Att välja Köp digital valuta de bästa kryptosystem som finns på marknaden är en mycket viktig aspekt av handeln. Om du inte är medveten om detta kan det sluta med att du förlorar mycket pengar i det långa loppet. Om du vill göra mest vinst på kortast möjliga tid måste du göra din hemläxa väl. Här är några av de grunder som du bör känna till innan du väljer de bästa mynten att handla på marknaden med.
Köp digital valuta
En av de första sakerna du måste titta efter i de bästa valutorna som finns på marknaden är deras inflationsgrad. För att förstå detta måste du först förstå vad inflation är. Inflation är helt enkelt en ökning av priserna utan att varor och tjänster minskar. Till exempel är en enårig dollar värd mycket mer om några månader, eller hur? Så om du väljer att investera i de bästa råvarorna för det här århundradet vore det klokt att hålla utkik efter de valutor som enligt prognoserna kommer att uppleva den högsta inflationen under de kommande tio åren.
Ett annat grundläggande övervägande när det gäller att investera i de bästa valutorna är deras historik när det gäller handel och gruvdrift. Man kan inte bara välja vilket gammalt system som helst att investera i idag. Det finns hundratusentals valutor som handlas på marknaden och endast ett fåtal utvalda är lönsamma. Därför är det nödvändigt att du forskar väl om de olika systemen som finns tillgängliga för att veta vilket av de tillgängliga kryptosystemen som är det bästa att investera i.
Ett av de enklaste sätten att avgöra vilken av de bästa valutorna att investera i är genom att titta på den underliggande tillgångens egenskaper. Detta kallas tillgångens egenskaper och de är kända som Ripples. Låt oss ta en titt på två exempel på de bästa valutorna att investera i under det kommande decenniet. Den första typen av tillgång är aktier. Ett index som följer värdet av olika typer av företag kallas aktier. Så om vi tittar på de tio främsta valutorna som kommer att styra aktiemarknadens värde i framtiden är det troligt att dollarn kommer att fortsätta sin uppgång eftersom värdet på aktier i USA och Europa förväntas stiga.
Den andra typen av tillgångar är guld. Det finns en stor sannolikhet för att guldpriset kommer att stiga under det kommande decenniet. Om du håller på med handel och inte har teknisk kunskap om vilken av de bästa valutorna du ska investera i bör du prova de bästa kryptovalutorna som sannolikt kommer att öka i värde under detta årtionde. Bland de möjliga valutorna att investera i Köp digital valuta finns euron, den japanska yenen, den australiska dollarn, schweiziska francen, den kanadensiska dollarn och det brittiska pundet. Var och en av dessa valutor har sina egna för- och nackdelar och du bör noggrant studera dem innan du investerar i dem.
Även om det är lätt att bli lockad av de dåliga nyheterna om att investera i kryptovalutor finns det ingen dålig investering när det gäller mynt. Anledningen till detta är att de flesta investerare som är nya i den här branschen slutar med att förlora sina pengar eftersom de inte har rätt kunskap om vilka av de bästa valutorna de ska investera i. Så när du letar efter de bästa valutorna att investera i är det viktigt att du blir bekant med alla dessa. Detta beror på att endast genom att bli en registrerad användare av en onlinehandelsplats kan du få tillgång till alla de bästa kryptovalutorna som finns tillgängliga i världen idag.
Det finns många fördelar som är förknippade med att investera i de bästa kryptokurvorna, bland annat det faktum att de handlas på den globala marknaden. Därför är det lätt att handla med de bästa valutorna och du kan också förvänta dig god avkastning. Att investera i de bästa valutorna kräver dock att du lär dig hur systemet fungerar, grunderna i ekonomi och företagsledning. Om du till exempel är en investerare som är ny på att investera på altcoin-marknaden, är det bättre om du får hjälp av professionella personer som experter och handlare.
Det finns många fördelar som du kan njuta av när du investerar i de bästa valutorna i världen. En av dessa är att när du väljer de bästa kryptosurferna kan du vara säker på att värdet på din investering alltid kommer att vara stabilt. Eftersom värdet på varje mynt varierar beroende på utbud och efterfrågan är det viktigt att du investerar i de bästa valutorna och sedan handlar med dem enligt dina behov. När värdet på en valuta fluktuerar kan du alltså enkelt sälja dina tillgångar och investera i de nya.
Det bästa sättet att investera i de bästa kryptosurfarna är att se till att du är välinformerad om de olika faktorer som påverkar värdet på ett visst mynt och du har också en expert som kan lära dig hur du väljer de bästa valutorna att investera i. När du vill göra vinster från handeln med den bästa kryptosurf bör du alltså se till att du utbildar dig om marknadens ekonomi och affärsmodeller. Här är nästa intressanta blogginlägg: Köp Aydo Coin.
The post Köp digital valuta Erfarenheter first appeared on Hur man använder kryptovalutor på rätt sätt.
Gordon Laing, Editor of Camera Labs, is back again with another episode of ‘Retro Review.’ In this video, he puts the Canon Pro90 to the test to see how well it holds up two decades after it was released.
At the time of its release, the Canon Pro90 IS was Canon’s flagship PowerShot camera. It retailed for $ 1,300, used a 3.3MP sensor and had a design similar to its Pro70 predecessor, but featured a 10x zoom lens compared to the 2.5x zoom lens on the Pro70. It was also Canon’s first camera with optical image stabilization.
