Why Use Amazon?

(7/14/2006)  Some of our friends have asked why we use Amazon for “toys” like these. There are two simple answers.

First, the web is not always a nice place, so we like to deal with a reputable company that won’t prove to be off-shore crooks phising for credit card numbers and stealing identities (or money)-works better even if there’s never a problem with the things we order online. Amazon fills that bill.

Second, yes, we have signed on as “associates” which means that if you come to our site and click through to exactly what you want to buy, we get a tiny percentage of the sale price-it’s not much, but as you know, every little bit helps. So, we’ll thank you for it in advance.

Why Nikon?

(7/14/2006)  Not only are the cameras solid workhorses, as are certain other manufacturers’ products, there are other considerations. We have over 30 years worth of high-quality Nikon lenses. And do you know that they all work with our latest D70 cameras. Sure, the auto features don’t work with some of the oldest ones, but so what. They were great optical-quality glass lenses back when we got them and they’re still great lenses. For pro-work, they are a tremendous advantage. We have some other cameras from other manufacturers and here’s a list of the ones that we can say the same thing for…

What About Megapixels?

(7/14/2006)  If you only want to take grab shots of your family and make nice 4”x5” pictures with an occasional 5”x7” thrown in, you can do a very nice job with a lot less trouble or learning curve just to go get a good pocket-sized digital camera with a high pixel count-anything 3.4 megapixels and above will probably meet your needs.

Having said that, the higher the number of megapixels, the higher the picture quality. In the old silver days the closest equivalent was called “grain.” Some film was “grainier” than other film and the more your ISO or film speed, the more tendency there was for grain to be a problem. That’s not the case now. Instead, we have “pixelation” which occurs when you blow a picture up large enough that the quality begins to break down and you see the pixels. The ISO you use has no bearing on this problem-it is strictly a product of the camera itself.

Once you pass 6 megapixels, the picture quality is so good, you will only notice the difference on extremely large blow-ups. The D50 and D70/D70S are all 6+ megapixels. You can do an 11x14 blow-up and the quality is great.

The D200 will carry you even higher if you’re interested in really-big blow-ups. That decision is one you have to make.

Built-In Flash

(7/14/2006)  The built-in flash units are great for lots of everyday stuff, but they are small units made primarily to let you do close-in shots. Assuming a really dark place, somewhere about 12 feet away they begin to fade in usefulness. By the time you’re some 30 feet away, their effect is really fading. At about 50 feet, you may as well have saved the battery power. That’s when you need a larger flash and/or a remotely-triggered slave unit that fires when it sees the camera-mounted unit flash. And we can get even more creative than that if the need arises. So, the question becomes, what kind of photos are you shooting for? Where will the subjects be? Will there be ambient light or do you need to supply all of it? And, of course, there will always be a time when the best laid plans fail.

Remember this, flash units eat battery charge in a hurry. A separate unit can use its own battery pack and that alone can make it worthwhile to have with you.

Lenses

(7/14/2006)  Of Focal Lengths

There are several main types you should know about. So let’s begin with a quick, thumbnail discussion of them. First we’ll talk in terms of focal lengths. Then we’ll move to F-stops. Finally, we’ll look at filters. (We’re going to assume that you already know to look for optical-quality glass lenses and avoid the cheapest plastic thingy you can find…unless you want your pictures to look like the cheapest plastic thingy you can find, too, of course.)

There’s the so-called lens. In the old 35-mm silver days, these were always somewhere around 50-55mm. That was based on the measurements of the picture you were taking and was designed to give you a certain kind of picture…we’re not going into the math here, but suffice it to say that the “standard” lens was the one most pro photographers laughed about. If we had to pick a number as the “standard” lens for our new Nikon digitals, it would probably be just a little higher, say 60-70mm, but what fun would that be?

Working from shortest focal length up, there is the macro lens. This is a special-purpose lens that is designed to get very close to the subject and take a truly high-quality picture. The demands of making such a lens and the relatively small market for it generally make it an expensive addition to your camera case, but if you need to make pictures of the grasshopper’s face, it is the way to go.

The fish-eye lens. You’ve seen what these little glass wonders dooOooo. The world is sort of distorted and the stuff at the center usually looks great while the stuff on the outer edges is out of shape. Not my favorite, but some folks like the effect. The focal length here is somewhere about 12-20mm.

The wide-angle lens. Somewhere around 24-35mm focal length will qualify here. These are great if you’re doing a lot of landscape shots or anything else where you’re interested in a wide-angle approach. In general, if you’re going to get a wide-angle lens, try to step up from the cheapest you can find because quality of manufacturing can really make a difference at these focal lengths.

The “standard” lenses we’ve already mentioned. Nuff said!

