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The Hobbyist The first time I took a picture was @ the 'Kalippoika', in Kozhikode, my home town, using a friend's camera, during the PDC (or PUC) days (1995 to be precise). The pic came out shaken and stirred and I pretty much became camera-phobic :) The interest was reviwed later as a tool to aid the travelogues. Once, while sorting all these pics, I ended up putting them in a Photo Album. Since then, I guess, I developed a stand-alone interest in photography and nowadays even have a photo blog called Thru' the Lens. Brand Loyalty Right from my first film camera in 2000, a Canon BF-800, I'd been using Canon. My first digital camera was a Canon Powershot S1IS and when that was stolen (yes, stolen), I got myself a Canon Powershot S2IS. Now, this was not because there were the only good cameras available, but the Powershot S1IS/S2IS, suited my requirements pretty well. I was also considering the Olympus uZ series (C-740, C-750 and C-770) but finally decided to go for Canon since it had IS :) I faced the same kind of dilemma, while looking for my first D-SLR, but ultimately chose Canon EOS 400D, because it made most sense back then :) But, now that I invested quite some money on Canon D-SLR and Lenses, I am not looking for a change :) And of course, to say the least, Canon has not disappointed me yet :) This is not to mean that, I dont like Nikon or Sony. I do keep track of the Nikon / Sony / Olympus / Mamya / Hazelblad models as well, just for kicks, but being a Canon user primarily, I am not well informed on these brands. Digital Options I've been suggesting the Canon Powershot series to most people. They do have options suiting various type of users. Right from the Powershot A series to Powershot G series. But, the one which I liked most is the Canon Powershot S series. I first used a Canon Powershot S1IS and fell in love with the model, later picking up a Powesrshot S2IS. Equipped with a 5 Mega Pixel 1/2.5" (5.75 x 4.31 mm, 0.24 cm2) digital sensor and a beautiful Image Stabilizer (IS) fitted lens which can go from a Super Macro mode @ 36mm all the way to a super tele photo end @ 432 mm, S2IS is a beautiful camera. With some simple, yet very well thought, features like a tiltable LCD view, S2IS, according to me, was the best available for a hobbyist back then. I've used Powershot S3IS and S5IS and found them equally interesting. The latest from Canon in this series is the Powershot Sx20IS, with a 12.1 Mega Pixel 1/2.3" (6.16 x 4.62 mm, 0.28 cm2) digital sensor, 20X zoom (28mm to 560mm) and 720p HD video at 30fps, I am sure, this is nothing short of a revelation. Single Lens Reflex The first SLR I used is my friend's Nikon F65, as early as 2004. But, in an unfortunate accident while on the way to Kanyakumari, I ended up breaking its penta prism. It took me a long time to try and use another SLR. By then, digital had taken over film SLRs and I ended up buying a Canon EOS 400D (aka Rebel XTi) in October 2007. This pretty much changed my approach to photography itself. Rather than an aid in story telling I started taking interest in photography as it is. 400D is equipped with a 10.1 Mega Pixel CMOS APS-C size (22.2 x 14.8 mm - 1.6x conversion factor) digital sensor, 9 AF points and can shoot @ 3 frames / second. It also has some of the latest inventions from Canon, like a sensor self cleaning system. Canon already released an upgrade to 400D in the form of EOS 450D (aka Rebel XSi) and EOS 500D (aka Rebel T1i), with a sensor upgrade, more mega pixels, higher ISO and features like live view and HD video. It also has a slightly costlier (and feature rich) EOS 40D and 50D, apart from a new (and cheaper) entry level EOS 1000D (Rebel XS) But, what I am saving my money for is the latest Canon EOS 5D Mark II, announced on Sept 17th, 2008 Whys and Whats? One of the questions which haunted me for a long time has been Why SLR? and What is it really? I believe that a lot of people will still be asking the same question. I am still looking for more concrete answers, but in a broader sense, it boils down to the following:
Dynamic Range Any one, who has tried to capture a photo with a bright light right behind the subject will know that it usually results in a darkened subject. Now, this is because, the camera cannot see the subject and a bright light simultaneously, like human eye. Ofcourse, one can re-adjust the exposure and get the subject exposed correctly, but will mostly end up with a uniformly (or close to) white background. Similarly, people trying to capture a landscape involving a bright sky will usually miss out the details, either in the sky (too bright and clouds are not clearly visible) or in the landscape (too dark and lacks clarity). This is again because of the reasons mentioned above. Dynamic Range is a measurement of the ability to see bright and dark object simultaneously. It cannot improve by mearly improving the pixel count, but by improving the quality per pixel. In other words, with larger size pixels capable of holding more information, Dynamic Range gets better. DSLRs are usually equipped with more information per pixel, 14 bits / color in case of most Canon EOS cameras, though they are lost after converting to standard JPEG format, which has only 8 bit per color. But, one can always use RAW format image editing to retain the higher Dynamic Range in the final image. Film, especially black and white film, is capable of a higher Dynamic Range compared to current digital sensors. An interesting discussion usually seen in photography forums is the Film vs Digital debate. While, there are still a lot of people using film (especially medium format and large format films) for better Dynamic Range and image quality, it still is a difficult and costly affair. For someone who is still learning, digital should be the way to go, because of the ease of doing experiments and smaller recurring costs. When Shutter Opens The act of taking a picture involves opening the shutter for a specified amount of time, so that the light