CameraTalk » Andrew Jackson

Under $25 – Essential Photography Gear

Andrew Jackson — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 06:56:58 +0000

There’s a number of things you can do to improve your photography. It doesn’t always come down to technique. Equipment plays a big part.

So here are a few items that won’t bust the budget and will certainly help improve your images and make your photography a little easier.

Mini Tripod

Stability is the key to a sharp image. The mini tripod, under $10, is small enough to fit in your camera bag or handbag. You can whip out the mini tripod for photos you want to be in. Suitable only for small compact cameras, just place it on a table, ledge, or wherever suitable, and shoot sharp photographs.

Lens Cap Keeper

If, like many photographers, you continually misplace your lens cap, the Lens Cap Keeper should solve your problems. Your lens cap will never be more than a few inches away.

LensPEN

Need a better way to clean fingerprints off your lens? Stop using your T-shirt which can scratch the glass. Instead use a LensPEN which is specially designed to keep lenses at their optical best.

Micro Fiber Cloth

A camera kit essential, the Micro Fiber cloth will not only clean your camera’s LCD screen, it can also clean the viewfinder, your lenses and your eyeglasses.

LCD Screen Protector

One accessory that people tend to underestimate is the LCD Screen Protector. You need a viewable LCD screen to review and evaluate your images. Avoid damage to it by using a screen protector.

Card Reader

Save batteries, time and frustration. Transfer your photos safely, straight from the memory card to your computer via USB. No need continually plug and unplug cables to your camera and risk damaging the ports on the camera. A card reader will simplify the transfer process.

4GB SDHC Memory Card

Don’t leave yourself short on memory. A backup memory card can save a lot of frustration, especially when travelling. A memory card with a 4GB capacity is the perfect size to transfer to DVD for a hard copy of your images.

Heat-seeking Janaka PMA-bound

Andrew Jackson — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 04:53:15 +0000

The annual PMA (Photo Marketing Association) convention is the cue for camera equipment manufacturers to launch new products.

CamerasDirect, not wishing to stand by for press releases, sent product manager Janaka Rodrigue to this year’s event at Anaheim California with all the requisite red tape.

Conspicuous with his Canon 7D rig, Janaka will provide us with video feeds.

Shooting Video With a DSLR

Andrew Jackson — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:37:02 +0000

TECHNOLOGY IS NOT ONLY EXPANDING RAPIDLY, it is merging and consolidating multiple technologies. This has become apparent in the DSLR cameras as they expand into recording video.

In the past, video cameras have been capable of recording still images, with a compromise in quality. Likewise, compact cameras adapted to taking video files, again at the expense of quality.

However, more recently, a large step toward one camera with dual function — good quality images and video — has been made. Canon introduced the EOS 5DmkII and the EOS 7D, primarily as digital still cameras, but with the capability of recording high definition videos.

The EOS 5DmkII and EOS 7D can record Full HD (High Definition) video at a higher quality than the average video camera. This is due to the large sensor size designed for still photographs. Secondly, having the ability to change lenses gives more variety and control for the operator.

While this is a positive for the videographer, you need to be aware of the limits of these cameras. For instance, the recording time is limited to 12 minutes before recording will automatically stop. This is due to the build-up in heat across the sensor surface.

One other consideration is the file sizes these cameras generate. HD video requires large file sizes and compact flash cards can be consumed rapidly. Having enough memory cards will be a necessity if you frequently use the video function.

Additionally, it is recommended that you also use an external microphone rather than the inbuilt microphone. This is true for video cameras as well. However, some microphones are physically long and, given the position the shoe of the camera, the microphone can be seen in the frame of some wide angle lenses.

Most people would probably not be purchasing a DSLR primarily for video, however, for recording small amounts of video it can be a very useful tool. Photographers who shoot portraits and real estate presentations are finding that video adds another viable product to their services.

The Budget Lighting Kit

Andrew Jackson — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 07:06:05 +0000

AS A STUDENT CINEMATOGRAPHER, expenses are always going to be at the forefront of creating a film.

Designing the ideal lighting map tends to be out of reach for most students. In the practical world of student cinematography, all the money is allocated to film stock or production design. However, with restrictions, there is an opportunity to exercise creative options.

I had the task, as Director of Photography on my graduation short film, of not only creating the lighting and camera set-ups, but also trying to achieve the aesthetics of the director’s vision… all on a shoestring budget.

Assembling my budget lighting kit began with a visit to my local Bunning’s Warehouse where I bought some PVC pipe, a $4 pack of clamps in various sizes, and $2 shower curtains. If I’d needed more light dispersal, I could have used a bed sheet.

A few aisles over in Bunnings, I found some great options to light a veranda, or any outdoor scene — some $20 mirrors. These I later used to break up flat backgrounds. The mirrors were gaffered with a design to create a natural effect, as though the sunlight had passed through the foliage of a tree.

The mirrors could be placed 20 metres from the set, due to their intensity. That meant no interference with any of the equipment on set.

For those occasions requiring neutral density filters, Spotlight stores carry a type of black mesh that, when gaffered to a window, reduces light by about one stop. The outstanding attribute of this mesh is that, although it’s visible to the naked eye, it is invisible to the camera.

My budget lighting kit, at the end of the day, cost less than $200. The materials that provided me with a number of reflectors and mirrors certainly did the job, perhaps not, in all situations, the most user-friendly. However, despite budgetary retraints, they allowed me to get the results I was aiming for and definitely achieved production values much higher than their costs.

RED ONE Revolution in Digital Photography

Andrew Jackson — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 07:19:01 +0000

RED ONE began shipping its first cinema quality video camera in 2006. A groundbreaking camera, it certainly turned heads. Its unusual design and generous specifications instantly narrowed the gap between digital and 35mm film.

It appears RED is about ready to take orders for its new generation of digital cinema cameras — the RED Scarlet and RED Epic.

These units belong to the highly anticipated RED DSMC (Digital Stills and Motion Camera) System which is of great interest to photographers because it is designed for motion as well as still photography.

The DSMC System will be available on S35 (Super 35mm) and FF35 (Full-Frame 35mm) Scarlet and Epic cameras.

Among the many benefits RED has to offer, budget is a compelling feature. High end full-frame sensor production cameras can easily cost more than $100,000. RED provides better quality images for a fraction of the price.

The ‘brain’ or sensor of the RED Scarlet S35 is capable of producing a 5K image and is expected to cost around $US7000.

One exciting aspect of the new generation of cameras is that adapter mounts are available for, among others, Nikon and Canon lenses. Due to the nature of production cameras in cinema, however, auto functions are rare and the use of an aperture ring is a must.

Nonetheless, the ability to mount Canon and Nikon lenses to the new generation of video cameras provides an attractive means for photographers to make use of some of their equipment in the video domain.

Photographers are not the only ones who’ll benefit. Film, video and photography schools and universities will be able to leverage their Nikon and Canon lenses and, at very effective prices, provide their students with cinema standard gear.