After that we get into telephoto lenses. There are 2 basic types-fixed and zoom. By now, everyone knows about zoom lenses and since their quality has increased while their prices have decreased, they are There is also a mirror type that, while it can be manufactured as either fixed or zoom, is usually a zoom, so we’ll just talk in those terms-mirror-zooms.

Here we get into what kind of photos you are primarily interested in. Close in, the 80-170mm range does a nice job. Portraits look good, lots of landscapes are available to you, though not as wide-angle shots. But you’ll probably quickly find that the high-end lacks or lots of what you want to do, i.e., you want more than 170mm.

So, you can move up to something like a 70-200mm zoom. At around 200mm, lots of things are possible that you just couldn’t do before. You can reach out there and get lots of really nice pictures that you’d have missed before. Even at 200mm, though, you’ll see that the F-stop is higher (more anon), so exposures are longer and camera movement or “shake” is becoming a problem. A light-weight mono-pod, even a less-expensive one is a wonderful advantage to have, even at 200mm.

Next we commonly move up to a zoom that ranges from about 230-650mm. Now you can really reach out and get that great professional shot. There’s nothing like it! But…camera shake is now a real problem. At 500mm, a tripod is definitely recommended equipment. Don’t ignore the monopod as a light-weight traveling companion that will often get the job done. Now you begin to see people mounting the lenses on rifle stocks so they can hold them still. Weight is also a consideration…going hiking? You’ll want that big sucker along with you, but not if it weighs 20 extra pounds and you have to carry it all day long.

Some where in this mix, there is the fixed-focal-length lens of, say, 300mm or 500mm. These can be truly great lenses to have IF they meet your needs. Since they’re not zoom lenses, they give you one look, one picture. In the past, they were higher in quality and lower in cost than a zoom, but now the quality of the zooms and their wide acceptance/marketability have come close to parity and you may find this just doesn’t fit your needs.

Yes, there are some telescopes you can use to great advantage for certain specialized purposes, but we’re not going into them here.

Consider this. The higher the focal length, the less light will make it through for your picture and the smaller your depth of field will get at lower F-stop’s (see below). It is very possible to have a really great lens on a really great camera but not be able to take a picture because there is not enough light to let you take it at say 1/30th second. You can do a time-exposure shot if the subject sits still for it, but that won’t always work, e.g., animals just won’t sit there. That’s a well-known unwritten rule.

F-Stops

We’re not going to do the math-you can get that and the theory elsewhere and this is a short, practical discussion. Basically, the higher the F-stop, the less light will get through to the film plane but the greater the depth of field becomes.

(Of course, it isn’t really a film plane anymore, but pixel plane just doesn’t sound right after so many years with a film plane.)

I have an F1.2 lens that lets me get shots with my D70 when others are just shaking their heads because there isn’t enough light. If you’ve had your eyes dialated for an exam, that’s about what the F1.2 looks like-it’s fully dialated. So, what’s the rub? When you open a lens up that much, the depth of field compresses so much that it’s difficult to get things in focus, especially in low-light situations when you need it the most. You waste lots of shots. Which isn’t expensive like it was with silver…now you just erase the bad ones and keep the ones you got just right. But it is still difficult photography.

Most of the lenses you’ll probably have will be something like f3.5-f22. That will take care of most of the normal, everyday work you’ll want to do. F22 will usually take a nice, normal picture in bright sunlight and f3.5 will work in lots of lower-light situations. Especially if you crank up the ISO setting on your camera to something like 1,600.

In fact, as you’ve already heard, f3.5 is sometimes not open enough and when you read about filters, you’ll see that f22 is sometimes not high enough. But they work for most things and they’re what you’ll be using most of the time.

Just remember, the higher the F-stop, the less light will get through to the film plane but the greater the depth of field becomes.

Filters

(7/14/2006)  So, now let’s assume that you’ve studied composition, purchased a great camera and one or 4 great lenses, a good flash unit, and you’re ready to go. Here’s a secret not everyone will tell you. Filters can make the difference between a pro shot and a snap shot!

We’re not going to go into all the filters that are available, just the essentials. So here we go:

• UV or 1A Skylight

  Begin by looking at that really expensive lens. Now imagine that you accidentally let the front glass come in contact with, say, a table corner. (You can imagine any number of other such objects.) The lens is scratched and irrevocably ruined. That’s why almost everyone who’s been working with expensive cameras and lenses for any length of time immediately puts an ultra-violet or 1A: Skylight filter on the lenses they purchase.

  I prefer the UV because it gives some protection to the coatings of the lenses when I’m out in the bright sun, but others like the Skylight. Either is a neutral filter used primarily to protect the lens. I suggest one for each of those expensive lenses-in fact, just budget the filter into the cost of any new lens and leave it on it.

• Polarizer/CP polarizer

  Did you ever look through a set of polarized sunglasses and see the glare disapper? The sky is bluer, water is clearer, reflections are dimished and color saturation is enhanced. Clouds jump out at you. The effect is great!

