With a ton of options on the market, adding a ring light to your kit has never been cheaper.
Continuous photography ring lights seem to be everywhere nowadays. There are dozens of offerings from dozens of companies that you can choose from, and they are popular with photographers, make-up artists, and videographers. The main use of a ring light is on-axis lighting for an even, somewhat flat exposure.
However, what do you do if you don’t like that effect or the distinctive ring-shaped catchlight for that matter? Because these lights are continuous, and because of their size, they have more uses than ring flashes of the past. If you don’t like the straight-on effect, you don’t have to use a ring light in that way.
In normal use, you would place the light directly in front of your subject and shoot through
the aperture of the light.
This article demonstrates six uses of a continuous ring light that isn’t their intended use. It will also (hopefully) show you that these relatively cheap and effective lights are useful to have for any photographer in the studio.
Normal use
While not to the taste of many photographers, ring lights can be used to create bold and
vibrant images.
If you’re unfamiliar, a ring light is a circular, ring-shaped light with a large aperture designed to be placed directly in front of a subject. You then take your images by positioning your camera through the aperture of the ring.
Traditional ring flashes had the light attached to the camera. This front (on-axis) lighting provides an evenly lit image. This is one of those things that you either love or hate, but photographers who love it tend to really love it.
Versatility
With the continuous versions of these lights, you have a wealth of options with how to use a ring light. Because the light is always on, you can position it anywhere you want. With a lot of the options on the market, this gives you a high-powered, lightweight and versatile continuous light for around $100.
Because of the brightness of a continuous ring light, your subject’s pupils will be constricted,
allowing you to see more of the color in their eyes.
Here’s a bonus if you’ve never used continuous lights before. Because the output is constant, your portrait subject’s pupils get constricted. This means you will see more of the color of their eyes in your photos.
Options
Below are five examples of ways you can use a continuous ring light to great effect without ever using it as a ring light.
1. As a normal light
Placed at a 45-degree angle and angled downwards, these ring lights work well as normal
light source.
Despite its circular shape, ring lights are great when used as a normal light. Raise the light and angle it towards your subject to distort the effect the shape of the light has, and you can use it as a small softbox. You’re not limited to how you can light your subject this way, but I’ve found that all of the basic lighting patterns work well.
You are not limited to the shape of the ring. Use flags to block off portions of the light to shape
it however you want.
If you have more than one ring light, you can use them together to create just about any two-light setup that you can imagine. If the ones you have have an adjustable output, managing your key to fill ratios should be pretty easy.
2. As a prop
Having your subject pose with the light itself can create some interesting and fun portraits.
It can also help to lighten the mood during a session.
If you have an LED ring light, they don’t get very hot. Feel free to have your subject pose with the light itself for some very different images. The results will vary with ring lights of different sizes, and you have to worry about the plug and the cables, but it’s still a fun technique. Though you probably won’t use it very often thanks to its tendency towards uplighting.
3. As ambient fill
Modern ring lights are getting quite powerful and it is more than possible to use them as
fill lighting in conjunction with studio flash.
You can mix any continuous light with studio flashes for some interesting effects. By using a strobe as your key light, you can then bring a ring light in for some gentle fill.
A couple of things that you will want to keep in mind is that your strobes are probably way more powerful than your ring light, so set the power accordingly. Also, you will probably want to have a ring light with an adjustable color temperature if you are going to be mixing light sources.
You could also reverse this and use the ring light as key and flash as fill. As before, make sure the power on your strobes goes down that far before committing to this.
4. As a compositional device
Putting the light behind your subject creates an interesting tool for composition. Also, it may
just be me, but I love that rim light that it is producing.
In its normal use, I am a fan of creating a composition with the actual ring light framing the subject. I just like it for whatever reason. However, you are not limited to that. You can place the ring light anywhere in your frame for some cool effects. Try placing one behind your subject for a halo effect, or placing one at an angle just inside your frame for a curved band of light running through the composition.
