfect for any beginners in photography or someone just starting out with a Digital SLR for the first time.
The material is designed to be completed in 5 weeks, each week comprising of a different topic. Each week is further broken down into smaller sections so that you can learn the information in easy to manage, bite-sized chunks. I’ve included several Action points throughout, which will help you put the theory into – you got it – action!
Weekly Assignments
At the end of every week I’ve created an assignment for you to complete so that you can demonstrate what you have learned. These pictures can be uploaded to the Flickr group so that the can be critiqued by others in the group and by me. And of course, I’m here via email to answer any questions that you might have throughout your course.
So if you’ve got a Digital SLR (DSLR) camera, and you know your only using about 20% of it’s functionality, if you want to move out of Auto mode and start shooting in Manual or if you want to begin to take your photography to the next level check out www.CamerashyClasses.com and sign up for a course today!
Happy Snapping
P.S. If you have questions about any of the courses, feel free to shoot me an email to ingrid [at] CameraShy [dot] info
Buying the Best Tripod for your DSLR
Last week I did something I’ve never done before…I faced the crowds and the stores in search of a bargain. Well, actually, I was working with a client – helping her choose some new photographic equipment. Amongst other things she was looking for the best tripod and was totally overwhelmed by the choices available to her. While shopping with her I could only come to the same conclusion that it is bewildering to even the seasoned photographer when buying a tripod and trying to figure out the best tripod for your needs. So I decided to put together this short guide in case any of you guys are heading out to shop for this vital accessory.
Do I really need a tripod?
Anyone who considers themselves a serious photographer really does need a tripod. I know, I know! They’re heavy and awkward to lug around but if you REALLY want that shot, that award winning, hang on the wall, amaze your friends shot, then you need to think seriously about using a tripod. Especially if you are a landscape photographer or shoot in low lighting conditions. For landscapes shot with a very high f number eg f/22, you absolutely need a tripod to steady your camera. In low light conditions, its absolutely pointless trying to achieve slow shutter speeds (anything slower than the focal length of your lens) without a tripod’s help. Macro photographers will also
drive themselves slowly insane without using a tripod and even in studio portrait shots its always useful to have a safe place to put your camera during takes. For still lifes, mounting your camera on a tripod allows you to change various settings while keeping the distance/ focal length exactly the same. This can save a lot of hassle when your trying to get the shot just right.
Budget
Anytime you go shopping for new photographic equipment you know your going to be dropping some (quite a bit of ) cash. Tripods are definitely not one of the cheapest photographic accessories but there are a wide variety of price points available. Your budget will dictate several things such as weight, added features, ease of use and functionality. One thing I will say is however try to extend your budget as much as possible because trying to use a cheap tripod could well put you off photography for life! For one, you don’t want to put your expensive camera body and lens on a flimsy – one puff of wind will knock it down- tripod. Also getting fingers pinched in difficult to maneuver leg hinges will drive you to distraction. Be prepared to spend a little more than you though you’d have to.
Is the best tripod, the heaviest?
Not necessarily as a heavy tripod that stays in the closet is no good to you compared with a light one that you are more inclined to bring with you! That being said you need a certain degree of stability – that’s the whole point right?! You can generally choose from Aluminium tripods or Carbon fibre tripods. My student ended up opting for the carbon fibre version of a Manfrotto she was looking at which was about $200 more than the aluminium one. She felt that given the amount of traveling she’d be doing with it, and all of the new weight restrictions on airline luggage limits it would be worth it to save the few pounds.
Aluminium tripods are heavier but can still provide decent support. If you’ll mostly be using your tripod in the same place then these would be fine. If your buying your tripod online – I highly recommend Amazon, do a weight comparison and physically get out the equivalent weight of bags of sugar or free weights if you have them, to see how heavy 5 lbs really is.
Separate Legs and Ball Head
Entry level tripods are generally a single unit of legs that are permanently attached to the head, which has a removable plate that can be screwed into the base of your camera. These are cheap and cheerful and can serve the beginner in photography very well. As you go up through the models of tripods you will notice that the legs and the heads can be purchased separately. This is to give the photographer more choice in the type of tripod best suited for his needs.
