Digital Camera Magazine Photography Guide

Adjusting Your Digital Camera’s Light Sensitivity by Changing Its ISO Setting

2012-07-24T06:53:00.000-07:00

Many digital cameras offer a choice of ISO settings, which indicate the light sensitivity of the camera’s imaging sensor. The higher the ISO number, the more quickly the camera reacts to light. A high ISO setting increases light sensitivity, but it can also add noise to the picture.
This figure shows four images taken with a different ISO setting for each shot: 200, 400, 800, and 1600.

For some shooting scenarios, you may be forced to use a higher ISO. For example, if you’re trying to capture a moving subject, you may need to raise the ISO so that you can use the fast shutter speed necessary to freeze the action.

Experiment with ISO settings if your camera offers them. But, for best picture quality, keep the ISO at its lowest or next-to-lowest setting.

How to Take Black-and-White Landscape Photos

2012-07-24T06:41:00.000-07:00

Ansel Adams captured wonderful landscapes using black-and-white film. Your camera captures color images, but that doesn’t mean you can’t follow in Ansel’s footsteps and create black-and-white photos. The only difference is that you have to convert your photos to black and white in your digital darkroom.

In Photoshop Elements, you can convert an image to grayscale, but you don’t have the control needed to get the rich blacks like those seen in Ansel Adams's photographs. You can get closer using an application like Aperture, Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, or Adobe Photoshop. You also can use third-party plug-ins to convert your color images to black and white. Here are two of them:

Alien Skin has a plug-in called Exposure 3 that you use to emulate color and black-and-white film. Exposure 3 works in conjunction with Photoshop Elements 7 and later, Photoshop CS3 and later, and Lightroom 2 and later.
Nik Software has a plug-in called Silver Efex Pro 2 that works with Apple Aperture 2.14 and later, Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.6 and later, Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 and later, and Adobe Photoshop CS3 and later. Silver Efex Pro 2 has U Point technology that enables you to make localized adjustments to control brightness, contrast, and structure.

If you want to follow in the footsteps of Ansel Adams and create compelling black-and-white photos when you process your images, keep the following in mind:

Photograph scenes with lots of contrast. A landscape with a blue sky and billowing thunderheads is ideal for conversion to black and white.
Place the horizon line in the lower third of the image when photographing a scene with a beautiful cloudscape.
Use a polarizing filter with the camera facing 90 degrees from the sun. This maximizes the darkening effect of the filter. Rotate the outer ring of the filter until the sky is a deep blue and the clouds pop out in contrast.
Underexpose the image by 1/3 EV. This will give you an image with darker shadows, which look great when converted to black and white.

Tips for Composing Better Photos

2012-07-24T06:38:00.000-07:00

Before working with Photoshop Elements 10, you need to take photographs that are interesting and well composed. Some of these tips overlap and contain common concepts, but they’re all free; they don’t require any extra money or equipment.

Find a focal point for your photos

One of the most important tools for properly composing a photo is establishing a focal point — a main point of interest. The eye wants to be drawn to a subject.

Keep these tips in mind to help find your focal point:

Pick your subject and then get close to it.
Include something of interest in scenic shots.
When it’s appropriate, try to include an element in the foreground middle ground, or background to add depth and a sense of scale.

Use the rule of thirds when taking pictures

When you’re composing your shot, mentally divide your frame into vertical and horizontal thirds and position your most important visual element at any intersecting point. When you’re shooting landscapes, remember that a low horizon creates a dreamy and spacious feeling and that a high horizon gives an earthy and intimate feeling. For close-up portraits, try putting the face or eyes of a person at one of those points.

If you have an autofocus camera, you need to lock the focus when you’re moving from center.

Cut the clutter in your photos

Here are some ways you can cut the clutter from your background:

Try to fill the frame with your subject.
Shoot at a different angle.
Move around your subject.
Move your subject.
Use background elements to enhance.
Use space around a subject to evoke a certain mood.
If you’re stuck with a distracting background, use a wider aperture (such as f/4).

Frame your shots when taking pictures

When it’s appropriate, use foreground elements to frame your subject. Frames lead you into a photograph. You can use tree branches, windows, archways, and doorways. Your framing elements don’t always have to be sharply focused. Sometimes, if they’re too sharp, they distract from the focal point.

Employ contrast when taking pictures

Just remember, “Light on dark, dark on light.”

A light subject has more impact and emphasis if it’s shot against a dark background, and vice versa. Keep in mind, however, that contrast needs to be used carefully. Sometimes, it can be distracting, especially if the high-contrast elements aren’t your main point of interest.

Use leading lines when taking pictures

Leading lines are lines that lead the eye into the picture and, hopefully, to a point of interest. The best leading lines enter the image from the lower-left corner. Roads, walls, fences, rivers, shadows, skyscrapers, and bridges provide natural leading lines, especially in scenic or landscape photos. The photo shown of the Great Wall of China is an example of curved leading lines.

Experiment with viewpoints while taking pictures

Not much in the world looks fascinating photographed from a height of 5 to 6 feet off the ground. Try to break out of this common mode by taking photos from another vantage point. Experiment with taking a photo from above the subject (bird’s-eye view) or below it (worm’s-eye view). A different angle may provide a more interesting image.

Use light in your photos

Here are a few tips about light:

The best light is in early morning and later afternoon.
Avoid taking portraits at midday.
Overcast days can be great for photographing, especially portraits.
Backlighting can produce dramatic results.
Ensure that the brightest light source isn’t directed into the lens to avoid lens flare.
Use a flash in low light.
Get creative.

Give direction in your photos

Don’t be afraid to play photo stylist:

Get someone to help direct.
Give directions about where you want people to stand, and so on.
Designate the location.
Arrange people around props, such as trees or cars.
Use a variety of poses.
Try to get people to relax.

Consider direction of movement when taking photos

When the subject is capable of movement, such as a car, person, or animal, make sure that you leave more space in front of the subject than behind it. Likewise, if a person is looking out onto a vista, make sure that you include that vista.

Using Focus Lock on Your Autofocus Camera

2012-07-24T06:29:00.000-07:00

Autofocus point-and-shoot cameras produce terrifically sharp pictures when you use them properly. But getting sharp results sometimes requires telling them where to focus.
A common focusing problem occurs when you deliberately place a subject off-center in the viewfinder frame. Say you want to compose the shot of your friends and the mountains this way. You ask your friends to stand to the right so that they block less of the background, giving the mountains center stage in your composition. You point and shoot. But the camera focuses on the mountains because that's where your composition has landed the focus point and your friends end up unsharp in the print. Call it tunnel focus.

Unintentional focusing on the background is, along with unwanted camera movement, the main cause of unsharp point-and-shoot pictures. And here's a simple way to avoid it — a photographic one-two punch called locking the focus.

Locking the focus

Lock the focus any time your composition does not place the viewfinder's focus point on the most important part of the scene you're shooting. Locking the focus means that you deliberately make your camera focus on some object in the scene — a person, or something interesting in the foreground — and keep the focus locked at that exact distance until you take the picture. Here's how you lock the focus:

1. Look through the viewfinder and position its focus point on the most important part of the scene — your main subject.

In effect, you center that subject.

2. Press the shutter button halfway down, until the green focus-OK lamp in the viewfinder eyepiece glows steadily.

See the next section, "Making sure your focus is locked," for more on the focus-OK lamp.

3. Holding the shutter button halfway down, reorient the camera so that your desired composition appears in the viewfinder.

4. Press the shutter button all the way down to take the picture.

Back to those friends and the mountains, you lock the focus by aiming the focus point at your friends (which temporarily puts them in the center of the viewfinder) and pressing the shutter button halfway. Then, keeping the shutter button halfway down, you swing the camera to place your friends off-center (see Figure 1). Now press the shutter button the rest of the way to take the picture.

Figure 1: Lock the focus to prevent your point-and-shoot from focusing on the background with an off-center subject.

You may need to use this technique with vertical composition, too. Say you're standing on a rock to shoot a vertical picture in which your friends are at the bottom of the viewfinder and the mountains in the background are at the top. To maintain the focus of your friends, first aim the camera down to place the focus point over one their faces and press the shutter button halfway. Hold the shutter button halfway down and swing the camera back up to include the mountains and reestablish your desired composition. Press the shutter button the rest of the way to take the picture.

Regardless of your composition — centered or off-center —always keep your eye on where the focus point lands. Even if your two friends are smack in the middle of the viewfinder fame, between them is a little gap and the viewfinder's focus point falls neatly into it. First "aim" the focus point so that it's on one friend's face, then reorient the camera to center your friends.

Particularly if you're a landscape fan, you may be wondering what happens to distant objects when you lock the focus on closer objects. "If I focus on my friends in front of the mountains, instead of the mountains," you ask, "then won't the mountains be out of focus?" Not necessarily.

With most scenes in which you photograph a relatively close object in front of a distant background, if you focus on the close object, the background will be reasonably sharp in the print. But the reverse is not true. Focus on the background — those mountains — and the close object simply won't be sharp.

Making sure your focus is locked

When you lock your focus, you can't actually see the subject getting sharp in the viewfinder. However, you can verify that your point-and-shoot has autofocused on something by looking at its focus-OK lamp (see Figure 2).

Figure 2: The viewfinder's green focus-OK lamp glows steadily to confirm the focus.

The focus-OK lamp lights up whenever you press the shutter button halfway. If it glows steadily, it's telling you that the camera has successfully focused. If the focus-OK lamp blinks, or doesn't light, or lights briefly but then goes out or starts blinking, it's telling you that the camera can't focus.
More often than not, your camera can't focus because you're too close to the subject. Fix the problem by easing up on the shutter button, stepping back a foot or two, and then pressing the shutter button again.

