Lenses

Trying to Choose the Best Digital Camera Lens?

There are a lot of digital cameras available in the market nowadays. That is why it isn't surprising to find that accessories for these devices are also abundant. As a person who is inclined (or maybe starting) in photography, you have probably heard about the different digital camera lens. You might have felt the need to try them out but you realized that that would be a waste of time, not to mention, money. So here is an guide that will let you understand which is the best digital camera lens for you. Read more below...
By Chris Campbell

1.Fold optics lenses

Fold optics lenses are the ones that fold sideways to the camera's body. This kind of lens is very sleek and compact. Lenses of this type are very much protected by its built-in cover. Although these lenses are suitable for those who like compact devices, these models don't support lens converters. Based on different reviews, these lenses produces lower optical quality despite its higher costs compared to that of external lens designs.

2.Fixed zoom lenses

Fixed zoom lenses are not retractable even if the camera is turned off. However, this kind of "flaw" has its own use since these lenses can magnify objects at an average of 18 times. Attaching lens converters to perform different kind of shooting would not be a problem with these lenses. Fixed zoom lenses are commended for business users and serious amateurs in photography.

3.Fixed focal length lenses

Snapshooters and budget buyers should take advantage of this kind of lenses. It doesn't have an optical zoom to magnify objects. It is also very affordable. Cameras with fixed focal length lenses always have easy and quick camera operations. Although these lens provide the lowest quality available in the market, they are very good for shooting wide angle views such as landscapes and group shots.

4.Retractable zoom lenses

Although cameras with these lenses do not support lens converters, they are still very suitable for budget buyers and snapshooters. These lenses are always paired with sleek and compact designs to give it a very light look. This type of lenses, however, is not suitable for people who like to manually set controls since its switches are always limited.

5.Interchangeable lenses

Only digital SLRS offer you the chance to change lenses. Interchangeable lenses are recommendable to serious amateurs who want to have flexibility in handling subjects and views. Cameras with interchangeable lenses will enable you to save money since you won't have to buy new cameras for different kinds of photography.

Getting the perfect camera lens, is never an easy thing, especially with the way digital technology is constantly changing. Fortunately, there are plenty of helpful websites online, that can narrow down your search and help you find the camera lens with all the features important to you.

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Camera Accessories

A Guide to Digital Camera Accessories For Novice Photographers:

Digital photography is a burgeoning market. Each day, more people are getting interested in digital photography and taking it as a hobby. This has translated to increasing sales for digital cameras and digital camera accessories. Read more below...
By Kalyan Kumar

For the novice photographer who has no idea about what digital camera accessories that he or she needs are, we offer a brief guide to digital camera accessories that they should consider buying,

Camera bags. Unless you want to see scratch marks on your brand new digital camera, then you have to buy a bag specifically designed for a digital camera. You spent a lot of money buying your digital camera so the next thing you have to do is to buy a camera bag that will protect it from the elements. Choose a bag that has extra storage for digital camera accessories. If you want something larger, go for a camcorder bag.

Rechargeable batteries. Your new digital camera comes with a battery. However, you would not want to be caught without an extra battery when your original battery gets exhausted and emptied out in the middle of a trip or a photo shoot. Rechargeable batteries cost more than disposal batteries when you buy them, but they are cheaper in the long run. Also, rechargeable batteries are the way to go if you are concerned about the environment.

Battery recharger. Buying this makes sense if you are using rechargeable batteries to power your digital camera. Consider buying a battery recharger that you can use on the car.

Extra memory card. Most new models of digital cameras come with a memory card that has a large storage capacity. However, when you're on vacation, you'll be amazed by how fast you can take pictures and use all that storage capacity. Thus, it will be a wise decision on your part purchase another memory card.

Tripods. If you are planning to take landscape or portrait photography, having a tripod will be a necessity because you need your camera to be steady when you take the shots. A tripod can also come in handy when you're sightseeing and there is no one in sight to take a picture of your group.

USB reader. This allows you to transfer images from your digital camera's memory card to your computer in a flash. This is handy when you don't have a cable that you can use to connect your digital camera to your computer.

Cables. If you do not want a USB reader, consider buying a cable that you can use to download your pictures directly from the digital camera to your computer.

Digital camera filters. If you're planning to take digital photography as a serious hobby, then you should get digital camera filters for your lenses. This will help you saturate colors and add contrast to your pictures, which would otherwise take a long time to do using a photo editing software.

Reminder, you do not have to buy every digital camera accessory in this guide. Just choose what is most important to you at the moment.

