Cameras & Gear © 2010 by Gregory Mills

Camera Types DSLR Mirrorless Superzoom Point & Shoot

Digital Single-Lens Reflex Cameras © 2010 by Gregory Mills

DSLR

Mirrorless

Advantages of Digital SLRs

Bokeh!

Other Advantages of Digital SLRs Larger Sensor Better low light performance Higher quality image Hotshoes Allows use of external flash units and other accessories Mature Ecosystem Thousands of accessories

Disadvantages of Digital SLRs Price Lenses can cost more than camera body Professional features drive cost up Weight and Size Heavy and bulky Lenses add additional weight Noise Mirror slap can be distracting

$450 - $2,000 (plus cost of lenses) Consumer Digital SLR $450 - $2,000 (plus cost of lenses) Entry level DSLR for beginners to advanced users Better in low light than other types of camera Lenses cost $100 up to $80,000 10 to 24 mega pixels Cropped sensor (medium size)

Pro/Semi Pro Digital SLR $3,000 - $8,000 (plus cost of lenses) Wedding, sports, studio photography Most have full frame sensors Multiple memory card slots Very customizable 12 to 36 mega pixels Excellent in low light Weather resistant Very, very fast (except Nikon D800)

Mirrorless Cameras © 2010 by Gregory Mills

Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Cameras $300 - $1,400 (plus cost of lenses) Uses interchangeable lenses like a DSLR Smaller than DSLR Good image quality 10 to 24 mega pixels Sensors available - four thirds, micro four thirds, APSC and full frame

Mirrorless Cameras - AKA: ILC - Interchangeable-Lens Camera ILC Camera - Interchangeable Lens Compact Camera MILC - Mirrorless Interchangeable-Lens Camera CSC - Compact System Camera MSC - Mirrorless System Camera DILS - Digital Interchangeable-Lens System EVIL - Electronic Viewfinder with Interchangeable Lens Micro Four Thirds (refers to size of sensor)

Advantages of Mirrorless You don’t look like a professional photographer Smaller and lighter weight than DSLR Good image quality No mirror slap (can be silent) Fast frames per second (no mirror to move) Much larger sensor than point & shoot cameras

Disadvantages of Mirrorless You don’t look like a professional photographer Some have smaller sensor size than DSLRs Not as good in low light as larger sensor cameras Image quality not as good as larger sensor cameras Only a few Pro-quality lenses available Ecosystem not as developed as DSLR market

Other Cameras © 2010 by Gregory Mills

Point & Shoot $100 - $400 Very small size Good image quality when light is good 10 to 24 mega pixels Small sensor Very poor in low light Slow Stylish colors

Sony RX100 II $650 or $750 Point & shoot camera with sensor and guts from larger camera High quality Zeiss lens Similar image quality to entry level DSLRs

Enthusiast Point & Shoot $400 - $800 Good quality Lots of advanced features Too bulky to comfortably fit in a pocket Good image quality 10 to 24 mega pixels Small sensor Poor in low light Slow

Fixed Focal Length Point & Shoots $800 - $3,500 Amazing image quality for the size Cannot zoom in or out Cannot change lenses Large sensor Lots of advanced features Perfect street photography camera Good in low light Expensive

Sony RX1 $2,800 - 3,500 Amazing image quality for any size camera Super high quality full frame sensor High quality Zeiss lens Extremely expensive

Super Zoom $350 - $1,300 Bulky but not as large as DSLR Zooms in/out really far (8x to 30x) Good image quality when light is good 10 to 20 mega pixels Small sensor (except Sony RX10) Poor in low light (except Sony RX10) Slow (except Sony RX10)

$18,000 - $60,000 (plus cost of lenses) Medium Format $18,000 - $60,000 (plus cost of lenses) Used for magazine photos and product photography Not as sophisticated as DSLRs Huge sensor Best image quality in good light 30 to 100 mega pixels Average speed Bad image quality at ISO above 400

Nikon Canon Sony Olympus Panasonic Casio Pentax Fuji Kodak Which Brand Should I Buy? Nikon Canon Sony Olympus Panasonic Casio Pentax Fuji Kodak

Nikon Canon Sony Olympus Panasonic Casio Pentax Fuji Kodak Point and Shoot Nikon Canon Sony Olympus Panasonic Casio Pentax Fuji Kodak Recommended Models Sony RX100 MII Sony RX100 Canon PowerShot s120 Canon PowerShot Elfp 330 HS

Mirrorless Camera (ILC) Nikon Canon Sony Olympus Panasonic Casio Pentax Fuji Kodak Recommended Models Olympus OM-D E-M1 Panasonic Lumix GX7 Panasonic GH3 Olympus PEN Lite E-PL5