5. Dragging the shutter
When you’re mixing a ring light with studio flash, it opens the door to some interesting
techniques like dragging the shutter. Here, flash is acting as fill and the shutter speed is set
to 1/15th of a second.
This is similar to using the ring light as ambient fill, but if you use your strobe normally, you can expose for the high-powered strobe and the low-powered ring light by dragging the shutter.
This technique is not for everyone, but it can produce some interesting results.
A little warning: if you’re a technically-minded photographer, you’re probably going to hate this technique, as the results tend to be a little soft. However, it can be used for some striking results. If you do like it, you still have to be careful with controlling the movement of your camera.
You do have to manage any movement in your camera while using this technique. If in doubt,
use a tripod.
Because the power output on your flash is not in any way controlled by shutter speed, you can set your shutter speed as slow as you need to make this work. However, you may want to use a tripod for really slow shutter speeds. This technique can provide some cool effects in its own right, but no two attempts are going to be the same.
That’s it
There you have it. That’s six ways that you can use a continuous ring light without ever having to use it as a ring light. Considering how cheap these things are, they are a very useful tool for any photographer who wants to get into off-camera lighting but for some reason is put off by flash.
Do you have other ways that you use a ring light? Please share with us in the comments below.
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Sunday, June 2, 2019
Tips on How to Capture Affection in Your Photographs
All you need is love – and the know-how to capture affection in your photos.
One of the big challenges in portrait photography is capturing the elusive aspects of life: feelings, smells, and experiences. It’s difficult because a photograph is limited to two dimensions and a single point in time. It only captures what we can see, but we often want it to do more than that.
To make a good photograph, we want to be able to share a sensation or an experience. Fortunately for us, it’s not completely impossible.
One of the great things about humans is that we have a pretty amazing imagination. We can feel the texture of fur just by seeing a photo of it, we can almost smell the sea when we see an evocative picture of it. The challenge is to take a photograph that’s good enough to make the viewer feel what you want them to.
In this article, I want to share some tips that can help you capture one of those elusive things – affection. I hope you enjoy the ride!
What is affection?
If done right, affection is easier to explain with a picture than in writing – a picture is worth a thousand words and all that. Let me give it a try, though.
Affection is an expression of love and trust, a kind of comfortable tenderness, a warm and confident gaze that doesn’t need to be returned. It’s strength in selflessness and is a very private experience.
Like most other feelings, but perhaps even more so, affection is really hard to fake. It’s often found in the small gestures and mannerisms that have been built over time.
And that’s why it’s so challenging to capture, especially in people you don’t know well.
Why try to capture affection?
So you may be thinking, if it’s so difficult, why bother? What’s the point of struggling to capture something that exists in so many more dimensions than a photograph and that is such an intimate feeling?
First of all, the challenge is a good way to develop as a photographer and a human. It gives you the chance to try to capture something essential, positive, that which will one day be the greatest of memories.
Knowing how to photograph affection is a great way to offer family and friends, as well as customers, amazing images that show something real and beautiful.
How to capture affection
Capturing affection may be a bit difficult, but it’s definitely not impossible. If you’re a professional photographer, one of the challenges is that your models may not know you well enough to be comfortable around you.
Nervousness and discomfort don’t go well with displaying affection. Since you won’t have the time to get to know everyone you’re hired to photograph, you need to find other ways to inspire confidence in your models.
Even knowing someone well doesn’t mean that it’s easy to capture affection. Shyness or awkwardness may sometimes make it even harder to photograph the affection among your friends and family.
One way to get what you want is to catch a special moment without being noticed. This works well at a wedding shoot, a family gathering, or even when doing street photography. The important thing to think about here is consent and whether it’s a situation where it’s okay to take such a photograph.
Proper preparation
If you’ve been asked to photograph a couple, or a parent and a child, preparation is important. With just a little bit of effort put into creating a connection and making your models feel comfortable you can go a long way.
Sometimes moving to a place with fewer distractions might help. Other times being surrounded by others is the right thing. You have to read the situation and make the best of it.
Part of preparation is building trust. You can start way before the shoot by getting in touch with your customers and making them confident that you know what you’re doing.
