General Cameras Articles

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-10-2022

If you’re interested in photography, you will find no better device than a digital SLR (or dSLR). Whether you’re an amateur or a professional, you can find a dSLR that will fit your needs. You really can’t beat the combination of power, flexibility, growth potential, and “accessorize-ability” of a dSLR. With the information in this cheat sheet, you’ll be taking photos in no time.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-08-2022

The digital single-lens reflex (dSLR) camera is the great step upward for photographers who want to expand their creative horizons. Whether you want to become a serious photo hobbyist or simply want to take advantage of the improved control that digital SLR cameras give you, becoming familiar with the dSLR’s controls is one of your top priorities.

Article / Updated 04-06-2021

As a digital single-lens-reflex (dSLR) photographer, do not limit yourself or your creativity. What’s the point of limiting yourself? There isn’t one. Don’t let others tell you what your style should be or how to go about it. Measure your effectiveness by the end result. If it moves you, you’ve succeeded. Always be on the lookout to photograph every type of subject, including people, landscapes, action, close-ups, and even quirky stuff like lion-head fountains, colorful artwork, and pie. Finally, processing plays a vital role in photography. It always has. We forget how much effort Ansel Adams put into his art. He mastered a unique style of photography that continues to inspire us. He was not one-dimensional. The expression of his artistry included his planning, composition skills, approach to exposure, other mechanics, and, very importantly, how he developed his shots and made prints. Explore different approaches with a favorite location The photo is of a fountain at a nearby park. I am captivated by it to such a degree that I routinely photograph it with whatever new camera I have. It’s a fountain in the form of a lion’s head, cast in copper, and a basin. The lion and basin have a nice patina on them. The surrounding concrete has hints of differing texture and color. I took this shot early one October morning before the water was turned off for the winter. I set my Nikon APS-C dSLR on a tripod and framed this specifically so that the head was not in the center. I have photographed this scene in so many other ways that I was after a particular look. I used a small aperture, f/16, to get the entire head in focus. The dSLR camera set the shutter speed to 1/250 second and raised the ISO to 400 to get the right exposure. I processed the photo to emphasize contrast in the shadows. Keys to this photo: It involves a subject I was very familiar with. It’s framed with a specific image in mind. The small aperture ensures adequate depth of field. (I have numerous photos with just the nose in focus.) The ISO is elevated to counter the small aperture and fast shutter speed. Look for unique vantage points Getting a new dSLR camera is always a fun experience. In this case, I splurged and got the better of the two available kit lenses, the Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM standard zoom lens. It’s versatile and takes great photos for a kit lens. I wanted to test the camera and lens, so I took them to campus, which offers a lot of interesting features in proximity. In a short time, I was able to walk around and photograph a number of different buildings, scenic vistas, people, and interiors. This photo is one of the more striking shots I took that day. It’s a stained-glass art installation located on the east side of an academic building. I’ve taken photos of this subject before and was never that impressed by it. For some reason, I got behind it this time and framed the shot with the morning sun shining through the glass. That approach made all the difference in this photo. Rather than take a photo of it, I crouched down behind and took a photo through it. The sunlight brightens the glass and makes it a photo worth framing I used a Canon APS-C dSLR for this photo with the 18-135mm zoom lens set to 24mm. I used aperture-priority mode with the aperture set to f/5.6. The shutter speed was 1/1000 second and the ISO was 100. Keys to this photo: I used a unique vantage point that I hadn’t thought of before. I shot physically close to the subject. The wide-angle focal length keeps