Cameras

[verykiasu2010]

to achieve sharp picture of your subject with the background blurrr:


you can achieve the above with minimum "depth of field" for the image

in camera and lens talk, depth of field means the distance in front and behind the subject that are in focus that will make the subject looking sharp in the picture. if the subject is out of focus, it will be blurr

hence when you want to achieve the shallowest / minimum depth of field, you only want the subject’s face to be in focus, anything immediately in front / behind the face will be out of focus / blurrr.

now in come physics / optical studies : if the aperture of the lens is large, more light will get in, hence you need faster shutter speed to control the "right" amount of light to give you a correct exposure for the ideal picture. a large aperture will result in shallow depth of field while a small aperture will result in deeper depth of field = more distance in front / behind the lens opening will be in sharp focus. make a simple pin-hole camera and you will observe the effect of the large hole versus small hole, illustrating the meaning of "depth of field"

hence for portrait, because your attention is on the face, not the background, the picture looks nice when the background is blurr while the face is in focus = this calls for large aperture / fast speed; while for scenery, you want to see the whole expanse clearly - water, sea, sand, mountains, etc hundreds of meters in front and behind…to be in sharp focus…and you need small aperture to get maximum depth of field. the speed of the shutter will depend on the lighting condition then

this is all playing with amount of light reaching your camera sensor (old day = negative films) and you learn to control the amount of light to achieve the various effects for your pictures.

with the advent of DSLR, you can play around with the various aperture settings to see the various effects on the same subject / scene. It is almost free to play around…not like in the old days, a roll of 36 exposure film will cost $20 to buy, develop, & print…and hopefully all shots are good shots and cannot afford to trial and error with photo-shooting

[Brainkid]

Hi,


Thanks for all the recommendation. After reading the comments and viewing the website, I am going to check out the Sim Lim Square this weekend! Too bad IT shows are over.

I am really gian to buy DSLR.. :love: hahaha..but I am sure dh will reject due to bulkiness. He will be the one paying so.... :xedfingers: Need to plot to buy him over.

For DSLR, I will streaming down to these 2 models:
1) Nikon D3100
2) Canon EOS 500D

For point & shoot,
1) Canon S95
2) Panasonic Lumis DMS-LX5

I will remember to shake the camera and most importantly let my boy be my model. :lol:

Will let update what I buy. Hopefully if I buy a DSLR, its not too difficult

[jtoh]

Hi Brainkid,


I strongly recommend that you go for the DSLR rather than the other two models. I know what kind of photos you want and the DSLR will give you the satisfaction you want. If you're unsure of how to use the manual function, use the auto or program modes first. For the bokeh shots, use the Aperture priority and set it to the widest aperture. The camera will take care of the Shutter setting for you. Experiment! And go for classes. It helps to get the most out of your camera. Or ask your friends who are familiar with using manual cameras.

Do let us know your choice.

[jtoh]

As for bulkiness, you'll get used to it. The Nikon 3100 is not that bulky or heavy compared to the other models. Of course cannot put in handbag lah. Later on you'll appreciate it even more when you take pix of your son at kindy performances etc.

[smurf]

Is still image better for keepsake or video better? I thought video is betterr coz can see movement?? :?

[jtoh]

smurf:

Is still image better for keepsake or video better? I thought video is betterr coz can see movement?? :?

Be kiasu. Take both. Mother take photos, father take videos.

[Brainkid]

Yup. I am looking for one with both function. My MIL boughta $200 SONY camera, end up taking all videos of my ds.


Ok, back to negotiation with dh…best deal so far is 50% split cost…will try again. Anyway, I drop by COURTS during lunch and this was the sales recommendation.

1) CANON and NIKON DSLR works a lot on settings. Even if you are a new DSLR user, best that you drop these 2 brands cause they can be complicated. They recommend OLUMPUS EPL1. Said it was easier. Then added if I wanted to use the DSLR Auto function, then I might as well buy a point & shoot. True?
Actually, frankly speaking I was taken aback by the buttons…looks chim.

Prices of the recommended DSLR as follows:
1) NIKON D3100 $999
2)CANON EOS5500 $1349 (this is out of budget for me)
3) OLUMPUS EPL1 $898


2) Salesman went on to recommend the Canon G12 which they say is the nearest to DSLR but compact and slimmer. (FYI, my Dh nags non stop about DSLR being a white elephant if I buy it) Actually G12 is the salesman secondary recommendation. He actually recommend a Samsung brand equivalent which I was not keen on the brand but $200 cheaper. Price of Canon G12 is $849.

Isnt that too steep for a compact camera?!

[jtoh]

Brainkid,


As you've never tried a DSLR before I can understand you and your husband's apprehension about buying one and fear of it being a white elephant. It does look a little intimidating with all the buttons. BUT the idea behind you buying a DSLR is that you'll LEARN to use the manual functions right? And until you master that, you can always resort to the auto or program modes.

First off, you have to realize that the quality of the photos you'll get with a DSLR is way superior to that of any point-and-shoot. If you think the DSLR might be a white elephant and you don't mind accepting the compromise in quality then perhaps you can consider a point and shoot.

You mentioned you wanted both video and stills in the camera you're buying? I don't think the Nikon D3100 has video functions. The Nikon D5000 has though. Think it's slightly pricier than the D3100.

I haven't tried the Olympus EPL1 before but a friend of mine has the EP1 and it is a nifty little DSLR in a compact body. That may be a better option for you if size is a concern. I don't know about the quality of the photos taken by the EPL1 but it can't be far wrong with an Olympus. Furthermore it has interchangeable lens which is something you might want to explore in the future to take those portrait shots of your son.

Just my two cents worth. Personally I would go for the Nikon or Canon DSLRs but then I like DSLRs.

[daisyt]

jtoh:

As for bulkiness, you'll get used to it. The Nikon 3100 is not that bulky or heavy compared to the other models. Of course cannot put in handbag lah. Later on you'll appreciate it even more when you take pix of your son at kindy performances etc.

3100 is a good camera, it can take video at 1080p. Just got one for dd at $800+ with the kit lens at cathay photo. No one can beat their price and service.

Canon G12 is a between DSLR and point & shoot. The equivalent for nikon is P7000. Both have manual setting but these setings cannot compare ti DSLR settings.

[MummyThreeStreams]

Hi folks, just sharing my own experience, which may be a little different from most of the recent posts. I have an old and beloved Canon SLR which I have used to take many beautiful pictures. Spent many months learning the techniques on film and spent a few months attending courses on photography. Took really great pics of my kids. Upgraded my lens and took even better photos.


However, i use my Canon S95 powershot almost exclusively now. Mainly because it’s smaller and more portable, so i can have it in my handbag and whip it out for pictures of my kids anytime. I have 2 kids with another on the way. We like to travel light and the SLR is too bulky. The good thing is that the S95 also has manual features allowing me to choose shutter speed, aperture, iso etc. So it’s more versatile than a full automatic camera. Of course it’s not going to be as good as my SLR or the DSLRs out there. But it’s a compromise i’m willing to make as the photos are still very very good. I’ve not given up on my SLR though. And I might upgrade to a DSLR when the kids are older and i have more time to pursue photography again.