rob answers:

Good question Edwin.

Many of us SLR and now DSLR users forget the disadvantages of an optical viewfinder. Most macro lenses for instance are f2.8 with the costs that the wider aperture entails, purely to get a brighter view from the light reflected from a small area so you can focus, nobody is going to use that aperture on even a close up shot let alone a 1:1 life-size image. With Electronic Viewfinders and even rear screens (less useful in bright light) for the first time you can view a macro shot with the aperture your going to use and the depth of field your going to get on a bright screen, you can even get a magnified view both of which makes focusing much easier.

I don’t think that a semi-silvered mirror with it’s 2 stop drop in the brightness the sensor sees has any advantage, why not just get rid of it altogether? If we compare the Sony A55 and a Pentax K5 or Nikon D7000, all of which use the same sensor, a lot of the advantage in the low noise, low light performance and dynamic range (which is widest at low ISO) of this fine, state of the art sensor is lost due to the translucent mirror as the camera has to use a higher sensitivity to compensate for the 2 stop mirror loss, not to mention the dimmer viewfinder. It’s an idea that has never worked in the past, and I really don’t understand Sony for trying it again, maybe because Sony has little experience in the moving mirror mechanism that other DSLR manufacturers have.

As electronic sensors and displays improve, and they will, I can’t see the mechanical camera lasting too much longer other than as a ‘retro’ model, there are just too many advantages to the EVIL format. Cheaper and easier to manufacture, smaller, lightweight and smaller lenses with huge savings there. Low noise sensors also means you don’t necessarily need an f4 500mm lens to get fast shutter speeds with long lenses, you can use an f8 lens and raise the ISO to compensate with little (if any) noise disadvantage, action, sports and wildlife photography just got a whole lot cheaper, and there’s more to come.

All this means that the electronic companies have the advantage over the established mechanical camera manufacturers such as Nikon, Canon, Pentax, Olympus, Leica etc, an advantage that is likely to widen.

The fly in the ointment for the electronic companies is the shutter mechanism, with sensors as they are a mechanical shutter is still required for fast shutter speeds. Nikon have tried electronic shutters which work fine at the 1/25th or 1/30th of a second for video, but at 1/100th of a second upwards there is a price to pay in the shape of banding when using a mechanical shutter, a problem that Nikon didn’t solve on their D200. They got the fast shutter speed for flash (headline), but it was 2 years before the banding it caused on normal shots was even acknowledged, they only cured it by releasing the D300 which abandoned the electronic shutter. How long it will be before a sensor that can be scanned in 1/8000th of a second is available is anybodies guess, certainly not soon.

Chris

rob answers:

Congratulations on your new camera.

The “kit” lens that came with your camera is a good lens for you at this point in time.

Your main complaint seems to be camera shake. Some practice holding the camera might help. I learned long ago to cradle the camera in my left hand and grip it on the end with my right hand. Look in your Owner’s Manual and you should find a section on holding your camera.

A good option would be a monopod. Its lighter than a tripod and more easily moved about.

Although some may tell you to only buy Canon lenses, don’t overlook lenses by Tamron.

Here are a couple of books that should help you with your photography:

“Hands-On Digital Photography” by George Schaub

“How Digital Photography Works, 2nd. Edition” by Ron White

You should also READ & STUDY the Owner’s Manual for your camera. Just take it one section at a time and practice.

Good luck!

rob answers:

You can consider these beginners cameras
Nikon D3000 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002JCSV5I?ie=UTF8&tag=bestdeals-y-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002JCSV5I

Canon Rebel XS 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001CBKJGG?ie=UTF8&tag=bestdeals-y-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001CBKJGG

Pentax K-x 12.4 MP Digital SLR Camera
http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=sr_nr_i_0?rh=i%3Aelectronics%2Ck%3Apentax+k-x&tag=bestdeals-y-20&keywords=pentax+k-x&ie=UTF8&qid=1276070340

rob answers:

I have both an S1 and an S2 pro. Color rendition on the Fuji Pro’s is, to say the least, amazing! Most any review you can find on the net will tell you that image quality is superior to most other DSLR’s in the same class and even a few in HIGHER classes. You can’t go wrong with S2. I have done some pretty extensive research on the S3 and S5′s as well. I will eventually upgrade to the S3 but I don’t like the change in body style with the S5 and I have read several reports that say the S5 is fantastic for portraits of people due to it’s skin tone colors but not as good for other types of photography. I would be happy to send you some sample images if you are interested. Just contact me with an email address. Hope this is helpful! Best of luck!

rob answers:

FYI the D40 from Nikon is even smaller than the XTi/400D so if you think the XTi is small boy the D40 is a hell of a lot smaller.

