Posts Tagged ‘camera’

New Camera for Christmas – Now What?

Gifts under the Christmas Tree - ©TimeLine Media

Gear Gifts

A shiny new camera was a popular item in the back of Santa’s sleigh this year! If you were like my mom, it was an exciting gift to get, but one that will definitely be giving out goodies for more than just the next year. After unboxing, and making sure everything turn on, it can be overwhelming to think about what to do next. Do I read the manual from cover to cover? Almost never. Do I need to buy more accessories and things to add to the body? Usually. Do I change any of the settings on the camera before using it? Absolutely. Why would I do any of these things?

Red Nikon D3200 - ©TimeLine Media
Red Nikon D3200 – ©TimeLine Media

I would do what most kids do with their new toys. I would go out and play with it first! Take LOTS of photos with the new camera. If you had a previous model that was similar in type, you will be very comfortable with most of the layout of the control and the symbols printed on the camera. There may be some new buttons on there, but if you didn’t have them on your last camera, you will likely not need them on your new camera if you have not read about it yet. Most functions on cameras have not changed in decades. So it is likely that if you are used to a particular brand and how it displays functions, it will continue to do so on your new model.

Gifts under the Christmas Tree - ©TimeLine Media
Gifts under the Christmas Tree – ©TimeLine Media

New Camera

Taking lots of photos with your new camera will also get you comfortable with how it responds. If you left the settings exactly how it came out of the box, it will likely give you perfectly fine results. They may not look much different as images from a point and shoot, or smartphone camera, but they will be viewable, and will give you a starting point to play with the settings later. There is probably a lot of family, friends, and other holiday things going on right away, so don’t worry so much about the details with your new gear. Just start enjoying it by using it!

You have a lot of time to tinker with all the other fun that a camera can make when you are not stressed about the season. Just be sure to register the camera with the manufacturer before your lose the registration card, of the serial number rubs off the outside! That will ensure you get all the warranty and repair rights if something breaks along the way.

Capitol Christmas Tree at night - ©TimeLine Media
Capitol Christmas Tree at night – ©TimeLine Media

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First Impressions – FujiFilm X100s

©TimeLine Media - X100s in hotel ballroom

Alexandria, Virginia

The new Fuji X100s was the only camera I took with me to a fundraising dance event that we attended as guests. This is one of the hardest conditions to test a camera with very low available light in the ballroom. My first impressions of the camera was very positive, but it is also VERY different from using an SLR camera. For once, I did not have to carry around a huge camera body and lens with an attached flash much like this:

©TimeLine Media - X100s in hotel ballroom
©TimeLine Media – X100s in hotel ballroom

Mirrorless Camera

I brought  a camera that I could actually fit in my coat pocket! I did not need to have a strap, and it was so light to carry with me. Yes, there are a lot of compromises you have to make when using this camera. You do give up some performance when not carrying as much gear, but it almost makes up for it with the ease of carrying less. The above show was wide open at F/2.0 at ISO 4000. Considering how high the ISO, the skin tones still look good which is my biggest complaint of high ISO shooting. Another bonus of using these mirror-less cameras, is nearly silent operation. Because there is no mirror, you do not have a loud slap of the mirror and shutter curtain moving each time you take a photo. There is just a very quiet click when you press the shutter button – it is so quiet, the camera has a function to play a sound just to let you know that you took a photo!

©TimeLine Media - X100s in hotel ballroom
©TimeLine Media – X100s in hotel ballroom

This is perfect for making candid photos. For me, I can see this being very useful since I am not yet confident as to when the photo is actually taken with the camera. I end up firing 3-4 shots at one time. As with other point and shoot cameras, there is a slight lag in between pressing the shutter and the camera responding. Although it is not long, it does not seem as immediate as when shooting with a DSLR. Maybe as I get more experienced I will be better at know how and when to press the shutter. For now, it definitely cannot be used for an action subjects. Next, I will try the flash and flash commander functions to see how it shoots in more situations. I will only take this camera with me to Thanksgiving dinners to see more about what it can do!

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New Camera – Part 1

©TimeLine Media - X100s in low light

The photos are coming along from last weekend nicely! It is a privilege to see all the routines from the day even though it is impossible to see them all because of the two ballrooms. I think my associate photographers did a good job covering the event for you, and I am working quickly to get these done and on the website.

Camera Testing

For today’s post, I wanted to write about a new camera that I have started to use. I have a full compliment of bodies, lenses, and accessories for my Nikon DSLRs, but it became apparent during the summer walkabouts, that it is simply too heavy to carry around all day. A fatigued photographer is a compromised photographer, and there will likely be some photos that you will miss. In researching a suitable substitute for all that gear, I found the Fujifilm X100s.

Fujifilm X100s - image provide by Fujifilm Global
Fujifilm X100s – image provide by Fujifilm Global

This is one of the new large-sensor mirrorless cameras that has been released in the last 2 years. This class of cameras is becoming very popular because of the lightweight bodies, and superior image quality. The camera has a fixed focal length 23mm lens which translates to 35mm on a full-frame sensor. The aperture of this lens can open to f/2 allowing excellent low light performance. Using these technical specs, I decided that this would probably suit just fine as a substitute for my “big” cameras. After it arrived, I had to hop on a learning curve, that will be a long run to being comfortable.

Portrait Photography

©TimeLine Media - X100s in low light
©TimeLine Media – X100s in low light

Before I went into the more complicated features, I started at the basics. The first thing I noticed, is the weight – this camera is so light! It was much lighter than I expected, but the ergonomics makes it really easy to hand hold. The rangefinder-like viewfinder is HUGE making composing photos very easy. The lens on this camera is tack sharp even at f/2. The above photo was taken wide open with just overhead lights. With the large aperture, I could still get a sharp photo at ISO 400. I was happy with how it performed, but with my first shoot, it was clear that this was clearly not the same system I have been used to.

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