Digital SLR Magazine January 2013

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Digital SLR Essential tips • Practical advice

January 2013 Issue 75 www.dslruser.co.uk

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PORTRAITS

SUNSETS

JARGON-FREE guides

✓ Capturing snowy scenes ✓ 365 photo ideas for 2013 ✓ Take traffic trails tonight!

Great pictures from our readers

CHOOSING a dslr

Shoot your best-ever

Winter

WILDLIFE

✓ Where to go ✓ What to look for ✓ Get creative

7

beginner DSLRs which one should you buy?

guaranteed to improve your pictures!

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got a new camera? learn tO use it here

PHOTO ACADEMY Enrol at our photo school and start taking better shots

30/11/12 09:43:49

In association with

In association with

One subject. THE nine rules you need to know. Welcome to the ultimate definitive guide

The nine rules to capturing

winter wildlife Luke Massey explains why now’s the perfect opportunity to snap the feathered and furry visitors to your garden and parks. Time to grab your gloves, scarf and telezoom!

PICTURE SETTINGS

Shutter speed: 1/640sec Aperture: f/5.6 ISO 320 Lens: 300mm down Notes: Getting the camera in’s rob this d an el lev to ground eye level was worth it.

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29/11/12 09:27:27

In association with Meet our expert Luke Massey Luke specialises in photographing wildlife and is a brand ambassador for PNY memory cards.

See more of his work at www.lmasseyimages.com

Rule

1

Be respectful

First things first, respect the wildlife you’re photographing.

Animals go through a hard enough period in winter, struggling to find food and survive. They want to focus on conserving energy. Don’t chase them, give them their space. You can usually recognise when a bird or animal becomes more alert and is about to fly or run away.

Animals do become a lot more approachable in cold snaps but try not to scare them. You wouldn’t want someone in your face while you ate dinner, would you?

Close gates and take home your rubbish – in short, respect the environment when out and about with your camera.

Turn over to find out how best to approach wildlife Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/DSLRMag

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YOUR DSLR A-Z

PHOTO ACADEMY

✓ Choosing a mode ✓ Understanding guide mode ✓ Using advanced exposure modes

MODULE two

Understanding exposure modes New to photography? Our Photo Academy series will walk you through everything you need to know about your camera. Our second module should help you pick the right mode for the right scene f you’re new to DSLR cameras, you’ll know how overwhelming all those controls and settings can be. Where on earth to begin? Thankfully, there really isn’t much to fear. Most of the features are there to help you get more creative with your picture-taking, and, of course, you can always pop the camera on Auto while you concentrate on taking great pictures. But to become a better photographer you really need to understand what your camera is doing. So, in Photo Academy this month we’re focusing on getting to grips with some of those features found on your DSLR’s single most important dial: the exposure modes.

Exposure simply means recording light onto the digital sensor and the correct exposure is about getting exactly the right amount of light so the sensor records a full range of tones between pure black and pure white. If the image is underexposed, the sensor hasn’t received enough light; there will be more tones towards pure black. The opposite applies with overexposure.

That said, it’s important to understand that there is no one perfect exposure. It’s highly subjective. To control how we set the exposure, we need to select the aperture (size of the lens opening), the shutter speed (length of time the digital sensor is open to light), and the ISO speed (sensor’s sensitivity to light). This depends on which exposure mode you set on the exposure mode dial, found on the top-plate of your camera.

Picking the right mode to expose a scene correctly is the key to shooting a successful image that’s full of creativity.

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29/11/12 09:46:58

Exposure modes Photo Academy

auto mode

Guide mode

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Program can also be a handy mode to use when you are using flash as there are more options available. For example, you can fire the flash in second-curtain mode, which will allow for more creative images. Give it a go!

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In Program mode you can capture the excitement without thinking about exposure

taken with program mode

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Program mode gives you more control A-Depover certain settings. In this mode the camera adjusts both shutter speed and aperture.

It’s not a completely automatic mode as you choose the ISO speed and also the particular combination of aperture (lens opening) and shutter speed values.