Nikon Canon Sony Olympus Panasonic Pentax Digital SLR Nikon Canon Sony Olympus Panasonic Pentax Recommended Models Nikon D7100 Canon 70D Canon 60D Nikon D5300 Nikon D3300 Canon Rebel SL1

Sensor Size © 2010 by Gregory Mills

Cropped Sensor vs. Full Frame Crop Sensor (APS-C) Full Frame

Smart Phone Point & Shoot Mirrorless Full Frame Crop Sensor (APS-C)

Sensor Size Larger sensors equal better image quality Larger sensors mean better low light performance Larger sensors need a larger camera body and larger lenses Full frame sensors add $1,000 more to the cost of the camera Different size sensors change the equivalent field of view of the lens Four Thirds Cropped (APS-C) Full Frame (35mm)

Equivalent Field of View Small Sensor Cropped Full Frame (35mm)

Equivalent Field of View Small Sensor Cropped Full Frame (35mm)

Equivalent Field of View Mirrorless Cropped Full Frame (35mm)

Math! Multiply by crop factor to get equivalent focal length on a full frame camera 1.5 x 35mm = 52.5mm = 50mm lens equivalent 1.5 x 200mm = 300mm lens 2.7 x 200mm = 540mm lens equivalent

Lenses © 2010 by Gregory Mills

Angle of View (Focal Length) Wide Angle 10mm – 30mm Standard 35mm or 50mm Telephoto 60mm – 800mm

18mm or 24mm

Standard Lens - 35mm or 50mm

200 mm or 300mm

Common DSLR Focal Lengths Cropped Sensor 10mm 18-55mm (17-50mm) 18mm 55-200mm 35mm 18-200mm 50mm 18-105mm 85mm 105mm 200mm 300mm 400mm Full Frame 14mm 14-24mm (16-35mm) 24mm 24-70mm 35mm 70-200mm 50mm 200-400mm 85mm 105mm 200mm 300mm 400mm 600mm

“35mm Equivalent” Micro Four Thirds (2x) Crop Sensor(1.5x) Full Frame 35mm 55mm 70mm 12-35mm 18-55mm 24-70mm 35-100mm 55-150mm 70-200mm 100-300mm 150-300mm 200-600mm Example: 35mm x 2 = 70mm

Optical Zoom vs. Digital Zoom Zooms in or out with glass lenses Does not degrade image quality Digital Zoom Stinks! TURN OFF DIGITAL ZOOM Does not actually zoom in, it just crops the photo an throws away part of your image Better to crop later in you computer

Prime vs. Zoom Prime Lenses Does not zoom in or out Gives you a different perspective on the world Usually sharper than zoom lenses Usually have wider apertures than zooms Usually lighter than zooms Zoom Lenses Zooms in and out More versatile than primes Better in tight locations where you cant move around Easier to carry 2 zooms than 4 or 5 primes

Definition: Aperture Size of the hole in the lens that lets in light (The bigger the hole, the more light enters the camera)

Fixed Aperture vs. Variable Aperture Fixed Aperture Zoom Lenses (Largest aperture does not change as you zoom in or out) More Expensive Apertures open larger Usually f/2.8 or f/4 Variable Aperture Zoom Lenses (Largest aperture changes as you zoom in or out) Cheaper Apertures do not open as large on far end of zoom range Usually f/3.5 to f/5.6 (sometimes f/6.3)

Vibration Reduction or Image Stabilization Nikon calls it VR (Vibration Reduction) Canon calls it IS (Image Stabilization) Sigma calls it OS (Optical Stabilization) Tamron calls it VC (Vibration Control) Sony calls it Image Stabilization and is built into camera body Keeps camera shake to a minimum Can add an extra full stop or more Not a substitute for fast lens (low f stop) Can cause camera shake if used with a tripod (on/off switch)

How to “Read” a Nikon Lens Silent Wave AF Motor Crop Sensor Format Vibration Reduction Version 2 Focal Length Range Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II Zoom Lens Manufacturer F Stop Range Auto Focus Nikon Lenses Brand Name Extra-low Dispersion

How to “Read” a Canon Lens L – Series (Canon’s Top of the Line) Ultra Sonic Motor (Quiet Auto Focus) Canon Zoom EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Autofocus Lens EF Lens Mount (Electro Focus) F Stop Image Stabilization Manufacturer Focal Length Range

Choosing Cropped Sensor Specific Lenses Nikon calls cropped sensor only lenses DX lenses Canon calls cropped sensor only lenses EF-S Nikon DX lenses will work on full frame cameras, but megapixels will be reduced Canon EF-S lenses will not work on full frame cameras at all

Recommended DSLR Starter Lenses Option 1 18mm-55mm (“Kit Lens”) $150 55mm-200mm f/3.5-5.6 $175 35mm f/1.8 prime $200 Option 2 18mm-200mm f/3.5-5.6* $650 35mm f/1.8 prime $200 *f/3.5-6.3 not recommended Option 3 35mm or 50mm f/1.8 prime $200

