Technical support for photography

What is a DSLR camera?

DSLR = digital single lens reflex. An internal mirror reflects the view directly from the

photographic lens into the viewfinder. When the button is pressed to take a photo, this mirror is

instantly pulled upward (this is the “clicking” or “tapping” noise you hear) and out of the way of

the shutter, which slides open to expose the imaging sensor (the digital “film”). Because you see

directly through the photographic lens, there is no need for a second “viewing” lens (as with

older camera designs), thus – single lens reflex.

Point-n-shoot digital cameras have electronic LCD viewing screens at the rear of the camera that

show a digital representation of the view through the lens. But an SLR is still the only camera

style that allows a real-time optical view through the photographic lens. This inherently allows

for faster and more precise operation of an SLR camera over other types.

Basic photography

Photographing outdoors in good daylight is EASY for any camera. I’ve seen good outdoor

photos taken with a shoebox pinhole “camera” – seriously.

Photographing indoors or at night in sub par light is CHALLENGING for any camera and any

photographer.

If you’re going to spend the money on a top-flight name-brand camera (Nikon, Canon, Olympus

etc.) then buy the same name-brand lenses, flashes etc. in order to get the best performance from

an entire camera system. There is no point to spending good money on a Nikon camera only to

stick a mediocre Sigma, Tamron, or Quantaray lens on it. Retailers like Ritz/Wolf camera love to

push off-brand lenses because their profit margins are higher on these cheaper products. But the

most important part of any camera system is the quality of the glass in the lenses. Don’t skim on

the glass to spend more on the electronics. As a general rule, DSLR cameras lose more than half

their value in the first year; while quality, name-brand lenses often sell years later on the used

market for 80% or more of their original purchase price.

The number of megapixels a camera utilizes is nearly meaningless as a measurement of the

effectiveness of the camera or the quality of photos produced by it. Any camera with 4

megapixels or better is more than enough for any photograph printed 12x18 inches or smaller,

and many 4 megapixel images can be printed as large as 2 foot x 3 foot if properly exposed and

in sharp focus.

Image sensor size

Full frame (FX) - 24mm x 36 mm – size of “35mm film” and “full-frame” (Nikon FX) digital

camera sensors ( )

Half frame (DX) - 15.6mm x 23.7mm – approximate size of all other Nikon DX and Canon EOS

DSLR camera sensors. On most DSLRs, lens focal length must be multiplied by 1.5 to correlate

to a “35mm equivalent” focal length.

4/3rds digital sensor – an “aspect ratio” used widely in point-n-shoot digital cameras. Olympus,

Sigma, and other companies began a push to standardize all DSLR sensors to this size so that

lenses could be shared across platforms. But this movement has not caught on or been adapted

by the two largest DSLR manufacturers (Canon & Nikon). If you own a 4/3rds DSLR camera

you multiply its stated focal length by 2 to arrive at the 35mm film-equivalent field of view. So a

14mm lens on an Olympus camera has the same field of view as 28mm lens on a 35mm film or

“full frame/FX” digital camera

Typical focal lengths

“Normal”

FX - 50mm

DX - 35mm

“Wide-angle”

FX – range between 24mm-35mm

DX – range between 17mm - 24mm

“Extreme wide-angle”

FX - 14mm – 20mm range

DX - 12mm

“Portrait”

FX - 70mm to 125mm range

DX – 50mm to 85mm range

“Telephoto”

FX – 135mm – 300mm range

DX – 90mm – 200mm range

“Super-Telephoto”

FX – 300mm and up

DX – 200mm and up

“Field sports” – football, soccer, baseball etc. when shooting from sidelines

FX – 300mm to 600mm range

DX – 200mm to 400mm range

“Gym sports” – basketball, volleyball etc. when shooting from sidelines – extremely large

apertures (f2.0, f2.8) are required in order to bring in enough available light at fast shutter speeds.

FX – 50mm minimum (for head-to-toe composition if close to basket or net) up to

400mm (to capture close up photos on other side of the court)

DX – 35mm minimum up to 300mm