Full Frame vs. Crop Digital SLRs: Pros and Cons
The topic of sensor size always comes up when shopping for a digital SLR. As you probably know, the sensor in a digital camera is responsible for capturing the image. Since DSLRs have much higher quality sensors than digital point and shoots, SLRs are able to achieve much better image quality. In general, the bigger the sensor, the better the image quality.
Because a larger sensor also means a greater cost, SLR manufacturers have to compromise. Ideally, a digital SLR sensor would be exactly the same size as a frame of 35mm film. However, the cost of producing a sensor like this is so high that most manufacturers decided to create a smaller sized sensor, one that is a fair amount smaller than a full sized sensor. This creates the so called “crop factor”
This crop factor is usually a number around 1.5. Basically, this means that if you were to look at a full 35mm frame, the crop sensor would only capture a 1.5x crop of the frame. For the same focal length, you are, in effect, getting a more "zoomed in" view. This means that your wide angle lenses will be less wide, and that your telephoto lenses will have more reach. Note that for a given focal length, the depth of field will remain the same.
For many photographers, these crop sensors work great. If you’re into sports, wildlife, or any telephoto heavy photography discipline, the extra “reach” you get from the crop sensor really comes in handy at times. You can also get extremely affordable crop frame bodies, such as Nikon’s D40. These cameras are a real boon to amateur photographers.
However, full frame sensors still hold a serious advantage in many real world situations. As I said before, bigger equals better when it comes to image quality. Full frame sensors can deliver a much sharper, smooth image at higher ISOs than a cropped sensor can. For those who work in dim light, this is quite a benefit. If you're a photographer who uses a lot of wide angle lenses, a full frame body is the best choice, since you'll have the most options. New cameras such as the Canon 5D Mark II make it easier to afford these cameras, as well.
Overall, choosing your sensor format shouldn’t be the only factor that you take into account when choosing a new camera, but it should be a major one. If you can swing the price, the amazing image quality and low light performance of a full frame sensor will astound you. Otherwise, you might be better off saving your money and getting a cropped sensor camera. Either way, you can still take great pictures.
November 17, 2008
Digital Cameras: Get Back Deleted Photos, Even If You've Formatted Your Memory Card
Sometimes it’s just too easy to erase photos from your digital camera. It’s as though the designers made this easy for themselves when they were testing the design. One or two button presses and that third rate photo has disappeared. The snag is, that means it’s a bit too easy to remove a photo instead of saving it, to be later transferred to your computer or passed around the internet. Or worse still, you’ve formatted your whole memory card. Bother!
Now, if that was on your computer you’d just open up the recycle bin and restore the photo you’d just deleted in error.
Unfortunately, you can’t normally do the same on your digital camera. Does this problem mean that the photos you took so much time taking are now just digital dust?
Fortunately, the answer is “no”.
But you need to be cautious. Camera memories work much the same way as hard disks. The available files in the menu are ones that you haven’t deleted. But the filing system hasn’t actually scrubbed all the data that makes up the photo. Instead, it’s just given itself a note that the space is available to be used again.
Which means if you’ve deleted a photo in error, stop doing anything with your camera until you’ve used a program to undelete the photo.
There’s a simple piece of software that you can download which will come to the rescue.
It’s as simple as hooking up your camera to your computer as you’d normally do. Then click the “next” button on the software. You can watch a demo of how this works here.
The undelete photo software works to retrieve individual photos, complete memory cards (for instance, if you’ve accidentally formatted your memory card) and has a high success rate even if your photo memory card has become damaged.
That’s all it takes to recover all your precious photos from your camera.
You can download this easy to use photo recovery sofware here.
November 15, 2008
Keep Your Digital Camera Up And Running
Problems that occur when you’re out taking pictures aren’t always easy to solve.Don’t get in that predicament!As the saying goes, “The best defense is a good offense.” And the best offense here is to avoid problems with your digital camera in the first place.
That’s not to say things aren’t going to happen that are unexpected and unavoidable.Many common problems photographers have out in the field, however, could be avoided with just a little planning.
Dead Batteries
There’s nothing worse than missing that great picture because the camera battery died.Don’t let dead batteries be a problem. The solution is to always keep spare batteries in your camera case.It’s not an issue of whether you use regular or rechargeable batteries, it’s a matter of needing to always keep at least one spare..
Also, bear in mind that if you’re outside shooting in cold weather, your batteries will die a lot quicker.If you like taking pictures outside in snow, a couple of extra batteries might be wise instead of just one. Digital batteries just don’t last as long when it’s cold.
Yes, batteries are expensive, but it’s worth the spending a little extra money to keep from beating your head against the wall because a dead battery made you miss that once in a lifetime shot.
When Cards Go Bad
A while back I went on vacation and took all my pictures on one card.I thought I’d have some great pictures.I knew that card was jam packed with great pictures.
The scenery was indeed breathtaking, but what really took my breath away was when I tried to load the pictures onto my computer and got one of those dreaded “ERROR” messages.The card wasn’t any good and all the files were corrupted.Since there was no way to access the pictures, I might as well have never taken them.
