Wayne's photos page

On this page I present some photos that I have taken, resources for choosing a digital camera and how to store photos on the Net for those accessing the Web, and how to send them by e-mail.

My text is in black. Text copied from the Net is in maroon or, as highlighted by me, in red.

Page contents

. . . Links to photographers and their works

. . . My digital camera

. . . Choosing a digital camera

. . . . . . Megapixel myths

. . . Choosing a tripod (Added 14 Feb 01.)

. . . Sending a photo by e-mail

. . . Sharing your photos on the Web

. . . My photos main index

. . . . . . Photos 2001 (Main set.) ___ Test shots: egg timer ___ Photos -- Winter 2001

. . . . . . Photos 2002

Articles and links

My digital camera

On Saturday, 13 Jan 01, I bought my first digital camera, and am busy learning how to use it. I also bought a solid tripod, because, in my limited knowledge, digital cameras are more susceptible to lens shake than regular SLRs, partly because of the need to partly depress the shutter to give its computer time to digest light levels and focussing information, before depressing the shutter button fully.

It comes with a 8-MB Sony Memory Stick, but I also bought a 64-MB one. They are about the size of a stick of chewing gum -- a bit thicker and 2/3 as long! That impresses me, because back in 1972 I worked with IBM's new System/3 computer (the size of a fridge, and costing $200,000?) that had 8 KB of main memory, expandable to 64 KB, with removable disk platter of 3 MB, the size of a 78 RPM record encased in a plastic cover about 4 cm thick! Now you could stuff all of that horsepower into your shirt pocket for $100!

The camera that I bought is as follows, with copied text in maroon:

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Sony DSC-F505V Review, Phil Askey: http://www.neoseeker.com/resourcelink.html?rlid=14073 Very detailed review, with many images. Overall conclusion

Here's my rating of the Sony DSC-F505V: (3 megapixel class), in terms of Detail and [Rating (out of 10)]:

Construction [8.5], Features [8], Image quality [10], Lens / CCD combination [10], Ease of use [9], Value for money [10].

The DSC-F505V has managed to overtake the Nikon Coolpix 990 (in my opinion) for and great combination of image quality and value for money (especially with that big lens). Sure, it doesn't have all the bells and whistles (do you use them all??) So, if you can live without a viewfinder, the additional manual features of some of the competition and can put up with the sometimes slow operation then the DSC-F505V is (at the time of writing this review) probably the best 3 megapixel digital camera around.

With the combination of that excellent 5 x zoom, Hybrid LCD, InfoLithium battery, great resolution and clarity, well saturated bright colours, good dynamic range and smooth noise-free images the DSC-F505V is hard to beat.

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Sony DSC-F505V: http://www.neoseeker.com/resourcelink.html?rlid=11287

Sony DSC-F505V: http://www.neoseeker.com/resourcelink.html?rlid=24491 Includes some photos.

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Two main features that I found attractive were the quality of the Zeiss lens, its ratio of 5X instead of the 2X or 3X in most cameras, and the ability to tilt the body and LCD for ease of picture composition. I can do without looking through the lens, although I realize that it might be tricky under some conditions. I also like the ability to override automatic exposure -- by either aperture priority, time priority, or by tweaking autoexposure values using EV adjustments. One can also override autofocus easily. The LCD menuing system is easy to use. Although I am a severe critic of the quality of documentation in general, I found the User Guide to be very well written and well illustrated, with the minor exception that its index was not complete. (For the Kodak DC240 that I had on loan, I also found the documentation to be of very high quality.) For example, the purpose of the Display button was not obvious, and Display was not in the index. (It is just used to turn off icons and info on the LCD, as was described in the text.)

One very positive feature was that one is able to know the aperture and time-exposure values, something which I always like to know, especially re depth of field and worry re camera shake. In my test shots of a still- life tableau in our kitchen at night, I found the manual focus override of autofocus to be very accurate, in both normal and telephoto modes -- aided by a clever icon that changes color when the two match. It uses a zone-sampling system, taking a weighted average re several zones.

