smart photography 201403

TUTORIALS HOW TO PHOTOGRAPH FLOWERS

FUN WITH PHOTOSHOP CONVERT IMAGES TO EMAIL RESOLUTION

PROFESSIONAL TECHNIQUE LIGHTING GLASS

INDIA’S NUMBER 1 IMAGING MAGAZINE!

ISSUE 12 VOLUME 09

MARCH 2014

RS.125

REVIEWS: PANASONIC GM1 ● SONY 7 ● OLYMPUS STYLUS 1 ● CANON POWERSHOT S200 ● CANON EF-S 55-250MM F/4-5.6 IS II

INTERVIEW PARAG DAMLE

PROFILE BASEL ALMISSHAL

PANASONIC GM1

INDIA

EXCLUSIVE

REVIEW

Welcome

The race for top honours in the imaging industry is going to be between D-SLRs and mirrorless interchangeable lens

cameras. What bolsters our view are some of the latest mirrorless cameras to hit the market, the last being Sony’s full-frame A7. Improvements in mirrorless cameras are coming in leaps and bounds and D-SLR manufacturers stand warned. Let the best players win.

H. S. Billimoria

WE ARE GLUED TO THE GLOBAL IMAGING INDUSTRYOur team is updated with all the benchmarks and road blocks that the fi eld of photography and imaging across the globe experiences. Th is helps us record the changes in the global perspective, thus making us the fi rst to predict which products will be a rage in the Indian markets.

WE’RE IMPARTIALLoyalty towards our readers is a given, and their best interests are always on our mind. Every verdict is honest and not infl uenced by advertisers or personal favorites. So when we say a product is a ‘BEST BUY’, then, it is just that!

OUR TESTS ARE CONDUCTED BY EXPERTSAll equipment go through a series of tests at the hands of our experts. Our reviewers are experts in the fi eld of photography across the country and have many years of experience. Th at gives us the foresight to distinguish between a passing trend and a big change in the fi eld of photography and imaging. And fi nally, our reviews are not extended to just fi ll up the pages!

WE ARE HERE TO HELP YOUTh ere is no debate on why we are here. Our sole goal is to provide you options and bett er your judgement in product purchase while, sharing tips and tricks to improve your images. Our biggest joy is in building a bridge between you and your perfect picture!

HERE’S WHATMAKES US #1

March 2014 Smart Photography 5

EDITORHoshang S. Billimoria

TECHNICAL EDITORRohinton Mehta

SENIOR CORRESPONDENTSujith Gopinath

COPY EDITORTanika Godbole

PHOTOGRAPHYMahesh Reddy

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Atul D. Bandekar

DESIGNAjit Manjrekar, Nandkishor Sawant,

Sanjay Awad, Ajay ParadkarPRODUCTION

Dinesh Bhajnik, Deepak Narkar, Ravi ParmarPRODUCT MANAGER

Perseus MasterPUBLISHERGirish Mallya

CIRCULATION AND SUBSCRIPTIONSanjeev Roy (Asst. Operations Manager) Sachin Kelkar (Subscription Supervisor)

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Mob: 09804085683Views and opinions expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of Next Gen Publishing Ltd. Next Gen Publishing does not take the responsibility for re-turning unsolicited material sent without adequate postal stamps for return post-age. No part of the magazine may be reproduced in part or full without the prior express writt en permission of the publisher. Printed by Girish Mallya, Next Gen Publishing Ltd., Trade World, 2nd Floor, C Wing, Kamala Mills Compound, Sena-pati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai 400013. Published by Girish Mallya on behalf of Next Gen Publishing Ltd., Trade World, 2nd Floor, C Wing, Kamala Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai 400013. Printed at Kala Jyothi Process Pvt. Ltd, 1-1-60/5 RTCX Roads, Hyderabad - 20. Published at Next Gen Publishing Ltd., Trade World, 2nd Floor, C Wing, Kamala Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai 400013. Copyright 2006 SMART PHOTOGRAPHYAll readers are recommended to make their own independent enquiries before sending money, incurring expenses or entering into commitments in relation to any advertisement appearing in the publication. Smart Photography does not vouch for any claims made by advertisers for their products and services. Th e editor, publisher, printer and employees of the publication shall not be held li-able for any consequence in the events of such claims not being honoured by the advertisers. All disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of competent courts and forums in Mumbai only.

Editor – Hoshang S Billimoria

Contents MARCH 2014

6 Smart Photography March 2014

TUTORIALS HOW TO PHOTOGRAPH FLOWERS

FUN WITH PHOTOSHOP CONVERT IMAGES TO EMAIL RESOLUTION



ISSUE 12 VOLUME 09

MARCH 2014

RS.125


INTERVIEW PARAG DAMLE


PANASONIC GM1

INDIA

EXCLUSIVE

REVIEW

Cover credits

Photographer: Samir M. Mohite

Through: “Abhivyakti: Expression Through Photography”

Just a moment!Readers can fi nd the updated Buyer’s Guide, log on htt p://smartphotography.in/news/monthly-special

Smart Photography thanks the readers who participate in the Picture of the Month contest. We would like to bring to your att ention a few changes in the rules for submission. From now on, you may send in your images with the longer side measuring atleast 17 inches. Please note that the images have to be horizontal. Th is permits readers to submit panoramic shots, which was not possible with the current size of 17 x 11 inches.

Kaleidoscope 30

Showcase 34

A platf orm for budding photographers to exhibit their talent and get noticed!

A photographic profi le of the person behind the lens

MasterCraft sman 54 Th e masters of the craft share their insights and photographs

If I Were You 40Our expert comments on how your pictures can be taken to another level

Ask Uncle Ronnie 43Your photo queries answered by Uncle Ronnie

62Making Your Photography Flower!

REGULARS 8 Mail Bag 10 News Watch

28 Picture of the Month 146 Tidbits


LEARNINGS Basics

62 Making Your Photography Flower!

68 Shooting Glass

74 Covert a Digital Image

File to E-mail Resolution

76 Fun with Photoshop:

Windows of Light

REVIEWS 82 PANASONIC LUMIX GM1

88 SONY 7

92 Olympus Stylus 1

96 Canon PowerShot S200

100 Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II

102 First Look: Triggertrap Mobile

BUYERS’ GUIDE 104 D-SLR Guide

106 ILCC Guide

108 Lens Nomenclature

110 Jargon

114 SP Recommended

68Shooting

Glass

74 Covert a

Digital Image File to E-mail

Resolution

76Fun with

Photoshop: Windows of

Light


Mailbag

Write to us at: Mail BagSmart Photography, Trade World, C-Wing, 2nd Floor, Kamala Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel(W), Mumbai 400013. E-mail: [email protected]

Rewarding travelsFor the past few years, I regularly take my photography tuitions through SP magazine. I am very impressed by the detailed discussions of different techniques and the lessons by Uncle Ronnie. My wife and children are also avid readers of the magazine because of the beautiful pictures published in it.

Recently, I was awarded the Certificate of Merit for my photograph in

Travel / Print by the Photographic Society of India, at the 64th All India Exhibition of Photography 2014. Here is the photograph. Kalyan Nath

ALSO REVIEWEDSTELLAR PHOENIX PHOTO RECOVERY 6

TUTORIALSUNDERSTANDING DEPTH OF FIELD

HDR FROM A SINGLE SHOT FUN WITH INFRARED

PROFESSIONAL TECHNIQUE

IMPORTANCE OF MAKE-UP


ISSUE 11VOLUME 09

FEBRUARY 2014

RS.125

REVIEWS: NIKON D5300 ● FUJIFILM X-A1 ● CANON EF 24-70MM F/4L IS USM ● SIGMA 24-105MM F/4 ● CANON SPEEDLITE 320 EX

107

SPECIAL: SMART PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS 2014

INTERVIEW AMIT RANE

PROFILE SANTOSH SALIGRAM

TRAVEL

FEATURE

LONDON IN B&W

SUBSCRIBER’S COPY

Lett er of the Month WIN A UNIROSS

1H LCD CHARGER

WORTH Rs.1,095/-

EVERY MONTH FOR THE

LETTER OF THE MONTH

An appropriate featureTh e Photo Feature by Ajay Sood in the February 2014 issue of SP was quite unusual. It gave us a glimpse into photographing streets in black and white. When we click people in colour, we photograph their clothes; but when we click in black and white, we photograph

their souls. Some pictures brought out the importance of wide angle lenses. Th e essay was a practical guide to those who want to capture people along with landscape.

Gaurav Mishra

A nature trailTh e February 2014 issue was a great read. I have always been curious about HDR images and thanks to the article ‘Single Shot HDR’, I now know how to create those images. I also loved the images by Santosh Saligram and Amit Rane. Th ey

were truly stunning and showed the majesty of the wild. I also got to learn the names of the birds from Rane’s photos. It is great to be able to learn this way.

Amruta Trivedi


InternationalNews Watch

SNIPPETSNikon debuted 4 compact cameras (Coolpix S2800, S6700, L29 and L350), and one ultra zoom camera (Coolpix L830) with Dynamic Fine Zoom and the ability to retain the original picture quality through a special algorithm.

Canon patents a number of pancake zoom lens designs for Canon EOS M System.

Panasonic has unveiled its facial recognition system that can identify faces in the crowd based on the pictures stored in their database. The high-performance WV-ASF 900 Facial Recognition System’s video architecture can process 1,000 faces per second for up to 20 cameras at the same time, according to Y. Yamasaki, General Manager of Panasonic System Solution Department.

Panasonic, at CES 2014, unveiled 5 digital camcorders with Full HD ‘Twin Camera’ that enables users to shoot picture-in-picture videos (W850, V750, V350, V250 and V130). Panasonic’s new digital camera Lumix DMC-SZ8 comes with 12x optical zoom lens.

Nikon to release compact D-camsNikon will begin marketing in Japan, new digital cameras introduced at the CES 2014—the compact D-cam models Coolpix S6800, S3600 and L30.

Coolpix S6800 features an enhanced Make-up Effect which lets the user add eye-shadow, eliminate reflection on the mascara and fair skin, etc. The camera has a back-lit 16 MP CMOS sensor and lens-shift image stabilizing technology, 4.5-54.0 mm f/3.3-63 (25-300mm in terms of 35mm) 12 x zoom lens and Wi Fi capability to transfer images immediately to Smartphones, computers and social media sites. The S3600 model also features Make-up effects. It has a 20 MP CCD imager and lens-shift image stabilization. The entry-level L30 features 26-130mm (in 35mm) 5x zoom lens, 20 MP CCD and uses Li-ion or alkaline AA batteries.

Hasselblad announces Full-size D-SLR Hasselblad announced the HV, a 24.3 MP full-frame Exmor CMOS sensor camera. It comes with a Carl Zeiss 24 – 70mm lens, a Sony Alpha A mount and a 2.3 mega-dot OLED electronic viewfinder. The camera offers continuous shooting at 6 fps in full-size capturing or 8 fps in APS-equivalent crop, sensor-shift image stabilizing system, ISO sensitivity from 100 to 25600, and 35mm full-frame HD movie-making capability. The HV can function in extreme weather conditions, from – 40 degrees Celsius to 80 degrees Celsius. It is expected to cost around 1.2 million Yen including the lens and the camera case.

Olympus announced the release of OM-D E-M10 in late February 2014. This mirrorless interchangeable lens camera conforms to the Micro Four Thirds System standard, and has a metal body equipped with an electronic viewfinder that has bright, clear visibility and offers good image quality. The OM-D E-M10 has a slim body and when the M Zuiko Digital ED 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 EZ lens is attached, the thickness is only 64mm. It has a 16 MP Live MOS sensor

with a maximum sensitivity of ISO 25600, a TruePic VII image processor, Cat’s Eye Control which automatically adjusts the brightness in accordance with the environment, 81 point Fast AF and 8 fps maximum sequential shooting, AF tracking performance on moving targets, a short shooting time lag,

Wi-Fi functionality etc. The camera weighs 396 g and measures 119.1 x 82.3 x 45.9 mm.



Hasselblad is going to launch the world’s first 50 MP medium-format camera using CMOS sensor technology. The groundbreaking H5D-50c will go on sale in March 2014. This camera is based on its H5D-50 model but will offer a faster capture rate, longer shutter speed capability and much better ISO performance. It will have an improved Live Video in Phocus and will also offer multi-shot function.

Hasselblad to launch medium-format CMOS camera

Olympus announces mirrorless camera OM-D E-M10

Leica camera celebrates 100 years of Leica PhotographyTh e year 1914 marked the birth of 35mm photographhy as we know it today. A hundred years ago, Oskar Barnack created the very fi rst Leica, the Leitz Camera. Th is year, Leica will celebrate their centennial with events, exhibitions and innovative products.

Dr. Andreas Kaufmann, chairman of the Supervisory Board at Leica Camera AG said, “ No other brand has so crucially shaped and infl uenced photography for the past hundred years like Leica has, by continuing to provide photographers with the best tools and superb lenses to match them. We will be celebrating our centennial with numerous renowned photographers from around the globe and shining a spotlight on their work.” Alfred Schopf, chairman of the Executive Board at Leica Camera AG said, “Th at Leica today is, as in the past, still synonymous with high-end handmade products, iconic design, technical innovation and bett er pictures will be confi rmed by the selected products we will be presenting in the course of our centennial year.” Th is campaign will be accompanied by a series of cultural projects, photography exhibitions and competitions, book presentations and a special issue of LFI, Leica’s magazine, with the title ‘100 years of Leica photography.’ Leica Camera AG will also be relocated to the new ultra-modern factory in the LeitzPark in Wetzlar, Germany this year. Th e offi cial opening will be in May.



Fujifilm launches Fujifilm X-T1Fujifilm announced that it will release the top-of-the-line Fujifilm X-T1 in the Japanese market, commemorating its 80th anniversary of establishment. The camera features an APS-C X-Trans CMOS II image sensor with 16.3 MP resolution, EXR Processor II, a multi-mode EVF with the world’s highest viewfinder magnification ratio of 0.77x and a quick display with a lag time of just 0.005 seconds. It is dust and water resistant and operates even at -10 degrees Celsius.

Nikon announces four new models in Coolpix seriesNikon announced four new models in the Coolpix series, set to release on February 27. The S9700 is the top model in the series, featuring a 1/2.3-inch Type 16 MP BL CMOS sensor and a 30x 4.5-135mm (25 – 750mm in 35mm terms) f/3.7-6.4 zoom lens. It offers faster AF capability at 0.15 sec, Wi-Fi connectivity, global atlas and GPS, a 3-inch OEL display etc.

The P340 features a 1/1.7-inch Type 12.91 MP BL CMOS sensor and a 5x 5.1 – 25.5 (24 – 120mm in 35mm format) f/1.8-5.6 zoom lens, Wi-Fi capability and a 3-inch RGBW layered LCD monitor. The P600 features a 60x zoom 4.3 – 258mm (24 – 1440 in the 35mm

format) f/3.3-6.5 lens including a super ED lens element, Wi-Fi capability, lens-shift image stabilizing plus Active mode and continuous shooting up to 7 fps.

The S32 is an entry-level camera which is water-proof till 10 meters and shock-proof against a fall of up to 1.5m and can be used in low temperatures to - 10 degrees Celsius. It offers a 3x zoom (30 – 90mm in 35mm terms) f/3.3 – 5.9 lens, a 1/3.1-inch Type 13.17 MP CMOS sensor with a 2.7-inch LCD screen. The AW120 is a rugged all-weather

camera which is water-proof up to 18 m depth, shock-proof against a fall of 2 m, can function in cold temperatures up to – 10 degrees Celsius and has a built-in pressure sensor, GPS and a built-in map. The camera has a 5x f/2.8 – 4.9 lens, 1/2.3-inch Type 16.05 MP CMOS sensor and a 3-inch OLED monitor.


News WatchInternational

Kenko Tokina launches magnesium alloy Quick ShoeKenko Tokina is now offering a magnesium-alloy Quick Shoe ‘DQ-55’ which can be easily attached to the existing tripod shoe with a quick lever and a large camera lock nut. The lever rotates 180 degrees, thus enabling a quick and firm attachment to the camera. It has a two-axis horizontal gauze and can hold up to 2 kg. The street price would be 8,980 Yen.

Nissin Japan announced the development of a compact powerful speedlite i40 for Nikon, Canon, Sony and Four Th irds System camera use. Th e new product was displayed at the CP+ 2014, held from February 13 to 16 in Yokohama.

Th e strobe measures 85x61x85mm

and weighs 203 g excluding batt eries. It off ers a GN of 27 m at 35mm or GN of 40 m at 105mm. It also features zoom capability to cover 24mm in wideangle to 105mm in telephoto. Th e strobe supports a focal length of a 16mm lens and the head rotates 180 degrees. It also has a wide-angle LED

videolight for supporting videography, high speed sychronizong to high-speed shutt er operation, wireless TTL remote mode and runs on four AA batt eries. It will be available from April 2014 for Canon and Nikon cameras and from June 2014 for Sony and other Four Th irds cameras.

Portrait Professional soft ware wins Th e Societies Photographic Trade AwardsPortrait Professional, a retouching soft ware, has won Th e Societies Photographic Trade Awards in Th e Best Professional Imaging Innovation 2013 and Th e Best Photo Finishing Product 2013 categories. Portrait Professional is a portrait editing soft ware designed to speed up a photographer’s workfl ow. It automatically detects faces and features, and portraits are improved in seconds. Th e photographer maintains full creative control over the process due to the interactive preview of results and adjustable presets and sliders.