it from feeling too cramped. Back lighting is not always optimal but works wonders with certain subjects. It’s processed to showcase light and color through the glass; the dark frame was intentionally left featureless. Photograph bits and pieces of your life And now for something completely different. The photo shown is of a delicious, homemade pie my wife baked late one February afternoon to cheer us all up and chase the winter doldrums away. It’s just a pie, right? Oh, but it’s more than that, which makes it perfect. I shot this very casually. I walked into the kitchen, positioned the pie so that the natural light from the window illuminated it, and took a few test shots. I realized that our goofy pig salt and pepper shakers would add to the scene, so I put them in the corner of the frame. I left the drip in the front alone. In the end, I think it’s a great food shot. Not something you would see in a recipe book where everything is pristine and nothing is out of place. However, this photo has an appealing homespun character that I love. I used a Nikon APS-C dSLR and 50mm prime lens set to f/5.6 for this shot. I didn’t set a wider aperture because I wanted more of the pie to be in focus. The shutter speed was 1/80 and the ISO rose to 1800. Keys to this photo: It’s a handheld, spur-of-the-moment shot of everyday life. Natural light illuminated the scene nicely. I limited the aperture size to increase the depth of field. ISO rises quite often when shooting inside. Experiment with different processing ideas I took this shot of the James Scott Memorial Fountain at Belle Isle Park, near Detroit, late one August afternoon. The sun was bright and the sky was blue, with a few clouds here and there. The wind blew the water from the fountain around, which makes photos of fountains more interesting. What I want to highlight about this photo are the processing decisions I made. I didn’t want a standard shot. I wanted it to look dramatic and bold. I tried oversaturating the photo, but that approach made it look worse. So I went the other direction and experimented with black and white. I realized at some point, however, that I didn’t want to convert it to pure black and white. I continued to experiment until I found something that I liked. I processed the foreground and background with different black-and-white settings, masked out the parts I wanted to hide, and then made those layers partially transparent. I kept the original color photo underneath, which gave the photo an interesting color tint. I used a Sony APS-C dSLT with standard zoom lens set to 18mm. I had accidentally set the camera to Auto mode, but as Bob Ross of The Joy of Painting said, “We don’t make mistakes; we have happy accidents.” The aperture was f/11, shutter speed 1/200 second, and ISO was 100. Keys to this photo: It benefitted from unique processing, which enabled me to create a more dramatic photo. I used masks in Photoshop to make targeted changes to different areas of the photo. A vertical orientation keeps your attention on the fountain and water. It shows that even Auto modes can produce exceptional photos. Push yourself to expand your boundaries Finally, I want to share the interesting photo I took inside a local bank, shown in this figure. The bank (originally named Lincoln National Bank and Trust) was built in 1929–1930 and is well-known for its art-deco style. I spent a few hours inside the lobby one day shooting exposure brackets for high dynamic range (HDR) from numerous angles. Before I left, I went up to the second level, which overlooks the lobby below, and discovered this amazing scene. I set up my tripod and shot seven exposure brackets, each separated by 1.0 EV. I merged them into an HDR image and tone mapped it to achieve this relatively natural-looking appearance. I used a Nikon APS-C dSLR and ultra, wide-angle lens set to 20mm. The wide-angle focal length let me get close to the artwork. I set the aperture to f/5.6 and used an ISO of 100. The 0.0 EV bracket had a shutter speed of 1/2 second. Keys to this photo: HDR photography enabled me to capture a more complete range of light and dark details in this interior scene. I used a tripod to stabilize the camera and a remote shutter release to keep it from shaking as I took the photos. The ultra, wide-angle lens enabled me to get very close to the subject and yet still have a wide angle of view. The subject is a great example of the art-deco style.

