Upgrading from a “point and shoot” to a DSLR
August 27, 2008
I’m forever being asked about DSLRs and which one to buy for newbies.
There is no right or wrong answer to that question, so all I can do is explain at a basic level why you should do it, and which cameras and lenses are important for what purposes.
To save some time in the future I have posted a link to an article posted by the Age on this topic.
Before you read it, be aware that this reviewer has only looked at cameras from the perspective that you are only going to buy one camera (body) including the included (kit) lens.
For the average amateur that is fine and good, but if you get the bug, and I bet you will, you will need more lenses according to your interests. Please be aware that LENSES are the most important thing, not the camera body.
After all, you capture light traveling through glass, not electrons traveling through plastic and gadgetry.
So, my advice to you after reading this post is to consider the Canon and Nikon bodies first, as they have the largest and best possible lens range available. Don’t get me wrong, the Sony is a great camera, and if you are certain you will not get bitten hard by the photography bug then go ahead and buy that one off the shelf. They too, have decent lenses, but nowhere near the range of Nikon & Canon.
Also, be aware that without spending a fair bit more on a better lens at time of purchase, the stock “kit” lens that comes with these cameras is usually not a lot better than a boat anchor. Enjoy using it to learn photography, but your photography will benefit greatly with an upgrade as soon as you have started to understand what you are doing.
So, finally, here’s the link to the Choosing a DLSR camera article.
Tags: camera, DSLR, upgrade, compact, tutorial
All my Asian holiday photos will be posted at Picasa
August 15, 2008
I can’t believe how hard it is to get the rest of my holiday documented here. But what I have been doing is throwing up the unedited photos into Picasa so at least you can see them without the accompanying story if you want to.
So, instead of waiting forever for me to update this blog, check out my Picasa site for galleries of where I’ve been. I’ll be updating Picasa every day or two, so keep checking back.
New Asus Eee PC
June 14, 2008
OK, three and a bit days to go then I jump on my first plane.
Until today I was bringing my Powerbook along to save photos and update my blog. I’ve just arrived back from the Post Office with a 4Gb Asus Eee PC.
Yes, it’s tiny. And yes there are a few little challenges when updating my blog from it, not the least is getting used to the mini keyboard. Firefox doesn’t like to let me see the entire screen at times, meaning some important buttons are hard to click. But as you can see by this post, I got there in the end. Looks like I might bring this with me to Asia, and free up some valuable space in my backpack.
More Melbourne Panasonica
May 28, 2008
OK – I did say next stop Singapore, didn’t I? Well I am still loving playing with my new point-and-shoot, so I’ll treat you to a few more Melbourne CBD sights.
Today I stumbled across a public speed chess match played with man-size pieces. It attracted quite a crowd!
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| From Melbourne CBD |
Whilst heading back inside the office two kids grabbed my attention. Each had an extra head in their hands, complete with hair, and a full face. They took turns to place them inside their hoods on top of their head, as second heads (who was that character on Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy?), on the ground where they stood on them and occasionally throwing them at unsuspecting passers-by.
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| From Melbourne CBD |
Everywhere you look along Bourke and Swanston Streets you see buskers. Some are way better than others. This guy was one of the better ones, and was selling CDs – I bought one of course. His didjeridoo and guitar are both hand-made by himself, and he even threw in a DVD showing how to find a didj tree then actually make the instrument.
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| From Melbourne CBD |
Trialing the Panasonic around Melbourne
May 25, 2008
Day 2 in the city with my new point and shoot – the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18, and I thought I should try a few shots over lunch and on the night walk back to my car. Check out all of the shots here.
Sitting on a bench in the middle of the CBD, I was staring into my LCD screen trying to interpret the icons. Suddenly feet started appearing in the preview. I decided to see how fast the autofocus worked on a dull day with no pre-focus and got this.
Don't tread on me
Looking back up from the foot, I noticed a street artist using his hands to create some pretty authentic renaissance style painting on the concrete. You could spend all day in Melbourne photographing the various street performers, and when you get bored with them you just photograph some of the more unusual people hanging around.