When would you use Program mode? Well, say you’re photographing at the beach and there’s a rush of excited dogs charging into the sea. In Program mode you can capture all the excitement without thinking about exposure – in other words, you won’t miss the shot. But by having control over ISO speed, you can select a lower ISO speed, say ISO 100, for better quality. At the lowest ISO speeds, say 100 or 200, there is minimal picture graininess (known as sensor or digital noise), while selecting a higher ISO like 1600 or 3200, though perfect for low-light and action pictures, results in increased picture graininess (higher sensor noise).

In Program mode the recommended exposure settings can also be ‘shifted’. This means you press the shutter release halfway to lock in the current exposure and then change the shutter speed and aperture using the main dial behind the shutter button. The exposure remains exactly the same – the image doesn’t get brighter or darker – but the combinations of the settings have adjusted. The adjustment remains only for this single exposure.

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Guide mode is a real bonus for starter photographers. It gives helpful hints and advice on a variety of frequently used settings. For example, on the camera’s rear LCD it will describe exactly how to soften backgrounds, by changing the size of the lens opening, or knowing which shutter speeds will freeze motion or render water as a flowing blur, for example. Other helpful advice might include how to take brighter photos, or darker photos, and how to reduce camera shake blur. To select the Guide mode on the Nikon D3200, for example, simply choose it on the exposure mode dial. On the Canon EOS 1100D it’s called the Feature Guide, and it pops up whenever you change exposure mode (you can disable it).

FREE Digital SLR camera rain cover worth £17.95 When you subscribe to Digital SLR magazine for just £7.50 a quarter • Easy quarterly payments of £7.50 by Direct Debit • Save nearly 30% off the usual cover price • FREE gift – Digital SLR camera rain cover worth £17.95 from Just Ltd

About Just Ltd Just Ltd distributes a comprehensive range of photographic accessories from some innovative manufacturers. With a strong bias towards cleaning and protective products they can help keep your expensive photo gear in pristine condition. Just Ltd provides product advice and training for safe sensor cleaning on its website: www.cameraclean.co.uk

About your Digital SLR camera rain cover Don’t let the rain stop your photography. This simple but effective rain cover fits most popular digital SLRs, and is designed to accommodate lenses up to 300mm. You can use your camera tripod mounted or hand-held with the cover in place. The cover features a clear panel in the rear so you can see your camera’s LCD. A small aperture protected by a flap gives you an uninterrupted view through the camera viewfinder. The silver fabric also provides heat protection on hot days. Weighing around 80g this cover is light enough to take everywhere.

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30/11/12 10:19:08

Photo Projects >> Soft-focus portraits Project 2

What you’ll need > Camera and lens > Reflector > Tripod > Vaseline > Fibre-free cloth

Time to shift your focus?

Like selective focus but not the price of a lens to get the effect?

Fear not, Jay Hawkins’ technique won’t cost you a penny The popularity of soft, selective-focus portraits has grown hugely in recent years. However a soft-focus filter costs around £20 and a selective-focus lens, such as a Lensbaby, starts at £80 – not cheap if you’re doing a one-off shot. So, if you want to test the soft-focus portrait waters

1

Find your location

4

Add your Vaseline

without spending a penny, we have a solution for you.

This technique involves smearing Vaseline around the edges of your lens filter to mimic the effect. Vaseline distorts the light coming through the lens and creates a blurry glow. Remember two important things – the first:

As winter draws in, our hours of daylight are shorter and nights longer. That being said, the ‘golden hour’ of photography is at a more reasonable hour, around 4pm.

This gives us plenty of time at our warm computers after a day’s shooting to process our work. I found an idyllic location, a bench by a local lake. The trees and bushes behind provide some protection from the sun’s rays as well as giving the leaves a nice glow, making an interesting background.