As impressive as the optics were though, the camera had an interesting design quirk—the image circle of the lens didn’t fully cover the 1/1.8″ sensor, so the resulting images were digitally cropped down to just 2.6MP. Incredibly, the camera featured a Raw capture mode though, in addition to JPEG support (with various compression ratios) as well as QVGA (329 x 240 pixel) video recording.
To find out more, set some time aside to watch the entire 12 minute video. To see more Retro Review content and other interesting insights on vintage tech, head over and subscribe to Laing’s Dino Bytes YouTube Channel.
When Raspberry Pi announced its 12.3MP High Quality Camera module in April 2020, it opened up a whole new world of photo-centric DIY projects. One such project that’s come as a result of its release is the RUHAcam, a ‘retro-style’ digital camera made from scratch by Ping-Hsun ‘penk’ Chen and Ruha Cheng.
The RUHAcam is built around a Raspberry Pi Zero W connected to a Raspberry Pi High Quality Camera module, which accepts C and CS mount lenses. Other features include a built-in 2,000mAg Li-Pi battery, a 2.2” TFT display that serves as the viewfinder and a 3D-printed case clearly inspired by SLR cameras from the past. The camera is still a work in progress, but is fully functional and captures rather impressive images when used with the 16mm lens ‘penk’ and Cheng attached to it for the following sample photos:
In addition to sharing detailed instructions on how to make your own RUHAcam at home, ‘penk’ and Cheng published the 3D design components and software required to run the camera for free under MIT license. This means you’re free to build an exact replica of the RUHAcam or use it as a base to make your own DIY digital camera.
In speaking with DPReview, ‘penk’ said the duo ‘plan to improve more on the software side, to add controls to the UI using Pi’s libcamera stack, and to leverage Raspberry Pi more as a server to easily share captured images with smartphones.’ You can find all of the instructions and materials needed to make your own on the RUHAcam GitHub Page.
BCN Retail (BCN+R), a Japanese analyst firm that collects daily sales data of mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras from both online and in-person points of sale in Japan, has published (translated) a summary of its 2020 camera sales data, confirming camera sales were down in the Japanese market due to an already-shrinking market further compounded by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
According to BCN+R’s data, digital camera sales dropped 40.4% year-over-year (YoY). This is over double the 16.8 percent drop BCN+R recorded in 2019 (compared to 2018). BCN+R’s data shows digital camera sales were down from the onset of 2020, but dramatic decreases in March and April align with when the first spike in cases of the novel coronavirus started spreading across the globe. The YoY decrease peaked in April and slowly declined until September.
Apologies for the low-quality chart. It’s all BCN+R has shared.
October proved to be the month with the smallest YoY decrease, which could be attributed to the release of numerous mirrorless cameras being released in September and October, most notably the Sony a7C (September 15), Canon EOS M50 Mark II (October 14) and Fujifilm X-S10 (October 15). The original Canon EOS M50 has continuously proven to be the most popular cameras in Japan for quite some time, so it’d make sense its successor would sell well, too.
We’ll wait to see what the end-of-year numbers from less region-specific sources (CIPA, etc.) are before making any comprehensive overviews, but it’s clear from BCN+R’s data that the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic managed to make a shrinking market even smaller than it was on track to be, even if the Japanese market alone isn’t indicative as to the state of the industry as a whole.
The post Introduction to Shutter Speed in Digital Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.
Previously, I introduced the concept of the exposure triangle as a way of thinking about getting off of Auto Mode and exploring the idea of manually adjusting the exposure of your shots.
The three main settings that you can adjust are ISO, aperture, and shutter speed. As we’ve covered aperture and ISO in other articles, today I want to turn your attention to shutter speed.
What is shutter speed?
As I’ve written elsewhere, defined most basically, shutter speed is “the amount of time that the shutter is open.”
In film photography, shutter speed is the length of time that the film is exposed to the scene you’re photographing. Similarly, in digital photography, shutter speed is the length of time that your image sensor “sees” the scene you’re attempting to capture.
Let me attempt to break down the topic of “shutter speed” into some bite-sized pieces that should help digital camera owners trying to get their head around shutter speed:
Shutter speed is measured in seconds – or, in most cases, fractions of seconds. The bigger the denominator, the faster the speed (i.e., 1/1000s is much faster than 1/30s).
In most cases, you’ll probably need shutter speeds of 1/60th of a second or faster. This is because anything slower than this is very difficult to use without getting camera shake. Camera shake is when your camera is moving while the shutter is open; it causes blur in your photos.
If you’re using a slow shutter speed (anything slower than 1/60s), you will need to either use a tripod or some type of image stabilization technology (more and more cameras are coming with this built-in).
Shutter speeds available on your camera will often double (approximately) with each setting. As a result, you’ll generally have the option to use the following shutter speeds: 1/500s, 1/250s, 1/125s, 1/60s, 1/30s, 1/15s, 1/8s, etc. This doubling is handy to keep in mind, as aperture settings also double the amount of light that is let in. As a result, increasing the shutter speed by one stop and decreasing the aperture by one stop should give you similar exposure levels.
