Hasselblad’s New 39 Megapixel Medium Format Camera – Wow!

Posted on January 21, 2006 by Lorelle VanFossen

Wow. Just Wow. The Tech News Net announces that “Hasselblad Introduces its New 39 Megapixel H2D-39 Digital Camera”. You read it right. Thirty-nine Megapixels. That’s huge.

The camera’s CCD sensor is more than twice the size of conventional 35mm camera sensors (36.7 x 49.0 mm). At maximum resolution, the images captured by the H2D-39 in Hasselblad’s proprietary 3F RAW format are 78MB large (50MB with lossless compression).

The new camera is the equivalent of a medium format (2 1/4). The full press release can be found on the Hasselblad site.

The Visual History of the Nikon Camera

Posted on October 5, 2005 by Lorelle VanFossen

We’ve told you about a history of Nikon camera site, but now we’ve found a visual history of the evolution of the Nikon Camera. I’d love to have these photographs of every Nikon camera lead to a link about the story behind each camera, but it still is great to see how one camera body led to another and another, right up to present day high powered digital cameras.

Lens Perspective

Posted on October 3, 2005 by Lorelle VanFossen

Understanding lens perspective is critical to advanced photographic studies and skills. It is the skill of learning how the lens sees. For some, the concept of photography lens perspective is simple. The wider the lens the wider the view, the longer the lens the narrower the view. Yet, lens perspective is much more interesting and important to photographers.

Lens perspective impacts what is captured and “seen” on the film, the amount of foreground and background included, and the working distance between the photographer and the subject.

Lens Perspective – What the Lens See

Wide Angle View of Alaska Mountain Range and water reflection, photography by Brent VanFossen The wider the lens, the wider the perspective. The longer the lens, the narrower the perspective. This appears to be a pretty basic statement. The more the lens sees, the more goes onto the film. The less the lens sees, the less goes onto the film.

Wide angle lenses see the whole picture. Wide angle lenses range from 50mm to 20mm or smaller, with lenses beyond 20mm, like 17mm, 14mm, and 8mm, as extreme wide angle or fish-eye lens. Wide angle lenses see a wider perspective, showing everything in the viewfinder. This means the photographer must take greater care with what goes into the viewfinder before they press the shutter.

Remember, you are telling a story with your photograph and every character in your story matters. With a wide angle lens, your angle of view includes everything in your landscape, including the garbage can, the signs, telephone poles, mountains, sky, and parked cars. If you want all those in your photograph, then fine, but if you don’t, you need to position yourself so only the subjects that help you tell your photographic story are in the picture.

Mountain Range in Alaska, longer lens zooms in on water reflection - photograph by Brent VanFossen In contrast, the longer the lens, the narrower the view. Switch to a longer lens and suddenly the garbage cans, signs, poles, sky, and parked cars don’t matter. You’ve narrowed the view to your subject, leaving out all the extraneous detail. In other words, you’ve zoomed in on the subject and now what was just a part of the overall scene is the focal point of the photograph.

Longer lenses are anything longer than 50mm such as 100mm, 200mm, 400mm, etc.

A 50mm lens, however, is considered a “normal” lens, not just because it used to “normally” come on any camera body purchase, but because it is closes to what the eye sees “normally”, which is about 55mm. If you want to photography, literally, what you see, then stick as close to a 50mm lens (35-70mm range) to capture your eye view.

Lens Perspective: Magnification

Graphic chart of lens persepctive There are reasons other than magnification to choose a particular lens. One of the most important of these reasons is the change of perspective afforded by using lenses of different focal lengths.

A wide angle lens sees a wide angle of view. The first thing people think of is that a wide angle lens will let them include more of a scene in the image, and this is true. What they don’t consider, however, is what the short focal length will do to the appearance of the subject.

If you were to make a head and shoulders portrait of your best friend using a 20mm lens, you would have to stand a distance of about a foot (30 cm) away from him. At this distance, his nose would be much closer to the lens than his ears, and so the nose would be much bigger proportionally than the ears in the photograph. This is generally not a flattering effect, and so we don’t use wide angle lenses to photograph closeups of people.

Magnify with Lenses

(Lens magnification as the photographer doesn’t move – only the lenses are changed.)

20mm

55mm

200mm

300mm

500mm

Alpine Wild Flowers, photograph by Brent VanFossen The same effect happens when we photograph flowers closeup with a wide angle lens. The parts of the flower that are closer to the lens appear proportionally bigger in the resulting photograph than the other parts of the flower, or than the other flowers in the picture. A wide angle lens will cause objects closer to the lens to appear proportionally larger in the photograph than the other objects in the picture. This is useful for separating an object from surrounding objects, making the objects appear farther apart. Wide angle lenses seem to expand space.

Telephoto lenses magnify objects. More than this, however, they affect the appearance of objects in a photograph. Using a 100mm lens to make the same head and shoulders portrait of your friend as you made with the 20mm lens, you would have to stand back about 10 feet (3 or 4 meters). At this distance, the nose and ears are all approximately the same distance from the lens, so there is no apparent distortion of perspective. The person will appear as we expect him to appear, because we’re used to seeing people from across a room. We don’t usually see people from extremely close up, and so the view from the 20mm lens seems strange to us. If there are other people in the picture, they will also appear normal.