With my tripod in place, I can detach my camera from its mount to apply the Vaseline. Be careful where you apply the Vaseline – you may choose to leave the clear area of the lens off-centre as this will allow you to frame your portrait without having to place the subject’s face right in the centre of the frame. Add a little at first; you can always apply more later.

never put the Vaseline straight onto your lens’ glass. Use a skylight filter that screws in on the end of the lens. The second: keep something close by to clean up – you don’t want to be spreading all that goo over your camera body.

This technique requires trial and error, so be patient.

2

Set up the camera

5

Try some shots

DIFFICULTY RATING

EASY

I set my camera up on a tripod and composed my subject. I then set my camera to its aperture-priority mode (A or Av on the dial) , allowing me to take control of the aperture and select f/4 for a fairly shallow depth-of-field. I also unfolded my reflector to bounce some light back into the scene,

Once the camera is back into position, I take another test shot now the Vaseline has been applied.

I have a microfibre cloth at hand to clean the Vaseline from areas of the lens that encroach on my subject’s face.

3

Take a test shot

6

Experiment with poses

With my equipment in place, I take a test shot to assess how the scene will look before I apply the Vaseline. This helps to make sure that once it’s applied I won’t need to move my equipment about. As we’re shooting a portrait, try turning your camera on its side for a better composition.

Once I’m happy with the amount of Vaseline I have on the filter and also how my subject is framed, I ask her to experiment with poses to get a varied edit of photos. I also mix things up by introducing props like sunglasses.

Once I’m finished I clean the Vaseline off the filter immediately.

“Leave the clear area of the lens off-centre to frame up your portrait” 50 DIGITAL SLR january 2013

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28/11/12 16:32:34

Photo Projects >> Soft-focus portraits

Final image Here’s my final image.

The soft blur around my subject is just what I wanted and she is framed perfectly through the gap in the Vaseline.

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you shoot it

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In association with

Make Life Simple

™

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30/11/12 10:25:39

you shoot it John Lewis “All these photographs were taken in colour and desaturated in either Photoshop Elements or Adobe Lightroom and very little else was done apart from cropping. The image of the busker (far left) was taken in Lisbon, Portugal – the idea to bring along the little dog to hold the collection tin was delightful and a master stroke by the owner. The photo of the beggar (below) was also taken in Lisbon. I found the appealing look in his eyes irresistible and it did cost me a donation, which was fair enough. My last image (left) was taken in Brixham, I spotted the fisherman on the harbour and talked to him for quite a while. I loved the way that the hat and beard framed his weather-beaten face.”

I found the appealing look in his eyes irresistible and the image did cost me a donation, which was fair enough ABOVE John’s image of a fisherman is an example of a environmental portrait – a shot that shows the subject at work. If you’re interested in trying an environmental portrait, remember to include tools (or clothes) of the trade as props. For example, a gardener could be holding his wheelbarrow.

Fuji FinePix S1Pro, 1/500sec at f/6.7, ISO 200 LEFT Taking photos of people you don’t know on the street is as much about people skills as it is camera skills. Be polite, always ask permission first and don’t be offended if your request is turned down.

Fuji FinePix S1Pro, 1/70sec at f/9.5, ISO 320 RIGHT John’s decision to convert this image to mono was wise. Subjects with weatherbeaten faces make great black & white portraits as the mono brings out every wrinkle. To enhance the technique, try increasing the contrast levels in your photo.

Fuji FinePix S1Pro, 1/10sec at f/5.3, ISO 320

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january 2013 DIGITAL SLR 65

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How do I?

This month’s e: topics includ

Picture-taking problems solved

coast

✓ Capture the colours ✓ Get spot-on ds ✓ Catch the ki les ✓ Open Raw fi white ✓ K eep snow

Please send questions via email to: mattygraham@bright-publishing.com

HOW DO I…

Capture colour correctly?

In some of my photos, the colours don’t look realistic and there’s a blue or yellow tinge. How can I stop this? James, Derby

HOW DO I…

Add some drama to coastal scenes?

Most of the time, your DSLR’s auto white-balance (AWB) keeps the colours in your photos accurate. Sometimes it struggles, and adds too much blue or yellow to the whole image, making the colours look strange.