Show them that you can be trusted to capture beautiful memories for them and that you’re there to support them in the quite unusual situation that a photo shoot presents.
And as always, practice makes perfect. You can learn to find and capture special moments by looking in places where you wouldn’t expect to find them. Photography is so much more than just pushing a button. It’s learning to see the world in a different way, learning to understand what you see, and learning to capture it.
How do you make sure you capture genuine feelings in your photos? Do you have any tips on how to capture affection or a photo that you’d like to share?
I’d love to get your suggestions and see your photos in the comments below!
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Your Photographic Legacy: Realizing Your Power as a Photo Maker
I’ve struggled with how to approach the topic at hand and I remain unsure even as I type. How can I begin to talk about such far echoing ideas? I already know that you and I share a common thread: photography.
I’ll further assume that if you’re reading this, you are a person who makes photographs regularly. Perhaps that’s the perfect way to start; by knowing that you’re a camera person, just like me.
Being that we’re the same, I hope you understand the scope of what it means to “be a photographer” in an age when cameras are everywhere. Do you understand the power you hold in your hands? It’s the magnitude of this power that we will discuss.
With any luck, these simple truths about our craft will be nothing new. If anything, hopefully, these ideas will be a gentle reminder of the role you play in the photographic legacy.
On the other hand, if you have forgotten these facts or if you’ve never thought about them before, today is an especially important day for you.
Respect for the work…respect for yourself
It’s oddly paradoxical that photography can be so incredibly personal yet at the same time so impersonal. This is especially true of digital photography when often times the work we produce remains essentially intangible and often untouchable.
Where other creators physically intersect with their craft by either drawing, painting, sculpting or carving, we stand alone in a shared uniqueness. We use a machine to bring our expressions to life. We cannot touch what we capture with any sense of immediacy, and yet photography has become one of the most effective methods for bridging what we see with what we feel.
As photographers, we must grasp the sheer weirdness and complexity of what we do at a basic level. Our work is part science, part soul, part philosophy and as such should be respected for the beautiful oddball of the visual arts that it truly is.
Furthermore, you should have immense respect for yourself and your fellow practitioners of photography. Not through any sense of superiority but rather a feeling of camaraderie.
We compete on occasion, sure. We envy or criticize each other at times. With the internet being the internet, it’s quite easy to pick apart the work of others instead of building it up. We’re only human. Still, the fact remains that we will advance more by positive attitudes and tasteful critique than through thoughtless criticism and negativity.
I can assure you that we’re all in this madness together.
Photography is the servant of history
Imagine for a minute a couple of historic images in your mind. Ali standing over Frazier. That child running from a napalm strike in Vietnam. The aftermath at Kent State. A lone man staring down a tank in Beijing. Einstein sticking his tongue out for the camera.
All these moments, for better or worse, are solidified in history through photographs. Photography carries monumental weight for bringing awareness to the beauty and horrors present in the human condition.
Arguably, photography is the greatest asset for documenting history that the world has ever known.
Every photograph is made by a man or woman who was present at the exact moment these events took place. For better or worse, the presence of a camera has been the catalyst for social, political and environmental change for nearly two centuries.
Where would we be without the photographs which move us to action and change the way we think about the world?
Photographers can strike fire anywhere with a single photograph.
Possessing the ability to potentially impact the entire course of civilization by what we do should fill us with a measure of pride, wonderment and ultimately a sense of apprehension. Think about that the next time you go out with your camera.
You can make a difference through your photography at any time and in any place.
You represent every photographer
If you bear with me, I find it’s necessary to share a quick story about a woodworker friend of mine; a story, which as it turns out, became the reason for me penning this article.
A few weeks ago I witnessed a rather nasty situation play out on social media between my friend and another woodworker. Without injecting my own opinion, it was obvious that the attitude shown towards my friend was met with universal disapproval by most of the commenters.
I was fascinated (and comforted) by the fact that what seemed to trouble people the most was the blatant disrespect which was being exhibited by one craftsperson to another.