Nissin announces new i40 Strobe


According to the e-magazine Digicam Watch, JK Imaging introduced a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera under the Kodak brand name, the Kodak Pixpro S-1, during the CES 2014. Th e camera will be sold in international markets from February 2014. Th e Pixpro S-1 features a Micro Four Th irds formatt ed 16 MP CMOS sensor,

920 K-dot 3-inch tilting monitor, sensor shift image stabilizer, Wi-Fi capability and burst speed of 5 fps. Th e street price will be $499 for a single lens kit, or $599 for a kit with two lenses. Th e company has also lined up three interchangeable lenses: a standard 12-45mm f/3.5-6.3, a 42.5-160mm f/3.5-5.9 and a 400mm f/6.7 lens.

JK Imaging announces Kodak brand mirrorless camera

Fujifilm to sell instant printer for Smartphones Fujifilm Corp. will be marketing the ‘instax SHARE Smartphone Printer SP-1’ to produce a card-sized print (88x54mm / 640x480 dots) in about 16 seconds, using the data stored on the Smartphone, which can be transferred wirelessly. A dedicated app allows the user to edit photos with options of enlargement/reduction, filter/effect such as black and white, sepia, adding date/time, place, weather etc. The images uploaded to social networking service sites can be printed with the profile photo and the number of likes with the SNS template option. The printer measures 101.6x42x122.5mm and runs on two CR2 type Li-ion batteries. This product will be made available in Japan on February 15 at the expected street price of 19,800 Yen. The company’s target is to sell 250,000 units of SP-1 in the international market in fiscal 2014.

Zeiss announces Touit f/2.8 50mm Macro LensCarl Zeiss announced that it will introduce the Zeiss Touit f/2.8 50mm macro, fi lling a gap in the close-up and macro range for APS-C systems, extending its Touit line-up. Th is lens off ers a magnifi cation power of 1:1. Th e lens can also be used for portraits and landscape photography. With a full-frame equivalent focal length of 75mm (crop factor 1.5) you have a moderate telephoto focal length.

News WatchInternational


BusinessNews Watch

Canon’s camera sales for 2013 lowCanon’s group operating profi t for 2013 fell short of its forecast, coming to around 320 billion Yen (US $3.08 billion), due to disappointing camera sales undermining the benefi ts of the weak Yen and robust offi ce equipment sales. Th e net profi t was around 224.5 billion Yen (US $2.16 billion). Th e company had projected 360 billion Yen (US $3.46 billion) operating profi t for the fi scal year. Compact camera sales decreased more than 20% in volume, mainly because of competition from Smartphones.Even sales of high-end SLRs went down as demand ebbed in Europe, China etc.

Roughly 80% of Canon’s sales are outside Japan, so the weak Yen was a boon. Th is boosted Canon’s operating profi t by some 200 billion Yen. Offi ce equipment continued to perform strongly.

Canon expects the demand for high-margin SLR cameras to recover this year as the US and European economies will pick up.

Fujifi lm Holding’s operating profi t for the April-December period rose by 50% on the year to 98 billion Yen (US $951.4 million), with offi ce equipment sales and growing medical business compensating for a stagnant camera segment. Th e sales of low-cost compact models continued to decrease due to Smartphones. Fujifi lm tried to improve

its product mix, but both sales and profi t declined overall. Low demand for information technology equipment caused a slump in sales of fi lm for LCDs.

Th e medical business sales increased by more than 10%. Medical information systems and gastrointestinal endocsopes sold well. Th e growth

of the pharmaceutical business was also brisk. Offi ce equipment, which accounts for half of the Fujifi lm group sales continued to perform well, particularly in Asia. Stronger sales of high-margin colour multifi nction printers and reduced production costs and other expenses boosted profi tability.

Fujifilm’s April-December Operating Profi t rises

Total Production of Nikkor lenses reaches 85 millionNikon Corp. announced that the total production of Nikkor lenses for Nikon D-SLR and Nikon 1 advanced cameras with interchangeable lenses reached the 85 million mark in January 2014. For more than 80 years, Nikkor lenses, known for their sharpness, reliability and image quality have been used by photographers of all experience levels. Nikon expanded this line-up of lenses in the past year, by incorporating advanced optical technologies.

Sony planning to sell PC businessSony Corp is in talks to unload its sluggish personal computer operations to investment fund Japan Industrial Partners. Th is is a part of its business overhaul program designed to shift focus to Smartphones. Th e sale price is estimated to be 40 to 50 billion Yen (US $396 to 495 million). On February 6, Sony and Japan Industrial Partners came to an agreement that Sony will separate the PC Business and set up a new company which the latt er will purchase.


News WatchBusiness

Canon celebrates production of 70 million EOS-series SLRsCanon Inc. announced on February 6 that it achieved a camera manufacturing milestone as the combined production of the company’s film and digital EOS-series interchangeable lens camera surpassed the 70 million market on February 5.

Production of Canon EOS SLR cameras began in 1987 at

Canon Inc’s Fukushima Plant with the EOS 650, later moving to production bases such as Oita Canon Inc and Canon Inc Taiwan. After the spread of D-SLRs in the early 2000s, production rapidly increased, surpassed the 60 million unit mark in October 2012 and has now reached the 70 million unit threshold.

Panasonic, Sharp report net profits for April – December

Canon posts increased revenue and profi ts for Fiscal 2013Canon Inc. announced its consolidated fi nancial results for fi scal 2013 ending on December 2013 posting a 7.2% gain to 3,731.4 billion Yen in revenue, a 4.1% gain to 337.3 billion Yen for operating profi t and a net income of 230.5 billion Yen amid moderate recoveries of global economies during the latt er half of the year. Th e company admitt ed that the depreciated Yen contributed to profi t gains.

Th e Imaging System Business Unit posted sales of 1,448.9 billion Yen, up by 3.1% while the operating profi t was 203.8 billion Yen, a 3.1% fall. Sales of digital cameras dropped by 21% year-on-year, interchangeable lens system cameras by 7% to 7.6 million units, due mostly to sluggish sales in European and Chinese markets. Compact camera sales dropped by 28% to 13.2 million units. Inkjet printer sales enjoyed solid growth because of the introduction of new products, despite the harsh market environment. In 2014, the company estimates compact digital camera sales to drop by 20% to 10.5 million units and interchangeable lens system camera sales will fall by 1% to 7.6 million units.

Restructuring and cost cuts helped Panasonic Corp and Sharp Corp turn net profits for nine months ending on December 31, 2013, for the first time in three years. But both will need to find paths towards sustained growth.

Panasonic reported a group net profit of 243 billion Yen, rebounding from the earlier year’s loss of 623.8 billion Yen. The weak Yen boosted yen-dominated sales. The company also benefited from brisk demand for onboard vehicle systems and housing products. While its major businesses are gradually recovering, restructuring was the

main contributor.

Meanwhile, Sharp logged a consolidated net profit of 17.7 billion Yen, compared to a 424.3 billion Yen loss a year earlier. All six business segments posted operating profits for a second straight quarter. Sales rose by 21%, partly due to a large LCD order from a Chinese Smartphone maker. The company also gained 20 billion Yen in one-off transaction from patent revenue and other sources. Cost reduction contributed as well, with steps such as staff cuts shrinking fixed costs by 100 billion Yen.


‘Dreamlike Dimension,’ a photo exhibition by Fiorenzo Senese was held from February 11 to 20, 2014 at the Piramal Art Gallery, National Centre for the Performing Arts, Mumbai.Th e photographs conveyed various aspects of dreams and memories using various eff ects.

‘Dreamlike Dimension’ photo exhibition

On February 12, 2014, Yahoo India announced the appointment of Gurmit Singh as Managing Director for Yahoo India. As MD, Gurmit will oversee Yahoo’s business in India, responsible for its growth in the country. He will report to Yvonne Chang, VP & Head of India and South East Asia, Yahoo. With over 20 years of experience, Gurmit brings with him a deep understanding of the Media & Entertainment industry in India. Most recently, Gurmit was the CEO of Forbes India at Network 18. Yvonne Chang, VP & Head of India and

South East Asia, Yahoo said, “Gurmit comes to Yahoo with a strong track record of delivering growth. His understanding of users and advertisers will be a great asset for Yahoo as we bring a number of product innovations to India. Yahoo is a loved brand in India, and we are very happy to have a leader of Gurmit’s caliber leading the team.”

Gurmit Singh appointed as Managing Director, Yahoo India

JCM Circuit 2014 invites entriesTh e JCM Photography Society is now inviting entries from photographers for the contest JCM Digital Circuit 2014. Th e categories in which you can submit pictures are Monochrome (Pictorial), Colour (Pictorial), Nature including wildlife, Photojournalism and Photo Travel. Th e entry fee for a single section is Rs. 200, and an extra Rs. 75 for each additional section. It is also open to overseas entrants, at US $30 or EUR €25 for a single section and US $10 or EUR €8 for each additional section. Log on to their website: www.jcmcircuits.com/. Download the entry form from this URL: www.jcmcircuits.com/Docs/JCMMainForm.pdf.

News WatchBusiness

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● SOFTWARE PREVIEW: PHOTOSHOP CREATIVE CLOUD ● PROFESSIONAL TECHNIQUE: SHOOTING ALBUM COVERS

INTERVIEWSURAJ DAS

LEARNING: STAR TRAIL PHOTOGRAPHY

TUTORIAL: EXPOSURE EXPOSED

REVIEWEDPENTAX K30

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REVIEWS: CANON EOS 70D ● SAMSUNG GALAXY S4 ZOOM ● PENTAX K-50

WEDDING SPECIALVINAYAK DAS AND SNIGDHA SHEEL

NIKLESH MALKANIANAND RATHI AND ABHINAV SAH

INTERVIEWKIRAN POONACHA

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ADHIK SHIRODKAR SPEAKS

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16 page SONY supplement Freewith November 2013 issue.


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THE BIG FIGHT: NORMAL LENSES ● PREMIUM COMPACTS ● TOUGH CAMERAS

BASIC TIPS FOR WONDERFUL

MACROS

ALL ABOUT MIRRORLESS

CAMERAS

TRAVEL FEATURE

VARANASI

EXPERT TECHNIQUESPHOTOGRAPHING PETS

HOW TO PHOTOGRAPH BABIES

INTERVIEWSKAUSHIK BHATIA

VINCENT VERSACE


News WatchNational

‘A million smiles’ photography exhibition‘A million smiles’ is a photography art initiative conceived by Mr. Ashok Kochhar to celebrate womanhood by exhibiting the smiles of more than 1000 women across Delhi – NCR. Th is exhibition will commence on Women’s Day, March 8 and continue till March 16, 2014 from 11 am to 7 pm. It will take place simultaneously at the Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj and Gurgaon.Ashok Kochhar said, “this is an

initiative to celebrate womanhood on a humble beginning, where I wanted to start photographing 101 smiling faces on my innovative camera setup. Seeing the response, I and my team ended up photographing 1000 smiling female faces. Since the results were beyond our expectations, we got many wonderful lady volunteers. And now we have a collection of 1000 beautiful smiling portraits.”

Tamron announces workshops all over IndiaTamron is organizing photography workshops all over India in the months of March, April and May 2014. Th ey will be held in Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Goa, Jalandhar, Kolkata, Mumbai, Hubli, Bangalore and nine other cities. Th ese one day workshops are free of cost, and the organizers will provide tea/coff ee and lunch to the participants. To register or fi nd out more, log on to www.tamron.in/workshop.

Sandisk introduces two USB drivesSanDisk has introduced two new products—Th e Extreme PRO USB 3.0 drive and the SanDisk Ultra Dual USB Drive.

Th e high-performance SanDisk Extreme PRO USB 3.0 fl ash drive off ers write speeds up to 240MB/s and read speeds up to 260MB/s. Th is makes it ideal for transferring movies and high resolution images quickly. It includes SanDisk SecureAccess soft ware that provides 128-bit AES fi le encryption and password protection, and also has an aluminum metal casing, which protects against everyday

wear and tear. Th e USB drive is available at a price of Rs. 16,388 (128GB) with a lifetime limited warranty.

Th e SanDisk Ultra Dual USB Drive provides a convenient way to transfer content via an Android-powered Smartphone or Tablet’s micro-USB port and a computer’s USB connection. Additionally, the drive’s dual USB ports feature a retractable cover and integrates with SanDisk’s Memory Zone app. Th e SanDisk Ultra Dual USB Drive is available in 16GB to 64GB capacities at Rs. 1,199 to Rs. 3,800.


T S Nagarajan passes awayRenowned photographer T S Nagarajan passed away in Chennai, following a brief illness. He was 82. A native of Mysore, Nagarajan was the younger brother of another renowned photographer, late T S Satyan.

Nagarajan began his career as

the photographer for the Central government in the year 1956 and later on became the picture editor of ‘Yojana’, a journal of the Union Planning Commission. He was also the director of photography division, Union

Ministry of Information, and, consultant photographer to UNICEF in India.

Nagarajan won PATA Gold Award in 1987. His works have been exhibited around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art, Oxford in 1982. In 2011, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting honoured him with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Nagarajan has three books to his credit, the most recent being ‘Vanishing Homes of India’, released last month.

News Watch

National

Photograph by

Sujan SarkarPhotograph by




Sujan Sarkar

Picture of the MonthWe are sure that all of you have a few pictures that you think are prize worthy. It happens very oft en that you don’t know where to send the image that could put a feather in your cap. If you have such images (we’re sure you have many!), send us ONE such horizontal image. If it qualifi es, we shall publish it as a double-spread. a. You have to guarantee that the picture was shot by youb. If there are people in the picture who can be identifi ed, we’ll need a model release

c. Th e picture should not have been printed elsewhere (magazine newspaper, or off ered to any publication)d. Mark the entry as “Picture of the Month” and rename the fi le using your namee. You may send images via print/e-mail to: Next Gen Publishing Ltd.,2nd Floor, C Wing, Trade World, Kamala Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai 400013 (or) [email protected]

A note to our readers1. Th e picture has to be horizontal.2. Kindly ensure that the longer side should measure atleast 17 inches, at 300ppi.3. Low resolution images will not be accepted.4. We do not check images on online galleries.5. Kindly ensure complete contact/address details are provided. Winners will have to collect their prize from SP’s Mumbai offi ce or send an authorised representative to do so.6. Please make sure that your picture does not have your name/logo on it.

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Kaleidoscope

Rural Musings Tell Tale TreesCamera: Canon EOS 5D Mark III

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Born in 1979, I grew up in Canning, West Bengal. Since the age of 13 when I owned my fi rst camera—a

Canon AE-1 Program—I have explored the myriad images that Indian villages have to off er. I currently use Canon EOS 7D and Canon EOS 5D Mark III. Hailing from a village myself, my eyes are drawn towards those elements that I can identify with, which are generally hidden from the perspective of a city dweller.

I believe photography is all about the eye; you either see things or are infl uenced to see things. Brochures of photography exhibitions sparked my interest, and I started collecting them for posterity since 2001. I now have a collection of over 15,000 brochures from across the world. I hope this collection helps people research, learn, emulate and be inspired in photography. With this purpose, I have established an international archive of photography exhibition—Th reedots

Group, based out of Hyderabad.

From the bare-foot camera toting village lad to a frantic shutt erbug, to a selective shooter and an international collector of brochures of photography exhibitions, I have come a long way. And through this journey I have tried to show the world through my perspective.

You can see my images at udayansankarpal.com or connect with me at facebook.com/udayansankarpal

As told to Tanika Godbole

Udayan Sankar Pal, Hyderabad

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CALLING ALL PHOTOGRAPHERS! Kaleidoscope is the perfect way to jump-start your career... So simply send us a selection of your images along with full details of your vision and the technical information at [email protected]. We accept both fi lm and digital images.All pictures that are forwarded to Kaleidoscope should be 8x10 inches in size (or larger) and at 300 ppi. However, we will re-size them according to the layout considerations.

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Showcase

Basel Almisshal is a self-taught professional photographer based in the UAE / Oman. He currently

runs a creative design fi rm in the Middle East. Almisshal is the founder and creative director of the globally acclaimed “Capture the Spirit of Ramadan”

International Photography Competition. He is also a member of the United Nations Photographers Association and has taught photography at the

university level.

Painting a Picture

I am an architect by profession, an artist and designer, and photography was a natural interest for me with my particular

background. Aft er all, photography is ‘painting with light’. I am inspired by the beauty of nature and tend to see things from a deeper, more detailed perspective. To be able to interpret a particular scene into an image that resonates with beauty is the inspiration for me. I love


Showcase

Glass Works

Grand Mosque, Muscat

Showcase


Dubai Cityscape

all kinds of architecture; be it modern or historic and traditional as long as it is good craft smanship. When I shoot architecture, I do it from the perspective of a designer—focusing on the harmonious relationships between space and light and highlighting subtle details and fl owing lines.

I love to photograph nature just as much as I love capturing bustling cityscapes. I try to fi nd beauty in all of my surroundings, be it

the desert or mountains, or in the confi nes of a beautifully decorated room. In terms of actual locations, my favourite location for photography was Andalucía in southern Spain. A future spot I would love to explore with my lenses—well of course India!

With a compelling subject, I oft en compose my photographs with light, shade, contrast in colors and textures as well as appealing arrangement of the elements in the frame.

I oft en ‘sketch’ an image in my mind before shooting it but it is also important to shoot freely and spontaneously, as you will almost always come out with something more spectacular.