Article / Updated 04-06-2021

The word exposure is thrown around a lot in photography. In the old days, people referred to photos themselves as exposures because you exposed film in the camera to light when you took a picture. Today, most people use terms like shots, photos, images, or even files to refer to their pictures. Exposure is still a pretty important word in digital single-lens-reflex (dSLR) photography, even though most of us don’t call our photos exposures. I want to dispense with the technical details, for the moment, and bring it down to one very important but simple point: Exposure is about taking photos and shooting movies that are as dark or as light as you want them to be. Simple, right? Keeping that straightforward goal in mind puts the details of this article in context. What may be confusing at times is learning the different pieces to the exposure puzzle. Exposure involves: Monitoring and evaluating: The camera evaluates the scene’s brightness and suggests exposure settings to capture the best photo. This is called the standard exposure. Metering: The camera needs to measure the light in the scene. This is called metering. Reviewing: Reviewing photos and looking at their histograms helps you understand what is happening with the camera and where you may need to change settings. Troubleshooting: There are several ways to troubleshoot. They include techniques like switching metering modes, using your camera’s manual shooting mode, dialing in exposure compensation, using exposure brackets, and using autoexposure (AE) lock. You can take more or less control over most parts of the process. Evaluate exposure As you evaluate exposure, the point is to assess whether your photos and movies look the way you want them to. You have only three options: They can be underexposed, exposed just right, or overexposed. The photos below show examples of each. Underexposed: Unacceptably dark photos and movies are underexposed. For whatever reason, the image sensor captures too little light. Underexposed photos and movies often have clipped shadows — these are dark areas that turn black and lose all detail. Just right: When everything comes together and the camera captures just the right amount of light to produce a good shot; that shot has been properly exposed. In general, your goal will be to capture shots that look good — not too dark and not too bright. Exceptions to this idea exist, of course, but shots normally have a “sweet spot” that produces the best photos and movies most of the time. Overexposed: Photos and movies that have been overexposed and are too bright. Overexposed photos and movies often have clipped or blown highlights. When this happens, the pixel turns pure white. There are no details at all. The amount of light that can cause a photo or movie to be under- or overexposed can be a little or a lot. It depends on the scene and camera. If the exposure is off by a relatively small margin, you may be able to fix it using photo-editing software. Control exposure Your camera has several shooting modes, also called exposure modes, that determine whether you or the camera control the various exposure settings, such as the shutter speed. This figure shows the Mode dial on a consumer-level dSLR. Autoexposure modes put the camera in charge of setting the exposure controls. The type of input you have depends on the mode you’ve selected. Basic autoexposure modes require no input from you. Set it and forget it. Advanced autoexposure modes like aperture-priority or shutter-priority let you set the lens aperture or shutter speed. The camera takes care of the other controls and adjusts them for the best exposure. You have two options if you want manual control over your camera’s exposure controls: Manual (M) and Bulb (B) modes. If your Bulb mode isn’t on the mode dial, enter Manual mode and lengthen the shutter speed until you see it. The camera still evaluates the scene and displays what it thinks the best exposure is, but you’re responsible for setting all the controls. Although this responsibility may sound intimidating, it gives you the ability to direct the camera to do your bidding. In addition to exposure modes, your camera has three exposure controls, each with its own unique personality: the aperture of the lens; the shutter speed; and ISO speed. You can also modify the exposure by using a flash or filters. Compare exposure intervals There are two ways to describe exposure values and intervals: stops and exposure value (EV). They are different terms that basically mean the same thing. Here’s what you need to know about each: Stops are a traditional way of describing exposure intervals. They are mechanical. The term comes from how film photographers change apertures and shutter speeds on their film cameras. They widen the aperture by a physical stop on the lens or make the shutter speed faster by turning a knob to the next stop. This action doubles or halves the amount of light that the film is exposed to. The term, therefore, made its way into the lexicon of photography as a way to double or halve light. Exposure value is a measurement of exposure. An interval of 1 EV is synonymous with a stop. Each interval of 1 EV doubles or halves the exposure. You can change the EV by altering the camera’s exposure settings (aperture, shutters speed, or ISO). For example, raising the ISO by a stop increases the EV by +1. Intervals between exposure values are most often measured in thirds and whole numbers. You can often set your camera to control exposure level increments in halves. This figure shows the relationship between newer camera settings and stops. Each numbered division represents a stop of exposure, which is the same as on the older shutter speed dial. Each stop is divided into thirds by smaller, unnumbered marks. The difference between each stop represents 1 EV. The smaller increments are separated by 1/3 EV. There are creative and practical differences between a stop of shutter speed and aperture, but in terms of exposure, every stop is equal.