Clarks Nutcracker - the bird behind is compressed to appear closer than it actually was, photograph by Brent VanFossen If we move to a very long telephoto lens, like a 500mm or 600mm lens, we would have to move backward 25 or 30 feet (10 meters) to photograph our friend. The magnification power of this lens is high. A person standing a few feet behind him would appear to be nearly at his side, because the difference of a few feet compared to 30 is small. The large telephoto lens has a perspective that seems to compress space, magnifying distant objects equally.

We can use this difference in perspective between lenses to our advantage. Any time we want to separate a foreground element from a background, we can use a wide angle lens. Any time we want two objects to appear close together, we can use a long telephoto.

Lens Perspective: Control of Background

The background is an important part of any photograph. A wide angle lens has a wide angle of view. That means that it will include a large amount of background behind the subject. Everything, from the mountains to the trees to the parking lot with all the cars can appear in the background of a wide angle photograph. A telephoto lens, however, has a narrow angle of view. That means that it sees a smaller amount of background behind a subject. By using a telephoto lens, we can choose the part of the background that we want behind our subject, excluding everything else. For this very reason, a 200mm lens is a much more useful lens for closeup work than the more common 50mm lens. A 500mm lens is much more useful for wildlife photography than a 200mm lens for a number of reasons, but one of the most overlooked is its ability to control the background. Control of the background is essential to good photography.

200mm lens and marmot Photography turns a three dimensional world into a flat one dimensional image. Depending upon the lens perspective, the combination of optics and focal lengths you are using, the aperture, and the distance to your subject and to the background, things in the distance can suddenly become very close when flattened into a photograph. This is usually the cause of the tree growing out of the head, when the tree is meters away in the background but the photograph is compressed so the branches look like they are growing right out of the skull.

Lens perspective is the view of the scene, including the background, that is captured onto the film through the lens. A wide angle lens sees a wider angle of view, therefore it captures a wider perspective. A long telephoto lens sees a very narrow view, therefore it captures a narrow perspective. In these three photographs of a marmot in the Olympic National Park, we kept our subject, the cooperative marmot, basically the same size in the frame. 300mm lens and marmot We’ve moved either further or closer to our subject and changed the focal length of the lens to change our background, since different focal lengths change the background perspective behind the subject. Across the valley, more than a mile away, rose a mountain with the last of the winter’s patches of snow on its steep sides. A 200mm lens, the shortest lens used in this series of photos, sees a lot of the background. You can see the snow on the far mountain, though it’s not clear if the white blobs are snow, clouds, or cartoon thoughts coming from the marmot.

500mm lens and marmot Brent changed to a 300mm lens and moved farther back from the marmot to keep him about the same size in the frame. The 300mm lens sees a bit narrower perspective than the 200mm, so the white snow is just a blurry bit in the corner. Moving even further back, Brent changed to a 500mm lens with its very narrow perspective and the white snow packs are gone and the marmot is isolated against a green background.

Using this technique and understanding how the lens “sees” and change the background perspective, you can isolate your subject against a more interesting or appropriate background by simply changing lenses. This opens up your options on background composition.

Another Background and Lens Perspective Example

Thistles using a 55mm and wide background perspective thistles using a 200mm lens and narrow background perspective In this example, we set up a dried teasal in the backyard.

A wider angle lens like a 55mm requires a close working distance to photograph the subject and, as it sees a wider perspective, captures a lot of background. We see the out-of-focus parking lot and buildings in behind as well as the green grass.

By moving backward from the subject, keeping it the same size in our viewfinder and not changing the exposure, we increase the magnification by using a longer lens such as a 200mm. Longer lenses narrow their view so you see a narrower perspective of the background.

Now, only the green grass in the background is visible, isolating the subject against a neutral and undistracting background. Using a longer lens can help you to choose your background.

Working Distance

Which Lens Took This Picture?

A photograph of tree bark. Can you guess which lens took this picture?
Either lens could have produced this image. The difference is in the working distance.
A 55mm lens needs less distance from the subject to get the same picture.
A 55mm lens requires a much closer working distance to get the exact same image.
A 200mm lens needs more distance from the subject to get the same picture.
A 200mm lens requires a greater working distance to reproduce the same image.

For most subjects in nature, the distance your camera is from the subject won’t influence the subject. But photographing insects, butterflies and such, can be difficult because they are exceptionally attentive to your location and will respond accordingly – often by escaping the situation. Being able to get close and still maintain some distance becomes critical then. Add to this the challenge of low light, and the closer you are to the subject, the greater the chance of casting a shadow.

By using longer lenses, your distance from the subject and the camera increases. This is called the working distance. Working with live creatures, this distance is critical. Either way, it’s nice to have some room between the camera lens and the subject. Here are some examples of working distance based on the closest focusing distances of typical lenses.

Lens	300mm	200mm	100mm	50mm
Closest Focusing Distance	138″	84″	42″	18″

Using a longer lens, you can maintain the subject at the same size but increase the “working distance” between you and the subject. For body heat sensitive nature subjects like spiders and spider webs, maintaining distance is critical. The same stradegy applies when photographing grizzly bears and other large and potentially dangerous creatures. The greater the working distance the safer you may be.

The greater your magnification is ehanced through the use of extension tubes and teleconveters, the more your working distance is cut. You must move closer to your subject to find the focus point.

Play around with the lens equipment you have and see how your lens sees depending upon how far you are from your subject and how big your subject is in your frame across the range of lenses. Make notes and work with the various lenses to learn how they see, so when you are out in the field, you will know automatically which lens to pick for which subject matter and working distance.

For more information on controlling the background of your subject with lens perspective, see our articles on Background Magic, Specific Crimes of Ignoring the Background in Photography, and Behind the Scenes of Background Magic.