For information about digital camera batteries, visit 42photo.com, New York's legendary camera store in business for over 40 years.

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Great Deals

How Do You Know Which Digital Camera to Buy?

As the weather becomes more comfortable to venture outdoors, the grass is green, and the flowers are blossoming everywhere, some of us are starting to get the photo bug. If our current camera is not quite up to our expectations or we lag behind in the technology it might be time to think of upgrading. With so many different types of cameras, features, and prices how can one know that they are getting what they want and need?
By Gene Rodman

The first question to ask yourself is what kind of pictures do I like to take?

If you currently use your cell phone and are satisfied with it then stop reading.

If you don't see yourself having the time or desire to learn much about photography and your images consist of snapshots then most point and shoot cameras that were made in the last few years will be fine. Try to get one with a built in flash, which will help in low light situations, and one that will take a short movie, for recording stupid things your teenager does that you can use against them later. These cameras usually take excellent photographs but the file format (jpeg) used to record the images doesn't process well with image software. Also remember that they are made to take average types of images. You probably won't be able to safely zoom up close to that grizzly in the park or focus as close to that flower as you like. These cameras may have limited options for creativity but everything is set up to safeguard against most camera shooting mistakes and for general shooting they produce excellent images. These cameras cost $150-$350 and, for the price, are way better than anything made five years ago.

If the lag time in shooting with point and shoot cameras is starting to bug you and you have started taking your camera off "auto" to gain more control over your images then a digital single lens reflex (DSLR) camera might be your choice. These cameras have removable lenses so you can use different focal lengths and more choices in file formats, focus, exposure, shooting modes, etc. By experimenting, reading books, and/or taking classes these cameras will serve as learning tools for many years and have more technology than most people will know or use. When looking at these cameras make sure it feels comfortable in your hands and has easy access to important features like the white balance, exposure, focus, shooting modes, ISO, formats, quality and image size without having to go to a menu to change them.

The advantage of the DSLR is the negligible shutter lag time and the ability to buy different lenses for the type of shooting you wish to do.

If you like flowers you can get a nice macro lens, if you like to photograph wildlife without putting your own life in danger you can buy a long telephoto, or if you like portraits you can get a high quality mid-focal length lens with a wide aperture setting for the nice effect of isolating your subject. Even though the camera takes the picture professionals know it is the lens that makes the quality of the image. Always buy the best lens you can afford. I have found that I can try a lens that I think I might like by buying it used on Ebay. If I end up not liking it I can sell it for just about what I bought it for. I did this with two lenses. Usually the lens that comes with the camera is a low grade lens so it is often better to buy the camera body and lens separately. Start with the lens you will think you will use the most first. You might also think about getting a zoom lens that will cover the type of shooting you do most. When buying a camera or lens remember that price usually reflects quality. DSLR bodies start around $600 and go into the thousands. It is unreasonable to expect to get a quality lens for less than $300-$400. Most professional quality lenses start at over $1,000 and long telephotos are easily $8,000. Try and purchase a lens that is the same brand as the camera. There are some companies that make excellent aftermarket lenses that have mounts that fit most popular cameras. They are Tamron, and Sigma. Avoid Vivitar, Phoenix, ProOptic, and Quantaray as well as the less expensive Tamron and Sigma lenses as they are low quality products.

One more feature worth considering is sensor size. When DSLR cameras first came out the sensor coverage was less than that of 35mm film. The focal length of a lens is partially determined by the size of film or sensor in the case of digital cameras. On my camera the factor is 1.5 so my 20mm lens is actually a 35mm. Quite a disappointment when I expect to get a nice wide angle image that is truly 20mm. There is, however, an advantage to this for wildlife photographers. Their 300mm is now a 450mm and their 600mm is now a 900mm. Great for those grizzly bear shots at a safe distance. When buying your camera find out if it has a DX sensor (small) or a FX sensor (full size). Also remember that if you buy a DX lens and later buy a camera with a full size sensor the image circle of the lens may not completely cover the larger sensor.

Anyone into photography knows that the technology changes rapidly and it can sometimes be less expensive to upgrade your car rather than your camera. With every new camera there is upgraded software, memory, and storage to buy. So what camera should you buy? How deep are your pockets?

Gene Rodman

Montana Photographic Arts

http://mtphotoarts.com

For a copy of my FREE REPORT "How to Avoid The 12 Mistakes People Make When Purchasing Art" which will help you avoid making the wrong costly decisions when buying art including photography and how to get the most out of your purchase visit my website at http://mtphotoarts.com/site/#/page/free-reports-newletters/

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