Some cameras also give you the option for very slow shutter speeds that are not fractions of seconds but are measured in seconds (for example, 1 second, 10 seconds, 30 seconds, etc.). These are used in very low light situations when you’re after special effects and/or when you’re trying to capture a lot of movement in a shot. Some cameras also give you the option to shoot in “B” (or “Bulb”) mode. Bulb mode lets you keep the shutter open for as long as you hold the shutter button down.
When considering what shutter speed to use in an image, you should always ask yourself whether anything in your scene is moving and how you’d like to capture that movement. If there is movement in your scene, you have the choice of either freezing the movement (so it looks still) or letting the moving object intentionally blur (giving it a sense of movement).
To freeze movement in an image (like in the shots of the bird above and the surfer below), you’ll want to choose a faster shutter speed. To let the movement blur, you’ll want to choose a slower shutter speed. The actual speeds you should choose will vary depending upon the speed of the subject in your shot and how much you want it to be blurred.
In the bird image above, the shutter speed was 1/1000th of a second, meaning that despite the bird’s fast-flapping wings, they appear to be frozen in a split second of time. The surfing shot below had a fast shutter speed (around 1/4000th of a second), which captured even the splashing drops of water sharply.
Motion is not always bad. I spoke to one digital camera owner last week who told me that he always used fast shutter speeds and couldn’t understand why anyone would want motion in their images. But there are times when motion is good. For example, when you’re taking a photo of a waterfall or a seascape and want to show how fast the water is flowing, or when you’re taking a shot of a racing car and want to give it a feeling of speed, or when you’re taking a shot of a starscape and want to show how the stars move over a longer period of time. In all of these instances, choosing a longer shutter speed will be the way to go. However, in all of these cases, you will need to use a tripod or you’ll run the risk of ruining the shots by adding camera movement (which results in a different type of blur than motion blur).
For example, in the following waterfall photo, the shutter speed was around 1s, so we see the movement in the water:
In the subway shot below, the shutter speed was around 2s, so the movement of the train is beautifully blurred:
Focal length and shutter speed – Another thing to consider when choosing your shutter speed is the focal length of the lens you’re using. Longer focal lengths will accentuate the amount of camera shake you have, and so you’ll need to choose a faster shutter speed (unless you have image stabilization in your lens or camera). The rule of thumb here (in situations without image stabilization) is to choose a shutter speed with a denominator that is larger than the focal length of the lens. For example, if you have a lens that is 50mm, a shutter speed of 1/60s is probably okay. But if you have a 200mm lens, you’ll probably want to shoot at around 1/250s or higher.
Shutter speed – bringing it together
Remember that thinking about shutter speed in isolation from the other two elements of the exposure triangle (aperture and ISO) is not really a good idea. As you change your shutter speed, you’ll need to change one or both of the other elements to compensate for it.
For example, if you increase your shutter speed by one stop (for example, from 1/125s to 1/250s), you’re effectively letting half as much light into your camera. To compensate for this, you’ll probably need to increase your aperture by one stop (for example, from f/16 to f/11). The other alternative would be to choose a higher ISO (you might want to move from ISO 100 to ISO 200, for example).
I hope you’ve found this introduction to shutter speed useful. I would highly recommend you also put a little time aside today to learn about the other two important elements of the exposure triangle – aperture and ISO.
Enjoy this post? Subscribe to dPS to get a weekly newsletter with all our latest tutorials – it’s all completely free!
The post Introduction to Shutter Speed in Digital Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.
The post ISO Settings in Digital Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.
ISO is one of three important settings on your camera that are used to take well-exposed photos.
The other two fundamental settings are aperture and shutter speed – and if you’d like to learn about these settings, check out our introduction to aperture and our beginner’s guide to shutter speed.
An introduction to ISO settings in photography
We regularly get questions about ISO from readers of Digital Photography School like these:
What is ISO and why is it important?
What is the best ISO setting?
Should I always choose the lowest ISO?
In this short tutorial, I want to answer each question in turn.
Let’s start with a definition of ISO:
What is ISO?
ISO actually has two definitions, depending on whether you’re discussing film or digital photography:
ISO in traditional/film photography
In traditional (film) photography, ISO (or ASA) is an indication of how sensitive a film is to light.
In film photography, ISO is measured in numbers. You’ve probably seen them on film canisters: 100, 200, 400, 800, etc.
The lower the number, the lower the sensitivity of the film, and the finer the grain that will appear in your photos.
ISO in digital photography
In digital photography, ISO measures the sensitivity of the image sensor.
The same principles apply as in film photography:
The lower the number, the less sensitive your camera is to light and the finer the resulting grain.
Higher numbers mean your sensor is more sensitive to light, and this allows you to use your camera in darker situations. The cost of doing so is more grain – although cameras are improving all the time. Today, many cameras can use high ISO settings and still get very useable images.
Here’s a time when you might want to choose a higher ISO:
If you’re photographing an indoor sporting event where the light is low and your subject is moving fast.
In such a situation, by choosing a higher ISO, you can use a faster shutter speed to freeze the athletes’ movement.
ISO settings and grain
Choosing higher ISO settings comes with a serious cost:
The higher your ISO, the more grain or noise that appears in your photos.
I’ll illustrate this below with two enlargements. The image on the left was taken at ISO 100, and the image on the right was taken at ISO 3200.
Can you see the difference? The high-ISO photo (right) is full of unpleasant noise, whereas the low-ISO photo (left) is completely clean.