History of the Nikon F Series Cameras

Posted on July 30, 2005 by Lorelle VanFossen

Researching an article on photography, I ran across an article written by Yokoyuki Tateno for Nikon on the The History of Nikon Cameras – History of the Nikon F Series: Nikon F4. The article literally opens the innards of the history of Nikon and the Nikon f4 camera body, using the history of Nikon’s camera development resulting in the Nikon f4 camera, one of the most successful early Nikon cameras heralded by professional photographers worldwide, including by us. We love the Nikon F4.

The Nikon camera story begins with the release of the Nikon I in 1948, while the F5, its direct descendant, made its appearance in April 1996. I think that taking a chronological look over these 50 years of history and various model changes is a fascinating task.
But what happens if you trace backwards ?
That’s what I’ve done with this article — review Nikon camera history in reverse chronological order, examining the links between models and the characteristics of each product.
Yokoyuki Tateno, Nikon Corportation – History of Nikon F Series

Understanding the reasons and technologies behind the design of a camera helps users understand how to use it better. If you are a camera equipment, Nikon or Nikon f4 fan, this is a fascinating look at the decision-making process at how the Nikon F4 was developed.

This article has concentrated on a cross-section of the F4′s development at a certain period of time, and though it may appear that it merely incorporated the specifications of the full-auto camera without modification, this is not the case.

In fact, the current F4 camera was developed through a succession of questions such as “what type of camera is needed?” and “what is the optimum camera system?”

The advanced technical challenge of the F4 camera was evident in a number of places, but this thorough and determined approach was only natural given Nikon’s attitude toward camera-making — strive for the best. If only looked at through this stance alone, the F4 is unique in that other AF SLRs were developed from a basic desire to create or fill a product niche.

The article continues in Part 2 of History of the Nikon f4 Camera and you can learn even more about the history of Nikon, an honest look at the historical facts, materials, products, and product development.

I also found an interesting summary of Nikon F4 specifications that isn’t included in the history of the camera, which is interesting in and of itself for Nikon F4 enthusiasts.

Nikkor 35mm SLR Lens History, Terminology and Technology

Posted on July 26, 2005 by Lorelle VanFossen

We’ve been shooting Nikon and Canon alternately for a long time. Brent adores his Nikon and tollerates the Canon, and I tollerate Canon, but use it anyway.

When I started in nature photography in 1975, there was little information available. Now it is overwhelming, and the Internet has expanded those resources. I was delighted to find Nikkor 35mm SLR Lens History, Terminology and Technology by Ken Rockwell which examines the technical terminology of Nikon or Nikkor lenses and equipment.

The key is to understand Nikon’s alphabet soup. Each time they add a new lens feature they usually retain the previous lens features, so the newest lenses have long lists of letters behind them. One usually can ignore the earlier letters, even though they still apply. As we will see, today’s AF lenses are still AI-s and F mount, even though they don’t always list that.

While still a work in progress, this is a fine work that takes you through the “alphabet soup” of Nikon and gives you insight into what they were or might have been thinking and doing through their lens and equipment development.

While Rockwell’s site is very old fashioned in design and layout, and cumbersome to move around, it is packed with a lot of interesting information and valuable resources. The How to Do Anything Photographic contains a list of technical articles and how tos that are very helpful and intersting.

Some of the articles are actually innovative and worthy of attention, like How to Use a Digital Camera as an External Light Meter, which should also be subtitled, “Using a Digital Camera as a Replacement Polaroid”, explaining how to take “test shots” with a cheap digital camera with a preview screen so you can “see” the results before you click the shutter on your serious camera. There are flaws in this concept, which he tackles right off the bat with “Overall camera calibration”. Excellent.

Keep up the good work, Ken.

Digital camera sales in Asia surge to record 10.6 million units in 2004

Posted on June 20, 2005 by Lorelle VanFossen

According to a news report republished on Yahoo News, Digital camera sales in Asia surge to record 10.6 million units in 2004. The article states that outside of Japan, sales of digital cameras is up almost 40 percent from the previous year. It seems that the majority of the demand for digital cameras is mostly coming from China, Australia and South Korea. It goes on to say that “India and China are expected to be the fastest growing markets for digital cameras with compound annual growth rates of 50 percent and 26 percent, respectively, from 2005 to 2009.”

That’s a lot of photographers getting into digital cameras.

World’s Largest Disposable Camera Production Facility

Posted on June 18, 2005 by Lorelle VanFossen

Growing up next to the world’s largest building on one floor, Boeing’s manufacturing plant in Everett, Washington, which grew to more than double it’s size while I grew up, I can respect large production facilities. China and Kodak have just announced that Kodak has built the world’s largest disposable camera production base in Xiamen of east China’s Fujian Province.

The new factory, covering 60,000 square meters, was backed up by investment of US$20 million. The whole production base, including an existing factory which was built in 2001, is now capable of producing 100 million disposable cameras every year.

Antonio Perez, president and CEO of Kodak, said that the building of the new factory indicated their confidence in China’s emerging market for the imaging industry. Though facing a challenge from digital cameras, Perez predicted a 7 to 10 percent of growth rate in disposable camera business…while demand for disposable cameras in China is relatively low….the majority are exported to the United States, Japan and European countries…reaching US$100 million last year.

With all these new disposable cameras coming into the market, it’s also good to know that Kodak has also announced that it has been “setting up a recycling network across the world to make use of the disposed cameras. So far, some 80 to 85 percent of disposable cameras have been recycled.”

