Community Newsletter: Q&A: 3/25/05 More megapixels or a lens with greater zoom?
- 3/24/05 2:45 PM
composing first!
by fplanes1 - 3/25/05 6:03 AM In reply to: 3/25/05 More megapixels or a lens with greater zoom? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I am a legally blind nature photographer. i can't see through the view finder or see the LED. When i see something i might think is a good picture i make my settings and can only see the green light when auto is on. When it stops flashing, i snap several. i use and 8 megapixal camera and take the largest picture that i can. i then go to the computer and do my composure on the screen which i can't see the whole picture. my work comes out on a pro level and sells real well. 13 x 19 is my large size picture. i have had to learn photoshop real well and i'm a member of the NAPP. you can see some of my early pictures on the site, search for Mr.WhiteCane. Lighting is important and some correction can take place in the photofinishing which is a must for serious picture taking. Learning printing, the third important thing to understand will allow you to do well once you've learned the other two. Carry a half dozen memory devices at all times. Don't trust hundreds of pictures over a week to one device. Once i learned that digital is all on and off swithches i new i could do it. i take better pictures now then when i had my full vision. At a recent small show with about 225 people going through it, i sold 14 pieces. it gives me great satisfaction to know people will be looking at my work for some time to come. I got here by learning the basics, and sticking with them. i can take as good a picture most of the time with any camera. My earlier photos sell 8x10 and that was with a 1.2 megapixal camera! just keep shooting and keep learning! never stop following the basics!
Frank Planes, a/k/a Mr.WhiteCane, Palm Harbor, FL
Very good and useful info
by BessHerzog - 3/25/05 6:11 AM In reply to: 3/25/05 More megapixels or a lens with greater zoom? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Thanks Steve for a very clear and thorough explanation of the practical aspects of megapixel capacity versus zoom etc. My construction company has been using digital cameras for several years with great success, even when my superintendents are somewhat camera, photography, computer illiterate we get useful information for our records.
Regarding the lowlight levels, I've found that photos taken in low light conditions with the Olympus C-730 and C-740 cameras at medium resolution, can be edited to get excellent results. My guys kept bringing me shots into darkened buildings, ceilings etc. that had nothing useful visible. I use ThumbsPlus to catalog and edit my images (excellent and very inexpensive progrm, very easy to use) I found that by equalizing the channels it was like turning a spotlight on the scene. It lit up the photo as if there had been floodlights. Amazing difference. It has saved a lot of shots and made them useful, where otherwise they would not have been.
I wear a lot of different hats at my company so I don't get to spend as much time as I would like learning and developing my skills in digital photography and editing.
My daughter has been asking my advice on purchase of a digital camera. I will copy your advice for her.
Thanks again...
Bess
10X Zoom vs more megapixels
by dhjacobs - 3/25/05 6:11 AM In reply to: 3/25/05 More megapixels or a lens with greater zoom? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
As a professional photographer, I'd go for the longer optical zoom range (ignore any and all claims for digital zoom range; the photo quality just ain't there). Especially if your ultimate output is designed to be in the 8X10 to 11X14 range.
I have both a 3.2 megapixel point-and-shoot camera with 3X zoom and a 6+ megapixel digital SLR with interchangeable lenses covering about a 24:1 range.
My wife and I have gotten excellent 8x10 enlargements and perfectly acceptable 11X14s from a commercial lab using our 3.2 megapixel Olympus. We always use the "best .jpg" file setting, which puts about 90 1.8 mb or so shots on each 128mb storage card.
With the "big" camera, the best .jpg setting creates a file in the 2.1mb-2.4 mb range. I have some virtually grain-free 20X30 enlargements hanging in my home done at that setting.
For wildlife, I'd certainly opt for the 10X zoom and 4 megapixels. I believe Minolta makes a camera in that range.
However, there's two other considerations to be aware of, especially if you're shooting wildlife.
1. Battery life. If you're out in the woods, you're not likely to have recharging capability all that handy, so it's a matter of carrying lots of spare batteries if your camera "eats" batteries like some seem to.
2. Speed of operation. I include both startup and the delay between the time you push the button and the shutter actually takes the photo in this category. Also included...the length of time the camera takes to "write" the photo to its storage medium. Do you want "burst" capability, like with a motorized 35mm film camera? If so, the number of frames per second becomes a consideration.
I'll repeat advice I'm sure you've gotten from others: discuss your needs with a reputable camera dealer and, if possible, borrow or rent a digital camera and try it out.
Selecting a Digital Camera
by afaam - 3/25/05 6:25 AM In reply to: 3/25/05 More megapixels or a lens with greater zoom? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Hello Steve,
I have noticed that photographs projected onto a screen,usually vi Powerpoint,do not appear to be clear.
Your article made no mention of photos for projected presentations.
Will the same parameters apply?