Learning is a continuous process, you never stop. I have learned from many world-class distinguished photographers and I always fi nd time to update my skills with practice. As told to Tanika Godbole

Showcase


Arabian spiced batt enburg cake

Sushi rolls


If I Were YouOur Imaging ExpertNo one can take a picture that everyone likes. But, almost every picture can have scope of improvement. Often, we are not our best critics, while others can immediately point out the faults. In If I were you, our expert comments on how your pictures could be taken to another level.

E-mail your images at [email protected]

Rohinton Mehta,

Technical Editor,

Smart Photography

A Macro ShotSatverg Singh from Mumbai is a photographer who is very devoted to his hobby. When I saw him recently at the Rose Show at Dharavi Nature Park in Mumbai, I could immediately make out his dedication – not only was he armed with a Canon D-SLR with an external Canon MT24 EX Twin lite flash – he was also taking his shots from various angles.

Along with the picture he sent us, he mentioned that in the unusual picture he had placed the spider in the centre of the frame (which is not normally done) because the spider kept moving and by keeping it in the centre, he could have a choice when it came to cropping the image. Argument accepted!

I felt that his image was overly sharp (at the spider’s mouth parts) and so I asked him to send us the original Raw capture, which he did. The edited image that you see here is from the original Raw file. You may feel that the edited image is in fact sharper, but that feeling could be because of better overall contrast and also due to the fact that I have increased the sharpness on the hairs by using the Sharpen Tool. Satverg, you have done well and with a bit more practice in post-processing, you will definitely do much better.

Picture InfoCamera: Canon EOS 550DISO: 100Shutter speed: 1/30 secAperture: f/16

Original Image

Edited Image


If I Were You

Picture InfoCamera: Nikon D3200ISO: 100Shutter speed: 1/200 seAperture: f/7.1

BuzzzzAbhinav Gupta from Jammu is a nature lover who has been trying to improve his photographic skills since the last two years. He wants to know how his picture could be improved.

Abhinav, the subject you have tried to capture is difficult and credit goes to you for trying. Pictures showing close-ups of flowers should ideally be taken when the light is diffused or not too harsh. Secondly, in situations such as in your shot, you should take several pictures if possible. There is no guarantee of proper sharpness or of tonal separation between the insect and the background since the insect keeps buzzing around. You can notice in your picture, the wasp is somewhat merging with the background. The background too is disturbing.

So, what would I have done if I were you?

Besides taking several shots with the ambient lighting (with a hope that one would be good or near perfect!), I would also have tried using electronic flash with the intention of making the background very dark/black (to avoid a disturbing background). I would have set my shutter speed to 1/250 sec (which is the x-sync speed on

Edited Image

my camera), set the aperture to f/16 (for increased depth of field) and taken some shots. Flash light falls off as per the Inverse Square Law (For a point source of light – a flashgun is a point source – doubling the distance between the point source and the subject, the illumination falls to a quarter). Note that the illumination falls to a quarter and not by a quarter. This means that if the distance between the flash and the subject is say, x-feet, then x-feet behind the subject, the illumination becomes one-quarter (2 stops less). Another x-feet away (that is 2x), the illumination would fall by 4

stops, making the background almost black. (See the sketch).

But won’t the black wasp also merge with the dark/black background? Depending on what angle the flash-light hits the wasp, it is very likely that there would be a tonal separation.

Original Image

If I Were You


Sunset and BoatChandreyi Ray is an amateur photographer. She photographed this boat at sunset time at Mandarmani, a local sea beach near South Bengal. Says she “I would really like my photograph to get reviewed.”

Chandreyi, the first thing to remember is that you should never use Auto White Balance (AWB) when photographing sunrise or sunsets (Try keeping the WB to Daylight). By setting AWB, you are telling the camera that in this yellowish-orange light of the setting sun, please make the whites appear as whites. When you do that, all the beautiful colours of the scene just vanishes, as it has done here (I felt that you must have done that since the sunset colours are washed out. I then checked the Raw Data in EXIF data and confirmed my doubt).

Second point: The horizon line is tilting ( a bit). When it comes to water, you should avoid this at all costs.

Third point: The guidelines for composition says that the centre of interest (in this case the boat) should not be placed in the centre of the frame. However, in this case, I actually like the idea of breaking this guideline as it shows ‘isolation’.

Note: If I Were You is meant to encourage and guide readers, and help them improve their photography. Please ensure that the required camera/exposure details are sent to us (or are available in the EXIF data). We shall not accept images for this section if the required data is not available. Readers are requested to send their images at 300ppi for 8 x 10-inch size. If they are too small, working on them is diffi cult, and hence they may be rejected.

Original Image

Fourth point: There can be several ways a scene/subject can be depicted. Look at my edited image. By cropping part of the sky, the viewer’s attention is concentrated on to the boat, which is the principal element in the picture. I have also tried to put back the lost colours using Photoshop.

Edited Image

Picture InfoCamera: Nikon D5100ISO: 100Shutt er speed: 1/80 secAperture: f/4.5


Canon 600D or Nikon D3200?I am going to buy my fi rst D-SLR camera for both, nature/wildlife and fashion photography. But I need your valuable suggestion. Should I buy a Canon 600D or a Nikon D3200? Other than the diff erence in megapixels, what are the other diff erences? If you have a bett er model to suggest, please let me know. Will these cameras support the lenses like EF 70-200mm, EF 200-400mm, EF 16-35mm, wide-angle lenses ? What is the signifi cance of megapixels in a D-SLR when its lens focal length can be increased? When I buy these kind of cameras, shall I go for combo kit lens like 18-55mm & 55-250mm together ? Nabarun D, via email EF lenses are designed for full-frame Canon EOS D-SLRs (but can be used on APS-C models like the EOS 600D that you mention).

Both the models you mention use APS-C size imaging sensors. Our review ratings of the Canon 600D (April 2011) and Nikon D3200 ( July 2012) were 83% and 82% respectively. Th e Canon has a fully articulated LCD with a resolution of 1,040,000 dots while the Nikon has a fi xed

LCD with 921,000- dot resolution. Th e Canon has a slightly more powerful built-in fl ash. Because of the fully articulated LCD on the Canon 600D, taking low-angle, high-angle shots would be more convenient. Other than that, what you really have to consider is the user interface and the availability of lenses that you may require in future. I suggest you go to a Canon Image Lounge / Nikon showroom and see for yourself which model you fi nd convenient to handle.

Which lenses you should buy depends on your budget and the kind of photography you are likely to do. But generally speaking, the two focal lengths (18-55mm and 55-250mm or thereabouts) should do well for a start. Note that for wildlife photography, you will need longer focal length lenses.

Megapixels and focal length have no direct connection. More megapixels mean larger fi les and larger possible images without interpolation. Focal length gives you an idea of the angle of coverage and the magnifi cation that the lens off ers.

Did you know... Ronnie has over 35 years of experience in photography? In fact, he has taught several thousand photo-enthusiasts in various institutions and through workshops, as well as judged many national and international photo contests, including the prestigious International Photo Contest held at Colombo, Sri Lanka. So, if you have any photo-queries, whether conventional or digital, don’t hesitate. Just go ahead and Ask Uncle Ronnie at [email protected], ‘cause he knows it all!

How can I reduce noise in my low-light landscapes?I am a landscape photographer who loves to shoot in very low light – early mornings just when the sun is about to rise and late evenings just when the sun is about to set and even aft er it sets. Whichever digital camera I use, I am forced to increase the ISO and this leads to increased noise. Is there a solution? A. S. Patankar, Ahmedabad Th ere is a solution. Shoot the same scene with identical exposure/focus sett ings in a quick burst (minimum 5 frames, camera on a fi rm tripod) and load the images in Photoshop.

(If you work through Bridge, just select the frames and go to Tools > Photoshop > Load Files into Photoshop Layers).

1. Copy and paste one image on to another.

2. Similarly copy/paste all the images.

3. Select all the layers. Go to Edit > Auto Align Layers. Select AUTO from the Auto Align Layers menu. (Th is step is not mandatory since we have used a tripod for the shots. Even then, for safety sake, you may use it).

4. Ensure that all the Layers are selected and convert them to Smart Objects (Layer > Smart Objects > Convert to Smart Objects).

5. Go to Layer > Smart Objects > Stack Mode > Median.

Watch the noise disappear.

Ask Uncle Ronnie


Ask Uncle Ronnie

Relative HumidityI have recently purchased a BENRO LB038 Dry Cabinet. Regrett ably, the Instruction Manual is sketchy. It says that the optimum relative humidity for storing lenses is 45% to 55% whereas Rohinton Mehta in July 2012 issue of SP suggests that ideal RH is between 45% and 55%.My questions are:(1) What is the ideal relative humidity for optical lenses?(2) Should the white LED lights inside the cabinet be kept on 24/7?(3)Whether the lenses be stored with front/back caps on?(4) Whether the lens be stored with the U/V fi lter on?(5) Whether the lenses should

be stored in a supine position or front down?(6) Whether the camera body should be stored with lens on or separately? And if separately, whether the body cap be placed? Or none or any of the above do not really matt er?Chandrahas Sirpurkar, Jabalpur (M.P.)1. Please go over the article (Fungus, page 74, July 2012) once again. I have mentioned that “Th e ideal Relative Humidity (RH) for optical lenses is between 40-45%”. (Actually, due to a typing error, you have mentioned the same fi gures both times). And I stand by my statement.2. You could write to Benro for the answer.3. According to me, when using a commercially available dry cabinet, it shouldn’t matt er whether or not

you store the lenses with their front/back caps on. If you were using a home-made dry box that uses a very low-watt age bulb + silica gel, it could probably make sense to keep the caps off . Fungus tends to grow in dark, humid places but the low-watt age bulb in the home-made dry box ensures that the box is not dark and also allows some light to pass through the lenses. Th e silica gel lowers the RH.4. Your choice.5. Lay the lenses horizontally. Vertically stored lenses stand a chance of damage if the lens were to accidentally topple over.6. Again, the choice is yours. You can also store the camera body separately within the dry box but ensure that the body cap is att ached to prevent any dust gett ing into the body.

Full-time Photography?I am pursuing my graduation in management and want to make my career in photography. Should I join an institute for it or assist a photographer, and if assist a photographer, how should I do it? I have been practising photography since more than a year now and want to continue with it for the rest of my life. Rishabh Mahendru, via emailI take it that you are studying to be an MBA. So why do you want to get into full-time photography? Earning out of full-time photography is difficult (in this country at least). As an MBA, you

are likely to earn better. Remember, those professional photographers who have made it to the top had very little competition in those days, equipment was relatively much cheaper, and studio spaces did not cost the earth. If I were you, I would pursue my studies and simultaneously do photography but as a hobby and not as a profession.

Having given you my frank advice, the final call is yours. There are some photography institutes in the country where you could do a long-term course and then set up your own studio. You can find out those institutions from the Internet.

Joining a professional photographer as an assistant is another choice. But keep in mind that these pro photographers will accept you as an assistant only if you are good in photography; they are not running their studios to teach you! That is not their job. If you are lucky enough to be accepted by a professional photographer, you have to make mental notes of how they communicate with their clients, how they set up their studio lights, how they pose their models for fashion photography and how they pose and light up for studio shots of people/products. The learning initiative should come from you.


Ask Uncle Ronnie

And the Battle Continues...1. Is Canon better than Nikon or vice-versa because my friend, a printer, says that Nikon is better and easy to handle. The reason is that when you click a photo, what you see on the LCD and computer monitor varies; you see darker picture or there will be lot of noise in picture. 2. Which is better, shooting in Raw or Raw+JPEG? Nileesh Rao, via email1. Canon and Nikon are equally good, though image quality, build quality and ease of use with both, vary with the amount you shell out. Some users

find Canon’s interface to be better while others find Nikon’s interface to be better.

I take it that you are implying that Canon’s LCD images don’t match what you see on the computer monitor. Please note that LCD images on every digital camera appear brighter than what you’ll see on the computer monitor. Also, there is no truth in implying that Canon images are noisier. Please do not pay heed to ‘wild statements’.

2. When you shoot in Raw+JPEG, the JPEG image (which opens on your computer without the need for a Raw

Converter) can be used to identify and select the particular Raw file. You cannot see the Raw image, but you can see the JPEG image (see the printscreen). Hence, in my opinion, having Raw+JPEG makes sense.

There is yet another point to consider, and that is the JPEG compression. JPEG is a ‘lossy’ format (to make the files smaller, it throws out data that it does not consider important). So if you intend to edit only your Raw files, then you could simply select the lowest quality (maximum compression) JPEG. The ‘working’ files will be the Raw files.

Camera ConversionI have a film based Minolta camera, model X-700, with a 70mm lens. I wish to convert this camera into a digital one. What are the possibilities? Manmohan Cheema, via email Sorry, not possible.

A Question of ContrastDoes using higher ISO give more contrasty pictures, or lower ISOs?Sanjay Kapur, Nagpur.With film, lower the ISO, greater the contrast; with digital, it makes no difference. Higher ISOs with digital will also cause more ‘noise’ just like higher ISO films produce more ‘grains’.

Just for information, photographers also increased contrast by underexposing film and overdeveloping it (Push-Processing); reduced contrast by overexposing film and then under-developing it (Pull-Processing). With digital, the user can increase/decrease contrast (as well as many other parameters) by using an image editing software, like Photoshop.


A lifetime in the forests of the Indian subcontinent is hard to compile into one coffee table

book, and retired IFS officer M. N. Jaykumar’s photographs and anec-dotes intend to do just that. Apart from being a nature and wildlife enthusiast, the author is also an avid photographer. A career in the forest services has given him exposure to some of the rarest and most wonder-ful sights in the national parks. These are documented in Life in the Jungle: Memoirs of a Forester.

The book begins with some opening words from two of his peers as well as a foreword from Dr. P. J. Dilip Kumar and Anil Kumble. This gives us a glimpse into the author’s background.

The book has around 250 images shot across more than 25 national parks in India and Sri Lanka. The vast collection of images in the book consists of a wide variety of mammals, reptiles, and birds. But the most striking images in

Life in the Jungle: Memoirs of a Forester

Book Review

the book are those of the jungle cats. Jayakumar has a knack for capturing just the right moment, and has shot wonderful images of these animals in action, during mating season or just lazing around. The pictures also give perspective about the kind of landscape, vegetation and other conditions that prevail. Apart from being aesthetically pleasing, the photographs are highly informative. Jayakumar also incorporates a few tips for wildlife photographers. There are some images that make you wonder about the story behind them and thankfully, the author’s notes and essays about his personal adventures provide that information. There are some rare shots too, such as that of a fruit bat skimming through water.

The pictures are exquisitely captured. They are sharp, well composed and highlight the colours of the jungle. Some images are engaging enough to make you linger for a few moments, and the commentary about them adds to the charm.

Throughout the pages, M. N. Jayakumar comes across as someone who’s love for nature’s glory is as deep as his understanding of the subject. As a photographer, he manages to transport the viewer to a world which he may not have access to. He maintains the subject’s beauty and delivers images that are worthy of being picture postcards. As a writer, Jayakumar has the ability to answer the inquisitivity that his pictures raise. This book may just inspire you to visit one of the wildlife reserves or national parks, and might even motivate you to do your bit towards protecting and conserving this treasure.

Photographs and text: M.N. JayakumarDesign and Publication: Krab Media and MarketingPrice: Rs. 3,995/-

Reviewed by Tanika Godbole

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The Alkazi Collec-tion of Photography has archived the

evolution of photography in India, and this book represents a mere fraction of it. Colonial India was full of contrasts. Due to the arrival of photography in India around 1840, the unique blend of urbaniza-tion and a traditional soci-ety could be documented. The 1850s also mark the birth of photographic soci-eties in the presidencies of Bombay, Madras and Cal-cutta. The Kodak Number One was introduced in 1888, making this art more accessible to people.

Unveiling India – The Early lensmen 1850 – 1910 is a document of those times, featuring Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, Agra, Rajasthan Vijaynagari, Hampi and so on. The images clicked by several photographers are from the collection of the Alkazi Foundation. Many of the photographs are taken by Alexander Greenlaw and John Murray, army men from the East India Company. Their style of capturing an image bears the inquisitivity of an outsider and therefore has elements that a local might have overlooked due to familiarity. An image by John Murray highlights not just the structural beauty of the Taj Mahal but also

Unveiling India – The Early lensmen 1850 - 1910

Book Review

contrasts the construction to its ill-maintained neighbouring structures. Another photographer featuring prominently is Deen Dayal. His images build a general view of daily life and include some long shots with lakes and palaces from Rajasthan. There are some nature photographs by Samuel Bourne, which have a serene and poetic quality to them.

Though majority of the photos are Albumen prints, there are waxed paper negatives that give a vintage yet surreal feel to the architectural images. Ethnic groups in their traditional attire such as the Bhatias, the Rajputs, the Khumbars are indeed very intresting subjects. One can also find tinted phototype postcards, some of which were printed in

Germany. Information about photographic and printing techniques along with images that depict these methods make for a very interesting read. It is not just the architecture, daily life and social life that gets highlighted in these pictures, but also the journey of imaging and printing techniques. These photos pay homage to an era gone by and take you on a walk down memory lane.

Image Courtesy: The Alkazi Collection of Photography Contributors: Michael Draguet, Rahaab Allana, Davy DepelchinPublisher: Mapin Publishing Printed by : Parksons GraphicsPrice: Rs. 1950

Reviewed by Tanika Godbole


Mastercraft smanParag Damle

An R & D Manager by profession, Parag

Damle is a bird lover. Th is hobby led him to

explore the world of photography. He now

is an expert in bird photography and has

several stunning and rare images to his credit.