So if you do take a disposable camera on the road, which is a great idea for the traveler traveling lightweight, remember to recycle the camera so we can increase that number to 100%.

Equipment Lust: The Hunt for the Ideal Camera

Posted on July 10, 1997 by Lorelle VanFossen

Animated graphic of a painter splashing paint on a canvas. The tools of a painter consist of paints, canvas and brushes. With paints there are thousands of colors and types to choose from: watercolor, oil, pastels, and more. Brushes are similar: nylon, horsehair, and a variety of natural fibers and synthetics, not to mention shapes and sizes. Canvases? Some like smooth surfaces, some rough, some fabric, some paper. Lots of choices. Painting is a subjective art and often taps the very soul of the viewer, so when was the last time you met a painter and asked them which brush they used?

Not a week goes by that we don’t get such an inquiry. “What kind of camera should I buy?” “I have Blank brand camera and need some lenses; what should I get?” “Should I go with a digital camera or traditional camera?” We crave discussing the hows and whys of an image, the intricate concentration and artistry to create the photograph, the use of light and shadow, the emotional connection between the subject, its environment and the viewer. But people firmly believe that the camera MAKES the picture.

The why of this is best saved for a more philosophical time. The reality is that the camera is simply a tool. It is up to the photographer to create the photograph using the best tools for the job. Let’s take a good look at the tools that help the process of nature and outdoor photography. Oh, next time you see us, ask us about the artistic nature of our work instead. We’ll have a much better chat.

It isn’t the idiot camera that makes the pictures.
It’s the idiot behind the camera that makes the pictures.
Lorelle VanFossen, from a day-in-the-life of a nature photographer instructor

Equipment Lust

Photographers and bird watchers line up at the Venice Rookery, Florida, photo by Brent VanFossen Photography is one of those hobbies where the participants have to have the latest and best. It’s as bad as car collectors. A friend of ours has 17 cameras and numerous lenses to match each one. Another friend MUST have the latest and most expensive, but barely knows how to use it. Equipment lust can get out of control and often requires long discussions with your financial advisor. The reality is that whatever you have is often “good enough”.

A camera purchased new today is a state-of-the-art computer, not just a glorified picture taker. The technical aspect of taking a photograph is the easiest thing the camera does. Today much of the problem solving of exposure is taken care of with sophisticated computer engineering. Even with all this advanced technology, with built-in flash, autofocus, motor controlled lenses and other whiz bang gimmicks, the process of taking a picture hasn’t changed much over the years.

Use What You Have

Mountaineering photographer and instructor, Ted Case, hauls his gear up the face of mountains and over rocky ledges. He can’t carry with him a vast selection of lenses. A few years ago, he decided to begin self assignments to further advance his artistic skill. “I decided to spend a day in the field with one camera and one lens. No other choices. If I couldn’t learn how this lens saw and worked, it served no useful purpose for me.” He spent a day with a 50mm lens. With a persepctive close to that of the human eye, Ted concentrated on capturing images as “he” saw them through each lens. He worked the “wide angle” aspects of the lens for scenics. Then close-up work – how close would it focus? Ted put all his different lenses through the same paces. “Suddenly these old lenses became new friends again,” he admits in his workshops. “I gained a new respect for each and a better understanding of their perspective.”

Before getting your credit card out for the hottest gimmick, take a look at what you have. Learn to thoroughly use what you have in a variety of situations. Push it to focus at its closest and farthest. Learn to see how it sees. Why can’t a 400mm lens be used as a close-up lens? Why not create scenics with it? Will it do that? How about your 17-35mm wide angle zoom as a macro lens for close up photography? Will it work? You might find you have a new respect for an old friend and gain more artistry in your photography.

Equipment Lust – User Friendly Camera

Posted on July 10, 1997 by Lorelle VanFossen

Basic Elements in Good Equipment

Graphic of photo equipment collage When shopping for a car you don’t always buy just for looks. You get in and test drive it. How does it handle? How do you feel behind the wheel? You get out and kick the tires, lift up the hood, check the trunk and storage areas. You read Consumer Reports. You even take it to a mechanic for an inspection. You want to know how it “feels” around you. How a camera feels and works with you is no different from buying a car. You will probably use it under stress-filled conditions like vacation or holidays. The last thing you need in a camera is one that you have to struggle with.

EOS Camera Equipment No matter what equipment you are considering, treat it like buying a car or house. Here are a few things to consider.

Photo Ability

While disabilities are rarely addressed in nature photography, many photographers have them. Arthritis, carpal tunnel, only one arm, missing fingers – consider your physical limitations when purchasing camera equipment, especially a camera body. Can you reach the buttons? Is it comfortable to use? Will it cause more stress or strain or even pain? Even if you are without physical challenges, make sure it fits your hand and feels good to use.