If you move, the focus doesn't

Locking the focus is vitally important to getting consistently sharp pictures. But remember that when you have that shutter button pressed halfway, the focus doesn't budge. If you ask your subject to move closer or farther away, or you move closer or farther from it to adjust your composition, your subject's no longer in focus. If the distance to the subject changes after you've locked the focus, let up on the shutter button and repeat the focus-locking procedure.

Zoom before you lock the focus. With most point-and-shoot cameras, locking the focus also prevents you from adjusting the zoom. If you want to zoom in or out after locking the focus, let up on the shutter button, adjust the zoom, and then lock the focus again.

Tips and Tricks to Improve Your HD-DSLR Video Recording

2012-06-29T22:46:00.002-07:00

The new generation of dSLR cameras include high–definition (HD) video, and this is opening up a whole new realm of creative possibilities to photographers. Digital SLRs are making it much easier for visual everyone to share cinematic stories. Even if you’re a novice, the tips and techniques in this guide will soon have you planning and shooting movies in HD, like the filmmaker you always thought you could be.

Here are some tips to improve your HD-DSLR video recording:

It will take some practice, but you must learn to focus manually,autofocus is just not acceptable. Not every DSLR requires you to focus manually when recording video, but many of them do. Even DSLRs that offer automatic, continuous focus during video recording tend to be pretty bad.
Know which way your focus ring turns. Make sure you know the direction of the lens you’re using so you don’t waste any time adjusting.
Use a tripod, and make your movements smooth. It’s important that your camera can remain steady, yet still move as smoothly as possible, which requires the use of a tripod and a fluid head made for video.
If your camera allows, use manual exposure settings when shooting video because exposures will change as you pan the camera.
A good shutter speed for video is 1/50th second. That’s the “classic sweet spot”.
Set the ISO to 200.
The wider your aperture the more shallow your depth of field will be, making mistakes in focus far less forgiving. If you don’t want or need shallow depth of field for a particular occasion, stop down the lens to a higher, narrower aperture and you’ll have a little more room for error in your focusing. Some people recommends an aperture setting of F/5.6, which he says is used by many cinematographers.
If your camera accommodates 24 fps video capture, use it.
Avoid auto white balance at all costs. Instead, pick one white balance mode and stick with it throughout the video.
Use the camera’s neutral image setting; it will give you the most latitude for postproduction work.
Focus where your subject will be, not where it is.
Always shoot a minimum of 15 seconds per take.
Never shoot vertical, unless you want to mount your HDTV sideways.
Invest in a good high-performance memory card. Slower cards will conk out when their buffer becomes overloaded.
If you’re serious about video, invest in an add-on microphone, like the $200 Sennheiser MKE 400 shotgun microphone.
Lenses vary, so practice with each of your lenses to get a feel for how far you need to turn the focus ring to get the results you’re looking for.
Learn how to use natural light. Look for conditions that are occurring in real life, using existing light, and learn to work with that as a base.
Use a neutral density filter, like an N.3 or N.9; stick with one brand if you buy several filters.

via

Some great easy to understand information and tips about shooting DSLR video in a selection of videos just released on Vimeo by Richard Harrington at Rhedpixel.

Setting up a Camera Correctly for DSLR Video from Richard Harrington on Vimeo

Lighting Essentials for DSLR Video from Richard Harrington on Vimeo.

Audio Essentials for DSLR Video from Richard Harrington on Vimeo.

Basic Camera (DSLR) Settings that must be understood

2012-06-24T11:46:00.001-07:00

Here are list of error messages from Canon EOS DSLR

Believe it or not, there are still many owners of digital cameras that still do not understand the basic settings of their cameras. In result, they only rely on the Auto mode when shooting and accept what they come up with as adequate. Yet we know that the camera has a lot of settings and an error in setting may result in a disappointing picture. This may affect the willingness of some people to experiment various settings on their cameras. True, the Auto mode on cameras these days are quite smart in making a safe photograph result. But still, aren’t you curious in what your camera can optimally do? At the least we should familiarize ourselves and at least have tried every basic settings on our cameras so we’ll know what needs resetting when faced with different situations.
Though it may seem trivial, the following settings will aid you in getting better photo results if set correctly. For a more detailed explanation, consult your camera’s manual because what I’m posting here is more general in nature:

Image Size (Sensor Resolution)

Photographs or digital formatted images are measured in pixels and is related to the resolution of the camera’s sensor. Sensor resolution signifies the maximum photo size that can be produced (stated in mega pixels). Cameras these days have underwent major increase in pixel count on their sensor chips. And as we know, the higher the resolution the more detailed the resulting image.

Whatever the resolution a digital camera has, there is usually these choices of resolution settings:

Maximum resolution (Large): With this setting, the camera will produce images with full resolution capacity and will inevitably produce large-sized photo files. Use this setting when you’re taking photographs of something you deem important, rich in detail, photos you plan on doing a lot of cropping with, or ones you plan to print as large sizes.
Medium Resolution (Medium): The camera will produce medium-sized photos that are still quite detailed but not too big in file size. This setting is suitable for everyday shooting.
Low Resolution (Small): If you only need small-sized photos to be displayed on the web and you do not plan on printing or cropping it, this low resolution is handy to use. It saves lots of disc space.

Image Quality (JPEG Compression)

Many people misunderstand the concept of resolution. They wrongly think that picture quality is determined by the resolution, when in reality, resolution states the photo detail. The quality is really determined by the level of JPEG compression,which can be manually set. The higher the JPEG compression, then the lower the photo quality will be. This is because the compression process is “lossy” in nature, which means it lowers quality. Low quality photos will look pixelated because of high compression process, but will in return require very low-sized files. Generally, quality settings found on the average digital camera is as follows:

High Quality (Super fine, best, or high quality): If you need high-quality photos with minimal visible pixels, then choose this low-compression setting. This in return, however, will have a large file output (around 4 to 5 MB per photo).
Medium Quality (fine, medium, or better quality): Suitable for everyday use, with no visible pixels, yet not too large in size.
Basic Quality (Normal, good, or basic quality): Choose this option in emergency conditions (e.g. using a memory card with a low capacity, or there’s little space left in your memory card). In this setting, the JPEG compression is very high making output photos very small in size. This setting, however, will cause compression effects such as highly pixelated photographs.

Sensor Sensitivity (ISO)

ISO in digital photography indicates how sensitive the sensor will be to light. Each camera has a base ISO (or lowest ISO) which is generally between ISO 80 to ISO 200. At the lowest ISO, the sensor provides low-noise images, which makes this setting the favorite among most people. But the different ISO settings are there to provide convenience for us. So therefore, we should understand when to use the lowest ISO and when we would have to increase the ISO setting.

Low ISO (ISO 80 – 200) is suitable for everyday use, as long as the surround light is bright enough when shooting in daylight. Low ISO can also be chosen when we want to avoid photo noise or when we’re experimenting with slow-speed photography.
Medium ISO (ISO 400-800) could be the compromise between sensitivity and noise. With the medium ISO setting we can get less-sensitive sensors with an acceptable noise level. Use medium ISO when the surrounding light starts to dim, or when using a basic ISO shutter speed is too slow and can potentially blur. Visible noise in this setting can still be edited using photo-editing softwares.
High ISO (ISO 1000-6400) is an extreme increase in sensor sensitivity, which will make the sensor very sensitive to light but will also crease a high level of visible noise. Use this High ISO setting when the lighting is inadequate for the camera to get the right exposure, or if we want to get a higher shutter speed. On most digital cameras, high ISO will generally result in photos with intense noise levels and will generally be inadequate for printing.

Exposure Compensation (Ev)

This particular setting is sometimes understood by many as the control of the brightness aspect of a photograph, though a more precise understanding is that Ev is how we instruct the camera to set its zero exposure. The Ev setting is the basic setting of digital cameras ranging from Professional grade cameras to cellular phone cameras, and in fact this setting is very useful to overcome any undesired brightness or lack there of. The default Ev value is 0 (zero) where the camera tries to find the best shutter and aperture value of the measurements of current lighting conditions (metering). On the 0 value of Ev, the bright areas (highlights) and dark areas (shadow) is usually in a balanced state, thought each camera have slightly different characteristics. In certain conditions, there are times when the camera’s metering does not give the desired results, whether it be under or over exposed.

When that’s the case, we can toggle the Ev values in the direction of:

Positive Ev (ranging from +1/3 Ev up to +3 Ev) is set if we want to make the darker parts of the photo bright, although there is a risk of blowing the bright. Usually in high contrast areas, such as the under a blazing sun or in cases of backlighting, the photo needs to be compensated towards the positive.
Negative Ev (ranging from -1/3 Ev to -3 Ev) is set if we want to darken the bright areas, like when photographing sunsets. Without the decreasing of the Ev, a sunset photo will look too bright and the beautiful moment of the sun setting will not be recorded properly.

Flash Mode

Flash on the camera seems pretty trivial because it only serves as additional light. But in certain situations users often overlook the flash settings during shooting. Generally, the flash setting is left at the Auto mode where the flash will trigger only when the atmosphere is quite dark. Though often we need flash during the daytime, and there are also times when we shouldn’t use the flash at nighttime. That is why the basic settings of the camera flash need to be understood. These settings are as follows:

Auto: Turns on automatically when in dark surroundings. Avoid the Auto mode as much as possible.
Flash On: Always triggers at every shot. Use this setting when you want to photograph with the flash, like when there is no light source whatsoever except for the camera flash, or during the day when the object is darkened by shadows. Flash during daytime can also be used to fight backlight.
Flash on plus red-eye: Same as above, but the flash will light up twice to prevent red eye. There are people that use this setting without understanding its use, so they use this setting every time they photography, day or night, when in fact this can cause them to lose moments because there’s a pause between the flashes. Besides, the frequent triggering of the flash will make the battery run out more quickly.
Flash off:The opposite of flash on, the flash off setting of course prevents the flash to trigger during photographing. First, use this setting when the surrounding lighting is adequate. Second, turn off flash when you need to shoot with available light (or natural light) like when photographing candles, night shoots or shooting in a spacious room. Third, this setting is handy when the use of flash is prohibited, such as during concerts or in houses of worship. Fourth, do not use the flash when it will cause light to reflect from the object such as shooting through a car window, shooting fish in an aquarium and shooting shiny objects.

