SnapShot Archives - 02/26/2000
SNAPSHOT - PHOTO NEWS FROM BETTERPHOTO.COM
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Welcome to SnapShot, the weekly newsletter on the art
of photography from http://www.betterphoto.com
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IN THIS ISSUE
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Saturday, February 26, 2000
* SPOTLIGHT: Submit Your Wedding Photos to OnlinePhotoContest.com
* BETTERPHOTO: Best of Internet Award from Britannica.com
* BETTERPHOTO: Coming Soon... A BetterPhoto Contest
* WEB NEWS: Explore Frans Lanting's Excellent Book, Eye to Eye
* WEB NEWS: Going, Going, Gone... Kodak DC120 and Bogen Tripod at eBay
* WEB NEWS: FotoTips.com features one page of excellent tips
* WEB NEWS: Three Days Left to Enter Agfa's "Nightlife" Contest
* THIS WEEK'S TIP: Optical vs. Digital Zooms
* PHOTO Q&A: Bias Against Minolta?
* PHOTO Q&A: Losing Details in Dark Faces in a Bright Environment
* PHOTO Q&A: Indoor Sports Photography
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IN THE SPOTLIGHT
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OnlinePhotoContest.com's February/March Categories
Win up to $5000 with OnlinePhotoContest.com. This month's main category is
Weddings. Others include: Hot Air Balloons; Preserving History - Old Photos;
Baby Animals; and Photographer's Choice. With no fee, this is well worth it:
http://www.onlinephotocontest.com
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WHAT'S NEW AT BETTERPHOTO.COM
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Best of Internet Award from Britannica.com
Britannica.com has chosen BetterPhoto.com as "the best on the Internet when
reviewed for quality, accuracy of content, presentation and usability." We
knew we're doing some things right but it always helps to hear it from
someone else!
http://www.britannica.com/
Coming Soon...
BetterPhoto.com will soon be hosting an online photo contest!
Stay tuned for details...
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PHOTOGRAPHIC HAPPENINGS ON THE WEB
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Explore Frans Lanting's Excellent Book, Eye to Eye
PDN, Nikon, and Mr. Lanting have teamed up to produce a substantial and
exciting look at "Eye to Eye," likely one of the best coffee table books you
will ever see. In the preview, you can explore many of the awesome photos
from this incredible wildlife photographer. You can also hear or read
comments about each shot as well as facts and characteristics about each
animal portrayed. The site is highly recommended and the book itself is even
more recommended.
http://www.pdn-pix.com/franz_front.html
Buy the book at Amazon.com for only $27.99:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/382287745X/graphiqueA/
*****
Going, Going, Gone... Kodak DC120 and Bogen Tripod at eBay
Spring is on the way and we are auctioning off a very cool digital camera as
well as a professional tripod. The Kodak DC120 comes with a hard Pelican
1200 case and features 1280 x 960 resolution, flip-up color display, and 3x
optical zoom with macro. The Bogen tripod consists of 3021 legs and a 3030
head and features easy clamp system, quick release, and the ability to get
close to the ground. Includes carrying strap and soft padding.
KODAK DC120 Zoom Digital Science Camera (currently at $99):
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=269656588
Bogen Complete Tripod - 3021 Legs w/3030 Head (currently at $62):
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=269624776
*****
FotoTips.com
Check out this page of quick tips. I agree so completely with each of them,
I feel I could have written them myself ;^)
http://www.fototips.com
*****
Three Days Left to Enter Agfa's "Nightlife" Contest
Prizes include a Canon EOS 50, Agfa digital cameras, and film. They are
looking for funny, colorful, interesting, or atmospheric images of whatever
"nightlife" means to you:
http://www.agfanet.com/en/cafe/contest/
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THIS WEEK'S TIP
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From Ofoto.com: On optical zooms vs. digital zooms -
"Optical zoom means a camera has a genuine telephoto lens mechanism that
moves back and forth to let you get a photo that is 'close to the action'
even when you have to stand far way. Digital zoom is really just a marketing
gimmick. All it means is a portion of the area your camera can photograph is
cut out and enlarged. It looks bigger, but you are actually getting a worse
picture because less pixels are contained in the image (see our feature
story below). In a nutshell, don't buy a camera that only has digital zoom,
and if you have a camera with digital zoom, don't use this feature."
http://www.ofoto.com
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CAMERA AND PHOTOGRAPHY Q&A
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Q. Hi - I like your Web site but I have a Minolta camera and feel left out.