My mind immediately jumped to the manner we as photographers conduct ourselves, both on and offline, and how that conduct impacts the public perception of photographers.
As cameras become more and more available to the masses, it’s important to comprehend that we are all practitioners of an art form that dates back to the early 19th century. That’s quite the legacy. What I mean by this is that the way we interact with our subjects and our environment while we practice our craft can be just as important as the photographs we produce.
I have witnessed photographers moving “flying stones” at Racetrack Playa in Death Valley just so their shots couldn’t be replicated. On countless occasions, I’ve watched as cars backed up behind a person who parked in the highway to make photos of bears.
Perhaps most alarming of all, I have observed shockingly pretentious attitudes exhibited by professional photographers upon those deemed “beneath” their perceived level of skill.
Be courteous and respectful to others, especially fellow photographers. Always be willing to pass on what knowledge you have about the craft. Keep in mind that we are stewards of our art and tend its flame for many generations of photo makers to come.
Never fall victim to the kind of indifferent behavior that would belittle the legacy of photography.
Final thoughts….
So, what’s the endgame here?
The keyword is “realization.”
Realize that the role photography plays in the world cannot be overstated, and your part in that story is just as important.
The way we approach photography is very much a reflection of how we approach life and each share similar outcomes.
Be mindful that you always remember the impact of the photos you make
and how far the manner by which you make those photos truly reaches.
Photographs carry a unique duality which occupies a cloudy space among
other art forms.
Our cameras have the power to make, record and even change history, but without you, a camera is just a camera.
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Remember the power you have as a photographer and wield it accordingly.
Friday, May 31, 2019
Here's another free Ebook. Enjoy!
Birds Shots eBook.
You like to shoot birds, but your technique is not good or you want to improve it.
Mark Yokoyama, the author of this photography ebook, will tell you his secret on how to shoot birds, how to get closer and many more secrets, to get outstanding photos of birds.
Just use (copy & paste) this link to get your free ebook.
OK, you're enjoying the free Ebooks, (above - and in the Blog Archive found by scrolling down the right side of this page) but you realize you get what you pay for. You want to take your photography to the next level, but you know free ebooks have their limitations. You also know you're not going to break the family budget by splurging on expensive courses especially if you're new to Photography. Below are low cost alternatives, just $19 each. And unlike the free ebooks they're NOT limited to just 20 or 30 pages. Check them out at this link:
Photography is an amazing way to express yourself and see the world around you. It’s therefore not surprising that photography is a favorite pass time for young people. Recently I was asked to give my tips for aspiring young photographers (and those of any age!). It’s such a great subject that sharing it with the dPS community seemed like a great idea. Even if you’re an old hand at photography, it’s always worth remembering the path you took to becoming a great photographer. We were all young and aspiring once! Let’s look at some tips that will help you succeed whether you’re new to photography or not.
Learning to use off-camera flash is a key lesson for aspiring young photographers who want
to take portraits.
1 – Be patient
In today’s world, we all want everything at once. To quote the lyrics from a song “How soon is now?” As with anything that’s new to you, you’ll need to show patience. Learning a new vocation is a marathon, not a sprint. While it’s true some people will have a natural eye for photography, they also won’t succeed without patience and application. You also need to figure out what success means to you. There are many who will see that as a large following through social media. While it’s a measure of success to have a large following, it’s certainly not the only measure. In fact, the approval of a huge number of likes through social media can stunt your development, as it may well blind you to some of the mistakes you make when taking photos. So take your time, accept the fact that you’ll make some mistakes along the way, and allow your photography to grow organically.
Photographing with friends is a great way to gain experience. This is of a local music band.
2 – Look for places to get feedback
Feedback is an important part of your development. You can’t always see your blind spots, that’s why seeking out advice from others is a good idea. The type of feedback aspiring young photographers look for is important, it can have a big impact on your growth.
Thick skin – You’ll need thick skin, or the ability to accept constructive feedback. Then you need to be able to apply it to your future work which will allow you to grow.