Yes the 2000 used EF EOS lens so yes you can use your lenses on a Canon Rebel 300D/400D eetc.

rob answers:

The two kit lenses are quite suitable, as everyone here agrees.

You could probably do better by getting a flash head (Speedlite) rather than a lens. Flash is necessary for indoor and night shooting, but can also be used to thwart harsh shadows when shooting in sunlight. So long as she doesn’t stand too close to her subjects, the Speedlite should prove quite useful.

If you absolutely must get a lens, you could try for a ‘prime’ (non-zoom) lens such as the 50mm f/1.4. Prime lenses are often ‘faster’ than zooms and have different optical properties. In certain cases, a prime lens will give a better quality image than a zoom.

rob answers:

No DSLR is going to have such a lens mount; indeed, the last new film cameras with this lens mount were made about 35 years ago.

You can get lens adapters. I use an EOS-to-M42 adapter on my Canon DSLRs so I can use my 1960s Pentax screwmount lenses on them. Accessories, too, like closeup extension tubes. All the usual things apply: manual focus, stop-down metering, a focal length factor, if applicable.

A good lens will take good pictures on a DSLR. A DSLR will also show you exactly how bad a bad lens is.

rob answers:

Go ahead and sell them. There are plenty of people out there who will buy them. I have one Canon DSLR body that I use with an adapter. Those old FD lenses are a huge money saver. Love ‘em. And I sometimes prefer them. Having a manual focus lens makes me feel like I’m still a real photographer from the days when you actually had to know about things like focus and exposure.

rob answers:

Shaun T – really? You didn’t hear that Canon had defective material, and then they only told customers about it 2 years later?

I am a “nikoner” as they say.

rob answers:

Weird noises don’t sound good.

I’m assuming you probably have one of the Rebels. Try to put the mode on the green box. It may be on P, or Tv or something else. The green box is a fully automatic mode, not something I normally recommend but it is about as bulletproof as you can get if you are not sure what you are doing. You need to be sure your battery is charged, and that you have a memory card in the camera.

Read the manual that another person posted – it will be your biggest help.

rob answers:

Yes, you can use your old lenses.

rob answers:

Kathy,
Both brands are awesome. However, Nikon Is the best on the market at the moment with their new D90 Model offering12.2 mega pix and 720 HD video. The D90 makes a big splash in the mid/professional level. It comes with a kit lens(usually the 18mm -105mm). Cannon has some great features as well but still no hd video ability and is priced lower than Nikon. In camera editing ability are better in a nikon and download shareability is a little easier with cannon(espically when using raw format, Nikon needs special software to edit pictures taken in raw)
I have included several links. The 3rd link gives a realy nice review on both cameras.

rob answers:

There may be something on your Sensor. Or inside your lenses.

rob answers:

I am a nikon person and have had nikons since the 70′s I personally think the nikon D40 give you more for the dollar than any DSLR today. There are some that do more but you pay a good bit more. Do not let the lower megapixels concern you if you do not do very very large prints you will never notice the lower DSLR. My brother recently needs a DSLR for a class and I recommended the D40 to him So I would also say get the D40 not the D40X. The Nikon D40 does not have limited functions compared with other entry DSLR. Yes it has fewer funtioncas than a 1500 dollar camera body would. It is not a a cut down version its equal or above most any entry level DSLR.

