Digital Camera World » Beginner

24 camera features every beginner photographer must memorize

jmeyer — Mon, 20 May 2013 23:01:28 +0000

No matter how long you’ve had your digital camera, there’s always something to learn. And if you’ve just bought your first camera body, the learning curve can seem impossibly steep. But it needn’t be a painful slog. In this tutorial we’ll help you get the most from your DSLR by explaining some of the key camera features found on almost every camera body. Learning these camera features early on in your development will ensure you avoid some of the common camera mistakes and get much better shots as a result.

Camera features on the front of your camera body

01 Red-eye reduction
To stop the flash bouncing off the subject’s retinas and causing glowing red eyes this lamp will emit a burst of light to make the subject’s pupils shrink before the flash is triggered. The lamp also acts as a handy self-timer countdown indicator.

02 Focusing ring
In Auto Focus mode this ring rotates until the camera has focussed on the subject. In Manual Focus mode you can rotate the focus ring with your hand to focus on a specific subject.

03 Zoom ring
Rotate this ring clockwise to zoom out for a wide-angle view. Rotate it anti-clockwise (counter-clockwise) to zoom in for a close-up on your subject.

04 Flash button
When shooting using the Creative Zone or manual modes you can tell the built-in flash to pop up by pressing here.

05 Focus mode switch
Leave this set on AF (Auto Focus) if you want the camera to control the focusing. Flip the switch to MF (Manual Focus) when you want to control the focus yourself. In MF mode you can still use the AF points in the viewfinder to tell you when the subject is in sharp focus.

06 Image Stabilizer switch
The lens’s IS (Image Stabilizer) is designed to stop blur caused by camera shake (which is especially noticeable when you’re zoomed in on a distant subject. Nikon IS lenses have a similar VR (Vibration Reduction) switch.

07 Built-in microphone
Most cameras such as the Canon 500D (pictured above) can now record video. Sound to go with it is recorded through a microphone like this (though it will also record camera handling noises like the zoom ring being rotated!).

08 Depth of Field preview button
By pressing here, you can get the camera to stop down to the lens’s current aperture setting. You can then preview how much of the shot  will be in focus by looking through the viewfinder or by checking the Live View display.

PAGE 1: Camera features on the front of your camera body
PAGE 2: Camera features on the back of your camera body
PAGE 3: Camera features on the top of your camera body

Banish Bad Pictures: 9 quick fixes for common camera complaints

jmeyer — Mon, 20 May 2013 11:57:45 +0000

Tired of taking bad pictures? Find out how to fix photos in-camera with our simple advice for curing your exposure problems and focusing headaches. We offer solutions for some of the most common photography problems photographers face. So read on to soothe your burning photo composition and colour complaints!

Whether you’re an experienced enthusiast or you’ve just bought your first digital SLR, everybody has problems with their pictures now and then. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about.

In fact, if you’re less than perfectly happy with your shots, it only goes to prove that you’re eager to improve your DSLR shooting skills. And, as the saying goes, you can always learn from your camera mistakes!

However, working out how to solve your dilemmas on your own can prove to be a real headache. Which menu option or control do you need to use to make your pictures look better? Well, you can rest easy, because our team of D-SLR doctors are here to cure all of your camera complaints.

Whether your highlights are looking blown out and over-exposed, or your photos are suffering from camera shake, we’ve got the solutions to your problems.

If you’re finding it impossible to capture photos with a sense of impact, or your images’ colours look out of whack, we’ll help you resolve your issues. Read on to learn the quick and easy way to restore your shots back to health.

Fixing Bad Pictures: Why are all my photos blown out?

Were you shooting in bright daylight?
Photographing landscapes under midday sun can prove problematic. For the best colours and problem-free exposures, try to shoot your scenes with your back to the sun. If that’s not an option, here are two other possible solutions…

YES

Did you try using Exposure Compensation?
Left to its own devices, your digital DSLR can sometimes produce pictures that look lighter or darker than you would like them to. Switch to Av (Aperture Priority) mode and use Exposure Compensation to tweak the overall brightness.