Fazal Mohammed
RE: Projection and Powerpoint
by smearly - 3/25/05 6:42 AM In reply to: Selecting a Digital Camera by afaamFazal - there can be a lot of reasons why photographs do not project well on a screen through Powerpoint. Here are the two most likely culprits from my own experience:
1) Whoever created the presentation scaled the images down (i.e., changed their actual pixel size) so they would load faster in the presentation. Then they enlarged them when they put them in the presentation itself.
In a presentation, a 2.5 megabyte file could cause a significant delay when changing from one slide to the next. (And, if you have 25 or 30 pictures in the presentation, it's easy to see that this Powerpoint presentation is going to get really big really fast. So, I've seen some people change the image size, drop it in their presentation, and then resize it again in Powerpoint so that it looks bigger. All of this will have a negative effect on image quality.
2) (Probably the most likely cause) You might be using a projector that is either old, or doesn't have the ability to project the image at its maximum quality. I have one projector, for example, that forces me to change my desktop settings to 640 x 480 (or something like that) before it will even work. Well, that is a far cry from the quality of the images stored in my Powerpoint presenation. It just doesn't look as good.
Projectors come in VGA, XVGA, SVGA, and there might even be better quality available now (I haven't kept up to date there.) Each of these produces a different quality image on a screen.
"Mega" amounts of info
by csg3278 - 3/25/05 6:25 AM In reply to: 3/25/05 More megapixels or a lens with greater zoom? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Steve: Wow...thanks so much for all of that wonderful informaiton. I am just getting into photography and bought a Cannon Rebel with a 300x Zoom lense and I love it. However, after taking photography classes from a professional wildlife photographer in Houston, I am all about the 10D...I really want one for my Florida Vacation this Summer. I have gone back and forth about the cost though. However, I know what kinds of shots I want and with the digital I would be able to see right away if I captured it or not, instead of waiting until I get home and find out I did not. I am assuming that you would definiely recommend getting the digital to insure the "shot". I guess I am just looking for a really great reason to spend this much money....or at least a big push....HELP! Caryn in Humble, Texas
The Rebel Vs. the 10D
by smearly - 3/25/05 6:52 AM In reply to: "Mega" amounts of info by csg3278Caryn:
DO IT GIRL ... You know you want to! ;^)
I started with the Rebel, used it for a week and took it back. I wanted it for sports photography, and decided to spring for the extra $$ for the 10D because:
1) The 10D goes up to an ASA rating of 3200 (the Rebel only goes to 1600)
2) The 10D focues just a wee bit faster than the Rebel
3) The 10D had better/faster repetitive shooting capabilities.
BUT !!! Before you buy a 10D, I would urge you to look at the 20D. It should be about the same price, is a newer model, and has some additional capabilities over the 10D (for example, more/imporoved autofocus points, and it can rip off about 5 frames/second at 1/250th of a secod shutter speed or higher).
Whatever you do, have fun shooting. (But you KNOW you want a new camera!)
Cameras, Megapixels and the rest
by aintnorainbowdorothy - 3/25/05 6:50 AM In reply to: 3/25/05 More megapixels or a lens with greater zoom? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I'm not a professional photographer by any means, but my Canon SD100, 3.2 megapixels and 2x zoom, fits me to a tee. I sit on my porch, the one called a rocking chair porch, and can easily take photos of the animals I feed. I toss out bird seed, feed squirels and probably nocturnal animals with larger seeds, have some five acres and rent some two acres. Since I live in a semi-rural area I sometimes get pictures of deer and other animals in the area feeding and watering at dawn or dusk. The amount of megapixels and zoom on my Canon are just about right for me, but sure aren't for everyone. But with my large porch, and the ability to sit on the back stoop or a large stump farther down toward a creek that ends my property it really is about my picture-taking ability.
As a Vietnam veteran it doesn't bother me to sit for long periods without needing to do anything other than scratch or go inside if I want to. The photo quality is excellent, I don't use or want a tripod as I have steady hands and the 2x zoom is hardly ever used, at least by me. On a visit to my parents home, when everybody in my immediate family was there I got excellent indoor shots and great outdoor ones also. The camera has an automatic flash but outdoors it hardly ever goes off unless close to sunset or just after dawn. For Clay's needs, I would probably use no more than a four or five megapixel camera with an 8x zoom, but would never use them on automatic.
Outdoor photography is probably the hardest type. It requires sitting and being patient for hours on end just to get one good photo. So if he has a good laptop, that's nearly the only way to go. Not to mention taking along some five 1 gig cards. One good photo means taking close to 10 to 20 shots of the subject so having automatic shutters is a necessity. About the only gripe I have with digital is the inability to take black and white photo's. This type of photography is the hardest to take and make look good, so digital cameras, with the exception of a very few, have that ability. And those cost an arm and a leg, along with your first born. So if he wants to take black and white then SLR is the only way to go. Canon puts out a great camera for that, along with Nikon and a few Swiss or German cameras. These come with a price, but if he wants the ability to take fabulous pix then he has to shell it out. When camera makers finally wise up and have a black and white setting along with the standard color, that's going to be the biggest boon to good amatuer photographers. And it's sure to give lesser ones fabulous lessons in how to take a great photo. But those 1 gig cards have to be take along. Half or quarter gig just don't hold enough images.