ISO 100 is a “normal” or “standard” ISO on most cameras. It’ll give you lovely, crisp shots (with little to no noise or grain).
Most people tend to keep their digital cameras set to Auto mode, where the camera selects the appropriate ISO setting depending on the conditions you’re shooting in. However, most cameras also give you the opportunity to select your own ISO.
When you do override your camera to choose a specific ISO, you’ll notice that this impacts the aperture and shutter speed needed for a well-exposed shot.
For example:
If you bumped your ISO up from 100 to 400, you’ll notice that you can shoot at faster shutter speeds and/or smaller apertures.
Questions to ask when choosing ISO
When choosing my ISO setting, I generally ask myself the following four questions:
Light – Is the subject well lit?
Grain – Do I want a grainy shot or one without noise?
Tripod – Am I using a tripod?
Movingsubject – Is my subject moving or stationary?
If there is plenty of light, I want little grain, I’m using a tripod, and/or my subject is stationary, then I will generally use a relatively low ISO rating.
If it’s dark, I want grain, I don’t have a tripod, and/or my subject is moving, I might consider increasing my ISO. This will enable me to shoot with a faster shutter speed and still expose the shot well.
Of course, the trade-off will be noisier shots.
Situations where you might need to push ISO higher include:
Indoor sports events, where your subject is moving fast, yet you have limited available light
Concerts, which are low in light and often “no-flash” zones
Art galleries, churches,and more, where there are rules against using a flash and the interiors aren’t especially well lit
Birthday parties, where blowing out the candles in a dark room can give you a nice, moody shot that would be ruined by a bright flash. Increasing the ISO can help capture the scene.
ISO is an important aspect of digital photography to have an understanding of if you want to gain more control over your digital camera. So experiment with different settings and how they impact your images. And in particular, learn more about aperture and shutter speed, which – along with ISO – are a part of the exposure triangle.
Enjoy this post? Subscribe to dPS to get a weekly newsletter with all our latest tutorials (and it’s all completely free!).
More photography tips for beginners
Feel like a beginner at photography? We’ve compiled our best tutorials for beginners here on our Photography Tips for Beginners page.
The post ISO Settings in Digital Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darren Rowse.
The post Tamron 28-200mm Wins Grand Gold Prize at Digital Camera Grand-Prix 2021 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
Tamron’s 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III RXD superzoom has been awarded the Grand Gold Prize in the Interchangeable Lens/Mirrorless category at the Digital Camera Grand-Prix 2021. Tamron has also taken a Gold Prize for its 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III VXD telephoto zoom in the Third Party/Mirrorless category.
The Digital Camera Grand-Prix honors the best cameras and lenses of the year; all gear debuted during the 2020 fiscal period is eligible, and winners are selected by photographic authorities.
In past years, awardees have included the Sony a7R IV (for Camera of the Year, 2020), the Nikkor Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct (given Editors Award, 2020), and the Sony FE 24mm f/1.4 GM (for Lens of the Year, 2019).
But while Tamron has frequently received prestigious Digital Camera Grand-Prix prizes – in fact, the company has been awarded in each of the last six years – the new 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 perhaps stands alone, thanks to its breathtaking combination of focal length range, compactness, and image quality.
In fact, the Tamron 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 is the ultimate superzoom. It’s built for Sony full-frame cameras, and Tamron has ensured that it can stand up to the rigors of Sony’s mirrorless lineup; the 28-200mm is effortlessly sharp on high-resolution bodies such as the a7R IV, from 28mm to 200mm, at all apertures.
In other words:
You can capture stunningly sharp landscapes at 28mm, before zooming in for some nice sharp portraits in the 50mm to 150mm range, before capturing a sharp telephoto street shot or two at 200mm.
This is unprecedented for superzooms, which are equally well-known for their overall usefulness and frequent image quality issues. You can either have flexibility or sharpness, but not both, or so lens manufacturers seem to think – yet Tamron has proved that it’s possible to keep it all: sharpness, focal length flexibility, plus solid build quality, autofocus speed, and more.
I haven’t even mentioned the 28-200mm’s maximum aperture, which varies from f/2.8 to f/5.6 across the focal length range. The f/2.8 maximum aperture at the wide end of the range further increases the lens’s versatility. For night shooters – especially astrophotographers, who require clean images at relatively fast shutter speeds – an f/2.8 aperture is a must, and the 28-200mm can provide it.
The 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 is offered for a very reasonable price:
$ 729 USD, which is cheaper than many native Sony lenses, and brings an incredible bang for your buck when you consider what you’re getting.
So if you’re interested in a lens that can do pretty much anything, from landscapes to street photography to portrait photography and more, check out the Tamron 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III RXD.
(Also, take a look at our review of the incredible Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 lens for Sony.)
Now over to you:
What do you think about the 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6? Are you impressed by Tamron’s innovation? Are there any competitors that you like better? Share your thoughts in the comments!
The post Tamron 28-200mm Wins Grand Gold Prize at Digital Camera Grand-Prix 2021 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
The post 11 Things to Experiment With When Starting Out in Digital Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Megan Kennedy.
Starting out in digital photography can seem a little daunting. With so many avenues to explore, it can be hard to pinpoint exactly where to begin. Here are 11 things to experiment with when first taking up photography.