18 mm to 55 mm f/3.5 – 5.6 Comes with most entry level DSLRs Cheap Good results Wide angle is good for indoors and landscapes $150

55 mm to 200 mm f/4 – 5.6 VR or IS Cheap Good results if available light is good Telephoto zoom is good for outside shots and sports in daytime (not at night or inside) 70 mm to 300 mm is OK as long as you use a tripod Buy the one with Vibration Reduction (IS) Do not buy one that is f/3.5-6.3 $175

18 mm to 200 mm f/3.5 – 5.6 VR Most versatile lens made Can go from very wide angle to long telephoto Suffers from lens distortion (straight lines appear to be slightly bowed) Suffers from lens creep when pointed down Do not buy one that is f/3.5-6.3 $600 - $700

35 mm f/1.8 or f/2.0 Prime lens (does not zoom in or out) Cheap Light weight Fast (works well under low light) Excellent results Standard angle of view (matches human eye on crop sensor cameras) Can blur the background out for pleasing photos that emphasize the subject Very sharp $200 to 300 Nikon users get a “G” lens not a “D” lens Canon users can settle for 50mm f/1.8 for $100

DSLR Lenses 18mm-55mm (“Kit Lens”) $150 55mm-200mm f/3.5-5.6 $175 35mm f/1.8 prime $200 18mm-200mm with VR (IS) $750 150mm-500mm telephoto $1,000 70mm-200mm f/2.8 $2,100 17mm-50mm f/2.8 $1,500 85 mm f/1.4 prime $1,800 24mm-70mm f/2.8 $2,000 14mm-24 mm f/2.8 $2,000 80mm-400mm f/3.5-5.6 $3,500 600mm f/4 prime $10,250 Consumer Pro/Semi Pro

Cheap Lenses vs. Pro Lenses Range from $100 to $800 Variable aperture Cannot open aperture as wide as pro lens Not very sharp (except 35 or 50mm prime) Focuses slowly, sometimes not at all Suffers from chromatic aberrations, vignetting, lens flare and barrel distortion Ruined if it gets wet Plastic and fragile Pro Lenses $2,000 or more Fixed aperture Most go to f/2.8 but some are f/4 Very sharp, even at the edges Fast to focus on subject Less noticeable chromatic aberrations and other distortions Weather sealed Metal and more durable

Typical Pro Setup 14-24mm f/2.8 $2,000 Landscapes 24-70mm f/2.8 $2,000 Workhorse 70-200mm f/2.8 $2,400 Weddings 24mm f/1.4 $2,000 Architectural 35mm f/1.4 $1,800 Street and Events 50mm f/1.4 $400 Street and Events 84mm f/1.4 $2,000 Portraits 24mm tilt/shift $2,000 Architectural 300mm f/2.8 $5,600 Sports 400mm f/2.8 $9,000 Sports and Wildlife 600mm f/4 $11,000 Wildlife

Lens Rentals

Lens Hood Protects your lens from impact Reduces flare in your photos and makes them look better

1.4x - $440 Cuts light by 1 full stop Teleconverter (Only Works on Some Pro Lenses like the 70-200mm f/2.8) 1.4x - $440 Cuts light by 1 full stop 1.7x - $410 Cuts light by 1.5 full stops 2x - $475 Cuts light by 2 full stops

(Only Works on Some Pro Lenses like the 70-200mm f/2.8) Teleconverter Math (Only Works on Some Pro Lenses like the 70-200mm f/2.8) On a f/2.8 lens: f/2.8 = f/5.6 On a f/4 lens: f/4 = f/8 On a f/5.6 lens: f/5.6 = f/11 2x Cuts light by 2 full stops

Chromatic Aberrations

Vignette

Lens Flare

Barrel Distortion

Use the Right Lens 55mm 18mm 55mm 18mm

Cellphone Selfies This is what she really looks like Cellphones use lenses that do this to your face 55mm 18mm

Digital Cameras Accessories © 2010 by Gregory Mills

SD SDHC Micro SD Compact Flash Memory Stick/Memory Stick Pro Memory Cards SD SDHC Micro SD Compact Flash Memory Stick/Memory Stick Pro

SD (Secure Digital) Small form factor Capacity up to 2 GB Works on old cameras Can only fit in camera one way Has lock to prevent accidental erasure

SDHC (SD High Capacity) Small form factor Capacity from 2 to 32 GB Comes in 4 speed classes Class 2 - slow and cheap Class 4 - medium Class 6 - fast and expensive Class 10 - fast and only works on very new cameras Work on most new cameras Most popular type Has lock to prevent accidental erasure

SDXC (SD Extreme Capacity) SD Cards from 64 GB to 1 TB Very Expensive Only new cameras can use them