I was curious about how the camera handled night lights and handheld slow shutter speeds. For the most part it does a great job, although at times I had to place it on a steady surface and take long exposures. This shot was handheld and typifies some of the night shots I might be capturing in many of the world’s busiest Asian cities.
After much dawdling around the CBD I started to get cold and began to make my way back to Crown Casino, where I had parked for the day. The rest of these images were taken on longer exposures, but show what you can do with a cheap camera when you are traveling. These are all different views of the Yarra River around the Southbank and Crown Casino areas.
Every hour the Crown Casino flame jets explode into life, lighting up the boardwalk with spurts of a hot, orange glow. Far more difficult to photograph with this type of camera, and I really wasn’t in the right place to shoot them effectively, but hey – I had fun trying. Perhaps the tourists in the foreground of this image had more luck than I did. 
Well, next stop Singapore. See you there…
New Point and Shoot meets AFL at the Dome
May 23, 2008
I’d like to talk about the long and arduous process I put myself through in choosing a suitable point and shoot camera for my upcoming travels. I own two Canon DLSRs and an old Powershot S50, but I wasn’t prepared to lug a big body and even bigger and expensive lenses all around Asia for 53 days.
Oh – yes, I’m leaving my office job and travelling through seven countries from June until August. You’ll be able to read (I hope) a daily blog update from me, including photos, once I kick it off. [Read more]
Hawaiian Shirt Day at the office
April 5, 2008
Things are never dull in the life of your typical IT employee, and I’ve got the proof right here!
If you’ve ever thought about starting your career in IT then our Hawaiian Shirt Day yesterday must just about seal it for you. Never mind the fact that it was actually the Creative Design team that came up with the idea. Hey, you don’t think these things can be left to the actual IT department do you? I am a little surprised we weren’t looking for our whitest t-shirts and pants for “Mac v PC Day” though…
If you want more career incentives, go check out the rest of my shots from the day.
iBed
November 19, 2007
Why is the world so obsessed with the iPod? It’s only an excessively hyped averagely functioning MP3 player after all. There are lots of other makes of MP3 players which are cheaper, better featured and more reliable.
But I guess we live in a world of image over function. A world where hype means more than reality.
Why else would women wear shoes that are uncomfortable and wreck their feet? Why else would Paris Hilton’s empty-brained expressionless face be spread over the covers of so many magazines? Why else would the Scary Movie series actually get made?
And why else would Designmobel create an iPod compatible bed?
How to choose a DSLR Camera
November 5, 2006
Well, I get asked all the time – “which camera should I buy?”
So I wanted to write a piece on exactly that. Well, guess what? Like everything in this world it’s been done before.
- and here it is …
http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/how-to-buy-a-dslr-camera/#
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Samsung 10 Megapixel Camera Phone
October 11, 2006
If you are one of these people that thinks the more megapixels a camera has the better it is, and if you believe that you can take great pics with a cameraphone, then you are going to love Samsung!
The Korean smallgoods and el cheapo electronica manufacturer has cornered the mobile megapixel market by releasing the world’s first 10 (yes, you read that right, TEN) megapixed cameraphone. This is on top of 2004′s 5 mpx, and 2005′s 7mpx models.
There’s a bunch of other genuine camera functions including flash, 3x optical zoom & LED autofocus, as well as add-ons such as MP3 capability, TV-out, Satellite TV (probably useless in Australia) and bluetooth. And it’s small. I’ve no idea how well the phone itself works, or whether the software and buttons are easy to use, but if you want a relatively OK camera that takes better pics than any other mobile phone out there, then this is definitely for you.
Samsung SCH-B600 10 Megapixel Camera Phone – PhotographyBLOG
Now, don’t get me wrong, there’s a place for digital cameraphones, and occasionally I even wish I had one on me. However, the negatives far outway the positives in my mind. The colours always look so fake, the images plastic, and the response time from when you press the button to the time the shot is taken is woeful! My totally portable solution for those occasions when the DSLR is too big will continue to be a dedicated, quality Canon or Sony compact digital.
If you are not a photographer and only want to carry one gadget around, then seriously consider this one!
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