The quick start guide to professional quality photography.
The second edition of Photo Review's Digital SLR Pocket Guide has been completely updated to include recent technological advances. Yet it retains the easy-to-read style and straightforward presentation of its predecessor. If you're in the market for a new DSLR camera - or want to take better pictures with your existing camera - this handy guide wil provide the resources you need.
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Currently, no compact digital camera ('digicam') can match the performance of even an entry-level DSLR. Although photo enthusiasts have long preferred an SLR-type camera, the latest DSLRs have much more appeal to mainstream picture-takers than earlier models. ... [more]When choosing a camera, the first factor to consider is the types of pictures you wish to take. Will the camera be mainly used for photographing family activities - including children's sports, family get-togethers and holidays? Or will you be using it creatively for photographing landscapes, wildlife, street scenes or other non-personal subjects? Students of photography and other photographers who wish to make photography a career or part-time income producer may have different requirements from those who simply take pictures as a rewarding and engaging hobby.
... [more]DSLR cameras are a natural choice for anyone who wants to take the highest-quality pictures because they offer so much more than digicams in both performance and functionality. This is why a DSLR is the primary choice for a professional photographer. But everyday photographers who care about picture quality can also benefit from the following features of a DSLR: ... [more]Buying a DSLR camera with one or more 'kit' lenses is an affordable way to start out your photographic adventure. However, the physical and optical designs of most of these lenses involve certain compromises to reduce weight and bulk and maintain affordability. Consequently, once the initial learning period is over, most serious photographers look at adding new lenses to their kit and/or replacing the kit lenses.
... [more]The focus control is used to make subjects look sharp in photographs. All DSLR cameras come with both manual and automatic focusing (AF) controls. The AF systems in modern DSLRs are generally fast, effective with most subjects and easy to use. Essentially there are two types of focusing, manual focusing in which the photographer focuses on the subject by turning the focusing ring on the lens and autofocusing (AF), where the camera focuses on the subject.
... [more]Exposure determination in modern cameras is largely automated although DSLRs let photographers override the camera settings and also set exposures manually. An exposure setting has two components: the lens aperture and the shutter speed (how long the light is allowed into the camera). A correct balance between them creates pictures in which all tones in the subject are recorded correctly. ... [more]Having selected the appropriate metering pattern, the next step is to choose the correct exposure mode and decide whether to rely on the camera's auto exposure (AE) system or manual controls. The main tool for engaging these settings is the mode dial.
... [more]Photographers who are changing from film to digital capture will encounter a couple of new controls that handle recording functions that were formerly dictated by your choice of film: sensitivity and colour balance. One of the benefits of a digital camera is the ability to change these parameters on a shot-by-shot basis, instead of being committed to the film's pre-set values. Fortunately, both settings are easily understood and simple to relate to similar aspects of film choice. ... [more] |