The camera took care of color-temperature adjustments very well, although there are means to manually override that, via White Balance adjustments. A minor annoyance was that the cable connecting the camera to my PC was only about 6 ft long (compared to about 12 ft for Kodak), so I went back to Future Shop to get a 10-ft USB extension cable. Another $25 gone!

Both the Sony manual and the reviews warn that the image quality deteriorates when one uses digital zoom mode (an extra 2X) on top of the optical 5X mode; however, in my test shots, I was still quite impressed with the quality of the full 10X image, even as blown up on my computer. I used the self-timer and tripod to good effect to avoid camera shake, although a careful hand-held shot turned out quite well -- about 1/30 sec at f/3.4, at full 5X, non-digital, at 1856 x 1392 pixels.

Another useful feature is that one can arrange for a smaller e-mail image to be produced in addition to the main image of choice. I just noticed that Sony also has out a new camera that puts its images (up to 1,000 of them) directly onto a 156-MB onboard CD. See the Sony Mavica MVC-CD1000 below. (If CDs hold 600 MB, why not use all 600?)

Choosing a digital camera

Overviews

The following provide overviews of what digital photography is, how to choose a digital camera, some sample images, and features of some specific cameras.

Digital Cameras: http://www.macdirectory.com/Reviews/Digital/Index.html What to look for.

Digital Cameras & Photo Software: http://home.neo.rr.com/aperazor/page5.html May be a bit out of date, but has useful info.

Digital cameras a review: http://www.pira-partners.com/pti98/digcam.htm Dr Anthony Hamber, Silicon Imaging Ltd,
Senior Consultant and Visiting Lecturer at the London College of Printing. Oriented toward the pro.

Digital Cameras - Digital Photography - Why Digital is better than film: http://www.ctyme.com/mavica/ In this article I hope to compare the advantages and disadvantages of both film and digital technology and let you decide which is right for you. I will also give you some guidelines about what features are important in selecting a digital camera and recommend places to buy your camera as well as books on digital photography so you can learn more on the subject.

Megapixel myths: http://www.megamyth.homestead.com/ This site aims to correct some popular misconceptions about digital cameras. By exposing the limitations of the current crop of digital cameras, I hope to encourage manufacturers to improve their products. I also hope that I can help potential buyers understand more about digicam technology.

Way back in the 1980's computer scientists talked about their dream computer having three M's: one megabyte of memory, one megahertz core CPU frequency, and a one megapixel display. A megapixel display is a screen with a resolution of approximately 1150 pixels wide by 850 pixels high. This was hypothesized to be the minimum screen resolution that humans would accept as photographic quality. . . .

Megapixel.net: http://www.megapixel.net/html/issueindex.html Monthly digital camera web magazine.

Photography Websites - photo galleries digital cameras: http://www.externalharddrive.com/photography/photography.html#digital Includes links to a wide range of subjects and galleries of images.

Specifics

The following links are more specific as to reviews and comparisons of specific cameras.

CNET.com - Hardware - Cameras: http://www.canada.cnet.com/hardware/0-1078.html

Digital Cameras Timeline Digital Photography Review: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/timeline.asp The timeline shows a graphical representation of new digital-camera announcements since mid-1996.

vnunet.com - Sony Cyber-shot DSC-F505V and others: http://www.vnunet.com/Products/1111978

Steve's Digicams - DigiCam Users' Pages: http://www.steves-digicams.com/digusers.html#sony It covers many brands of camera in great detail, with many sample photos. For example:

. . . Steves Digicams - Sony Mavica MVC-CD1000 - User Review: http://www.steves-digicams.com/cd1000.html The new $1299* Sony MVC-CD1000 (Digital Mavica) shares the same basic "look and feel" of its Mavica MVC-FD95 sibling. It has the same incredible 10x optical / 20x digital SteadyShot stabilized zoom lens, a high-resolution color viewfinder plus a 2.5" color LCD . . . . * If the Sony DSC-F505V was US$900 or Cdn$1,700, then the US$1,299 should translate into about Cdn$2,454! (Added 22 Jan 01.)

