Q. Hi
I am not an expert in photography, so for those who are lending a helping hand by replying to the questions please explain in detail and in simple language so that i can easily digest with.
I own a Sony Cybershot DSC H9 camera which has optical zoom of 15x. I have 4 questions on this.
1. The quality of images taken at a zoom range between 1x to 5x are really good but for the images taken at a zoom level between 12x to 15x are very poor in quality. (please note that the images are taken at same lighting condition, same place, position and the only difference is the area/subjet of focus). Why this happens or what makes image quality poor for snaps taken at maxim zoom level.
2. Please suggest some tips to get really good quality images in DSC H9 at maximum zoom range.(like what parameters to set in the camera such as focal length, aperture, ISO, Shutter speed etc)
3. If i get a canon EOS 650D SLR mounted with a canon 100-400mm lens or canon 55 - 250mm lens will i get great pictures at maximum zoom level such as at 400mm or at 250mm.
4. Does DSLR lens too have the problem of low image quality for snaps taken at maximum zoom level?
A. A 15x zoom will always be compromised for quality at at least one of the extremes. It's hard to make a long zoom anyway. Making a long zoom cheaply means quality corners have to be cut. A 4x DSLR lens is not going to have the same sorts of problems at the longest focal length.
As you zoom out the maximum aperture decreases substantially on a 15x zoom, meaning slower shutter speeds have to be used and that increases the chance of camera shake.
Any DSLR with 100-400mm lens should give you far better quality. The larger sensor will give you clearer images with less noise anyway and the superior lens quality will not drop off in quality in the same way as your compact.
A tripod isn't always necessary with a 400mm lens for daylight shots, but settings and technique are important. With a proper DSLR stabilised lens, you should be able to hand-hold down to 1/250 second shutter speed - maybe even 1/125 if you practice. In lower light you might need to bump up ISO to get the shutter speed high enough, but ISO 800 or 1600 should still give good pictures on a good DSLR, whereas anything above 400 is likely to show too much noise and/or colour fringing on a small sensor compact like your Sony. When the light gets too low for 1/125 at ISO 1600 you really do need the stability of a tripod.
For your Sony I would be surprised if you can use much faster than ISO 400 without excessive noise, so I would shoot ISO 400 when using extreme telephoto to allow as fast a shutter speed as possible.
Historically, the rule of thumb was that shutter speed ideally should be at least 1/focal-length, so at 250mm 1/250 second or at 400mm 1/500 second (as there is no 1/400 setting). In practice, image stabilisation should give you at least 1 speed slower, maybe 2 speeds if you steady yourself, so you might just about get away with 1/60 second at 250mm or 1/125 second at 400mm - but I would still recommend at least 1/125 second at 250mm and 1/250 second at 400mm whenever you can.
Lenses tend to give the worst results at their widest apertures, and that's even more noticeable on cheap long zooms, but unfortunately you will want a wide aperture to get the faster shutter speeds. If you can, try to use an aperture which is at least 1 stop smaller than the widest aperture, but keeping shutter speeds high enough is still more important for hand-holding long zooms.
With a tripod you can avoid the widest apertures and use a lower speed shutter when necessary - but that doesn't necessarily help if you are trying to catch a fast moving animal!
All in all the DSLR would be a good move. You can use higher ISO which in turn allows you to use higher shutter speeds and smaller apertures, so you will be able to hand-hold with reasonable stability more often and still get crisp, high-quality images at longer distances.
What are those profesional camera's called?
Q. Hi, I want to be a photographer and photographers have those cool profesional camera's and I don't know what their called.. They've got really cool effects and stuff. Could you tell me good camera's around £700.00 and under.. Does a Canon EOS 650D have good effects? Please answer with good camera's! :)
A. Effects...? Well... It sounds like you're a beginner, no offence if you aren't. So, these cameras are called DSLRs. It stands for "Digital Single Lens Reflex". They're also known as interchangeable lens cameras. This means you can take off the lens and out it back on.
So, you would need a good beginner camera I'm guessing. The 550D is a great beginners' camera. It is around £500. With this money left, you could buy an okay quality lens to put on the camera. The effects you probably mean are shallow DoF. DoF stands for Depth of Field. This is how much is in focus and is not in focus. Basically, you need a fast lens. Fast means it has a big aperture. Aperture means the hole in the diaphragm of the lens, created by the lens blades. A big aperture is f/2.0 or under. So, I would recommend the Canon 50mm f/1.8. Or, if you're willing to go above your budget, go for a Canon 50mm f/1.4.
If you'd like more information or there is still stuff I haven't explained fully or well enough, please contact me at clarkey.lear@yahoo.com
What's the difference between a canon 650D and a canon 60D?
Q. I am planning to buy either one.
A. I don't know what country you're in, but the 650d is the T4i in the US. This website will show you the features side by side:
http://snapsort.com/compare/Canon-EOS-650D-vs-Canon_EOS_60D
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