Photography Magazine

Pentax corporation once more proved itself to be a distinguished photo equipment producer. Pentax has announced about a new DSLR camera Pentax K20D.

The new camera is not just an upgrade of the previous model K10D. K20D has included in itself the newest technologies.
Specially for this camera a 14,6 mega pixel matrix was developed with a size of 23,4×15,5 mm. The main advantage of such matrix is a much better ability to perceive diagonal light rays. It will allow getting better results when shooting with a wide-angle lens and also when using film camera lens that are so popular about Pentax.

New camera is equipped with a Pentax SR (Shake Reduction) system that in many cases will spare photographer from using a tripod or flash. The most valuable thing is that the built-in stabilization system works with all types of Pentax lenses and with all types of threaded lenses attached through lens adapter.

The absolute novelty of Pentax is the Dynamic Range Enlargement technology is used in K20D. It optimizes the dynamical range that allows achieving details clearness in light and shady areas of the picture. The brightness range has grown one EV-level up in the new camera. This will sometimes free a photographer from making doubles in the search of best exposure compromise.

Most photographers really appreciate a possibility of shooting without paying too much attention to the camera. They would be excited to know that Pentax equipped K20D with a LCD screen with the Live View feature. Now you can frame the picture using not only pentaprism viewfinder.

All these features and newest technologies are “packed” into the famous Pentax dust and moisture protected box. Pentax K20D is a camera that will help a photographer to get a high quality picture with a possibility to add some effects in a rather unhurried mode of shooting. Although the speed of Pentax K20D – 3 frames per second – is quite enough for most of professional reporter needs too.

  

The Year 2007 was very successful for such photo equipment giants as Nikon, Canon and Pentax. Their new digital cameras made many professionals to sell their old distinguished cameras to second-hand market. But not many people noticed new small Olympuses. And really unjustly. Mature professionals remember these compact film SLRs and rate them high for a lens quality, small weight and usability. Today to take their place came a line of DSLRs that will definitely add much fame to this brand. The newest Olympus camera is Olympus E-510. Here is its visit card: sensor format – 17.3X13mm (noticeably smaller than all the 10 Mega pixel rivals, this camera although doesn’t really loose in quality of pictures but allow to lower the lens weight significantly). The Live View mode allows framing a picture using digital screen that is new for the leaders of the market and makes such cameras much more expensive. The stabilization system of Olympus E-510 lets you shoot from hands on exposures that are 3-4 steps more continuous than regular. The ultrasound wave filter that protects your camera from dust is built in. Camera is also equipped with a new graphical processor. Shoot speed – 3 frames per second.  

The camera will really suite both a professional and an amateur photographer. And even more likely an amateur because of its price. Olympus E-510 with two very good lenses will cost you not more than a thousand dollar. 

“And what about the lens?” - you will probably ask. People who once used the lens of the Zuiko trade mark will probably say: perfect lenses! We’ve got a zoom lens 14-42 mm – light, compact, comply with 28-84 mm film one (for a remark – the crop factor of Olympuses equals 2). The second one is a zoom Zuiko 40-150 mm complies with 80-300 mm film zoom lens. For most types of shooting these are more than enough.  Although the Olympus engineers thought different and have developed lenses of the “TOP PRO” class. Its price is not low but the quality is corresponding… On the point of view of the author the Olympus professional zoom lenses gathered in itself the sharpness of Zeiss lenses with the flexibility of the Pentax lenses. Anyway to try once is better than to read 100 times.

>>BestSelling Cameras<<

The photographers using the digital equipment sometimes get really disappointed when in some very hot moment they get the “Memory Card Full” message on their LCD display.

Such a situation is almost impossible if you become an owner of the new professional digital camera - NIKON D3. For the first time, leaving behind the rivals, Nikon offered to its admirers a new camera (full-format) that is equipped with 2 slots for Compact Flash memory cards. For press photographers and those who take many photos in a very high pace this option is a must.

