Thomas Pitera Photography

Part 2 of Photography Savvy’s “Digital SLR Buying Guide” continues with more answers to common questions from first-time DSLR buyers. This section talks about why the megapixels don’t necessarily matter and some of the differences between RAW and JPEG images.

How many megapixels are enough?

People often assume in digital cameras that more megapixels (MP) means a better image. While this is true to an extent, all megapixels are not created equal. If you compare a point-and-shoot camera with a DSLR that have the same amount of resolution, the DSLR is going to have superior image quality, especially when you start getting into higher ISOs. Even if the DSLR has a lower resolution, because the sensor is larger, the pixels are also larger. This means you are capturing more information in each pixel and getting a higher quality image.

I’ve personally seen prints as large as 24″x36″ from a 6MP DSLR that look absolutely gorgeous. Even though most of the DSLRs on the market are around 10MP+, I wouldn’t get too worked up on the megapixels because anything at least 6MP should be more than adequate. Of course if you plan to do a lot of cropping or image manipulation, then a higher resolution may pay off so you have more cropping freedom and more data to work with.

Should I shoot JPEG or RAW?

This is a question that could take up an entire article itself, so I’ll try to keep it simple. For someone who is just starting out, especially if you’ve never used an SLR, I would strongly recommend shooting JPEG. With JPEG you can immediately print the image or e-mail it to friends and family without having to go through any processing software. As long as you had the camera set the way you wanted (or let the camera take care of the settings), JPEG will be fine. The other reason JPEG makes more sense for a first-time user is you can get a lot more images per card, so you have more freedom to shoot and familiarize yourself with the camera.

To put it simply, a RAW image contains the original uncompressed data from the sensor along with metadata containing information such as the camera settings. When you import the RAW image into your manufacturer’s conversion software, you have the ability to change some of these settings after the fact. For example: say you went from shooting inside to outside and forgot to change your white balance from the tungsten setting. Or let’s say you were taking some family pictures but left the color settings in the vivid setting. In JPEG you would be forever stuck with images that had a horrendous blue cast or very yellow skin tones. With RAW you could go into your software, open the image, and simply change the white balance or color mode after the fact.

The biggest advantage to RAW is you can make changes like these as many times as you want and never affect the original image. With most RAW conversion programs, any changes you make to the original settings are applied as an “instruction set.” This means the changes you make are non-destructive, and you can always revert back to the original image you shot. For a lot of photographers, this can be an extremely powerful tool.

RAW does provide a lot of advantages, but it also requires a lot more work. In order to share or print your photos, you have to open and convert them through RAW editing software. Generally your camera manufacturer provides you with the software to do so but sometimes only provides basic controls. There are a number of third-party conversion programs (Adobe Camera RAW/Lightroom, Aperture, Phase One Capture One, Bibble, etc.) but a lot of these ignore the in-camera color settings and provide their own default conversions. Also, RAW images generally take up about double the amount of space compared to JPEG files. This means you not only need more memory cards, but also more space on your hard drive. As you familiarize yourself more with the camera and post processing, RAW can easily become your best friend. For someone just starting with a DSLR, JPEG should suit all of your needs.

Missed Part 1? Check it out here.

Check back soon for Part 3 of Photography Savvy’s “Digital SLR Buying Guide.”

Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) cameras are the fastest growing segment in the digital camera market. Manufacturers have made the latest generation of DSLRs more enticing by making them smaller, lighter, and more user friendly. That coupled with the drop in prices has convinced everyone from scrapbookers to advanced amateurs to switch over. This four-part guide is an overview about what to look for in a DSLR and answers common questions for first time buyers.

Is it easy to use?

A common misconception about a DSLR is that there is a much higher learning curve. Most of today’s entry level to advanced amateur DSLRs offer the same amount of automation found in a compact point and shoot camera. In other words, if you are the type of user who only uses the fully automatic modes then you can continue to do so. Most first time users will find that DSLRs are not only easy to use but they get rid of that annoying delay between pictures found in compact cameras.

Some 35mm SLR users are also reluctant to make the switch because they fear that they will have to re-learn everything for digital. The core functions of exposure (aperture, shutter, and ISO) are exactly the same as they were on film. Even though there are some “new” functions, most of them are designed to make it easier to get the shot you want. A perfect example is white balance: instead of having to buy color correction filters or film, you can simply tell the camera the type of light you’re in and it will correct it. Users may be intimidated by the different file formats (more on that later) and having to edit everything but to put it simply: if you don’t want to edit the images you don’t have to. You can shoot everything in the camera and then take it to your lab to get processed just as you would with 35mm film. The best part is you only have to print the ones you want.

