Digital photography equipment is just as important today as the digital cameras that have become the technology of choice for people all over the world.
When digital cameras emerged in the marketplace, people were quickly won over, swept up in the excitement of new technology. It didn't take long for the public to become savvy digital picture-takers, drawing on their long-time skills with film. Digital cameras are everywhere now, in cell phones, shop windows and dangling off the wrists of people everywhere, but unfortunately digital photography equipment is not.
Digital photography equipment can make everyone's digital photography experience better. There are many aids available for consumers that can increase the success and convenience of picture-taking. These vary widely from accessories that can be used while photographing and during the editing process.
The first piece of digital photography equipment that any person needs is a digital photography camera. It is also the most important, since without a camera there is no photography. Buy a camera that is well-priced and meets your needs. For instance, if you need a camera for easy picture-taking, buy a point-and-shoot model. If you are interested in photography as a hobby or as a career, you should consider a digital SLR photography camera.
Another important part of digital photography is the memory key you will use to store photographs. These can store any number of images depending on the size of the memory. Purchase the memory key that is best for you. For instance, if you travel regularly, you will likely want a large memory key to capture all your tourist destinations. If the camera is just for snap shots, a smaller memory key will likely suffice. You might also want to consider having a backup memory key or second memory key in case you fill up the first one or in case of theft or loss.
Batteries are also another important piece of digital photography equipment. Alkaline batteries will die quickly in a digital camera as its functions draw lots of power. Many people prefer to purchase nickel metal hydrate or NiMH batteries. These will hold charge much longer and can be recharged easily with a small plug-in model charger.
Another piece of digital photography equipment to consider is a tripod. Whether this is a small tabletop version or a larger one, a tripod can improve many pictures. Digital photography can be tricky without a steady hand. Images can appear blurred or distorted. A simple tripod will steady the photographs and the result will be more professional pictures. You don't have to be a professional photographer to use a tripod.
Something else in the way of digital photography equipment is digital photography software. This can help fix minor problems in some images, including redeye, uninteresting composition and poor focus. It can also allow you to get more creative with the colouring and composition of your images.
When purchasing digital photography equipment, always consult family and friends, search on the Internet and visit local retailers. Compare options and prices carefully before making any decisions. The process should be fun and you will ultimately get the equipment you need. Remember, digital photography equipment will help you get the most out of your photographs.
At Len Cecchetto's site on Digital Photography, you'll find loads of information on everything you need to know about Digital Photography resources. For more info, you can find him at this website: ozmarketing.info
http://www.cryosphere.f2s.com/articles/cameras/the-best-of-digital-photography-equipment.html
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Taking Better Digital Photos With Auto Settings Part 2:
Using the auto mode on a digital camera gives you a point and shoot camera that allows you to concentrate on the subject while the camera makes the necessary settings to give you a well exposed and properly focused image.
But like most automatic features, knowing how they function will help you keep the camera from getting fooled in those special situations that often yield the most dramatic photos: including when your subject is backlit or off-center.
Understanding White Balance
All digital cameras have an auto white balance setting that allows the camera to detect the color of the light and balance it correctly.
When you look at a white object, say the page of a book or a sheet of white paper, it appears white to you regardless of the light source. When lit by an ordinary household bulb, or a fluorescent light, or outside in daylight, it still looks white to your eye.
But to the camera's eye, each of these light sources is different and each produces a tint of color on the white object. And unless the camera makes some sort of adjustment for this variation in light color, a white object will not appear white in your photos.
In fact, everything in your photo will have a color cast to it, it's just more obvious in the whites and near whites than in other colors. This is the function of the white balance feature in digital cameras.
Why White Balance Is Important
Light is measured in degrees Kelvin, such as 3200K or 5800K. This is known as the color temperature of a light source. With film cameras you could use different kinds of film or filters to get the correct color.
But with digital photography the camera's image sensor is your film and it doesn't change, so it is necessary to tell the sensor what color light source it is recording or it won't be able to reproduce colors correctly in your photos.
Overriding Auto White Balance
Some cameras offer an option to override the automatic setting and let you set the white balance manually. You may have a selection of several settings from which to choose.
The more common ones are: sunlight, shade or cloudy daylight, tungsten or indoor, fluorescent and electronic flash.
Go Ahead and Experiment
If your camera has the option to override the auto white balance setting, you may find it fun experimenting with the various settings. While most of the time you will want accurate color reproduction, there are times when using a deliberate color cast can be a useful tool in creative photography.
You may want to change the light balance to enhance a certain mood, or create an unusual effect that is more interesting than properly balanced color would produce. So experiment with these options and add them to your toolbox of creative controls.
Understanding Color Balancing
The human eye can easily adapt to different light conditions so that objects maintain their 'true' color. If we look at a blue ball, for example, we see the same shade of blue indoors and outdoors and under cloudy or sunny conditions.
In fact, each type of light amplifies a certain color in the spectrum. What we consider to be 'white' light only occurs during the noon hours of a clear day. Sunlight in the early evening or late afternoon gives everything a reddish tint, and cloudy days bring out the blue end of the spectrum.