  You can do that with your pictures, too. Just put a polarizer on and adjust it before you trip the shutter. You’ll be amazed at the difference it can make.

  BUT, don’t buy the cheapest you can get. Buy the one that is thinnest so that when you hand it and another filter on your UV or 1A you don’t get a vignette effect that darkens the corners and/or extremities of your picture. Circular polarizers are supposedly better for use with digital cameras than normal polarizers, though I’m not sure you’ll be able to tell the difference in practice and they do cost more.

• Neutral Density Filters

  Neutral density filter means that all light wavelengths are equally filtered as they pass through the filter.

  Why would you want or need an ND filter? Have you ever seen one of those waterfall pictures where the water just seems to be moving? How about a similar picture of a mountain stream or a rapids? Or, maybe you’ve seen a picture where a race car is going buy in a blur o motion. How DID they do that? The answer is that it was a time-delay picture made by placing an ND filter in front of a fully stopped-down lens. (Of course, that did call for a tripod and a low, say 200 ISO, “film” speed.)

  Have you ever seen a picture where the sky is really a dark blue. The nearby stuff is normal, but that sky! Must have been a really beautiful day, right? Maybe. Or maybe they hung a gradiated ND filter in front of the lens to enhance the effect.

  A neutral density filter is a pure-gray color that has the effect of adding F stops to your picture. Hence, you have a .3x (1 f-stop), a .6x (2 f-stop) and a .9x (3 f-stop) type. Variations on 30/60/90 will sometimes creep in as marketing people try to be cute, but you’ll quickly figure them out.

  There are 2 types of ND filter: gradiated and full ND.

  A gradiated filter starts off with a darker area at one side and then moves through to complete clear at the far side. This is what gave that great darkened sky effect.

  A full ND filter is just that-the entire glass is the same dark-gray color. This is how you get that waterfall, mountain stream, or fast-moving race car to blur and show that it really was in motion.

  There’s no great talent involved and your pictures will be technically outstanding! You just hang it on your lens, figure out how to get a decent exposure and take the shot. The prolem you’ll have, other than getting your exposure just as you want it is in seeing just where the line of gradiation is on the gradiated filter. It’s a minor irritation considering the results you’ll get.

• Soft-Focus Filter

  This one is especially important if you’re going to be doing weddings or portraits of your Great-Aunt Edna. It does exactly what the name implies. It gives a “soft-focus.” Things aren’t just out of focus, they’re softened so that facial lines and blemishes are not so noticeable. If you’re shooting landscapes, who cares? If you’re shooting Aunt Edna, it may save your life!

  At any rate, she’ll brag on your work!

• Cross Fire Filters

  This is the last of the “essentials” we’ll go into here. The so-called cross-fire filter has a “screen” cut into it so that highlights have a flare in the picture you get. They are truly wonderful effects for night shots of cities, buildings, car headlights, etc. They make the ocean sparkle. (They can also make your uncle Charlie’s gold tooth come alive!)

  The two you’ll likely see 4X and 6X, though you may see an 8X occasionally. The number here represents the number of flares you’ll see from a light-source in the picture. Six makes a really nice looking picture and is my favorite, but I have some 4x filters and they do well with car headlamps and in some other settings.

Step-Up Rings

(7/14/2006)  By now, you’re saying something like, “Wow, I have 3 different lenses and they all take a different sized filter. I can’t afford nor do I want to keep up with 15 or so different filters.”

There are two answers to this delimma.

The first answer is, “No! You can’t afford it nor do you want to keep up with all of those filters, so you buy some step-up rings.” They have only two disadvantages that I’m aware of and there are some things you just live with. First, they push the filter out away from the lens just a little, increasing the tendency toward vignetting at the corners. Second, you can’t use the lens hood on many lenses if you have step-ups on it. More on that below.

Just for purposes of example, let’s say your smallest lens uses a 58mm filter, your next one uses a 62mm filter, and your third one uses a 67mm filter. For less than $20 you can purchase 2 step-ups, from 58-67mm and a 62-67mm. Now you need only purchase 67mm filters and use them with the appropriate step-up. However, because of the aforementioned hood problem, you may want to purchase a 67mm lens hood. This will be especially true if you have a lens that produces the octagonal flare you sometimes see in pictures when a light source is in front of the camera.

The second answer does away with the vignette problem, but the lens-flare because you have no hood is…well, there to live with. In this answer, you purchase rectangular (a square is also a rectangle and they may be square) filter holder that fits on your lenses. These will cost a little more than the rings, but because they hold a wide variety of filters, they make filters a little less expensive to offset the up-front cost. Now the same filters, and some can be a gel sheet, will work in that holder. The other disadvantage you can see here is that a manufacturer makes a proprieatary holder that will only hold their filters-just say no! Keep looking because next year or so, that manufacturer will either change their sizing so you have to buy new stuff or they’ll go out of business because people would not accept their proprietary thinking. Either way, you’re hurt.