What do you need it to do?: What are your photographic interests? Landscapes, macro, wildlife? Pick equipment that enhances your abilities. Macro and close-up photography? Pick a camera with mirror lock-up and a shutter release remote connection. Choose lenses with a good grip on the manual focusing ring. Wildlife photography? Make sure the camera has action in mind with meters and indicators through the viewfinder and lenses with large apertures. Working from the car or hiking the mountains? Equipment weight may come into consideration. Think about what you photograph and make sure the equipment will help you do the job better.
How does it feel?: We spend hours with the camera in our hands and glued to our faces. How the camera feels is important. Are the buttons reachable? How about when your eye is up against the viewfinder? Is it comfortable or hard to see through? Buttons on the backs of cameras can get in the way as our faces interfere with our fingers. Do you have to keep moving your eye from the viewfinder to see indicators and buttons on top of the camera? Is the lens easy to grip? Really think about how you use your equipment and how it feels as you work with it.
What does it do?: Cameras come in all shapes and sizes and many have more gizmos on them then you can count. What do they all do? Which ones are critical to you and can you get to them easily? On a camera we used to have, you’d push a button on the left side of the lens and turn the dial on the right to control the aperture. Turn the dial alone to control the shutter. This means using that camera with two hands. Are all the knobs and buttons easy to use and accessible? Do they work together or feel awkward? If you will spend your time hunting for buttons in the field, don’t bother. Really look closely at how the camera and lenses work together, and how what combination of buttons does what.

Get Your Hands on It

Check how all the buttons and dials work. Are they all on top or some on the back? Practice using it. Can you reach all the buttons? Once you have established the purpose of the piece you are buying, it’s time to get down to the touchy-feely process. Whether you are buying mail order or from a local camera store, either borrow or rent the equipment or check it out before you invest your money. Get your hands on it. Really play with it and poke at all the buttons. Looking at what you want in a magazine is all fine, even researching it with Popular Photography, Shutterbug, and Consumer Reports is excellent to do. But unless you get it in your hands, you will never know if this is the RIGHT partner for you in your photographic endeavors.

Can I upgrade?

We’ve become accustomed to upgrading our computer software and hardware, so why not a camera? Make sure the camera will grow with you instead of you outgrowing it. Can you add a computer hookup? Graphic of a digital camera and computer disk

Graphic of a digital camera and computer disk

Will it take manual AND autofocus lenses? Can you buy a variety of lenses or are the lens choices limited? Always look to future potential and possibilities.

With the camera in your hands, put it through the paces. Does everything work as you anticipated? Does it feel good in your hand? What about accessories? Remember you aren’t just buying a camera, you are investing in a system. What are all the accessories that work with the camera? Which ones will you need? And how do other accessories like tripod work? Are they easy to open and set up? Will you spend more time fussing than photographing?

Part of the “feel” of a camera includes putting film in the camera and changing lenses and attaching gizmos to it. Make sure each process is easy and accessible for you. We run through a lot of batteries, so easy access to the battery compartment is important. Does it open easily or do you need to have a coin or special tool? How much fuss is it? We used to have a camera where you had to remove the right hand grip and unscrew a “knob” for 14 twists (we counted) before the battery compartment opened up. Is the lens easy to get on and off? Does it feel good to move all the parts? Whichever piece of equipment you are buying, make sure the motion and access to the workings of the system are easy and quick to use.

Equipment Lust – Picking a Body

Posted on July 10, 1997 by Lorelle VanFossen

Most serious cameras offer features like complete manual control and interchangeable lenses. Four features we feel set a few camera bodies apart from the crowd are an easy to read meter, depth of field preview, mirror lock-up, a 100% viewfinder, and a cable release. These are critical tools for our photography.

Meter: The most useful tool in a camera is the meter, the gauge which measures the amount of light to be captured on film. The technology for meters is amazing with its delicate and controllable sensitivity. Even with all the sophistication and technology, the “gauges” are still antiquated. Some give you a green light when the exposure is “right on” and red when it is off. Some show a plus or minus, while others list comprehensive information but only on the LCD on top of the camera. The key to a good meter is knowing how far off you are from the “right” exposure. Look for a camera that allows for reading the meter while looking through the viewfinder, with registers of 1/3 or 1/2 stop increments. These will allow you to adjust your exposure to what you want. An easy to read meter helps create the image faster and allows for precise control of exposure.
Depth of Field Preview: Most cameras today allow through-the-lens (TTL) viewing with the aperture at the widest setting. This gives a bright viewfinder image and a narrow depth of field that makes focusing easier. At the instant of exposure, the lens closes to the selected aperture and the resulting increased depth of field. If you want to see what will be sharp in the final image, you need a depth of field preview control. Only the more expensive cameras seem to have this once common control. It allows you to see and remove distracting elements before you make the final image. We find it invaluable for macro photography.
Mirror lock-up: Camera vibration is the enemy of sharp pictures. Using a tripod will make an enormous difference in the quality of your photographs, but it still won’t prevent the interval vibrations caused by the movement of the mirror at the moment of exposure. These vibrations are the worst with lenses longer than 300mm and shutter speeds between 1/30th and 1/4th of a second. The solution is to manually lock the mirror out of the way before firing the shutter with a cable release. Vibrations are minimized and sharper images will result.
100% viewfinder: Most SLR cameras on the market only show the photographer “most” of the image, not all. There is a small border around the edge of the viewfinder that is not visible, but appears on the film. Because 100% viewfinders are expensive, heavy, and technically difficult to manufacture, most cameras don’t offer them. Without the 100% coverage, we find tree limbs, small pieces of grass, or dark corners in the final photographs, even if we carefully avoided these. The 100% viewfinder is a compositional tool essential for precise control over the final image.
Shutter Release Cable: Check the camera body for a connection to a remote control shutter release. Some new cameras don’t allow for them and others use infrared wireless controls. These infrared devices require line-of-sight use, so you have to hold them in front of the camera to signal it to take the photograph. What kind of cable does it take? Is it easy to use? Long enough for you to stand back from the camera a bit? To maximize your potential for sharp photographs using a tripod with a cable release is critical.