Did you use an ND Grad filter? 
In landscapes, a standard exposure will either result in overly bright skies lacking detail, colour and impact, or striking skies and excessively dark foregrounds.

Using ND Grad filters 
By using a Neutral Density (ND) Gradient filter when photographing landscapes, you make the brightness of the scene more even. You’ll be able to capture the foreground detail as well as the beautiful colour and texture of clouds in the sky.

Try using histograms
When reviewing your shots on your camera’s LCD, get into the habit of checking histograms as well to see if your shots are too bright or dark. You can also check histograms in Levels in Photoshop.

1 Under-exposed 
This shot of a stag is too dark. The majority of the tones are stacked on the left of the histogram.

2 Over-exposed 
This shot is too bright. The majority of the tones are now bunched up on the right of the histogram.

3 Correctly exposed 
This shot is bang on. There’s an even spread of shadows, midtones and highlights on the histogram.

Full-frame vs APS-C cameras: what you need to know

jmeyer — Mon, 13 May 2013 10:00:04 +0000

So what is full-frame, and what do you need to know in terms of full-frame vs APS-C cameras? In their latest guest blog, our friends at the photo management blog Photoventure run through some of the key points to remember in the great full-frame vs crop sensor debate!

APS-C, or ‘crop-sensor’ cameras, are those that have sensors smaller than a frame of 35mm film. APS-C-size sensors are found in most DSLRs and measure approximately 24x16mm, producing images with a narrower angle of view because they capture a smaller section of the image than a full-frame camera with a 35mm-size sensor can capture.

These sensors are close in size to the APS-C film format, from which they get their name. In the beginnings of digital photography, most cameras had sensors around this size. But as technology has improved, full-frame sensors have become more ubiquitous – and, crucially, cheaper in price.

Which brings us to you. What do you need to know about full-frame vs APS-C cameras when making your decision to upgrade?

Viewfinder performance
If you switch to full-frame cameras you’ll find that the images appear brighter in your viewfinder. This is simply because your full-frame camera provides a larger mirror.

Wider views with wide-angle lenses
Full-frame lenses deliver their ‘true’ focal length on full-frame cameras. There’s no need to apply a focal factor.

Lenses
Your lenses never go obsolete – and at the prices you paid for them, you probably don’t want to have to re-buy them! What you need to know about using lenses on full-frame vs APS-C cameras is that you can use your crop-factor lenses on a full-frame camera, but the camera will restrict the sensor area to an APS-C size rectangle in the middle of the frame and you won’t get the benefit of your full-frame camera’s resolution.

Depth of field
When you make the switch to full-frame, the change in the appearance of depth of field, or out-of-focus areas, becomes obvious. Let’s put it this way. If you put a 50mm lens on a full-frame camera, in order to capture that same angle of view on an APS-C camera you’d need a 35mm lens.

And the 35mm lens will yield much more depth of field because of its shorter focal length. If you’re a landscape photographer, the shallow depth of field you’ll get shooting full-frame might cause trouble for you. If you’re a portrait or close-up photographer, however, this could make all the difference.

Image quality
Images taken with full-frame cameras (provided the photographer knows what he or she is doing!) will generally have more dynamic range and better fine detail than photos taken on APS-C cameras.

Low light
A full-frame camera will generally produce cleaner images in low light. Push your ISO up to the higher settings and you’ll be amazed at the results it can deliver. If you do a lot of shooting at night, this could be a reason to make the jump.

Body size
While you get more dynamic range, cleaner images at higher ISO settings and better resolution with full-frame, you’re also getting a bigger camera body. And, frankly, that’s a deal-breaker for some people.

If you’re a street photographer and speed and portability are your chief concerns, a smaller APS-C camera might be best for you. Even many compact system cameras now boast APS-C sensors and can deliver DSLR-quality images.