Each type of artificial light also has a particular color cast. Incandescent lighting is yellowish and fluorescent lighting can be either blue or green.
All of these different lighting conditions affect the color balance in photographs.
Most digital cameras allow you to adjust the color balance for different types of light. This can be done manually or automatically, although the automatic settings can produce uneven results from one picture to another.
Manual settings can be done by selecting a preset such as 'sunlight' or 'cloudy', but these settings can be fine-tuned to match very specific lighting conditions.
Color balance is achieved by adjusting the camera so that 'white' is truly 'white'. Once the camera is set to correctly reproduce white, the other colors should appear to be their natural shade. This can be quickly checked by looking through the viewfinder of your digital camera. Holding up a piece of white paper in front of the camera will allow you to see whether it is the correct shade or not.
Some cameras can be set this way -- place a sheet of white paper in front of the viewfinder and select 'Auto Correct'.
Remember that the presets are general guidelines and may not be suitable for every type of lighting condition. If your camera has a setting for fluorescent lights, for example, it may still require further tweaking to get the correct color balance.
Although it is best to try to get the proper color balance when you are taking photographs, the color of an image can also be adjusted using software. This should not be thought of as an alternative to proper color balancing, but it can be used to good effect on some digital images.
Some computer software can automatically adjust color as well as brightness and contrast. Start out with these 'auto' settings -- sometimes the results can be surprisingly good.
If you wish to adjust the color manually, some knowledge of the physics of color is necessary. All color is made up of the three primary colors -- red, green, and blue. Three other colors called the 'subtractive primary colors' are obtained by removing one of the primary colors where the other two are mixed. The three subtractive primary colors are yellow, cyan, and magenta.
This knowledge of how colors interact allows you to correct improper color balances. For example, if an image is too red, adding some cyan (the opposite of red) can help to naturalize the color.
Software can also be used to adjust color intensity. Subtle use of imaging software can help to turn good photographs into great photographs.
http://www.cryosphere.f2s.com/articles/cameras/taking-better-digital-photos-with-auto-white-and-color.html
But like most automatic features, knowing how they function will help you keep the camera from getting fooled in those special situations that often yield the most dramatic photos: including when your subject is backlit or off-center.
Understanding White Balance
All digital cameras have an auto white balance setting that allows the camera to detect the color of the light and balance it correctly.
When you look at a white object, say the page of a book or a sheet of white paper, it appears white to you regardless of the light source. When lit by an ordinary household bulb, or a fluorescent light, or outside in daylight, it still looks white to your eye.
But to the camera's eye, each of these light sources is different and each produces a tint of color on the white object. And unless the camera makes some sort of adjustment for this variation in light color, a white object will not appear white in your photos.
In fact, everything in your photo will have a color cast to it, it's just more obvious in the whites and near whites than in other colors. This is the function of the white balance feature in digital cameras.
Why White Balance Is Important
Light is measured in degrees Kelvin, such as 3200K or 5800K. This is known as the color temperature of a light source. With film cameras you could use different kinds of film or filters to get the correct color.
But with digital photography the camera's image sensor is your film and it doesn't change, so it is necessary to tell the sensor what color light source it is recording or it won't be able to reproduce colors correctly in your photos.
Overriding Auto White Balance
Some cameras offer an option to override the automatic setting and let you set the white balance manually. You may have a selection of several settings from which to choose.
The more common ones are: sunlight, shade or cloudy daylight, tungsten or indoor, fluorescent and electronic flash.
Go Ahead and Experiment
If your camera has the option to override the auto white balance setting, you may find it fun experimenting with the various settings. While most of the time you will want accurate color reproduction, there are times when using a deliberate color cast can be a useful tool in creative photography.
You may want to change the light balance to enhance a certain mood, or create an unusual effect that is more interesting than properly balanced color would produce. So experiment with these options and add them to your toolbox of creative controls.
Understanding Color Balancing
The human eye can easily adapt to different light conditions so that objects maintain their 'true' color. If we look at a blue ball, for example, we see the same shade of blue indoors and outdoors and under cloudy or sunny conditions.
In fact, each type of light amplifies a certain color in the spectrum. What we consider to be 'white' light only occurs during the noon hours of a clear day. Sunlight in the early evening or late afternoon gives everything a reddish tint, and cloudy days bring out the blue end of the spectrum.
Each type of artificial light also has a particular color cast. Incandescent lighting is yellowish and fluorescent lighting can be either blue or green.
All of these different lighting conditions affect the color balance in photographs.
Most digital cameras allow you to adjust the color balance for different types of light. This can be done manually or automatically, although the automatic settings can produce uneven results from one picture to another.
Manual settings can be done by selecting a preset such as 'sunlight' or 'cloudy', but these settings can be fine-tuned to match very specific lighting conditions.
Color balance is achieved by adjusting the camera so that 'white' is truly 'white'. Once the camera is set to correctly reproduce white, the other colors should appear to be their natural shade. This can be quickly checked by looking through the viewfinder of your digital camera. Holding up a piece of white paper in front of the camera will allow you to see whether it is the correct shade or not.
