PCIN.net Update

A lot of the photography that I do is nature related. Each weekend, I am up before the crack of dawn so that I can get to my destination before the sun comes up, but nature is not all that I shoot. I also shoot assignments, weddings, engagements, and the different people I shoot with all have different areas of interest.

One problem I face is that the equipment I use isn’t always the same for each type of photography. How do I keep what equipment I need for a particular shoot organized? I use a checklist. Camera Body, necessary lenses, charged batteries for my camera, formatted memory cards. But what else do I need. That depends on what I am shooting.

I have three camera bags that I use, a small backpack good for small excursions or exploring, especially when I know my choice of equipment will be limited. A large bag I use for most of my other shooting that will hold all of my lenses, a film body, external flash, filters and accessories and a shoulder bag I use for for portraiture and weddings that will hold two bodies, the lenses I need for the shoot, batteries, memory cards and other accessories. Transferring equipment between bags is typically where things get forgotten. If all of my equipment was in one bag all the time, then it would not be a problem. This is where the checklist comes in handy. I keep the lists in the same location I keep my equipment in the house, so when I am transferring, I know I have all that I need. So, what else do I add into my camera bags that isn’t as obvious as the camera, lens, battery or media cards?

These items are always in my bag:

• Lens cleaning cloth. I use a micro fiber cloth that requires no liquid.
• Cable release
• Pocket knife with multitool
• Small roll of duct tape
• Clothes pins
• small pair of cuticle scissors
• Notepad and Pen
• Business cards
• Garden size garbage bags. These are useful when I am getting low to the ground so that I can lie on something other than wet or muddy ground, also great to have when I want a bride to sit on the grass or somewhere her dress may get dirty.
• Zipper close freezer bags
• Spare car key

The following items come with me depending on what I am shooting:

• Filter set: Circular polarizer, neutral density and graduated neutral density are my most often used, though I also have a soft focus filter, 1A and a few others I use only occasionally. 5in1 reflectors (24″x36″ and a 22″ round)
• Maglite
• Sunscreen
• Bug Repellent

Other items that don’t fit in my bags, but often come with me are my tripod, rain suit (pants and coat), rubber boots, umbrella and cell phone. This is an extensive list, and you will probably not need all of these items in your bag. Many of them take very little space, but are indispensable when needed.

Whatever you photograph, you will have certain equipment needs. A checklist will help to make sure you have the equipment you need when you need it. Whether a serious photographer with a lot of equipment, or a family shooter who only needs a camera, spare batteries and an extra memory card, a checklist will help to ensure you never end up unable to shoot due to missing or dead equipment.

The digital photography tip of the week is written by the PCIN Assistant Editor, Chris Empey. Chris is a long time photographer and is currently the President of the Niagara Falls Camera Club. You can see more of his photography at his Photo of the Day website.
If you have a tip to send Chris, or a question about digital photography he can address in the newsletter, send it to chris@pcin.net.

Last week I began my discussion about digital image sensor size, this week I will finish that discussion by talking about how image sensor size affects the quality of images.

As you remember from last week, the size of the image sensor compared to a 35mm or full frame sensor when using the same lens produces a cropped image. But what else is happening on smaller sensors?

Sensor size effects the dynamic range of the camera. Dynamic range is the range of light values from dark to light the camera can record. Smaller sensors have smaller photo diodes, the piece that actually accumulates light and converts it into an electrical signal that the camera will eventually turn into a photo. Because the photo diodes are smaller, they reach their peak recording ability faster, resulting in a camera that has less ability to record all of the different levels of light in a scene. With larger sensors, the photo diodes are larger, which allows them to better capture the light levels resulting in a better quality photograph. If you have ever compared two similiar photographs, one from a digital SLR (with a larger sensor) and one from a digital point and shoot (smaller sensor) you will likely have noticed the digital SLR produced a less contrasty photograph. This is because of it’s increased ability to record more accurately the light in the photograph.

Noise also has a relationship to sensor size. Again, smaller sensor sizes produce noisier images. Noise is the static like pattern you may see in your images, most often in an area of constant colour, such as the sky. Temperature and ISO also affect the amount of noise present in an image. Camera’s with larger sensor’s have better ability to capture an image without capturing a lot of noise. Smaller sensors are more prone to noise.

Another issue arising from smaller sensor is their increased depth of field. With the small sensor used in digital point and shoot cameras, depth of field increases dramatically. With the increase in depth of field comes a decrease in the camera’s ability to isolate your subject.

There are of course advantages to a smaller sensor digital camera. Smaller sensors are lighter, less expensive to manufacture (and therefore to purchase) and require smaller lenses. The advantages of superior image quality in larger sensor far outweigh the advantages of a lighter camera though. With reduced noise, greater dynamic range and better ability to manipulate depth of field, larger digital image sensor sizes are well worth their money.

The digital photography tip of the week is written by the PCIN Assistant Editor, Chris Empey. Chris is a long time photographer and is currently the vice-president of the Niagara Falls Camera Club. You can see more of his photography at his Photo of the Day website.
If you have a tip to send Chris, or a question about digital photography he can address in the newsletter, send it to chris@pcin.net.