Parag Damle, Mumbai Th e

Bird-watcher

© P

arag

Dam

le


Parag Damle

Brown Fish Owl


Mastercraft sman

Parag Damle

© P

arag

Dam

le

Short-Eared Owl


Parag Damle

Tell us a little about your life. How did you get into photography? By profession I am an R&D Manager with Johnson & Johnson. My passion for birds was born long back, when I was a child. I still remember my childhood days when my father often used to throw off all the eggs laid by pigeons. Unfortunately these eggs were laid in the nest made in our kitchen loft , just above our gas stove. I couldn’t bear to see this. I wasn’t mature enough to think much but I still tried to make a proper place in our kitchen for the pigeons to build a nest so that they don’t create nuisance for my parents. Every

day after school instead of going out to play I use to sit quietly, watching the activities of the pigeons. I tried to understand their body language with great curiosity. I never realized that with time, this turned into a deep passion. As the days passed by, I started observing other birds and their sounds, thus enhancing my identification skills. My eyes were tempted to see birds more closely and I bought my first SLR camera. Simply put, I am mad about the wilderness and I like to explore Indian geography to get closer to different species.

You obviously are a nature lover and you specialize in bird photography. What made you to specialize in this genre?The journey of photography actually started with bird watching. For many

© P

arag

Dam

le

Bee-eater with bee

Take Off


Mastercraft sman

Parag Damle

years I used to watch birds through binoculars. I bought my first camera to take record shots of birds which were difficult to identify at first sight. My first entry-level camera and my deep passion for birds drew me into serious bird photography. Slowly, I

© P

arag

Dam

le

Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher

Fan-tailed Monarch

© P

arag

Dam

le


Parag Damle

Black chinned Babbler

© Parag Dam

le

started spending most of my time browsing bird photography websites which helped me to shape my skills.

What are the difficulties that you face when doing bird photography?

Patience is the biggest challenge for me while doing bird photography. As we all know birds usually don’t sit in one place unless the environment around them is conducive. On the other hand, if the creature is stable then sometime nature plays a

challenging role—bad light, object hindrance, disturbing people around so on. My wife jokingly asks me, “how do you manage to be patient only during photography, since it is against your normal behaviour?”


Mastercraft sman

Parag Damle

Are any special skills required when doing wildlife/nature photography?I believe that in order to get the best wildlife shots, the most important thing is to have knowledge about animal behaviour. It is critical to understand their body language and understand how close we can get or when the creature will spring into action, etc.

Secondly, choosing right background is very important, as it can make or break pictures. In nature photography, it is not always possible to get a favourable background. It is up to the photographer to overcome the difficult situations and get the best out of it.

Do you think that equipment plays a major role in capturing wildlife/nature?I believe nowadays with modern hi-tech equipment sometimes one can overcome complex situations like low light conditions or photographing in the rain. But basic skills such as composition, choosing the right background and a proper angle are still important.

What are your views on editing images?Personally, I don’t like to edit images. My philosophy is that one should be able to click such images that only minor changes like sharpening, and correcting colours should suffice. I am sure natural beauty is always appreciable.

What advice can you give to budding photographers in this field?Rather than making corrections using Photoshop, I would advise them to utilize more time in the field to get the best shots through the camera itself.

Also, there is no direct correlation between high-end equipment and the best photographs. One should always be ready to get closer to the ground for eye-level shots or to get the right background.

As told to Tanika Godbole

© P

arag

Dam

le

Flame throated Bulbul

Learnings62Making Your Photography Flower!

68

76

Shooting Glass

Fun with photoshop:Windows of light

74Covert a Digital Image File to E-mail Resolution

March 2014 Smart Photography 6564 Smart Photography March 2014

Understanding Photography

Understanding PhotographyLearning

don’t think you can remove them later in Photoshop. If the background has a colour that is same or close to that of the fl ower, there is chance for it to merge with the background. Bright patches also draw the att ention of the viewer away from the subject.

A simple black background serves very well as you can see in many of the examples given here. You can also position yourself so that the background will be in shade and hence considerably darker than the subject. If you are venturing out for fl ower photography, I advise you to carry a sheet of black chart paper with you to use as a background. If the fl owers are up, you can even think of using the blue sky as a nice background! For this make sure that the sky is in the north or south direction.

Sharpness: A fl ower picture must be sharp (unless you want it otherwise for artistic purposes, as we will see later). A blurry fl ower will simply not be visually att ractive. Th e texture will not also be visible unless the image is sharp. Assuming that the focus is correct, unsharp images are due to two reasons. Th e fi rst is camera motion and the second, movement of the subject, fl owers in this case. Th e simple and most eff ective remedy for the former, (well you know it isn’t it?), is to use a tripod. In fact I will say that for fl ower photography a tripod is an absolutely must. It will do wonders even for your composition (by slowing you down and making you think) apart from making your images sharp. In case you don’t have a tripod then use a high enough shutt er speed, at least 1/(crop factor X focal length) of a second.

Th e crop factor is 2 for micro 4/3 format, 1.5/1.6 for APS-C format and 1 for full frame.

Mind you, this shutt er speed is the absolute minimum. Due to higher magnifi cations involved, it is bett er you use a speed one or two steps faster. In case the light is not suffi cient to support this high shutt er speed, bump up ISO. Th at will make your picture more “noisy” but a noisy picture is a lot bett er than a blurry fl ower. Th e other reason for blurriness, as already mentioned, is due to the movement of fl owers. Th is is very common when you photograph outdoors. Wind is normally the culprit here. Th ere are a few ways to prevent this. Th e most obvious one is to use a fast shutt er speed. Th e second is to build a small wind breaker around the subject. You can use sheets of plywood or cardboard for this purpose. However, make sure that the wind breaker does not appear in your image. Alternatively you can ask someone to hold the stem bearing the fl ower. Also, wind normally comes as gusts. So, if you wait for a few minutes, there will be a pause during which time the wind will be very less. Th at is time for releasing the shutt er! Early morning hours also have calm weather and the light too is ideal. Th ese are in fact the best times for fl ower photography. If the conditions are totally bad, then you can consider bringing the fl owers indoors, if possible.

Note: One question that you might have is - will the Image Stabilization / Vibration Reduction (IS/VR) feature of your lens/camera help? Yes, it will. IS/VR will reduce your camera shake. However, and this is

One of the challenges in fl ower photography is that each of these important characteristics to be brought out need lighting that is somewhat contradictory in nature. For example, diff used light brings out colours best but a highly diff used source does not reveal texture. So, it is up to the photographer to seek out the best compromise.

Considerations for fl ower photography:Composition: You may ask, other than keeping the fl ower at “rule of thirds” what can I do about composition in fl ower photography? Actually you can do a lot! For example you can use stem of a plant bearing the fl ower as a leading line. Or you can you use a feature of the fl ower

itself as some compositional element (Picture 2).

Arrangements: Most fl ower photographs are of a single fl ower but it need not be this way. You can arrange fl owers in a simple way and yet a nice composition. One such composition showing strong lines is in Picture 3. Another arrangement is shown Picture 4. You can always take the help of an expert in ikebana if you are interested in a more sophisticated arrangement.

Background: A great many photographs (of any type) are ruined because of bad backgrounds. Th e most common problem with backgrounds in fl ower photography is that there is too much clutt er. Th ese are items like stray branches, other fl owers which are not the main subject, twigs, etc. that do not contribute to the image yet are distracting as they compete for att ention. Before you release the shutt er look carefully in the viewfi nder and clear the background of all these unwanted elements. Please

important, it will do nothing to stop the movement of the subject! Be aware of this limitation.

Depth of fi eld: As you may recall depth of fi eld (DOF) is essentially a zone where all the elements in the image that fall within that zone will be acceptably sharp. Th is is dependent on two factors - magnifi cation and aperture. Due to the not so low magnifi cation factors in fl ower photography, the DOF will be limited but this is not a problem as this will help the background to be blurred. In general, once you have chosen the subject and the composition, magnifi cation will be fi xed and only aperture will be available for you to control DOF.

You can also decrease the DOF by choosing wider apertures (small f/ numbers). Th is can be done more eff ectively if you have a fast lens (like f/2.8 or so). Generally, you should not decrease the DOF so much so that even parts of the fl ower are not sharp. (Once again this is not a rule)! However, this may happen if you are taking a photograph very close since DOF will be very shallow as the magnifi cation will be higher now. Th is eff ect is shown in Picture 2. Here, you can see that some parts of the fl ower are out of focus, but in this case it helps as it makes the viewer concentrate on the main subject which is the tip of stamen.

You can increase the DOF by choosing narrower apertures that is larger f/numbers like f/8, f/11, etc. However, do not make the aperture narrower beyond f/11 since diff raction eff ects will set in reducing the overall sharpness.

Picture 2: Here the stamen of the fl ower forms a strong diagonal and makes your eye move along with it. Th is gives the picture a certain dynamism.

Picture 3: Row of roses! A simple yet strong composition. Picture 4: An arrangement with diff erent types of fl owers.

Picture 2

Picture 3 Picture 4

Image © Rahul Rallan


LearningLearning

Having crossed over 20 active years in commercial photography, Dilip Yande says his forte is Fashion and Portrait photography. He believes variety is the spice of life, and to keep himself motivated he does a lot of tabletop as well. For Dilip, names like Rembrandt, Renoir, Gauguin, Picasso, Turner, Monet are household names because of his childhood that was spent in a lineage of fine arts. This ‘fine art’ reflects in his work because he feels that there is always a little bit of ‘you’ in everything one does. Having shot for many advertising agencies, juried a few competitions, mentored many workshops, and guided many photographers in their formative years, for Dilip, photography is just another way to romance his first love – art. He may be contacted at [email protected].

There is always a thrill in doing a challenging shoot. Whether it is a well-settled ‘pro’ or just

an ‘out of the institute’ photographer, a challenging assignment always gives a ‘kick’ to that person. It also boosts his self confidence, giving him the pleasure of tackling a problem and then the joy of having won another battle.

There are several products or objects which are tough to shoot. For example, jewelery, shiny metallic objects, diamonds, automobile tyres, glass, and many others. In this article let me take ‘glass’ as the topic of the day and reveal to you the techniques used in shooting objects made of glass.

While photographing any object and deciding the lighting, one needs to observe and also assess a few things pertaining to the object, for example:1) Size of the object.2) Shape/ Molding of the object.3) Surface reflectivity of the object.4) Colour or tone of the object.

Let me explain with few examples on how to light up glass products-1) In pictures a, b, and c, I have shot the same product – glass marbles – but I have lit them up in 3 different

Shooting Glass

Picture a

Picture b

Picture c

5) Transparency/ Opacity of the object.6) The result you wish to achieve – whether a plain shot documenting the truth or a ‘creative lighting shot’ or a high key or a low key picture etc.7) One should observe, if any texture is present on the object i.e. a basic ‘object contrast’ that exists. For example, a simple white handkerchief has a low ‘object contrast’ while a white Turkish towel has a higher ‘object contrast’ than the handkerchief.

In case of glass objects one has to remember that the reflection of the light source is bound to be seen clearly in the object you shoot. Reflections of umbrellas look very bad in a picture, hence avoid using them totally. Reflections of soft-boxes or strip- lights appear as ‘windows’ and hence appear natural, and are certainly of great use while lighting up such products.

As a thumb-rule, while shooting tabletops, one has to first compose

the frame. After all the elements which form the composition have been neatly adjusted, one has to proceed with the lighting.

The position of the main light (also known as the ‘Key’ light) is very critical; decide this position by taking into considerations several factors like molding of the object, reflection caused by the light source etc. It should be noted that a reflection at a wrong place, or a wrong highlight, can completely mar your shot. Highlights can act as indirect elements in a composition and hence play a very important role for ‘garnishing’ a shot and even enhance the beauty of the shot.

While shooting glass it is very important to keep the glass surface absolutely clean. One needs to check for any oil stains, finger-prints, dust particles or lint fibers sticking to the surface. Hand gloves made of cloth are highly recommended for the person arranging the layout for the table top.

ways, just to show that lighting depends on what you need to emphasize.

Diagram a, b, and c show the light

positions for the corresponding pictures. In picture a, the emphasis is on the spherical form of the marbles. Two studio flashes were fired directly on a white background, which then acted as the light source. The reflection of the same can be seen in the marbles. An incident light meter reading was taken by placing the meter over the marbles, and to create a little more drama, the exposure was reduced by 1 stop.

In case of picture b, the emphasis was to show the translucency of the marbles. A meter reading was taken of the light that had passed through the marbles, and this reading was underexposed by 1.5 stops to enhance the

details of the bubbles present within the marbles.

In picture c, light was passed through the marbles, and the meter reading was taken by almost touching the marbles and facing the camera.

White bg

Flashlights

Table

Marbles

Camera

White textured surface

Flashlight on floor stand

Magnifying

glass

Marbles

Camera

White acrylic

Grid

Light on floor stand

Marbles

Cam

era

Diagram a

Diagram b

Diagram c


LearningLearning

Time and again, we get emails from readers saying that the images that they have sent us via

email att achments have not reached us. Th ey want to know why this happens and what is the way out.

Th e reason for such emails not reaching us is that your att achments are too large. To prevent blocking up of Internet bandwidth due to very large digital fi les, some users set a maximum limit for the size of email att achments, beyond which emails are automatically rejected. With SP, the att achment size limit is 2MB per email. Th is does not apply to Picture of the Month ( POM). For POM, the image should be sent to [email protected] at high resolution.

So how do you convert the fi le size of your image so that it remains under 2MB? Here’s how:

1. Open the image in Photoshop.

2. Go to Image > Image Size (Alt+Ctrl+I). Th e Image Size dialog box will open (See Printscreen1). Observe that the Resolution is 300ppi (pixels per inch) and the Document Size (same as Print Size) is 9.44 x 14.187 inches (If your dialog box shows these dimensions in Centimeters or Millimeters, click in the box and select Inches). Also observe

the Pixel Dimensions (it currently shows 34.5MB).

3. Change the Resolution from 300ppi to 72ppi as shown in Printscreen 2, opposite page. Th is is the resolution used for emails. Note that Constrain Proportions box must be checked (ticked).

4. Change the longer side (in our case 14.187 inches) to 8 inches. Th e shorter side will automatically change to the correct proportion since you have ticked Constrain Proportions (in our case, it has changed to 5.323 inches). At this time you will see that the Pixel Dimensions which earlier showed 34.5MB, now shows 646.3KB. If you are using a version other than Photoshop CS6, you must select Bicubic Sharper (best for reduction) in the box below; if you are using Photoshop CS6, you may use Bicubic Automatic. Click OK.

5. Go to File > Save As and give this fi le an appropriate name. Click on Save. When the new dialog box named JPEG Options appears, change the Quality sett ing to 8 and click OK (Printscreen 3).

6. If you now right-click on the thumbnail for this image, you will see the actual size for that particular fi le (in our case, it is 84KB). (Printscreen 4) Th is is a very small size image and you will have no problem in sending this image as an att achment.

You could send multiple images in the same att achment as long as you don’t go over the permissible limit. Rohinton Mehta

Covert a Digital Image File to E-mail Resolution

Printscreen 1

Printscreen 2

Printscreen 3

Printscreen 4


LearningLearning

Open Image

Brush Presets

Duplicate Layer Darken the room

First, let us put all the ‘create or not to create’ and ‘manipulate or not to manipulate’ questions aside for some time. Adobe Photoshop offers immense possibilities to improve or create upon your photographs. So now let us do some fun ways of ‘manipulation’. Here I stress the word manipulation because this is not a serious photographic technique, but rather, a fun method that can also be used in creating patterns of light. This simple manipulation can be done in any version of Photoshop including Elements. Here I have used Photoshop Creative Cloud.

Fun with Photoshop: Windows of Light

To illustrate the method, I am using an image of Uncle Ronnie that I shot at a function (Please take prior permission from the person before using his or her image for such manipulation). Here we are trying to simulate a dark room illuminated by a streak of light. For this, open the image in Photoshop.

Now we need to darken the room. For this, duplicate the background layer. Take the Brush tool and set suitable values for hardness and size. I have used Hardness: 85%; Size: 700px. Once this is done, set the foreground colour in the Toolbox as Black and paint over the area, excluding the main subject. If you have accidentally painted over the person, switch to White foreground and re-paint over the error.

To create the streak of light, select the Polygonal Lasso Tool and draw a closed figure (resembling a light streak) as shown. Now feather this selection using Selection>Modify>Feather. The smoothness of the light streak will depend on the figure you enter in the box for radius. I have used 30 as radius.

Now to lighten the selected area, access the Levels adjustment and pull the middle slider towards the left. This will lighten the selection without affecting the dark area around. Do this till you are satisfied with the effect. If any portion is too bright, add a layer mask to the layer (by clicking the dark rectangle with a white circle in the layers palette)



Flowers are unhesitatingly one of the most popular subjects for photography. Th ere is a good

chance that you already tried your hand in photographing fl owers. Th ousands of fl ower photographs are taken every day. However, most of them are snapshots rather than good, aesthetically pleasing images. To take a good fl ower photograph you need to know about the important characteristics of a fl ower, understand how to use them to your advantage and then of course employ the proper technique. Th ese are the very topics that you will read in this article. It will also explain to you the equipment you need and camera sett ings that you should use. So, read on!