White Balance

Lastly, the basic setting often overlooked is the setting of the white balance color. Common reasons why not many likes to try and experiment with this setting is because at the Auto WB setting, the resulting photo is satisfactory and the color are rarely missed. But are we just going to surrender to the Auto WB mode when faced with different white lightings? In our environment, there are many sources of white light, such as the sun, fluorescent lights, and incandescent lights, to flashes. If the camera misinterprets in recognizing the light source, then the resulting photo will appear bluish or reddish, which will ruin the mood of a photograph. If there are WB presents available on your camera for those different lighting, try to use the appropriate setting.
Those are the basic settings of digital cameras that you need to familiarize with, understand, and try out. There are still plenty other more advanced settings, but by optimizing these basic settings, we can keep taking satisfying pictures that will delight any viewer.

http://oneslidephotography.com/list-of-error-message-canon-eos-dslr/

Quick Explaination of White Balance Setting

2012-06-24T11:04:00.002-07:00

Here are list of error messages from Canon EOS DSLR

In photography and image processing, color balance is the global adjustment of the intensities of the colors (typically red, green, and blue primary colors). An important goal of this adjustment is to render specific colors – particularly neutral colors – correctly; hence, the general method is sometimes called gray balance, neutral balance, or white balance. Color balance changes the overall mixture of colors in an image and is used for color correction; generalized versions of color balance are used to get colors other than neutrals to also appear correct or pleasing.

You can check white balance by looking at a captured image on the camera’s monitor. If you examine the images closely you may notice that white areas in particular have some color cast to them. (You may want to zoom the image so you can see enlarged details more clearly). To remove color casts and capture images with colors that look like they were shot at midday, we use the camera’s white balance system. This system automatically or manually adjusts the image so colors are captured the way we see them regardless of the light illuminating them. For example, the fluorescent setting compensates for the greenish light from fluorescent lamps and the tungsten setting compensates for the warmer, more reddish color of tungsten lights.

Many digital cameras offer a number of white balance settings, some for specific lighting situations.

When to use Auto white balance: In auto, the camera guesses what white balance to use depending on the available light. In 95% of the time, the guess results in a nicely colored photograph. This is a perfect setting for times when you’re unsure what white balance to choose. It’s also a good idea to keep the camera on Auto white balance if you shoot in RAW format (recommended).

Daylight (Canon) and Direct Sunlight (Nikon):

This is a good setting for direct sunlight. For example, a beach landscape mid morning where you’re not shooting into shade.

When to use Shade white balance:

Use shade white balance in shady area’s or sunset shots. It will help give a warmer color to your shots.

When to use Cloudy:

This is a good setting for cloudy days. It’s also quite effective for shady area’s as well. I’ve found there is a fine line between shade and cloudy white balance settings.

When to use Tungsten white balance:

This is one of the most extreme balance settings of them all and should only be used with tungsten light bulbs. Or at times where you purposefully want a blue tinge to your images.

When to use fluorescent:

This setting will help make inside flourescent house lighting, look a bit better than the yellowy orange color you usually see.

Flash white balance:

Flash white balance is used mostly for studio work.

Custom (Canon) and Preset (Nikon) white balance settings:

Use these ones with a white or grey card that you can pick up cheaply from any camera store, for perfect white balance.

Doesn’t auto white balance fix this problem?

Not always. While it’s true many improvements have been made in todays digital camera’s, they still often get white balance settings wrong in certain lighting conditions. If you take your images in RAW format (highly recommended) then sure, go ahead and use auto white balance. If the camera gets it wrong, you can always change this setting later on in your RAW editor.

http://oneslidephotography.com/list-of-error-message-canon-eos-dslr/

Tips: List of Error Message Canon EOS DSLR

2012-06-24T10:39:00.001-07:00

Here are list of error messages from Canon EOS DSLR

Err 01 :

Communications between the camera and lens is faulty. Clean the lens contacts.
-Clean the electrical contacts on the camera and lens.
-Use a Canon lens.
-If the instructions above do not solve the problem, please contact your nearest Canon Service Center.

Err 02 :

Card cannot be accessed. Reinsert/change card or format card with camera.
-Remove and install the card again.
-Replace the card.
-Format the card.

Err 04 :

Cannot save images because card is full. Replace card.
-Replace the card.
-Erase unnecessary images on the card.
-Format the card.

Err 05 :

The built-in flash could not be raised.
- Turn the camera off and on again.
-If the instructions above do not solve the problem, please contact your nearest Canon Service Center.

Err 06 :

Sensor cleaning is not possible.
- Turn the camera off and on again.
-If the instructions above do not solve the problem, please contact your nearest Canon Service Center.

Err 10,20,30,40, 50,70,80 :

Shooting is not possible due to an error. Turn the camera off and on again.
-Remove and re-install the battery.
-Use a Canon lens.
-If the instructions above do not solve the problem, please contact your nearest Canon Service Center

Err99 :

results from an electronic communication problem between the lens and the camera.
-Clean the electrical contacts on the camera and lens.
-Change the lens.
-Use a Canon lens.
-If the instructions above do not solve the problem, please contact your nearest Canon Service Center.

http://oneslidephotography.com/list-of-error-message-canon-eos-dslr/

Tips: EOS EF L series lens date codes

2012-06-24T10:23:00.002-07:00

If we buy an L series lens from Canon, surely we will find a line of code on the back of the lens. The code is the code of the year and the place where the lens was made. Now, for buying lenses, especially the used lens .. this code can be very utilized in determining how old is from the lens. The meaning of these codes are as follows.

For example, if a lens has a code UV0207, then it can be interpreted from the information that the age of the lens is as follows. U code shows the location where the lens in manufactured, in this case it is in the Canon factory in Utsunomiya, Japan. The other codes are as follows:

U = Utsunomiya, Japan
F = Fukushima, Japan
O = Oita, Japan

Furthermore, the second letter, “V”, is the yer these lenses were manufactured. The complete guide to these 2nd set of code is as follows:

A = 1986, 1960
B = 1987, 1961
C = 1988, 1962
D = 1989, 1963
E = 1990, 1964
F = 1991, 1965
G = 1992, 1966
H = 1993, 1967
I = 1994, 1968
J = 1995, 1969
K = 1996, 1970
L = 1997, 1971
M = 1998, 1972
N = 1999, 1973
O = 2000, 1974
P = 2001, 1975
Q = 2002, 1976
R = 2003, 1977
S = 2004, 1978
T = 2005, 1979
U = 2006, 1980
V = 2007, 1981
W = 2008, 1982
X = 2009, 1983
Y = 2010, 1984
Z = 2011, 1985

The next two sets of number, “02″, is the month the lens was manufactured. The number “02” shows that the lens was made in February.

The next two digits, “07″, is an internal code of Canon lenses and its meaning does not define its age.

By knowing these codes, you can know at a glance that these old lens is 2 years old,and was made in Japan in February of 2007.

credit by http://oneslidephotography.com/eos-ef-l-series-lens-date-codes/

Noise in Photographs

2012-06-23T13:30:00.000-07:00

Noise in Photographs: The Causes and the Remedies

Noise, or a set of spots or visible pixels on photographs, often annoys many of us because it lowers the image quality. Before we discuss the remedies to fixing noise, we need to get a better understanding of the cause of these spots on our photos.

- The size of your sensors

Large sensors like those found in DSLRs, especially in full-framed DSLRs, produces less noise than their smaller sensors counterparts (often found in pocket cameras or camera phones). Consequently, these larger full-frame DSLR sensors are quite expensive and not everyone can afford them. Therefore, purchase a camera with the largest sensor you can afford.

- High ISO

Photos resulting from high ISO settings will have an increase in noise visibility. There are times when we do need to use high ISOs, but for maximum results, stick with the lower ISOs (e.g. ISO 400 and lower).

- High-temperature lighting

The higher the temperature of your light source (measured in Kelvin), the more noise will appear. What is meant by “high temperature” is the tint of the overall light source, yellowish, red or orange being in this “high temperature” spectrum; while “low temperature” means a light bluish tint.

- Long exposures

The longer we open our sensors to record an image, the higher the level of noise will show in the resulting photo. This is due to the sensor getting hotter and eventually overheating when the sensors are exposed too long. This often happens when photographing star trails in the night sky.

- Underexposures

When the photos taken are underexposed, noise will increasingly show, especially in dark and shadowed areas. Therefore, determining the optimal exposure settings is very important. To observe whether the image is over or underexposed, you can use the information given in the histogram.

Now that we know what causes these forsaken spots, here are ways you can eliminate (or at least reduce) the noise in your photographs:

- The most popular way is to shoot your photos with the RAW image-type setting (A large file type with a higher quality than that of JPG).

- Use the lowest ISO possible. The lower the ISO, the less chance you’ll get a noisy photograph. And to overcome the slow shutter speed problem caused by the use of low ISO, use a tripod or flash.

- Also, you can do various post-editing to the photographs using one (or more) of the many available image-editing softwares. The more popular of these softwares include Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom, Noise Ninja, and Neat Image. Inside these softwares there are a few tools to reduce noise.

- In many cameras, there is an NR (Noise Reduction) feature available. This feature is quite helpful when you shoot using JPG as your file type. But most cameras available on the market right now do not have a sufficient NR setting, so using this feature may lower the quality of your photo and tiny details may not be visible. Also, the use of NR slows the process of saving the image to the memory card.

- Use lenses with large apertures. This will affect the photo’s overall lighting. The larger the aperture, the more lighting can optimally be recorded in low-light conditions. If these wide aperture lenses aren’t helpful enough in your situation, then use a flash for optimal lighting. The main goal is to avoid getting an underexposed lighting.