Canon 5D Mark II | Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II with extension tubes | 1/250 sec | f/7.1 | ISO 100
1. Semi-automatic and manual modes
When first getting started in photography, it can be tempting to switch a camera over to Auto mode and forget about making manual adjustments, especially when starting out in digital photography. Why make manual adjustments when the camera can do it all for you, right?
The truth is that shooting with Auto mode sacrifices experience, flexibility, and control. If you can avoid Auto mode, you should.
Now, the prospect of shooting in Manual can prove overwhelming to start with. Fortunately, there are often semi-automatic modes available in-camera to bridge the gap between Manual and Auto.
Shutter Priority allows you to alter shutter speed while the camera automatically adjusts the aperture. Aperture Priority is similar, but it allows you to change the aperture while the camera adjusts the shutter speed instead.
Canon 5D Mark II | Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II with extension tubes | 1/125 sec | f/1.8 | ISO 800
Shutter Priority and Aperture Priority facilitate a creative approach to photography while allowing the camera to manage some of the load in maintaining a decent exposure. This balance of functionality allows you to experiment, which in turn helps you develop a good sense of the right settings for any circumstance.
And after becoming familiar with the dynamics of semi-automatic modes, graduating to Manual is a lot more fluid, when you can finally take full advantage of the camera as a creative tool.
2. ISO
ISO is a little misunderstood; there’s a great video about it here. But in basic terms, ISO is a setting that brightens an image in-camera. As the ISO value is increased, images grow progressively lighter. It’s a function that is useful for photography in darker environments.
However, raising the ISO value also increases noise, which can compromise the quality of a digital image.
Experimenting with ISO will give you a sense of how your images will turn out in low-light situations. By becoming familiar with ISO and its trade-offs, you can learn to anticipate the outcome of a photograph, maintaining as strong image quality as possible in a variety of environments.
3. Metering modes
In-camera metering is how a camera determines the appropriate exposure for a given situation. Metering modes refer to the method the metering system uses to evaluate a scene.
Different metering modes allow photographers to select the ideal settings for a particular situation. For example, Matrix metering (Nikon)/Evaluative metering (Canon) measures the light intensity at several zones in a scene, then combines the results to find the average settings for the exposure. Spot metering, on the other hand, measures only a very small portion of a scene to determine exposure settings.
While Matrix/Evaluative metering is useful for situations with evenly-distributed tones, Spot metering is ideal for metering in high-contrast scenarios. Experimenting with metering modes exposes a user to effective ways of working in different lighting conditions, leading to greater creative and technical control.
4. White balance
Different lighting conditions can impact the color temperature of the overall photo. For example, fluorescent lights can generate a different color cast than the afternoon sun. To rectify this, many digital cameras offer a function that balances the whites in a scene in order to make images appear more natural.
Experimenting with preset or custom white balance modes can help achieve a more aesthetically pleasing result in-camera. Although white balance can be set to Auto, the camera doesn’t always get it right. Trying out custom or preset white balance functions prepares a photographer for tricky lighting situations down the track.
5. Manual focus
As a beginner photographer, achieving sharp images can be a challenge. Although a camera’s autofocus function is quick and relatively easy to use, shooting with manual focus can sometimes be the difference between successful and unsuccessful images.
Often, manual focus is much more effective than autofocus in low-light and low-contrast conditions, and shooting through objects (like glass or fencing) with autofocus engaged can be a frustrating experience. The autofocus system may even get confused when the user is trying to focus on a fast-moving subject.
Canon 5D Mark II | Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II with extension tubes | 1/125 sec | f/4.0 | ISO 800
While autofocus may be convenient in some situations, switching to manual focus can play a vital role in creating quality images. Experimenting with manual focus when starting out in digital photography builds and reinforces technical experience. Using manual focus also fosters a greater awareness of camera capabilities and generates a more diverse range of images.
6. Composition
Throughout the history of visual art, concepts have emerged to aid in the formulation of impactful imagery. Composition refers to the organization of visual elements within an artwork. Whether it’s a painting, a photograph, or a sculpture, all art hinges on composition.
Experimenting with composition allows photographers in the early stages of their practice to arm themselves with helpful knowledge that has been passed down by artists. By experimenting with compositional elements (such as perspective, the rule of thirds, and leading lines), new photographers can quickly start to identify and utilize key visual aspects of a scene.
7. Abstraction
Wikipedia defines abstract photography as “a means of depicting a visual image that does not have an immediate association with the object world and that has been created through the use of photographic equipment, processes, or materials.”
Basically, abstract photographers generate subject matter that prioritizes aesthetic experience over conventional discernibility.
Left: Canon 5D Mark II | Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM | 1/250 sec | f/8.0 | ISO 100 Right: Canon 5D Mark II | Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM | 1/250 sec | f/6.3 | ISO 100
Abstraction is a unique facet of photography in that it encourages a more experimental approach to the photo-making process.
By taking advantage of abstraction, those starting out in digital photography are free to experiment beyond the conventional notion of a photograph. This experimentation will inevitably inform other areas of a new photographer’s practice, building experience and developing individual perspective.
8. Subject matter
There is nothing wrong with specializing, but tackling a range of different photographic fields expands your photographic experience. And it can also completely alter the way you approach your preferred subject matter.
For example, landscape photography can reveal opportunities for beautiful outdoor portraits. Abstract photography can impact the way motion is expressed in action shots. Street photography can help you develop an eye for subtle photographic opportunities. Macro photography will help you notice small details.