Some cameras can be set this way -- place a sheet of white paper in front of the viewfinder and select 'Auto Correct'.
Remember that the presets are general guidelines and may not be suitable for every type of lighting condition. If your camera has a setting for fluorescent lights, for example, it may still require further tweaking to get the correct color balance.
Although it is best to try to get the proper color balance when you are taking photographs, the color of an image can also be adjusted using software. This should not be thought of as an alternative to proper color balancing, but it can be used to good effect on some digital images.
Some computer software can automatically adjust color as well as brightness and contrast. Start out with these 'auto' settings -- sometimes the results can be surprisingly good.
If you wish to adjust the color manually, some knowledge of the physics of color is necessary. All color is made up of the three primary colors -- red, green, and blue. Three other colors called the 'subtractive primary colors' are obtained by removing one of the primary colors where the other two are mixed. The three subtractive primary colors are yellow, cyan, and magenta.
This knowledge of how colors interact allows you to correct improper color balances. For example, if an image is too red, adding some cyan (the opposite of red) can help to naturalize the color.
Software can also be used to adjust color intensity. Subtle use of imaging software can help to turn good photographs into great photographs.
http://www.cryosphere.f2s.com/articles/cameras/taking-better-digital-photos-with-auto-white-and-color.html
Digital Cameras Responsiveness And Photo Shooting Delays
Digital cameras have many advantages but they also have some disadvantages and response time is one of them. There are three response times that you should care about: the delay between pressing down the shutter button and shooting a photo, the delay between turning on the camera and shooting a photo and the delay between shooting a photo and shooting a subsequent one. This article explains the causes for these delays and suggests ways to overcome them.
There are three response times or delays that are important to understand and to be aware of when shooting photos. Here is the list with the causes and ideas for how to effectively handle them:
Shutter delay: There is a noticeable delay between pressing the shutter button and capturing a photo. When you press the shutter button the camera goes through a series of setup processes in order to get all its electronics ready. Only when this processing is done can the camera capture a photo. Some cameras will also initiate a focus process when the shutter button is held down and will only take the photo when this focusing process is completed. The delay time varies from camera to camera but is usually less than one second. If you used film cameras before you are probably not used to that delay which did not exist with most film cameras.
Although less than a one second delay sounds very short it can be significant when shooting photos of moving objects such as in sports events. There are a few photo shooting practices that can help in avoiding the delays' results. One way to handle shutter delay is to hold down the shutter half way when taking photos of moving objects. This method can work if the object is in more or less a fixed distance from the camera or is in infinite focus. Holding down the shutter half way locks the focus and forces the camera to do some setup processing work. When you are ready to take your photo press the shutter button all the way down - the result will be a significantly shorter delay as most of the processing work and focus were already done. Another way to minimize the shutter delay is to avoid the automatic focus process which usually starts when the shutter button is held down. One way to do that is to hold the shutter button half way down. In most cameras the result will be a one time focus process and then a focus lock. The camera will stay in focus and when the shutter is fully pressed down it will take a photo without re-focusing. Another option is to put the camera in manual focus.
Subsequent photo delay: This is the delay between taking one photo and when the camera is ready to take a subsequent one. With film cameras this delay was very short as it only involved the camera rolling the film to the next fresh negative. With digital cameras there is processing and housekeeping that needs to be done after each photo is taken. For example the camera has to execute a computational process that compresses the photo (turns the raw pixels into a compressed JPG file) and then it has to store the photo on its memory card (storing files on flash based memory cards is a slow process due to memory technologies used). Another way is using the camera's burst mode (if the camera supports one). In burst mode the camera shoots a fast series of photos for as long as the shutter button is held down or until the camera's memory is full. In this mode the camera writes the photos to a temporary volatile memory which is very fast but small. When the shutter button is released or the memory is full the camera starts the slow process of writing the photos to the memory card. Using burst mode you can shoot fast photos of an action event and then choose the one that best captured the event. The speed and the amount of photos that the burst mode supports vary between cameras. For example some high end cameras can take as much as ten photos over the course of one second.
Initial delay: When you turn the camera on the camera has to run some processing in order to get ready to take photos. The processing includes resetting its electronics, initializing the built-in software, checking the memory card and more. This processing can take a few seconds. The result is that if you want to take a photo when your camera is turned off - you will have to turn it on, wait a few seconds and only then take the photo. In some cases the photo opportunity is gone by that time. Most cameras also enter a standby mode if they are not used for a certain time - usually a few minutes or more. When the camera goes into standby mode it turns off most of its electronics in order to save power. Pressing the shutter button will restart the camera but such a restart process is similar to the process executed when turning the camera on and can take a few seconds. The result is a noticeable delay when taking a photo after the camera was idle for some time. In order to avoid this you would ha ve to make sure that your camera is turned on and does not go into standby mode when taking action photos. Some cameras allow you to disable the automatic standby feature through a menu option. If your camera does not allow that you can keep it on by pressing the shutter button half way down every now and then. The downside of leaving the camera on all the time is wasting battery power. In order to maximize battery life in such scenarios you can disable the camera's LCD screen which consumes a lot of energy and use the view finder instead.
