Thread: trying to understand all the technical info

Harry, have a look at the LCD options. Mine has a 'info' button, and I can toggle an overlay of the exposure and/or histogram to display by default.

woodbe.

It's all up to the glass, far as I'm concerned...
You would save a lot of money - to then buy decent optics, if you looked downriver from Nikon porche's and Canon masserati's...
The K100D is a VERY good intro to DSLR...
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/pentaxk100d/
Like Designer Jeans - case of whether you want to cover your ????, or show it off...
Jedo

Originally Posted by Harry72

Note to one's self, if taking photo's and playing with settings take a note book and record the changes you make to each shot!
With canons software you can obtain the settings(even a full auto shot), but thats not much good out in the field unless you have a laptop

Harry, don't change everything with each shot, just alter the aperture or shutter speed or whatever, keep fiddling "out there", then get a hold of an EXIF reader application, there are a number of very simple ones out there for free.

I can't recommend one for PC's. But you can get every bit of data from your photo, from the time you took it, to the focal length of the lens, shutter speed, colour correction etc etc... it's all recorded. Several hundred items of information.

You will soon get the hang of what worked and what didn't even though you are reading it at home after the event.

cheers,

P

I use both Picasa ( another google "product") and irfanview for simple edits and viewing of pics. Both of these can show you all the exif info, camera, ccd size, aperture, iso, shutter speed etc etc
ciao

Oh yeah and both are free!

Originally Posted by Jedo_03

The K100D is a VERY good intro to DSLR...
Jedo

I'll second that. Just bought a K100D Super last week for $700 including 18-50mm lens, rechargeable AA batteries and charger. The "Super" model has a dust reduction feature but is otherwise the same. Most shops have the standard K100D still available at up to $100 less.

I had read all the reviews but was still stunned at the technology and picture quality for the price. Check out the user reviews on the same site that Jedo quoted. 77 reviews, most overwhelmingly happy.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/read...y=pentax_k100d

Aye...
I'm more than happy with this piece of technology...
remember that Pentax have been around for donkey's years... (I still have an original K1000 with a prime lens - have hundreds of beautiful portrait prints of my g'kids growing up...) So this mob know their stuff...
And beauty is - the prime lenses (K mount) that fit the K1000 also fit the K100D... (manual focus) so BONUS...
Anti-shake technology is a BIG plus - and the ISO settings are remarkably noise free... I shot 1/25 at ISO 800 without a tripod and it came out fine.
For the price - the K100D is ahead - for now...
Jedo

I must admit I have been an advocate of Pentax for years with up to 3 pentax bodies at one stage (still have 2 ... one being a k1000) great camera.
When it came to purchasing a DSLR though I had to go with a autofocus as my wife has trouble focussign in dark situations. That pointed to Canon ... they have the technology whenit comes to af ... Nikon are good now too but Canon was better value for $$$ in the range we were looking at the time.
Still get out the old k1000 occasionally .... what a shame.

Well, the good news it that I just met someone that has the Canon 400D and we plan to go out and play with it and I'll get to try it out. Her friend has a Nikon, and another has a flash Pentax or something. So I'll get to try all before I buy.
The bad news is that they are all journo's and I've been known to rant on about journos every now and again.

Seems I shall be learning about cameras (and trying them out) and photography, as well as learning about patience and holding my tongue.

Thought I'd add my 2 bits worth to this discussion. Part of my work involves me taking photos of machinery (also have done a heap of outdoor furniture now too). I'm not a professional photographer (learning fast) but am now using two off-camera flash units on tripods. I use a Nikon D80 with standard Nikon 18-135 lens. I have been very impressed with the results from the camera. Excellent menu navigation and pretty much 'everything' can be setup/adjusted.

A client bought a smaller Olympus SLR (same MegaPixel) however after an attempt at using it, it's pretty much a toy next to the Nikon and despite the highest quality jpeg setting (which creates a 2Mb larger file size than the D80!) the image quality is still not as good. So I guess the other factor in a good camera is what's going on in the software and CCD. Guess it depends on what you are using it for, the Nikon is heavy (solid) but personally I like a heavy camera. The more expensive cameras also offer command or remote firing of flash units which can have savings if you start heading down that path.

Have not used the D40 but I have always had a good run from Nikon cameras. Canon also have a loyal following so I'd guess you can't go too wrong there either.

Next stage will be a much better lens with less distortion.

I was/still am a K1000 owner and love the thing. I'm just waiting on getting an OS price on a K10D which is similar to the K100 but is fully dust sealed. Pentax have now got their own range of autofocus lenses which are also weather/dust sealed and are getting great reviews...I hope to post my own review very shortly.

A great site full of great individual information many have asked these questions
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech.htm

Check this out Clinton http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/150-...lar-camera.htm

Hmmmmm.....

Last weekend I had an opportunity to play with the Canon 400D, and did the following experiment:
I set the ISO rating from the 100 - 1600 range, and took a series of identically composed photo's. Later I had a look at the shutter speed and F stop values and compared photos. Camera on Auto setting with the ISO speed changed only each time.
All photo's are pretty much identical in appearance, with the following changes to shutter speed and F stops.
ISO 100 - 1/200, f/10,
ISO 200 - 1/250, f/11,
ISO 400 - 1/400, f/14,
ISO 800 - 1/500, f/16,
ISO 1600 - 1/800, f/20.

This makes me think that the 'programming' concept of the camera is to take a photo that is 'within a certain set of parameters', when in Auto mode, regardless of the ISO setting... i.e. the camera is idiot proofed at certain levels/settings.

This is interesting, as my Canon A430, 4 Megapixel, @$150 point and shoot is producing pretty good photos.
I've learn to interact with its programming (or software) concept and manipulate the programming. This forces the camera to change settings for aperture, shutter speed and ISO when you can not actually change these settings yourself.

For example:
Compose the photo in your head and think about what you might do if you could change the aperture, shutter speed and ISO to take the shot.
Then... focus 'off composition' to an area that has different light levels (but the same focal range that you will want) to the area you are going to shoot, hold the shutter button 1/2 down to 'hold the settings' and turn the camera onto the area to shoot.
The point and shoot camera takes its reading and settings for the 'off composition area' and uses that for the photo on the 'target area'.

I'm getting good effects this way, and it is good to begin the same process with the Canon 400D.

I'm still a long way off spending my hard earned $ on something so expensive.... but I'll get there...

Hi Clinton1,

Interesting results. How do the photos look when you do a 100% crop? Compare the centre of each photo and compare the edges. What lens did you use and if it was a zoom, what was the focal length?

White balance is another parameter that's interesting to play with. I never leave it on auto. I set it to the closest to the prevailing conditions. I do have a white balance card and I should use that (by taking a picture of it and then using that picture to set custom white balance). But I tend to be a bit lazy. When I take up shooting RAW full time I'll have to condition myself to use it.

Focal length is 40.0mm for all five shots.
I see what you mean... I zoomed to 100% and the ISO 100 is more focused and has better colour than the ISO 1600 one.

Its difficult to tell at 0% crop, and I think you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference when printed at normal size.

The lens was the standard 35 - 80 (?) that comes in the two lens kit.