Will my 35mm lenses work?

If you own an autofocus 35mm SLR then it is very likely that your lenses will work. Canon, Nikon, Pentax, and Minolta (now under the Sony brand) all use the same mount for their DSLRs as they did for their 35mm autofocus camera. In the case of Pentax and Nikon you might be able to use some of the manual focus lenses with some restrictions depending on the model. The easiest way to find out if your lenses work is to bring them down to your local dealer and mount them on the camera.

There is going to be a slight change to your 35mm lenses when using them on a DSLR body. When using your lenses the field of view will be 1.5 times (1.6 in the case of Canon) the given focal length. The reason for this is the size of the sensors in most DSLRs are smaller than a piece of 35mm film. These sensors are called “APS-C sensors” because their size is approximately that of a piece of APS film. What this means is if you are using a 50mm lens on a DSLR body, the equivalent field of view of that lens in 35mm terms would be 75mm. There are some cameras on the market that offer a chip that is the size of a piece of 35mm film called a “full frame sensor.” This size sensor is only found in professional cameras like the Canon EOS 1Ds (not 1D) and 5D series, and the Nikon D3.

An important thing to keep in mind is having an APS-C sensor size does not make your lenses longer. You are simply seeing the center portion of the image circle which narrows your field of view. This will help you on the telephoto side but hurt you on the wide side. That means if you have a wide angle lens, you might need to buy a new lens to get that same field of view. Below is an example of what a wide angle lens would look like on a full frame camera vs. an APS-C sized sensor.

14mm Lens: Full Frame Sensor Field of View vs APS-C Sensor Field of View.

If you have lenses, I recommend bringing them to a local dealer to evaluate whether or not it is worth your money to keep using those lenses or to upgrade them. If you just have the kit lens from your 35mm camera (usually a 28-XXmm), I would recommend upgrading it to the kit lens included with the DSLR because it’s most likely going to be designed to give you a better starting range than what your old lens would provide. Lens choice will be discussed further in the guide.

Check back soon for Part 2 of Photography Savvy’s “Digital SLR Buying Guide.”

Accurate white balance is an important part of digital photography. Getting a correct white balance can save you from spending an unnecessary amount of time on color correcting. Even though the auto and preset white balance functions in today’s cameras are very sophisticated, they sometimes produce inconsistent results. This is especially true when shooting in mixed lighting conditions. That’s where the ExpoDisc can save you a considerable amount of time.

Custom white balance is usually performed by having your subject hold a white or gray card, filling the frame with the card, and taking a reference photo so your camera can determine a neutral white point. The problem with using a gray or white card is you have to be sure it is evenly lit with no reflections or shadows to get an accurate reading. Also, only the most expensive white/gray cards are actually calibrated to be color neutral. The biggest problem is the fact that you may not be able to have your subject hold this reference card.

The ExpoDisc simplifies the entire custom white balance process. The way it works is it turns your camera’s reflective white balance capability into an incident white balance tool. Instead of having your subject hold a white or gray card for reference, you simply attach the ExpoDisc to your lens, point it in the direction of where you are going to take a picture, and perform a custom white balance like you normally would. If you are using a RAW workflow, you can also take a reference shot with the ExpoDisc and perform a batch custom white balance once you import the photos into your editing program of choice. Either way, it saves you a considerable amount of time removing unwanted color casts.

Where the ExpoDisc really shines is shooting in mixed lighting conditions. Here is an example of a room that has a mixture of sunlight and tungsten light. You can see that the auto white balance produces a slight blue cast to the image while the ExpoDisc is more representative of real life.

Auto White Balance vs ExpoDisc Custom White Balance

The ExpoDisc is available in standard filter sizes ranging from 52mm to 82mm. My recommendation would be to buy the ExpoDisc that corresponds to the largest size lens you have or plan to get. There is also a Portrait ExpoDisc available that adds a warming effect to the image. This might be a better alternative if your primary focus is people, weddings, or portraits. Personally I chose the neutral ExpoDisc because I like to add any warming post process so I have better control over the degree of how warm the picture is.

You can find more information at ExpoDisc.com.