In short, experience with different photographic subjects can feed into one another in surprising ways. Experimenting with a variety of subjects is a solid means of developing a well-rounded photographic approach.
9. Perspective
One of the reasons photography is so effective is because it challenges both the photographer’s and the viewer’s comprehension of the world. However, it can be easy to get into the habit of photographing subjects from the same eye-level viewpoint, especially when starting out.
Canon 5D Mark II | Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM | 1/160 sec | f/9.0 | ISO 100
We all know the saying, “Show, don’t tell.” Moving around with the camera is one of the simplest ways to convey a unique photographic experience. You can shoot from above your subject, below your subject, or off to the side.
And by experimenting with different camera positions, you explore the nature of photography and the world we live in. By photographing from interesting or unusual perspectives, the physicality of the image-making process is emphasized, providing a unique insight into the world through the experience of the photographer.
10. Post-production
Getting it right in-camera is ideal, but sometimes a bit of work in post-production is necessary. Becoming familiar with digital post-production techniques can be very handy, especially because even minor adjustments can create a positive impact. In addition, editing can affect your overall approach to digital image-making by revealing photographic techniques that work well or need improvement.
Photoshop is a great tool for editing images, but there are also free applications such as GIMP to make use of. With practice, you can develop a sense of how to bring the best out of a photograph.
11. Accessories
There are plenty of ways to expand your creative image-making through economical accessories.
For example, extension tubes are a cheap way of getting into macro photography. Filters can significantly alter the outcome of a photograph. And a budget tripod will help you achieve sharp images. Renting or buying second-hand is also a viable option. In some cases, digital photographers can even make use of old lenses designed for film cameras.
Investing in economical accessories allows new photographers to experiment with engaging techniques without breaking the bank.
Extension tubes are a cheaper alternative to a macro lens. Canon 5D Mark II | Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II with extension tubes | 1/2000 sec | f/2.5 | ISO 500
Starting Out in Digital Photography: Conclusion
While there are plenty of considerations to take into account when starting out in digital photography, experimenting with technical settings, creative approaches, and accessories gives you a strong foundation for future photography endeavors.
And this allows for a more comprehensive skillset and well-developed creative instincts.
Now over to you:
Have you tried experimenting with any of these items? What are you going to experiment with first? Leave a comment and let us know!
The post 11 Things to Experiment With When Starting Out in Digital Photography appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Megan Kennedy.
If you’re like many photographers, the first thing you do upon taking a brand-new camera out of its package is to set aside the included software download info (or, with older cameras, the CD or DVD), opting instead for a third-party option like Adobe’s Camera Raw or Lightroom. But is that a smart move in our newly-normal, more cost-conscious world, or could you get by just as well with your camera’s bundled software?
Canon Digital Photo Professional version 4.12’s user interface.
That’s a question we’ve wanted to answer for a while now, and one which I’ll discuss in a new series of articles comparing the user interfaces, performance and image quality of the manufacturer’s apps with those of their much-vaunted Adobe rival. In the interests of keeping things to a readable length, I’m limiting myself only to image editing, and won’t address features like image management, tethering or printing.
The ground rules
In this article, I’m comparing Adobe Camera Raw 12.4 alongside Adobe Bridge 10.1.1 versus Canon Digital Photo Professional 4.12.60.0, all of which are their current versions. My computer is a 2018-vintage Dell XPS 15 9570 laptop running Windows 10 version 1909.
To ensure neither Adobe nor Canon had any advantage out of the gate, I’ve aimed to reproduce, as closely as possible, the look of already-processed images from our galleries, without any prior knowledge as to the recipes behind them. I’ve chosen images from the EOS R for use in this comparison, for reasons we’ll come to in a moment.
Adobe Camera Raw version 12.4’s user interface.
To avoid getting too far into the weeds, sharpness and noise reduction were left at their defaults, while lens corrections were enabled for both apps with the exception of distortion correction, so as to make for easier comparison to our reference shots from the gallery.
Images processed in ACR were saved at JPEG quality 11, just as used in our galleries. For DPP, I saved at JPEG quality 8, producing near-identical file sizes.
The main differences
Of course, the most immediately obvious differences between ACR and DPP are their camera support and pricetag. You already paid for DPP when you bought your Canon DSLR, so it’s effectively free. While it only supports Raws shot by the company’s own cameras, you can expect full Raw support for almost every Canon camera to be available more or less immediately upon release.
Click or tap for the full-sized ACR version; here for DPP version
By contrast, ACR comes with a recurring subscription fee. While it supports a vast range of cameras from many manufacturers – even a couple of older Canon models that DPP no longer recognizes – that support can take some time to arrive after the release of new cameras. It’s also sometimes more limited than that in first-party software. For example, Adobe doesn’t yet offer ‘camera matching’ profiles for any Canon camera released since September 2018. (That’s why I selected the EOS R for my comparisons here.)
Camera Raw’s UI is more modern
Overall, DPP’s user interface feels more dated than that of ACR, and occasionally more obtuse and frustrating. Both applications support modern features like 4K displays, touch-screens and pen control, although I did notice a few minor glitches in DPP’s 4K support.