Having said all the above, however, sometimes noise can also be our friend. For example, we may favor noise when we want to apply a textured effect on our photographs. Applying such will create classically accented black and white photos. Visualizing which of your photographs suit having noise in them and which one does not will make your photos look more attractive.

credit by http://oneslidephotography.com/noise-in-photographs-the-causes-and-the-remedies/

Tips: How to Photograph Rays of Light

2012-06-23T13:01:00.000-07:00

Taking photos of sunrises and sunsets can be especially rewarding. At these times of day when the sun is lower in the sky, sunlight travels through more atmosphere to reach the earth. Photographing sunbeams/rays of light requires specific camera settings and an eye for careful evaluation of the quality of light.Here are some tips and tricks for capturing rays of light.

1. Choose a shoot time in the early morning or late evening. Optimal shooting is between 1/2 hour before sunset to 1/2 hour after sunset. Don’t forget about “afterglow” and remember to look behind you to notice what the sky is doing there as well.The sun’s rays are most dramatic at these hours. High-contrast midday light is difficult to capture. In the early morning and evening hours, mist or other particles in the air will reflect sunlight more clearly, creating a better defined sunbeam in the image. If morning mist is low, do it like what they do in movies, create smoke. Rays get reflected in the dust partickles of smoke. You’ll get the same effect.

2. Try to hide the sun behind a tree or branch to enhance the rays of light. it helps if there’s a wee bit of mist or vapour in the air as the light reflecting off this accentuates the rays.

3. Choose a high-contrast location where the sunlight is cascading onto a darker background, such as through a canopy of leafy trees or through a window into a darkened room. The contrast of the dark background will clearly delineate the sunbeam.

4. Compose your image in such a way that the sun is not a direct part of the composition. Try to hide the sun behind a tree or branch to enhance the rays of light. it helps if there’s a wee bit of mist or vapour in the air as the light reflecting off this accentuates the rays and this keeps direct sunlight from overpowering individual rays of light.

5. Meter the image and select camera settings based on your meter reading. These settings will vary based on your chosen backdrop and setting. A high-contrast situation, such as sunlight on a dark background, may “fool” your meter, so selecting settings that are slightly lower than recommended by your light meter may improve your chance of success. Do not use your flash. Select a narrow aperture setting to maximize the depth of field and use a longer shutter speed to compensate for the smaller quantity of light.

6. Watch out for lens flare, keep your lens surface and lens filters clean.

credit by http://oneslidephotography.com/how-to-photograph-rays-of-light-4/

Tips: Understanding Histogram in Digital Photography

2012-06-23T12:40:00.000-07:00

Histogram is a feature in a DSLR camera that is often under-utilized by its users because of lack of understanding as what and how this histogram function works. Histogram, in general, can be viewed on the LCD screen by pressing the “info” button located next to the screen. Read on to learn more about what histogram informs the users about their photographs.

The X axis in the histogram illustrates the level of brightness/contrast ranging from totally black (level 0) to totally white (level 255), and therefore there are 254 levels of contrast in between. The & axis illustrates the pixel distribution in each level of said contrast.

Generally, a good photograph has a hill-shaped histogram with no cut-offs at the edges and at the peak of the hill shape. I say “in general” because there are some types of photographs (like a high-key, low-key, or night shot) where the histogram does not form this hill shape.

If a histogram showcases some cut offs at the tops of the hill shape, that means the dynamic range (level of contrast) of the photograph surpasses the dynamic range that is recordable by the sensor of the camera. If we force the camera to take a photograph in this condition, then the photo will appear too contrast; there can even be white lines visible on the borders where a light area meets a dark area of the photograph. In such situations, we would need a Graduated Neutral Density (GND) filter to lessen the brightness of the brightest area so as to be able to adjust the dynamic range to suit the sensor of the camera.

An example of a histogram of a photograph with a dynamic range that surpasses the capabilities of the camera sensor:

On the opposite end of the above condition, on histograms that has “hill” edges far from the ends of the X axis, the photographic settings doesn’t optimally utilize the dynamic range recording of the photograph. The resulting photo will appear dull and lacking contrast. This condition can still be helped during the post-editing process, but there will be gaps on the contrast level. If there are too many of these gaps, it’ll result in a poster-like rough image.

Example of a histogram with a short dynamic range:

The above histogram is then fixed digitally, creating the new histogram below:

In under-exposure instances, the histogram will show a “clipping” on the dark areas. Clipping: the peak of the histogram is cut off or is rough. If clipping happens, then the detail of the image in that contrast level disappears and can’t be helped by any digital processing. On the following histogram example, the details of the dark areas disappear.

Example of an under-exposed photograph histogram:

On the opposite end of the spectrum, over exposures will create clippings on the bright areas (right side of the histogram). In such instance, the detail in the bright areas disappear and can’t be saved by digital processing.

Example of a histogram of an over-exposure photograph:

As we evaluate our results on the DSLR’s LCD screen, don’t just pay attention to the photograph shown. This can fool us into thinking the results turned out fine (especially on overly bright or overly dark conditions) where there are actually flaws. Also pay close attention to the histogram to avoid any regrets.

How do you fix a histogram? The result of the histogram depends on the exposure (combination of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO) and unfortunately the exposure as a result of automatic metering by the camera doesn’t always give the best exposures. By paying attention to the histogram, we can know when manual toggling needs to be done to compensate for lack of better exposure or if a GND filter needs to be used.

Generally speaking, if a histogram shows a clipping on the dark end of the spectrum, then that means an under-exposure happened and you’d need to do a positive compensation on the exposure settings (+1/3, +2/3, or higher as is needed). The bigger the cut-off portion, the bigger the exposure compensation.

And vice versa, where the clipping happens on the bright areas, then you must under-compensate and set the exposure at a negative value (-1/3, -2/3, or lower as is needed).

If the dynamic range exceeds the sensor’s maximum dynamic range, then you’ll need to use a GND filter to lessen the contrast of the bright areas.

Little histogram flaws that occur, if not too extreme, can still be helped in the digital post-processing edits by toggling on the levels.

Histogram Explanation from Adorata TV on YouTube:

Tips: For Choosing the right DSLR Camera Bag

2012-06-23T12:25:00.001-07:00

Photography Tips - Choosing the right DSLR Camera Bag

A Camera bag is one of the necessities when owning a DSLR camera. And of course the camera bag design significantly differs from ordinary bags. First, a camera bag is usually equipped with several compartments lined with thick foam (the type varies) to protect the contents from tremor and shocks. Models and brands also vary, each with their own advantages. But the main function of a camera bag is of course to carry the camera body, lenses, and a few other necessary accessories when travelling, be it during a walk or during a photo-hunting session.

When travelling long distances, we sometime need a camera bag that’s also able to carry a laptop. But when we’re exploring in open nature or during a photo-hunting session, we would need a more compact camera bag and one that will ease access to the camera when we encounter ever-fleeting moments.

In brief, the following are several tips in choosing the right DSLR camera bag for you:

1. Consider any future needs.

Do not buy bags too small a size because photography accessories usually add up over time with the cultivation of your photographic creativity. Consider the bag capacity that you will need for at least one year to come. Also consider your needs for long-distant out-of-town travels and travels abroad. Sometimes we need a camera bag that is also able to securely carry a laptop.

2. Choose ones equipped with a rain protective cover.

Rain covers or a protective layer against rain is essential to protect the items in the bag (especially camera bodies and lenses) for instances of unexpected downpours or any other potential water damage. This is especially essential when photographing in open nature. Even if the manufacturers claim that their camera bag products are waterproof, it’s better to have this extra protection. These rain protective covers can also be purchased separately at camera equipment stores.

3. For limited budgets, try custom or handmade bags.

Handmade or custom-made bags may be an option if the budget is limited. Plenty innovative individual sellers are able to make camera bags of reasonably good quality at affordable prices. Check the availabilities of these handmade bags at your local camera equipment stores. They usually have local-made camera bags at more affordable prices.

Several types of camera bags include

1. Backpacks DSLR Bag

The backpack models are most suitable for long-distant travels. This model is available in several sizes. With a considerably large capacity, you can pack all of your camera gears into one bag. This type of bag is usually used for those with DSLR-type cameras because these types of cameras have many detachable components such as lenses, tripods, filter, and others. Backpack camera bags also usually have a laptop compartment.

2. Slingshot bags DSLR Bag

The slingshot model is more compact, suitable for brief photo-session uses. However, given that the slingshot bags are carried by placing the handle around one shoulder, it will tire this shoulder more quickly.

3. Shoulder DSLR bags

This model, at a glance, is similar to an ordinary shoulder bag. Like the slingshot model, this type of bag is suitable for brief photographing sessions. Because the bag is also carried by one shoulder, it also more easily tires out the shoulder. It’s advisable that when using this model, don’t carry too many accessories.

4. Waist bags

The waist bags, on the other hand, aren’t carried on a shoulder. Removing and inserting your cameras are also much easier. However, because of its small size, you can only carry a few items. These waist bags are usually used by photographers using small or medium-sized cameras with only one lens.

Tips: The Exposure Triangle of Photography

2012-06-23T05:35:00.000-07:00

Exposure Triangle of Photography

The key to obtaining ideal photographs depends on the exposure triangle of photography. The exposure triangle consists of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. The combination of the three determines how dark or bright the resulting photo will be.

APERTURE

Aperture is the opening in the lens where light enters. If the opening is large, ample lighting will enter the lens. As the opening gets smaller, less light will enter. Besides being one of the ways to control incoming light, aperture is also used to control the depth of field.

In practice, if you are in an environment where the light is very bright, then the lens opening can be narrowed so as to lessen the amount of the light that enters. If the environment is a low light environment, then a larger opening is necessary for enough light to enter to obtain an optimal photograph.