ZDNet - Equip - Feature - Megapixel Madness: http://equip.zdnet.com/digitalimaging/cameras/feature/10256/

See also the links given in My digital camera above.

Choosing a tripod

Tripod Guide: http://lioncity.s-one.net.sg/~photo/tripod.html Commonly Asked Questions about the three-legged creatures.

Slik: Japanese, aluminum and plastic construction. Well known for lightweight travelling tripods. Not too sturdy. Cheap.

Manfrotto: Italian. Heavy and well-built. Very good value for money. Does not have small lightweight models. Lasts a lifetime. If looking for a general purpose tripod, get the Manfrotto 190.

Gitzo: French made gear for professionals. Really expensive stuff, but superlative construction. Not really value for money, but if you can afford $600 for a tripod, this is the one to get !!!

Velbon: Japanese. Not recommended, due to open construction of legs being weak and flimsy. Not exactly cheap too.

Cullman: European. Full of fanciful features. Expensive. Not practical.

Benbo: British. The weirdest shaped tripod in town. Can bend down to low levels, reaching the ground (thus the name). Expensive. Not recommended unless you need a lizard's eye-view. Few models.

This is not an endorsement of brands, but the two most popular brands are Slik and Manfrotto. If you want a lightweight tripod, get a Slik. If you want a relatively heavy and sturdy tripod which lasts a lifetime, get a Manfrotto. The most popular tripod is the Manfrotto 190 with the head 141 RC (pan/tilt head with quick release). It costs around $150 for the whole set.

Chris' Photography Pages - Tripods: http://dapro.open.ac.uk/group/cpv/Photo/tripods.html This page is dedicated to my experiences with Manfrotto (Bogen) tripods and heads.

I've listed all the Bogen part numbers (the name for Manfrotto products outside Europe) in brackets - a link will take you to a more complete part number conversion chart. All the photos were taken using a Canon Powershot 600 digital camera. More pictures can be seen on Manfrotto's own pages: http://www.manfrotto.com/

BetterPhoto.com - Choosing a Tripod: http://www.betterphoto.com/buyers/tripodChoosing.asp . . .

As Much Height As Your Need: Don't rely on the extension pole in the middle on the tripod. If you will be shooting at eye-level often, get a tripod that extends to your eye-level. For a good tall tripod with great stability and a convenient quick release feature, check out the Bogen 3021/3030 combination.

Bogen 3021 Tripod Legs: http://www.betterphoto.com/product/productDetail.asp?productID=466 From the manufacturer:
A very versatile tripod for indoors or out. This tripod features flip-lock levers for precise height adjustment as well as 3 different click-stopped leg spread angles so levelling is easy no matter how rough the terrain. These features are also ideal in confined areas.
The 3021 has a high maximum shooting height of over 70 inches and the adjustable leg spread and telescoping reversable center post combine to allow you to get as low as 10 1/2 inches. Has picture and review links.

Bogen 3030 Pan/Tilt Tripod Head w/ Quick Release: http://www.betterphoto.com/product/productDetail.asp?productID=467 The 3030 is an easy to use pan/tilt head that features a quick release plate with safety lock to make the camera changes as easy as flipping a lever. Has picture and review links.

Gerry Ellis How to Choose a Tripod: http://gerryellis.com/discover/tripod.htm With more than 20 years in the field and in a vast array of shooting conditions, Gerry's personal recommendation is the Gitzo line of tripod legs, the Arca-Swiss ball head with quick-release feature and mounting plates manufactured by Really Right Stuff. This wonderful site is part of his main site at: . . . . Discovering Photography with Gerry Ellis: http://gerryellis.com/discover.htm The e-zine about photography, nature & outdoor travel - from Gerry Ellis. His desire to communicate his love for nature has led to a successful 20-year career that has seen the publication of more than a dozen books, numerous magazine articles, an annual lecture series and an entertaining and educational web site. All have helped Gerry in his goal of supporting conservation causes and educating, entertaining and inspiring thousands worldwide to become actively involved in understanding and protecting our natural heritage. Excellent site!