I have a d300 and a d40 and when I am shooting for fun I grabe the d40. Its weightless, a joy to use and gives good results

If you have a bit more money the D60 give you a number of things you want. It has newer firmware and image processors, designed for the 10 mp sensor. It has an “Active Dust Reduction System with Airflow Control “. Nikon not putting a system on the D40 to deal with dust is one of the biggest drawbacks I see to the D40 ( though I think its still a great camera for the money) If you change lenses dust will get in and the camera needs a system to deal with it. With the D60 you get a VR lens. That will help with low light situations ( they may offer that now with the D40 but originally it was not) . The D60 has Adaptive Dynamic Range. Nikon calls it “Active D-Lighting,” it lets you save some highlights that my otherwise be lost. It has a newer better metering system than the D40. So you can get the D40 not the D40 x and spend the other money on lenses or a flash

Some people will want to make a big issue out of the fact that there are some nikon lenses that will not autofocus on these cameras. Right now there are “only” about 39 lenses that autofocus on these cameras. They cover the range of focal lengths. I doubt any photographer would be seriously limited with “only” this many lenses to choose from. If you want to manually focus you can more than double this and do so at a low cost. Manual focusing is easy and how we did things for decades before the advent of autofocus.

Cannon and Nikon chose to put the vibration reduction in the lens rather than the body. Somefolks put it in the camera and make of that. Yes that means you get stabilization only on lenses with that feature built in. In the body in theory it would work on every lens. But in fact image stbilization in the lens has proved to work faster and smoother with a lower impact on focus times than image stabilization in the body

In closing all the major manyfactures make good cameras. With Nikon and Canon having the largest market share. Most photographers are loyal to what they use and like. Go to the stores get them in your hand and find what you like. What fits your hand well, which has the features you want in an easy to use format

I hope this helps

rob answers:

The lenses for your EOS 35mm Canon will work just fine on your Digital EOS Canon. Just be aware that the sensor chip on the digital cameras are smaller than 35mm. Because of this, the effective focal length of each lens is multiplied by a factor of 1.5.

For example, a 50mm lens used on a Canon DSLR will give you the view of a 75mm lens. An 80-200mm becomes a 120-300mm.

To see the actual effect, bring your old Canon and your lenses into a camera store. You should be able to try your lenses on the display digital Canons and see the effect, as well as check the compatibility.
I hope this helps.

rob answers:

All EF lenses are compatible with Canon Digital SLR cameras..as well as EF-S lenses.

rob answers:

I dont think any of the camera can meet your requirements. The video part of DSLR is not that good as you think. The major problem is the focusing issue, there is no auto focus. Other issue is the battery life and memory size. 1 hr HD seems not fit for most DSLR capacity. If I were you, I will pick a SONY HD Camorder for about 2-300 dollars, those can take much better video quality and fit your need.

rob answers:

The way you decide what shutter speed, lens aperture and ISO is to use the cameras light meter.

What you have linked us to is called light graffiti. This is what you need to produce such images

* your 500D
* a tripod
* a remote shutter release
* set the shutter to bulb and lock open the shutter using the remote shutter release
* use a light emitting device like a penlight, LED or light stick
* adjust the lens aperture to control the saturation of colour

I don’t understand why you think you have to be experienced to use ANY technique.

All you have to is do some research when attempting something new.

Yahoo Search is a good tool for finding such techniques.

rob answers:

There is an issue with the 500D in that it only shoot HD at 20fps. Which will cause you no end of issues in post. The Canon T2i (550D) will shoot 24fps, which will integrate well with any of the current editing programs and you wont need to add frames in post.

People really have to get over this Emulsion based film thing. Yes 35mm looks great but most film makers cant afford to shoot on it and as I’ve said before, everything goes to a digital intermediate anyway, so by shooting digital you’re taking out a step of the process.

We’ve shot two features on DSLR’s and our next feature will be shot on a Panasonic AG-AF100. Saying Panasonic isn’t a Camera company shows a lack of understanding of what they’ve been up to for the last few decades. The AG-AF100 allows us to mount any lens package we can think of on the body and has a true 35mm sized sensor, so we won’t be having the same issues we’ve had in the past shooting on the 5D Mk2 or the 7D.

rob answers:

I don’t know that particular camera but it does have live view.