Equipment needed: Th is is perhaps the best part since you really don’t need any specialized equipment for fl ower photography. Any camera that can focus close (the so called macro feature) can be used. Th is means that any point and shoot camera or a D- SLR with a kit zoom lens will do wonderfully well. Only if you want to photograph a small part of a fl ower

Smart Photography has been continually receiving requests to start a basic course for beginners. With this in mind, we have asked a very knowledgeable photographer from Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, to take over writing these articles. We have also requested him to be as jargon-free as it is possible, so that newcomers to photography feel comfortable to pursue the hobby.

Th e author, Ashok Kandimalla has been in the photographic fi eld for over three decades and has extensive experience in both fi lm and digital photography. Being an electronics engineer by profession and a photographer, he possesses a unique and deep insight into the technical aspects of digital photography and equipment. He has published several articles on photography and some of his writings have also been published in the well-known international magazine Popular Photography.

An avid collector of photographic books and vintage cameras, Ashok has a keen interest in the history of photography and a passion for sharing his knowledge on photography through teaching and writing. He is presently working as a Management and Engineering consultant. You can see his work at htt p://www.fl ickr.com/photos/ashok_kandimalla. He can be reached at [email protected]

Making Your Photography Flower!

would you need a specialized macro lens.

Since you will be fairly close to the fl ower the magnifi cation factor will not be low. It will perhaps be of the order of 1:8 or even more. At these magnifi cations, even the slightest movement of the camera will cause a loss of sharpness. Hence, aft er the camera-lens combination, the most important accessory is a sturdy tripod. Th is will do wonders to your fl ower photography!

Two more accessories that are helpful are a lens hood and a polarizing fi lter. You will read about their application later in the article.

You will be photographing fl owers oft en in bright sun. Th is in turn will cause harsh shadows and also bright refl ections from the fl owers. Th e latt er will result in blown out highlights. You can prevent these by using a diff user. Th is can be any translucent white material like a shower curtain placed between the sun and the fl ower. If nothing is available on hand, wait for the natural diff user which is a cloud! Also, when

shadows are present (they will be there even with diff used light), you can reduce the depth of shadows by using a simple refl ector (like a sheet of Styrofoam).

Characteristics of fl owers: Here we mean characteristics from a photographer’s point of view – not the botanical features! For a photographer the three important characteristics are colour, texture and translucence. Understanding and exploiting them is the key to good fl ower photography. Let us look at these in more detail.

Of these, colour is the most prominent factor as this is what makes fl owers so photogenic. So, what should you do to record that great colour? First, make sure that no direct sunlight falls on the fl ower. Th is causes glare which in turns reduces the saturation of the colours making them look paler than they are. Using a polarizing fi lter will reduce glare. Also, a diff user as already explained helps. Next, set your camera controls to a high saturation level for punchy colours, especially if you don’t want to post-



process the image. You can do this by choosing an appropriate Picture Control (also called Picture Style by some camera manufacturers) to “VIVID” or equivalent. However, do not over do this as very high saturation levels destroy details and if this happens, the next important characteristic, texture, will be lost.

Texture: If you look at a fl ower closely, you will fi nd that petals are not smooth but have a sort of patt ern or detail on them. Th is is the texture. When captured properly, texture in the picture gives that

tactile feedback visually. Th is is a subtle but important characteristic that must be captured. Texture is revealed best under less diff used light that is angled rather low at the surface, like early morning or late aft ernoon sun.

Translucence is the last character that gives the petals a sort of glow when lit from behind. Th is naturally means that the light source has to be opposite the camera. Th is by itself creates a lot of problems like causing the lens to fl are thus reducing the overall contrast of the

image. Sometimes, what is called ghosting appears. In this case you will see shapes of polygons in the image which are nothing but refl ections of the aperture blades. If this happens you need to shift the camera position. Using a lens hood is a must in these situations as it helps greatly in reducing both fl are and ghosting. Also, exposure sett ing is tricky when the subject is back lit. So, carefully check histogram and highlight tools aft er you take a picture and correct exposure accordingly. Picture 1 shows all the three characteristics of a fl ower.

Picture 1. In this image the fl ower was partially back lit. Th is helped to bring out the translucency. Note the vibrant colour and the texture on the petals. Th is photograph was taken during the early hours of the morning, the ideal time for fl ower photography.

Picture 1Imag

e ©

Ash

ok K

andi

mal

la



One of the challenges in fl ower photography is that each of these important characteristics to be brought out need lighting that is somewhat contradictory in nature. For example, diff used light brings out colours best but a highly diff used source does not reveal texture. So, it is up to the photographer to seek out the best compromise.

Considerations for fl ower photography:Composition: You may ask, other than keeping the fl ower at “rule of thirds” what can I do about composition in fl ower photography? Actually you can do a lot! For example you can use stem of a plant bearing the fl ower as a leading line. Or you can you use a feature of the fl ower

itself as some compositional element (Picture 2).

Arrangements: Most fl ower photographs are of a single fl ower but it need not be this way. You can arrange fl owers in a simple way and yet a nice composition. One such composition showing strong lines is in Picture 3. Another arrangement is shown Picture 4. You can always take the help of an expert in ikebana if you are interested in a more sophisticated arrangement.

Background: A great many photographs (of any type) are ruined because of bad backgrounds. Th e most common problem with backgrounds in fl ower photography is that there is too much clutt er. Th ese are items like stray branches, other fl owers which are not the main subject, twigs, etc. that do not contribute to the image yet are distracting as they compete for att ention. Before you release the shutt er look carefully in the viewfi nder and clear the background of all these unwanted elements. Please

Picture 2: Here the stamen of the fl ower forms a strong diagonal and makes your eye move along with it. Th is gives the picture a certain dynamism.

Picture 3: Row of roses! A simple yet strong composition. Picture 4: An arrangement with diff erent types of fl owers.

Picture 2

Picture 3 Picture 4

Image © Rahul Rallan



don’t think you can remove them later in Photoshop. If the background has a colour that is same or close to that of the flower, there is chance for it to merge with the background. Bright patches also draw the attention of the viewer away from the subject.

A simple black background serves very well as you can see in many of the examples given here. You can also position yourself so that the background will be in shade and hence considerably darker than the subject. If you are venturing out for flower photography, I advise you to carry a sheet of black chart paper with you to use as a background. If the flowers are up, you can even think of using the blue sky as a nice background! For this make sure that the sky is in the north or south direction.

Sharpness: A flower picture must be sharp (unless you want it otherwise for artistic purposes, as we will see later). A blurry flower will simply not be visually attractive. The texture will not also be visible unless the image is sharp. Assuming that the focus is correct, unsharp images are due to two reasons. The first is camera motion and the second, movement of the subject, flowers in this case. The simple and most effective remedy for the former, (well you know it isn’t it?), is to use a tripod. In fact I will say that for flower photography a tripod is an absolutely must. It will do wonders even for your composition (by slowing you down and making you think) apart from making your images sharp. In case you don’t have a tripod then use a high enough shutter speed, at least 1/(crop factor X focal length) of a second.

The crop factor is 2 for micro 4/3 format, 1.5/1.6 for APS-C format and 1 for full frame.

Mind you, this shutter speed is the absolute minimum. Due to higher magnifications involved, it is better you use a speed one or two steps faster. In case the light is not sufficient to support this high shutter speed, bump up ISO. That will make your picture more “noisy” but a noisy picture is a lot better than a blurry flower. The other reason for blurriness, as already mentioned, is due to the movement of flowers. This is very common when you photograph outdoors. Wind is normally the culprit here. There are a few ways to prevent this. The most obvious one is to use a fast shutter speed. The second is to build a small wind breaker around the subject. You can use sheets of plywood or cardboard for this purpose. However, make sure that the wind breaker does not appear in your image. Alternatively you can ask someone to hold the stem bearing the flower. Also, wind normally comes as gusts. So, if you wait for a few minutes, there will be a pause during which time the wind will be very less. That is time for releasing the shutter! Early morning hours also have calm weather and the light too is ideal. These are in fact the best times for flower photography. If the conditions are totally bad, then you can consider bringing the flowers indoors, if possible.

Note: One question that you might have is - will the Image Stabilization / Vibration Reduction (IS/VR) feature of your lens/camera help? Yes, it will. IS/VR will reduce your camera shake. However, and this is

important, it will do nothing to stop the movement of the subject! Be aware of this limitation.

Depth of field: As you may recall depth of field (DOF) is essentially a zone where all the elements in the image that fall within that zone will be acceptably sharp. This is dependent on two factors - magnification and aperture. Due to the not so low magnification factors in flower photography, the DOF will be limited but this is not a problem as this will help the background to be blurred. In general, once you have chosen the subject and the composition, magnification will be fixed and only aperture will be available for you to control DOF.

You can also decrease the DOF by choosing wider apertures (small f/ numbers). This can be done more effectively if you have a fast lens (like f/2.8 or so). Generally, you should not decrease the DOF so much so that even parts of the flower are not sharp. (Once again this is not a rule)! However, this may happen if you are taking a photograph very close since DOF will be very shallow as the magnification will be higher now. This effect is shown in Picture 2. Here, you can see that some parts of the flower are out of focus, but in this case it helps as it makes the viewer concentrate on the main subject which is the tip of stamen.

You can increase the DOF by choosing narrower apertures that is larger f/numbers like f/8, f/11, etc. However, do not make the aperture narrower beyond f/11 since diffraction effects will set in reducing the overall sharpness.



Colour or black and white (monochrome): Th e word fl ower itself conjures colour in your mind. So, will a monochrome picture of a fl ower be att ractive? While such images are not very common, a fl ower of right shape and with proper lighting will still make a good photograph. Pictures 5 and

6 show the same image in colour and monochrome. Which is bett er? You decide!

Abstracts, patt erns and Other Artistic expressions: Flower beds allow you to photograph nice colourful patt erns. So when you are scouting around for individual fl owers look at the big picture – the whole fl ower bed for example and look for interesting patt erns made of fl owers.

Picture 6: Same image as Picture 5 but converted to monochrome through post-processing.

Picture 5: Th e colour version.

Picture 7: Coloured comets? Not really! Here a slow shutt er speed of ¼ sec was chosen and the camera moved a litt le diagonally while the shutt er was open to produce streaks of colour.

Picture 5

Picture 6

Picture 7

Picture 8

Picture 8: Something more abstract. Here the camera was moved in an arc to produce this wavy abstract image. Shutt er speed was 1/6 sec.



CONCLUSIONCONCLUSIONCONCLUSION

As a reader of Smart Photography, you must have already photographed fl owers. Now that you have read this article, you must be having some new ideas to improve on what you already know. As explained, prepare fi rst, take a few precautions regarding the sharpness, background, etc. and I am sure you will see a marked improvement in your fl ower photographs. And don’t forget to experiment! Good luck!

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You have seen earlier why image sharpness is important. However, photography is an art and hence there are no rules. You can get some interesting abstracts and patt erns by moving your camera intentionally during the time of exposure (that is, while the shutt er is open) to create artistic blurs (Pictures 7 and 8).

Why only fl owers? Well, why not others like leaves or stems? Yes, these may not have the same att ractive colours like fl owers but you can exploit other properties like texture and get great images (Picture 9)!

Preparation: Even though fl owers are naturally occurring, preparing the fl owers will improve a photograph greatly. First use only fresh fl owers. Withered or moth eaten fl owers are not good for photography! Also, there should be no dust on the fl owers. If there is dust, spend a few minutes cleaning the fl ower carefully with a damp cloth. Flowers look a lot bett er with a few water drops on them. If you are photographing early morning during winter, then you will naturally get dew drops on the fl owers. Otherwise, carry a small spray bott le and spray a litt le bit of water (Picture 10).

Picture 10: Water drops simulate dew and enhance the beauty of the fl owers by giving them a look of freshness. Th is photograph was taken indoors with a single torch light as the light source.

Picture 9: Texture and patt ern on the leaf makes this an att ractive picture in its own right, though the colours are muted.

Picture 9

Picture 10


Learning

Having crossed over 20 active years in commercial photography, Dilip Yande says his forte is Fashion and Portrait photography. He believes variety is the spice of life, and to keep himself motivated he does a lot of tabletop as well. For Dilip, names like Rembrandt, Renoir, Gauguin, Picasso, Turner, Monet are household names because of his childhood that was spent in a lineage of fine arts. This ‘fine art’ reflects in his work because he feels that there is always a little bit of ‘you’ in everything one does. Having shot for many advertising agencies, juried a few competitions, mentored many workshops, and guided many photographers in their formative years, for Dilip, photography is just another way to romance his first love – art. He may be contacted at [email protected].

There is always a thrill in doing a challenging shoot. Whether it is a well-settled ‘pro’ or just

an ‘out of the institute’ photographer, a challenging assignment always gives a ‘kick’ to that person. It also boosts his self confidence, giving him the pleasure of tackling a problem and then the joy of having won another battle.

There are several products or objects which are tough to shoot. For example, jewelery, shiny metallic objects, diamonds, automobile tyres, glass, and many others. In this article let me take ‘glass’ as the topic of the day and reveal to you the techniques used in shooting objects made of glass.

While photographing any object and deciding the lighting, one needs to observe and also assess a few things pertaining to the object, for example:1) Size of the object.2) Shape/ Molding of the object.3) Surface reflectivity of the object.4) Colour or tone of the object.

Shooting Glass5) Transparency/ Opacity of the object.6) The result you wish to achieve – whether a plain shot documenting the truth or a ‘creative lighting shot’ or a high key or a low key picture etc.7) One should observe, if any texture is present on the object i.e. a basic ‘object contrast’ that exists. For example, a simple white handkerchief has a low ‘object contrast’ while a white Turkish towel has a higher ‘object contrast’ than the handkerchief.

In case of glass objects one has to remember that the reflection of the light source is bound to be seen clearly in the object you shoot. Reflections of umbrellas look very bad in a picture, hence avoid using them totally. Reflections of soft-boxes or strip- lights appear as ‘windows’ and hence appear natural, and are certainly of great use while lighting up such products.

As a thumb-rule, while shooting tabletops, one has to first compose

the frame. After all the elements which form the composition have been neatly adjusted, one has to proceed with the lighting.

The position of the main light (also known as the ‘Key’ light) is very critical; decide this position by taking into considerations several factors like molding of the object, reflection caused by the light source etc. It should be noted that a reflection at a wrong place, or a wrong highlight, can completely mar your shot. Highlights can act as indirect elements in a composition and hence play a very important role for ‘garnishing’ a shot and even enhance the beauty of the shot.

While shooting glass it is very important to keep the glass surface absolutely clean. One needs to check for any oil stains, finger-prints, dust particles or lint fibers sticking to the surface. Hand gloves made of cloth are highly recommended for the person arranging the layout for the table top.


Learning

Let me explain with few examples on how to light up glass products-1) In pictures a, b, and c, I have shot the same product – glass marbles – but I have lit them up in 3 different

Picture a

Picture b

Picture c

ways, just to show that lighting depends on what you need to emphasize.

Diagram a, b, and c show the light

positions for the corresponding pictures. In picture a, the emphasis is on the spherical form of the marbles. Two studio flashes were fired directly on a white background, which then acted as the light source. The reflection of the same can be seen in the marbles. An incident light meter reading was taken by placing the meter over the marbles, and to create a little more drama, the exposure was reduced by 1 stop.

In case of picture b, the emphasis was to show the translucency of the marbles. A meter reading was taken of the light that had passed through the marbles, and this reading was underexposed by 1.5 stops to enhance the

details of the bubbles present within the marbles.

In picture c, light was passed through the marbles, and the meter reading was taken by almost touching the marbles and facing the camera.

White bg

Flashlights

Table

Marbles

Camera

White textured surface

Flashlight on floor stand

Magnifying

glass

Marbles

Camera

White acrylic

Grid

Light on floor stand

Marbles

Cam

era

Diagram a

Diagram b

Diagram c


Learning

2) In pictures d, e, and f, only the white background was lit – no direct light was allowed to fall on the bottle. I have only changed the light modifiers (grids) in the shots.

However in picture g, I have used an incident light source to light up the bottle. Black strips at the backside have helped in providing an edge to the bottle.

In picture h, a very dramatic lighting was done as shown in diagram h. A rotating strip light and a mirror were used to create these highlights.

3) In picture i, I have shot microscope slides made of absolutely transparent glass. The slides were placed on a black plastic sheet and the lighting for the same has been shown in diagram i.

4) Picture J is a very important study-purpose shot for which I created a very dramatic and controlled lighting. Many photographers who only shoot models may not realise the importance of learning to shoot tabletops – especially, difficult subjects like glass. Here is an excellent example as to where this knowledge could be of use. The lady model was made to lie down on a table, her

Picture d Picture e Picture f

White bg

Black cutters

Lights 2Lights 1

Table

Bottle

Camera

White bg

Light tilted down

with 32 degrees grid

Bottle

Ca

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White bg

Flash Light with

16 degrees grid

Bottle

Ca

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Diagram d Diagram e Diagram f


Learning

Picture g

White bg

Flash Light with

16 degrees grid

Bottle

Diffuser 2

Cutter

Ca

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ra

Strip lights

Diagram g

Picture h

Picture i

Light with 16 degrees grid

and yellow gelatin on it

Bottle kept in

a tilted manner

Cutter below

the strip light Mirror

Ca

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raRotating

strip lights

Diagram h

Microscope slides

Black plastic SheetBG of black

imported velvet

Mirror

Ca

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ra

Soft box

Diagram i


Learning

hair was spread on a wire net, so as to allow the ‘aromatic’ smoke to pass through. The face was lit from the top with a soft box and the spill of this light was controlled by ‘cutters’. A back-light was used to light up the smoke. The top light used for the model’s face served a dual purpose of lighting up the ‘ribbed’ glass bottle, and thus clearly showing the molding of the bottle. The rest of the lighting was as per diagram j. The picture was later edited in post-production to provide the tone that you see here.

