Casio EX-Z1
Samsung WB550
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T90
Pentax K-7
Nikon D5000
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ7
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H20
Canon PowerShot SX200 IS
Gary’s Parries 16/07/06
This week’s Gary’s Parries topics are:
1. Digital Dust Problem 100x Worse Than Film
2. A Little Bit Rock ‘N’ Roll
Introducing this week’s Gary’s Parries column. Everything you always wanted to know about digital cameras, but were afraid to ask. No question too difficult, or too easy. As a Senior Principal Software Engineer, and a former Assistant Professor of Computer Information Systems, as well as a recording studio owner/operator, inventor, and now, a digital camera enthusiast, GARY has more digital camera knowledge in his entire brain than most people have in their little finger. In the unlikely event that GARY would not know the answer to your question, he will answer it anyway, true to the spirit of the word “Parries”, a fencing term which, in this context, implies “cleverly evasive answers”. So let your imagination run wild. Email all your nagging digital camera questions to: (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) , and then, En Garde!
You may also attach to your email an ORIGINAL PHOTO of your choosing. A preview of the photo will be displayed with your question, and a full-sized version will be just a click away. No personal information will be published with your question unless you specifically include it in the text or attached photo of your email, which may be further edited for grammar, content, or other reasons.
***
*** QUESTION 1—- DIGITAL DUST PROBLEM 100X WORSE THAN FILM
***
Dear Gary,
I’m just about to purchase my first digital SLR, but after researching a bit, have heard a little about static electricity build up. I’ve been told that this can lead to dust and other charged particles adhering to the CCD when you change lenses. Can you please tell me of your experiences with this and any thoughts on combating it?
Cheers,
Gregory Heap
Sydney, Australia
***
*** ANSWER 1
***
Gregory, my advice to you would depend on your level of “still” photography expertise. There are two possible scenarios: (1) you are a professional/semi-professional with a need for high-end equipment to support your photographic endeavors; or (2) you are a hobbyist/enthusiast who strives for high quality images and appreciates equipment that can produce the desired results.
In the first scenario, you would likely have been using 35mm film SLRs for quite some time; however, after much resistance and procrastination, you have finally decided to take the plunge into the world of digital photography, albeit not without some kicking and screaming. As an SLR owner, you have already been exposed to the problem of static electricity as caused by the motion of the camera’s lens mirror flipping up and down or by the motion of film winding through its body, both of which are further exacerbated by the use of its continuous shooting mode. You are also aware of the dust problems that static electricity can cause, and the pictures that can be ruined as a result of dust adhering to the film. Well brace yourself, Gregory. With digital SLRs, the dust problem is 100x worse than with film. Now hold that thought.
In the second scenario, you may have been using one or more digicams up to this point, but now feel that you are ready to step up to a DSLR. If that is the case, my advice to you is, don’t. Instead, go with a high-end digicam or bridge camera, depending on your needs. The photographic images will not be quite as good as a DSLR, but they will be perfectly acceptable for non-professional applications. And the good news is that these cameras are getting better all the time.
Returning to the first scenario, that of a film SLR user transitioning to digital, why do I say that the digital dust problem is 100x worse than film? After all, you open a camera many more times to change film than you do to change lenses. You would think that film SLRs are, for that reason, much more susceptible to acquiring dust than digital SLRs … and technically, you would be right. However, the problem in not how much dust gets into the camera, but what it does once it enters.
Think about it. What happens when dust gets into the chamber of a film vs. digital SLR? There are only two places that dust can collect where it would be visible in the final image, (a) on the lens, and (b) on the film/image sensor. However, dust that has collected on the lens will be only ‘slightly’ visible in the final image due to the distance between the dust and the image plane, which allows light to circumvent such dust, thereby dispersing its shadow. Conversely, dust adhering to the film/image sensor will be ‘highly’ visible in the final image since there is no way for light to circumvent it.
So far, the film and digital SLR dust problems seem quite comparable. For both, the biggest problem is dust collecting on the image plane surface, whether that be film or an image sensor. However, when dust gets on film, it ruins the picture, but then the film is advanced to a clean frame. When dust gets on an image sensor, it ruins each and every image until the sensor is cleaned. Therein lies the problem.