Micro SD Very tiny and easy to loose Capacity from 512 MB to 32 GB Most common in cell phones and small point & shoot cameras Can only fit in camera one way

Compact Flash Physically largest type of card Found in very old cameras and in Pro DSLRs Can read/write very fast Can only fit in camera one way Pins can be fragile and easily damaged

Memory Stick/Memory Stick Pro Sony only (proprietary card) More expensive due to lack of competition Long and skinny

Are the expensive cards worth it? Pro cards cost 4 to 10 times more than cheap ones Cheap cards are for slow cameras like point and shoots Cheap cards sometimes become corrupt Pro cards are fast for fast cameras or for shooting video Pro cards are more reliable Some pro cards are water proof and heat resistant

Tripod Best bang for buck to improve your photography Fewer segments in legs are stronger More segments collapse into a smaller package Cheap tripods: $40 - $100 Expensive tripods: $200 - $1,500 Tripods have Legs and a Head Heads are sold separately on good tripods Most expensive tripods are carbon fiber

Tripod Heads

Monopod Bean bag Lighter, smaller and faster to use than tripod Not as stable as a tripod Bean bag Stable, easy to use, cheap Can use rice or dried beans

UV Lens Filter Lens Cleaning Kits Protects the lens from impact Can cause problems under certain lighting conditions Expensive ones perform better Lens Cleaning Kits Microfiber cloth that will not scratch lens Lens Pen removes fingerprints Air bulb to blow off dust

External Flash Often called a Speedlight or strobe Brighter and more versatile than on camera flash Can bounce light off walls or ceilings for more natural look Can be placed on a stand and triggered remotely on more expensive DSLRs

Remote Shutter Release Allows you to take a picture without touching the camera for sharper images Some use infrared (line of site) and it is already built into many cameras Some use RF (radio frequency) and have a receiver that must be plugged into the camera

Aftermarket Camera Strap Many are more comfortable than the straps that come with cameras Black Rapid type straps are becoming increasingly popular Double straps allow carrying 2 cameras at once Loupe Lets you see the back of your screen in bright sunlight Magnifies image so you can check focus easier

Extra Battery Battery Grip Keeps your shooting longer Cold weather shortens life of battery so it is important to have extra Battery Grip Doubles the number of shots you can take Make camera more comfortable to hold Balances the weight of larger lenses Allows use of AA batteries

Lithium Batteries Alkaline Batteries Primary (Non Rechargeable) Packs the most power and are longest lasting Will not work on all devices Works in cold weather Expensive Alkaline Batteries Cheap Easily obtainable Drains fast Looses power in cold weather

Rechargeable NiMh Batteries Replaces older NiCad batteries Provides more power than Alkaline batteries Looses charge after a few months 15 Minute charges kill batteries but charge fast New chargers can only charge in pairs Sanyo Eneloop Keeps 85% of charge after one year Does not have as much charge as regular NiMh batteries Not available locally (Amazon has them)

Camera Bag Padded to protect and organize you camera gear Keep lenses and bodies from rubbing during transport Many styles to choose from More expensive models have a rain cover $50 to $500

Other Gear Specialty Lenses (tilt shift, Lens Baby) Rain protective coverings Underwater housings Extra lens caps Filters Polarizing ND (Neutral Density) Colors Effects Gaffer’s tape Foam core or light reflector Model Release Silica Gel

Computer & Monitors © 2010 by Gregory Mills

Computer Equipment Windows or Macs? Desktop or Laptop? Buy as much RAM as possible Buy large hard drives Get fast processors External Hard drives DON’T FORGET TO BACKUP

Mac Software Picassa iPhoto Aperture Lightroom Photoshop Photoshop Elements the GIMP Photomatix DON’T FORGET TO BACKUP

Windows Software Windows Live Photo Gallery Picassa ACDSee Lightroom Photoshop Photoshop Elements the GIMP Microsoft ICE Photomatix hundreds of other freeware and shareware Second Copy 8 or other backup software

Backups Photographers MUST backup constantly RAID is NOT a backup Use software to “set and forget” Use Carbonite or other online backup in addition to hard drive or optical disk backups Keep one set of backups offsite Mac users- Time Machine is not a reliable backup 3,2,1 Rule 3 Copies of your data 2 Different media 1 Offsite backup

Monitors Buy the best you can afford LED backlights are better Larger the better TVs are NOT monitors Dual monitors are very addictive DON’T FORGET TO BACKUP

Monitors Calibration Makes what you see on your screen more accurate Makes what comes out of your printer closer to what is on your monitor Be careful deleting photos without calibrating your monitor DON’T FORGET TO BACKUP

Printers Large variety of sizes Cheap Inkjet Expensive Inkjet Laser (not good for photography) PSC DON’T FORGET TO BACKUP

GregoryMills.com DON’T FORGET TO BACKUP © 2010 by Gregory Mills