Seems you never recommend them. Is there something wrong with them?
A. No, Minolta cameras very good; it is just that our experience with them
is limited. Some BetterPhoto members have written about their favorite
models, such as the 400si or 800si. I have tested their SLR-style $5K RD
digital camera and was impressed with the quality per price value. Don't
feel left out... just keep writing as many comments about them to get their
exposure up; you have many fellow members shooting with them ;^)
Minolta 800si SLR Body:
http://www.betterphoto.com/product/productDetail.asp?productID=459
Minolta RD 3000 Digital SLR Deluxe Camera Kit:
http://www.betterphoto.com/product/productDetail.asp?productID=419
Respond to this question:
http://www.betterphoto.com/QnAredirect.asp?threadID=444
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Q. I will be spending March and April in the South Pacific and want to take
slides for future magazine publication (I hope). I have been there before
(using print film) and a problem I had was capturing people's faces. They
are very black and the environment is so bright. I use a Minolta 600si with
a puny flash that does help on the face problem if I'm close enough. What
film do you recommend? I am leaning toward Fuji Sensia 200, but would like
to hear your thoughts.
Thanking you in advance,
- Nancy
A. While the right film will help a bit - and the Sensia is a great film -
the thing that you really need is a stronger flash (or a reflector) and
exposure compensation. Whenever the scene is predominantly bright, the
camera meter is going to be tricked into thinking it needs less exposure.
This makes the dark faces all the darker. You can compensate and force the
exposure up a stop or two. However, this will cause the surrounding
environment to look a bit washed out. Using a stronger flash - or even a
reflective surface - to fill in the shadows will make a huge difference.
If you can use an external flash on your Minolta, try the Minolta 5400HS
flash. Also recommended is Lumiquest's light-bouncing system; I use this
often out in the field for a softer effect. For a reflector, you can use
anything from a piece of white cardboard to a professional fold-up reflector
such as Photoflex's helpful 32" white/gold Litedisc.
Fuji Sensia 200:
http://www.betterphoto.com/product/productDetail.asp?productID=320
Minolta 5400HS Flash:
http://www.cameraworld.com/adtemplate.asp?invky=69928&affky=591732
Lumiquest's ProMax System:
http://www.betterphoto.com/product/productDetail.asp?productID=17
Photoflex Litedisc - 32 Inch White/Gold:
http://www.cameraworld.com/adtemplate.asp?invky=86670&affky=591732
Respond to this question:
http://www.betterphoto.com/QnAredirect.asp?threadID=443
*****
Q. I'm new to this so don't laugh... I'm trying to take pictures of my sons
playing indoor ice hockey. I have a Nikon N60 with a 300mm zoom lens. I was
told to use ISO1000 film. I used the "sports" setting on the camera and the
photo's turned out way too dark and grainy. I have to find a way to maintain
the fast shutter speed but yet allow more light. Any suggestions? I've now
been told that ISO400 speed film would be better, and I would assume I need
shutter speeds of at least 1/500. Any suggestions? I can't use a flash.
Thanks for your help.
-Bob
A. You had the right thing going with ISO1000, but if it's still too dark,
try to bump it up to 3200. 400 will require more light for the same
settings.
What are the specs on your 300mm zoom lens? Probably f/4.5-5.6 or something.
The sports settings on your camera probably sets a minimum shutter speed
that it won't go below, and maybe a maximum aperture. Your best bet might be
to switch it to Manual, set the shutter speed to 1/500, and open the
aperture all the way up (to the "smallest" number).
Hmm. Here's another thought. Your camera might have been autoexposing off
the bright white ice, not the players. If that's the case, be sure to get a
manual reading off the players and use the same settings throughout the game
(since lighting conditions remain constant).