The Manual

graphic of a camera on a slice of film We can never say this too many times: WHERE IS YOUR MANUAL?

Time and again we consult the manuals for our cameras. We never leave home without them. With the new-fangled auto/computer everything cameras, it is a requirement. We are often out in the field with a new creative concept and can’t remember how to do it. Having the manual with us, keeps us on track. When you are sitting and waiting for a ferry or the plane, or even for the moose to come strolling by, take it out and read it. You will learn all kinds of things you forgot you knew about your camera’s capabilities.

Equipment Lust – Accessories Can Make the Difference

Posted on July 10, 1997 by Lorelle VanFossen

Debby Nixon concentrates on shorebirds at Dungeoness Spit, Washington State. Photo by Lorelle VanFossen Sharpness is essential to professional photographs, and the serious pros realize the business of photography is about beating the competition. Professional nature photographer, John Shaw, explains, “Since we are all using the same film, the same cameras, same lenses, how can I compete? Most of us are even photographing the same subjects! How can I compete? By creating the sharpest photographs possible. That means carrying the heaviest tripod made!”

No camera can beat a good tripod

The key to a good photographic image is simple: Good composition, good subject, good technical skills, and sharpness. Sharp images come from only one thing: a totally and completely still camera. The only way to get your camera to hold still is by setting it on a solid foundation and using a timer or cable release. That means a good and stable tripod.

Make sure your tripod will go low enough to the ground and high enough to reach your eye while standing. Photo by Lorelle VanFossen Tripods come in all shapes and sizes. Buying a good tripod is similar to a good camera body: how does it feel, will it do the job for you, does it work with ease, and will it grow with you? A good tripod is one that is at least twice as Duane Hansen gets down and dirty in the tulips. By inverting the center post of the tripod, the photographer can get right down on the ground for a different perspective or close-up work.
Photo by Lorelle VanFossen heavy as the heaviest camera and lens combination you will use. It must come up to and a bit beyond your height, must have legs that adjust to all kinds of terrain and heights. Add to this a good tripod head and you have taken a huge step forward in improving the quality of your photography.

Lenses: The Eye of the Camera

Lenses control the view seen by the camera. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes, speeds, lengths and models. A lens is referred to by its focal length and its widest aperture (50mm f2.8, 500mm f4). The wider the aperture, the faster shutter speed. For nature photographers, a fast lens is more desirable as it allows the photographer to continue to work even in low light situations – which seem to be all the time. Nature photographers find their best subjects early in the morning and late in the afternoon when the light is dim. They find their subjects in dark forests, caves, shadows, and generally in low light situations. Therefore a faster lens allows them to work longer.

Graphic of a group of camera lens Lenses come in three different length categories: long, short (or wide angle) and normal. Long lenses (longer than 100mm) bring far away things up close. A “normal” lens is usually a 50mm lens which is close to the view the human eye sees, so it views the world as we do. A wide angle lens (35mm and smaller) views the world with a wider angle than our eye sees.

Lenses control the perspective of what we see. Wide angle lenses view the world wider than our eye sees and can expand the distance from foreground to background. Long lenses compress the background of our subjects by narrowing the field of view. By making creative choices in lens selections, we can further control the end result by manipulation of the subject’s background and perspective.

Equipment Lust – Buying Used Equipment

Posted on July 10, 1997 by Lorelle VanFossen

If you are looking for used equipment, consider buying a brand with the widest range of accessories and product line. Nikon is one of the oldest and most popular in the used market because most of the old-style lenses work on new camera bodies. Some features of newer bodies may not be functional with older lenses, but the lenses will still mount and work. Used EOS Canon equipment is harder to find because there is little available on the used market, though this will change as time passes. Many camera companies chose not to maintain compatibility with the older lenses when they switched to the autofocus and digital systems. This is common in a quickly changing industry like photography.

Hunting for used equipment can be like a treasure hunt. There are camera shows, used camera shops, the classifieds, yard sales, and all kinds of other places to find used equipment. We recommend sticking with a reputable seller and getting a warranty or at least a refund policy in writing if you can. Here are a few things to look for when buying used equipment.

Lenses

The lens is the most important element for creating your images. A camera body is just a housing for the film that controls the amount of light passing through the lens. If the lens is of poor quality or is scratched, damaged, or dirty, the quality of the image is effected. Carefully examine the outside and inside of a lens and check its functions.

Look for dents on the front of the lens body. Filters may not mount, and this is a sure sign that the lens has been dropped.
Make sure the lens focuses smoothly throughout its entire range.
Make sure other controls move smoothly and freely.
Look for polishing and cleaning scratches on the front and rear elements of the lens. Look closely for signs of any other damage.
Look through the lens. Do you see any obstructions or cracks in the internal lenses? Dust? If something is inside the lens it can mean it has been repaired or damaged in some way.

Bodies

Graphic of camera with aperture opening and closing Camera bodies come in all shapes and sizes. The older ones tend to be boxy while new ones have smoother curves, LED displays, pop up flash and lots of gadgets. Have a list with you of the elements you are looking for like depth of field, remote shutter release connection, manual override and such. When you start feeling your heart palpitating over the latest hot camera body, pull out your list and ground yourself with what you really need and don’t be distracted by fad cameras. It also helps to have a list of questions for the seller so he can help you in the process of choosing a camera.

