Entries Tagged 'opinion' ↓

I’ve previously mentioned that one of the more reasonable ways to add a macro capability to a SLR is through the use of extension tubes.

Extension tubes work by reducing the minimum focus distance of the lens, allowing you to get closer to your subject and still be in focus. This can sometimes be a bit of a disadvantage with things that notice you coming, such as insects!

Recently, I decided to take a look at some of the options available for my Canon Digital SLR. Canon make a 12mm and 25mm tube, however, another Japanese company, Kenko, make sets for most of the major lens mounts; and they are well worth looking at.

I did briefly consider the Canon, but only very briefly, the Kenko set offers more flexibility for around the same cash as one of the Canon tubes.

The set contains 12, 20 and 36mm tubes which can be connected together to give an enormous 68 mm extension, used alone or in combination. Extreme close ups here we come!

Playing around with them, (I mounted the new 50mm lens on top) you soon realise that depth of field is pretty heavily reduced, but they are fantastic fun. They do make for a slightly darker image when reading from the camera’s meter. So, to compensate, you might lower the shutter speed, or use the bracketing function of your camera to get a nicely lit shot.

On the whole if you’re interested in taking some macro shots, and you don’t want to splash out on a dedicated lens, they’re a good option. One word of warning though some lenses may not fit or indeed work, for example the standard 18-55mm lens which comes with the consumer Canon SLRs won’t. Lenses with lower focal lengths (below 35mm) may not focus at all, even though they fit the arrangement, since the focal distance is so reduced.

Treat yourself to the 50mm lens mentioned previously instead. They’re a great combination, and the variety of shots you can make with them is amazing (Not just macro).

The 50mm lens is a classic piece of kit, it’s basically the WYSIWYG of the lens world. The idea being that it will give an image that correlates to what your eyes see, albeit at a reduced field of view.
The lens was a standard fitting on most 35mm cameras for a number of years, and made famous by many of the great photographers in particular Cartier-Bresson and Elliott Erwitt. There’s a good article here on shutterbug.com with some more info.

I recently picked up Canon’s EF 50mm f1/8 II Lens, and I have to say it’s a really fantastic. I am completely taken with it, and have had it attached to my 350D body for the past few days. In comparison to the (approximate) 50mm setting on the EFs 18-55 lens that comes with the 350/400Ds as standard there really is just no comparison!
With an aperture going to f1/8, it lets in plenty of light. It’s great for available light portraits and candid shots.
This aperture gives a shallow depth of field, helping to removed any background mess, which can be very effect in close up portraiture.
One negative is the plastic enclosure and general build which does feel a little cheap, but for the price maybe that’s to be expected; and given just how inexpensive (trust me, it’s pretty cheap!) it is, it’s hardly a complaint.

It really is very difficult to find fault with the lens, and I’d highly recommend it to any Canon users out there, particularly if you’re moving away from the EFS 18-55 that came with your camera and looking for that first prime lens to start the lens collection. It’s an opinion shared by a good many others, take a look at the discussion here on fredmiranda.com.

It’s also available to buy on amazon; Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Camera Lens

Adobe are getting a bit of flack lately over their software pricing policy, specifically the price difference between the US and Europe. It’s not without justification.

Take a look at this price comparison chart on amanwithapencil.com.
In the case of the latest release of Creative Studio Design Premium (CS3), there’s up to a 1000 dollars in the difference, between the UK and the US.
If you feel strongly about this, there’s a petition to the European Commission you can sign… there are already over 10,000 signatures.

I’m currently using a very old copy of Elements 2.0, which I got bundled with a scanner I bought a few years ago. As you can see in the post below; I’m not adverse to doing the odd digital composite or just generally playing around with the software… No doubt about it, Adobe make great software. Doing a full upgrade of my software to something a little more pro and up to date has been on the cards for a while now… but my wallet just can’t make it that far… especially when a new camera beckons…

So, will Adobe listen, and start playing fair…? Who knows? If they do, there’s a good chance that I’ll break open my piggy bank… and send a few euro their way.

I recently bought a new compact camera, a Canon Powershot A710 IS, and I must say; I’m really impressed with the results. There’s an in-depth review of the model available on The Digital Camera Resource Page where it gets a solid recommendation.

I like the versatility of compacts; prior to this one, I owned an Olympus C765. I like the range of pictures that can be taken, everything from wide angle to zoom and right down to decent macro shots. In fact, the close up image shown in a previous post was taken using the new camera.

The Canon represents a bit of a shift up; with it’s 7.1 megapixels compared to the older compact with only 4. I guess this is becoming the norm, as the technology advances. It’s not really a fair comparison since the Olympus was released a few years ago, it still wins hands down with the zoom (a x10 compared to a x6 on the Canon), but I can live with that.

One of the main advantages for me in particular, over the old camera, is the size. The new camera can fit neatly in my pocket, something which really wasn’t that easy with the Olympus since the lens enclosure projected out quiet a bit.

I’m going to play with it some more, but In the mean time; Here’s another example image from a recent flickr upload. It’s another macro shot, the Canon just seems so good at them.