Highlands Ranch Photo Club Meeting
February 19, 2008
Debbie welcomed everyone to the meeting. She and Richard are co-chairs of the club, which usually meets the 2nd Tuesday of each month at the Highlands Ranch Library.
Club members are invited to bring two or three photographs to share. If there is extra time after a presentation, these photographs are shared with the club members present.
New Camera Equipment
Randy Mare and Guy from Highlands Ranch Wolf Camera
Deb introduced our guest speakers Randy Mare and Guy from Highlands Ranch Wolf Camera. The two came to the club meeting to discuss trends and new equipment. The information listed below includes information they presented as well as answers to questions from club members.
Since 1992 the 35mm camera has been on the decline and digital cameras have been on the rise. You can now print your own pictures without setting up a darkroom at home.
When choosing a digital camera, the first thing is to decide how much you want to spend. There are single lens reflex cameras as well as cameras with built-in lenses. Some typical complaints include problems with red eye and slow shutter speeds. Some of the new cameras are waterproof to 10 or 25 feet.
Some of the new small cameras have quite good optics for point and shoot. For example, the Panasonic small cameras have a Leica lens. The third party lenses have improved a great deal and now have surprisingly good optics.
Another point to consider is the sound of lenses zooming in and out. Some of the more established brands are silent zooming, but some of the aftermarket lenses are louder and slower. On the other hand, some of those aftermarket lenses are 30 to 50% cheaper.
Image stabilization can be built into the camera or into the lens. If you have a camera which already has the image stabilization, you do not need it in the lens as well. The lenses without image stabilization are generally cheaper as well.
Some new cameras have the ability to take very high ISO -- 3200, 6400 or even 25000. These high speeds are very good for low light situations. Digital cameras can use both formats of lenses - DX and regular. The DX type does not require as much glass so they are lighter.
It is important to remember that the camera is not what gives a quality picture. A good picture comes from what you see and what you do with it, including composition. An expensive camera is not the solution to bad pictures.
Memory cards are now being made with super high capacity. The card needs to be able to keep up with the camera speed. Some new cards require encryption. They are used for government or high security situations.
The newest tripods are made of graphite and carbon fiber. They are more expensive, but are better for backpacking and hiking. Waterproof cases are now made for small cameras and outdoor situations.
When deciding on how many MP are needed, it is good to consider that file sizes can become so large that they are very hard to handle. Ten to 12 megapixels (MP) is probably the maximum you would ever need, but cameras are still being produced with more MP. In the long run, the lens quality is paramount. A high quality lens does not need as many MP.
They suggested always shooting in color and using the highest quality setting on your camera. If shooting in black and white, some information is lost. Shooting in the highest quality leaves more cropping possibilities.
CMOS chips process in the chip and are less expensive than CCD chips. The CCD chip requires more precision, processes outside and brings it to the sensor. There may be more noise with the CCD chip compared to a CMOS chip.
Medium format digital cameras are on the way out. They are extremely expensive and have largely been replaced by higher MP digital cameras. This type of camera has been used for catalog and shoots for products to allow large blow-ups.
Self-cleaning sensors are okay on light dust, but not much good beyond that. A fixed lens camera avoids having to pay for cleaning maintenance. UV filters protect the camera lens. They are probably the "cheapest insurance" you can buy. If they get scratched, you just throw them away and get a new one. Another useful filter is a circular polarizer for removing outside glare.
There are very few inferior cameras made today. Some camera programs can be updated online.
Wolf Camera is very proud of the consistency of printing they do. One person does almost all of their printing.
Craig's list is a good place to sell used digital gear. Clean it up and include the original box and any extra items such as memory cards and a camera bag. People like everything included.
Additional Notes and Upcoming Meetings
The deadline for the Lone Tree Photographic Art Show and Sale submissions is Monday, accepted for the show will be notified ahead of time. The judge will be Jean Anderson. There are prizes totaling $4,000. Categories are color, black and white, special effects color and special effects black and white. The show will be held in the Lone Tree Golf Club and Hotel.
The March speaker will be Larry Johnson of Larry Johnson Photography in Littleton. His topic will be nature photography.
April's meeting will be show and tell.
May's topic will be Adobe Light Room.
June's presenter will be Donald Mammoser, a nature photographer. He has shot photos for National Geographic and other magazines. His Web site is http://www.donmammoserphoto.com/donmammoserphoto.com/Home.html
Several members brought photos for show-and-tell, including Mitchell who had shots from a space shuttle launch using a new SLR camera with tripod. Nancy brought wedding photos. Jim showed balloons and ice sculptures from Breckenridge.
View reports from previous meetings - News Archives
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