 

And now, here is some information about technical parameters of the new camera. D3 is equipped with full format (36 x 23.9 mm) 12.1 mega pixel CMOS matrix. The speed range is from 200 to 6400 ISO. The speed of shooting is also very high – 9 shots per second and camera can even perform faster, shooting 11 shots per second when working in DX (24 x 16 mm) format.

The camera start up time is also very low. It takes D3 only 12/100 of a second. This option is much faster than in its predecessor D2Xs for 8/100 of a second. Also camera is equipped with a HDMI interface, high quality 3-inch LCD monitor that allows using a Live View mode.

NIKON D3 is produced inside of a strong body made from magnesium alloy and has a very good protection from dust and moisture. In other words the camera is a very reliable and fast photo device that is created for a demanding and straight-out professional. With appearing on the market of a full-format DSLR the professionals received an alternative to the full matrix Canon 5D camera. The Nikon D3 is a modern and very fast camera but of course at a higher price. The comfort and speed always cost money, doesn’t it!?

Since the launch of digital camera, enjoying photography has become a common hobby. Digital cameras are easy to use and affordable. Amateurs have started to use digital cameras more often while professionals use the DSLR or digital SLR.Cameras as we all know, is used for recording images. Point-and-shoot cameras record still images, video cameras are used for recording movements as the name suggest while digital cameras can record both still images and moving pictures. They have become popular because you can capture various emotions, colors, motions and much more.The most commonly used still camera is the 35 mm and it gets its name from the 35 mm film that is used. A basic camera digital or point-and-shoot consists of primarily six basic components. The components are: •

• Viewfinder 

The viewfinder enables a photographer to see the subject. There are basically two types of camera viewfinders. The first type will allow you to look through the lens of the camera while the other will enable you to view at a plane parallel to the camera lens. Viewfinders are there in all single lens reflex (SLR) cameras, point-and-shoot cameras and a few digital cameras.  

 

• Focusing mechanism

SLR and DSLR cameras have another mechanism called the focusing mechanism, which is normally not there in Point-and-shoot cameras. Normally you can focus well using the viewfinder itself but SLR has focusing meters. The second option is to pick up a camera with a removable prism. Professionals also use the Hartmann Mask for focusing purposes. Hartmann Mask was initially devised and used for telescopes. Most cameras these days have auto focus mechanisms that have made focusing much easier.

 

• Shutter

The camera shutter is a device that enables light to enter through the lens for a small period of time to enhance the exposing of photographic film. There are two positions for fitting camera shutters: The different types of shutters used in modern day cameras include leaf shutters, diaphragm shutters, focal plane shutter, projector shutter and central shutters.

 

 

 

• Lens

This is considered to be the most important part of the camera. It is a far more important than the glossy dials and other advanced features that are a part and parcel of modern day digital cameras. A basic camera lens comprises of multiple elements that will help you to add a creative element to your photography. The multiple elements in a camera lens help in directing light to the camera sensors so that it can get a high clarity of the object being shot. The main aim of the lens and its multiple elements is to reduce any kind of aberrations. One of the frequently faced problems is that of chromatic aberration, which can lead to blurring and difficulty in color alignment. This problem arises when the lens is of poor quality.The second most important aspect of a lens is the focal length. The focal length helps in determining the magnification of a subject. It plays an important role in SLR or DSLR cameras. If you buy a wide angle lens then the focal length will be smaller and for a tele-zoom lens, the focal length will be larger. Apart from this, focal length of a camera lens will also determine the depth and the perspective of any image. Here are the different types of focal lengths commonly used in SLR cameras:

Focal Length between 21-35mm: Wide Angle lens: This is used for landscape photography

Focal Length between 35-70mm: Normal lens. It is used for standard/hobby photography

Focal Length between 70-135mm: Medium Telephoto: This is mostly used for Portraiture

Focal Length between 135-300+ mm: Tele Zoom. This is used for wildlife, nature, birds and sports photography

 

• Body

The body of the camera helps in limiting the amount of light that exposes the sensitive film.

