Posts Tagged ‘digital SLR camera’

Canon Digital Rebel XSI 12MP Digital SLR Camera

Canon has declared the new EOS Rebel XSi, which is a 12.2 megapixel consumer level DSLR that packs a ton of “pro” upgrades. At the Rebel XSi’s initial introduction it was available in a body-only configuration for $799 and a kit configuration with the new EF-S 18-55mm IS lens for $899. It’s now considerably less.  You are able to order each of these configurations at Amazon via the following link provided at the bottom of this review.

Canon arrogates that the new Auto Optimization feature, which is available via the custom function settings, aids in righting exposure and contrast errors. Canon calls that it will lighten dark areas of a scene while assuring that bright areas maintain tonal detail. We have not found much use for this feature; nevertheless, it should be a deal breaker one way or the other.

The Rebel XSi is pictured with the Nikon D60 and Sony A350, two of its biggest competitors. After reexamining all three of these DSLRs, we do not think you could go wrong with any of them. We think the Rebel XSi has the best overall image quality of the three; nevertheless, each of them produces great images overall.

There are several factors that should go into your purchasing decision if you’re considering these cameras. If you’re coming out from a point and shoot camera, the Sony A350 (or it’s 10 megapixel sibling, the A300) possibly a comfortable move due to the convenient and fast autofocus in Live View mode. As an alternative , the lower price tag and light weight of the Nikon D60 may be your cup of tea.We recommend getting your hands on each of these DSLRs and see how they feel in your hands. The A350 gets the best grip and body for our hands; nevertheless, the new XSi feels much better than the XT and XTi.

We extremely recommend the Canon Rebel XSi for anyone shopping for a DSLR in the entry-level range. It is a great camera that’s a number of advanced features with which you are able to grow as a photographer. Ultimately, if you have never used a DSLR before, we recommend that you find out a copy of Bryan Peterson’s Understanding Exposure with your new camera. It’s a invaluable guide to learning and growing with any DSLR. At approximately $15, it will be the best bang for your buck that you ever spend on photography.

Read more about this amazing dslr camera here:  Canon Digital Rebel XSI

Camera Settings and Care

JPEG, RAW, white balance, sensor dirt…with digital capture you need to understand many new terms and make decisions that will influence your picture-taking. Here we look at some of these issues so you can ensure your camera is working the way you want it to.

Choosing a file format

Before you take a picture with a digital SLR camera will offer you a choice of formats that the image file can be saved as. There are two main options to choose from, JPEG and RAW, and each has its advantages and disadvantages and is more suited to certain situations.

JPEG vs RAW

What is JPEG?

JPEG is a very common format that’s compatible with most software, including Internet Explorer and even Microsoft Word. JPEG uses a variable lossy compression, which can really crunch down the file size, allowing you to get more shots on a memory card. However, because it’s lossy, some picture data is discarded, causing the image quality to suffer – although with high-quality JPEGs this is hardly noticeable. The smaller file size also means that camera write times are much shorter, so the camera buffer is quickly cleared allowing for a greater rate of shots to be taken. This format is ideal where a fast turnover of shots is required, such as press or sports photography. It’s also good when full resolution pictures are not needed, such as web use.

What is RAW?

RAW files contain the information exactly as it comes off the camera. All the data is intact, which means a
smoother tonality and wider range of colours is available than with a JPEG file. RAWs offer the ultimate quality. However, RAW files need to be converted into a standard fi le format (such as TIFF or JPEG), using a dedicated RAW converter package, in order to extract the best possible image and become compatible with other imaging packages. Every model and make of camera produces it’s own type of RAW file, so finding a compatible converter can be a problem, particularly with new cameras. This format is best for situations where the ultimate quality and flexibility is needed but speed is not so critical, such as portrait, landscape and still-life photography.

How To Improve Your Photography with a dSLR

The differences between digital SLRs and the camera you were using before you saw the light depends on where you’re coming from. If your most recent camera was a point-and-shoot digital model, you know the advantages of being able to review your photos on an LCD an instant after you took them, and, if you’re serious about photography, you also understand the benefits of fine-tuning them in an image editor. If you’re switching to a digital SLR from a film SLR, you’re likely a photo enthusiast already and well aware that a single lens reflex offers you extra control over framing, using focus creatively, and choosing lenses to give the best perspective. And, if you’re making the huge leap from a point-and-shoot non-SLR film camera to a digital SLR, you’re in for some real revelations.

A digital SLR has (almost) all the good stuff available in a lesser digital camera, with some significant advantages that enable you to take your photo endeavors to a new, more glorious level of excellence. Certainly, you can take close-ups or sports photos with any good-quality film or digital camera. Lowlight photography, travel pictures, or portraits are all within the capabilities of any camera. But digital SLRs let you capture these kinds of images more quickly, more flexibly, and with more creativity at your fingertips. Best of all (at least for Photoshop slaves), a digital SLR can solve problems that previously required working long hours over a hot keyboard.

Despite the comparisons you can make to other cameras, a digital SLR isn’t just a simple upgrade from a conventional film camera or another type of digital camera. A dSLR is very different from a film SLR, too, even though some vendors still offer film and dSLRs that look quite a bit alike and share similar exposure metering, automatic focusing, and other electronics, as well as interchangeable lenses. If you look closely, you find that the digital SLR camera is different, and how you use it to take pictures is different.