Cleaning a DSLR’s image sensor can be a nightmare. It is nothing like cleaning its mirror or lens. It can ruin the mirror, it can ruin the shutter, it can ruin the sensor, and it can cause repairs that will cost nearly as much as a new camera. That is because, in order to gain access to the image sensor, you must first stow the mirror in the up position and hold the shutter open, both under the camera’s own power. If at any time during the cleaning process the camera should lose power, the mirror and shutter will be released and come collapsing down on any brush or swab you have inserted into the chamber. And that is in addition to all the damage you can do just by using improper brushes, swabs, air propellants, cleaning solutions, or procedures.
You might say to yourself, well, I don’t really need to insert anything ‘into’ the chamber; rather, I can just use an air blower from ‘outside’ the chamber to dislodge the dust particles. Guess again. Due to the effects of humidity and image sensor heat, dust particles can become stuck on the image sensor, so much so that only very aggressive swabbing will remove them, much like the bugs on a windshield. And even if some of the dust particles were actually loose enough to be dislodged from the image sensor by the airflow, the static charge of the image sensor will attract them right back to it again. Gregory, you can’t win.
That is why camera companies recommend that, if your image sensor shows dust, you should have it cleaned ONLY by an authorized service representative, for which you will be charged a nominal fee of around $30 to $50. But it gets worse. Even after your camera is serviced, there is no guarantee that the image sensor will be dust free.
At this point, you are probably saying to yourself, okay, I’ll just buy the best all-purpose lens I can find and NEVER take it off. That may work, but then again, it may not. There have been numerous reports of image sensors with dust straight from the factory. There have also been reports of dust entering the camera through the zoom barrel of the lens.
Gregory, unless you really need a DSLR, go with one of the high-end digicams, either a compact or bridge camera depending on your intended use. If you absolutely must have a DSLR, get a single all-purpose lens, and never remove it, but be sure to check your images for sensor dust from the factory. If you absolutely cannot live with just one lens, then you will just have to do the best you can, take your chances, and join the club. 
P.S. The Olympus EVOLT and Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 cameras have ultra-sonic vibrating CCDs to shake off their dust particles. This vibration can be activated either manually, or automatically (on power-up for the EVOLTs, on power-down for the Alpha). I have not personally tried these cameras so I cannot comment on their effectiveness. But thinking back to the bugs on a windshield analogy, how effective would a vibrating windshield be? Still every little bit helps.
P.S.S. The Sony Alpha also has an anti-static coating applied to its low-pass filter mounted in front of the image sensor. (On all DSLRs, a low-pass filter seals the image sensor from dust contamination, and this is actually where the dust accumulates.) Canon applies an anti-static charge to its image sensors to ward off dust. Nikon’s Capture software has a feature for removing sensor dust in image post-processing.)
P.P.S.S. You might also avoid shooting in dust storms like the one in the photo.
[Note: Here is a link to the PBase website, which has some excellent tips for removing dust from image sensors. Here is a link to the Austin American - Statesman website showing photos of some excellent Dust Art . – Ed.]
***
*** QUESTION 2—- A LITTLE BIT ROCK ‘N’ ROLL
***
Maybe you could answer this off-topic question. Last week I heard “Sea of Heartbreak”, that classic Don Gibson song, BUT, it wasn’t his version. It was a bit more Rock ‘n’ Roll. For the life of me, I can’t find out who may have done it. By any chance, could you tell me the version that was possibly, maybe, better than the original? Getting some CDs ready for our annual trip to Kyushu later this summer, and kinda like this song. Much thanks!
Semper Fi,
Nick and Family
***
*** ANSWER 2
***
Because of their distinctive voices, I’m sure you would have recognized any version of the song sung by Johnny Cash, The Everly Brothers, Loretta Lynn, or Charlie Pride. The only version I know that is “a little bit Rock ‘n’ Roll” is by Jimmy Buffet, and features George Strait on vocal accompaniment.
Here is a link to CD Universe’s 30-second audio clip of “Sea Of Heartbreak” by Jimmy Buffet. In case that’s not the one you heard, here is their Complete Selection of “Sea Of Heartbreak” Versions by Various Artists. Click on any version to get to its audio clip. My favorites were Johnny Cash, Eddie Spaghetti, Rumbleseat, and the very Elvis sounding Robert Gordon.
P.S. Great spot for a family picnic, and an exceptionally nice spot to shoot. Your LX1 did an excellent job with the image details and color, but I had a real tough time removing what appeared to be large blotches in the sky. Was that the infamous LX1 image sensor noise?
***
[Column photo “The Photographer” by Brenda LaFleur of Brenda LaFleur Photography.]