File size
Prepare to invest in bigger – and more expensive – memory cards if you switch to full-frame, as these cameras produce much bigger file sizes. This will also, of course, affect your computer and photo storage options.

A Layman’s Guide to photo backpacks

jmeyer — Sun, 05 May 2013 13:00:57 +0000

What are the different types of photo backpacks available, and do you need one? In our latest Layman’s Guide we answer the common questions beginner photographers may have about these essential accessories.

Full photo backpacks are ideal for large collections of kit, and can often hold two DSLR bodies with attached lenses

What are photo backpacks?
Ideal for large collections of photo gear that you need to carry for a specific shoot, these purpose-built backpacks spread the weight evenly over both shoulders, as well as offering a belt- like support for both your upper and lower back – all of which will make for a comfortable carrying position. Adjustable dividers will also enable a tailored fit for your cameras, lenses and other bulky equipment.

What are the main types of photo backpacks?
Photo backpacks fall into two main categories. In full photo backpacks, the entire main compartment is given over to camera kit. Split photo/ daypacks have a sub-divided main compartment, for carrying all your daily essentials along with a smaller collection of photo gear than the full photo backpacks.

A split photo/daypack is a good option for combining a more moderate collection of camera kit with all your daily travel essentials

Who makes photo backpacks?
The most popular manufacturers are Lowepro and Tamrac. Some of the other leading makes include Crumpler, Hama, Kata, Manfrotto, Think Tank and Vanguard. Most backpacks range in price between around £50 and £150.

What else can they carry?
Most designs include separate pockets for carrying small items, so you can get at them without having to open the main compartment. An extra compartment for carrying a laptop or tablet is also an increasingly popular option.

What other features should I look for?
Almost all photo backpacks are shower- proof, but many also feature a slip-over rain cover for added protection against the elements. Some new designs also feature secondary quick-access flaps, so you can get at a camera with an attached lens without having to take off the backpack and open the main compartment.

How to correct white balance problems in JPEG files

jmeyer — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 10:00:46 +0000

One of the holy gospels of digital photography is to shoot in raw format. But let’s face it: there are still times when you’ll want to shoot JPEGs instead of raw files. And when you do, getting the correct white balance is of vital importance because it’s much more difficult to correct white balance in JPEGs on the computer than it is when editing raw files.

That said, there are ways to correct white balance in the JPEG images you have taken. In this quick tutorial we’ll show you how to fix your colour errors and rescue those JPEGs.

Technically, yes, you need to shoot in raw quality mode if you want to alter the white balance of images at the editing stage. Auto white balance isn’t foolproof.

Indeed, the auto setting can give you different results in consecutive shots taken under identical conditions.

While correcting white balance in raw files is easy, all is not lost if you’ve taken pictures in JPEG quality mode. Most major image editing programs have tools for correcting unwanted colour casts, and often give the choice of colour variations to create the look you want.

When adjusting JPEGs, it’s always a good idea to keep a backup copy of the original file, and subsequently copied from your memory card. This is because, unlike editing raw files, any changes you make can’t be undone after saving and closing a JPEG file.

How to correct white balance errors in JPEG images

01 Remove colour cast
From the Enhance pull-down menu, select the Adjust Colour, Remove Colour Cast option. This will give access to corrections, complete with a live preview of effects before you apply them.

02 Eye dropper 
Ensure the Preview checkbox is ticked to enable a live update, then use the eyedropper and click on any point in the image that should be black, white or neutral grey.

03 Colour variations
From the Enhance, Adjust Colour menu, this time select Colour Variations. Here you can fine tune colour rendition as well as brightness in mid-tones, shadows and highlights independently.

A layman’s luide to close-up lenses: common questions and answers

jmeyer — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 01:00:46 +0000

What are close-up lenses? In our latest Layman’s Guide we answer the common questions about these budget alternatives to macro lenses and show the effects they can produce.

What are close-up lenses?
A relatively cheap alternative to proper macro lenses, close-up lenses mount onto the front of a regular lens. They shorten the effective focus distance and give a magnifying effect.