Honestly,your biggest problem is probably the 300 zoom. Unless you bought a
top-of-the-line lens, it's probably too slow for indoor sports. Could you
sacrifice getting in close for picture quality by using a shorter lens with
a wider max. f/stop, like maybe a 50mm, or a medium range zoom? You'd have
to physically get closer, but at least you'd get the pictures.
Good luck!
- Joseph
<<Additional Response>>
A. I feel your pain, Bob. I've been taking action shots of high school
basketball and soccer for 4 years now. In your case, the bright white ice
is probably fooling your camera's meter and making it think you don't need
as much exposure. Try Fuji Superia X-tra or Kodak Gold Max 800 speed film.
Now, get really brave and use your camera in manual mode. Open up your lens
to the widest possible aperture. Then experiment with different shutter
speeds to see what combination is giving you the best exposure.
Unfortunately, the best exposure will probably result in a blurry picture.
A rule of thumb is that the reciprocal of your shutter speed should be equal
to or greater than your focal length for a sharp picture. In other words,
if you are zooming all the way in at 300mm, then you must choose a shutter
speed of at least 1/300. I'm not familiar with your camera, but more than
likely that shutter speed does not exist, so yes, you will need to use a
shutter speed of 1/500 for sharpness and action stopping. To be perfectly
honest, this may still not give you the results you want.
Action photography is not easy. From time to time I've found myself on the
sidelines with pro photographers from local newspapers. The equipment they
use costs about 10 times as much as my rig and it usually belongs to the
newspaper rather than the photographer. Other things you can do is get as
close to the action as possible; use a tripod or monopod; and try shooting
when the action is peaking. Good luck, Bob. Keep shooting and you just might
get a keeper. I'd love to know how you make out.
-Robin
<<And Another Additional Response>>
A. I am also new to photography so I'm certainly not an expert. However, I
have been having similar problems shooting my sons playing basketball with
my N60, so I'll share my experiences. I apologize in advance for being
verbose.
I have tried Fuji Superia 400 and 800 and Kodak Royal Gold 400 and 1000 and
Kodak Gold Max 800 film. The Gold Max 800 was pretty good but I have gotten
the best results with the Fuji Superia 800. The Royal Gold 1000 allowed me
to shoot at the highest shutter speed but I felt that the results were too
grainy. Both 400 speed films just didn't allow me a fast enough shutter
speed.
What's the max aperture of your lens? If you're using a 70-300 zoom, made by
Nikon, Sigma or Tamron, it probably ranges from 4.0 to 5.6. If that's true,
I would recommend getting as close to the action as possible. That way you
won't have to zoom out to 300mm where the aperture is at it's minimum of
f/5.6. Also, the affects of camera shake will be reduced if you're not at
the 300mm end.
I have experimented with the sport setting but I have gotten the best
results using aperture priority, setting it to the largest aperture, and
letting the camera pick the shutter speed. However, when the action is very
quick some parts of the picture come out blurry. When I was able to attain a
shutter speed of 1/125, I've gotten good results. I've never been able to
get 1/500 indoors. What I'm going to try next is using the manual mode (M)
setting, then setting the max aperture possible and then adjusting the
shutter speed to where the viewfinder indicates the picture will be one unit
underexposed. I've read that print film can be over or underexposed slightly
without affecting picture quality too much. I'll let you know how it turns
out. From your description of your results it sounds as if your shutter
speed of 500 underexposes the film too much.
I have come to the conclusion that some gyms are just too dimly lit for me
to take quality pictures with the lens I own without flash. One way out of
that situation is to purchase a lens with a bigger max aperture.
Unfortunately that costs. If money is not an issue then Nikon makes a 80-200
F2.8 zoom. It's big, heavy, and expensive but has great optics and a
constant 2.8 aperture. I just can't justify spending the $800 for that lens.
I hope all this helps.
-Steve
Respond to this question:
http://www.betterphoto.com/QnAredirect.asp?threadID=368
*****
Ask a question or answer a few from your fellow photographers:
http://www.betterphoto.com/qnaTOC.asp
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Until next week, enjoy shooting!
Thank you,
Jim Miotke
BetterPhoto.com
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