Casio EX-Z1 Review
Samsung WB550 Review
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T90 Review
Pentax K-7 Review
Nikon D5000 Review
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ7
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H20
Canon PowerShot SX200 IS
#1 nick in japan
#2..Thanks for the research, I should have given you more info, the movie I was watching was "Heartbreak Ridge" and this song was featured. After going to the internet I dicovered that the credit to the song was given to Don Gibson III, as the singer. I guess Don Gibson and Don Gibson III, are one-in-the-same, altho the version in the movie doesn't sound like other versions I have heard by Mr. Gibson. I want to say that Ronnie McDowell's sound most exihibts what I heard in the movie!
We old folks have a lessening of sound recognition, so it could have been Don Gibson all along!
Thank you for your help!
Those "large blotches in the sky" were clouds in the distance, noise sometimes does strange things!
I didn't expect you to use this shot, the crow in the background was eating MY sandwiches, while the family is busy enjoying their lunch, life is just a memory, sometimes better than other times!
6:13 am - Sunday, July 16, 2006
#2 Gary's Parries
I would not have guessed clouds.
As for the song, there were many versions of it by Don Gibson at that
website. Maybe one of them was the one used in the movie. If it used
the complete song, you could just buy the DVD at that website ($8).
11:38 am - Sunday, July 16, 2006
#3 nick in japan
Yep, Taepodong missle clouds! That is the Sea of Japan at Masuda, about 4 km. south of the city. A nice view of the N. Korea's launches. The radio stations there are overwhelmingly of Korean broadcasts, skipped across the water, very strange. No Don Gibson there, for sure!
Not to worry tho, as long as the Prime Minister of Japan doesn't visit Graceland again, I doubt if the ruler of N. Korea will get upset again!
12:04 pm - Sunday, July 16, 2006
#4 Gary's Parries
If you get any missile photos, send them to Gary's Parries (but don't
). "Thank you. Thank you very much."
use your LX1
12:37 pm - Sunday, July 16, 2006
#5 Zoltan
On the issue of DSLR sensor dust:
I have an Olympus E-1 DSLR. Have had it for almost 1.5 years, 17 months to be precise, and despite having changed lenses innumerable times, I have not had any sensor dust problem so far. So I can confirm that the Supersonic Wave Filter, a.k.a. the SSWF, works.
The Sony Alpha DSLR is new, and therefore nobody has had extended experience with it. The UK professional photographer David Kilpatrick, who has had a chance to test the Alpha 100 in a desert, says Sony's anti-dust system works. Cameralabs.com have, on the other hand, found it to appear "less effective than the one from Olympus." At any rate, Sony employ a different solution to Olympus: they don't have an SSWF that can vibrate at a very high frequency - instead, they vibrate the CCD itself, and I am kind of doubtful they can vibrate it fast enough.
Link to Mr Kilpatrick's DPReview post
Link to cameralabs.com's Alpha 100 review
There are lots of reasons to pick a DSLR over a fixed-lens digicam, and not just image quality. The versatility of interchangeable lenses, from ultra-wides to super-telephotos, is one such reason. The true optical TTL viewfinder is another one. Fast autofocus is yet another one. I agree you need to assess your photographic needs. It might turn out so that you will be more content with a fixed-lens EVF camera, but you might end up deciding that you actually do need an SLR. In that case, either buy one that is outfitted with a Supersonic Wave Filter [that is, an Olympus E-1/E-300/E-500/E-330 or the new Panasonic] or, as Gary suggests, get one with an all-in-one ultrazoom lens so you will never have to change lenses. Be aware though, that in the latter case, you are foregoing the joy of using ultra-wides, true flat-field macros etc., and are making a compromise on optical quality too. If you are taking this latter route nonetheless, the Zoom-Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6VR is said to be the best ultrazoom lens in the DSLR world, which of course means that in this case your best choice will be a Nikon DSLR [or a Fuji that takes Nikkor optics].
12:33 pm - Friday, July 21, 2006
#6 nick in japan
Thank you Zoltan, great info!
I think alot of folks are awaiting the Panasonic review, and this information will only increase their hopes that Panasonic will be a better system than Sony.
Lens adapters are relatively cheap and plentiful, allowing our beloved existing lenses to be used easily on the Panasonic 4/3rds mount!