How do they work?
Close-up lenses are often supplied in kits with, for example, +1, +2 and +4 dioptre lenses. The higher the dioptre value of a lens, the greater the resulting magnifying effect will be. It’s like putting varying strengths of reading glasses in front of your camera’s lens.

Without a close-up lens, the minimum focus distance won’t usually enable you to fill the frame with small objects.

Who makes them?
Popular makes include Cokin, Hoya, Kood, SRB Griturn and Tiffen. Prices range from around £20 for individual lenses and inexpensive kits of lenses, up to about £100 for top-quality kits. Reasonably inexpensive yet high-magnification +10 dioptre lenses are available from Hoya and SRB Griturn.

When should I use them?
They’re useful when you want to take close-up shots of objects, so you can fill most of the frame with something that’s quite small. However, only close-range focusing will be available.

Giving greater magnifying power, either stacked or used individually, close-up lenses offer a macro-like view.

How do I attach them to my DSLR?
The Cokin close-up lens is square and fits into a holder. Most other close-up lenses are circular and screw into the attachment thread of the host lens, like regular screw-in filters. You can stack them for greater magnification, but image quality may suffer.

Color Photography: 5 photo editing tools that will save any image

jmeyer — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 23:01:12 +0000

Continuing our series on getting perfect tones in your color photography, we turn from the camera to the digital darkroom to see which photo editing tools can help rescue your images where the light or camera let you down.

Although it’s generally best from a quality and even a visualisation point of view to get the colors right at the time of shooting, that’s not always possible.

There may not be enough time, the equipment or the conditions might not allow it, or you may only see the image’s true potential when you’ve opened it on your computer screen back at home.

Here, then, is a selection of techniques you can use in Photoshop and (all but the Curves adjustment) in Elements too. Each adjustment has pros and cons, which we explain individually.

Best photo editing tools for adjusting color – Color Balance

Before

Color Balance adjustments can be carried out directly on the image or using an adjustment layer. You’re presented with three sliders – Cyan/Red, Magenta/Green and Yellow/Blue.

Note that these are pairs of complementary colors. In our sample shot, our subject’s skin tones have a magenta tinge, so we’d counteract that by moving the Magenta/Green slider to the right, which will shift the image’s color balance towards green and away from magenta.

After

You need to develop a good eye for color casts to use the color Balance dialog effectively. For example, fixing our original shot effectively meant spotting that the unwanted tinge was magenta rather than red (which is what it looks like at first glance).

Extreme

For a more extreme effect, we can increase the Red/Cyan to 100 and reduce the Yellow/Blue to -100. This gives the warm colors you’d expect from candlelight or firelight.

PAGE 1: Best photo editing tools for adjusting color – Color balance
PAGE 2: Best photo editing tools for adjusting color – Hue/Saturation
PAGE 3: Best photo editing tools for adjusting color – Levels
PAGE 4: Best photo editing tools for adjusting color – Curves
PAGE 5: Best photo editing tools for adjusting color – Brightness/Contrast
PAGE 6: Taking it further in the digital darkroom

Adobe Camera Raw: 8 tools that will save your raw files

jmeyer — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 23:01:23 +0000

Adobe Camera Raw is a powerful plug-in with which you can accomplish just about any of your photo editing needs. In this latest Raw Tuesday guide to editing raw files we’ll highlight 8 of the most important tools in Adobe Camera Raw for the uninitiated and explain how they can rescue an image.

The Adobe Camera Raw interface can be daunting, especially if you’re figuring out where to start and which tools to use first.

As a rule of thumb it’s best to start working clockwise around the interface, starting with the tools in the top options bar to crop and compose before moving onto the main adjustments under the Basic tab.

Here’s a few of the most common Adobe Camera Raw adjustments.

Your most important tools in Adobe Camera Raw: 1-2

01 White Balance tool
Click into an area of neutral grey within the image to set the white balance. In this image the rocks in the foreground seem like a good point to use.