Seek feedback – The choice of the word feedback over critique is important here. Critique is a negative word, where feedback is neutral. In addition to being given advice on areas a photo needs improving, the feedback giver should also be telling you the things you have done right. All too often people see the word critique and will then only look for the faults in a photo.
Stay true – As a photographer, you will develop your own style, so you need to remain true to this style. Feedback should be fixing technical faults, not seeking to change a photographers style. Photography, after all, a creative pursuit, and the wrong feedback has the potential to stunt the growth of aspiring young photographers.
It’s always a good idea to get feedback on your work but choose your sources carefully.
3 – Choose a niche to master
Photography is a broad area, and there are so many different types or genres of photography. The old saying about being a “jack of all trades, and master of none” rings true here. Every photographer will eventually gravitate to a particular type of photography. Of course, it’s great to try out new genres from time to time, and in the early day’s it’s worth trying out different techniques to see which is the one for you. But sooner or later though you’ll need to decide whether you’re a portrait, landscape or food photographer. Each of those photography types has many skills you’ll need to master before your photos really stand out from the crowd. There again you may wish to be a travel photographer, in which case, you’ll need to be good at just about everything.
Every field of photography will have its masters. In most cases, there will be more than one person you can approach as a mentor. Once you have decided on the genre of photography you wish to become good at, find someone who is already good at that, and approach them to be your mentor. In today’s digital world it’s much easier to do this online. Remember the photographer you approach will be a busy working professional, and you may need to pay a fee for their time. Of course, if you pay a fee you will expect results, so set some clear parameters and goals for your sessions with them.
Your mentor will teach you the ways of The Force. Well okay, the ways of the camera.
5 – Join a photography group
One of the best things aspiring young photographers can do is join a photography group. This can either be online or in person. The majority of photography groups or clubs have a mixture of levels and abilities, and it may well be you’ll find your mentor by joining such a group. There are so many benefits to hanging out with other photographers. The ability to bounce ideas off others, gain feedback on your work, and grow as a photographer within the group are all positives to joining a group.
Joining a group is a great way to learn about photography and make new friends.
6 – Learn your craft in your locality
Now hopefully you’ve joined a photography group, and you know which style of photography you want to pursue. It’s time to really put the time into learning everything there is to know about it. Now, of course, you might happen to live in an amazing location like New York, or you have easy access to Angkor Wat because you live in Siem Reap. Those living in less glamorous places nevertheless need to learn the techniques and tricks needed to make the best photos they can, and in turn, put the glamour in their local area. Everywhere has its point of interest, and training your photographer’s eye to see that will help you become a better photographer.
Landscape photographers – A great technique to learn is digital blending. You can learn how to do this in your local area, and then when you visit one of the world’s iconic landmarks you’ll be ready to make the best photos you can.
Portrait photographers – Learning how to use off-camera flash will really lift your game, you can do this with friends and family as your models. Then when the chance for that big photography gig comes along, you’ll be ready.
Practicing your photography skills close to home is a good idea.
7 – Visit locations that will help your photography shine
Having built your knowledge in photography, and picked out a style, it’s now time to pick out a location where your photography will really shine. This will involve some form of investment in you traveling to a specific place that best suits your photography. This is obviously not something you want to rush into, the key to success here is good planning. As an aspiring young photographer looking to establish yourself, getting some amazing portfolio photos is important. These are some of the steps needed:
Location research – Use websites like 500px as a resource to find the locations you’d like to photograph yourself. Time spent on these sites will also give you inspiration for new ideas and directions you could take your photography.
Equipment – You’ll need the right equipment to get the best photos, so consider carefully what you’ll purchase.
Logistics – Think about the logistics. How much will your trip cost? Are you going at the best time of year for the light and weather? Is where you’re staying going to give you easy access to places you want to photograph?
This photo is of the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur is iconic. Earlier photos were taken to
practice the techniques needed for this photo, such as digital blending.