1:08 pm - Friday, July 21, 2006
#7 Gary's Parries
Zoltan, good point about the Olympus SSWF possibly being a more
effective vibrator than the Sony Alpha CCD. Also, glad to hear that it
is doing the job with your camera. Here's a link to Patrick Singleton's
review of the Olympus EVOLT E-300 at DigitalCameraInfo. He didn't
have such good luck. He specifically notes the SSWF was unable to
shake off some of the larger dust particles, and the camera also has
a cleaning mode which opens the shutter allowing users to manually
blow the dust away.
http://tinyurl.com/k7j43
But I think you summed it up best. If you don't need a DSLR, go with
a fixed-lens camera.
Nick, thanks for pointing out another camera with the SSWF feature,
namely, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1.
4:23 pm - Friday, July 21, 2006
#8 nick in japan
"Gnawing at the bit", so to speak, about reviews on the L1!
Zoltan eluded to the Panasonic DMC L1 in the middle of his last paragraph, he, too, may be interested in the camera.
The Panasonic ad for the L1 has been in the front window of the camera shop for 3 weeks, reminding me constantly of it's pending arrival, no info on the LX-2 price/delivery yet, either!
11:13 pm - Friday, July 21, 2006
#9 Zoltan
Yes I did mention the new Panny DSLR as a camera that also has a Supersonic Wave Filter.
But I personally am not thinking about buying one, for a number of reasons: the retro design means retro ergonomics and I am not fond of that, the Live View is kind of pointless without an articulated LCD, the bulk and housebrick-like shape of the body is not appealing to me, and finally, it appears to only come bundled with the Leica 14-50mm f/2.8-3.5 OIS lens, and I am already covered for that focal length range by my Zuiko Digital 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5
I am actually quite satisfied with my E-1; the few niggles I have mostly concern image playback rather than the actual photographic functions, so if I decide to buy a new DSLR it will probably be the E-1 replacement (E-2 or E-3 or whatever it will be called) that is rumoured for photokina this year.
9:31 am - Monday, July 24, 2006
#10 nick in japan
The new L1 comes minus one of the modes that the 330 has too. Body only would be my choice if it "pans-out", so to speak.
9:36 am - Monday, July 24, 2006
#11 Ryan
I just skimmed through the answer on dust, but I didn't see any mention of turning the camera off while switching lenses. I know that Nikon suggests this, as having the power on produces static electricity that can attract dust.
4:37 pm - Monday, July 24, 2006
#12 Gary's Parries
Agreed, Ryan. There are a whole list of things you can do to "minimize"
dust when changing lenses. This column, however, was focused on the
fact that, "whatever" you do, you'll invariably come to a situation where
dust has entered the chamber, visibly settled on the image sensor, and
will not come off with simple air movement. Then what?
4:58 pm - Monday, July 24, 2006
#13 nick in japan
Owning a DSLR is like owning a new car, preventive maintenance is mandantory! Some folks are talented enough to keep their car in tip-top shape by themselves, but there are times when the maintenance is best left to professionals that have the right tools, enviroment and back-up to get the job done. Alloting monies for a professional cleaning every year, or so, depending on how you shoot, is smart, real smart.
Would I recommend a back-yard mechanic to play with my camera, no-way! Canon, Nikon and others have service centers that are staffed by folks that do it RIGHT!
A clean camera is a happy camera!
11:34 pm - Monday, July 24, 2006
#14 Heath
G'day. I happen to be researching the various versions of Sea Of Heartbreak by the original artiste, Don Gibson. I have several mp3 copies of THREE versions by Don Gibson, but I cannot find the CDs on which these three versions are on. I can email these 3 versions to anyone who can help me identify the CDs each of these version is on.
4:33 am - Friday, September 28, 2007
#15 Gary's Parries
Heath, you are absolutely correct about the 3 versions. They are on
the following CDs, for which I have included the links to CD Universe
so that you can listen to the Sea Of Heartbreak track on each.
1. Oh Boy Classics Presents Don Gibson
http://tinyurl.com/343czp
2. Mr. Lonesome
http://tinyurl.com/2rg28a
3. RCA Country Legends
http://tinyurl.com/2oalv9
Good luck, good listening, and good shooting.
5:09 pm - Friday, September 28, 2007
#16 Heath
I am shopping for a new Digital SLT after my Nikon Coolpix 5700 broke down.