02 Straighten tool
If you think your picture is a tad askew, click on the horizon on the left of the image and drag the cursor across to the right to quickly level your landscapes.

PAGE 1: Your most important tools in Adobe Camera Raw – 1-2
PAGE 2: Your most important tools in Adobe Camera Raw – 3-4
PAGE 3: Your most important tools in Adobe Camera Raw – 5-6
PAGE 4: Your most important tools in Adobe Camera Raw – 7-8

Color Photography: achieving accurate tones at night

jmeyer — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 10:46:44 +0000

Our latest post in our series on color photography explores some of the common photography problems encountered with different light sources when shooting low light photography. Find out how you can use mixed lighting in your night photography and get the most accurate color balance possible.

Night poses special problems for color photography. It’s not the level of illumination that’s the problem, but the color of the lighting.

If you shoot in a busy city centre, you may have a mixture of tungsten lights, fluorescent lamps, yellow/orange street lamps and even multicolored neon.

How are you supposed to reconcile all these with a single white balance setting? Our advice would be not to try. This is one situation where your camera’s auto white balance should just be left to get on with it.

Only if the colors look completely wrong should you worry about taking over manually.

Using different light sources at night

It’s not possible to compensate for every single light source, and sometimes the color of the light doesn’t fall neatly on the warm-cool color temperature scale.

White balance adjustments work by shifting the whole spectrum of the light source up or down the scale.

They rely on the light having a full spectrum of colors, but simply shifted one way or the other.

Some light sources don’t have a full spectrum of colors. The prime example is orange street lamps.

They look orange because that’s all there is – no blue, no green. It’s impossible to correct orange street lighting to produce a full range of colors.

Fluorescent lighting is the other oddity because it contains excess green. Digital cameras deal with this with one or more dedicated ‘fluorescent’ settings.

These increase the levels of magenta (green’s complementary color) to restore a natural-looking color balance.

PAGE 1: Using different light sources at night
PAGE 2: How to achieve a good mix

Color Photography: using filters to get better tones

jmeyer — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 02:00:20 +0000

In the latest post in our series on understanding color photography, we take a look at camera filters and how you can use them to achieve perfect tones in-camera.

This shot is spoilt by the glare reflecting off the surface of the postcards, which fooled the camera’s meter into underexposure and desaturated all the colours.

Many people imagine that camera filters are no longer necessary with digital cameras. After all, can’t you do everything in Photoshop?

Not quite. Some things are still easier to achieve with filters than with Photoshop, while other effects still can’t be duplicated any other way.

Warm-up filters are still useful, not because you can’t warm images up in Photoshop, but because they often produce more natural-looking results and because it’s at least as quick as trying to juggle the image’s RGB values later.

Don’t all into the trap of taking any old shot and assuming you can make it perfect in Photoshop. Shooting things right is always preferable to trying to make them right later.

This is the same setup, with the same lighting, shot immediately afterwards. Here, though, we’ve used a polarizing filter, carefully rotated until the glare is at a minimum. Quite an improvement, and impossible to achieve any other way.

Using Polarizer filters in color photography

Polarizing filters are a special case. Firstly, they can dramatically darken blue skies. Secondly, they cut down glare from reflective surfaces such as glass, plastic, and water, increasing saturation as a result.

This is an effect you simply can’t mimic later in Photoshop. Polarizer filters can be expensive, and if your camera’s lens has a rotating front element they can be fiddly to use, too, because you’ll have to re-adjust the orientation after the camera’s focused.

They also cut down the amount of light by 2-3 EV values, so you may need to increase the camera’s ISO in poor lighting to avoid camera shake. There’s no need to adjust the camera exposure since it’ll compensate automatically.

The only exception is where you want to preserve the depth of a blue sky. Here, rotate the filter so there’s no darkening effect, lock the exposure, then turn the filter to darken the sky and shoot.

PAGE 1: Using polarizing filters in color photography
PAGE 2: Filter factors