8 – Invest time learning post-processing
Photography is a two-step process. First, you’ll need to take the photo, but then you’ll need to process it on a computer or perhaps even in a darkroom. There are lots of things that can add to your photography with post-processing, below are just a few areas that you should focus on for landscape or portrait photography.
Landscape – Learning how to use digital blending, sharpen your image, and how to remove unwanted elements from your photo.
Portraits – Learn how to soften the face, but sharpen the eyes. Learn about compositing your photos, so you can blend studio portraits with other backgrounds.
9 – Set limits
A great way to push yourself, and learn more about photography is to set limits. In the days of film photography, you’d be limited to 24 or 36 photos per roll of film, though you could, of course, carry additional rolls with you. The point is you were limited to a finite number of photos, so you’d have to consider your shot selection carefully. This is an example of a limit or parameter that can make you grow as a photographer. The following are a few others which you could try:
Focal length – Take photos from only one focal length.
Aperture – Choose only one aperture for the whole day.
One color – Take photos of only one color for the whole day.
What tips do you have for aspiring young photographers?
Are you an aspiring young photographer? Which of these tips will you follow, and have you learned anything new that you can take into your photography? Have you ever mentored someone else who was new to photography? What was your experience with that? As always we love to hear from the dPS community, so please leave your replies in the comments section below.
Simon Bond is a specialist in creative photography techniques and is well known for his work with a crystal ball. His work has featured in national newspapers and magazines including National Geographic Traveler. With over 8 years of experience in crystal ball photography Simon is the leading figure in this field, get some great tips by downloading his free e-book! Do you want to learn more about crystal ball photography? He has a video course just for you!
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Thursday, May 30, 2019
Are Early 2000s Digital Cameras Secondhand Bargains?
Today, digital photography is ubiquitous, but there is still a demand among enthusiasts for classic film cameras. By all accounts, the analog medium has made a comeback over the last 2-3 years. What you don’t often hear of is people hankering for older digital cameras, even for the sake of nostalgia. Technology has moved on, but has it moved on so much that they are obsolete? Or are early 2000s digital cameras secondhand bargains? We’ll find out.
There is still plenty of love out there for old film cameras. This is an Olympus OM10
(c. 1978-87).
Inescapable truths
Those of us that have been shooting digitally for over ten years probably don’t miss the early days of post-processing. The sensors were noisier and there was no in-camera dust removal. One way or another, a lot of time was spent trying to clean things up. Less advanced, too, was the software we used to process photos. Trying to recover highlights or remove noise, for instance, was harder than it is today. Photos were abandoned that might be saved with modern editing.
The original Canon EOS 5d (c. 2005) had no dust-cleaning capability. Neither did I.
Whenever I had the sensor cleaned, dust spots quickly reappeared.
Aside from noisier, dirtier sensors and editing limitations, exterior hardware on cameras was also inferior in the early days. LCDs were smaller with a lower resolution, and electronic viewfinders weren’t as clear. The benefit of a bright viewfinder shouldn’t be underestimated, and it’s still a feature of higher-end cameras today over entry-level models (e.g., pentaprism vs. pentamirror optical viewfinders).
Sensor resolution
With camera age comes the question of sensor resolution. Modern cameras have high-res sensors. More resolution gives you more freedom to crop pictures after the event and still end up with a decent-sized print. It’s like having an extra lens. Many photographers prefer not cropping pictures, but it’s a luxury that didn’t always exist. In the “old” days of low sensor resolution, there was more discussion among photographers on interpolation methods. People wanted to make their digital files bigger so they could create larger prints. That subject is now almost archaic.
The CCD sensor of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28 (c. 2008). Despite having a
smaller sensor than the earlier FZ30, the FZ28’s resolution was higher. Advances in sensor
technology are frequently used to increase resolution rather than substantially decrease noise.
Photo: Thomas Bresson [CC BY 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Glimmer of light
Despite the drawbacks of using old digital cameras, some had useful features that are rare or even extinct today. And the minuses are mostly surmountable. Let’s examine three cameras that are all 10+ years old and see what we can do with them. All of the following are eminently affordable on the secondhand market: more so than many classic film cameras.