New digital cameras have enhanced software and hardware and reduced response times. If you are shooting action photos or are a semi-professional photographer make sure that you check what the delays are (shutter delay, Initial delay and subsequent photo delay) before you buy your next camera. It is a good idea to practice shooting action photos in order to get a better feeling of your cameras delays and responsiveness.
http://www.cryosphere.f2s.com/articles/cameras/digital-cameras-responsiveness-and-photo-shooting-delays.html
There are three response times or delays that are important to understand and to be aware of when shooting photos. Here is the list with the causes and ideas for how to effectively handle them:
Shutter delay: There is a noticeable delay between pressing the shutter button and capturing a photo. When you press the shutter button the camera goes through a series of setup processes in order to get all its electronics ready. Only when this processing is done can the camera capture a photo. Some cameras will also initiate a focus process when the shutter button is held down and will only take the photo when this focusing process is completed. The delay time varies from camera to camera but is usually less than one second. If you used film cameras before you are probably not used to that delay which did not exist with most film cameras.
Although less than a one second delay sounds very short it can be significant when shooting photos of moving objects such as in sports events. There are a few photo shooting practices that can help in avoiding the delays' results. One way to handle shutter delay is to hold down the shutter half way when taking photos of moving objects. This method can work if the object is in more or less a fixed distance from the camera or is in infinite focus. Holding down the shutter half way locks the focus and forces the camera to do some setup processing work. When you are ready to take your photo press the shutter button all the way down - the result will be a significantly shorter delay as most of the processing work and focus were already done. Another way to minimize the shutter delay is to avoid the automatic focus process which usually starts when the shutter button is held down. One way to do that is to hold the shutter button half way down. In most cameras the result will be a one time focus process and then a focus lock. The camera will stay in focus and when the shutter is fully pressed down it will take a photo without re-focusing. Another option is to put the camera in manual focus.
Subsequent photo delay: This is the delay between taking one photo and when the camera is ready to take a subsequent one. With film cameras this delay was very short as it only involved the camera rolling the film to the next fresh negative. With digital cameras there is processing and housekeeping that needs to be done after each photo is taken. For example the camera has to execute a computational process that compresses the photo (turns the raw pixels into a compressed JPG file) and then it has to store the photo on its memory card (storing files on flash based memory cards is a slow process due to memory technologies used). Another way is using the camera's burst mode (if the camera supports one). In burst mode the camera shoots a fast series of photos for as long as the shutter button is held down or until the camera's memory is full. In this mode the camera writes the photos to a temporary volatile memory which is very fast but small. When the shutter button is released or the memory is full the camera starts the slow process of writing the photos to the memory card. Using burst mode you can shoot fast photos of an action event and then choose the one that best captured the event. The speed and the amount of photos that the burst mode supports vary between cameras. For example some high end cameras can take as much as ten photos over the course of one second.
Initial delay: When you turn the camera on the camera has to run some processing in order to get ready to take photos. The processing includes resetting its electronics, initializing the built-in software, checking the memory card and more. This processing can take a few seconds. The result is that if you want to take a photo when your camera is turned off - you will have to turn it on, wait a few seconds and only then take the photo. In some cases the photo opportunity is gone by that time. Most cameras also enter a standby mode if they are not used for a certain time - usually a few minutes or more. When the camera goes into standby mode it turns off most of its electronics in order to save power. Pressing the shutter button will restart the camera but such a restart process is similar to the process executed when turning the camera on and can take a few seconds. The result is a noticeable delay when taking a photo after the camera was idle for some time. In order to avoid this you would ha ve to make sure that your camera is turned on and does not go into standby mode when taking action photos. Some cameras allow you to disable the automatic standby feature through a menu option. If your camera does not allow that you can keep it on by pressing the shutter button half way down every now and then. The downside of leaving the camera on all the time is wasting battery power. In order to maximize battery life in such scenarios you can disable the camera's LCD screen which consumes a lot of energy and use the view finder instead.
New digital cameras have enhanced software and hardware and reduced response times. If you are shooting action photos or are a semi-professional photographer make sure that you check what the delays are (shutter delay, Initial delay and subsequent photo delay) before you buy your next camera. It is a good idea to practice shooting action photos in order to get a better feeling of your cameras delays and responsiveness.
http://www.cryosphere.f2s.com/articles/cameras/digital-cameras-responsiveness-and-photo-shooting-delays.html
Buying A Digital Camera To Replace Your Old Film Camera
I'm very conservative when it comes to buying myself new "toys". I don't buy every new gadget that comes out, but when I do buy - I get the latest technology and the highest quality I can afford. That way my investment holds its value for a long time and I'm not tempted to replace it so soon.
I didn't buy a digital camera when they first came out. All you could get were 1 megapixel models with no optical zoom capability. Maybe a good replacement for the cardboard throwaways you get at the supermarket, but I much preferred the quality images I got from my (now 20 year old) Nikon 35mm SLR film camera.