Article / Updated 04-06-2021

Photographing close-ups is a really fun way to express yourself as a digital single-lens-reflex (dSLR) photographer. You focus on smaller details than usual, which encourages you to grow creatively. Over time, you really do start to see things in a different light, whether the photo is of a flower, a bracelet, ice on a door, or a penny. You don’t have to have anything besides a dSLR and a typical zoom lens to enjoy close-up photography. However, you can invest in macro lenses and other gear that will help you capture close-ups and macros more effectively. In this article, I share how I captured five of my favorite close-ups. Zoom in Not every close-up has to look as though you shot it with an electron microscope. Close-ups can be relatively relaxed if you like, as shown below. My wife was preparing food outside early one evening and the light was incredible. It was spring, and we were itching to be outside. Instead of cleaning off the table, I used her tools as props for the background. You can see a knife and a colander of radishes as well as a paper napkin strategically placed around the African violet. The placement of these items isn’t accidental. I used a professional Canon full-frame dSLR and lens for this photo. Overkill, possibly, but I can’t complain. I zoomed in to 73mm, which is in the near/medium telephoto range for a full-frame camera. Other than that, this was very close to a normal handheld shot. The aperture was f/4, shutter speed was 1/800, and ISO was only 100. Keys to this photo: Late-afternoon light is warm and inviting. I composed this shot purposefully, choosing my props and positioning them around the central subject to create the scene. Near-telephoto focal length on a full-frame camera made the shot a nice close-up without looking too close. No extra gear or effort required; I used what I had immediately available. Be ready to grab your camera When you see something interesting, be ready to get your camera and start photographing. Case in point: I noticed that ice had formed on one of our storm doors, as shown. It was December 24, and brutally cold. Fighting a bit of laziness, I put down my coffee and went to get a camera. I chose my consumer-level Nikon APS-C dSLR and put a nice 50mm prime lens on it. I came back into the room and took a few test shots straight on. Boring. Bracing myself, I got closer and angled the camera so that I could capture an oblique shot. Interesting! I set the camera to aperture-priority mode and dialed in f/3.5 for this shot. The shutter speed was 1/2500 and the ISO was 100. Keys to this photo: Its unique perspective was captured by getting close, opening the lens, and angling the camera. No other special gear or equipment was needed. Holding the camera and using a fast shutter speed ensured a crisp shot with sharp details. I had to be willing to go get my camera. Using diopters Now it’s time to unleash some extra equipment on you. I captured the close-up of the sunflower shown using a diopter attached to the lens of a consumer-level Canon dSLR. The lens wasn’t anything fancy, just your standard 18-55mm kit lens. Diopters magnify things, just as a magnifying glass does. They also enable you to move closer and still focus. Diopters are easy to carry and relatively inexpensive. They also work well with step-down rings, which means that you can buy large diopters and use them on many different lenses as long as you have a compatible step-down ring. I used 77mm diopters. I took this amazing shot late in the day when the light struck the sunflower from the side. I zoomed in to 55mm and, with a +10 diopter attached, was able to capture a unique close-up. I used shutter-priority and set the shutter speed to 1/640 second. The camera set the aperture to f/6.3. Even at f/6.3, the depth of field is very narrow because of the close focus distance made possible by the diopter. The ISO rose to 640. Keys to this photo: Diopters magnify subjects and make close-ups easier to take with a standard lens. Early evening sunlight illuminates this detailed scene wonderfully. Pay attention to shutter speed when shooting handheld close-ups to ensure crisp shots. ISO rises to compensate for small apertures and fast shutter speeds. Whatever works, works You’re going to laugh at this one. I was experimenting with reversing rings. They enable you to mount lenses on your camera backward, which turns normal lenses into close-up/macro lenses. I realize they aren’t everyone’s cuppa tea. You have to manually focus, aperture control can be a problem, and it’s just odd. However, I have some old NIKKOR manual focus lenses that work perfectly with reversing rings. I control the aperture on the lenses and mount them on Canon dSLRs. I was looking for interesting subjects to photograph when I grabbed the turquoise bracelet shown. I bought it for my wife one year when I was on a trip to Texas. Curious, she followed me outside to help. We went around to the back of the garage and she held the bracelet over our black trash bin. It worked fantastically as a backdrop. She was able to steady her arm on it, which helped me focus and shoot a crisp photo. I used a Canon APS-C dSLR set to shutter-priority mode with an old 50mm NIKKOR manual focus lens set to f/2. The shutter speed was 1/250 second and the ISO was 200. Keys to this photo: Reversing rings are totally cool but require some effort to use. Use what you have to help capture the shot: an old lens, a bracelet, and trash bin, in this case. As long as it works, it doesn’t matter. Wide aperture and bright light enabled me to set the shutter speed to 1/250 to ensure a sharp photo. Focus on small details Finally, I present President Abraham Lincoln. On a penny, of course. But wow, what a penny. This one has been through some rough times. It’s not the newest penny and has a lot of gouges on the surface. Those qualities make it the perfect subject for a close-up. I shot this in my studio using a consumer-level Nikon APS-C dSLR in manual mode with a digital Holga lens attached. To increase the magnification, I used the 60mm macro attachment that pops on to the main Holga lens. I mounted the camera on a tripod and moved the penny, which I placed on a piece of wood, back and forth in order to focus. I used Live View to compose the shot and raised the ISO to 3200 to brighten the scene. Even though the Holga lens has a small aperture, the depth of field of this shot is very narrow. I focused on the word Liberty and the date to make them the sharpest features. I took a number of test shots at different angles, and liked this one the best. Keys to this photo: I took it with a digital Holga lens with macro attachment. It was shot in my studio using Live View and a tripod. Even with bright lighting, the ISO rose dramatically because of the small aperture. I chose a damaged penny as a more interesting subject.