If I could, I would get 3 digicams:
CANON EOS 400D Enthusiast kit (with 17-85mm);
Panasonic DMC-FZ18 (equivalent 28-504mm);
Panasonic DMC-TZ3 (28mm-280mm; wide angled; 10X OP ZOOM)
But I have to settle for one. I understand these are all NOT full frame sensors digicams, and the CANON is a Digital SLR, unlike the other two, compact digicams.
The ONLY drawback, common to all 3 is not having a flip out LCD that allows self portrait (passport photos) which I had on my damaged Nikon Coolpix 5700.
I enjoy mostly landscape photograhpy (have zero technical expertise, but have knack for "composition").
Until I get a full frame sensor Digital SLR like the CANON 5D, which of the 3 above would be the best compromise? Is the EAS400D lens "WIDER" than the Panasonic DMC-FZ18? Wide angle would be perfect for landscape.
1:15 pm - Wednesday, October 10, 2007
#17 Gary's Parries
Heath, this is a difficult question to answer, mainly because the three
camera models you mentioned are of entirely different camera types,
SLR, bridge, and compact. It's a bit like asking which of the following
houses of worship you should attend, Temple Beth Judah, Church of
Jesus Christ, or Wat Thai Buddhist Temple. First you have to decide
what religion you wish to pursue.
You did mention that your ultimate goal is to upgrade to a full-frame
SLR such as the Canon EOS 5D. If that is the case, then the Canon
EOS 400D is your logical choice, as any EF (not EF-S) lens you buy
will be compatible with a 5D, which means you will definitely want to
avoid the 400D's EF-S 17-85mm kit lens. The biggest drawback of a
400D is the limited zoom range of its kit lens (28-135mm when using
the 400D's 1.6x crop factor), as compared to the 28-504mm and the
28-280mm zoom ranges of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18 and the
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3, respectively, and as compared to the 35
to 280 mm zoom range of your Nikon Coolpix 5700.
On the other hand, a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18 has all the zoom
range you'll ever need. The biggest drawback of an FZ18 is its high
image sensor noise, due to the small size of its 1/2.5" image sensor,
as compared to the APS-C image sensor of a Canon EOS 400D and
the 2/3" image sensor of your Nikon Coolpix 5700.
On the other hand, as the image quality of the higher-end compacts
approaches that of SLRs, many SLR users have resorted to carrying
a high-end compact with them at all times, so the purchase of such a
compact camera now would not be a waste of money. While I do not
recommend the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3 for this purpose, mainly
due to the small size of its 1/2.35" image sensor, a Canon PowerShot
G9 with its 1/1.8" image sensor would make an ideal SLR companion,
although admittedly, its 35-210mm zoom range is not as good as the
TZ3.
On the other hand, if it's self-portraits you want, the Canon PowerShot
A650 IS has a flip-out & twist LCD screen, and it's a great little camera.
Hope that helps.
7:14 am - Thursday, October 11, 2007
#18 Mark Goldstein
(Posted on behalf of Heath)
Thanks Gary for giving me all the various explanations. Makes alot of sense to me. I agree about the Lumix DMC TZ3 since what it can do, the FZ18 does better - more pixels, more zoom, and same wide angle.
Until I eventually buy the EOS 5D, I will buy the EOS400D and probably the Panosonic DMC FZ18. The latter has a "tilt up" LCD which I haven't seen and do not know whether that will allow self portrait for passport pics.
From my readings lately, it is said that a serious, "real" photography use "fixed" zoom/telephoto lens rather than the "flexible zooms" found on the ultra zoom. Of course the drawback with using single lens (with a Digital SLR) is having to lug around heavy lenses (and lens for full frame sensors are even bigger).
My Nikon Coolpix 5700, now almost 4 years old, and outdated technology, is damaged and I cannot decide whether I should have it fixed. It might cost several hundred dollars to repair it especially if its lens is damaged. It also cost $70.00 just to get a repair quote. Can I email you a jpg taken with the damaged Coolpix? You might be able to tell straight away whether the problem lies in the lens. I dropped the camera with its lens still protruding, onto the car passenger seat last week. It must have hit at the "wrong" angle, and shattered the lens inside - no cracks on the lens from the outside.
10:40 am - Friday, October 12, 2007
#19 Gary's Parries
Heath, you are more than welcome to submit a JPEG; however, I still
).
would not feel comfortable advising you based solely on that whether
to have your camera repaired. I would suggest asking Nikon the cost
of having the lens replaced, and then taking a look at Amazon.com to
see what is available in a used Nikon Coolpix 5700.
http://tinyurl.com/3czp3k
The LCD on the FZ18 does not 'physically' tilt up; rather, it has a High
Angle LCD Mode that allows you to hold the camera above your head
while shooting.