The easiest way to avoid this is to select a preset white balance. Some cameras have a specific button for this, or it’s in the menu. As well as settings for sunny, cloudy and shady conditions, there are options for indoor lights – incandescent, fluorescent or tungsten are the typical names. If AWB has trouble, select the right one for the lighting to get more accurate colours.

An alternative is to shoot in Raw; this allows you to alter the white-balance later on the computer.

Raw editing software allows you to adjust the tint of the image. This lets you correct it even if you captured it in the wrong setting, and doing it on a big screen also helps to get it spot on.

I love going to the seaside and watching waves crash against the rocks. How can I get good pictures of the waves as they break?

Jane W, Middlesex It’s certainly humbling to watch the power of the ocean as it smashes into coastal rocks, especially if the weather’s stormy. It can also make for dramatic photos, but it’s not so easy to capture such a fast-moving force of nature.

You’ll certainly need a fast shutter speed – the faster the better, but definitely no slower than 1/500sec. To get such a fast shutter speed on an overcast day, you might need to increase the ISO sensitivity to 800 or above. This might cause some noise in the image that would normally make pictures look grainy, but for this kind of image it’s unlikely to be noticeable.

The second trick is to switch the camera into continuous shooting mode. With this mode on, you don’t need to rely on your reactions to press the button at exactly the right moment. Instead, you can press the shutter button down before the wave breaks, and hold it. This will take a burst of photos and dramatically increase your chance of capturing the most stunning moment.

Of course, any time you’re photographing near water, your personal safety should always come first – this is even more important when you’re next to a stormy sea. Take care on slippery rocks, and if you’re at the water’s edge or on a cliff, make sure you’re in no danger of falling. Also keep an eye on the tide – if you’re on coastal rocks, it can creep up around you while you’re looking through the viewfinder and cut off your path back to the dry land. We all want great pictures, but don’t take risks to capture them!

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WB WARM

WB CORRECTED

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28/11/12 14:50:18

Your questions answered HOW DO I…

Photograph the family?

How can I take nice pictures of my children? They’re growing up and I want some shots for the album. Emily, Bolton The nicest photographs of children are natural and capture fleeting moments you’ll treasure.

Neither of these criteria will be met by photos of your kids posed awkwardly in front of the curtains.

A great way to capture natural photos of your children is to snap while they’re playing indoors or out in the garden. Use a lens with a focal length of 100mm or more if you have one – you don’t have to be too close, so they’re less likely to notice you and start posing or go camera shy. It’s a recipe for great shots of them laughing and having fun, that capture their personalities. Use a wide aperture as well, setting the f/number to 5.6 or less if your lens allows – this blurs the background and makes their faces the focus of attention.

We all know kids are never still, so you might have trouble keeping them in focus. Switch your camera to continuous AF mode. You can hold the shutter button halfway down and follow your subject in the viewfinder.

The camera will continue to focus until you press the button fully, when it’ll capture the shot. You may want to use continuous shooting mode to take a burst of photos in quick succession.

Check out The Rules in the next issue for more on how to get great shots of your family.

HOW DO I…

Shoot on a tripod?

I have a tripod, but when I use a slow shutter speed, my photos are still blurry. How can I stop the wobbling? Libby, Bristol A tripod keeps your DSLR still when using slow shutter speeds, but if you’re serious about keeping that camera still, you need to trigger the shutter button without touching it. This sounds like you need to be a member of The Magic Circle, but there’s no trickery here.

The best way to take shake-free pictures on a tripod is to use a remote release.

The cheapest is a release that plugs into the camera. Basic versions, such as from Hähnel or Hama, can cost as little as £20. Others that use infrared or radio transmission are available, but can cost a lot more – £50 or more.

If you don’t want to spend anything, you can use the camera’s self-timer instead. Just set it to two or five seconds, press the shutter button and take your hand away. By the time the photo’s taken, any vibrations will have died away. You need to turn off the vibration reduction or image stabilisation on your kit if it has it – when the camera’s not moving, these systems actually cause movement.