When I finally did buy a digital camera a few years ago, I picked up a slightly used 2.1 megapixel from Olympus digital camera with a 3x autofocus optical zoom. At the time, it was as good a value as you could get when buying a digital camera, but technology being what it is - it's now considered a midrange consumer level camera.
Well, while I'm still satisfied with my Nikon film-based camera, I've been thinking about buying a new digital camera for a few months now. That's because I've seen the amazing shots that my friends have taken with their cameras, and I want to be able to get the same results. In addition, I'm using my 35mm SLR much less these days just because it's so much more convenient to use my digital camera, and I've got a bag full of film that I've never found the time to have developed. It's finally time to buy a new digital camera to actually replace the 35mm camera.
Towards that end, I've been reading online guides and digital camera reviews to catch up on exactly what to look for when buying a digital camera. This research is very helpful, as I evaluate which cameras are easy to use, produce high-quality photos, come packed with features, and are the best bargains. In fact, these resources make the task of buying a digital camera easier than I imagined it would be.
Since I've been doing all this research beforehand, I'm ready to make my purchase now that I've decided that buying a digital camera is the right move for me. I've read about people getting fantastic bargains from online stores, so that's where I'll look first. I also read store reviews as part of my research into buying a digital camera, so I know which websites were trustworthy and which ones to avoid. As a result, I'll be able to complete my purchase without a single problem.
Now that I've made the decision, I really can't remember what was preventing me from buying a new digital camera a long time ago! I can't wait to get it so I can play around with the settings, and try out the different features that are available on these newer digital cameras. If you ask me, this is the way photography was meant to be.
If you've been thinking about buying a digital camera, I recommend that you go ahead and do it sooner rather than later. You'll be amazed at how much easier it is to take pictures with this kind of equipment and how much better the pictures turn out.
About the Author
Brandon Layne is a "serious amateur" using both film and digital cameras to shoot primarily outdoor and action shots, and publishes a review of digital cameras on the web.
I didn't buy a digital camera when they first came out. All you could get were 1 megapixel models with no optical zoom capability. Maybe a good replacement for the cardboard throwaways you get at the supermarket, but I much preferred the quality images I got from my (now 20 year old) Nikon 35mm SLR film camera.
When I finally did buy a digital camera a few years ago, I picked up a slightly used 2.1 megapixel from Olympus digital camera with a 3x autofocus optical zoom. At the time, it was as good a value as you could get when buying a digital camera, but technology being what it is - it's now considered a midrange consumer level camera.
Well, while I'm still satisfied with my Nikon film-based camera, I've been thinking about buying a new digital camera for a few months now. That's because I've seen the amazing shots that my friends have taken with their cameras, and I want to be able to get the same results. In addition, I'm using my 35mm SLR much less these days just because it's so much more convenient to use my digital camera, and I've got a bag full of film that I've never found the time to have developed. It's finally time to buy a new digital camera to actually replace the 35mm camera.
Towards that end, I've been reading online guides and digital camera reviews to catch up on exactly what to look for when buying a digital camera. This research is very helpful, as I evaluate which cameras are easy to use, produce high-quality photos, come packed with features, and are the best bargains. In fact, these resources make the task of buying a digital camera easier than I imagined it would be.
Since I've been doing all this research beforehand, I'm ready to make my purchase now that I've decided that buying a digital camera is the right move for me. I've read about people getting fantastic bargains from online stores, so that's where I'll look first. I also read store reviews as part of my research into buying a digital camera, so I know which websites were trustworthy and which ones to avoid. As a result, I'll be able to complete my purchase without a single problem.
Now that I've made the decision, I really can't remember what was preventing me from buying a new digital camera a long time ago! I can't wait to get it so I can play around with the settings, and try out the different features that are available on these newer digital cameras. If you ask me, this is the way photography was meant to be.
If you've been thinking about buying a digital camera, I recommend that you go ahead and do it sooner rather than later. You'll be amazed at how much easier it is to take pictures with this kind of equipment and how much better the pictures turn out.
About the Author
Brandon Layne is a "serious amateur" using both film and digital cameras to shoot primarily outdoor and action shots, and publishes a review of digital cameras on the web.
Basic Digital Photography:
Personal photography has gone through a sort of mini evolution in the past 20 years as digital cameras have become popular. With the ability to take huge numbers of pictures, save them on computer, and share them over the internet, the cost of film and developing are no longer limiting factors. Although group photographs, portraits, celebrations, and vacations are still common images, personal photography now captures more impromptu and daily types of events. Photographs of fast moving action are more common as well as people are able to experiment to obtain the type of images they want without fear of "ruining" a shot that requires more skill to take. Capturing action can be challenging for a beginning photographer and requires quite a bit of practice to master. The following outlines a few pointers that can get the novice started off on the right foot.
1. When trying to obtain shots of action, the photographer can use one of two approaches:
* Follow subjects with the camera as they wait for action to happen.