But where Adobe’s controls are grouped together in clearly-named, collapsible sections within a single panel, DPP’s span no less than nine different tabs, each identified only by a small icon. And many of DPP’s sliders for contrast, tone, saturation etc. jump in large steps, unlike ACR’s which move smoothly and precisely when dragged. For finer-grained adjustments, you must either type in values directly or click tiny arrow buttons.
Click or tap for the full-sized ACR version; here for DPP version
And the locations of DPP’s controls aren’t always logical, nor are their names always intuitive. For example, even if you’ve tweaked multiple images at once, the large Save button at the top of the screen won’t process them together. Instead, you have to find a Batch Process command hidden within the File menu.
ACR is also much faster to use
But the biggest difference between ACR and DPP, operationally speaking, is in their performance. Compared to its Adobe rival, Canon’s app feels glacially slow to use.
When you move sliders in ACR, the preview image updates in real time to show your change before you’ve even released the mouse button, even when using a 4K display. But DPP’s previews frequently take anywhere from a couple of seconds to 10 seconds or more to update after releasing the mouse button. Worse still, the preview often updates in multiple passes, initially showing results that, misleadingly, differ significantly from the final pass.
Click or tap for the full-sized ACR version; here for DPP version
Things are no better when it comes to final output performance, either. Processing all six comparison images for this article in ACR took just 16 seconds, start to finish. DPP required longer than that to process a single image, making it 6-7 times slower than its Adobe rival. Processing all six images in DPP took a full 108 seconds – and that’s even with it configured to take advantage of my graphics processor, which it wasn’t by default.
The settings chosen for a given image do impact on performance somewhat, but they don’t come close to explaining DPP’s modest performance. Even with all six images reverted to out-of-camera settings and with all lens corrections disabled, DPP still needed 81 seconds to complete its work.
ACR makes lighter work of shadow / highlight control
Although most of their basic controls are broadly similar, ACR offers a few extra tools that DPP lacks. Both applications give you a one-click auto control to get basic settings in the ballpark, plus slider control over brightness, contrast, shadows, highlights, saturation and tone. But ACR adds sliders for vibrance, texture, clarity, dehazing and blacks/whites.
Click or tap for the full-sized ACR version; here for DPP version
I particularly missed these last two, and while DPP’s dynamic range control helps make up for their absence, I found it less intuitive to use. Even with it, I had to resort to finely tweaking curves to try to hold onto the brightest highlights and deepest shadows, using the keyboard arrows to more finely position the points than I could with a mouse or touchpad.
Both applications are capable of great results with a little effort
ACR’s one-click auto control tended to hold onto highlights and open up shadows much better than did DPP. But in return, Canon’s auto control yielded more realistic colors, although it sometimes felt too muted in foliage. Adobe’s results, meanwhile, tended decidedly towards the contrasty and garish, especially in foliage and skin tones.
Click or tap for the full-sized ACR version; here for DPP version
At default settings, DPP tended to control noise a little better than did ACR, although that advantage came at the expense of the finest image detail. In fact, even with its noise reduction sliders zeroed out completely, DPP showed similarly low levels of noise to ACR with both luminance / color noise reduction sliders set at around level 25-30.
Crop of lower-right corner of above image
But you really have to pixel-peep to notice these subtle differences. The effects of lens correction were much more noticeable, and both applications did a great job of automatically taming lens defects like chromatic aberration and vignetting.
Overall, I felt that neither ACR or DPP had a huge edge over the other in terms of basic editing. However, I found ACR quite a bit easier to work with, and spent several times as long working to get similarly-pleasing results from DPP.
Final thoughts
Although it’s capable of images just as good as those from ACR with a little effort, I personally found DPP’s interface and performance issues quite off-putting. If you’re on a shoestring budget, it could make sense as an alternative to paying the Adobe tax every month, freeing up cash for other gear at the expense of some convenience. But if you can afford it, I recommend spending the extra on Camera Raw for a much faster, more intuitive editing experience.
Canon Digital Photo Professional
Pros
Cons
Available free with your camera
Excellent support for Canon’s cameras from launch day
Realistic color with minimal effort
Tames noise well
Good lens corrections
Poor performance
Unreliable image preview
Only supports Canon cameras
Dated, clunky user interface
Doesn’t do as well with highlights/shadows
Denoising robs some fine detail even if “disabled”
Adobe Camera Raw
Pros
Cons
Clean, clear and modern interface
Supports a vast range of cameras from many brands
Great performance
Allows fine-grained adjustments with accurate real-time preview
Great image quality
Extracts more fine detail than DPP with minimal fuss
Does a great job with highlights/shadows
Recurring subscription fee with no perpetual license option
Camera support can take a while to arrive or lack support for more obscure features
One-click auto control produces overly contrasty, saturated results
Tends to leave more noise in images by default
Editor’s note: We’re aiming to have more of these comparisons between manufacturer software and third-party alternatives in the coming weeks. Either through our feedback form or in the comments below, let us know what you want to see us test to make these articles more valuable for you. Thanks!
The post Tips for Managing Digital Noise in Lightroom and Photoshop appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.
If you’ve ever set your ISO toward the higher end of your camera’s range, you will find that your photos don’t always turn out so great. Digital noise is generally noticeable in photos that have been taken with a high ISO setting. Managing digital noise is important when you move toward the limits of your camera’s ISO range.
In this article, we’ll take a look at various techniques, both in-camera and during post-processing, for managing digital noise.