Legs
Check out the type of hinges on your tripod legs. They need to be able to released and locked quickly and easily (without pinching your fingers!) I like the quick release hinges as opposed to the screw-type ones as they maneuvered more quickly. Check and see how high the legs extend without raising the center column and also how low to the ground they go. This ability is really useful for macro shots, product photography and shooting sweeping landscapes with a great perspective. Added features here can be the middle column extending out to the side or inverting so that the camera is almost at ground level. The Manfrotto 055XPROB is an example of legs that have these features.
The Head
The head is the top part of the tripod which holds the camera and allows you to adjust it’s position. Again, here you have a few choices to make and again it will depend on the majority of the type of photography you shoot. If you do a lot of architecture and landscape photography a three-way pan head would be suitable for you. This allows you to fine tune and adjust each axis of the head individually. Great for precision but a little slow to use.
I much prefer the Ballhead type head. These are as they sound, like a ball and socket joint which allow you to manuever your camera in any direction quickly, easily and most importantly smoothly. My student opted for a grip action or joystick grip ball head which is super easier to manipulate and she loves it!
Ingrid’s recommendations
As like all things in the photographic world there are so many choices available and each person has a variety of needs I recommend that you do you research before running out and buying a tripod.
- Think about the things I’ve outlined above
- Think about the types of photography you’ll mostly be using it for
- Think about it as an investment
- And compare several products till you find the right one for you.
A great place to start is by checking out the Manfrotto range. I’ve been using (and selling) Manfrotto for 10 years and I find them excellent with a great range suitable for the beginner to the seasoned pro. You can check them out here at Amazon.com.
Happy (steady) snapping!
Interview about my latest Digital Photography Classes
Anyone interested in finding out more about my “Getting to Grips with your DSLR” one of my online digital photography classes, can check out this interview that I recently did.
Digital Photography Classes Interview
Enjoy!
Ingrid
Learn a Mode Monday – Digital Macro Photography
Welcome to the first ever Learn a Mode Monday – my new mini-series on learning all about one of those little icons on your camera! Today we are all about that little flower on your mode dial i.e. Digital Macro Mode. This is absolutely one of my favorite modes for really making Wow Pictures and one of the easiest skills to acquire in beginners photography. Want to capture that ickle bumblebee sitting on the azalea bloom? How about getting that close-up of the detail on your wedding dress? Digital macro photography is what you need to master!
1. First find your subject – something small like a bee, a bloom, a coin – anything tiny.
2. If you are indoors switch off your flash as it will only bounce back off your subject and the picture will appear blown out. If you do this you will most likely need to use a tripod or have a very steady hand! Best option – head outdoors into natural daylight.
3. Next, find the Macro Mode on your camera – it’s usually an icon of a little flower something like this : 
4. Position your subject so it is well lit and that you are not casting your own shadow over it. Opt for a plain background if you have the choice, something with little or no distractions in it.
5. Rather than using your zoom to get closer to your subject, leave your lens at it’s widest setting and physically move yourself closer to your subject until you have filled the frame with your subject.
6. Slightly depress your shutter button so that your camera finds it’s focus. If you can’t focus, move slightly back and retry. Repeat this process until your camera allows you to take a sharp, in-focus shot.
7. Bingo! You’ve managed to capture the full beauty of that tiny, little flower Well done!
It may take you a while to get the hang of this process but once you do you will be hooked. Ask my mother in law – She turned from a photography novice to a real pro at taking macro shots all over the Costa Rica rain forest!
Please post your best Macro shots below with any questions or just to show off!
Bonus Tip: Compact cameras are usually way better at getting close up macro shots than DSLRs. If you have a DSLR, and you want to do lots of specific Digital Macro Photography you’ll need to invest in a good macro lens such the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM Lens for Canon users or the Nikon 105mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR for Nikon users.
If you’re just trying to get the best digital macro shot check out the new Powershot G12 from Canon. It will allow you to get super close ups with a closest focusing distance of you a mere 1cm.
For more Learn a Mode Tutorials from Ingrid click here
Your Camera Mode Dial Explained
It’s been a while, I’m sorry I’ve been neglecting you guys! I’ve no excuses other than I’ve been super busy with my new online course “Getting to Grips with your DSLR” So I’ve decided that I’m going to make a better effort to post here at the blog and in particular, make some more videos. I recently got an email from Katie, in Dublin who chastised me for not making more videos and I really feel like I’ve let you guys down. So lots more to come – I promise…
In the meantime, check out the video below and leave me a comment to let me know your thoughts.