* Focus the camera on a particular spot where action is anticipated and wait for it to happen. An example would be focusing on the basketball goal or 1st base. When using this method it is often best to observe through the Optical Viewfinder and keep both eyes open so that it is easy to anticipate shots as action approaches.
2. Reduce lag time and latency:
* Shutter lag is the delay between the time the shutter button is pressed and the time when the camera actually takes the picture. During this lag time the camera is setting the exposure and focus. Shutter lag is particularly problematic when trying to capture action shots. One way of decreasing shutter lag is to press the shutter button halfway down, hold it, and then press the button down completely when ready to take the shot. This process allows the camera to perform some of the focusing function prior to taking the shot thereby reducing the shutter lag time.
* Latency is the time it takes the digital camera to write/store images before the next shot can be taken. To reduce latency, a photographer should use flash cards with fast write times. In some instances, a lower resolution setting can be used for the shot so that the camera has less information to process and store, but this technique of reducing latency must be used carefully as image quality can be compromised.
http://www.cryosphere.f2s.com/articles/cameras/basic-digital-photography-taking-action-shots.html
1. When trying to obtain shots of action, the photographer can use one of two approaches:
* Follow subjects with the camera as they wait for action to happen.
* Focus the camera on a particular spot where action is anticipated and wait for it to happen. An example would be focusing on the basketball goal or 1st base. When using this method it is often best to observe through the Optical Viewfinder and keep both eyes open so that it is easy to anticipate shots as action approaches.
2. Reduce lag time and latency:
* Shutter lag is the delay between the time the shutter button is pressed and the time when the camera actually takes the picture. During this lag time the camera is setting the exposure and focus. Shutter lag is particularly problematic when trying to capture action shots. One way of decreasing shutter lag is to press the shutter button halfway down, hold it, and then press the button down completely when ready to take the shot. This process allows the camera to perform some of the focusing function prior to taking the shot thereby reducing the shutter lag time.
* Latency is the time it takes the digital camera to write/store images before the next shot can be taken. To reduce latency, a photographer should use flash cards with fast write times. In some instances, a lower resolution setting can be used for the shot so that the camera has less information to process and store, but this technique of reducing latency must be used carefully as image quality can be compromised.
http://www.cryosphere.f2s.com/articles/cameras/basic-digital-photography-taking-action-shots.html
A Brief History Of Photography
For centuries images have been projected onto surfaces. The camera obscura and the camera lucida were used by artists to trace scenes as early as the 16th century. These early cameras did not fix an image in time; they only projected what passed through an opening in the wall of a darkened room onto a surface. In effect, the entire room was turned into a large pinhole camera. Indeed, the phrase camera obscura literally means "darkened room," and it is after these darkened rooms that all modern cameras have been named.
The first photograph is considered to be an image produced in 1826 by the French inventor Nicéphore Niépce on a polished pewter plate covered with a petroleum derivative called bitumen of Judea. It was produced with a camera, and required an eight hour exposure in bright sunshine. However this process turned out to be a dead end and Niépce began experimenting with silver compounds based on a Johann Heinrich Schultz discovery in 1724 that a silver and chalk mixture darkens when exposed to light.
Niépce, in Chalon-sur-Saône, and the artist Louis Daguerre, in Paris, refined the existing silver process in a partnership. In 1833 Niépce died of a stroke, leaving his notes to Daguerre. While he had no scientific background, Daguerre made two pivotal contributions to the process.
He discovered that by exposing the silver first to iodine vapour, before exposure to light, and then to mercury fumes after the photograph was taken, a latent image could be formed and made visible. By then bathing the plate in a salt bath the image could be fixed.
In 1839 Daguerre announced that he had invented a process using silver on a copper plate called the Daguerreotype. A similar process is still used today for Polaroids. The French government bought the patent and immediately made it public domain.
Across the English Channel, William Fox Talbot had earlier discovered another means to fix a silver process image but had kept it secret. After reading about Daguerre's invention Talbot refined his process, so that it might be fast enough to take photographs of people as Daguerre had done and by 1840 he had invented the calotype process.
He coated paper sheets with silver chloride to create an intermediate negative image. Unlike a daguerreotype a calotype negative could be used to reproduce positive prints, like most chemical films do today. Talbot patented this process which greatly limited its adoption.
He spent the rest of his life in lawsuits defending the patent until he gave up on photography altogether. But later this process was refined by George Eastman and is today the basic technology used by chemical film cameras. Hippolyte Bayard also developed a method of photography but delayed announcing it, and so was not recognized as its inventor.
In the darkroomIn 1851 Frederick Scott Archer invented the collodion process. It was the process used by Lewis Carroll.
Slovene Janez Puhar invented the technical procedure for making photographs on glass in 1841. The invention was recognized on July 17th 1852 in Paris by the Académie Nationale Agricole, Manufacturière et Commerciale.
The Daguerreotype proved popular in responding to the demand for portraiture emerging from the middle classes during the Industrial Revolution. This demand, that could not be met in volume and in cost by oil painting, may well have been the push for the development of photography.