Maybe this will help:

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos500d/page9.asp

If you look at the text in the first paragraph you will see where it says this:
Live View can only be used in the ‘Creative Zone’ exposure modes (P, Tv, Av, M and A-DEP); however A-DEP becomes identical in behaviour to program mode (P).

This means that you can’t use live view in the automatic modes. You can use the P mode if you aren’t ready to use the other creative modes. It operates just like the Auto mode except that you can change some of the settings while in that mode that you can’t change in auto.

Edit-Live view has its advantages. While I do think that you can get the best composition by using the viewfinder there are times when live view can come in handy. For instance, when shooting over a crowd you can use the LCD to compose your shot. You are shooting blind without live view in that situation. But I also think that live view isn’t necessary. Just an added bonus for those few occasions when it is useful.

It is amazing that in one breath beginners are told to learn every control on their camera and in the next breath are told that they aren’t worthy if they use particular functions of the camera. Many beginners with DSLR are coming from a P&S that had live view as its only way of composing each shot. Give them some time and they will learn to love the viewfinder.

rob answers:

Canon recently announced the new Rebel T2i (550D), and will be releasing it in a few months. If you want really good video quality along with image quality then you might want to wait and get the T2i. If not, then maybe wait until the T2i has been out for a little while, and the price on the T1i (500D) might drop a bit.

rob answers:

You seem to be familiar with the difference between the 2 types of cameras, so I’d imagine you also are aware of the kind of shots you will want. Personally, I’d go For the Canon Rebel. If you haven’t already be sure to check the reviews & prices on Amazon before making a choice. The 2011 models are just starting to be released now & you can get some great deals on the older models. The XS isn’t the most current model out now for Canon. The T3i was released very recently it has 18 megapixels & a price to match. Whatever you get be certain that it allows you to expand for the future with additional lenses & accessories.

The digital SLRs or Dslrs, as they are known will provide plenty of future flexibility. The digital units or point & shoot cameras, you mention are what you will live with, since the lens they come with is the only lens they’ll ever have.

rob answers:

Amazon is legit.

Don’t buy it at any of these rip-off scam sites that are owned by George Sabato:

www.bestpricecameras.com
www.photodynasty.com
www.beststopcamera.com
www.citywidedigital.com
www.eastcoastdistributor.com
www.hellocamera.com
www.infiniticameras.com
www.infinitiphoto.com
www.infinitycameras.com
www.jandkcameras.com
www.mraccessory.com
www.razzphoto.com
www.regencycamera.com

Check out how many Better Business Bureau complaints there are (1000+). He keeps changing names to avoid ripped-off customers and to trick new customers.

Http://search.newyork.bbb.org/reports.aspx?id=12668&pid=44&page=0&FindStr=photodynasty.com&SearchBy=company&Address=&City=&Phone1=&Phone2=&Phone3=&MembersOnly=False

rob answers:

Canon & Nikon are the top guns. They offer plenty on lenses as do other 3rd parties.

But don’t buy it at any of these rip-off scam sites that are owned by George Sabato:

www.bestpricecameras.com
www.photodynasty.com
www.beststopcamera.com
www.citywidedigital.com
www.eastcoastdistributor.com
www.hellocamera.com
www.infiniticameras.com
www.infinitiphoto.com
www.infinitycameras.com
www.jandkcameras.com
www.mraccessory.com
www.razzphoto.com
www.regencycamera.com

Check out how many Better Business Bureau complaints there are (1000+). He keeps changing names to avoid ripped-off customers and to trick new customers.

Http://search.newyork.bbb.org/reports.aspx?id=12668&pid=44&page=0&FindStr=photodynasty.com&SearchBy=company&Address=&City=&Phone1=&Phone2=&Phone3=&MembersOnly=False

rob answers:

You may find this hard to believe but the full moon can be successfully photographed at f16 with a shutter speed of 1/ISO. So if you set your camera to ISO 200 you will get good exposures at f16 @ 1/200 sec.
This is because the moon is a sun lit object so photographing it is no different than photographing a meadow in full sun. You might want to try one at f16 @ 1/200 sec. At 0 EV and then one at -1/2 EV and one at -1 EV. So put your camera in Aperture Priority and set your metering to “Partial 9% at center” if you want to use the EV function. If you decide to shoot in Manual and want to use -EV then you can adjust the shutter speed (1/150 sec. Or 1/100 sec.).