I am sure that if you follow the tips that I have provided to you and re-create the lighting, you will certainly gain confidence in shooting what you once thought was tough - ‘Glass’.

Credit line: Photography – Dilip Yande. Editor – Pratik Prabhu.

White bg

Soft box on

boom stand

Smoke

Light on floor

stand with grid

Bottles with

colored liquid

Cutter 1 and 2

Hair kept

on wire net

Model

Camera

Light

with grid

Diagram j

Picture j


Learning


Learning

Time and again, we get emails from readers saying that the images that they have sent us via

email att achments have not reached us. Th ey want to know why this happens and what is the way out.

Th e reason for such emails not reaching us is that your att achments are too large. To prevent blocking up of Internet bandwidth due to very large digital fi les, some users set a maximum limit for the size of email att achments, beyond which emails are automatically rejected. With SP, the att achment size limit is 2MB per email. Th is does not apply to Picture of the Month ( POM). For POM, the image should be sent to [email protected] at high resolution.

So how do you convert the fi le size of your image so that it remains under 2MB? Here’s how:

1. Open the image in Photoshop.

2. Go to Image > Image Size (Alt+Ctrl+I). Th e Image Size dialog box will open (See Printscreen1). Observe that the Resolution is 300ppi (pixels per inch) and the Document Size (same as Print Size) is 9.44 x 14.187 inches (If your dialog box shows these dimensions in Centimeters or Millimeters, click in the box and select Inches). Also observe

Covert a Digital Image File to E-mail Resolution

Printscreen 1

Printscreen 2


Learning

the Pixel Dimensions (it currently shows 34.5MB).

3. Change the Resolution from 300ppi to 72ppi as shown in Printscreen 2, opposite page. This is the resolution used for emails. Note that Constrain Proportions box must be checked (ticked).

4. Change the longer side (in our case 14.187 inches) to 8 inches. The shorter side will automatically change to the correct proportion since you have ticked Constrain Proportions (in our case, it has changed to 5.323 inches). At this time you will see that the Pixel Dimensions which earlier showed 34.5MB, now shows 646.3KB. If you are using a version other than Photoshop CS6, you must select Bicubic Sharper (best for reduction) in the box below; if you are using Photoshop CS6, you may use Bicubic Automatic. Click OK.

5. Go to File > Save As and give this file an appropriate name. Click on Save. When the new dialog box named JPEG Options appears, change the Quality setting to 8 and click OK (Printscreen 3).

6. If you now right-click on the thumbnail for this image, you will see the actual size for that particular file (in our case, it is 84KB). (Printscreen 4) This is a very small size image and you will have no problem in sending this image as an attachment.

You could send multiple images in the same attachment as long as you don’t go over the permissible limit. Rohinton Mehta

Printscreen 3

Printscreen 4


Learning

Open Image

First, let us put all the ‘create or not to create’ and ‘manipulate or not to manipulate’ questions aside for some time. Adobe Photoshop offers immense possibilities to improve or create upon your photographs. So now let us do some fun ways of ‘manipulation’. Here I stress the word manipulation because this is not a serious photographic technique, but rather, a fun method that can also be used in creating patterns of light. This simple manipulation can be done in any version of Photoshop including Elements. Here I have used Photoshop Creative Cloud.

Fun with Photoshop: Windows of Light

To illustrate the method, I am using an image of Uncle Ronnie that I shot at a function (Please take prior permission from the person before using his or her image for such manipulation). Here we are trying to simulate a dark room illuminated by a streak of light. For this, open the image in Photoshop.


Learning

Brush Presets

Duplicate Layer Darken the room

Now we need to darken the room. For this, duplicate the background layer. Take the Brush tool and set suitable values for hardness and size. I have used Hardness: 85%; Size: 700px. Once this is done, set the foreground colour in the Toolbox as Black and paint over the area, excluding the main subject. If you have accidentally painted over the person, switch to White foreground and re-paint over the error.

To create the streak of light, select the Polygonal Lasso Tool and draw a closed figure (resembling a light streak) as shown. Now feather this selection using Selection>Modify>Feather. The smoothness of the light streak will depend on the figure you enter in the box for radius. I have used 30 as radius.

Now to lighten the selected area, access the Levels adjustment and pull the middle slider towards the left. This will lighten the selection without affecting the dark area around. Do this till you are satisfied with the effect. If any portion is too bright, add a layer mask to the layer (by clicking the dark rectangle with a white circle in the layers palette)


Learning

DECLARATION

Statement about ownership and other particulars about

SMART PHOTOGRAPHY, as required to be published in the fi rst issue of every

year after the last day of February.

Form IV (See rule 8) (Press and Reg. Of Books Act, 1867)

Place of Publication : Trade World, C-Wing, 2nd Floor, Kamala Mills

Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai 400013

Periodicity of Publication : Monthly

Printers Name : Mr. Girish Mallya, Nationality : Indian, and printed at Kala

Jyothi Process Pvt. Ltd, 1-1-60/5 RTCX Roads, Hyderabad - 20

Publisher’s Name : Mr. Girish Mallya, Nationality: Indian,

Address: Next Gen Publishing Limited, Trade World, C-Wing, 2nd Floor,

Kamala Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel (W),

Mumbai 400013

Editor’s Name : Mr. Hoshang S. Billimoria, Nationality: Indian,

Address: Next Gen Publishing Limited, Trade World, C-Wing, 2nd Floor,

Kamala Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel (W),

Mumbai 400013

Names and addresses of individuals who own the newspaper and partners

or shareholders holding more than 1% of the total paid up equity capital:

Next Gen Publishing Limited, Trade World, C-Wing, 2nd Floor, Kamala Mills

Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai 400013

Details of shareholders of Next Gen Publishing Limited who are holding more

than 1% paid up equity capital of the company as on January 31, 2014.

i. Shapoorji Pallonji & Company Limited, 70, Nagindas Master Road, Fort,

Mumbai 400023

ii. HDFC Limited, 5th Floor, Ramon House, H. T. Parekh Marg, Backbay

Reclamation, Mumbai 400 020

iii. Rajpal Singh Sethi, Green Gate, 693, Flat 702, Perry Cross Road, Bandra,

Mumbai 400 050

iv. Zubin N. Kamdin (Executor of Estate of late Sam Nariman Polishwala),

29/A, Naoroji Seth Street, Thakurdwar, Mumbai 400 002

v. Aditya Chitale-(Executor of Estate of late C.N.Mistry), F-19,0-1, Bridge

View C.H.S.Ltd., Sector-10, Airoli, Navi Mumbai 400 708

vi. Hoshang Billimoria, B-221, Grand Paradi,572, Dadyseth Hill,

August Kranti Marg, Mumbai 400 036

I, Girish Mallya hereby declare that all particulars given above are true to the

best of my knowledge and belief.

Sd/

Girish Mallya

Date: January 31, 2014 Signature of the Publisher

and use a soft brush with black foreground to bring back the details.

Next step is to create the window on the wall. For this, we need to draw three rectangles using the Rectangular Marquee tool. An easy way to do this is to draw a large rectangle using the Rectangular

Mark the area with Polygonal Lasso tool

Levels Middle Slider

Move the Levels slider and fi ne-tune aft er applying a Layer Mask


Learning

Marquee tool and cut off two narrow sections using ‘Subtract from Selection’ option in the tool presets.

Now feather the selection with a radius of, say 20 pixels. Next step is to lighten the selection. For this, open the Layers palette and move the middle slider to the left till you are satisfied with the result.

The final step is to flatten the image. You may fine-tune the image using levels or brush.

So with a few simple steps and a bit of creativity, we have put Uncle Ronnie under ‘solitary confinement’. As I mentioned earlier, doing this kind of manipulation can easily offend the person in the image. It is my luck that the person in my image is himself a Photoshop expert and an advocate of creativity. Sujith Gopinath

Draw the window using Rectangular Marquee tool

Final Image aft er levels adjustment

TUTORIALS

HOW TO PHOTOGRAPH FLOWERS

FUN WITH PHOTOSHOP

CONVERT IMAGES TO EMAIL RESOLUTION



ISSUE 12

VOLUME 09

MARCH 2014

RS.125


ISS

UE 12 | V

OLU

ME 09 | M

AR

CH

2014

108 INTERVIEW PARAG DAMLE


PANASONIC GM1

INDIA

EXCLUSIVE

REVIEW

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Reviews

Change in Rating SystemSmart Photography’s new rating system exercises stricter evaluation in view of improvements in the overall performance of photographic equipment. Marks will be awarded for the following parameters...

Final RankingsRecommended ......................................... 75-80%Best Buy .........................................81% and above

D-SLR CAMERAS

Design & Build Quality .................... (out of 20)

Key Features ........................................... (out of 20)

Ergonomics ............................................. (out of 20)

PerformanceAutofocus .................................................... (out of 5)Metering ...................................................... (out of 5)Noise control ........................................... (out of 5)Distortion/Sharpness .......................... (out of 5)LCD/Viewfi nder..................................... (out of 5)Auto White Balance ........................... (out of 5)

Value for Money ....................... (out of 10)

Grand Total ............................... (out of 100)

LENSES




PerformanceAutofocus .................................................... (out of 5)Sharpness..................................................... (out of 5)Distortion control ................................. (out of 5)Aberrations ................................................ (out of 5)Darkening of corners ......................... (out of 5)Extra Features............................................ (out of 5)

Value for Money ................................. (out of 10)

Grand Total ......................................... (out of 100)

COMPACT CAMERAS




PerformanceAutofocus .................................................... (out of 5)Metering ...................................................... (out of 5)Noise control ........................................... (out of 5)Distortion/Sharpness .......................... (out of 5)LCD/Viewfi nder..................................... (out of 5)Auto White Balance ........................... (out of 5)

Value for Money ....................... (out of 10)

Grand Total ............................... (out of 100)

96Compact ReviewCanon PowerShot S20092Compact Review

Olympus Stylus 1

102First LookTriggertrap Mobile

82D-SLR ReviewPANASONIC LUMIX GM1 88D-SLR Review

SONY 7

100Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II

Lens Review


D-SLR ReviewPANASONIC LUMIX GM1

81%Rs.65,000

(Expected Price) with the 12-32mm kit lens

Inside the Box Camera Lens (Lumix G Vario 12-32mm f/3.5-5.6

Asph./Mega O.I.S.) Lens cap Battery cap Battery charger AC Cable USB cable CD ROM Shoulder strap Basic Owner’s Manual

Talk about miniaturization! The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GM1, which may

be launched soon in India, is the smallest interchangeable lens mirror-less compact camera that we have ever reviewed! The body is smaller than the palm of an average adult man. Though there could be some compromises in functionality due to the small size, the GM1 will satisfy most users. The camera will be available in black-silver grey and fawn-silver grey combinations.

Design and Build QualityA mere 274g with lens, battery and memory card, the GM1 is not only the

smallest, but also the lightest mirror-less Micro Four Thirds camera to date. The build quality is good; the body is made with tough magnesium alloy and aluminium. The tripod receptacle is made of metal and is placed in line with the central axis of the lens. A built-in flash stays flush with the top plate till you pop it up using a slider switch next to it. There is no provision to attach an accessory flash. The zoom ring on the 12-32mm kit lens needs to be rotated clockwise to extend the lens. The lens, which has an aperture range from f/3.5 (W) / f/5.6 (T) – f/22, has 8 elements in 7 groups that include 3 aspherical and 1 ED lens element.

Mighty Mini!


D-SLR Review

PANASONIC LUMIX GM1

Key FeaturesThe Panasonic DMC-GM1 is a 16-megapixel, interchangeable lens, mirror-less, Micro Four Thirds System camera utilizing a Live Mos 17.3 x 13mm imaging sensor. The GM1 includes a specially designed Lumix 12-32mm f/3.5-5.6 G Vario zoom lens with Mega Optical Image Stabilizer (Mega OIS) built-in. The lens has 37mm filter thread. The crop-factor for Micro Four Thirds being 2x, the equivalent focal length in 35mm parlance is 24-64mm, which is ideal for landscapes, interiors, other cramped locations and for full-length figure studies. The lens is marked at 12, 14, 18, 25 and 32mm settings.

The top plate offers a Mode Dial, ‘On/Off ’ switch surrounding the shutter release button, and a Focus Mode Dial that includes Fn 1 – a Function Button. (There are 6 Function Buttons on the GM1 but only one is physical, the rest are on-screen touch buttons). At the left is the pop-up flash which can be popped-up using a small sliding switch. You’ll also see two sets of three small holes – under which are the stereo microphones. The GM1 offers Wi-Fi connectivity but does not offer NFC (Near Field Communication), which Panasonic’s own GX7 offers.

The GM1 offers a maximum

JPEG Compression

JPEG, Fine Quality,

100% (8.6 MB)

JPEG, Standard Quality,

100% (4.3 MB)

Sharpness & Detail

Aperture: f/8.0 Shutter Speed: 1/30sec. ISO:200

Noise at 100%

ISO:200 ISO:25600

Colour Accuracy

Colour checker shot using Auto White Balance in daylight. Auto Levels applied.

resolution of 4592 x 3448 pixels at 4:3 aspect ratio. The other aspect ratios available are 3;2, 16:9 and 1:1. Pictures can be shot in Raw, Raw+JPEG Fine, Raw+JPEG Standard, JPEG Fine, and JPEG Standard. Pictures can also be shot in 3D if you use a 3D lens (requires a TV with 3D capability to view the 3D images). Focussing can be done manually or using autofocus (Face-detection, AF tracking, 23-area focussing, 1-area focussing and Pinpoint selection using the 3”

touch-screen). The touch-screen LCD, by the way, is fixed and offers a resolution of 1040k dots. To facilitate focussing, Focus Peaking is on offer, which shows a coloured outline surrounding the subject in focus. The user can opt for blue, green or yellow colouring and the colour saturation can be set to Low or High.

The GM1 uses a hybrid mechanical and electronic shutter system. Shutter speeds available are from


PANASONIC LUMIX GM1D-SLR Review

60 seconds to 1/500 sec (mechanical shutter) and from 1 sec to 1/16,000 sec (electronic shutter). Recording modes are Program (P), Aperture Priority (A), Shutter Priority (S), Manual (M), intelligent Auto (iA), intelligent Auto+ (iA+), Creative Video Mode, Custom Modes (C1 and C2), Scene Guide Mode (23 scenes), and Creative Control Mode (22 creative effects). Exposure compensation is up to +/- 5EV. The Burst Mode (when shooting Raw) is limited to 7 frames. A feature known as Silent Mode is included in the GM1 which is unusually quiet and when combined with Super High Continuous shooting mode, allows you to fire 40 frames per second, albeit at only 3.8 megapixel rating and only when using JPEGs. The camera also offers HDR imaging, wherein it fires off several frames and combines them in-house to produce details in highlights as well as shadows when shooting under very contrasty lighting. ISO sensitivity can be set to Auto, Intelligent ISO, 125 (Extended), 200-25,600 in 0.3 or 1 EV step. White Balance settings are Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Shade, Incandescent, Flash, White Set 1 and 2, and Kelvin temperature.

The Lumix GM1 can shoot movies

in HD with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 at 60i/30p/24p; 1280 x 720 at 60p/30p; and 640 x 480 at 30p. Movie file formats are AVCHD and MP4. The built-in pop-up flash has a Guide Number of 4m/13.1 feet at ISO 100. Flash can be compensdated up to +/- 2EV in 0.3 EV steps. Images are stored in SD/SDHC/SDXC card.

The camera is PictBridge compliant. It uses a 680 mAh rechargeable Lithium -ion battery, which, under CIPA rating, should last for 230 shots. The camera weighs 274g with its kit lens, battery and card and comes bundled with the following software: PHOTOfun STUDIO9.2 AESILKYPIX Developer Studio 4.1 SELoiloScope (trial version)

ErgonomicsThe GM1 with its 12-32mm kit lens can be easily carried in a trouser

pocket. The design is clean and uncluttered. If you are used to large, heavy D-SLRs, you may take some time getting used to the GM1’s diminutive design and button layout. Speaking of buttons, there aren’t many. The LCD is touch-screen and covers most of the camera back. The user interface may feel daunting if you have never used a Lumix model before but once you get a hang of it, things are pretty straightforward. Users with large hands may find the controls a bit fiddly but again, its just a matter of getting used to. The 12-32mm lens and body combo balanced well but since the body is so small and lightweight, we wonder how large telephoto lenses will cope up.

PerformanceThe overall performance of the Panasonic GM1 can be termed ‘outstanding’. Control over digital


D-SLR Review

PANASONIC LUMIX GM1

Aperture:f/3.2 Shutter Speed: 1/100sec . ISO:400

noise was very good. At native image size of 15.307 x 11.493 inches at 300ppi, we did not notice any noise all the way up to the maximum sensitivity of ISO 25,600. At 50% screen size, some noise could be seen at ISO 12,800 but was in no way troublesome. At 100% screen size, we could see noise at ISO 3200 but again, perfectly usable. Larger images at higher ISOs will show noise, but in a pinch, I wouldn’t hesitate to

use even the highest ISO (25,600) if my print size is limited. Autofocus was reasonably fast in good light; in low light, it did take a while but nevertheless, latched on accurately. Note: Digital noise depends not only on the ISO used, but also on the way you expose your shots. Underexposed areas will always show more noise; with soft lighting, shadows often show more details, resulting in less noise.