However daguerreotypes, while beautiful, were fragile and difficult to copy. A single photograph taken in a portrait studio could cost US$1000 in 2006 dollars. Photographers also encouraged chemists to refine the process of making many copies cheaply, which eventually led them back to Talbot's process. Ultimately, the modern photographic process came about from a series of refinements and improvements in the first 20 years.
In 1884 George Eastman, of Rochester, New York, developed dry gel on paper, or film, to replace the photographic plate so that a photographer no longer needed to carry boxes of plates and toxic chemicals around. In July of 1888 Eastman's Kodak camera went on the market with the slogan "You press the button, we do the rest". Now anyone could take a photograph and leave the complex parts of the process to others. Photography became available for the mass-market in 1901 with the introduction of Kodak Brownie.
Since then color film has become standard, as well as automatic focus and automatic exposure. Digital recording of images is becoming increasingly common, as digital cameras allow instant previews on LCD screens and the resolution of top of the range models has exceeded high quality 35mm film while lower resolution models have become affordable. For the enthusiast photographer processing black and white film, little has changed since the introduction of the 35mm film Leica camera in 1925.
http://www.cryosphere.f2s.com/articles/cameras/a-brief-history-of-photography.html
The first photograph is considered to be an image produced in 1826 by the French inventor Nicéphore Niépce on a polished pewter plate covered with a petroleum derivative called bitumen of Judea. It was produced with a camera, and required an eight hour exposure in bright sunshine. However this process turned out to be a dead end and Niépce began experimenting with silver compounds based on a Johann Heinrich Schultz discovery in 1724 that a silver and chalk mixture darkens when exposed to light.
Niépce, in Chalon-sur-Saône, and the artist Louis Daguerre, in Paris, refined the existing silver process in a partnership. In 1833 Niépce died of a stroke, leaving his notes to Daguerre. While he had no scientific background, Daguerre made two pivotal contributions to the process.
He discovered that by exposing the silver first to iodine vapour, before exposure to light, and then to mercury fumes after the photograph was taken, a latent image could be formed and made visible. By then bathing the plate in a salt bath the image could be fixed.
In 1839 Daguerre announced that he had invented a process using silver on a copper plate called the Daguerreotype. A similar process is still used today for Polaroids. The French government bought the patent and immediately made it public domain.
Across the English Channel, William Fox Talbot had earlier discovered another means to fix a silver process image but had kept it secret. After reading about Daguerre's invention Talbot refined his process, so that it might be fast enough to take photographs of people as Daguerre had done and by 1840 he had invented the calotype process.
He coated paper sheets with silver chloride to create an intermediate negative image. Unlike a daguerreotype a calotype negative could be used to reproduce positive prints, like most chemical films do today. Talbot patented this process which greatly limited its adoption.
He spent the rest of his life in lawsuits defending the patent until he gave up on photography altogether. But later this process was refined by George Eastman and is today the basic technology used by chemical film cameras. Hippolyte Bayard also developed a method of photography but delayed announcing it, and so was not recognized as its inventor.
In the darkroomIn 1851 Frederick Scott Archer invented the collodion process. It was the process used by Lewis Carroll.
Slovene Janez Puhar invented the technical procedure for making photographs on glass in 1841. The invention was recognized on July 17th 1852 in Paris by the Académie Nationale Agricole, Manufacturière et Commerciale.
The Daguerreotype proved popular in responding to the demand for portraiture emerging from the middle classes during the Industrial Revolution. This demand, that could not be met in volume and in cost by oil painting, may well have been the push for the development of photography.
However daguerreotypes, while beautiful, were fragile and difficult to copy. A single photograph taken in a portrait studio could cost US$1000 in 2006 dollars. Photographers also encouraged chemists to refine the process of making many copies cheaply, which eventually led them back to Talbot's process. Ultimately, the modern photographic process came about from a series of refinements and improvements in the first 20 years.
In 1884 George Eastman, of Rochester, New York, developed dry gel on paper, or film, to replace the photographic plate so that a photographer no longer needed to carry boxes of plates and toxic chemicals around. In July of 1888 Eastman's Kodak camera went on the market with the slogan "You press the button, we do the rest". Now anyone could take a photograph and leave the complex parts of the process to others. Photography became available for the mass-market in 1901 with the introduction of Kodak Brownie.
Since then color film has become standard, as well as automatic focus and automatic exposure. Digital recording of images is becoming increasingly common, as digital cameras allow instant previews on LCD screens and the resolution of top of the range models has exceeded high quality 35mm film while lower resolution models have become affordable. For the enthusiast photographer processing black and white film, little has changed since the introduction of the 35mm film Leica camera in 1925.
http://www.cryosphere.f2s.com/articles/cameras/a-brief-history-of-photography.html
All In One? Purchasing a Wireless Camera Kit
Security in your home or office is important, especially in this day and age of rampant crime, and especially if you live or work in an area where crime rates are high. If you are planning to put up security measures to protect your home, you might be interested in home security systems, which can include alarms, password-protected areas, even that generic baseball bat under your bed or revolver under your pillow. On the other hand, if you are planning to put up security measures to protect your office, you might be interested in office security systems, which can include monitors, cameras, security guards, and sophisticated digital equipment.