If you are considering buying a new camera and you can wait until the
PMA show in January, many new camera models will be announced at
that time.
Also, you mentioned buying 2 cameras, a Canon 400D and Panasonic
FZ18. If you go that route, I think one of them should be a pocketable
camera, for maximum flexibility (just not the TZ3
Good luck with your decision.
3:32 pm - Saturday, October 13, 2007
#20 Heath
CANON EOS 400D with Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4.0-5.6 USM IS Image Stabilized Autofocus Zoom Lens (CN17_85USM)
Panasonic Lumix DMCFZ18 Camera with 18X Optical and 28mm wide angle
For landscapes, which of the above lens have the wider angle (ignoring one is a DSLR with 10mp, & the other a compact with 8mp). In EF-S 17-85, does the first numer, i.e. 17mm denote how wide a lens is? The lower this number, the wider the resulting picture taken?
The Canon lens above is part of the "enthusiast" kit available for that camera.
I enjoy shooting landscapes and wildlife most of all.
P.S. I have yet to buy my two cameras.
It cost me AUD80 to fix my old Nikon Coolpix 5700 - the CCD was "serviced" - mwhatever that means!
8:55 am - Tuesday, January 29, 2008
#21 Zoltán
Heath,
the 17-85mm is the focal length range of the lens. The angle of view of the lens depends on the focal length AND the size of the sensor (and on subject distance as well, but to a lesser degree than on the other two factors). When comparing lenses made for the same sensor format, the lens with the shorter focal length will give a wider view.
But as sensor sizes vary wildly, knowing the focal length only will not tell you how wide a lens is. The actual focal length range of the DMC-FZ18 is 4.6-82.8mm, which may lead you into believing that it goes wider than the 17-85mm lens of the Canon kit, but this is false. The sensor in the FZ18 is much smaller than the one in the 400D.
The huge differences in sensor size is why the concept of 35mm film equivalency has been coined. The equivalent or "effective" focal length of a lens answers the question, "what focal-length lens would I have to mount on a 35mm film camera in order to have the same angle of view as this lens on the specific camera I am considering"?
The diagonal of the sensor in the FZ18 is 6.1 times shorter than that of a frame of 35mm film, whereas the diagonal of the 400D's sensor is only 1.6 times shorter. So in order to get the equivalent, or "effective" focal length you have to multiply the actual focal length of the FZ18's lens by 6.1, and that of the Canon lens by 1.6.
This will tell you that the FZ18's lens has an "effective" focal length range of 28-504mm, whereas the Canon lens has an "effective" focal length range of 27-136mm. Remember, these are not actual focal lengths, and serve only comparison purposes. For these values can now be directly compared. Since we said that for comparable lenses, the shorter the focal length, the wider the angle of view, we can establish that the Canon lens goes a little wider than the Panasonic, as 27mm is shorter than 28, but the difference is not going to be huge. Both would be pretty fine for landscape, actually.
On the other hand, there is a huge difference at the long end, 504mm (effective) versus 136mm (effective). This renders the FZ18 much more useful for wildlife. In order to get the same reach for the 400D, you would have to buy a second lens.
3:24 pm - Tuesday, January 29, 2008
#22 Gary's Parries
Excellent answer, Zoltán. Since you provided a lot of information, I
will merely emphasize to Heath the following.
For your purposes, Heath, you really only need be concerned with
the equivalent focal range of the lenses, which is 28-135mm for the
Canon EF-S/400D combo and 28-504mm for an FZ18. A lower first
number provides a wider angle of view, but in this case, both lenses
provide the same wide angle view.
Good luck with your decision.
5:31 pm - Tuesday, January 29, 2008
#23 Heath
THANKS for the comments above on 28mm wide angled lens.
I have just bought the Panasonic Lumix FZ 18 which has 28mm and 18X Optical. Do I have to do anything to ensure all my pics are in 28mm wide angled format? My old digicam is Nikon Coolpix which has 35mm at the "short end".
In April I plan to buy the new Canon 12mp, EOS 450D - slots in between 400D & 40D.Until then, I am going to shoot till the cows come home with the FZ 18.
Can someone explain the jpg concept? I know it deniotes compression. The Lumix FZ 18 sports 8MP, and the highest resolution pic is still in jpg format - i.e. compressed. How can it be "compressed" at the highest 8MP resolution?