QUICK QUESTIONS How do I check that my photos are pin sharp? Alfie, Hull

How do I focus on a moving subject? Wayne, Essex

>> While viewing on the LCD screen is great for a preview, it’s difficult to see whether it’s focused accurately. If you don’t know until you see it on your computer screen, you’re too late to correct mistakes. Use the zoom tool in playback mode to enlarge images on your camera’s LCD screen and check everything’s sharp, while you're still on the spot.

>> When you press the shutter button halfway, your camera focuses and locks – no good if your subject is moving. Turn on continuous AF mode, or AI servo on Canons, and the camera will continue to focus while the shutter button is half pressed. This lets you keep a moving subject in focus – when you want to capture it, just press the button fully.

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Super Guide DSLRs under £600 SPECIFICATION

Resolution 24.2 megapixels AF points 11 (1 cross-type) LCD resolution 921k dots Vari-angle LCD No Metering modes Matrix/centre-weighted/ spot Focus modes Single-servo/continuousservo/auto selection/ manual Card SD/SDHC/SDXC ISO sensitivity 100-6400 (expandable to 12,800) Continuous shooting Max 4fps Raw Yes HD video 1920x1080 (30, 25, 24fps) 1280x720 (60, 50fps) 640x424 (30, 25fps) Size (WxHxD) 125x96x76.5mm Weight (body only) 455g

>> £443 STREET PRICE >> www.nikon.co.uk

Nikon D3200

✓ PROS

Guide mode, resolution

7

CONS

Large files, continuous shooting rate

SPECIFICATION

Resolution 16.1 megapixels AF points 15 (3 cross-type) LCD resolution 230k dots Vari-angle LCD Yes Metering modes Multi segment/spot/ centre-weighted Focus modes Single-shot/continuous/ automatic/manual Card SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick PRO Duo/Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo ISO sensitivity 100-16,000 Continuous shooting Max 7fps Raw Yes HD video 1920x1080 (50i, 25p) 1440x1080 (25fps) Size (WxHxD) 124.4x92x84.7mm Weight (body only) 506g

>> £379 STREET PRICE >> www.sony.co.uk

Sony A37

✓ PROS

Continuous shooting rate, Clear Image Zoom

7

Nikon’s latest offering for DSLR beginners, which came on the market in spring of this year, has the highest pixel count of any camera at this price point – you’d have to spend considerably more to get hold of another camera that matches it. Of course, pixels aren’t everything, but the D3200 does offer more.

One of its main attractions for novices is the Guide mode, which leads you through the settings you need to get specific types of pictures. This is sure to give you a grasp of the basics in no time, and once you no longer need it, or even if you don’t need it in the first place, you have a well-equipped camera that you can hone your skills with.

While the high resolution of the sensor makes for detailed pictures, it does also have its drawbacks. The files it produces are very big, which of course means you need a lot of memory on your computer to process and store them. You can do some basic editing in-camera if you prefer that to your computer, although that does mean doing it on the small screen. The large file size also impacts on the continuous shooting rate – the processor can’t deal with such big files so quickly, and a lower resolution would have allowed an improvement on the four frames-per-second it can manage as it is.

Overall though, there’s nothing about the D3200 that’s likely to disappoint you. It’s a good all-rounder with a reasonable price; it’s also the lightest of our selection.

CONS

LCD resolution, electronic viewfinder

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This is Sony’s third entry-level camera to use their SLT (semi-translucent mirror) technology, following in quick succession from the A33 and A35. Launched in May 2012, it’s one of the cheapest options for a camera of this level, and packs a lot in for those on tight budgets.

The pixel count and ISO sensitivity range are more or less on a par with more expensive entry-level cameras, but the SLT technology provides a continuous shooting rate of up to seven frames-per-second. This helps you to capture fast-moving subjects and the performance is unrivalled in this price bracket.