Step-Down Rings Are Usually A Step Down

(7/14/2006)  Yes, you can purchase a step-down ring to use your 58mm filter on your 67mm-filter-size lens. Don’t. Why? Remember that vignette effect I mentioned when using more than one filter. Well, to use an old cliché’, “You ain’t seen nothing yet!” since the filter is far too small, you’ll get a very pronounced vignette-to-black effect that is usually quite objectionable. Of course, there are always times when a strange tool in the box and be really useful, so “if you’ve got em, smoke ‘em.” Who knows, you might like it.

Backgrounds

(7/14/2006)  OK, I’ll only say this once. If you’re going to do portraits or products, you’ll need some background to work with. There are some really nice commercial-grade tools for this, but see the tips section below before you jump on the bandwagon.

Lighting

(7/14/2006)  There are some very nice, very expensive lighting setups you can use. But with digital cameras, moreso than the old silver-film jobs, you have some options here, too. Since you can adjust the white-balance to your light source quickly and easily, you can sometimes get by with daylight-balanced light bulbs in clamp-on holders. You can get both of these on the cheap items at your local large discounter store and they’ll work well for small-product work. If you’re doing studio portrait work, you’re stuck, so just grin and bear it.

Other tools

(7/14/2006)  One thing you’ll discover quickly is that you go through battery charge very quickly. Consequently, you’ll almost certainly find that you need an extra battery for your camera.

You’ll also find that while you think you could never run out of memory with room for almost 600 pictures on your card, trust me on this, you will! Get a second card.

The remote trip is something you’ll need if you’re doing time-delay shots, like with a neutral density filter or at night. Why, because if you “bump” the camera by tripping the shutter manually, that can be enough to mess up your shot.

Finally, spend just a little more and get a lens-cleaning kit. You’ll need it.

Things you don’t want

(7/14/2006)  Only two things really come to mind here, though I’m sure there will be others later.

The so-called “ever-ready” case. These little suckers set you back about $50 by the time you pay for them what with shipping and/or sales taxes. They are, as someone once told me, mis-named. They should be called the “never-ready” case. They are in the way and they just don’t provide much safety for the equipment. Save the money. Use it to get something better.

The other thing is the expensive “camera bag.” Read Tips/Tricks before you waste that money on it.

Tips and Tricks--Camera Bags

(7/14/2006)  Let’s begin by talking about that expensive “camera bag.” Not only does it cost a lot, it screams 2 things: “I have expensive camera equipment here.” And “STEAL ME!” So if shouting these things is your life’s goal and you really want to pay lots for it, go for it.

Here’s a different idea. Most pros have a couple of alternatives, both of which came from your local big-box retailer and had a combined cost less than what you’d spend for that expensive camera bag. First is a day-pack bag. You can strap it on and carry it for hours with less fatigue and more capability. You can even include a sandwich!

The other thing we’d recommend is a “small,” wheeled cooler-not the humongous one, make it just big enough to carry your “stuff.” This can often help you carry your lenses, camera, filters, etc.

Finally, a small “lunch-box” cooler is great for just your camera, a couple of lenses, a battery and a memory card. They’re inexpensive, padded, and don’t look like a thief’s dream come true.

Tips and Tricks--In the Bag

(7/14/2006)  Now that we’ve discussed the camera bag, let’s talk about some extra things to put in it.

Take a walk around the big-box store. Begin by picking up some white trash bags. Three of these will go into your camera bag-not one, three. Why three? One is for the camera on that day when you’re unexpectedly caught out in the rain. One is to go over your head and keep you dry. And the third is for whatever or whoever else needs to be kept dry. There’s always something or someone to keep dry with this bag.

Now, run by the sporting goods department and find a small flashlight. Get one that you can use/hold without tying your hands up. This goes into the bag, along with a couple of extra batteries for the flashlight.

Swing into the kitchen goodies department and find a couple of those little lid-gripper pads used to open jars when the lids just don’t want to move. These are good when you have two filters that decide they are mated for eternity, which they do occasionally. Two of these little pads will let you bring about a quick separation with a minimum amount of difficulty.

Tips and Tricks--Backgrounds

(7/14/2006)  If you need backgrounds, you need to go to the fabrics and notions department of the store next. These big-box stores may not have what you need so you may need to go to a fabric store. Here you’ll find lots of 54”-wide material that can be used for backgrounds for products as well as for individuals. Velour, vinyl, sold-colored, your local college teams: the possibilities are almost unlimited. You’ll have to construct something to hold the background up, so run by the local building supply store use your enginuity. You can save tons of mony and have some really neat backgrounds.