Thanks.
11:30 am - Monday, February 4, 2008
#24 Gary's Parries
Heath, from your question, it sounds like you are confusing the term
'wide-angle' lens with a 'widescreen' format aspect ratio. The reason
I say this is because the FZ18 has an incredible !!! 28-504mm zoom
range, and I doubt you would ever want to "ensure all my pics are in
28mm wide angled format," meaning you would always be using the
camera fully zoomed out at 28mm and never use that incredibly long
reach of 504mm. If that were the case, you would be much better off
with a 28mm 'fixed lens' camera such as the Sigma DP1 or Ricoh GR
Digital II.
You can ensure that your FZ18 always records in widescreen format
by selecting its 16:9 (rather than the default 4:3) aspect ratio from the
[REC] mode menu. All this does is chop about a million pixels from the
top and bottom of the image you would normally see at the default 4:3
aspect ratio. You can also set the FZ18 to play back on a widescreen
TV by selecting the 16:9 aspect ratio in the [SETUP] menu.
As to your question about JPEG (i.e., jpg) compression, the resulting
smaller file size is set independently of image resolution. You can set
the FZ18 to its maximum image resolution of 8mp (only 6mp for 16:9
aspect ratio due to the 1mp that is chopped off the top and bottom of
the image) by selecting the 8M (6M in 16:9 aspect ratio) Picture Size
in the [REC] mode menu. You can then independently set the file size
by selecting the Fine Quality (low JPEG compression) or the Standard
Quality (high JPEG compression) in the [REC] mode menu.
Regardless of the Quality setting, the image resolution will still be 8mp
(6mp for 16:9 aspect ratio); however, Fine Quality setting will produce
that resolution with far fewer image artifacts than Standard Quality, at
the expense of a larger file size due to its lower JPEG compression.
Hope that helps, Heath. Now forget about all this technical stuff and go
out and shoot some great pictures with what is easily considered to be
the most versatile digicam on the market.
Just don't try putting it in your pocket.
6:29 pm - Monday, February 4, 2008
#25 Heath
THANKS for the comments above about wide-angled 28mm format. I have shot 10,885 pics so far!
The cops might arrest me one of these days. I carry my digicam with me in the car. I hop in and out of the car, or shot from my driver's position, at traffic stops!
HELP HELP HELP. How do I keep my horizon HORIZONTAL, and not sloping either left or right? Many a fine landscape I have taken have been wrecked my sloping horizon - eg. today, some of my sea horizons are sloping!
I am currently using the Intelligent Mode to take my pics. Once I get more technically-savvy, I will start using the manual mode.
Has anyone tested the 12 megapixel CANON EOS 450D?
12:34 pm - Friday, February 29, 2008
#26 Gary's Parries
Heath, sounds like you are having a lot of fun. Just glad you're not shooting
WHILE you are driving.
I have not tested the Canon EOS 450D, but it looks to be another great one
in the Canon line. The 450D has a new PictBridge, which adds the feature of
correcting the horizon before printing. Not sure if this just straightens it or if
it will also change the slope.
If just the former, then there are numerous photo processing programs you
can purchase that will rotate a photo by any amount, and some of the more
advanced programs will also straighten horizontal and vertical lines. For the
Mac, there is GraphicConverter, and for the Mac and PC, there is PhotoShop.
Another option is to switch to a camera that offers the feature of on-demand
grid lines in the viewfinder, such as the Nikon D70, and other higher models,
which allows you to line up the horizon before snapping the shot.
One final option, and I think this is the 'best' one, is to keep an auto-leveling
tripod attached to your camera at all times.
Good luck with your decision, and happy shooting !!!
P.S. I am sure Mark will be reviewing the Canon EOS 450D very soon for the
PhotographyBLOG website.
10:22 pm - Friday, February 29, 2008
#27 Heath
Thanks for the tripod suggestion. I was hoping you wouldn't suggest that, LOL. I have a Veibon tripod, but lugging a tripod with a digicam that doesn't fit into the pocket is too much of a chore. The feature in D70 should be standard on all cameras!
I use the "squares" (I think they are face detection frames) to get some sense of "horizontal grid", eg. 3 such small "squares", in a straight line helps. But these squares don't usually line up in this manner for me to get the "straight line"!
I have shot some pics while driving too, but only in crawling traffic!
1:57 am - Saturday, March 1, 2008