 

 

 

 

 

• Films

 

 

 

 

Films are used mostly in SLR and point and shoot cameras. There are different types of films available in color or black & white. Color films include slow films (25-64 ISO), medium films (100-200 ISO), fast films (400-1000 ISO) and ultrafast films (1600-3200 ISO).

There are many other independent and well as in-built parts, which play an important role in the final composition but are considered as secondary factors.

 

The digital camera revolution has changed the entire process of photography and has in fact made it easier for even amateurs to enjoy wildlife or nature photography to the fullest. One of the salient points is that a digital camera can take still photographs as well as record movement through its video capability.

There are different types of digital cameras available in the market and some are for amateurs while others are for purely professionals. Most of the digital cameras in the DSLR (Digital single lens reflex) range are for professionals. Some of the amateur digital cameras are available in compact body offering high resolution like 10MP (mega pixel), 6X digital Zoom and up to 14x optical zoom. Amateur digital cameras like the Canon S3IS or S5IS offers almost 12x (36-432mm equivalent) optical zoom, Optical Image Stabilizer, 6.0 Megapixel CCD, 30fps VGA movies with stereo sound and photo in movie feature, DIGIC II, iSAPS and Flexizone AF/AE for fast, precise results and 2.3 fps continuous shooting, High ISO Auto and ISO 800 for low light flexibility and Widescreen (16:9) recording. These features make it almost a PRO digital camera that has been marketed for amateurs who want to take pictures like professionals do.

The main difference between a professional digital camera and an amateur one lies in the performance. Most of the professional cameras like the Nikon D40, the Canon EOS400D, Olympus E510 etc. The performance depends on the lens of the camera, which can be changed according to the requirement in a professional camera as opposed to an amateur camera. In a professional camera you can change the lens from a 18-55mm standard lens to a 35-350mm zoom lens for wildlife or sport photography. This is not possible in amateur cameras as they don’t support multiple lenses.

Other differentiating factors include the various technical aspects of the professional or amateur cameras. Professional cameras have a high burst rate, vertical grip, and even a direct plug for attaching studio lights and all this can be used without an adapter. The amateur camera is not as detailed and is mostly for photography that is restricted within a boundary like the streets, close-ups, portraits, family photos etc. Due to the high technical ability of the professional camera, they are available with a high-end price tag as opposed to an amateur camera, which you can buy for as less as $150.

Most professional high-end cameras range from 8 MP to 16 mega pixels. For example, the Canon EOS 400D has a 10.1 Megapixel CMOS sensor and DIGIC II processor that renders colors to images with a high precision, speed and accuracy thus making the photograph look almost life-like. This component is missing in amateur digital cameras.

Amateur digital cameras are known as multipurpose cameras, which you can slide into your pocket and carry anywhere you want and click pictures almost anytime. The difference is that you might not get the same amount of clarity and quality as in professional cameras. Even at a higher ISO, your amateur digital camera will click an image with grains. This is not the case with a pro digital camera like the Nikon D40X.

There is one last differential element between the amateur digital camera and the professional digital SLR and this is the capability of metering. Metering is an option that you will find only in PRO cameras and this enables a photographer to choose the color, the intensity of light, shadows, darkness etc while taking an image of the subject. The truth is that if you are planning to become a professional photographer then start with an amateur digital camera or a analog SLR and then learn the ropes slowly before diving into the PRO or the big league.

 

There are different types of film cameras but primarily two types of cameras that is most commonly used by amateurs and professionals. The point and shoot camera uses films and are used mostly by amateurs and by people who treat photography as their hobby. The SLR or Single Lens Reflex is a PRO camera, which has captured the imagination of the audience for decades. From the cover of National geographic magazines to Moose Petersons captivating wildlife photography, the SLR has been a long companion of the professional photographers.