The budget busting continues with other features such as Clear Image Zoom. This is a digital zoom that effectively increases the focal length of your lens by up to double, meaning you don’t need to buy expensive long lenses. Any lenses you do buy may also be cheaper, since they don’t need image stabilisation – this is built into the body with Sony’s SteadyShot Inside.

The SLT design means the A37 has an electronic viewfinder – the traditional optical viewfinder is replaced with a screen. It’s always bright and lets you see exactly what you’ll capture before pressing the button, but it has a very different feel and not everyone likes it. The LCD screen isn’t ideal either; it’s tiltable, which helps with composition in awkward positions, but its resolution is poor for a recent camera.

Overall, the A37 has solid specs, and if you have a small budget, it’s a good-value option.

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29/11/12 12:00:09

DSLRs under £600 Super Guide >> £345 STREET PRICE >> www.canon.co.uk

SPECIFICATION

Resolution 12.2 megapixels AF points 9 (1 cross-type) LCD resolution 230k dots Vari-angle LCD No Metering modes Evaluative/partial/centreweighted Focus modes AI focus/one shot/AI servo/manual Card SD/SDHC/SDXC ISO sensitivity 100-6400 Continuous shooting Max 3fps Raw Yes HD video 1280x720 (29.97, 25fps) Size (WxHxD) 129.9x99.7x77.9mm Weight (body only) 495g

Canon EOS 1100D

✓ PROS

Bargain price, Feature Guide

7

CONS

Sensor resolution, burst rate

The EOS 1100D is ideal if you’re looking to dip your toe into the DSLR waters for the first time and want a camera that is easy to use but still cheap. You won’t find one much cheaper, so it doesn’t involve a huge outlay, and it’ll help you learn the basics while capturing great photos.

Admittedly, the EOS 1100D’s 12-megapixel sensor lags behind the latest resolutions, and its ISO sensitivity range is relatively restricted.

But if you don’t want to print larger than A3 or regularly shoot in low light, these won’t matter at all. Similarly, the maximum continuous shooting rate of three frames-per-second and video capture below full HD won’t bother you if you’re not fussed about capturing fast action or having a DSLR that doubles as a camcorder.

If you’re a DSLR novice, then the EOS 1100D’s other features will more than likely outweigh these limitations.

The menu system includes a Feature Guide, which provides a description of key settings and the effects they have on your photos, helping you to learn. Basic+ and Creative Auto modes also let you get the photos you want without needing to understand technical terms.

Compatibility with Eye-Fi memory cards means you can directly and simply transfer your photos to other devices and share them online. The camera is also one of the smallest and lightest DSLRs out there.

If you’re looking for your first DSLR, then you’re unlikely to find a better bargain than this.

Canon EOS 650D

sony a57

pentax k-30

Nikon D5100

nikon 3200

Sony A37

Canon EOS 1100D

Resolution

18

16.1

16.2

16.2

24.2

16.1

12.2

AF points

9 (all cross-type)

15 (3 cross-type)

11

11 (1 cross-type)

11 (1 cross-type)

15 (3 cross-type)

9 (1 cross-type)

LCD resolution

1040k dots

921k dots

921k dots

921k dots

921k dots

230k dots

230k dots

Vari-angle LCD

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

No

Yes

No

Metering modes

Evaluative/partial/ spot/centre-weighted

Multi segment/spot/ centre-weighted

Segmented/centreweighted/spot

Matrix/centreweighted/spot

Matrix/centreweighted/spot

Multi segment/spot/ centre-weighted

Evaluative/partial/ centre-weighted

Focus modes

AI focus/one shot/ AI servo/manual

Single-shot/ continuous/automatic/ manual

Single/continuous/ auto/manual

Single-servo/ continuous-servo/auto selection/manual

Single-servo/ continuous-servo/auto selection/manual

Single-shot/ continuous/automatic/ manual

AI focus/one shot/AI servo/manual

SD/SDHC/SDXC

SD/SDHC/SDXC/ Memory Stick PRO Duo/Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo

SD/SDHC/SDXC

SD/SDHC/SDXC

SD/SDHC/SDXC

SD/SDHC/SDXC/ Memory Stick PRO Duo/Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo

SD/SDHC/SDXC

100-12,800 (expandable to 25,600)

100-16,000

100-25,600

100-6400 (expandable to 25,600)

100-6400 (expandable to 12,800)

100-16,000

100-6400

Continuous shooting

5fps

12fps

6fps

4fps

4fps

7fps

3fps

Raw

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

1920x1080 (30fps) 1280x720 (60, 50, 30, 25, 24fps) 640x480 (30, 25, 24fps)

1920x1080 (30, 25, 24fps) 1280x720 (30, 25, 24fps) 640x424 (30, 25fps)

1920x1080 (30, 25, 24fps) 1280x720 (60, 50fps) 640x424 (30, 25fps)

1920x1080 (50i, 25p) 1440x1080 (25fps)

1280x720 (29.97, 25fps)

Card

ISO sensitivity

HD video

1920x1080 (29.97, 25, 23.976fps) 1280x720 (59.94, 50fps) 640x480 (30, 25fps)

Size (WxHxD)

133.1x99.8x78.8mm

132.1x97.5x80.7mm

128.5x96.5x71.5mm

128x97x79mm

125x96x76.5mm

124.4x92x84.7mm

129.9x99.7x77.9mm

575g

539g

590g

510g

455g

506g

495g

Weight (body only)

1920x1080 (50p, 50i, 25p) 1440x1080 (25fps)

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reviews Photo kit Reviews Digital SLR

✓ Cameras ✓ Lenses ✓ Accessories ✓ Courses ✓ Services

Readers and staff deliver definitive verdicts on kit, courses & services

Computer software

Serif PhotoPlus X6 Think image-editing software is all about Photoshop?

Think again! Matty Graham tests PhotoPlus X6 and finds this value-for-money package is well worth a second look

I

f you’re interested in getting into pixel-pushing, you may think Photoshop is the only choice.

However, the truth is that there are other names out there and, if you take a little bit of time to search for them, you may be rewarded with a program packed with extra features and perfectly suited to beginners.

Take PhotoPlus X6, which has just been released and replaces PhotoPlus X5. The program works with PCs (sorry, Mac users you’ll have to look elsewhere) and you can download it or just buy it the normal way and install it with a CD. Let’s talk about the price first. It costs just £71. That isn’t a lot of money for an image-editing program when you consider that, potentially, you’re going to use this software with every image you take for the next few years.

So, price wise, it’s a good option, but how does it work out in the real world? Well, beginners will appreciate the interface, which has the toolbar (where you can access the different tools to edit your image) on the familiar left-hand side. The most typical tools any photographer will use are well represented, and pretty nifty too.

You can crop images and then view the unedited crop at a later date so even if you change your mind about trimming the image down, it can still be rescued.

Adding text to an image is simple too, just click the Text icon on the toolbar, click on the image and write your message. Simple. To make things even easier, PhotoPlus has a feature called Photofix, which will walk you through editing your image so you can crop, straighten, apply filters, and reduce noise in simple steps to polish a photo in no time at all.

With complete beginners taken care of, PhotoPlus also offers features for when you’re ready to push your skills to the next level. For example, shooting in Raw gives you more control over the colours, sharpness and exposure of your image, and PhotoPlus includes a Raw converter, so you don’t have to pay

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Reviewer: Matty Graham How much? £71.48 Website: www.serif.com Product in a sentence: Image-editing software packed with features and ideal for beginners

RIGHT PhotoPlus X6’s interface is easy to navigate around – perfect for getting results in a hurry.

out again for more software to process the Raw files from your camera. Or, you may want to take advantage of the built-in HDR features to produce hypersaturated images.

The extras don’t stop there – X6 also boasts some bonus software with its boxed version to open the door to even more creative results. PanoramaPlus X4 takes your images and stitches them together into a seamless panoramic – perfect for making the most of vast landscape scenes. The last bit of bonus software is Photo Projects. This will help you do more with your images by turning them into bespoke photo books, cards and posters.