Aperture can also be used to control the depth of field. A wide aperture makes for a shallow depth of field, consequently making the background of photograph blurry (bokeh). A narrow aperture, on the other hand, makes for a deep depth of field, which will consequently make the background appear sharper or focused. A unique point that often times confuse beginners is the value in the setting of the aperture. A small number setting for the aperture inverts to a wider opening, and as the values are lowered, the more the opening is narrowed. For instance, an f/1 aperture setting makes for a wider aperture than an f/22 setting.

Each lens has its own maximum and minimum aperture setting. The value written on the lens (such as an f/3.5-5.6) is the maximum (widest) aperture possible for that lens.

SHUTTER SPEED

Shutter speed is the duration the camera will open its sensors to absorb light. The shutter speed value is in seconds or fractions of seconds. Usually, the shutter speed is in the range of 1/4000 second to 30 seconds. Shutter speed variations are set from the camera body, not the lens.

Besides affecting the quantity of incoming light, the shutter speed also affect the resulting photograph in two respects:

- Fast Shutter speeds freezes moving objects.

- Slow shutter speeds capture the motion of the objects on an ongoing basis until the sensor closes.

In practice, high shutter speed is used to freeze motions of a moving object, such as for photo coverage of sports events. Alternatively, slow shutter speeds are used to record motion effects, such as for capturing the flow of a waterfall.

Also, in respect to the capturing of light, slow shutter speed can also help in capturing a bright nighttime sky.

ISO

ISO is the level of sensitivity of the sensor towards light. The ISO value usually starts from 50, 80, or 100 and doubles until 3200 or more. Low ISO means low sensitivity of the sensor towards light, and as the digits increase, so does the sensitivity level.

Large digit ISO, or also called high ISO, can lower the quality of the photograph because of the appearance of spots called “noise.” Noise will appear like sand and the photo will lose fine details. But for difficult conditions (such as indoor photography with low lighting conditions), high ISO is often necessary.

In the era of analog cameras, ISO was also known as ASA. In the analog era, ASA depends on the film inserted into the camera. But now a days, ISO can be set as one sees fit by toggling the ISO setting of the camera.

By experimenting with the three main camera settings (exposure triangle), the photograph can be manipulated into being dark, bright, or in between. The brightness of the end result will of course depend on one’s taste.

You can also simulate the use of ISO, shutter speed, and apertur on this site CAMERASIM .This SLR simulator will help you as an aid to understanding the relationship between ISO speed, aperture, shutter speed, and distance affect the outcome of your digital photos.

Tips: RAW vs JPEG, which one is better?

2012-06-23T05:23:00.000-07:00

I shoot RAW T-shirt from www.froknowsphoto.com

RAW and JPG refer to the two different file types your camera can produce.

RAW

– RAW file is the unedited (unprocessed) image data that you digital SLR camera captures every time you take a photo. Because RAW files are unprocessed, they come out looking flat and dark. RAW images need to be viewed and processed using your camera’s software or in more robust commonly used software like Photoshop, Lightroom, Aperture, etc prior to being ready for display or print.

JPEG

– JPEG files are processed right within the camera. How exactly they are processed varies from model to model. While color temperature and exposure are set based on your camera settings when the image is shot, the camera will also process the image to add blacks, contrast, brightness, noise reduction, sharpening (which you can see in the example above) and then render the file to a compressed JPEG. These files are finished and can be viewed and printed immediately after shot.

It seems to be one of the biggest debates in digital photography–what’s better: RAW or JPEG? Who wins?
Some pro photographers say JPEG: you should always know the perfect settings for a photo. And others say always shoot in RAW: it’s better quality and you have more power to change things later on.Well, I think both formats have advantages and disadvantages, so rather than take one side for everything, I’ll run through some of the key differences between them, and then suggest when each format makes sense.

RAW vs JPEG

RAW

- Allows maximum control in post-processing
- Allows you to change white balance later without any loss of quality
- Allows you to change exposure, saturation, sharpness, curves, etc with less quality loss than you’d experience with JPEG
- larger filesize means you’ll fill up your memory card faster, and it’ll take longer to download images to your computer
- can only take a few shots in a burst before filling up your camera’s buffer
- Require special programs to convert into the JPG format
- Require powerful computers to view and edit
- Can’t be instantly e-mailed or uploaded to online galleries
- Require time and effort to “develop”

JPEG

- Any post-processing will result in quality loss (especially exposure adjustments).Less control over the way the final image appears
- Harder to correct mistakes of color and exposure
- Smaller filesize means you can fit more on a memory card (usually twice as many), and you’ll download images faster to your computer
- Allows you to shoot significantly more shots in a burst
- Easy to view and edit with any image editing program
- Easy to modify to e-mail to friends
- Easy to upload to online galleries

When Do I Use RAW?

Shooting in RAW usually makes the most sense, if your goal is to get the highest quality image possible. It’s especially important for landscape shots, where white balance is often a problem.

Journalistic shooting.

If you are shooting journalistically, meaning you are shooting in fast moving situations that are constantly changing in terms of lighting, scenes, backgrounds, subjects, etc then you need to be shooting RAW because nobody has the ability to shoot the “perfect exposure” every time

- Need additional range and tonal detail.

If you are shooting landscapes, nature, or virtually any scene that has a high Dynamic Range, then you want to be shooting in RAW to allow you to have additional post production flexibility to darken (burn) the highlights, while raising (dodging) the shadows, and properly tone-map an image.

When Do I Use JPEG?

With all the benefits of RAW, it may seem like the clear winner for everything. However, there’s one property of JPEGs that may make them the winner in some situations. With JPEG you can shoot a lot more photos in a burst, than you can with RAW. When is this useful? Wildlife. Any time you’re photographing a quick moving subject, you can significantly increase your chances of getting a sharp photo by simply taking more shots.

-Personal use

The rule here is that you don’t want to be spending crazy amounts of time processing images when the differences are going to be negligible and go unnoticed. Know your audience, know your situation, know your use for the images, and select appropriately.

-Rapid succession burst shooting

Shooting JPEG will allow you to shoot a lot more shots prior to filling the buffer. So, in this situation it is best to switch to JPEG, dial in all of your exposure and temperature settings in camera and fire away.

Conclusion

By now, you should have a strong understanding of the in practice differences between RAW and JPEG file formats. Use this understanding, along with our situational advice to decide which file format best fits your needs for any particular situation. While the RAW format is a super format, that doesn’t mean it is the best format for all situations.

Tips: Buying Used DSLR Flash

2012-06-23T04:52:00.001-07:00

Tips for Buying Used DSLR Flash

A flash is pretty much a must-have accessory for a photographer. Because photography itself, “Photos-graphein” literally means drawing with light. Without light, there’d be no pictures.
Buying a new flash of course isn’t a problem because buying something new doesn’t require the need to for detail checking of its condition. Plus, it usually includes warranty. But what about when we’re planning on buying a used flash, with an expired warranty? What are the main things we should check for in order to determine it’s in good working condition or not?

The following are a few things you should do before you buy a used flash:

- Don’t buy a flash without trying it out first.

Buying used merchandise only via sites like eBay could be an alternative because it’s usually offered at a cheap price, but it’s still best to physically check the flash before a buy. But then you can be more confident with the buy if you personally know the seller, if the seller has a good reputation, or if the seller offers a warranty with the sell.

- Cek the Flash’s Physical Condition

Check whether the physical condition of the flash body is still great or if there are any defects/ scratches/ cracks etc.

- Download the Manual

Down the e-manual of the exact type of flash you’re about to buy if the manual isn’t included in the buy. This manual helps you in knowing in detail the features the flash has and all the buttons it has in its body. With that knowledge in mind, you’ll know which features to tests and what you need to do to be sure that the flash is working properly.

- Check the battery and cable sync sockets

Check for any corrosions or spots such as residue of battery leakage in the battery socket. Things like these can cause electrical surge and damage flash performance.

- Check the lamp

Check whether or not the flash lamp is still in normal working condition. Usually, a flash has a “Test” button that’ll ignite the flash without having to be attached to a camera body.

- Check whether or not the glass layer is fried

Examine the glass layer in front of the flash lamp. Check for any yellowish stains on its surface. This is a burn residue. If you see any, chances are the flash has passed its prime or the flash lamp’s been burnt out before. A good flash is a flash with a translucent white glass layer.

- Check the Recycle time

The recycle time is the time it takes for a flash to recharge its power from an inactive state to a state ready to be used. Check whether or not the flash has normal recycle times. Check normal standard recycle time in the manual or internet references. If the recycle time between ready states of a flash is too long, then most likely the capacitor component is past its prime.

- Power output

Check the power output of the flash, starting from the lowest power setting to the highest. A defective flash usually is stuck in a certain power setting. For instance, it may only ignite in full power or in its lowest power setting.

- Check the bounce card and diffuser

Some flashes are equipped with a bounce card and diffuser that’s tucked into the head of the flash. Check whether or not they’re still in tact.

- Test the flash while mounted on a camera body

Test the flash by mounting it onto a camera body. If the flash you’re planning to buy is a TTL (Through The Lens), make sure the TTL functions normally. A normal-working TTL flash will automatically adjust its power output settings to accommodate with the light meter and camera lens. When the flash is mounted, it can also usually be set via the menu settings in the camera body. Test if all these are working properly or not.

- Check the zoom head

The zoom head is the part that moves back and forth (zooms) in a flash that functions to adjust the reflector inside the flash. This zoom head moves according to the zoom of the lens. Try to zoom your camera lens in and out. If the zoom head follows the zoom of the lens, then the flash is working properly.

- Test the AF assist (if that’s one of its features)

High-end flashes are usually equipped with an AF assist light. That’s a tiny light that assists in finding the accurate focus when photographing in low lighting. This AF assist is usually red-colored.