Look for dents on the camera body, particularly on the pentaprism, as these may cause your focusing to be off.
Open the back of the body and look at the shutter. There should be no damage at all to the shutter or the film plane. Look for small scratches on the film backing.
With the back open, set the shutter speed to about 1 second and watch as the shutter opens. It should open completely. Now try different speeds. It should operate smoothly with no jerks or hesitation at any point in the process. Some newer bodies won’t allow the shutter to operate with the back open. If this is the case, remove the lens and watch from the front.
Fire the shutter at shutter speeds from about 1/4 to 1/125. You should be able to hear the differences at the various settings.
If possible, run a roll of film through the camera using different aperture and shutter speed combinations. Take notes, use one hour processing, and check for proper results.

Hunting for Deals

Camera swap meets and used camera shops are great places for finding many of the accessories you need. Many dealers will bargin with you, or give you good deals like two for the price of one, while others will offer special discounts and prices during the meet. You will usually find typical photo accessories like filters and tripods which can be found at most photo shops, but specialized equipment is often harder to find, especially if what you need must fit an older camera system. Camera swap meets might be the best place to search for these things. Some hot items to keep an eye out for include:

Tripod Accessories: There are a variety of tripod accessories worth keeping an eye out for at camera swap meets and used camera shops. The Bogen Super Clamp is a favorite of ours. It is literally a clamp that can tighten around your tripod leg close to the ground or at any angle, or to a fence, post, or any surface that will support a clamp. Screw your tripod head to the clamp’s mount and you are ready to photograph from even the most challenging positions. Also look for replacement tripod head screws, quick release attachments, and special tripod heads. Other unusual items to look for include tripod feet (for different surfaces such as snow or mud) and weights (which hang from the middle of the tripod to keep it steady even in fierce winds).
Bellows: Remember the old box cameras? Their version of a zoom lens was an accordion style box compartment between the actual glass elements and the film. Interested in ultra-macro photography? Check to see if your camera’s manufacturer ever made a bellows attachment or lens? Then start hunting for it. A few creative inventors have found ways to build mounts for fitting bellows to the newer cameras and lenses, though they often lack all their auto features. With a good hand held meter and some patience, you can manually focus to incredible closeness with these.
Flash Accessories: In addition to a wide range of flashes for your camera, look for flash accessories such as off-shoe synch cables, diffusors, extenders (extends the range of the flash “light”), filters and other flash accessories. Also look for reflectors, light discs, strobes, box lights, and other light accessories often found in a studio. Some of these can be used in a small home studio for photographing set-up shots like aquariums, insects, butterflies, and flowers. Others maybe more portable for field work.
Cable Releases: Oftentimes camera swap meets will have special deals and sales, usually they are on small ticket items like filters. But keep an eye out for shutter cable releases. These things are frequently lost while traveling or in the field, so why not find several cheap ones and buy them. Maybe they will give you a deal for three for the price of two.
Small Parts: If you have small parts on your camera and tripod which you can lose, buy some replacements when you can. Cable releases, lens covers and backs, and step-up (or down) rings are freqently lost in our travels. But we also lose more important items like the little screw that holds important parts together on the tripod, or the Bogen handle that also serves as an allen wrench to tighten the loose screws, or the little cover pieces for the flash or cable release “holes” on the cameras. After having the entire bottom of a camera clatter to the street because I was oblivious to the screws coming loose, I started carrying replacement screws. Check your system to see what little parts you might break or lose and consider buying now rather than hunting later.
Camera Bags and Accessories: I absolutely LOVE camera bags, always the first in line to test drive one. Camera swap meets are excellent places to really get some hands-on exploration of a variety of camera bag systems, especially the bag accessories like bags for lenses, flash, film, and other accessories. Look for Domke wraps on sale as these versatile squares are excellent for protecting lenses and equipment while traveling. Look for different bags for different uses such as backpack bags to carry equipment and clothing for extensive traveling, or smaller bags for a few hours out with only one camera and lens with a couple rolls of film. Think about how you use your equipment and check out the variety of bags they offer.
New Gimmicks: Camera swap meets are excellent places for the latest and bestest whatever. Sometimes these are offered by the large manufacturers, but usually these come from innovative individuals who saw a need and decided to do something about it. From these creative folks we’ve discovered the Wimberly Tripod head featuring a free-motion, swiveling suspended tripod head, excellent for bird photography. We’ve also found tripods that bend and twist into a variety of shapes, all endeavoring to support your camera in any position possible. We’ve seen lens cleaners, lens changers, film changers, film processors, all kinds of gadgets to help make the photographer’s life a bit easier, or at least a little more complicated. Keep an eye out because you never know what gimmick might indeed make your life easier.

Equipment Lust – Light Accessories

Posted on July 10, 1997 by Lorelle VanFossen

When we hit the road with our cameras, we plan carefully for all possibilities. We can’t anticipate everything, so we carry the following filters and accessories to enhance our “light opportunities”.

Filters

Graphic of a spinning filter Filters are popular accessories, but use them wisely and carefully. They enhance, affect and change the image we see through the lens. There is a lot of debate about the use of filters and the “reality” of images enhanced by them. Just remember to use filters like using spices in cooking. A small amount can make the dish but too much will spoil the meal.

