As I have been using my little Casio Exilim EX-FH100 for more than a year after giving my Nikon D60 to my brother, I get so used to the LCD liveview instead of using the optical view finder, especially to get the correct exposure with spot metering which the camera provides an accurate representation unlike my Olympus E-P1. Also I have been using cameras with 10x optical zoom, I have reached the conclusion that for a beginner, a ten time optical zoom lens is a must have in order to explore the effect of compressing the objects and also the impact of size, especially for shy people who prefer not to be too close to the subjects.
A pocket size digital compact camera is also convenient so that you can have it with you any time and able to experiment with it taking photos as and when you like. In this way, you will take more photos and with reviews, improve your composition skill and also the control of the settings on your camera.
However, my recent acquisition of Olympus E-P1, with 14-42mm kit lens and 17mm lens made me to rethink about having a ten time zoom lens. I learn to get close to the subject, learning to live with the limitations of the lenses. Although I bought a used 40-150mm Zuiko lens later, I find myself using the kit lenses most of the time. Of course in certain situation, it is still necessary to have a telephoto lens.
Sunday, 26 August 2012
Friday, 10 August 2012
Buying Camera
Recently I went meeting sellers of used cameras for my friends and found that most of them selling off their cameras in order to buy another one.
One young lady was selling away a few weeks old Casio EX-ZR200 at half the purchased price just because she wanted to switch to Panasonic. Another young lady selling away an Olympus E-P2 pancake lens kit due to the fact that it was too difficult to use as the lens is 17mm fixed focal length and unable to zoom, she wanted to buy a Canon G1X instead, claiming that she used it for only five times and wanted to sell at the same price as she paid before.
In the second case, one would wonder why didn't the sales person highlight to the young lady that while the 17mm lens appeals to more experience photographers, it is not suitable for beginners.
When I saw the advertisement, it was advertised for S$450, so I contacted her to buy the camera. She replied that there was an offer of S$480 and whether I would outbid by bidding $490. I thought it was fine and agreed. However, as the advertisement didn't mention the lens, I asked for the details. After a while, she mentioned that someone else was offering S$520. I then got the feeling that she was trying to get me to bid higher while there wasn't really another offer and told her it was okay then. She then asked whether I would take it for S$490 and we agreed on the meeting place, but she would only confirm with me the following day.
She put up two advertisement soon after that, one asking for free bidding, another with start bid of S$700. However, at the late evening of the next day, she confirmed the meeting place and time meaning that no one was offering higher that S$490.
On the day we met, she asked whether it was fine for me to pay S$690 for it. I turned her down as the last transaction on the forum was only S$450. She then asked whether I still wanted it at S$490. However, there were missing items like lens cap, hot shoe cover, neck strap. I could have rejected but since she promised to look for those items and contact me, I paid her. As it was covered with extended warranty, I called to find out from the shop and was told to request a reprint of the sales tax invoice at any outlet of Harvey Norman. That's was how I found out how much she paid.
As I wanted to know how true it was used for five times, I tried to find out the shutter counts. After trying various way, finally I decided to follow Angelin Weng's approach: Google. I found the following procedure:
One young lady was selling away a few weeks old Casio EX-ZR200 at half the purchased price just because she wanted to switch to Panasonic. Another young lady selling away an Olympus E-P2 pancake lens kit due to the fact that it was too difficult to use as the lens is 17mm fixed focal length and unable to zoom, she wanted to buy a Canon G1X instead, claiming that she used it for only five times and wanted to sell at the same price as she paid before.
In the second case, one would wonder why didn't the sales person highlight to the young lady that while the 17mm lens appeals to more experience photographers, it is not suitable for beginners.
When I saw the advertisement, it was advertised for S$450, so I contacted her to buy the camera. She replied that there was an offer of S$480 and whether I would outbid by bidding $490. I thought it was fine and agreed. However, as the advertisement didn't mention the lens, I asked for the details. After a while, she mentioned that someone else was offering S$520. I then got the feeling that she was trying to get me to bid higher while there wasn't really another offer and told her it was okay then. She then asked whether I would take it for S$490 and we agreed on the meeting place, but she would only confirm with me the following day.
She put up two advertisement soon after that, one asking for free bidding, another with start bid of S$700. However, at the late evening of the next day, she confirmed the meeting place and time meaning that no one was offering higher that S$490.
On the day we met, she asked whether it was fine for me to pay S$690 for it. I turned her down as the last transaction on the forum was only S$450. She then asked whether I still wanted it at S$490. However, there were missing items like lens cap, hot shoe cover, neck strap. I could have rejected but since she promised to look for those items and contact me, I paid her. As it was covered with extended warranty, I called to find out from the shop and was told to request a reprint of the sales tax invoice at any outlet of Harvey Norman. That's was how I found out how much she paid.