- Test the wireless IR functions (if that’s one of its features)

High-end flashes also usually has the wireless IR function. This is where a flash is triggered via a transmitter on a camera or a wireless transmitter; such as the ST-E2 (Canon) or the WT-4A (Nikon).

- Test the optical sensor (if that’s one of its features)

Some flashes have the optical sensor/ light sensor built in. An optical sensor is a light sensor in a flash that triggers the flash if the flash receives light. Optical sensors only work properly in an indoor setting.

Pre-wedding Photography Tips

2012-06-23T04:35:00.000-07:00

Pre-wedding Photography Tips

    Nowadays, it seems, a pre-wedding photo session has become a ritual that completes a wedding ceremony event package, and lack there of will seem imperfect.
    The use of these pre-wedding photos varies. They are usually incorporated in the design invitations, displayed at the reception, and may sometimes be put as a slideshow exhibition during the reception.
    To ensure a successful pre-wedding photo shoot, you should implement the following:

1. Organize an advance meeting with the client, discussing photo shoot concepts and location.

If possible, give the client feedback on concepts that you feel would work for them and the proper time for the shoot. If the client already has a concept in mind and has set a time, you as the photographer should reevaluate and make adjustments as you see fit. If adjustments are needed, you should be able to provide solutions.
A possible scenario would be: The client wants a glamorous themed photo shoot wearing a white wedding dress in an outdoor setting at 1 in the afternoon. This may pose as a bit of problem because the afternoon sun may wash out the pale color of the dress. You should advice them to reschedule the photo shoot to be done in the morning or evening when the sun isn’t as unforgiving.

2. Give the client options.

Offer special packages to the client. These different packages may have variations in prices or in the amount of photo prints, which will affect the end result received by the client. For instance, you may offer a “gold package” which includes 50 pieces of photographs, an exclusive album, make-up services, and transportation. Then, you can also give them an alternate choice of a “silver package” which includes 20 pieces of photographs, a mini album, and frames.
You could draw up the plans for these packages as you see fit would interest various types of clients.

3. Survey the determined location beforehand.

Surveying the location is very important before you carry on with a pre-wedding photo session. Survey the location at least once before the day of the shoot. When the shoot location is a public facility, don’t forget to take care of various grating of permissions and licensing that may be needed. This last point needs to be paid close attention to, so you can avoid any embarrassment of getting evicted from the premises during the shoot. If this happens, it may scar your credibility as a photographer.

4. Always prepare a plan B.

Shooting an outdoor shoot, vulnerable to the elements, may result in various scenarios of unpredictability. Weather may pose as one of the most unpredictable and uncontrollable of these elements. Mother nature can roll out its rainclouds whenever she pleases. So, to acclimate, should you move to a different location or should you change to an indoor photo shoot? You should have answers to these worst-case scenario questions before the day of the shoot.

5. Choose and use the right equipment.

We can determine which equipment we should use based on the location survey assessments. For instance, based on the conditions of the location, you may need to bring high-powered lighting gear, telephoto lenses, wide lenses, or other supporting props. If you intend to be a professional photographer, then don’t hesitate to use professional equipment. It may be more expensive, but it’ll give maximum results, and theseequipment serve as long-term investments that will support your career.

6. Dress to impress.

Dress professionally. Clients will certainly feel more confident when their photographer is dapper appearance (wearing a collared shirt, shoes, and proper trousers, for instance). Appearing well dressed in front of the client will in turn make them feel more confident in you as a professional photographer. Appearance does create a strong first impression.

7. Pack a lunch.

Pre-wedding photo shoot usually take up to a full day and it will be draining for both the photographer and the clients themselves. So, make sure you pack suitable lunch and especially load up on the beverages.

8. Calculate the detailed expenses.

Calculate the expenses of every aspect in the execution of the photo shoot. These range from the expenses of transportation, location permits (if any are necessary), photo prints, to the cost of any make-up artists you may hire. Calculate explicitly so you don’t end up turning a loss.

9. Finish on time.

Finish the job on time, from the process of editing to developing prints. Agree on a specific deadline beforehand, taking into consideration the time you would need to finish the editing and developing of these photographs.

Nikon D7000 vs Canon EOS 60D Which One is Better

2012-06-23T04:23:00.000-07:00

Nikon D7000 Vs Canon EOS 60D

This is a fierce battle between two middle class DSLRs for this year. Nikon’s D7000 (D90’s successor) goes against Canon’s EOS 60D (somewhat of 50D’s successor, though in some aspects, the real 50D successor is the 7D). Although for starters I will that they are equally good, of course the features may differ slightly. Read on to read the duel of these two giants.


Judging from appearances, the Nikon D7000 looks a little smaller than the Canon EOS 60D. The main difference being that the Nikon D7000 uses a magnesium-alloy material, while the Canon EOS 60D uses a polycarbonate resin (plastic). Both has similar designs, especially in the placements of the mode dial and the top LCD screens. The mid-class Nikons has a scroll dial placed on the front and can be toggled using the index finger; while the Canon always places their scroll dials near the shutter button.


The Nikon D7000 lens kit is slightly shorter than the Canon EOS 60D kit lens, making the Canon EOS 60D look longer. From the above image, it’s also evident that the top LCD screen design of the Canon EOS 60D isn’t shaped as a rectangle, while the design grip of the Nikon D7000 is smaller and narrower than the Canon EOS 60D. The ON/OFF switch of the Nikon D7000 encircles the shutter speed (as usual), while the Canon EOS 60D now places the ON/OFF switch near the mode dial on the left.


What’s mainly visible on the back is the placement of the Nikon D7000 buttons. These buttons consist of 4 buttons lined to the left of the screen; while the Canon EOS 60D with its rotatable screen system makes it not possible for any buttons to be on the left of the screen. The rotate dial on the back that is operated by the thumb differs in design, in that the Canon EOS 60D uses a wheel system like how is seen on professional-class Canon DSLRs.
Before discussing the differences in features and performances of the two, it’s better to see the head-to-head summary of the Nikon D7000 versus the Canon EOS 60D. They are the following:


Judging from the sensors, even though the Nikon D7000 loses in terms of resolutions, but in reality the difference between 16MP and 18MP isn’t significant (16 MP = 4928 x 3264 while 18 MP = 5184 x 3456). The burst performance of the two are also relatively equal between 5 to 6 fps; which are not too fast but not too slow. Fro the above table it’s apparent that the two are tied in the maximum shutter speed and flash sync; with a side note that the FP mode of the flash sync on the Nikon D7000 can be increased to 1/320 second. The ISO capabilities of the two are both at a maximum of ISO 6400 (maximum setting for adequate photographs) but both can also be forced to take shots beyond that setting with a risk of bad results. Therefore, it seems that ISO 128000 or ISO 25600 isn’t really necessary.

On paper, the Nikon D7000 is superior when it comes to auto focus and metering, with 39 AF points (9 of which are cross-type) and 2015 pixels of metering plus accurate 3D AF tracking. On the other hand, the EOS 60D only has a 9-point AF; all of which are cross-type (even the EOS 7D only has 19 point AF). As for metering, the 60D relies on a 63 area zone metering. In practice, a higher digit does mean better accuracy, but the results highly depends on the photographer and shooting conditions.

Key advantages of the Nikon D7000

One thing that is indisputable is the professional feel when seeing and using the Nikon D7000. Professionals can even rely on the sturdy body, covered with weather seals as well as dual memory slots. Another thing, the existence of the various buttons and directs controls are a favorite amongst the professional photographers.

Key advantages of the Canon EOS 60D

If the purpose of purchasing a DSLR is to maximize performance of video recording, then the 60D surpasses the Nikon D7000 in that respect. With the foldable and rotatable LCD screen, shooting video or photographs with the live view mode is made easier. And then there are the various video resolution options and the maximum frame rate of 1920 x 1080 pixels and 30 fps. Another key advantage of the 60D is the more affordable price. Right now, the 60D kit is priced at around $1000 USD while the Nikon D7000 is priced at around $1250 USD.

Minor flaws of the Nikon D7000

Nothing is ever perfect. There are a few minor flaws that is quite unfortunate for a DSLR as wholesome as the D7000. Some of these flaws are the absence of the histogram in the live view (even all point-and-shoot cameras has this feature) and the optic viewfinder does not showcase the ISO setting (the 60D has this feature).

Minor flaws of the Canon EOS 60D

For a camera that inherited all the feature of the big two-digit EOS series, Canon shouldn’t have removed the micro AF Adjust feature for the Canon EOS 60D. Without this feature, front-focus or back-focus occurs when using some lenses and it can’t be recalibrated (a feature available in Nikon D7000).

Conclusion

Both cameras are great and can be purchased as your first DSLR or as an upgrade (for example, from a Nikon D40/D60/D70/D80/D90/D3000/D5000 or EOS 400D/450D/500D) but if you already own a 40D or 50D, it’s better to upgrade to an EOS 7D. The quality of the photographs and videos from these two DSLRs can’t be doubted. Both sensors are capable of producing high resolutions and the video features are enough to even make a professional-looking video clips. Performances of both are also quite fast, especially if the photographer can maximize the use of the buttons, rotary controls, and levers located on different sides of the camera body.
The Nikon D7000 should be more accurate when it comes to auto focus and metering, even though the 60D can’t lose when it comes to real-world practice. The best choice can be made by referring to your budget, plans of usage (more outdoor or indoor studio shoots), plans for lenses (if purchasing DSLR body only) and if a foldable LCD screen is something you would need.

Tips: Rule of Third

2012-06-23T04:07:00.000-07:00

Rule of third

The “Rule of Thirds” one of the first things that budding digital photographers learn about in classes on photography and rightly so as it is the basis for well balanced and interesting shots. The rule of thirds is a compositional rule of thumb in visual arts such as painting, photography and design. The rule states that an image should be imagined as divided into nine equal parts by two equally-spaced horizontal lines and two equally-spaced vertical lines, and that important compositional elements should be placed along these lines or their intersections. Proponents of the technique claim that aligning a subject with these points creates more tension, energy and interest in the composition than simply centering the subject would.