Article / Updated 04-06-2021

If you want to take action shots on your digital single-lens-reflex camera (dSLR), you should make shutter speed your top priority. All else is secondary. Use the largest aperture you can and raise the ISO as much as you need to for the best exposure. A blurry action shot isn’t worth printing and framing. The other element to keep in mind is that capturing action is about motion. Put your camera in a continuous focus mode so that it keeps focusing as long as you have the shutter pressed halfway. Use a single autofocus (AF) point for the greatest focusing precision. If you need help tracking your subject, switch to a zone AF mode. Track the action You can’t get much more action-oriented than the photo I took of this Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor performing a demonstration flight at an air show. It screamed across the sky. I get goosebumps just thinking about it. To capture this sort of action, you need a fast shutter speed and the reflexes to frame and track a moving target, focus, and take the photo before you lose the shot. I used a monopod to support the heavy camera and the large super-telephoto lens I was using. I took this shot with a Nikon APS-C dSLR in shutter-priority mode at 300mm, f/4.5, 1/1000 second, and ISO 125. When photographing a fast subject, don’t point the camera at one spot and expect to get a good photo as it moves through the frame. Instead, track and pan to follow it as best you can, using continuous focus to lock on. This technique takes some practice to get good at. Hone your skills by focusing on cars driving by, birds, or other animals that might be running around in your nearby environment. Keys to this photo: Very fast shutter speed needed to photograph the fast jet Super telephoto lens to capture action at a distance Monopod for help in supporting heavy camera and lens Fast tracking, panning, framing, and focusing skills Use an external flash I don’t normally use a flash when engaged in action photography. When I do, I use an external flash. This setup enables high-speed sync, which works with faster shutter speeds than the camera’s built-in flash. This is how I captured the photo in the following figure: I was at an outdoor mall with my wife and the kids, taking fun shots with my Nikon APS-C dSLR and AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm F2.8G ED zoom lens. I wanted to use a fill flash to light their faces better. I needed a fast shutter speed because I was shooting action. I connected my external flash and enabled High-Speed Sync. I took this shot in aperture-priority mode at 70mm, f/3.5, 1/1600 second, and ISO 100. The lighting was strong enough overall that I knew the shutter speed was going to be fast, so I decided to control the aperture directly. Keys to this photo: External flash made high-speed sync possible Very quick shutter speed froze the action perfectly Fantastic lens rendered the scene beautifully Near-telephoto focal length meant that I could stand back and not get jumped on Find the right spot If you’re going to photograph action that is predictable, choosing the right location increases your chances of capturing a great shot. For example, the photo I took at a harness race captured horse and driver as they made the final turn and began their push toward the finish line. Although I couldn’t know exactly how the scene was going to develop each time around, the distance, angle, and general action were the same each time. Knowing this, I was able to scout out a few different locations, and it helped me reliably capture great shots because I knew what to expect. In this case, the challenge of each shot was to quickly frame the specific scene I wanted to capture and time the shot. Action is about capturing fleeting moments. It’s not like a portrait for which you can line people up and tell them to hold still. Timing is very important, and practice helps quite a bit. As with other action shots with lots of motion, this shot required a fast shutter speed. I used a Nikon APS-C dSLR and 300mm super-telephoto lens set to f/4. The shutter speed was 1/1000 and the ISO was 500. Keys to this photo: Location, location, location A sense of timing to capture the right moment Fast shutter speeds for fast action Fast shutter speeds often result in high ISO Great light is great Not everyone can go to an NFL game and photograph professional athletes in their element. For many people, backyard fun with family or friends is where the action is. I took the photo shown one day near the end of November. We were horsing around in the back yard. The kids were pretending to score touchdowns and then leaping up on a piece of play equipment. Sam (to the right) looks like he’s guarding Jacob, but he’s actually celebrating Jacob’s Lambeau Leap. Their expressions are priceless. The thing that strikes me about this shot is how beautiful it is. The light enabled me to capture it with a fast shutter speed. I took this shot with a Sony APS-C dSLT in shutter-priority mode at 35mm, f/4.5, 1/250 second, and ISO 125. Keys to this photo: Great light makes capturing action easier, and your subjects will look prettier. Not everything has to be 1/1000 second. Sometimes, 1/250 is fine. You don’t always have to use a super telephoto lens. I shot this with a standard zoom lens on a Sony APS-C dSLR at 35mm. Action is action, whether it’s in a yard or at a professional sports venue. Push the dSLR camera to the limits When you’re photographing people in action, especially indoors, you often have to push the camera to its limits. I took the photo shown during a practice session of our church band. I consider this an action shot because my focus was on capturing the performer’s movements. The challenge, in this case, was to capture those movements in relatively low light. What surprised me at the time was having to push a professional camera and lens to their limits to get this shot. You can’t get a much better combination than the full-frame Canon 5D Mark III and EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM telephoto zoom lens, and they were barely able to capture this moment. The ISO rose to a staggering 12800 to take this shot at 1/250 second. I set the camera to shutter-priority mode and zoomed in to 135mm. The camera set the aperture to f/4. Keys to this photo: Some conditions are a challenge even when using the best equipment. Professional cameras shoot much better photos at high ISOs. Interior lighting may look fine to your eye but not be strong enough to support fast shutter speeds. Use shutter-priority mode when photographing performers on stage.