Ultimately, I found PhotoPlus X6 an easy program to use and navigate around, which should surely be the aim of any piece of beginner-friendly imageediting software. It’s literally bursting with features, so as your photo skills grow and develop, this program will grow with you. All in all, a great buy for image-editing newcomers.

I found PhotoPlus an easy program to use, which should be the aim of any piece of beginner-friendly image-editing software Verdict A slick, beginner-friendly imageediting program that represents good value for money, especially with the extra bonus software.

Perfectly suited for those taking their first steps into the world of pixel-pushing.

R at i n g

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Photo kit Reviews

RIGHT Users can add layers and manipulate blur to create more advanced effects, such as zoom burst. below From merging together images to create an HDR, to changing photos to mono or even converting Raw files, you’ll find that PhotoPlus X6 has it all and more.

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Feedback Expert critique

Kirsty McCallum Cat “I have a real passion for animals and took this shot at a family BBQ during the summer. It was such a friendly little thing. I got down on the ground to ensure I was able to capture the shot as close as possible to its face.”

A smaller aper ture of f/8 wou ld ensure both ey es are sharp w hile still blurring th e background.

ge, There’s slight blur in the ima ke caused either by camera sha nt. eme mov t jec or sub

have safeguarded against both.

Kirsty could have achieved this by increasing the ISO sensitivity from 100 to 400, which would have delivered a faster shutter speed.

I would also have liked to see Kirsty using a smaller aperture.

Doing this would have ensured both eyes were in focus. An aperture of f/8 would have sharpened it up and made the cat’s face stand out more from the background. Next time, switch to aperture-priority (Av) to take more control.

INFO

ian fyfe Pets make great subjects for photos, both to practise your skills and for framing to put on the mantelpiece. Kirsty’s captured a nice moment here. The cat’s sleepy gaze looking away from the camera gives a calm atmosphere. She’s also followed the rule of thirds by placing the eye nearest to the camera one third in from the right of the frame. This is a good start, but there are a few adjustments that could improve things.

Some movement during the shot has caused blurring, most noticeable on the cat’s nose.

I don’t know whether it was the cat or the camera that moved, but a faster shutter speed would

Camera: Canon EOS 1100D Lens: 18-55mm Exposure: 1/85sec at f/5, ISO 100

Nick McClelland Christopher “I took this image to get some practice in with the Nikkor 50mm.

I recently revisited it, cropped in and made some minor adjustments on the computer to get the result you see here. I was really pleased with how it turned out, the best thing about seeing it published will mean that my daughter will be more willing to get in front of the camera now!”

Sarah Plater

Keep an eye on details like a creased shirt or messy collar.

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Shooting from beneath your subject’s eye level gives the illusion of power.

Nick’s decision to choose this angle is well suited to his subject’s confident pose and thoughtful expression.

There’s also a decent amount of space between the subject and the edge of the frame, the crop at the top of the thigh works well and the focus looks sharp.

However, the background lets this shot down – it is neither blurred enough to not matter, nor used in a way that contributes to the overall image. Just as an inadvertently placed tree or lamp post can look like it’s coming out of a subject’s head, the

top of the gate appears to be visually dividing the boy’s face from his torso.

The wall on the left-hand side of the frame and clutter on the right shout out ‘snapshot in the back garden’ to me. I wonder if Nick noticed this and decided to add the slightly overpowering vignette (darkening at the edges) to remedy it. However, it’s always best to look out for and solve these problems before shooting, rather than trying to fix something on the computer.

Next time Nick could ask Christopher to lean against the gate, so it fills the frame around him, or consider a location where there are no distracting elements in the immediate background.

It’s also worth paying close attention to the details before you even pick up your camera – the creased shirt and half up, half down collar distract from the face, particularly as this piece of clothing takes up the bulk of the image.

INFO

Background distracts from the subject.

Camera: Nikon D3000 Lens: 50mm Exposure: 1/1000sec at f/2.8, ISO 100

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29/11/12 15:07:25