No security system is complete without security cameras, and in this day and age, we all can avail of wireless cameras to fit our security needs. If you are well acquainted with wireless cameras, then you might also have encountered a wireless camera kit, which has many components that all come into play when you wish to protect your home or office. If you are interested in buying a wireless camera kit, you need to know the functions of the basic components, as well as how you can set about buying one.
Wireless cameras offer the advantage of fewer wires, and hence, fewer hassles in setting up a system for your home or office. Wireless cameras, however, operate at a certain frequency that can be interfered with should thieves choose to disable your security system. If you are looking for a wireless camera kit, acquaint yourself well with the frequency at which the kit operates. You might also want to purchase two kits operating at two different frequencies, so that you always have a back up system to take care of your security should the other one be interfered with.
Your wireless camera kit will of course include your wireless camera, along with a mount that can hold it to a wall. When buying your wireless camera, make sure that its resolution is relatively high. This is important if your wireless camera is far away from important locations, such as a safe or cash register; high resolution wireless cameras can show thieves' or intruders' faces more clearly, a clear advantage when you want to catch criminals immediately after they wreak havoc on your home or business. Look for a wireless camera that can sweep through a large angle, moreover, so that you can monitor a large area for a longer time.
You might also want to look for a wireless camera that is weather and water resistant. Many other security cameras can be damaged if exposed to moisture, or can be destroyed easily in extremely dry conditions. Many security cameras that come with kits, moreover, might not be of the same quality as those that you can purchase individually. If you are purchasing a wireless camera kit, make sure that you are getting one that has the best components, along with the greatest value for your money.
Some wireless camera kits might also have a wireless digital video recorder, or DVR. This can allow you to record any activities remotely as they are picked up by the wireless security camera. When coupled to a high quality wireless security camera, a digital video recorder can record crucial evidence that can be used in court. All you need is a DVR that can record footage in a variety of formats, so that these formats can be stored in your computer or in a retrieval system without any danger of the footage being damaged or destroyed.
These are only a few tips that you can follow when shopping for that wireless camera kit. Be sure to get your wireless camera kit from licensed suppliers, and be sure to examine each component for good quality. If you have a great wireless camera kit, you can use it for a much longer time, and rest assured that your home or office will always be safe.
About author:
Rajesh Karavadia is the author and webmaster of www.thecctvreviews.com, an informative website about CCTV and security systems. Different types of security systems are discussed including information on cctv camera systems and cctv camera.
No security system is complete without security cameras, and in this day and age, we all can avail of wireless cameras to fit our security needs. If you are well acquainted with wireless cameras, then you might also have encountered a wireless camera kit, which has many components that all come into play when you wish to protect your home or office. If you are interested in buying a wireless camera kit, you need to know the functions of the basic components, as well as how you can set about buying one.
Wireless cameras offer the advantage of fewer wires, and hence, fewer hassles in setting up a system for your home or office. Wireless cameras, however, operate at a certain frequency that can be interfered with should thieves choose to disable your security system. If you are looking for a wireless camera kit, acquaint yourself well with the frequency at which the kit operates. You might also want to purchase two kits operating at two different frequencies, so that you always have a back up system to take care of your security should the other one be interfered with.
Your wireless camera kit will of course include your wireless camera, along with a mount that can hold it to a wall. When buying your wireless camera, make sure that its resolution is relatively high. This is important if your wireless camera is far away from important locations, such as a safe or cash register; high resolution wireless cameras can show thieves' or intruders' faces more clearly, a clear advantage when you want to catch criminals immediately after they wreak havoc on your home or business. Look for a wireless camera that can sweep through a large angle, moreover, so that you can monitor a large area for a longer time.
You might also want to look for a wireless camera that is weather and water resistant. Many other security cameras can be damaged if exposed to moisture, or can be destroyed easily in extremely dry conditions. Many security cameras that come with kits, moreover, might not be of the same quality as those that you can purchase individually. If you are purchasing a wireless camera kit, make sure that you are getting one that has the best components, along with the greatest value for your money.
Some wireless camera kits might also have a wireless digital video recorder, or DVR. This can allow you to record any activities remotely as they are picked up by the wireless security camera. When coupled to a high quality wireless security camera, a digital video recorder can record crucial evidence that can be used in court. All you need is a DVR that can record footage in a variety of formats, so that these formats can be stored in your computer or in a retrieval system without any danger of the footage being damaged or destroyed.
These are only a few tips that you can follow when shopping for that wireless camera kit. Be sure to get your wireless camera kit from licensed suppliers, and be sure to examine each component for good quality. If you have a great wireless camera kit, you can use it for a much longer time, and rest assured that your home or office will always be safe.
About author:
Rajesh Karavadia is the author and webmaster of www.thecctvreviews.com, an informative website about CCTV and security systems. Different types of security systems are discussed including information on cctv camera systems and cctv camera.
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