Article / Updated 04-06-2021

Camera manufacturers design and create digital single-lens-reflex (dSLR) cameras for different audiences. This enables them to meet the needs of a wide range of people and sell more cameras. It gives you the freedom to choose a camera with the features, capabilities, and price that you want. The following sections organize these market segments into three broad categories, each featuring cameras designed and priced to appeal to that audience. If you shop around, you’ll see that Canon and Nikon have more than one dSLR in each category and are constantly updating their lineup. Not all camera manufacturers compete so heavily across the board. Consumer dSLRs Compared to more expensive cameras, consumer-level dSLRs are less expensive, smaller, lighter, more convenient, and less intimidating. They have a plethora of automatic modes and are easy to use. They use different image sensors, processors, and other technologies than more expensive dLSRs. This limits their performance, by comparison, but makes them affordable. Consumer dSLRs are great cameras for the beginner or cost-conscious consumer. They range from entry-level models priced under $400 to more advanced consumer-level models that cost near $1,000. At this level, cameras are most often sold as kits. This typically means that a basic zoom lens is sold with the camera body. The lens increases the overall cost slightly compared to buying the body only, but most people like the convenience of having everything they need to get started in one box. These dSLRs are usually made from polycarbonate and their image sensors are cropped-frame. If you want more features and a bit more performance out of your dSLR, shop at the high end of this category. You will find cameras that have higher maximum ISO speeds; better, articulated monitors; faster frame rates; and more options compared to entry-level models. They are also often slightly larger. All dSLRs can take fantastic photos. Don't let the consumer or entry-level distinction make you think they are toys. They’re not — especially when combined with a good lens. These cameras just aren't designed to perform in all situations or to be as customizable as more expensive cameras. Mid-range models Mid-range dSLRs are priced roughly between $1,000 and $1,500. They include a mix of enthusiast- and pro-level features. This makes them a great choice for photographers who want a serious upgrade from a consumer-level camera and an inexpensive back-up option for professionals. Mid-range dSLRs often have faster maximum shutter speeds than the less expensive models, and: faster flash-sync speeds; faster frame rates; better viewfinders (depending on the manufacturer); slightly larger LCD monitors with greater pixel counts; more professional setup options; a better autofocus system with more autofocus points; more custom shooting modes; more precise metering; and better battery life. They’re also sealed against the weather and may have a top LCD panel to display shooting information. Although this level of camera is considered light by professional standards, these cameras are larger and heavier than consumer dSLRs. Magnesium alloy is often used to strengthen the camera body. This figure shows the Canon EOS 90D. Professional cameras Professional dSLRs are designed to excel in a professional setting. They have all the bells, whistles, features, and performance that pro photographers need. These cameras are large and rugged. They weigh more than lower-level dSLRs and are made from magnesium alloy, are weather sealed, and have more features than consumer or mid-range models. They also shoot faster, focus better, and provide more reliable metering. You’ll find flagship models (the best model a company sells), cropped-frame and full-frame dSLRs at this level. Professional dSLRs that range from $1,500 to $2,500 have performance and form-factor compromises that keep them relatively affordable. Ultra-high-end professional dSLRs run between $2,500 and $7,000. For example, both the Canon EOS-1D X Mark II and Nikon D6 full-frame camera bodies list for approximately $6,500. These cameras represent the pinnacle of a company's dSLR lineup. They have the best sensors, image processors, autofocus and metering systems, and ISO performance, along with a whole host of other premier features. Simply put, they are the best cameras you can buy in the 35mm equivalent digital SLR format.

Article / Updated 01-27-2017

All digital cameras’ image sensors are made up of the same components. These components help determine how your camera’s sensor records light and therefore how your image appears. Each sensor includes these components (shown in this figure): Any digital camera image sensor is made up of these components. Color filters: Give the color-blind CCD or CMOS sensor chip the ability to respond to various colors of light. Microlenses: These tiny lenses focus the incoming light onto the photosensitive area in each photosite. A protective transparent layer: This layer contains two filters, including an anti-aliasing filter that smoothes out the incoming light signal by eliminating certain frequencies of light before they can clash and an infrared cutoff filter that removes most of the infrared light from the illumination reaching the sensor (because “IR contamination” can affect image quality and produce off-color colors).