As I wanted to know how true it was used for five times, I tried to find out the shutter counts. After trying various way, finally I decided to follow Angelin Weng's approach: Google. I found the following procedure:
1. While holding the "Menu" button, press Power button to switch on
2. Press "Menu" and go to "Monitor brightness adjustment" screen
3. Press "Info" and "OK" button at same time, you will see the screen showing "Olympus"
4. Press the following buttons in the sequence: Up, Down, Left, Right and then press the Shutter, followed by Up (dial button in my E-P2)
5. Engineering mode page is seen. Press dial button to Page 1, 2, 3, and "D".
6. Shutter count is on "Page 2" under "R".
The other lines on the screen mean:
R: shutter release count
S: flash use count
C: CMOS cleaning mode (with mirror lock-up - in E-410 series)
U: number of ultrasonic dedusting, ~ number of power switch on
V: number of use of LiveView
B: number of shot using In-Body Stablization
2. Press "Menu" and go to "Monitor brightness adjustment" screen
3. Press "Info" and "OK" button at same time, you will see the screen showing "Olympus"
4. Press the following buttons in the sequence: Up, Down, Left, Right and then press the Shutter, followed by Up (dial button in my E-P2)
5. Engineering mode page is seen. Press dial button to Page 1, 2, 3, and "D".
6. Shutter count is on "Page 2" under "R".
The other lines on the screen mean:
R: shutter release count
S: flash use count
C: CMOS cleaning mode (with mirror lock-up - in E-410 series)
U: number of ultrasonic dedusting, ~ number of power switch on
V: number of use of LiveView
B: number of shot using In-Body Stablization
And it was around 1200 which is reasonably few.
I then checked on my E-P1, it was less than 5000.
On Olympus, E-P series, there is a Pixel Mapping utility for remapping bright pixel. I found that there was a bright pixel and was able to get rid of it after running the utility.
So when buying camera, one should take a dark picture to check on bright (dead) pixels, and a white picture to check on dust on sensor.
My recent adventure of buying used cameras also made me realised that one could get a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera with a bigger sensor size at a price not much higher than a mid range point and shoot digital compact camera.
I then checked on my E-P1, it was less than 5000.
On Olympus, E-P series, there is a Pixel Mapping utility for remapping bright pixel. I found that there was a bright pixel and was able to get rid of it after running the utility.
So when buying camera, one should take a dark picture to check on bright (dead) pixels, and a white picture to check on dust on sensor.
My recent adventure of buying used cameras also made me realised that one could get a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera with a bigger sensor size at a price not much higher than a mid range point and shoot digital compact camera.
Learning Photography
It has been four years since I started my journey on photography, after getting a used D60 with twin lens kit. Although I was very enthusiastic, I didn't do it systematically as most hobbyist. Learning and picking up bit and pieces along the way.
Only a few weeks ago, I started borrowing books on the fundamentals then I realized that it could have been easier if I read books in the beginning of my journey.
In conclusion, if I were asked to provide advice to beginners, I would recommend the following approach:
Read the followings books:
Mastering composition by Ian Roberts
Composition by David Prakel
Exposure by David Prakel
Lighting by Chris Weston
Almost any beginner would start with subject oriented approach as we want to capture the beautiful items, scenes, moments, people. However, while focusing on the subject, we could only see the subject and ignore the other items appearing in the view finder. Reading Mastering Composition would give us an idea how painters paint their pictures and focusing on the shapes and distribution of tones and balancing the content within the frame. After reading Ian Roberts, it would be easier to understand Composition by David Prakel.
As photography is both arts and crafts, reading the first two books would cover the arts aspect of photography. Then we would need to have the basic understanding of the crafts aspect of photography. So we need to read the other two books to have the fundamentals covered.
Of course the last thing is to read the boring user guide of your camera. Try reading the basic operations and the function of the buttons and settings. Go back to the manual as you go along. It would be tough to read cover to cover and be able to understand all that in the user guide. However, it is advised to refer to the manual every now and then, as some functions and features are product specific.
It is recommended to start with Aperture priority and spot metering. Today, almost all cameras be it point and shoot compact camera or high end DSLR, you can use spot metering. I think it is faster to control the exposure using spot metering.
It is also recommended to use a zoom lens to see the effect of wide angle and tele. Of course one can always move forward and backward, left or right to get the right size in the picture but you can compress the objects in the picture.
To prevent taking pictures with undesirable extraneous objects on the edges, check the four sides of the frame or view finder/Live View LCD a few times before pressing the shutter.
Only a few weeks ago, I started borrowing books on the fundamentals then I realized that it could have been easier if I read books in the beginning of my journey.
In conclusion, if I were asked to provide advice to beginners, I would recommend the following approach:
Read the followings books:
Mastering composition by Ian Roberts
Composition by David Prakel
Exposure by David Prakel
Lighting by Chris Weston
Almost any beginner would start with subject oriented approach as we want to capture the beautiful items, scenes, moments, people. However, while focusing on the subject, we could only see the subject and ignore the other items appearing in the view finder. Reading Mastering Composition would give us an idea how painters paint their pictures and focusing on the shapes and distribution of tones and balancing the content within the frame. After reading Ian Roberts, it would be easier to understand Composition by David Prakel.
As photography is both arts and crafts, reading the first two books would cover the arts aspect of photography. Then we would need to have the basic understanding of the crafts aspect of photography. So we need to read the other two books to have the fundamentals covered.
Of course the last thing is to read the boring user guide of your camera. Try reading the basic operations and the function of the buttons and settings. Go back to the manual as you go along. It would be tough to read cover to cover and be able to understand all that in the user guide. However, it is advised to refer to the manual every now and then, as some functions and features are product specific.
It is recommended to start with Aperture priority and spot metering. Today, almost all cameras be it point and shoot compact camera or high end DSLR, you can use spot metering. I think it is faster to control the exposure using spot metering.
It is also recommended to use a zoom lens to see the effect of wide angle and tele. Of course one can always move forward and backward, left or right to get the right size in the picture but you can compress the objects in the picture.
To prevent taking pictures with undesirable extraneous objects on the edges, check the four sides of the frame or view finder/Live View LCD a few times before pressing the shutter.
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