While it doesn’t happen often, cards can and do go bad.That’s when you wish you had a couple of smaller cards instead of just one huge card for your digital camera.Get a couple of 1-GB cards, for example, instead of buying a 2-GB card.
Yes, it’s cheaper to buy a huge bunch of gigabytes on one card.But losing that one card would mean losing every one of your pictures.Don’t rely on one card and regret it later. It’s better to have part of your pictures than none of your pictures.
Remember, two cards are better than one.
It’s Raining, It’s Pouring
The weather isn’t cooperating, or maybe you just like pictures of rain.Maybe you’re somewhere else, like at the seashore or on a boat, where there’s a lot of moisture in the air. You want to take pictures but you don’t want to ruin your camera.What does a photographer do to keep a camera dry?
Well, you can buy protective gear to keep in your camera case for such times. Places like B & H Photo or Calumet Photographic stores carry waterproof cases.If you only have the rare run in with a wet environment, you might not want to spend that much money on waterproof casing however.
For a make-do solution, carry a clear plastic bag in your camera case to keep water off your camera.Forgot to put a plastic bag in your camera case? If you’re traveling, try looking in your motel room for a clear disposable shower cap to use.
Planning Ahead Saves Your Sanity
If planning ahead doesn’t save your sanity, it will at least improve your chances for good pictures with your digital camera.The best chance for good pictures is keeping your camera dry, the batteries charged and extra memory cards on hand.
And that’s why you bought a digital camera in the first place, right?
November 10, 2008
The Best Ways To Get Sharp Pictures
There are many things that help make a picture spectacular, but the most important is for the picture to be in sharp focus.Just a little blur makes a picture second rate, no matter how good the subject.
Photographers have somewhat varying opinions on what constitutes a tack sharp picture, but generally, a tack sharp photograph has good, clean lines.Instead of a soft blending of lines or even downright blurry, the picture has clear definition.
There are several things you can do to increase your chances of getting that coveted tack sharp picture.
Hand-Held Digital Photography Tips
If you’re hand-holding your camera, brace your arms against your sides to help steady the camera.Anti-shake technology such as Vibration Reduction (VR) or Image Stabilzation (IS) lens should be turned on if available.
You can also lean against a wall or tree or whatever sturdy object that’s handy, and help keep yourself and your camera steady.Putting you camera against or on some readily available sturdy object will also help steady the camera.
Steadying your camera by hooking the strap under your elbow and wrapping the rest around your forearm will also help stabilize the camera and hold it steady in your hand.
Getting those tack sharp photos while hand-holding your camera can be difficult, so to increase your chances of getting that perfect shot, use the burst or continuous shooting mode on your camera to take several shots at once. That increases your chances that at least one of the pictures will be in sharp focus.
Tripods For Better Focus
There’s no getting around the fact that it’s easier to get a tack sharp photo using a tripod.A person just can't keep a camera as still and steady as a tripod does.A tripod is like most things in life, and you get what you pay for.Cheap tripods are helpful, but won't hold the camera as stil as a more expensive tripod does.The best tip here is to buy the best tripod you can reasonably afford.
The more expensive tripods don’t come with the head attached.This must be bought separately, but then you can choose which you like best.Buy a good quality ballhead for your tripod. It will keep your camera firmly in place, so yoru picture will stay sharply in focus.
If you’re somewhere that carrying a tripod just won’t work, beanbags make a nice cushion for cameras in these settings.Beanbags cushion your camera, increasing your ability to move it to just the right position and keep it steady while you get a well-focused shot.
To improve your chances of a tack sharp photo even more, use a cable release instead of pressing the shutter.Pressing the shutter may not seem like much movement, but it’s often enough to prevent you getting a tack sharp photo.
If you don’t have a cable release, the self timer will also work.It means that although you press the shutter manually, the camera has time to stabilize before actually taking hte picture.
More Advanced Digital Photography Secrets For Sharp Shots
If you have a digital SLR camera, there are even more ways to make sure your camera stays steady while taking pictures.
The first is to use mirror lock-up.The camera's mirror is then locked in the up position, so it doesn't move until after the picture is taken, thus limiting the movement inside the camera.You have to press the shutter release button twice on the cable release or remote to take a picture (you surely aren't going to all this trouble and still pressing the shutter release on your camera are you?). The first press lifts the mirror and the second press actually takes the picture.
The second method is to turn off the Vibration Reduction or Image Stabilization.Though it sounds counter productive, once a camera is stabilized with the tripod and other methods, the vibration reduction keeps looking for movement.There can be some shaking caused by vibration reduction when looking for movement that isn't there.For best results, turn off any vibration controls when using a tripod, then turn them back on when hand-holding your camera.
One last way to increase the sharpness of your pictures is to have good glass.What lens you use will make a big difference. A quality lens with good glass is more expensive of course, but it’s another instance of getting what you pay for. Think of it as an investment in great photos.
Use as many methods as you can to steady your camera, and you’ll have a much better chance of getting those lovely tack sharp photographs.
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