Let's say that you one day aspire to taking pictures and printing them at home without having to deal with online printers and the associated shipping costs.
While it definitely sounds like a nice idea, there are several things to consider before you dive in.
First, it's not the printer that will cost you money: it's the ink.
While you can pick up an exceptional photo printer for less than $300 USD, a full ink refill for that printer will run you about $100 USD per refill. Depending on your print volume, this can add up over time.
If you do decide to start making prints of your images to sell to clients, you'll have to make sure that your per-print charge covers the cost of the ink.
A second major consideration is that you'll need to calibrate your computer monitor so that the color on the monitor matches the color in your prints.
Without calibration, what you see as bright red on your computer monitor might print as a shade of pink. Simply put: without a way for both the monitor AND the printer to know what "red" is, they will both decide on their own how to render the color.
Also, there's no point in calibrating a cheap LCD monitor. They simply don't have the discreet brightness and color controls for calibration to have an impact.
For best results, consider upgrading to an IPS LCD like the Viewsonic VP2365-LED (approximately $300 USD). IPS screens have better color fidelity than regular LCDs. Most importantly, the colors don't change when you adjust your viewing angle, a common issue with entry-level LCDs.
Once you've got a decent monitor, then you need to calibrate it. I use the Spyder from datacolor to ensure that all my monitors are displaying colors correctly.
Calibration not only improves the colors displayed by your monitor, it also provides a standard color reference for both the monitor and printer. This ensures that the bright blue you see on your screen is just as vibrant when it prints.
Once you've got the proper monitor and have ensured that it is calibrated, then you can go looking for a high-quality photo printer. Two relatively economical options are the Canon PIXMA Pro9000 Mark II ($150 USD after $200 mail-in rebate) or the Epson Artisan 50 ($150 USD).
To wrap up, let's have a quick review of the tools and associated costs of making pro prints at home:
Grand total: approximately $700 USD. Maybe paying for shipping from online printers isn't so bad after all...
It's another post about lenses today to clear up some confusion about the difference between Canon lenses labeled EF and those that are EF-S.
In the end, it all boils down to crop factor. While most Canon cameras have sensors that are smaller than 35mm film (also called APS-C sensors) there are a handful like the Canon EOS 5D Mark II with full frame sensors.
Canon's EF lenses can be used on BOTH types of cameras: full frame or cropped frame. EF-S lenses are optimized for crop frame sensors ONLY so they won't work well on full frame DSLR cameras.
When making a Canon lens purchase, you have to ask this question: "in the future, will I ever want to upgrade to a Canon full frame camera?"
If the answer is "no" then get whatever lens you like: either EF or EF-S will work fine. However, if the answer is "yes" then you should only consider EF lenses. They will be compatible with your current crop frame camera and will also work if you ever upgrade to full frame in the future.
I have recently published the April edition of the Digital SLR Guide Newsletter.
In this issue you can:
Several people have notified me that there is a display problem with the newsletter in Gmail. I am sorry about this and am working to fix the problem before the May issue is sent out.
For now, you can read the April issue online here: DSLR News - April 2011
Say hello to the latest digital SLR from Nikon: the new D5100.
Slotted in between the D3100 and the D7000, the D5100 should appeal to both newcomers to digital SLR cameras as well as more experienced photographers.
Like its predecessor - the D5000 - the D5100 has a flexible LCD screen. Unlike the D5000, this screen is hinged to the side so that it flips out from the camera body and can be rotated to be viewed from just about any angle.
LCDs like this are great for odd-angle photography but are also immensely useful when you want to take video. And the D5100 does have a Full HD 1080p video mode.
Also new with the D5100 is an "Effects" mode that lets you apply artistic effects to your images.
Recently posted: a run-down of the features of the substantial Olympus E-5.
The Olympus E-5 does have speed on its side, both in terms of autofocus performance as well as its ability to capture multiple consecutive shots.
But the real reason to own an E-5 is if you want to take lots of pictures in less-than-ideal weather.
The Olympus E-5 is fully sealed against the elements, which means that you can use it in rain or a dust storm with little worry. This sealing extends to the articulated LCD screen, which you can flip and twist in any direction for clearer viewing.
For those not in the know, a teleconverter is a device that you attach in between your camera body and your lens. The point of this device is to extend the focal length of whatever lens you attach to the teleconverter.
Teleconverters come in different "strengths" depending on the level of magnification you desire.
For example, if I used a 2x teleconverter with a fixed 100mm lens, then I'd be able to grab shots as if I were using a 200mm lens. If I used a 1.5x teleconverter, then it would be similar to using a150mm lens.
The main purpose of teleconverters is to extend the reach of lenses that already have pretty long focal lengths to get close-up shots at sporting events and of wildlife in its natural habitat.
Since I've never personally used a teleconverter, I'll turn you over to the following link which does a great job of discussing the pros and cons of such devices.
Just posted: a summary of the Sony Alpha DSLR-A560 Features.
Here's the quick overview:
The other key features of the A560 are its fast live view autofocus system, built-in image stabilization (works with all Sony lenses), sweep panorama mode and in-camera High Dynamic Range (HDR) mode.
Just published: the Canon Rebel T3 1100D features page.
http://www.digital-slr-guide.com/canon-1100d-features.html
If I had to describe the Canon Rebel T3i 1100D in one catch phrase, it would go like this: "chock full of beginner goodness".
The Rebel T3 1100D is really a point-and-shoot camera with delusions of grandeur.
To be more specific than that: you get the autofocus performance, speed and high image quality of an SLR camera without having to learn tons of photo jargon to use it.