Review Digital Camera World 12-30-2013

Digital Camera World

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Best camera 2013: the top DSLRs and CSCs of the past year Dec 30th 2013, 00:01, by jmeyer What a vintage year for good cameras! There has never been a bigger choice of quality models available at such great prices, so finding the best camera of 2013 is a real challenge. Nevertheless, in this seasonal guide we reveal our favourite DSLRs and system cameras, hand-picked by our expert testing team. All of the cameras featured in this Best Camera 2013 guide will deliver great results, and that is guaranteed. Best Camera 2013: budget compact system cameras Olympus E-PM2 Price: £475 (with 18-42mm lens) JUMP TO: Olympus PEN E-PM2 review Although the Olympus PEN Mini isn't really aimed at enthusiasts, there's still a lot here to love for those who are used to an advanced camera, such as full manual modes, the ability to shoot in raw, and the innovative Live Time feature for creating long exposures. For those with extensive camera experience, the E-PM2 could make for a great second shooter. On the other hand, for beginners, or those looking to buy their first compact system camera, this is also an ideal candidate, because you get a lot of bang for your buck: namely, a 16.1-megapixel sensor, 35 AF points, 8fps maximum burst rate, and a generous ISO range up to 25,600. You can choose to shoot in fully automatic mode and learn with the camera – using more of its features as you expand your expertise. Or you may decide never move on from fully automatic mode, and that's fine too. It's great that this camera now includes a touchscreen, making changing the autofocus point particularly easy, and there's a good choice of digital filters. Cross Process, Pinhole and Dramatic Tone are particularly good, but the new black-and-white version of Dramatic Tone is our favourite. These digital filters can be deployed when shooting in the raw quality format, meaning you keep a 'clean' version of the image for future reference. All of this helps make the E-PM2 a great budget choice. Highlights *  16.1MP Four Thirds Live MOS sensor *  35 AF points *  ISO range 200 to 25,600 *  8fps max burst rate *  109×64×33mm SEE MORE: First camera crash course – simple solutions for mastering your new DSLR   Panasonic GF6 Price: £396 (with 14-42mm lens) We were initially very impressed by the concept of the Panasonic GF6 when we first saw a pre-production sample, and we hoped that the real deal would live up to our own hype. Happily, it has done that – and then some. Though the overall size of the GF6 has increased from the GF5, the improvements definitely make the bulk-up worthwhile – most notably the tilting touchscreen. Because there's no viewfinder, having a highly flexible and responsive screen is extremely useful, and solves the problem of awkward angles stopping you from getting the shot. The touchscreen can be tilted downwards or upwards and can be pulled fairly far from the body to help with shooting from awkward positions (it can also face completely forward, which is useful for shooting self-portraits or recording movies). SEE MORE: Panasonic Lumix G – tips for using your digital camera Image quality is excellent, while the flexibility of that screen is useful for capturing all kinds of compositions. It also flips up 180 degrees for self-portraits. With the largest proprietary lens range available for Micro Four Thirds cameras, investing in a camera from Panasonic or Olympus is a more flexible option than their counterparts from Sony, Nikon or Canon. The only downside to this great-value camera is the clunky Wi-Fi. Highlights *  16.1MP Four Thirds Live MOS sensor *  23 AF points *  ISO range 200 to 25,600 *  7fps max burst rate *  111×64×38cm PAGE 1 – Best Camera 2013: budget compact system cameras PAGE 2 – Best Camera 2013:  advanced compact system cameras PAGE 3 – Best Camera 2013: budget DSLRs PAGE 4 – Best Camera 2013: advanced DSLRs READ MORE 10 common camera mistakes every photographer makes How to use a camera: exposure modes made simple New camera anatomy: 12 key camera settings to get you started right 24 camera features every beginner must memorize 44 essential digital camera tips and tricks Creative photography ideas: create light trails with sparklers Dec 29th 2013, 12:00, by samanthacliffe If you're looking for a great New Year’s Eve photo idea or simply struggling to find creative photography ideas to keep you busy on dark nights, we've got the perfect thing for you. Sparklers allow you to create golden light trails and shapes, and they're cheap to buy and easy to use. You'll need a tripod to allow for a long enough shutter speed for this project. You'll also need an assistant to create sparkler shapes and words for you. Make sure everyone is wearing gloves and have a bucket of water on hand for used-up sparklers. You'll need to shoot in Manual so that you have complete control over your settings, and you'll find that it's easiest to focus manually on your assistant first and ask them to stay in the same place while they draw sparkler creations for you. How to make light trails using sparklers 01 Find your settings In Manual, turn off flash, then pick an aperture of f/8. You'll need a low ISO, such as ISO200, to compensate for the long shutter speed – we started off with five seconds. When you're ready, ask your assistant to slowly trace shapes in front of them. Hearts, circles and stars all look great.   02 Words and symbols When you've got some simple shapes in the bag, increase your shutter speed to ten or 20 seconds and get your assistant to try some words. They'll need to write backwards for the words to read correctly, but you can cheat and flip images horizontally in Photoshop if they're struggling.   03 Include a person If you want to include a ghostly version of your friend as well as their sparkler creations in your picture, simply switch to a wider f-stop, such as f/3.5. They'll need to keep their face as still as possible for the entire exposure, though, or they'll end up being a blur. READ MORE Night photography: 9 essential steps for beginners Bulb mode: how to get pro-quality shots in low light 12 common errors of night photography (and how to solve them) Night photography exposure guide: free cheat sheet

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