The basics of the rule of thirds:

- 9 equal boxes
- 4 intersecting points
- 2 vertical lines
- 2 horizontal lines

By placing interesting pieces of your image at these points, you can make your image well balanced and help let viewers naturally move through your image.

As you’re taking an image you would have done this in your mind through your viewfinder or in the LCD display that you use to frame your shot.

The theory is that if you place points of interest in the intersections or along the lines that your photo becomes more balanced and will enable a viewer of the image to interact with it more naturally. Studies have shown that when viewing images that people’s eyes usually go to one of the intersection points most naturally rather than the center of the shot – using the rule of thirds works with this natural way of viewing an image rather than working against it

Use this rules, is not just to photograph something that have one object, like if you was take a photo models, you place the model in the 1/3 of the frame, but you can use this rules for scenary photograp or landscape. use this rule to make a better composition.

Once you have got the hang of the Rule of Thirds you will very quickly want to break it ! This is fine. As I said earlier these ‘rules’ are best used as guidelines and if you can create a better image by bending or ignoring rules then fire away.

Tips: DEP and A-DEP Modes Explanation on DSLR

2012-06-23T01:45:00.000-07:00

DEP and A-DEP Modes Explanation on DSLR - A DEP Dial on DSLR

Difference between DEP (AV, A on some camera’s) and A-DEP modes

Depending on the brand of your digital camera, you may have noticed 2 similar yet different modes on the dial, called DEP and A-DEP. DEP may also be sybolised by the letters AV (Canon) or A (Nikon). This clever A-DEP function allows the Canon camera to pick an F-stop that will render all subjects covered by the AF points in focus, and it will also set the appropriate shutter speed.

How to use A-DEP mode?

To use automatic depth of field, turn your camera’s mode dial to A-DEP. Look through your viewfinder and point at the object you want to photograph, then press the shutter button half way down to focus. All the area you see covered by the focal points that flash or light up, will be in focus. Or in otherwords, will be within the automatic depth of field. The camera will choose the best aperture for that specific circumstance when you take the shot.
DEP (AV, A) and A-DEP modes, basically do the same thing, in that they allow you to set an aperture so you can control the depth of field seen within a photograph. Or in other words, it allows you to set how much of the scenery you want in focus and how much you want blured. The difference between the two camera modes, is how they achieve this.

What do the letters A-DEP, stand for or mean?

A-DEP stands for ‘automatic depth of field’, or ‘auto depth of field’. Meaning, the camera sets the depth of field automactically. When the camera is set on A-DEP, the photographer doesn’t need to set an aperture F number as the camera does this for them.

What do the letters DEP, AV and A stand for or mean?

The letters DEP stands for ‘depth of field automatic exposure’. Sometimes DEP is replaced with the letters AV or A, meaning ‘aperture priority’. When you set your camera to these modes, you also need to set an aperture F number.

Tips: Understanding DSLR Metering Modes

2012-06-23T01:34:00.002-07:00

Understanding DSLR Metering Modes

Metering is how your camera determines what the correct shutter speed and aperture should be, depending on the amount of light that goes into the camera and the sensitivity of the sensor. Back in the old days of photography, cameras were not equipped with a light “meter”, which is a sensor that measures the amount and intensity of light. Automatic exposure is a standard feature in all digital cameras. All you have to do is select the metering mode, point the camera and press the shutter release. Most of the time, this will result in a correct exposure.

Metering Modes

Spot Metering

Spot metering allows you to meter the subject in the center of the frame (or on some cameras at the selected AF point). This allows us to quite accurately measure our exposure against a single subject, such as a person standing in front of a bright sky. Spot metering measures an area roughly 3 – 5% of the scene whilst Partial measure 10 – 15% in the centre.. This type of metering is useful for brightly backlit, macro, and moon shots.

Partial metering

This mode meters a larger area than spot metering (around 10-15% of the entire frame), and is generally used when very bright or very dark areas on the edges of the frame would otherwise influence the metering.

Center-weighted Average Metering

Probably the most common metering method implemented in nearly every digital camera and the default for those digital cameras which don’t offer metering mode selection. In this system, the meter concentrates between 60 to 80 percent of the sensitivity towards the central part of the viewfinder. This method averages the exposure of the entire frame but gives extra weight to the center and is ideal for portraits.

Matrix or Evaluative Metering

This is probably the most complex metering mode, offering the best exposure in most circumstances. Matrix, evaluative, honeycomb, segment metering –the camera measures the light intensity in several points in the scene, and then combines the results to find the settings for the best exposure. The focus point determines the light reading. The overall exposure is based on an algorithm specific to that camera, the details of which are closely guarded by the manufacturer. Often they are based on comparing the measurements to the exposure of typical scenes.

Tips: Understanding Shooting Modes of DSLRs

2012-06-23T01:23:00.000-07:00

There are 11 modes of shooting on a Nikon Entry Level camera (D70s, D80, D90..etc). They are:

M = Fully Manual Mode

In this mode, the settings of the camera are fully manual (shutter speeds, aperture, ISO, etc). Most suitable for indoor studio photography, this setting can also be used outdoors. However, due to frequently changing lighting conditions, this mode may cause missed exposures if not properly used.

A = Aperture Priority

In this mode, aperture can be set accordingly and the shutter speed will automatically sync for the proper exposure. This mode is most suitable for photographing with narrow DOF (Depth of Field), where the lens is set at its widest aperture.

S = Shutter Priority

In this mode, the shutter speed can be adjusted according, and in turn the aperture will sync for the proper exposure. This mode is most suitable for photography methods such as panning. For further details about panning, consult THIS article.

P = Program

In this mode, the camera, according to the needed exposure, calculates the aperture and shutter speed automatically. The exposure levels in this mode can be set manually accordingly.

Auto

The Auto Mode is a setting in which the camera has full control of every settings. The camera becomes an automatic point-and-shoot.

Portrait

This mode is a bifurcation of the full Auto Mode. Its internal settings are tailored for portrait photography (human objects). This mode sets a color tone that suits the skin tone and sets other settings to also accomplish a successful portrait. In this mode, the camera will usually set the aperture at its widest setting.

Landscape

Also a bifurcation of the full Auto Mode, this mode is tailored for landscape photography and it sets it color tones for vivid colors.

Macro

Also a bifurcation of the full Auto Mode, this mode is tailored for macro photography, such as an adjustable focus of the lens.

Moving Object

Another bifurcation of the full Auto Mode, this mode is tailored for photographing moving objects. In this mode, the lens will focus faster to accommodate the moving object. Also, the shutter speed will usually be set at its fastest setting (usually by increasing ISO and widening the aperture).

Night Landscape

Another bifurcation of the full Auto Mode, this mode is tailored for photographing landscapes at night.

Night Portrait

Also a bifurcation of the full Auto Mode, this mode is tailored for photographing portraits at night or in dim lighting (usually the ISO setting is increased).

There are 12 modes of shooting on a Canon Entry Level Camera (EOS 350D, 400D, 500D, etc..). They are:

A-DEP = Automatic Depth of Field

In this mode, the foreground and background focus setting is automatically set by the camera, enabling the user to achieve sharp images of the background and foreground. For further details, consult THIS article.

M = Full manual

In this mode, the users are able to fully set the camera manually (shutter speed, aperture, ISO, etc.).

Av = Aperture Value Priority

Similar to the A mode of Nikons, it sets the shutter speed automatically.

Tv = Time Value Priority

Similar to the S mode of Nikos, it sets the aperture automatically.

P = Program

Similar to the P mode in Nikons, the camera automatically sets the shutter speed and aperture automatically according to exposure settings.

Auto

Similar to the Auto of Nikons, it sets every settings automatically.

Portrait

Similar to the Portrait mode of Nikons, it’s an Auto mode for Portraits.

Landscape

Similar to the Landscape mode of Nikons, it’s an Auto mode for Landscapes.

Macro

Similar to the Macro mode of Nikons, it’s an Auto Mode for Macro photography.

Moving Object

Similar to the Moving Object mode of Nikons, it’s an Auto Mode for photographing moving objects.

Night Scene

A bifurcation of the Auto Mode tailored for photographing at night or in dim lighting.

No Flash

Also bifurcation of the Auto Mode. The difference being that built-in flash will not be activated during shooting, even if there are not adequate lighting. To compensate, the camera will increase aperture and shutter speeds.

Tips on photographing motorcycle or car races

2012-06-23T01:06:00.001-07:00

Tips on photographing motorcycle races

Photographing a motorcycle race isn’t easy and requires a special expertise. Split-second moments and various technical photographing conditions become hindering factors for the photographers. Here are 9 tips to better photograph a motorcycle race event. These tips can also be applied to other sports events that involve high speeds. I hope they’ll be useful:

1. Camera mode

To simplify use when shooting, set the camera to the Aperture Priority mode (AV on Canons and A on Nikons). Set it at the widest aperture (indicated by the smallest number), with a medium ISO setting (such as ISO 400). This is to ensure a fast enough shutter speed to capture the racers’ movement, minimalizing blurs.

2. Servo focus

Usually, there are several auto mode focus options on a DSLR camera. On Canons, for example, there are 3 auto focus modes consisting of AI Shot, One Shot, and AI servo. If you are photographing objects in constant movement, motorcycle racers in this case, it’s highly advisable that you use the AI-Servo mode (AF-C on Nikons). The AI-Servo/AF-C is an auto focus mode where the DSLR will constantly track the movement of the object as long as the shutter button is pressed halfway.

3. Continuous shooting

When photographing physical sports like motorcycle races, more often than not that perfect moment can’t be captured by a singular shot. Tens maybe hundreds of frames need to exposed to get that split-second of perfect moment. For that, it’s best that you use the burst or continuous shots mode. Continuous or burst shots mode will automatically capture multiple shots to lessen the chance of losing that priceless perfect moment.