Digital noise appears like colored sand scattered through your photos. It’s particularly noticeable in darker and lighter areas of your compositions when you’ve used a high ISO setting.
Noise varies from camera to camera depending on the quality of the sensor. You’ll have noticed it in photos made with your smartphone at night. When the light is low and the ISO is high, a phone or camera with a very small sensor is prone to producing a lot of digital noise. On higher-end full-frame cameras there’s not so much of an issue with digital noise until your ISO reaches the highest settings it’s capable of.
At first glance, digital noise may not be so noticeable. But when you enlarge an image made using a high ISO, it is easy to see noise speckles. These speckles are discolored pixels and pixels with an incorrect luminance value. They contrast with the surroundings in an unnatural way.
Digital noise in photos is not the same as grain. Grain is associated with film and has a different appearance than digital noise. Different types of film have different grain structures. Grain can be used to creatively enhance photos, whereas digital noise degrades an image.
Detail showing digital noise. Nikon D700 | 70mm | 1/100 sec | f/2.8 | ISO 6400.
Two types of digital noise
There are two types of digital noise that affect your photos when you use a high ISO setting. These are color noise and luminance noise.
Color noise, or chromatic noise, appears as discolored pixels that contrast with how the colors in a photo should look. It’s most apparent in the very light or very dark areas of photos taken at high ISO settings. Sometimes this type of noise is difficult to eradicate. The best approach can be to simply convert your photo to black and white.
Luminance noise shows up as pixels that are brighter than they should be. When you raise the ISO setting on your camera, the pixels on the sensor become amplified and distort. Think of it as like turning the volume on your stereo up too high to the point that the sound distorts.
How can you avoid digital noise in photos?
The most surefire way to avoid digital noise is to keep your ISO setting low. This is not always possible, especially when photographing in low light conditions.
Raising your ISO increases the risk of adding unsightly noise, but it also allows you to choose a narrower aperture and faster shutter speed.
Getting sharp photos of action at night requires a fast shutter speed. And an easy way to achieve this is by raising your ISO setting. So it’s not always possible to avoid noise. Managing digital noise when you post-process your photos then becomes necessary. There are various tricks and tools you can use to do this.
Try this exercise to discover the highest ISO setting you are comfortable using on your camera:
Find a reasonably dark place to take photos of a static subject, such as a room with the drapes drawn or outside at night. Set your camera on a tripod, or on a firm surface where it won’t move.
You can set your camera to any exposure mode you’re comfortable with, but you must set your ISO to manual. And if you use your camera’s manual exposure setting, balance your aperture or shutter speed before each shot (so your meter is always reading zero).
Start with the lowest ISO setting. This is usually ISO 100. Take a photo of your subject. Then change your ISO setting to 200. Take another photo.
Repeat this process, doubling the ISO, until you have taken a series of images throughout the ISO range.
Study the photos on your computer. Zoom in to 100% and look at the digital noise. At what ISO setting does the digital noise appear to degrade image quality? The ISO setting below that point should be the maximum you use.
Post-processing programs and apps have functions that can reduce digital noise in photos.
The less noise apparent in a photo, the more successfully you can remove it. If you’re too aggressive with managing digital noise, your photos will appear soft and blurry.
Detail showing digital noise.
Reducing digital noise using Lightroom
In the Develop module in Lightroom, click on the Details Panel on the right side of the screen. Here you’ll see a number of sliders. The ones you want to use are the Luminance and Color sliders.
Start with Luminance slider and drag it to the right. Then slide the Color slider if you still see some noise. Watch what’s happening to your image as you do this. You don’t want to slide it further than you need to. The further to the right you move these controls, the softer your image becomes.
The amount you need to adjust the sliders will vary from image to image.
Detail with noise reduced. Note the position of the Color and Luminance sliders.
Reducing digital noise using Photoshop
If you prefer using Photoshop, you’ll still find good controls for managing digital noise.
In the top menu select Filter>Camera Raw Filter. In the new window that opens, select the Details icon (it’s the two triangles). Here you have the same two sliders as in Lightroom: Luminance and Color. Slide them to the right only enough to get a satisfactory result.
Detail of unprocessed image showing noise reduction tools in Photoshop.
You can further reduce noise by selecting Filter>Noise>Reduce Noise from the top menu.
Applying the noise reduction filter in Photoshop.
Photoshop allows you more flexibility in reducing noise. You can isolate the problem areas with masks or multiple layers. This can help retain detail in important areas of your compositions.
Try this noise reduction technique
When you are photographing a static subject and have your camera on a tripod, take two or more photos.
Open two of the photos in separate layers of the same file in Photoshop. Once you’ve done this, the easiest way to reduce the noise and retain clarity is by changing the blend mode of the top layer. The Multiply blend mode usually works well. You can also experiment with Overlay and Soft Light blend modes.
Conclusion
Whenever I’m taking photos, I try to maintain the lowest ISO setting possible to avoid digital noise. In many low light situations, using a higher ISO setting is necessary to take photos without extra lights.
Each camera model manages digital noise differently. Use the experiment I outlined in this article to ascertain the highest ISO setting at which you are comfortable shooting.
Managing digital noise is now easier than ever. Cameras have more advanced sensors than early digital cameras had. And imaging software has also evolved to be better at managing digital noise.
The post Tips for Managing Digital Noise in Lightroom and Photoshop appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.
You must be logged in to post a comment.