Article / Updated 09-23-2016

Nothing is more frustrating to a digital photographer than missing a shot because of an equipment malfunction. To help you avoid that disappointment, this information gives you critical maintenance steps and offers tips for dealing with unexpected emergencies. Conserve battery power Your camera won't even turn on, let alone take a picture, without adequate battery power. So check the user guide to find out where to locate battery-status information; usually, it's indicated by a symbol. A full battery symbol means the battery is charged; bars inside the icon disappear as the battery drains. When the battery level approaches the danger zone, use these strategies to make the most of the remaining power: Disable or limit the use of energy-hogging features. Two big energy consumers are the monitor and the flash, assuming that the latter is of the built-in variety. (External flash heads usually run on separate batteries.) Electronic viewfinders, too, can be a major energy suck, although the extent to which an EVF drains the battery varies from model to model. Another feature that requires lots of battery juice is the autofocusing system, especially when you use continuous autofocusing. But if your camera doesn't offer manual focusing or your subject is moving too quickly to make manual focusing practical, you don't really have the option to go without autofocusing. Turning off image stabilization — a feature designed to compensate for small amounts of camera shake — can lighten the load on the battery in some cases. Check your camera or lens manual to find out whether this is the case for your equipment. If not, leave this feature turned on to ensure sharper shots when you're handholding the camera. Finally, if your camera offers GPS and Wi-Fi, shut down those features as well unless they're absolutely necessary. Turn on the autosleep function. Most cameras offer a feature that saves power by automatically disabling the monitor and other power-hungry features (including the exposure meter and autofocus systems) after a period of inactivity. You may even be able to reduce the wait time that must pass before the shutdown occurs. Look for this option on your camera's basic-setup menu. Take off the chill. Batteries deplete faster when cold, so when you're not shooting, do what you can to keep your camera warm. Of course, the best plan is to always carry a spare battery — or two, or three. With larger dSLR models, you may want to invest in the optional battery packs that attach to the bottom of the camera and enable you to keep shooting when the camera's primary battery runs out of juice. Safeguard camera memory cards Take the following precautions to keep memory cards in good working order and ensure the safety of the pictures they hold: Avoid touching the contact areas of the card. Turn off the camera before inserting or removing a card. Use special care when inserting CompactFlash cards. Beware of environmental hazards. Store extra cards properly. Check the lock switch (SD cards and some CFast cards). Format the card. Do not format a card that already contains pictures or any other data that you want to retain. Formatting erases all the data on a card. Swap lenses in a protected environment If you own an interchangeable lens camera, be careful when changing lenses, because that’s a prime occasion for dirt to sneak into the camera. Try to point the camera slightly downward when you attach the lens; doing so can help prevent dust from being sucked into the camera by gravity. When shooting outdoors, your camera is even more at risk during this operation, so try to find a way to shelter the camera while making the lens exchange. You can use a jacket or T-shirt as a sort of protective tent or, if your camera bag is large enough, perform the lens swap inside it. Finally, be especially mindful of the end of the lens that sports the electronic contacts (the end that you attach to the camera). Avoid touching the contacts, and attach the cap made to cover that end of the lens as quickly as possible. Clean with care Dust, sea spray, flecks of dirt, and raindrops are just some of the substances that can spoil your images when they land on the front of the lens. Camera monitors also get gunked up pretty easily. And with cameras that offer touchscreen controls, fingerprints are inevitable. Cleaning both components is safe and easy if you use the right tools and techniques. Start by using a manually operated, bulb-style air blower or soft brush, commonly available in camera stores, to remove any large particles of dust or dirt. Then wipe the lens or monitor surface gently with a clean microfiber cloth or another material designed for camera use. Do not use any of the following materials: The same microfiber cloth you use for your glasses. Facial tissue, newspaper, napkins, or toilet paper. Household cleaning products. Compressed air. Synthetic materials (like polyester). The hem of your t-shirt (or other piece of clothing). Update camera firmware Just when you thought software and hardware were confusing enough, along comes another techno-term to deal with: firmware. This special software lives permanently on your camera, telling it how to operate and function — in essence, it’s your camera’s gray matter. Every now and then, camera manufacturers update firmware to fix problems and bugs, enhance features, and generally do housekeeping that makes your camera operate better. Sometimes these changes are minor, but occasionally they fix pretty serious problems and errors. To benefit from these updates, you have to download the new firmware files from your camera manufacturer’s website and install them on your camera. If you signed up for manufacturer email updates when you registered your camera (you did do that, right?), the company should inform you of updates when they occur. But it’s a good idea to also simply check the manufacturer’s camera support page every three months or so to make sure that you don’t miss an important firmware update. You will find instructions on how to install the firmware at the website. Go from hot to cold (and vice