Old camera #1: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-R1
Even by today’s standards, the 2005 10.3-megapixel Sony DSC-R1 is an innovative camera. It never sold well, but it had a unique combination of a fixed 24-120mm Carl Zeiss lens, an APS-C sized CMOS sensor, full-time live-view LCD display (a first at that sensor size), and live histogram. The technical quality was/is excellent.
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-R1 is a bridge camera with a large APS-C sensor. It was unusual
in 2005 and remains so today.
The main limitation of the Sony R1 is a sensor that gets noisy above ISO 400 combined with an absence of image stabilization. This is not a camera you can easily use for high-quality interior photos without a tripod. You have to employ old-school sturdy shooting methods with controlled breathing, a good stance, a steady hand, and a camera braced against pillars or posts if necessary.
This is a Sony R1 JPEG with a bit of fill light from the built-in flash. I persist with the raw files
despite their slowness in writing.
At ISO 160-200, Sony R1 pictures are clear with great color. At ISO 400 they’re still good. When viewed at 100%, the images are satisfying with lots of detail. On the minus side, raw files take a long time to write on the R1 (several seconds, typically). This was never a rapid-fire camera for those aiming to pull the most quality from it. The R1 takes CF cards or Sony memory sticks – no SD cards.
The quality of the R1’s Carl Zeiss T* 24-120mm lens doesn’t disappoint. Exposure:
1/160th sec, ISO 160, f/8, approx 40mm equivalent focal length.
The R1’s WLF (waist level finder)
The flip-out 2″ LCD of the R1 didn’t appeal to everyone as it swivels upwards, effectively making the camera bigger. It’s already quite a bulky bridge camera. Personally, I love the fact that the LCD screen can slot flush into the top of the camera, turning it into a waist-level finder. That’s great for candid portraits or street photos, even if you have to wait for those big Sony raw files to write (you can shoot JPEGs). The camera has an electronic viewfinder that’s dimmer and lower resolution than you’d expect from today’s cameras, but it’s usable.
I’m not aware of any other digital stills camera that allows this. The LCD is only 2″ wide, but
that allows it to slot neatly into the top of the camera like a WLF.
Of all the digital cameras I’ve used, the Sony R1 is one of the few that I haven’t sold over time. I can’t bring myself to get rid of it because of its quirkiness and quality. For those familiar with him, well-known US photographer and blogger Kirk Tuck was still singing the praises of the R1 just a few years back. This is a secondhand bargain if you can cope with the cons.
Old camera #2: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ30
The main problem with the 2005 Panasonic Lumix FZ30 is the noise from its 8-megapixel CCD 1/1.8″ sensor. Even at ISO 80, it’s there. That aside, there are many appealing features. The 12x Leica-branded optical zoom lens with image stabilization is sharp across its whole range. Despite its age, the electronic viewfinder in this camera isn’t bad, even if the dioptric dial nudges out of place too easily. I tend to use the EVF more than the 2″ flip-down LCD.
The 12x optical zoom of the Lumix FZ-30 is fairly modest by today’s standards and isn’t very
wide at the wide end. But still, you get good long-lens versatility that doesn’t seem to
exceed its Mega O.I.S. ability (Optical Image Stabilization).
Offering all the exposure control you’d expect from an SLR, the Lumix FZ30 also allows raw shooting – a strong point in its favor. With today’s processing, and by restricting your photography to base ISO where possible, you can achieve good results. Limiting? Yes, but you get 36-432mm versatility for your trouble. The stabilization is effective, allowing you to make use of that long zoom at relatively low speeds with good technique.
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ30 feels well made and gives you as much control as you
want.
Aside from allowing raw files, it captures modest VGA res video (typical for its age).
This is a camera that yields detailed pictures, is quick to handle, has long battery life and doesn’t hold you up with big raw files. One frustrating aspect is the need for 2GB SD cards to run it, which many people will not have in this day and age. It doesn’t accept SDHC cards (4GB+).
This is a 100% section of an FZ30 file with Adobe’s “enhanced details” and some basic
masked capture sharpening applied in Lightroom. The detail isn’t at all bad at base ISO
and unsharpened
noise is unimposing. (Best viewed full size @ 1500 pixels.) Exposure: 1/500th, f/5, ISO 80.
Although noise is an issue with the Lumix DMC-FZ30, that is less important now than 14 years ago when the camera came out. Software like Topaz AI Sharpen, though not perfect, is good at suppressing noise and bringing out detail. The tools in Lightroom and other programs have also improved no end. Old cameras become more viable as processing technology advances.
Exposure: 1/160th @ f/4 – ISO 80. The focal length is 52mm, equating to around 250mm in
35mm terms. Image stabilization is probably helping a little here.
Old camera #3: Canon EOS 450D/Rebel XSi
I wouldn’t recommend early digital SLRs to anyone based on dust problems alone, but that becomes a non-issue four generations in. The Canon EOS Rebel XSi (450D in Europe) came out in 2008. It was an entry-level DSLR offering many benefits over previous models. Among them were a sizeable 3″ LCD, Live View with phase and contrast detection AF, spot metering and a bigger, brighter viewfinder.
The lightest camera among the three even with its lens is the EOS Rebel XSi (450D). The
kit lens is good, but a cheap 50mm f/1.8 would make even more of the camera’s excellent
sensor.
The Rebel XSi is small and light by SLR standards and won’t give much satisfaction to metal-loving traditionalists. It doesn’t feel substantial. However, it’s understated and functional, and lets you go about your work stealthily. No-one is going to think you’re a pro, no matter how well you hold the camera. The most noticeable flaw is some wacky white balance results from time to time, especially under artificial light. Shooting raw, that’s not a deal-breaker.
This 100% view (with capture sharpening) shows good detail from the 18-55mm Canon
kit lens.
A 50% view creates more of a real-world impression, so this is okay at full size.
As you might expect from a Canon CMOS sensor, noise levels are low with the EOS Rebel XSi (lower than the Sony R1, for instance). Obviously, they’re not as impressive as a high-end camera from today or even yesterday, but you can risk ISO 800 or even max ISO 1600 images for some indoor shots and polish them up later. Better still, you can make use of live view, manual focusing and a tripod if circumstances allow.
Topaz Sharpen AI is good at sorting out detail from noise, though you have to check over the
result for artifacts. This is an ISO 800 shot viewed at 100% with Topaz sharpening and noise
suppression. This type of software is only going to improve.
A question of balance
If you’re using heavy “L” series lenses, they may not sit well on the Rebel XSi. It doesn’t have any heft. The original 18-55mm kit lens is sharp, lightweight and has good image stabilization. A modern equivalent of the Rebel XSi would give you more resolution, more advanced processing (a little quicker, less noise at high ISOs), a higher res LCD and video. All this was available in the camera that superseded it in 2009 – the EOS Rebel T1i (500D). But the stills photographer looking for a bargain DSLR might find an answer in the Rebel XSi. It has just enough and a bit more.
This 50% crop gives you a good idea of what the 2008 18-55mm kit lens can do,
albeit through a compressed JPEG. There’s not much to complain about quality-wise,
even if the sensor promises more.
With modern processing at our disposal, digital cameras from the early part of this century have more potential now than they had when new. Especially those that shot raw files. Yes, you’ll find it hard to go back to them if you’ve spoiled yourself with ultra-high-res LCDs and mega-bright EVFs. But some of the downsides in old cameras have upsides of their own: less brightness and resolution means better battery life. Low-res sensors mean not editing football-pitch-sized files.
You wouldn’t use old cameras if your living relied on the best high-ISO performance. Still, any of the three models I’ve discussed can easily produce a publishable, high-quality photo if you accept their constraints and process the files carefully. Other than the Sony R1’s slow write times, the cameras are quick and easy to handle.
So, with one or two caveats, I’d say early 2000s digital cameras can definitely be bargains.
Do you use any of these cameras, or have any to add to this list? Please share with the dPS community in the comments below.