To get really good moon pictures you need at least a 300mm focal length lens.

rob answers:

I just knew that someone would say to read the manual. And that is great advice. You should definitely read it-about twenty times and then it might start to make sense.

Trust me, I understand. When I got my first SLR, the manual didn’t make any sense to me. It tells you how to adjust the settings, but gives you no reasoning for what settings you should use and when to use them.

I bought a cheap book about photography and when I started to understand what the aperture and shutter speeds are, what they do, and how they work together, the manual that came with the camera finally started making sense.

Just about any book that explains expposure in an understandable way is going to help you a lot. But if you search amazon or ebay you should also find guides specifically for the xs.

Good luck finding what you need and enjoy shooting!

rob answers:

Canon Speedlite, 430EX II – $300

rob answers:

Yes, that is what buying a camera system is all about. Interchangeability

rob answers:

Yes, you’ll need a lens if you want pictures to be decently sharp and in focus.

No, you don’t need the giant lenses you see other pros use to take pictures. Those really large lenses are known as “telephoto” lenses and are used to take pictures of things far away. Professional telephoto lens can easily cost thousands of dollars.

Most beginner DSLRs come in a kit with a 18-55mm lens. This lens will be decent enough until you grasp the basics and realize the limitations of the 18-55mm lens. Professional zoom lenses will cost over $1000, so a basic 18-55mm lenses obviously isn’t as good, but it’s good enough to take good quality photos.

rob answers:

Glad to see that someone has actually done some research before asking a question here. Yes, the T3 is better. It is a newer model so has better and improved features. It has a significantly larger screen, shoots movies, larger viewfinder, better maximum light sensitivity, higher true resolution, slightly lower noise at high ISO, slightly more dynamic range and is lighter. It also fits your budget perfectly. Read this review to aid in your decision:

http://www.amazon.com/review/R161SUZUDT3WP1/ref=cm_cr_pr_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B004J3Y9U6&nodeID=&linkCode=&sourceid=md.ds&tag=famaeim-20

You can find a good deal for it here:

http://www.amazon.com/Canon-Rebel-T3-Digital-18-55mm/dp/B004J3Y9U6/ref=cm_rdp_product&sourceid=md.ds&tag=famaeim-20

I don’t know where you’ve looked but i found the 1000d to be a tad cheaper than the T3. Take a look at its price here:

http://www.amazon.com/Canon-XS-Digital-18-55mm-Black/dp/B001CBKJGG/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1324343389&sr=1-1&sourceid=md.ds&tag=famaeim-20

Hope this helps. Happy Holidays!

rob answers:

I’d buy what I know i needed just for now. The bare basics. A friend of mine was in your same situation and he spent a lot of extra money on things he never used for his camera. And idk about now but you could probably find a really good camera from amazon or obviously ebay. Good Luck!

rob answers:

Hi, i use canon but i did a little research on the S2 and i found everything you need, just click on the link bellow and you could even see and download pictures samples of that camera, have fun…

rob answers:

Hi,

Sorry – you must have the charger.

Try ebay, or Amazon, for a compatible one or your local photo store for the Canon version.

Couple of sample links below.

Be aware that using the wrong charger could cause the battery to explode!! I would always recommend the canon version to be certain.

Cheers
Charles

rob answers:

I own an XS and it does everything but suck. Where did you hear that and who’ve you been listening too. Any camera is what you make of it. Everything you do with it depends on your skills. You can make art with an XS and you can make junk with it or any other $5,000 camera – it’s all in your skill.

No, the XS is an excellent camera.

rob answers:

Hey,

Absolutely. It was great when it came out and still is. It has no useless features, isn’t heavy and is 100% made for photography.

Zoom depends on the lens. You get the basic 18-55 kit lens which goes from wide to standard (aka enough zoom).