Pixel and zoom factors
by barrvanessa - 3/25/05 6:54 AM In reply to: 3/25/05 More megapixels or a lens with greater zoom? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Wow, Steve thank you so much. I really learned a lot from your reply.
Vanessa
3/25/05 More megapixels or a lens with greater zoom?
by pottermarc2 - 3/25/05 6:57 AM In reply to: 3/25/05 More megapixels or a lens with greater zoom? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Hi I find the answer submitted by Steve E. of Methuen, MA a little disengenious. It omits any reference to the difference between Optical (which is Real ) and digital Zoom ( which produces little better than enlarge image and crop ) with the consequential loss of definition. It also ignores the fact that many of the lower priced high megapixel cameras on the market at the moment hide in the small print that they are rating these by available exterpolation, which does not increase real resolution. Anyway as a retired Camera shop manager, I find this seeking after the ultimate technical ability rather funny, as it is mostly done by the very people who are nowhere near getting the best out of the low to medium level equipment they own. The only real advice I would give is know what you want to achieve, and then buy the best equipment yyou can afford.
what works for sports may be the same for wildlife
by JackBMiller#hotmail.com - 3/25/05 7:00 AM In reply to: 3/25/05 More megapixels or a lens with greater zoom? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
As mentioned in the article the ASA equivalent speed is the most important. Shooting at long telephoto requires higher speed or stabalization in camera to get a clear picture. high motion requires high speed also. I would recommend the digital rebel its price is dropping and you get 6 meg; high speed, and the ability to get the best lens that you can afford or add a better one later. I assume it will be hard to get a perfect framing so you will want to crop.
my priority would be asa speed and lens to get good picture. quick shutter so you don't miss a shot. Then the long lens and finally megapixels. the old digital rebel with 3rd part zoom lens.
Digital binoculars
by davidthomure - 3/25/05 7:00 AM In reply to: 3/25/05 More megapixels or a lens with greater zoom? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Steve, sounds like you have learned a lot about digital photography in just a short 2 years. It helps when you already understand traditional photography. I'm pretty good at digital but never was very into traditional and sometimes that is a detriment in certain situations. Your answer was right on but I wonder if you have ever looked at the Digital Binoculars available from Bushnell and Simmons? It seems to me someone doing wildlife photography might want to consider a high-end pair of binoculars with low light capability because manytimes wildlife are in the woods where light is scarce. Also sometimes even a 10x zoom is not enough.
Ditigal binoculars
by amigadude - 3/27/05 9:47 AM In reply to: Digital binoculars by davidthomureYou want to be very careful about purchasing digital imaging binoculars. First of all they do not have a memory card. That means that you are limited by whatever amount of internal memory the binoculars have. I received a pair as a gift. The software could not load into my Windows 98SE-based computer. It loaded fine on the XP machine. After looking at the images, I returned the binoculars. As I explained to the store manager, I could have done better with a pinhole camera. The images were about the same resolution/size that I get from the video mode of my digital cameras. My old Sony FD1 640x480 resolution camera produces better images. On second thought, the old Pentax 110mm SLR with telephoto lens also produces better images.
My advice to anyone looking for their first digital camera is to avoid any camera that does not accept a memory card. You cannot take your memory card-less camera to have images made at any of the many places that produce digital prints. And, unless the binoculars are PictBridge capable you're not going to be able to print from the camera to a PictBridge capable printer. That is plugging the USB cable from the camera into the printer for direct printing.
[joe]
Make selection on other features
by ilya - 3/25/05 7:16 AM In reply to: 3/25/05 More megapixels or a lens with greater zoom? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
You asked a direct question and received a useless answer. The answer is 4 Mpixels 10 zoom is similar to 7 Mpixel, 3X. Let’s say you took a picture of a deer with 4 Mpixels, maximum 10x and needed to zoom it 2x on a computer to get a good picture printed that means the final image is about 1Mpixel. To get similar image with 3X zoom 7 Mpixel, you have to magnify it on a computer about 7 times leaving you an image of about 1 Mpixel.
-i
More megapixels or zoom
by riteon - 3/25/05 7:17 AM In reply to: 3/25/05 More megapixels or a lens with greater zoom? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I was in the same dilemma as Clay. I had an Olympus E-10 I believe it was 4 megapixels, took excellent quality photos but was hampered by lack of lens(had to use telexenders). I did a lot of research, talked to photographers & found that a 4-6 megapixel is pretty much the norm. One informed me unless you plan to print large size photos at the poster level, he uses mainly a 4 megapixels & sees no need than going higher than 6. I went with a Nikon D-100 & also own a Nikon N-80 film camera. The D-100 accepts all types of Nikon Lenses & provides the flexibilty for me to use lenses in both my cameras. Also I have been very pleased with the results of the D-100. I have the versatility of both telephoto & quality
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