falls on the digital sensor (or film), which captures the light coming in and forms an image. The act of opening the shutter may be for as short as sub milliseconds (minimum being 1/4000s in EOS 400D) all the way to hours (most SLRs, including 400D, have a BULB mode were the shutter may be kept open for as long as one wants). Two other important parameters here are how wide the shutter is opened and how sensitive the digital sensor / film is. The ratio of the lens' focal length and the actual width of the shutter during exposure is called the aperture or 'f' value. The square of this ratio is inversely proportional to the aperture area and to the amount of light allowed inside during exposure. So, if the aperture is f/2.8, it allows double the light inside compared to f/4. The sensitivity of the sensor (or film) is measured in ISO sensitivity which is usually expressed as ISO 50, ISO 100 ... etc till about ISO 25600 (for EOS 5D Mark II). Now, if at f/2.8 we used a 1/100s exposure time (or shutter speed), to obtain the same exposure at f/4 with the same available light and ISO setting, we need to change the exposure time to 1/50s. Similarly, if ISO is changed from 100 to 200, we can manage with half the exposure time and get the same amount of exposure. Image Stabilization Now, each of these parameters being changed will have its own effect in the image. Its quite obvious that higher the exposure time, the higher the chances of the picture getting blurred (because of the subject as well as camera movement). Hence, people uses tripod, monopod or other supports to get steadier images at low light. It may look like, increasing the ISO sensitivity may be a good way to remove the blur. But, the sensitivity being higher also introduces more noise (mostly seen as grains in the picture, especially in darker regions) and is usually discouraged. The noise introduced is usually lesser when the camera has a wider sensor with pixels being packed less densly. An Image Stabilizer (IS for Canon, Vibration Reduction or VR for Nikon) may also help to reduce the blur caused by hand movements. In Canon and Nikon, the IS or VR is usually fitted with the lens and depending on how sophisticated the IS system is in the lens, is as effective as multiplying the ISO from 2 to 4 times. Also note that not all lenses have IS or VR and the presence of IS / VR increases the cost of the lens considerably. There are manufacturers (notably Sony) who has added the IS system into the camera as well, so that it works with all lenses. The image blur is also a function of the focal length used. A rule of thumb is that the exposure time should only be as big as 1 / focal length seconds. For example, with a 400mm lens, one shouldn't shoot at slower than 1/400s, while with a 180mm lens one can go upto a shutter speed of 1/180s. With a 2-stop IS, this can come down to about 1/100s and a 4-stop IS can take it down to as low as 1/25s! Depth of Focus From the above section, it may appear that it makes sense to always shoot at the widest aperture and its always good to buy a lens which allow the widest aperture possible. While, this is partly true, there are factors affecting this as well. To make a wider aperture possible, the lens will also have to be broader and proprtionally heavier. For example, Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0 L IS USM Lens is 760g and is 76 x 172mm, while the f/2.8 version, Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM Lens weighs 1470g, almost double and is 86 x 197mm. Now, when the lens aperture is less, the angle at which the light falls into the sensor is more perpendicular compared to a wider aperture. So, an object slightly out of focus will look more so when the aperture is wider. Since, the human eye or the recording media is made of finite sized pixels, "slightly out of focus" is sometimes negligible and looks "in focus". So, for all practical purposes, there is a finite depth around the actual focal plane, which is considered "in focus". This finite depth is called the "Depth of Focus" (or DOF) of the picture. Now, as the aperture widens, DOF goes down. While, this may be an advantage in some case, it may not be the same all the time. Hence, depending on the picture you want to take, the aperture should be chosen and it may not always be a good option to use the widest aperture. Also, most of the lenses doesnt work best when fully opened and gives the best results with a little less than the widest aperture. On the other hand, as the aperture becomes too small, there is a chance that diffraction pattarens (caused when light is pushed through a narrow aperture) become compareable to the pixel dimensions and affect the image quality. So, most lenses have a best working range of about f/5.6 to f/8.0, if the available light is not the limitation. This is again depending on the quality and make of the lens and should be determined only after proper trials. Wide Angle Lens Any lens providing less than 35mm is generally called a wide angle lens. I used the Canon EF-s 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens for most wide angle shots, initially. This is a special make from Canon for camera bodies with APS-C size sensors (like 400D/450D/40D/50D) and is signified by the EF-s notation. The 18-55 mm ofcourse signifies the focal lens range and f/3.5-5.6 shows the range of maximum apertures at these focal lengths. At 18mm I can open the aperture upto f/3.5, but @ 55mm, I can only open it upto f/5.6. This lens as such is not a great lens, but I just picked it up since it comes along a lot cheaper with the camera body. It served me well for a while, but I soon went for an upgrade, because of the following reasons:
Macro Lens A macro lens is capable of focusing at smaller distances so that minute details of a smaller subject (like flowers, insects ... etc) may be captured. I got an EF 50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro Lens along with the camera and found it reasonable. This lens has a minimum focusing distance of 0.23m which translates to reproducing subjects in the sensor as half its original size (or half life size). I found the lens a lot useful for portraits and had been using it a lot in the beginning. With a wide aperture (f/2.5) its pretty useful in lower light. The drawbacks include lack of USM (and since its also a macro lens with a wider focusing distance range), which will result in longer time to focus and sometimes continuous noisy hunting for focus. Since, I dont use the manual focus much, this is indeed a big impediment. Since, Macro had been one of my favourite streams in photography, I couldn't wait longer before getting myself an L-glass for macro shots - a Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L USM Macro Lens. This is everything an ideal L-glass should be. Very strongly built to withstand all terrains and provides good sharp pictures all the way from f/3.5 till atleast about f/11, the best being at about f/7.1. I have used the lens even at narrower shutters like f/16 and f/22 to get reasonable results. With a closest focusing distance of 0.48m, it is capable of taking life size pictures from a safe distance with minimal disturbance to the subject. Since, it has a limiting switch, which restricts the focusing distance to 1.5m and speeds up Auto Focus, I also have the option to use it for portraits and even tele photo. The lens faired well as a portrait lens too, providing beautiful background blurring and the longer focal length allowed me to catch people unaware for candid shots. I am more than happy with this lens and consider it the best I have or one of the best I can ever have. Portrait Lens Though, I'd been using the Canon EF 50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro Lens, Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L USM Macro Lens and Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Ultra Wide Angle Zoom Lens for portraits, these are not really portrait lenses. An ideal portrait lens need not have a short focusing distance and must have very good / wide apertures and fast focussing. If I buy a portrait lens, I'd mostly choose between Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM Lens or Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L USM Lens. The 85mm has got better reviews compared to the 50mm and with whatever I've done so far, I believe, a longer focal length is best for portraits. I have also had the opportunity to try out the 85mm and quite liked it. But, on the flip side, a longer focal length would also mean that the working distance is larger, which may not be available all the time. Note that, with f/1.2, all it needs is 1/4th of the light needed by the f/2.5 and this wide aperture can give a very narrow DOF too, most suitable for portrait pictures. Imagine these lenses with the high ISO capabilities of EOS 5D Mark II, one can indeed shoot in the dark! Tele Photo Lens Again, the Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L USM Macro Lens was doubled up as tele photo lens for a while, until I got my second L-glass - the Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Super Tele Photo Lens. This had been an amazing lens as well, true to its 'L' lineage, with good solid build and sharp pictures, but it did bring out the difficulties working with a tele photo lens. @ 400mm, as I mentioned earlier, the rule of thumb says that the shutter speed should be about 1/400s or smaller. With this lens being an f/5.6, lacking IS, the 1/400s is a tough requirement and is available only when the sun is really bright. But, bright sun accompanied with a lot of shadows, is not a good time for photography. So, I found myself using this lens with a tripod / remote control combination or, if this is not possible, with a higher ISO. Canon has another tele photo lens at the same price range, the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM. It has a 2-stop IS and with a 4X zoom range, is easier to locate the subject and then zoom in, providing more flexibility while composing the shot. But I chose against it because of the following reasons:
Other Accessories Tripod is a must for many shooting conditions and 'good-to-have' for most. I got myself a Manfrotto 728B Digi tripod and found it very handy for most conditions. The tripod is rated for digital cameras and is not expected to be sturdy enough for long / heavy SLR lenses. But, I uses my Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L and Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L (both weigh more than a KG), consistently with this tripod and found it reasonably sturdy as long as I use timer or remote control triggering. Its also light enough to be carried aroud, even for some moderate treks. Since timer trigger causes an additional 10s delay, remote control triggering is a good option and a Canon RC-1 Wireless Remote Control does the job. It works with upto 5m range and in two modes - instant shutter and a 2s delay mode. The real utility comes in for the BULB mode exposure, where we can set the camera to use any arbitrary exposure time. In BULB mode, an RC-1 can be used to open as well as close the shutter. An external flash is quite useful in low light conditions, especially indoors. The easiest way to use the flash is to bounce it off a white celing to provide uniform lighting. When used outdoors, this could be a little tricky as we may need an extra bouncer or diffuser. I use a low-cost Vivitar 285HV manual flash and restricts its usage to indoors. It gives good results when coupled with the Manfrotto 728B Digi tripod and Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L for semi-candid portrait shots. I also use the flash with Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Ultra Wide Angle Zoom Lens, but then the subject is mostly well aware that he/she is being photographed! With its powerful light, the Vivitar 285HV is also capable of leaving the background black (dark out-of-focus cloth / curtain kept away from the flash) or white (flash directly onto an out-of-focus wall / white sheet) to create some interesting effects. |