Is it the camera or the photographer?

[Palmarum]

The only store bought batteries I would use are rechargeable NiMH AA-size ones. These are mainly for my flash, which eats AA batteries fairly quickly. The charger is as important as the batteries themselves. Another exception would be lithium CR2 batteries, which I use as an auxiliary back-up to my camera's main battery. The EN-EL3e battery my camera uses will charge in about 30 minutes, and will last for about 2500 photos, depending on how often metering is done. For whatever batteries your camera uses, bring extras, and a backup for the extras. It might seem like an unnecessary load to keep carrying them around, but you never know when they might be needed. Make sure to not expose the batteries to any level of heat. Stored in a garage or an hour in a car, will diminish their charge.  If you do have an external flash, do not store it with the batteries inside. Large flashes or strobes have powerful capacitors inside that store the charge in creating the flash. A charge may build up over time, and fires have been known to start around them while in storage.

Ryan

[Orlando]

As an advanced amateur with professional education on photography, of course I have also done my switch to digital!

Though I started in the beginning of the digital era, with many more technical flaws at that time, I have learned a bit with all the fast progress since then.

Keeping in mind pics out-of-the-camera (as post-processing can always improve most of the shoots) and a casual way of shooting (the one I usually also prefer):

- Go for a compact camera with a long range from wide angle to zoom (like 38-400 in classical metering) with macro capability; superzoom good quality lenses are always a must when you want to do a close-up of that bunch of fruits up on that palm tree...  ::

- A camera using rechargeable Lithium based batteries is essential (AA type ones Ni-Mh ones are usually drawn out much faster) and always get at least an extra one

- Image stabilisation is very important so that you can shoot without a tripod in low-light conditions and moving scenarios (like people running or kids playing around)

- As you plan shooting people, aim for a camera that has a socket for an external flashlight (in-camera flashes often leave red eyes on people...)

- Pixels are not too important (4-5Mp are already enough), but internal memory IS, so that you will not have to wait for it to write the pic file on the card before you can take another one...

- Look for cameras that use the cheaper and larger capacity cards (like CF - Compact Flash and  SD - Secure Digital) and buy yourself at least a couple from the start (better 2 x 2 GB cards than 1 x 4GB as it can fail and you would hate not to have a spare one then...)

- If possible, try to put your hands on the models you select, in order to get your own feel of them and also, if possible, have a look at the quality of the pics (like good colours and tones for your taste - for instance usually Canon cameras are the closer to my own taste...)

Hope this can help you get some hints...

[Neofolis]

I had a great example recently of my lack of photographic prowess and the effects of the light source.

Here is a photo that I was quite happy with of Archontophoenix alexandrae, from my recent visit to RHS Wisley.

I then moved to the other side of this group planting to take a photo of the Archontophoenix cunninghamiana and this was the result.

Fortunately, one of the great things about digital photography is the ease of editing and Photoshop was able to come to my rescue, resulting in this.

[Kris]

Dear Neo  

those stills and how PSH heps in digital photography was very

illustrative.thanks for the effort.

And as for my recomandation for AA sized battery_be it charger type or duracell/energiser type alkaline it stands since i live in a develpoing country and when i travell to villages or city outskirts,when my batteries are down.all i will have to do it to go to the nearest petrol station,tea-stall,cafateria to get a durocell AA sized battery.and in the villages even if i have recharger there are till few places in india we do not have

regular power supply.

so a person who is visiting underdevelped or developing nation should find AA easy to use.

And more details i will come with stills and links where and what brands...to buy for a guy who shoots less stills and not a pro by proffesion.and these batteries are cheap though they clain that it last for 1000 recharges,if it comes for 300 recharges its sufficient for me.

love,

Kris  

[Kris]

Dear Friends  

Here are the still of those AA sized batteries that iam currently using...

here are visuals of those..

[Kris]

..

[Kris]

this is the still of my quick charger but its not superfast charger.that machine in the still charges the AA & AAA sized batteries of 2600 MH 4 nos in around 1 hour 10 minutes.

and this charger had a external adaptor which accepts universal voltage as from 100 to 240 volts.so you can take it anywere.and it has a 12 to 14 volts Dc apapter too which will assist for those travelling in cars or steamliners who can accesses only to 12 volts d.c.

this works like a buety and does not over charge the batteries too.as the work is over it switches the equipment off !

[ColinB]

Have to agree about wide angle being useful for palm shots. This one was taken at 28mm on my Canon 30D.

[Kris]

Dear Friends  

i wish to share few stills taken recently,but what is peculier about this still is that what i should have acheived through

Macro or super macro in manual mode was done buy a feature called digital zoom...i had to stand far away from the image and zoomed-in for this shot...

And i must say Kamipalms(Jason)dragon still was inspriational for me trying this out _

[Kris]

one more still of the same object taken standing further away..i think its 32x zoom and the previous still was 20x zoom

shoots taken standing from different distances...using digital zoom feature !

[Kris]

Some stills to prove a good camera is better than a good camera men_since the stills seen were taken in full auto mode settings..every thing was configured by the camera itself !

[Kris]

One more still,this is of our garden spider,just to prove one point here is that anybody can take proffesion looking stills if they have a nice decent equipement !

[Kris]

Dear Friends  

Some more intreasting information on latest camera's that are avaliable around.

Iam a fan of a equipement that boast all the avaliable features fully loaded in them..

one of that specification that i will look in my future camera will be the raw file format/Jpeg..

recently i visited a camera site called Olympus.

http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/cpg_digital.asp

And 2 cameras were impressive _

one model is E-510 its a DSLR Camera with the raw file format avaliable and all other features well stocked too.

here is the link_

http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_sec....95&fl=2

another model is SP-560 UZ this is a regular digital camera

seem to be great !

here is the link_

http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_sec....16&fl=2

I hope the above information & links will be of some use to some one who are yet to decide what camera to buy..?

my suggestion is always avoide slim & sleek looking cheap stuff..since the drive motors that adjust the zoom & focous of the cameras are very flimsy & delicate.for me a camera should last at least 3 years minimum.and its sensitivity & mega pexils should be above 6 to 8 at least !or else its better to use ones cellphone camera itself.

when buying a thing buy the best,if budget is a constrain them buy them during sale or stock clearence or few months later with more funds at once disposal.never compromise in quality.

love,

Kris  

[GREENHAND]

taken  in mexico with underwater camera.

[GREENHAND]

Kodack didgital camera.

[GREENHAND]

same camera in the snorkeling caverns.

[Kris]

Dear Green  

that's very impressive_both the locations & the machine..

thanks & love,

Kris  

[Kris]

Recently i purschased 2 set of 4 AA sized pentourch sized batteries with 2700 Mhz from Sanyo made in japan.believe me

i covered the entire crockdile bank with the auto flash on mode..i have not seen any long lasting AA batteries before and appears to have a long shelf(in reference to charge retention)..

love,

Kris  

[Kris]

One more good news for Canon Brand lover's & die-hard fans of this reputable brand,their new digital camera PowerShot G9

has the much desired the RAW image file format and the res.pixel is 12.1 mega pixels.

here is a link for your quick referance_

http://www.usa.canon.com/consume....tailAct

Love,

Kris  

[Kris]