Flare could be seen in strong against-the-light shots that included the sun, but there was no trace of chromatic aberration, which is a very good thing. White Balance performance too was excellent. Other than a slight yellow cast under Flash preset, and slight reddish cast under Incandescent lights, White Balance performed most satisfactorily. Some users may feel that the images on GM1’s LCD are not as ‘punchy’ as


PANASONIC LUMIX GM1D-SLR Review

those on the LCDs of some other cameras but this could be due to the less contrasty LCD on the GM1 (in fact I would consider the contrast in GM1’s LCD to be ‘normal’, whereas most other cameras have comparatively ‘contrasty’ LCDs).

Darkening of corners was noticed at all apertures at the widest end (24mm equivalent). Barrel distortion was seen at 12mm and just a bit at 14mm; there was no noticeable distortion at other marked focal lengths. In terms of sharpness, the GM1 performed very well. Images out of the box were reasonably punchy and with good colours.

The GM1’s smaller capacity battery (680 mAh) may not pose a problem to every user but if you intend going for a overnight shoot, don’t forget to carry the battery charger; better still carry an extra battery.

Value for MoneyThe Panasonic DMC-GM1 is not yet launched in India (expected

to be launched soon) and our guess is that the Indian price will be around Rs. 65,000 with the 12-32mm kit lens. SPECIFICATIONSCamera type : ILCC, MirrorlessEff ective pixels : 16 millionImage sensor : 4/3” Type Live MOSFocus : AF/MF, Face detection/AF Tracking/23-area focussing/1-area focussing/Pinpoint (Touch focus area selection possible)Burst speed : Mechanical shutt er: 5fps (High speed); 4fps (Mid speed); 2fps (Low speed) Electronic shutt er: 40fps (Super high speed); 10fps (High speed); 4fps (Mid speed); 2fps (Low speed)No. of recordable : Max. 7 (when there are Raw fi les)pics. during Burst JPEGs: Depends on the card capacityISO sensitivity : AUTO/iISO/200-25,600 ISO 125 possible when Extended ISO is setShutt er speeds : Mechanical shutt er: 60 sec - 1/500 sec Electronic shutt er: 1 sec – 1/16,000 secWhite Balance : Auto/Daylight/Cloudy/Shade/ Incandescent/Flash/White Set 1 & 2/Kelvin sett ingsExposure modes : P/A/S/M; AutoExp. Compensation : +/- 5 EV in 1/3 EV stepMetering modes : Multiple/Centre-weighted/SpotLCD monitor : 3-inch, approx.1,040,000 dots, Touch ScreenFlash : Built-in, Pop-up. GN: 5.6m at

ISO 200. Sync speed: 1/50 secRecording media : SD/SDHC/SDXCImage quality : Raw. Raw+Fine. Raw+Standard. JPEG Fine JPEG StandardDimensions (WxHxD) : 98.5 x 54.9 x 23.5mmWeight : 274g with 12-32mm kit lens, card and batt ery

FINAL SCOREDesign and Build Quality 18/20

Key Features 16/20

Ergonomics 16/20

Performance Autofocus 4/5

Metering 4/5

Noise Control 4/5

Sharpness 4/5

LCD/EVF 4/5

Auto White Balance 4/5

Sub-Total 24/30

Value for Money 7/10

Grand Total 81/100

Th e Panasonic Lumix GM1 is a fi ne camera. Its small size can be an advantage as well as a disadvantage. Yes, some concessions had to be made in terms of features and ergonomics to create such a tiny camera, but to the majority of users, these would be inconsequential. If you can live with its diminutive size, remembering that physically larger lenses may pose some handling problems, then the GM1 could be the right back-up camera for you. Best Buy! Rohinton Mehta

VERDICT

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Very good image quality

In-built HDR

Reliable White Balance

Lightweight

Silent mode

Clean, compact, unclutt ered design

Wi-Fi (but no NFC)

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Errors in Basic Owner’s Manual

HDR shooting only with JPEGsLimited batt ery capacity

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No viewfi nderLimited buff er for Raw images (only 7 frames)

40fps burst rate with electronic shutt er at mere 3.8 megapixels and only with JPEGs

No accessory shoe

-Users with large hands may fi nd the camera too small


Photopro 23 Augment the joy of indoor photography. Control, spread, defuse the light your way, and make the photos extraordinary stunning. Enrich and enhance the indoor photography experience through Ptotopro 23 Studio Flash light.(A Revolutionary Product)

Once you develop a taste for indoor photography it is only a matter of time before you will want

your own studio setup. A studio setup can be anything from a few table lamps and a spare sheet for the background to an elaborate multi flash system.

Although continuous light can be used, expert would thoroughly recommend that, if you want to get serious about studio photography, you invest in a couple of studio flash heads. These do not need to be expensive, nowadays you can get a couple of lights for about the same price as a halfway decent telephoto lens.

Technical SpecificationInside the box

Flash output (w/s) Max.- 250w, Flash output (w/s) Min.- 125w,

Dimmer-No, Half n Full-Yes, *F.Stop 1meter with 21cm.

55 degree metal ref. with silver reflective- 45 1/3, Recycling Time-0.3

Sec, Modelling Lamp-100w, Flash Duration- 1/2500 Sec., Twin-Tech-Yes,

Body-Metal, Weight- 2

Based in India, Photopro belongs to the family IN PHOTO BUSINESS FROM LAST 80 years. PHOTOPRO Design, manufacture and market a wide range of PHOTOGRAPHIC PRODUCTS professional photographic Market. The experience helps to fulfill the needs and requirements of a professional and give them the best quality products to use. Double sensor, half and full technique in video lights, triple diffusers in soft boxes, few innovations by Photopro. PHOTOPRO philosophy before developing a product is to verify the need of the customer and latter provide them with products that will not only enhance their work but will make the work easier .

Photopro equips to offer good, affordable, easy-to-use and superlative quality products in future as well so as to make your work plea-surable and deliver paramount results. Research and development is going on worldwide to boost the technological advancement in the field of photography whereas Photopro proved itself to be one of the major contributors to the photographic industry with the new “Twin Tech Technology” popularly called ‘3T’ which brought a major change in the way of using studio flash system. The innovation will continue from the house of Photopro as India’s contribution to the world.

About Photopro

ADVERTORIAL


Sony 7D-SLR Review

Inside the Box

Camera, with Eyepiece Cup attachedAC AdapterPower CordBattery PackMicro USB CableShoulder StrapBody CapCover for Accessory ShoeInstruction ManualSony FE 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS Lens Lens Front & Rear CapsLens Hood

Sony entered the imaging space aft er the acquisition of the Minolta D-SLR manufacturing line in 2006.

Initially, the D-SLRs on off er were largely based on Minolta designs. Very soon, Sony realized that it was proving to be extremely diffi cult and costly to break the duopoly of Canon and Nikon in the D-SLR fi eld. Sony, therefore, decided to enter the fi eld of mirrorless cameras, that had been pioneered by Panasonic. Th e NEX-series was launched amidst mixed reviews worldwide. Sony opted for the APS-C size sensor and one of the major criticisms of the NEX-series was that whereas the body size had been reduced, the lenses tended to be bulbous and therefore the package as a whole did not gel.

Meanwhile, the world market was slowly thawing in favour of mirrorless cameras. Models from the likes of Olympus, Panasonic, Fujifi lm and Samsung were being well received and according to some, the days of D-SLRs were numbered. Sony has now taken the fi rst daring step of putt ing a full-frame CMOS sensor in a mirrorless camera. Th e models introduced are called the Sony Α 7 and 7R, the R standing for the fact that there is no anti-aliasing fi lter. With the Α 7, Sony has started an entirely new system with a new mount called the E-mount. Only Sony’s new FE lenses can take advantage of the full-frame sensor. Other lenses can be used with an adapter. Does the new Α 7 deliver? SP had the camera on its

Marvel from Sony

81.5%Rs. 1,14,990

Including 28-70mm lens


D-SLR Review

Sony 7

test bench, so read on for our detailed report.

Design and Build QualityAs far as design goes, the Α 7 is just about OK. It does not have, for instance, the retro charm and perfect balance of the Olympus OM-D EM-1. The body is made from metal alloy, the top cover from magnesium alloy and the rest from polycarbonate. Both weather and dust sealing is provided. At 416g for the body only, the Α 7 is on the lighter side.

Key FeaturesThe full-frame Α 7 comes with a 24.3 million effective pixel CMOS sensor. The 7R has a 36.4 million pixel sensor. The camera is filled with all the features that one would find in a typical enthusiast D-SLR. The Bionz X processor in the 7 is claimed to be three times faster than the previous Bionz system and allows the camera to have a sensitivity range of ISO 50 to ISO 25600. The Α 7 can fire away at a maximum 5 fps (focus and exposure are locked on the first frame) or at 2.5 fps if focus and exposure are to be adjusted between shots. The camera can shoot in RAW or JPEG or both simultaneously. Shutter speeds vary from 30 sec. to 1/8000 sec. A variety of metering options are available, viz Sony’s 1200 zone evaluative metering, centre weighted metering and spot. Both exposure compensation and

White Balance bracketing are also available. The 3” LCD sports 921,600 dots and can be tilted forwards or backwards. It however, does not swivel. Sony has adopted a hybrid AP system with 25 Contrast-detection and 117 Phase-detection points. Autofocus points can be selected manually as well. The camera can accept SD/SDHC/SDXC cards, shoot in high definition video (AVC HD or MP4) and has a depth of field preview as also diopter adjustment. Full HD video

recording is available. There is no built in flash. However, the Sony Α 7 has built in Wi-Fi and NFC (Near Field Communication). Unlike the 7R, the 7 features a hybrid AF system and syncs with flash at a faster 1/250 sec.

ErgonomicsAlthough, Sony claim that its new E mount is compatible with all other E mount lenses, other E mount lenses have been designed for APSC size sensors and therefore have a smaller

JPEG Compression

JPEG, Fine Quality,

100% (9.9 MB)

JPEG, Standard Quality,

100% (7 MB)

Sharpness & Detail


Noise at 100%

ISO:100 ISO:25600

Colour Accuracy

Colour checker shot using Auto White Balance in daylight. Auto Levels applied.


Sony 7

D-SLR Review

image circle. In such cases, the Α 7 will automatically crop the image to a lower 15 million resolution. Th e hand grip of the Α 7 was adequate but not as comfortable as the hand grip of the Olympus OM-D EM-1. Th e ‘Auto Dynamic Range’ feature, whereby at the push of a butt on, the camera shoots three exposures and picks up the best details from them to create a single image, is a defi nite plus point. One of the drawbacks of the NEX-series was that the body was far too small compared to the lenses. Th is problem

would be accentuated with the full-frame sensor of the Α 7. Sony will have to use all its technological prowess to produce lenses that match the smaller body of the Α 7 in weight and size.

PerformanceOn the test bench the Sony Α 7 performed extremely well. Th e camera produced extremely impressive pictures with very good central sharpness at all focal lengths. Expectedly, corners were slightly soft . Darkening of corners was seen

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Excellent electronic viewfi nder

Good White Balance performanceGood sharpness

Good value for money

Compact body with full frame sensor

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Aesthetics could be bett er

No touchscreen

Instruction manual not in detail

Large aperture and telephoto lenses will aff ect the balance of the camera

Autofocusing is slow in low light/low contrast situations


D-SLR Review

Sony 7

Aperture:f/7.1 Shutter Speed: 1/400sec. ISO:400

at all apertures at the wide-angle end. Distortion control was excellent with only slight barrel distortion at 28mm. Noise control was impressive although noise reduction sets in very early after ISO800. Flare control was impressive and control over chromatic aberration was also very good. White Balance performance was overall very satisfactory though we did not check the WB performance in fluorescent lights. Autofocus worked well except in low light and low contrast situations. Continuous autofocus was not as fast or precise as the normal mode. The camera takes a while to be ready after the on/off switch is put ‘on’. Overall, Sony put in a very impressive performance.

Value For MoneyThe MRP for the Α 7 along with the 28-70mm lens is Rs.1,14,990/-. Expect prices to ease as soon as supplies

The Sony Α 7 is a significant launch from the Sony stable.1. It implies that very soon Sony will say goodbye to D-SLRs.2. Sony with the Α 7 has reaffirmed its commitment to mirrorless cameras.3. All of Sony’s mirrorless cameras henceforth will be christened Alpha (Α ) and not NEX.4. For the first time in the imaging business, Sony has put its foot forward and done something radically different and new.Sony deserves to be rewarded for its efforts. Highly recommended except for applications like action photography and where telephoto lenses are necessary.

Hoshang S. Billimoria

VERDICT


Key Features 17.5/20

Ergonomics 16/20

Performance Autofocus 3.5/5

Metering 4/5

Noise Control 4/5

Sharpness 4/5

LCD/VF 3.5/5

AWB 4/5

Sub-Total 23/30


Grand Total 81.5/100

improve. At around this price, the camera is good value.

KEY SPECIFICATIONSCamera type : Interchangeable Lens Mirrorless

Lens mount : E-mount

Imaging sensor : CMOS

Sensor size : 35.8 x 23.9mm

Effective pixels : 24.3 million

AF system : Phase-detection/Contrast-detection

Viewfinder : EVF, 2,359,296 dots

Frame coverage : 100%

LCD : 3-inch, 921,600 dots

Metering method : 1200-zone Evaluative metering by

image sensor

ISO sensitivity : Still: Auto, 50-25,600

Movies: Auto, 200-25,600

Multi-frame NR : ISO Auto, ISO 100-51,200

Exp. Compensation : +/- 5EV

Shutter speeds : Still: 30 sec to 1/8000 sec, Bulb

Movies: 1/4 sec to 1/8000 sec

Flash sync : 1/250 sec

Recording format : Still: JPEG, Raw (Sony ARW 2.3 format)

Movie: AVCHD (version 2.0)


Olympus Stylus 1Compact Review

83%Rs.44,990Inside the Box

Camera LC-51A Lens cap BLS-5 Li-ion battery BCS-5 Li-ion battery charger USB cable Shoulder strap CD-ROM (OLYMPUS Viewer 3) Instruction manual Warranty card

This is the age of premium compact cameras. With the worldwide success of the OM-D

series, Olympus appears to have fi nally found the formula for winning the market in terms of design and performance. Th e Olympus Stylus 1 boasts a 12-megapixel 1/1.7-inch Type sensor, Raw format capture, constant maximum aperture of f/2.8, 10x zoom, and built-in Wi-Fi.

Design and Build QualityTh e Stylus 1 is built with tough engineering plastic and is designed like the OM-D E-M5. Th e fi rst thing you will notice with this camera is the innovative lens cap. Olympus has designed this screw-in cap in such a way that you can

switch on the camera without removing it. Th e front of the cap has four shutt er panels fi xed on hinges, which open outward when the lens extends. Th e camera has a control ring around the lens in addition to the command dial on the top panel. Th e LCD screen can be tilted up and down. Th e built-in fl ash pops up about a centimetre just enough to reveal the fl ash head and a metal tripod receptacle. Th e camera has a standard accessory shoe.

Key FeaturesTh e 12-megapixel Olympus Stylus 1 uses a 1/1.7-inch Type (7.60 x 5.70 mm) CMOS sensor for imaging. Th e camera features a 28-300mm equivalent lens

Th e Pied Piper


Compact Review

Olympus Stylus 1

Mahesh Reddy

off ering a constant maximum aperture of f/2.8 throughout the zoom range (f/2.8-8). Th e lens is constructed with 12 elements in 10 groups including eight aspherical elements to eliminate spherical aberration, and has built-in optical image stabilisation system. Th e lens focusses from 10cm to infi nity at the wide-angle end and 80cm to infi nity at the telephoto end in normal mode, and from 5 to 60cm in Super Macro mode. Focus modes available are Single AF (S-AF), Super Macro Mode, Continuous AF (C-AF), AF tracking (C-AF + TR), and Manual Focus (MF) with Face Priority and Eye Detect AF available. Th e focus sensor uses a 35-area multiple AF. Focus point options are All target, Group target area (9-area), and Single target. Th e camera uses the usual three metering modes—Digital ESP, Centre-weighted average, and Spot. Th e Stylus 1 records still images in Raw (12-bit lossless) or JPEG format with an option to record both simultaneously, the maximum size being 3968 x 2976 pixels. Videos are recorded in MOV format (MPEG-4AVC/H.264) or Motion JPEG with the best quality of 1920 x 1080 at 30p. Videos can be recorded for a maximum time of 29 min per clip.