Polarizing filter: A polarizer dramatically darkens the blue sky and removes glare and reflections. Rotating the filter adjusts polarization to prevent polarized components of light from passing through (thereby darkening the sky or removing reflections) while allowing normal light to pass. They darken the sky most when aimed at a 90 degree angle to the sun. Polarizers cut reflections, not just on water or windows, but on leaves, rocks and in rivers, and can enhance the color of bright colored subjects. By removing reflections, they increase the “purity” of light on a subject allowing the “real color” to come out.
Warming filter: When the human eye looks into the shade at an autumn leaf, it sees the warm, red colors of fall. The camera and film sees a cool blue tone. A filter can correct the image to appear as we perceived it. Effective for warming a “cool” image, a warming filter can enhance a sunset or sunrise or add warmth and color to flowers (red and orange tones). It intensifies natural colors to make them more brilliant. Warming filters come in a wide range of “warmth”. The 81B is a standard and popular warming filter.
Graduated Neutral Density: A graduated neutral density filter is “half” of a filter. The gray coloration on the plastic or glass is found on one half and gradually fades out to clear to the other half of the filter. This filter acts as an equalizer between a too bright sky and a too dark foreground. It is wonderful for sunsets, mountain top scenics with a dark foreground. It can be used to darken the bright sky in the background or to darken the bright rocks in the foreground by using it upside down. In addition to the graduated neutral density filter, which is gray with no color shift, graduated filters are available in several colors: Blue (for skies), Tobacco (for sunsets), Sunset colors (for sunsets) and more.

More Writing With Light

There are a few other Writing With Light we use for our nature photography, especially when working with close-up subjects such as flowers and insects.

Creative Reflectors

A reflector can be anything. With a little imagination, we have found reflectors in our hands, pieces of paper, tin foil, metalic-colored fabrics, and even sun shades for car windows. When choosing a reflector, look for “natural” colors. This may be gold or white, but don’t be afraid to experiment with pinks, purples, peaches, blues, and other colors.
A sampling of some reflectors we have found. Photo by Brent VanFossen

Diffusing Screens: A diffusion screen softens the harsh light of the bright sun and produces a cloudy day feeling. Made of a translucent material and placed between the sun and the subject, it doesn’t cast dark shadows, but simply softens and slightly cools the quality of light reaching the subject. Consider using with 81A or 81B warming filter to warm up the image. Chiffon allows a lot of light through and white ripstop nylon allows for more diffusion. Using some form of frame and prop holds the cloth away from the subject and leaves hands free to work the camera. Or have a friend hold the cloth for you.
Reflectors: Like a filter, a reflector can enhance your subject by providing more light and focusing it on your subject. It can add color, too. Reflectors can be anything from a white piece or paper to a reflective fabric. They direct the light to the subject and work like fill flash to light the side away from light source the side in shadow. They may be used with a diffusion screen to create side lighting or just to block the sun and create shade. A gold reflector adds warmth and a golden light to the subject and can make it glow. A silver reflector adds a cool white light and other colors can be used as well.
Fill Flash: While we rarely use flash, we do use it to create fill flash. This is when the flash is used at less than full power to fill in the shadows and give a more even exposure. The newer and more expensive flashes will often have a fill flash setting to allow simple control of the flash ratio.

Equipment Lust – Pack It For Keeps

Posted on July 10, 1997 by Lorelle VanFossen

Graphic of someone carrying a huge backpack up a hill I just don’t understand it. We research and plan our camera purchase, saving up for that $800 lens and $1000 camera body, giving up eating out and other frivolous expenditures to have the perfect camera. Then we rush out to the local Our Art Wolfe camera pack on the beach in California department store to spend $19.95 to carry it all. A camera bag is one of the most under-purchased pieces of camera equipment. Remember it is protecting your investment so pick wisely.

We’ve written an article going into depth about what makes a good camera bag, but here are some specifics to get you started.

What makes it a good one?

A good case is one that carries everything you need, is easy to carry, flexible, and protects your gear from itself and the elements. There are many brands, kinds and types. Many nature photographers prefer a backpack or fanny pack model rather than an over the shoulder bag as there is a lot of walking, hiking and sometimes climbing involved in nature photography.

Check the construction, inside and out: Make sure the stitching is solid and well done. Check out the fabric used. Will it be waterproof and protective of your gear? Make sure it is well built and has the features you require.
Take it for a test drive: Bring your equipment into the shop and put it all in the bag. Does everything have a place? Is it accessible for your specific needs or will you have to dig through it to get to what you need the most? Once filled with your gear, put it on. Is it comfortable? Does it fit well against your body? You may be spending a lot of time lugging this thing around so make sure you want to establish a relationship with it.

Don’t Advertise

Pick a bag that doesn’t advertise expensive equipment. The Nikon 500 f4 lens, costing about as much as a small car, comes in a heavy carrying box with metal corners and edges and tall, black letters announcing “Nikon Nikkor 500 f4 Lens” written on two sides. Put that in the closet. It only invites trouble. Find a bag which will work for you and carry everything you need. One that is too small will be annoying and one too large will get in the way and become too awkward. Fanny packs and backpacks are great. Whatever you choose, think about how you will use it, where you will take it (on the plane it must fit under the seat), and what you are going to carry in it.

Taking Your Camera on the Road

with Lorelle and Brent VanFossen

Tag Archives: camera equipment

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Equipment Lust

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Basic Elements in Good Equipment

Get Your Hands on It

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The Manual

Equipment Lust – Accessories Can Make the Difference

No camera can beat a good tripod

Lenses: The Eye of the Camera

Equipment Lust – Buying Used Equipment

Lenses

Bodies

Hunting for Deals

Equipment Lust – Light Accessories

Filters

More Writing With Light

Equipment Lust – Pack It For Keeps

What makes it a good one?

Don’t Advertise