versa) slowly A digital camera is pretty much a computer with a lens, and like any electronic device, it isn't designed to cope with weather extremes. So take these safety steps: Don't let your camera catch a cold. Extreme cold can cause various mechanical functions in your camera to freeze. If you must take your camera into the cold, keep it in a camera case under your jacket until you’re ready to use it. Don't let it get heat stroke, either. Extreme heat can damage your camera as well and can be especially hard on your LCD screen, which can “go dark” if it gets too hot. If this happens, simply get your camera to a cooler place. Avoid rapid changes in temperature. Changing temperature extremes, such as from an air-conditioned office into the heat of a summer day, is bad for your camera. To minimize this issue, invest in a well-insulated camera bag. When you arrive at your destination, leave the camera in the bag for a while so that it can acclimate to the change in temperature. Keep it dry Water — especially salt water — can short out important camera circuitry and corrode metal parts. A few raindrops probably won’t cause any big problems, but exposure to enough water can result in a death sentence for a camera. Even models designed expressly to be water resistant have their limits. If you accidentally leave your camera on the picnic table during a downpour or drop it in the swimming pool, all may not be lost, however. First, use a soft cloth to dry the outside of the camera. Then remove the batteries and memory card — try not to push any camera buttons in the process — and set the camera in a warm place where it can dry out as quickly as possible. With luck, the camera will come back to life after the water has had time to evaporate. If not, it's off to the repair shop to see whether anything more can be done. Clean the image sensor The image sensor is the part of your camera that absorbs light and converts it into a digital image. If dust, hair, or dirt gets on the sensor, it can show up as small spots on your photos. Image-sensor spots are often most visible in the sky or in bright, clear areas of an image, but can be seen just about anywhere. Typically, the spot appears in every frame, sometimes even in the same area in every frame. Most cameras have an internal cleaning system designed to remove any stray flotsam and jetsam from the sensor. Usually, the camera is set up at the factory to complete a cleaning cycle every time you turn the camera on or off, or both. You may also be able to initiate a cleaning cycle at other times by choosing a menu option. If the camera’s internal cleaning mechanisms don’t do the trick, take your camera to a repair shop to have the sensor cleaned manually. For cameras that have removable lenses, you can find products designed to help you do this job yourself, but it's a delicate operation, and you can easily damage the sensor if you're not careful. Recording proof of ownership When you get a new camera, lens, or other expensive equipment, fill out and submit the warranty information requested by the manufacturer. Although this step isn’t technically required to obtain warranty service in most cases, it enables the manufacturer to alert you to any recalls or firmware updates. These days, you usually can send your information over the Internet, but some manufacturers still provide mail-in registration cards. Also take a couple of pictures of each piece of equipment, including close-ups of the product serial and model numbers (usually found on the bottom of cameras). Print those photos and keep them with your purchase receipt. That way, if your equipment is stolen and later recovered by law enforcement, you can prove that it belongs to you and not to one of the other 20 people who reported that they had the same type of gear lifted. Of course, this information is also helpful in getting an insurance claim paid in the event of fire, flood, or other damage that ruins in your equipment. Use image recovery software to rescue lost photos It happens to everyone sooner or later: You accidentally erase an important picture — or worse, an entire folder full of images. Don’t panic yet — you may be able to get those pictures back. The first step: Stop shooting. If you take another picture, you may not be able to rescue the deleted files. If you must keep shooting and you have another memory card, replace the one that has the accidental erasure with the other card. You can work with the problem card later. When you're ready to try recovering your images, install a file-recovery program. You can find several good programs available online, and some memory cards even come with an image-recovery program on the card. (Be sure to install that card before you format it for first use in your camera.) For recovery programs to work, your computer must be able to access the camera’s memory card as if the card were a regular drive on the system. If your camera doesn’t show up as a drive when you connect it to the computer, you need to buy a card reader. If you erased pictures on the computer, you may not need special software. In Windows, deleted files go to the Recycle Bin and stay there until you empty the Bin. Assuming that you haven’t taken that step, just use Windows Explorer to open the Bin, click an erased file, and then choose File → Restore to “unerase” the picture. On a Mac, deleted files linger in the Trash folder until you choose the Empty Trash command. Until you do, you can open the Trash folder and move the deleted file to another folder on your hard drive. Already emptied the Recycle Bin or Trash? You also can buy programs to recover files that were dumped in the process. Again, head online to search for a recovery program designed for your computer's operating system.

Step by Step / Updated 03-27-2016

Digital cameras are big on sound effects. Some cameras play a little ditty when the camera is turned on, make a beeping sound to tell you about an adjustment, and emit a little shutter sound when you take the picture. These sounds may not be appreciated in every picture-taking setting, though. To quiet your noisy digital camera: