Review Digital Camera World 01-22-2014

Digital Camera World

Learn Adobe Illustrator CS6 Master Techniques from an Adobe Guru! With over 25 years of experience teaching, Robert Farrell has been a trusted instructor for individuals and companies who want to improve their Adobe skills. From our sponsors

Canon lenses: 40 tips for using, choosing and buying Canon-fit glass Jan 22nd 2014, 00:01, by jmeyer Start getting more from your Canon lenses! In this expert guide written by our friends at the Canon magazine PhotoPlus you’ll find tips on how to use your Canon lenses to their full potential, as well as essential lens-buying advice and the best lens choices for different situations. The major plus point of owning a DSLR over a point-and-shoot camera is being able to switch lenses to suit your subjects, rather than making a hash of it with a fixed lens on your compact that might not be wide enough or long enough, or fast enough, or sharp enough. But there are hundreds of different lenses available for your Canon DSLR and knowing which lenses are best for your needs, and then working out how to actually use them, can baffle even the most dedicated enthusiast photographer. SEE MORE: Canon EOS cameras – 100 things you never knew they could do In this guide we have compiled no less than 40 top tips for getting the very best from your Canon lenses (note that when we say 'Canon' lens, we mean 'Canon-fit', so that also includes popular third-party brands such as Sigma, Tamron and Tokina). From standard and wide-angle zooms to primes and macro lenses, from telephoto and superzooms to specialist fisheye and tilt-shift lenses, we cover every type of lens, and explain the best techniques for using them. Plus we share our buying tips so you know what to look out for, and provide a list of the very best lenses in each category to consider when you're upgrading… How to use Canon lenses: standard & wide-angle zooms 01 Avoid converging verticals of buildings Wide-angle lenses enable you to squeeze more of a scene into a single frame, but you'll need to be close to subjects in order to make them appear large enough. This can cause problems when you're shooting architecture; if you point a wide-angle lens upwards when you're standing close to a building you'll end up with converging verticals, where the top appears much narrower than the base. You can use this effect creatively to make structures appear to tower above the viewer. Alternatively, stand further away and zoom in, use a tilt-shift lens or fix the converging verticals in Photoshop. 02 Watch the corners Not all Canon cameras show the whole picture through the viewfinder. The Canon EOS 700D, for instance, shows 95% of the area being captured, so it's all-too easy to find that unwanted elements have crept into the corners of the frame when you check your pictures. DON’T MISS: Win a Canon EOS 700D by using Canon’s Project1709 photo management platform While it can be straightforward to crop the image or clone the distractions out in your photo editing software, why not fix it at the time of shooting? Zoom out slightly before you take the shot and glance around the edge of the frame before zooming in again. Another easy solution is to use Live View, as this shows the full image from the camera sensor, although it can be tricky to fine-tune composition in handheld shooting. DON’T MISS: 49 seriously good Canon DSLR tips, tricks, shortcuts and time savers 03 Take sharper shots Affordable standard zooms tend to have slow maximum apertures, such as f/5.6 or f/6.3. This means that for a given focal length they let in less light than a zoom with a fast maximum aperture, such as f/2.8. There's a risk that pictures will be blurred in low light or when you're photographing moving subjects, so increase the ISO to compensate (or let your camera handle this by choosing the Auto ISO setting). It's definitely worth buying a walkaround lens with Image Stabilization, if you can stretch to it. 04 Hyperfocal distance Landscape photographers frequently make use of the hyperfocal distance when using a wide-angle lens. The hyperfocal distance is the shortest focus distance at which everything, from close-range to infinity, will appear sharp. The setting you need to use changes according to a complicated formula that depends on the focal length of the lens, the aperture and even the size of the camera's imaging sensor, but there are many smartphone apps available that calculate the hyperfocal distance for you once you've tapped in all the necessary info. Simply manually focus the lens at this distance to maximise the depth of field. SEE MORE: How to calculate hyperfocal distance – free photography cheat sheet Before 05 Use Lens Correction Squeezing a range of focal lengths into a single lens means that compromises have to be made in its design, and zoom lenses can show considerable amounts of distortion. Zooming in to our original shot However, software can correct for the likes of bowed horizons and chromatic aberration (red and green halos around high-contrast edges). We'd recommend shooting Raw files and then using the Lens Corrections feature in Adobe Camera Raw. After You can let the software do the corrections automatically (based on predetermined lens profiles) or carry out a manual correction using the sophisticated tools available. SEE MORE: Nikon lenses from A-Z – the ultimate photographer’s guide What to consider when buying one of these Canon lenses… 06 EF-S vs EF Canon makes lenses in two different mounts. EF-S lenses are engineered to only work on cameras with APS-C-sized sensors (so, everything bar the full-frame 6D, 5D and 1D bodies). If you're thinking of going full-frame in the future, consider EF lenses as these are compatible with all Canon DSLRs. 07 Distance scale Not all wide-angle lenses have a focus distance scale printed on their lens barrels, but it's something to look for if you plan on doing lots of landscape photography. The scale will enable you to set the hyperfocal distance accurately – something you'll have to guesstimate with lenses that lack it. 08 Close focusing Some zooms are marked as having a 'macro' function, but this is really just a marketing gimmick to indicate that they can focus fairly close. For true 1:1 life-size photography you'll need to buy a dedicated macro lens. 09 Filter compatibility If you want to add a filter to the front of the lens, check the front of the lens barrel. You'll find the diameter of the filter thread detailed here. Standard lenses tend to have smaller filter threads, so if your filters are too large for the lens, buy step-up adaptors. 10 Zoom range Ultra-wide zooms cover a range of focal lengths, but it's the shortest focal length that you should be guided by. Chances are, once you're bitten by the UWA bug, you'll predominantly use it at its widest setting. In the EF-S mount consider lenses that start in the region of 10mm – every millimetre makes a huge difference at the wide end. PAGE 1 – How to use Canon lenses: standard & wide-angle zooms PAGE 2 – How to use Canon lenses: prime lenses PAGE 3 – How to use Canon lenses: telephotos & super zooms PAGE 4 – How to use Canon lenses: specialist lenses READ MORE The 10 Commandments of Landscape Photography (and how to break them) 10 quick landscape photography tips 14 portrait photography tips you’ll never want to forget Best camera focus techniques: 10 surefire ways to get sharp photos Getting sharp images: every photo technique you need to know starting out Home studio setup: 6 things every photographer needs Jan 21st 2014, 11:55, by jmeyer A home studio setup doesn’t have to be overly complicated. In this cheat sheet we’ll show you six essential items every photographer should have in their home studio setup. There's a lot of complicated sounding equipment that comes with studio photography, but don't get too bogged down with this. Our basic home studio set-up below shows you the essential items that you'll actually need. When you're working with two lights a reflector is still surprisingly useful as it'll effectively act as a third light. It can be used to bounce one of the existing lights back at the subject. If you're working outside with natural light a reflector is extremely handy. Reflectors come in many shapes and sizes, and different colours and surfaces will have different effects on a subject. Just like the studio lights the height, angle and distance at which a reflector is positioned will all have an impact on the end result. SEE MORE: Studio lighting – 4 seriously simple lighting techniques to try at home The ideal home studio setup Click on the cheat sheet to see the larger version, or drag and drop to your desktop to download. 01 Backdrop Most backdrops come in the form of a roll of paper. They're available in a variety of sizes and colours. You'll need support stands and a pole to keep the backdrop in place. If you don't have one, try a large sheet or piece of fabric. Black velvet is a great choice, it has light-absorbing qualities and gives a nice rich black. 02 Main light Use this with a diffuser, like a softbox. A softbox softens the light so the shadows are less harsh, and gives window-shaped catchlights in the eyes. The angle, height and distance of the main light are vital to getting the look you want. The power of the flash is controlled using buttons on the flash head. 03 Camera You'll need to connect your camera to the studio lights. This can be done through a sync cable (if your SLR has a PC socket) or with wireless triggers. In a controlled environment like a studio you're best off switching to Manual mode. 04 Hair light The second light is positioned behind the model with a snoot attached. The snoot concentrates the light, and here we've got it pointing at the hair. Not only does this light the hair, it creates a separation from the background. 05 Reflector A reflector is used to bounce light back from the main light into the shaded side of the subject's face. This ensures the shadow is still there to define the shape of the face but isn't too dark. See the opposite page for more on reflectors. 06 Model If you don't have a friend or family member you want to photograph you can often find willing models via networking websites such as Model Mayhem and Purple Port. SEE MORE: How to pose for photos – find the most flattering angles for you and your subjects New models are keen to build their portfolios and increase their experience and so you can usually come to mutually agreeable arrangements – for a small fee or trading their time in exchange for use of your photos. READ MORE Master your home photo studio: setup, settings, accessories explained Best studio flash kits: 6 top models tested and rated How to set up studio lighting: 3 classic setups for dramatically different effects 6 simple lighting setups for shooting portraits at home: free photography cheat sheet

You are receiving this email because you subscribed to this feed at blogtrottr.com. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe from this feed, or manage all your subscriptions