Page 8 - Default

*** UPDATE...please see our new category for digital cameras with an optical viewfinder

With the drive for ever-larger LCD screens, manufacturers have been forced to make sacrifices to free back-panel real estate without increasing the size of the camera. Perhaps most notable of these is the culling of the optical viewfinder, which is now a rare feature of low- to mid-level compact digital cameras.

In fact, finding a camera with an optical viewfinder is such a job we thought we'd list the few [current] cameras in the budget level (<$450) that still incorporate one:

• Canon PowerShot A720IS
• Canon PowerShot A570IS
• Canon PowerShot A560

Welcome to the Camera-Warehouse aperture tutorial (see Tech Tip: Aperture). At each stage of the tutorial, please remember to save the photos you take to send to your tutor for evaluation and discussion.

Before you start, in order to minimise the size of emails when sending your images for assessment, please set the resolution of your camera's images to no more than 3 megapixels, or reduce the images to this size prior to sending (this should be sufficient for evaluation purposes). Thank you.

What you'll need:

• digital compact or SLR camera and lens with manual aperture and shutter speed adjustments
• tripod if available
• willing subjects (these needn't be people - try an orange, lemon and lime for great colour contrast and texture)
• about 40 minutes

Our Sydney CBD store will be closed for normal business this Saturday due to renovations.

We will be happy, however, to accomodate you between 10am and 2pm if you need to drop by and collect your online order.

Business as usual will resume on Monday morning.

Many of our tech tip and photo tip articles have an accompanying tutorial (represented by this icon ) which includes practical tasks to reinforce the subject matter. Each tutorial can be sent to a tutor for assessment and further discussion.

This service will soon be available to Camera-Warehouse customers with pricing ranging from $49 for a single tutorial to $249 for 10 tutorials. This includes the tutorial itself (each of approximately 45 minutes duration), assessment by a tutor and email access to the tutor to discuss related aspects of photography.

If you'd like more information, or you'd like to request a tutorial on a particular subject, please send us an email.

Welcome to the Camera-Warehouse exposure tutorial (see Tech Tip: Exposure). At each stage of the tutorial, please remember to save the photos you take to send to your tutor for evaluation and discussion.

Before you start, in order to minimise the size of emails when sending your images for assessment, please set the resolution of your camera's images to no more than 3 megapixels, or reduce the images to this size prior to sending (this should be sufficient for evaluation purposes). Thank you.

What you'll need:

• digital compact or SLR camera and lens with exposure compensation adjustment
• tripod if available
• willing subjects (these needn't be people - try an orange, lemon and lime on a dark table for great colour contrast and texture)
• about 40 minutes

Wow...what more can I say? I was lucky enough to attend the Nikon product launch last night where I got to play with all the latest Nikon COOLPIX range (very nice) and...drum roll please...the new Nikon D300 and D3 digital SLRs.

The launch was held at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) in Sydney's Circular Quay. The SLRs were mounted on tripods on the terrace and pointed towards the harbour bridge and opera house. A perfect setting for testing out new cameras.

However, attached to the cameras were some pretty hefty lenses (600mm f/4 VR on the D3, from memory), and I'd challenge any camera not to look great under those circumstances, and of course, it did look fantastic.

Unfortunately, because the terrace was obviously dark, the cameras were mounted in tripods, and there were 150 other people trying to play, it was difficult to get a really good look at the cameras,

This is one in a series of 'Photo Tip' articles that attempts to provide some basic instruction in the artistic side of photography. Most of these articles could collectively fall under the heading 'photographic composition'.

SIMPLICITY
Simplicity is often regarded as the most important of all photographic skills. The key to achieving simplicity is to remove all unnecessary distractions from an image through positioning yourself to take the photograph from the best angle, and positioning the subject in the most effective area of the shot (see Photo Tip: Subject placement).

Backgrounds should be exactly that - an uncomplicated background to your shot, not a subject of interest in itself; and any foreground object should be sufficiently out-of-focus so as not to cause a distraction or block the subject in any way. Remember to use depth of field (see Tech

This is one in a series of 'Photo Tip' articles that attempts to provide some basic instruction in the artistic side of photography. Most of these articles could collectively fall under the heading 'composition'.

SUBJECT PLACEMENT
Simply placing the subject or centre of interest of a photograph in a different position within the shot can make a striking difference to the overall effect. There are two recognized principles for subject placement in photography: the 'rule of thirds' and 'dynamic symmetry'.

THE RULE OF THIRDS
The 'rule of thirds' is a basic compositional guideline for placing your subject within the frame. Imagine your frame divided into thirds both horizontally and veritcally. The rule recommends placing your subject on one of the four points where these lines intersect.

The rule also works for horizons or obvious horizontal lines in your photograph. It is better (if possible) to

This is one in a series of 'Photo Tip' articles that attempts to provide some basic instruction in the artistic side of photography. Most of these articles could collectively fall under the heading 'photographic composition'.

BALANCE
For a photograph to be naturally pleasing to the eye it requires a balanced used of colour, shapes, tone and shade. All objects in the frame have a compositional 'weight', created by their size, colour and position, and balancing these within the photograph will create a better image.

The simplest way to imagine this is that each object hangs from a set of scales centred around the middle of the image. Showing two identical objects at equal distances from an imaginary verticle line down the centre of the image is the most obvious form of balance, as shown in the first image below:

    

This is one in a series of 'Tech Tip' articles intended as a guide to digital camera technology and terminology. Its aim is to demystify some of the language used on this site to allow you to make more informed decisions when considering purchasing a new digital camera.

DEPTH OF FIELD
The term 'depth of field' refers to the range of an image that is acceptably in focus.

The image above depicts a broad or wide depth of field. The zone of acceptable focus spans a broad range of distances from the camera lens. In reality, perfect focus is achieved at a specific distance from the lens, but any object within the zone is sufficiently in focus to be considered acceptable. A broad depth of field is achieved (or caused) by reducing the aperture (see Tech Tip: Aperture).