4. Extra memory

Using the continuous burst mode has its consequences in the draining of memory. That’s why you will need extra storage space to ensure you’ll have enough space to store all those multi-bursts. Not only that; the data storage capability of the memory cards will need to have a fast rate of saving. At the least, you will need a CF with a speed of 30 Mbps or SDHC/SDXC SD cards. For more information, read my past posts on type of DSLR memory cards.

5. Panning techniques

To achieve a dramatic effect on your motor racing photos, use the panning technique. Basically, in panning, you photograph all the while following the movement of the object. With this technique, you’ll be able to achieve a dramatic photograph where the object looks focused and sharp while in front of a background appearing to have been swept away. This creates more dynamic objects in the photograph. For more details, go to my other article on tips on how to successfully achieve the panning technique.

6. Telephoto lens

Use a telephoto lens when photographing a motor racing event, because you will certainly not be able to photograph at close range. Also if available, use a monopod because using a telephoto lens requires extra balance. Any shock will compromise the sharpness of the photograph.

7. Wide apertures

You are sometimes photographing behind barrier fences when photographing motorcycle races. If you want to take photographs without the fences appearing on the foreground, use the widest possible aperture. The narrow depth of field (at a wide enough aperture) when using a wide aperture will create the effect that the fences are not there at all.

8. Extra batteries

Don’t forget to prepare a backup battery pack because you the constant use of continuous shooting will surely drain out your battery quickly. How much of a bummer would it be if your battery ran out in the middle of it all?

9. Location

Because you are inevitably in the spectator area, there’s a chance you’ll be in a spot where you can’t freely move. This will hinder the capturing of those desired moments and angles. To avoid such a predicament, arrive earlier than everybody else and find that perfect location to get the maximum results.

Tips: Auto-Focusing Tips for Your DSLRs

2012-06-23T00:45:00.001-07:00

Auto-Focusing Tips for Your DSLRs

Focusing accurately is important in getting sharp photos. Photos with an offed focus is difficult or almost beyond repair.Back in the day, there was only manual focus. Manual focus are rather difficult for DSLR cameras because the viewfinder is smaller and less bright. Fortunately, there’s now auto focus in modern DSLR cameras.Even so, we must determine the proper auto-focus mode so that the resulting image is sharp and consistent.

Here are some auto-focus modes commonly encountered in DSLR cameras:

AF-S or Single Point Focus (Nikon) or One Shot (Canon)

This mode is quite simple. You select a focus point, then half-press the shutter button. The camera will lock the focus point. Even if the object you’re trying to shoot moves, the focus point remains unchanged.
This mode is specifically for stationary objects, such as sceneries, photo models, and products. Be careful in using thing mode, because if the object moves, the focus will become inaccurate.

AF-C or Continuous auto focus (Nikon) or AI Servo (Canon)

     This mode is the opposite of the previous mode. When auto-focus is activated (by pressing the shutter button halfway down), the camera will follow the object’s movement. This mode is suited for sports photography, birds, and other moving objects.
     The way it works more or less is the camera predicts the photo object’s movement and it then moves the focus point according to the prediction. All we need to do is to keep pressing the shutter button halfway down and follow the photo’s object.
     In advanced DSLRs, this mode can usually be modified specifically depending on need and movement of the object.

AF-A or AI-Focus (Canon)

This auto-focus mode is an combination of the single shot and continuous servos focus modes. If the camera detects a stationary object, then the focus will act in single shot mode; but if the camera detects a moving object, it will then automatically predict the location and follow the object.
This mode is ideal for shooting stationary objects that will soon be on the move. For objects that are not moving or is moving, it’s better to use the single shot or continuous mode rather than this one.

Selecting a Focal Point

In addition to the above auto focus modes, DSLR cameras also allow us to choose our desired focus point, or let the camera choose the focus point.
If we choose to let the camera determine the focal point for us, the camera will usually try to detect a person’s face (face detection) or select the object closest to the camera.

Manual focus

     Even though we live in a digital SLR era and manual focus functions has mostly been abandoned, there are a few conditions where manual focus has to or should be used.
     Manual focus is better for macro photography/ close-ups of small objects; such as insects and flowers. This is because the auto focus usually fails in detecting objects that are too close to the lens and when the object is of low contrast.
     In recent years, many DSLRs have a “live view” feature, where we can directly view the objects directly on the LCD scree. We can also use the zoom button to enlarge the image on the LCD. Using this feature with a manual focus when the camera is placed on a tripod can help in producing highly accurate focused photograph.

Auto-Focusing Tips

The following are tips that might help in ensuring you always accurately focus on your objects:

Use the center focus point especially when you have a beginner DSLR or an older model. The center focus point is the most sensitive and accurate focus point.
Press the shutter button halfway down to lock focus. Then composition your photo by shifting your camera to accommodate the composition (while with the button still half-pressed).
Turn on the auto focus assisting lamps (AF Assist Lamp) to help in auto focusing under low lighting conditions.
Auto focus often fails when we are trying to focus on low-contrast objects. Therefore, look for the contrast part or the edge of the object. Then half-press and lock your focus and re-composition your photo as needed.
Look for a confirmation of focus in the viewfinder, usually a green circle or a green box. When it appears, this means your focus has been locked perfectly. This also applies when using manual focus.
Use the Live View feature to enlarge objects on the screen so you’ll end up with a highly accurate focus, but don’t forget to use a tripod when using this method.

Tips: Easy ways to use manual lenses on DSLRs

2012-06-22T23:30:00.001-07:00

Easy ways to use manual lenses on DSLRs

Since the digital age introduced itself to cameras, photography has become more intriguing and definitely more enjoy, for both hobbyists/enthusiasts and professionals. With the increasing number of people pursuing this hobby, one of the most joyous effects is that cameras have become progressively cheaper. But these cheap price tags of camera did not include the decreasing price of camera lenses. On the contrary, it has since become relatively more expensive. One solution to cut your spending on lenses is to use older-issued manual focused lenses on your DSLR body. You may wonder if this is at all possible, and the answer is a definite “yes.” Using a rather cheap lens adapter, you can mount your lenses onto your DSLRs. Better yet, for those using Nikon DSLR models, these older manual focused lenses has the same exact mount, so no adapters necessary.

Easy ways to use manual lenses on DSLRs:

1.Do not forget to set the viewfinder diopters

Before taking photos using a manual lens, it is very important to set the diopters on the viewfinder. Adjust the diopters by peering directly into the viewfinder, especially for those of you with non-20/20 eyesight. This is important because when photographing using manual lenses, thoroughness in judgment via your eyesight is a major factor in producing a successful photograph.

2.Use adapters with an AF (auto focus) Confirm

Nikons are cameras that have an AF system confirm body. So even if we use manual lenses, as we toggle the focus on the lens, the DSLR body will give the double beeps as the focus signal. Cameras of other brands, however, do not have this feature. So to compensate, an adapter with a special chip allowing for AF confirm is needed. This feature will allow the camera to be able to inform the user if the lens has reached the desired focus point. This lens adapter can also be used as a “connector” for the lens, so it’s possible to fit the mount of the camera body of a different brand. A few lens adapters available on the market are lens adapters for:

-M39 – EOS
-M42 – EOS
-Nikon Ai – EOS
-Pentax PK – EOS
-Contax C/Y – EOS
-OM – EOS
-Leica R – EOS
-Rollei – EOS
-M39 – Nikon
-M42 – Nikon
-M42 – Sony
-M42 – 4/3
-Pentax – 4/3
-Nikon Ai – 4/3
-OM – 4/3

-C/Y – 4/3
-Leica R – 4/3
-MD – 4/3
-M39 – NEX
-M42 – NEX
-C mount – NEX
-Pentax – NEX
-MD – NEX
-Nikon F – NEX
-EOS – NEX
-Leica R – NEX
-C/Y – NEX
-FD – NEX
-C mount – m4/3
-M39 – m4/3

-M42 – m4/3
-Nikon F – m4/3
-Nikon G – m4/3
-Pentax – m4/3
-EOS – m4/3
-C/Y – m4/3
-MD – m4/3
-OM – m4/3
-Leica M – m4/3
-Konica AR – m4/3
-Leica R – m4/3
-FD – m4/3
-FD – EOS
-MD – EOS

3.Replacing the focusing screen

In analogue photography, we use a feature called a “split focusing screen” to aid in the process of focusing. This focusing screen divides an object into two parts; and if the object is at the right focus, the vertical lines of the object in both parts’ view will converge into a straight line. This technology is no longer used in DSLR cameras. However, when using manual lenses, this technology may still come in handy. To be able to use this “split-focusing screen,” we can replace the existing focusing screen with this split screen. It’s quite easy to do, but if you’re unsure in conducting this on your own, you should definitely consult a trusted professional. Use high quality brands such as KATZ EYE to ensure optimal accuracy.

4.Use the Live View feature of your DSLR

With the development of digital camera technology, almost all DSLR cameras come with the “live view” feature. Photographing using this live view mode is the easiest way to produce sharp images when photographing using manual lenses. By using the live view mode, you can see first hand how the photo will actually turn out on your camera’s LCD screen. But the downside, this drains the battery power much faster and there’s also a shutter lag (a response lag when the shutter is pressed).

5.Utilize the distance window of the lens

If we pay close attention to the camera lens, there’s a kind of “window” on the lens containing numbers with a certain distance unit. That’s what is referred to as a “focus distance window.” Position the digits on the lens according to the distance between you as the photographer and the object. By doing this, without even peering through the viewfinder, you can produce sharp photographs. This, however, is only effective when using wider-type lenses, where these wide lenses have a wide DOF area. This method is ineffective when using a telephoto lense because of its narrow DOF (Depth of Field).