Review Digital Camera World 01-21-2014

Digital Camera World

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Best ball head for heavy DSLRs: 6 top models tested and rated Jan 21st 2014, 00:01, by jmeyer Time for a new ball head? We reveal some of the most tempting ball-and-socket designs for use with heavy DSLRs. For most of us, ball heads are the way forward. Compared with clunky, conventional three-way tripod heads, they're more compact, quicker in use and easier to set up. Instead of fiddling around with (typically) three separate locking arms, you can release and secure a full range of movements with a single locking screw. Naturally, releasing all directions of travel with a single screw can spell disaster, especially when you're using a heavy DSLR and telephoto lens combination. Many designs therefore include an adjustable friction damper to make things safer for different kit combinations. Another neat twist is that some ball heads feature an additional pan-only lock. You can release this to enable horizontal panning while keeping the head's tilt and swivel adjustments locked off. All of the tripod heads in this roundup use a fairly large ball of around 40mm. Having a good-sized ball helps to enable decent stability and ease of movement. SEE MORE: Best tripod under £150: 6 top models tested and rated It also means minimal sagging after tightening the locking screw and letting go of the camera, once you've finished making adjustments. Best ball head for tripods: 01 Manfrotto 498RC2 Midi Price: £80, $140 Only slightly more expensive than the Giottos head on test, the Manfrotto feels a bit more robust, and it's slightly heavier at 610g. Surprisingly, it has a smaller 8kg maximum load rating than the Giottos but feels absolutely solid, even when used with really heavy camera and lens combinations. The mounting plate has a 60mm diameter and the overall height of the head is unusually tall at 125mm. Refinements include an adjustable friction damper, panning lock and calibrated rotation scale. Everything is well crafted and the quick-release plate is similarly solid, enabling a particularly firm attachment direct to camera bodies or to the tripod feet of extra-large lenses. All that's missing from this great head is a bubble level. Verdict Pros… Superbly built and has a full range of features. Cons… It's a shame it doesn't have a spirit level WE say… It's a rock-solid head that's worth the asking price Score: 5/5 Click here for great deals on the Manfrotto 498RC2 Midi ball head! Best ball head for tripods: 01 Manfrotto 498RC2 Midi Best ball head for tripods: 02 Benro BH2-M Best ball head for tripods: 03 Giottos MH1311-652 Best ball head for tripods: 04 Induro BHD1 Best ball head for tripods: 05 3 Legged Thing AirHed 2 Evolution 2 Best ball head for tripods: 06 Vanguard GH-300T 5 things to look for in a ball head READ MORE 9 secrets to using a tripod like a pro 10 things photographers can do to stop wasting pictures Hands-free photography: 4 ways to take pictures without touching your camera Camera Shake: the ultimate cheat sheet for using tripods, monopods and shooting handheld 44 essential digital camera tips and tricks Download PhotoKey 6 Lite compositing software for FREE! (Sponsored) Jan 20th 2014, 14:21, by jmeyer Green screen photography is a great technique that allows to create striking composite images that might have been otherwise impossible to capture in-camera. Shooting elements against a green screen means that photographers can quickly separate their subjects from the background on the computer, and create a whole new image through compositing. But to retain the crucial fine details and maintain tonal integrity you need to choose your compositing software wisely. Introducing PhotoKey 6 Lite software The best green screen software for any job is one that reduces technical headaches and allows you to concentrate solely on your creative vision. PhotoKey 6 Lite provides you with all the tools for the job in an easy-to-use interface, making this virtual studio the software of choice among professional photographers at some of the world’s most exclusive events. All you need to use PhotoKey 6 Lite is a green screen background (cloth, paper or paint will all work) and your normal lighting equipment. Once in the software, PhotoKey instantly removes your green screen with one click upon importing your photo, allowing you to choose from different backgrounds to make stunning composited imager. You can also remove specified colours or apply a range of different creative effects, as well as make one-click improvements to colour and focus to get even more creative with your portraits. The software is compatible with both Mac and PC, and for a limited time its manufacturer, UK firm FXHOME, is offering you the opportunity to download PhotoKey 6 Lite COMPLETELY FREE! Claim your free download of PhotoKey 6 Lite From now until 4 February you can download the software – worth £30 / $50 – completely free, with no obligations. What’s more, existing PhotoKey users are eligible for 25% off the latest version of the software if you upgrade before the promotion ends on 4 February. Click here to download your free copy of PhotoKey 6 Lite Watch the short video below to see the software in action and see how easy it is to create stunning composites! Auto ISO: how to get the best sharpness with the least amount of noise Jan 20th 2014, 12:35, by jmeyer Don’t waste time juggling the ISO between shots! In this tutorial we show you why Auto ISO can work in your favour when light levels are low and unpredictable. Normally you need to treat automatic modes on digital SLRs with caution. You're trusting a machine to make better decisions than you would, and there will be lots of situations where the only way to get great shots is to take control yourself. However, there is one automated option where the camera really can do the work for you. Auto ISO is designed for conditions where the light levels are low and unpredictable. You want to be able to shoot at the minimum ISO possible but without using dangerously slow shutter speeds. These settings are just a simple bit of arithmetic. You're not asking your camera to use its own judgement, which is where most automatic modes cause problems. It does what you would have done anyway, as you'll see… LEARN MORE: What is ISO – when to increase sensitivity, different types of noise and more How to use Auto ISO effectively 01 Know your limits Start by opening the Shooting menu and then the ISO sensitivity settings. On this screen, set the Auto ISO sensitivity control to On, then set the maximum ISO and minimum shutter speed you want the camera to use – you can judge these according to the situation you're in.   02 Get shooting Now see what happens when you shoot. We're shooting in the Guildhall Market in Bath, which is under cover. Our camera has selected the lowest ISO it can (ISO640 for this particular shot) in order to achieve our minimum acceptable shutter speed of 1/60 sec.   03 Give your camera a hand The lower your minimum shutter speed, the more leeway you'll give the camera with the ISO setting. If you are shooting at 1/60 sec, switch on the lens's image stabilization, if available, and brace the camera against walls, tables or doorways where possible to reduce blurring. READ MORE How to set up a camera for the first time: 11 things you need to do first What camera should I buy? Pros and cons of each camera type ISO settings in low light: when, and how, to increase your camera’s sensitivity What’s the highest ISO I should use? Find the answer here

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