24 Sep 08 The importance of photography

The importance of photography

We surround ourselves with images taken with all kinds of recording devices, devices that are intended solely for the purpose of memorializing the moment and in some cases, devices that are used only because of their convenience of use. I refer to the use of cell phones with inadequate cameras that have in effect become the “Polaroids” of our times.

In the “old days” people used box cameras that in had such large negatives that the end resulting print was a contact print that in effect did not need any enlargement. Today’s cell phones may take images only 640 by 480 and when they are enlarged the pixilated and are fuzzy because of the enlargement needed to even fill a 4×6 print. Some have as much as 2 mega pixels but have limited lenses and no aperture controls therefore they can not compete in real digital cameras.

Photography is a very important tool that is used to memorialize our lives and yet we do not think of it at the time that we press that shutter button. We do not realize the importance of the images until the subject of one of the images passes on and then we are left with nothing but the memories. Photography helps us relive the past and in a way to keep in touch with the past.

I made a reference to Polaroid earlier in this article because of things said to me by many young people in regard as to how they use their phone cameras. When Polaroid Land cameras first came out one of the first uses by young men was to photography their girl friends in ways that were in a way compromising. By this I mean the inference of security and confidentiality in that they could take nude pictures of the girls so that they could carry them where ever they went and they “controlled” whose eyes would be permitted to see them. This could be carried by a knight or a knave. Today I hear young boys bragging about their girl friend and show you a quick picture they took of her and you can tell that the picture was not taken with the heart but rather with a genital drive. In some cases these pictures are “shared” through emails to others. There is no security in these web mail systems so one should be careful of what one sends through them. A gentleman never shares the image of his love in a compromising way with any other person, but enough on this subject.

Photography gives us the means with which to share our lives and our loves with the rest of the world. Whether it be nature, sports, portraiture and other forms of photography we get a chance to express how we feel about the subject matter by the way we photograph it. So pick up real cameras, photograph everything you see of importance to you, for you never know, it may become important to some one else too.

Happy shooting – Douglas John Vergara - 09202008

Tags: aperture, Ave, box, cam, camera, cameras, case, cases, contact, Control, day, Di, digital, digital camera, digital cameras, end, exp, Happy, images, John, Love, mail, memories, negative, night, photo, photograph, photography, pl, print, Share, shutter, sports, subject, system, take, think, time, Today, use, way

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30 Jul 08 Out of Focus or Blurry Images

Out of Focus or Blurry Images

Blurry images may be caused when there isn’t enough light for the camera to set a fast shutter speed. The camera’s shutter opens and has to stay open for up to several seconds for enough light to hit the CCD to capture the image. Most people cannot hold a camera perfectly still for more then ¹/_60th of a second.

In addition, when the telephoto feature is used on a long zoom camera, the field of view becomes smaller. Since a lens with a large focal length provides a small picture area, even slight imperceptible camera movement will cause a blurred picture.

To help eliminate out of focus or blurry images, try one or more of the following when applicable:

· If inside use the flash.

· Change to a fast shutter speed.

· Put the camera on a flat surface or use a tripod.

· Brace yourself against a tree or wall.

· Put the camera in sports mode.

· For situations with low light, raise the ISO. (Please note this will impede image quality)

Tags: blurry images, camera movement, ccd, fast shutter speed, flat surface, focal length, image quality, sports, tripod, zoom

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25 Jul 08 Mack Warranties by sportsphotoguy.com

A frequent question on message boards: are the ubiquitous Mack warranties worth it? Do they really protect your equipment?

My experience says yes, but don’t count on the speediest service. Still, Mack warranties are a real bargain for long-term equipment protection.

I buy Mack warranties for every U.S. model camera and grey market lens that I buy. For cameras, Mack’s warranties typically provide an additional 3-5 years of protection beyond the manufacturer’s one-year warranty at reasonable cost. For example, Mack warranty #1015 will protect your D300 or other DSLR (with kit lens) under $2,000 in price for three (3) additional years for just $79.95. For pros, Mack has a warranty for $189.95 that will protect a camera & kit lens valued at up to $6,000 for an additional three (3) years.

I find that U.S. lenses seldom need extended warranties, as most manufacturers automatically provide 4-6 years of additional coverage for such lenses already. But for those of us who sometimes buy grey market lenses, the Mack warranty is a great deal. For example, you could buy a Nikon 80-200/f2.8D ED lens for $915 with a 5-year U.S. warranty; or you could buy the grey market version for just $820 and add a 7-year Mack extended warranty for just $30 more - giving you a total of 8 years of warranty protection.

How does Mack service measure up? I’ve had to send cameras in for repair on at least three occasions. My D70 and D2H both were sent in and, after examination by Mack’s service personnel, were deemed to be covered by Nikon recalls then in effect. Mack sent the cameras on to Nikon, Nikon repaired them under the recall, sent them back to Mack, who returned the cameras to me. Granted, this added a few weeks’ delay to the process, but as I had no real way of knowing if the recalls applied in both of these cases, I found value in having Mack make this determination for me.

More recently, I blew out the shutter in my D2H. This was clearly a case for Mack (the camera, at this point, was about three years old, with one year remaining on my extended warranty). I sent the camera off to Mack, and they duly replaced the shutter. Door-to-door round trip was about 3 weeks. My only costs were $10 return shipping plus the cost to send the camera to Mack’s repair facility in New Jersey.

Some additional good aspects of Mack warranties: they are transferable and don’t have to be bought at the time or place of equipment purchase. For a $20 fee, you can transfer your Mack warranty should you sell your camera or lens (something you can’t do with a manufacturer’s warranty). Also, if you purchase & register your Mack warranty within 30 days of buying your equipment, you can shop around for the best deal. The prices charged by retailers will vary, with some of the less scrupulous retailers jacking up prices of warranties and other accessories to offset too-good-to-be-true prices on the equipment itself.

http://sportsphotoguy.com/mack-warranties/

Tags: mack, shooter, sports, warranty

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