The Point and Shoot camera
The point-and-shoot camera is a compact camera, which has been designed primarily for simple and easy operation. Most of the point-and-shoot cameras use autofocus for focusing. For example: if there is a deep cloud cover then the autofocus balances itself and when you take the picture, the flash goes off judging that the subject will require light. The flash unit in a point-and-shoot camera is always in-built and unlike the SLR, they can be used effectively indoors as opposed to outdoors. They have been the best selling cameras ever.One of the most important distinguishing factors of the point-and-shoot cameras as opposed to the SLR is the fact that as a photographer the image that you will see through your cameras viewfinder is not the image that will pass through the primary lens of the point-and-shoot camera. The image that you see through the viewfinder will pass through a separate lens.On the other hand in SLRs, there is a mirror and a single lens. The mirror will divert the image from the single lens to the viewfinder and the mirror will retract when you take the picture so that it can be recorded on the camera film.

Other Camera Types
Apart from the point-and-shoot camera, there are other types of cameras too that uses films and they include the Polaroid camera, the box camera, the rangefinder camera, the TLR (Twins lens Reflex), SLR (Single Lens reflex) and disc cameras. Out of all of them, only one is in effective use and that is the SLR or the Single Lens reflex.The first SLR produced for commercial use was on May 20, 1949 and it was developed by Contax S. The primary feature of the SLR was the roof pentaprism used for eye-level viewing. The first SLR cameras ever sold were the large format SLR cameras and they were sold around 1884. One of the most popular 35 mm SLR models around that time was the Ihagee Kine-Exakta. One of the remarkable SLR cameras of the 19th century was Alpa, a Swiss made innovative camera that greatly influenced Japanese cameras. The Japanese modified their cameras and around 1952 Asahi developed the Asahiflex and later launched it in 1954 as the Asahiflex IIB. Three years later Asahi Pentax developed the fixed pentaprism as well as the right-hand thumb wind lever. They were followed by brands like Canon, Nikon, and Yashica around 1959.The single-lens reflex (SLR) camera uses viewing pentaprism and automatic moving mirror system. This is situated right between the film plane and the lens of the SLR. Its job is to direct the reflected light from the image of the subject to the viewfinder lens. The photographer can compose the final image by adjusting the focus manually. Once the focus has been adjusted, the photographer can release the shutter to expose the film.The various optical components in an SLR camera comprises of:

• Reflex Mirror at 45 degree angle
• Front-mount Lens (4 element Tessar design)
• Focal Plane Shutter
• Condenser Lens
• 35mm Film or Sensor
• Focusing Screen
• Eyepiece (can have diopter correction ability)
• Optical Glass Pentaprism (or Pentamirror)Although the SLR has been extensively used for defining color and imagery with optimum accuracy levels, it is on the verge of replacement especially with DSLR (Digital Single Reflex Lens) cameras, which have become a hot commodity for professionals.

If you are taking photos using Pentax photo equipment then you surely mentioned an important event: the market entrance of the DSLR camera Pentax K10D. The new camera has a new image processing unit, a quality screen, built-in camera stabilization system. The last thing is especially important for those people that have Pentax lenses including the middle format ones. They can be used with the new camera through the original adapter and stabilization system will work in that case properly.

One more advantage of the Pentax K10D – a very serious dust and moisture protection of the camera. And it is a good surprise that this option that is rather expensive in the concurrent cameras didn’t make K10D much more expensive. What is also interesting is an option of turning camera into the mode of RAW format photo. It is performed by simply pushing a button that is very conveniently situated on the camera body. The new camera seems to be able to give back to the producer its previous high reputation on the photo equipment market. The proof for it is the high prizes, that Pentax K10D received. In the nomination “Best SLR of 2007” Pentax K10D got “Oscar” in the photo market of the European press-association version TIPA (Technical Image Press Association). The camera also attracted the publishing house of the American Photo Magazine that called Pentax K10D a best digital SLR camera for experienced amateurs. The experts and employees of the magazine approved the camera to be “Camera of the year” and gave their preference to it against to Nikon D80 and Olympus EVOLT E-510. But not only in Europe and US the K10D had a great success. In its native country, in Japan, it received a Camera Grand Prix prize. This very honorable prize was given to Pentax K10D by 10 best photo journalists of Japan under aegis of the professional magazines club of the country.