Here’s a post called ‘Buying a DSLR, what’s important, megapixels, features, brand, price, quality and which one to buy – http://www.the-dslr-photographer.com/2009/03/which-dslr-to-buy.html

Good luck! The site has many more tutorials, tips, reviews and guides!

rob answers:

Hi Chase,

The shutter speed can be changes in Tv mode. Tv mode will let you change the shutter speed (scroll wheel) and the camera will adjust all of the other values for you manually (as far as it can). Manual mode (M) gives you control over everything.

Av mode will give you control over your aperture, and I think it is slightly more popular than Tv mode for general shooting. A low aperture value will likely automatically give you the fastest available shutter speed in that situation. Also remember you can increase your ISO to get a faster shuter speed (at the cost of extra noise).

I hope this helps,

John

http://www.flickr.com/johnhanam

rob answers:

The XTi is an excellent entry level DSLR. I have one and have thoroughly enjoyed this camera, since the first shot. That being said…

Canon shooters will tell you to “buy Canon” and Nikon shooters will tell you to “buy Nikon”. Before you buy anything, go to http://dpreview.com and compare the cameras you are interested in, side by side, and read the reviews.

Think about the availability and cost of additional lenses and other gear, when you buy a DSLR, you are buying into a system of lenses and other accessories.

Then, before you buy, go to a real camera store, (not Best Buy or Wal Mart) and handle the different cameras, try them with different lenses in the store, and buy the one which feels best to you.

(you also may want to consider waiting until mid April for the Canon XSi to come out, the kit lens has image stability)

rob answers:

All of the major brands are good. Choose a brand that appeals to you. Then you have to think about getting a spare battery, what size memory card, if you want an extended warranty, how much you can afford, what size zoom, if you want manual controls, the size of the camera, finding a reliable place to purchase it, and the list goes on and on and on…….

The first thing to realize is that almost any digital camera will take good pictures. If more people would read the manual more than once, they would be able to take better pictures. Usually, the person assumes it is the camera when it could be them not knowing exactly what to do. Just give yourself more photographic knowledge by doing more reading on the internet.

I really believe buying a camera is an individual choice.
The person needs to read alot of reviews on cameras so they can decide on the features that they really want and need.
Go to the store and hold them so you can see if they feel comfortable in your hands. If possible, take some pictures in the store to check the quality of the pictures.
I can only give a suggestion of what to look for in a new digital camera.
Good Luck

my suggestion
go to this link for help
http://reviews.cnet.com/digital-camera-buying-guide/

rob answers:

I have a rebel but bought a better model sometimes they have sales where they include a better lens, I have 2 extra lens a wide angle also bought a flash, the more you spend the more it does but most have the same starter lens and after using it you will find the limitations and want a better one it is worth getting and if you keep the same brand the lens can be used over and over so the money not down the drain so far cross my finger they not change it

rob answers:

Any of the entry-level dSLRs from Nikon (D40, older D50) or Canon (Digital Rebel XTi–which is really 10 Mpix– or the order XT) are fine for entry level amateur photography. I’d stay away from Sony, Olympus, or Pentax, as they don’t have as much lens support as Nikon or Canon do.

However, if you’re not planning on buying any extra lenses, or just plan on buying the cheap (<$250) consumer lenses, look at a super-zoom non-dSLR digicam instead. You generally still get the "fancy" shooting modes of aperture priority, shutter priority, and manual as you would in any (d)SLR. SLRs are meant for people who are going to need to change lenses on a regular basis, and know why they need to change lenses (hint: it's not just for focal length a.k.a. "zoom"). This will save you several hundred dollars, and you'll probably be just as happy.

Also, dSLRs are really designed to require (yes, require) post-processing in Photoshop or equivalent. If you're the type to take the memory card to Walgreens, Wal-Mart, Target, or wherever when it's full and just print, you're missing half of the equation that you need with a dSLR.

Of course, if you have your mind made up that you want (or need) a dSLR, I'd go with a Canon XT or XTi. The extra 2 Mpix of the XTi isn't really all that necessary, and the older XT will save you some cash.

John (AKA the "Grumpy Photographer" as someone named me once)