Shooting modes available are iAuto, P (Program AE), A (Aperture priority AE), S (Shutt er priority AE), M (Manual), Custom (C1 and C2), Photo Story, Scene select AE, and Art Filter. Scene select mode provides options of Portrait, e-Portrait, Landscape, Sport, Night, Night + Portrait, Sunset, Documents, Panorama, Fireworks, Multiplex exposure, and Beach & Snow. Art Filters included are Pop Art, Soft Focus, Pale & Light Colour, Light


Tone, Grainy Film, Pin Hole, Diorama, Cross Process, Gentle Sepia, Dramatic Tone, and Key Line. In addition to this, the camera provides fi ve Art Eff ects — Soft Focus, Pin-Hole, White Edge, Frame Eff ect, and Star Light. Th e Stylus 1’s ISO sensitivity ranges from ISO 100 to 12,800. exposure can be compensated up to +/-3 EV in 1/3 EV steps. Shutt er speeds range from

60 to 1/2000sec, along with a Bulb mode which provides up to 30 min of exposure. Th e camera has a built-in fl ash and accepts compatible external fl ashguns via the accessory shoe (hot shoe). Flash intensity is controlled by TTL Auto, Auto, and Manual methods. Flash modes available are Auto, Red-eye Reduction, Fill-in, Off , Red-eye reduction with slow sync, Slow sync,


Olympus Stylus 1Compact Review

Full, and Manual. Flash intensity can be compensated up to +/-3EV in 0.3 EV steps. Th camera off ers wireless fl ash control with compatible external fl ashguns, triggering the external fl ash with the built-in fl ash. It provides 4 channels and 4 groups to control the intensity of connected fl ashguns. Th e built-in Wi-Fi feature allows you to share your images and trigger the camera remotely using the Olympus Image Share application on your Smartphone. Th e Stylus 1 features drive modes of Single, Sequential shooting, BKT, and Self-timer.

Noise

ISO:100 ISO:12800

Sharpness


Flash Output


Th e Olympus Stylus 1 uses an eye-level electronic viewfi nder with approximately 1,440,000 dots. Th e monitor is a 3.0-inch tilting capacitive touch LCD with approximately 1,040,000 dots. Th e monitor can be tilted up to 80 degree upwards and up to 50 degrees downwards. Th e camera uses an SD/SDHC/SDXC memory card for storage and also accepts Eye-Fi cards. Th e device is powered by a rechargeable BLS-5 Li-ion batt ery (included). Th e camera has dimensions of 116.2 x 87 x 56.5mm and weighs approximately 402g with batt ery and memory card.

ErgonomicsTh e Olympus Stylus 1 is very comfortable to use with a protruding rubberised grip in the front and a similar thumb rest at the back. Th e controls are all placed for easy access. Th e control dial is accessible with the right thumb and so is the small function butt on on top panel. Th ere is an auxiliary zoom lever on the lens

housing in addition to the one along with the shutt er release butt on. Th is and the fl ash butt on can be operated easily using the left thumb. Olympus has provided a lever on the front panel along with a function butt on, which is easily operable with the right middle fi nder. Th e function butt ons and the lever can be assigned various functions to suit your requirement. Th e lens does not extend much on zooming.

PerformanceTh e Stylus 1 performed well in our tests. Autofocus was fast and precise, and it locked on to the subject without any problem even in low light. Images were sharp out of the box, and the metering modes performed well. Images appeared sharp on the LCD. Th e electronic viewfi nder provided good eye relief and images were crisp. We noticed a momentary pixel jitt er (noise) in both the LCD and the EVF, but this vanishes by the time the camera focusses.

Th e Olympus Stylus 1 did not produce any darkening of corners even at 28mm with the lens wide open, which is very good. Th e lens produced slight barrel distortion up to 55mm equivalent focal length. Auto White Balance performed reasonably well under most lighting conditions and any cast produced could be easily corrected in post-processing. Th e images were 9.92 x 13.23 inches large at 300 ppi. At 25 percent of this native size, images were noise-free up to ISO 1600. We observed slight noise at ISO 3200,


Compact Review

Olympus Stylus 1



Key Features 17/20

Ergonomics 18/20


Metering 4/5

Noise Control 4/5

Sharpness 4/5

LCD/EVF 3.5/5

Auto White Balance 3/5

Sub-Total 23/30


Grand Total 83/100

The Olympus Stylus 1 is clearly aimed at the serious photography enthusiast who wants a camera that can capture Raw format and having a fast all-purpose lens. A constant maximum aperture of f/2.8 makes it all the more attractive. Easily a Best Buy! Sujith Gopinath

VERDICT

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Raw formatf/2.8 throughout the zoom range10x zoomGood Performance

Excellent handlingGood build quality

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Heavy flareLCD not fully articulated

and ISO 12,800 was not usable due to chroma noise. Viewed at 50 percent, images were free of noise up to ISO 800, and were perfectly usable up to ISO 1600. Enlarged to 100 percent, all images showed some noise as expected, but it became a concern only from ISO 1600. On the negative side, the lens produced prominent flare in strong against-the-light shots, along with purple fringing. But how many times do you point your camera at a light source peeping from the corner of the lens?

Value for MoneyThe Olympus Stylus 1 retails at an MRP of Rs.44,990. At this price, the camera is fair value for money.

SPECIFICATIONSEffective pixels : 12 millionMemory : SD/SDHC/SDXC Memory Card, Eye-Fi CardSensor type : 1/1.7-inch CMOSLens Construction : 12 elements in 10 groups (8 aspherical elements)Focal length : 28 mm to 300 mm equivalentImage Stabilization : Optical (Lens shift image stabilization)Maximum aperture : f/2.8Focus range : W: 10 cm to infinity T: 80 cm to infinity Super Macro: 5 cm to 60 cmRecording format : DCF, DPOF compatible / Exif, PRINT Image Matching IIIFile format : Still: Raw (12-bit lossless compression), JPEG, Raw+JPEGMax. image size : Still: 3968 x 2976 pixelsViewfinder Type : Eye-level electronic viewfinder, approx. 1.44 million dotsField of view : Approx. 100%Diopter adjustment range : -4 - +2 m-1Monitor : 3.0-inch tilting capacitive touch LCD monitor, Approx. 040k dotsTouch function : Touch shutter release, Touch Live Guide, AF area selection, Frame advance/backward, Enlargement playback, Touch Super Control PanelTilting angle : Upward: up to 80 degree

Weight : Approx. 402g with battery and Memory card

Downward: up to 50 degreesFocus mode : Single AF (S-AF), Super Macro Mode, Continuous AF (C-AF), AF tracking (C-AF + TR), Manual Focus (MF)Face Priority AF : AvailableEye Detect AF : Available (Off/Nearer eye priority/ Right side eye priority/Left side eye priority)Focusing point : 35-area multiple AFFocusing point selection : All target, Group target area (9- area), Single targetMetering system : Digital ESP, Centre-weighted average , SpotExposure mode : iAuto, P (Program AE), A (Aperture priority AE), S (Shutter priority AE), M (Manual), Custom (C1 and C2), Photo Story, Scene select AE, Art Filter Scene select AE : Portrait, e-Portrait, Landscape, Sport, Night, Night + Portrait, Sunset, Documents, Panorama, Fireworks, Multiplex exposure, Beach & SnowArt Filters : Pop Art, Soft Focus, Pale & Light Colour, Light Tone, Grainy Film, Pin Hole, Diorama, Cross Process, Gentle Sepia, Dramatic Tone, Key LineArt Effects : Soft Focus, Pin-Hole, White Edge, Frame Effect, Star LightISO sensitivity : Auto, 100 – 12800Exposure compensation : ±3 EV in 1/3 EV stepsShutter speed : 60 to 1/2000 sec., Bulb Flash intensity control method : TTL Auto, Auto, ManualBuilt-in flash : AvailableFlash mode : Auto, Red-eye reduction, Fill-in, Off, Red-eye reduction slow sync., Slow sync, Full, ManualFlash intensity control : Up to ±3 EV in 0.3 EV stepsExternal Flash control mode : TTL Auto, Auto, ManualWireless Flash Control : Available with compatible external flashgunsControl method : Triggered and controlled by built-in flashExternal Flash control : TTL Auto, Auto, ManualChannels/ Groups : 4 channels / 4 groups Drive mode : Single, Sequential shooting, BKT, Self-timerMovie Recording format : Full HD/HD: MOV (MPEG- 4AVC/H.264), HS: Motion JPGBest Movie quality : 1920 x 1080, 30pMaximum recording time : 29 minPicture Mode : Mode i-Enhance, Vivid, Natural, Muted, Portrait, Monotone, Art FiltersPC interface : USB2.0 Hi-SpeedTV interface : HDMI (HD/Stereo Sound), VIDEO-OUT (SD/Mono Sound)Power Requirements Battery : BLS-5 Li-ion battery (included)Dimensions : 116.2 x 87 x 56.5 mm


Canon PowerShot S200Compact Review


Camera Wrist Strap NB-6LH Battery Battery Charger

Canon’s feature-filled premium compacts have been very successful, and the

PowerShot S110 was no exception. Though many users can misjudge the 10.1-megapixel S200 as the successor to the S110 with its higher price tag, it is in reality, a stripped-down version of the S110 with a couple of features left out. Here is our take on this small compact.

Design and Build QualityThe Canon S200 is built with a combination of metal and

polycarbonate. The camera features a control ring around the lens housing. The built-in pop-up flash can be raised with the help of a switch on the left side panel. The camera has a fixed LCD screen with the control panel on its right. The control panel consists of five buttons, four-way controller, and the vertical command dial. The mode dial is on the top panel towards the right with the shutter release button-zoom lever unit close by. The S200 has a metal tripod receptacle.

Back to Basics?


Compact Review

Canon PowerShot S200

Key FeaturesThe 10.1-megapixel Canon S200 uses a 1/1.7inch Type (7.60 x 5.70mm) sensor for imaging. This sensor is complemented by a DIGIC 5 image processing engine, believed to reduce processing time and noise at higher sensitivities. The camera sports a 24-120mm equivalent lens with Optical Image Stabilisation. The lens focusses from 3 to 50cm at the wide-angle end and 30 to 50cm at the telephoto end. Aperture ranges from f/1.8 to 8 at the wide-angle end and from f/5.7 to 8 at the telephoto end. The camera features three focussing modes — Continuous AF, Servo AF, and Manual. AF frame options are Face AiAF, Tracking AF, Centre, and FlexiZone. The S200 features the usual three metering modes — Evaluative, Centre-weighted average, and Spot. Shutter speed ranges from 15 to 1/2000sec and sensitivity ranges from ISO 80 to 6400.

The S200 features several shooting modes such as Shooting M (Manual), Av (Aperture Priority), Tv (Shutter Priority), P (Program), Auto, Live View Control, SCN (Scene), and Creative Filters. Scene modes include Portrait, Smooth Skin, Smart Shutter, High-speed Burst, Snow, Fireworks, and Stitch Assist.



Canon PowerShot S200Compact Review

Creative Filters available are Fish-eye Effect, Miniature Effect, Toy Camera Effect, Soft Focus, Monochrome, Super Vivid, Poster Effect, Colour Accent, and Colour Swap. Smart Shutter provides options of Smile, Wink Self-timer, and Face Self-timer. The built-in flash has a range of 50 cm to 7.0 m at the wide-angle end and 50 cm to 2.3 m at the telephoto end. Flash modes available are Auto, On, Slow Synchro, and Off.

Sharpness


Flash Output


parameter assigned to it. The LCD is fixed flat on the back panel, but the thumb rest and the protruding four-way control unit provides some protection to the screen. The display quality seemed quite ordinary.

PerformanceThe Canon S200 performed well in our tests. Autofocus was fast and precise even under low light. Images were sharp out of the box. All metering modes performed as expected. The lens produced slight barrel distortion up to 100mm equivalent focal length.

Auto White Balance performed very well with the camera reproducing cast-free images under most lighting conditions. The slight casts produced under a few artificial light sources could be removed easily in post-processing. The camera produced images of native size 9.12 x 12.16 inches at 300 ppi. At 25 percent of the screen size, images were noise-free up to ISO 1600. ISO 3200 appeared soft due to noise-reduction, while ISO 6400 was noisy. But all images were usable in a crunch. At 50 percent enlargement, images remained usable up to ISO 3200, though we observed mild noise at ISO 1600. Viewed at 100 percent, we found slight noise at ISO 800, but not so much to be of concern. In fact, the images were still usable up to ISO 1600.

The S200 produced prominent

Noise

ISO:100 ISO:6400

The PowerShot S200 provides a continuous firing speed of up to 4.5 frames per second in High-speed Burst mode. Still images are recorded in JPEG format with a maximum size of 3648 x 2736 pixels, while videos are recorded with the best quality of 1280 x 720 at 24 fps. The camera features built-in Wi-Fi. It is powered by a rechargeable Li-ion battery pack NB-6LH. The device weighs approximately 181g including battery and memory card and has dimensions of 99.8 x 59.0 x 26.3mm.

ErgonomicsWe received a glossy white unit of the S200, which has a slippery grip compared to the matte black S110 we reviewed last year, which offers a firm grip. Canon has provided a plastic thumb rest on the back panel, which provides some grip. The interface and menu are intuitive and so are the buttons. The control ring provides an easy way to change the


Compact Review

Canon PowerShot S200



Key Features 16/20

Ergonomics 17/20


Metering 4/5

Noise Control 4/5

Sharpness 3/5

LCD/EVF 3/5

Auto White Balance 4.5/5

Sub-Total 23/30


Grand Total 80/100

Th e Canon S200 is a toned down version of its premium compact camera, S110, without Raw format and lower ISO range. Th is camera off ers a good focal length for general purpose photography and occasional family trips and portraits. Sujith Gopinath

VERDICT

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Good noise controlPocketable size

Built-in Wi-Fi Fast Autofocus

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No User Manual (even PDF)No interface cable

No Raw format

-Limited F-stop control at telephoto end

flare along with purple fringing in strong against-the-light images at the wide-angle end, with wide-open aperture. We also observed prominent darkening at the corners of a uniformly illuminated surface at the above setting.

Value for MoneyThe Canon PowerShot S200 retails at an MRP of Rs.19,995. We wish the price was a couple of thousands less considering that the premium S110 retails at Rs.17,995.

SPECIFICATIONSEff ective Pixels : Approx 10.1 Million pixelsImaging Processor : DIGIC 5Sensor size : 1/1.7 inch (7.60 x 5.70mm)Lens Focal Length : 24 – 120 mm (35mm fi lm equivalent)Focusing Range : Normal: 3cm – infi nity (W), 30cm – infi nity (T) Macro: 3 - 50cm (1.2in. – 1.6ft . (W) 30- 50cm (12in. – 1.6ft . (T)Image Stabilization : Lens-shift type System (IS)Display : 3.0-inch type, Approx. 461,000-dot TFTAspect Ratio : 4:3

Focus Control system : Continuous AF, Servo AF, ManualAF frame : Face AiAF, Tracking AF, Centre, FlexiZoneMetering System : Evaluative, Centre-weighted average, SpotISO Sensitivity : Auto, ISO 80 – 6400Shutt er Speed : 15 – 1/2000sec.Aperture Type : IrisMaximum Aperture : f/1.8 (W) to f/5.7 (T)Flash Modes : Auto, On, Slow Synchro, Off Flash Range : 50cm – 7.0m (W), 50cm – 2.3m (T)Shooting Modes : M, Av, Tv, P, AUTO, Live View Control, SCN, Creative FiltersScene Modes : Portrait, Smooth Skin, Smart Shutt er, High-speed Burst, Snow, Fireworks, Stitch AssistCreative Filters : Fish-eye Eff ect, Miniature Eff ect, Toy Camera Eff ect, Soft : Focus, Monochrome, Super Vivid, Poster Eff ect, Colour Accent, Colour SwapSmart Shutt er : Smile, Wink Self-timer, Face Self-timerContinuous shooting : Approx. 1.9 shots/sec. (In P mode) Approx 4.5 shots/sec. (in High-Speed Burst mode)Max. Recording Pixels : Still Images: 3648 x 2736 Movies: 1280 x 720 (24fps) Max. Movie Recoding Time Approx. 50minsOther Functions : WiFi, Eco ModePower Source : Batt ery Pack NB-6LHDimensions : 99.8 x 59.0 x 26.3mm Weight : Approx. 181g including batt ery and memory card



Lens Front and back cap Instruction booklet

Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II

Up One More Step

Lens Review

All-purpose lenses are budget options for amateur photographers who cannot aff ord

to spend big bucks on premium lenses, but want to have a long-range option for portraits to wildlife. Th e Canon 55-250mm has been a popular choice, being an ideal extension to the 18-55mm kit lens. Th is lens has recently been upgraded with a second generation Image Stabiliser.

Design & Build QualityTh e Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II lens is constructed with tough polycarbonate material. Th e lens has the same dimensions of its predecessor and features an AF/MF switch and Image Stabiliser switch on its outer barrel. It has a wider zoom ring and narrower focus ring, both featuring rubber grips. Th e mount is also made of plastic. Th ough we do not consider a plastic mount to be fragile, we have seen worn out and scratched mounts, which could compromise weather sealing.

Key FeaturesTh e EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II lens is specially designed for APS-C bodies and provides an equivalent focal length of 88-400mm. It cannot be used with Full Frame cameras. Th is is an upgrade to the earlier version of the same focal length lens, with

an optical image stabiliser added to it. Canon claims an advantage of 4 stops in the shutt er speed with the image stabiliser. Aperture ranges from f/4 to 22 at 55mm and f/5.6 to 32 at 250mm. It features a 7-bladed diaphragm and features Super Spectra coating. Th e lens is constructed with 12 elements in 10 groups including a UD (Ultra-low Dispersion) glass element to minimise chromatic aberration. It off ers a maximum magnifi cation of 0.31x. Th e lens provides a diagonal angle of view of 27° 50’- 6° 15’. It focusses as close as 1.1m.

Th e markings on the lens are not etched into the material, but printed in white. Th is can possibly fade with constant rough use. Th e lens has dimensions of 70 (dia.) x 108mm and weighs approximately 390g.

ErgonomicsTh e 55-250mm IS II lens is lightweight and comfortable to use. Th e smooth zoom ring makes zooming eff ortless. Th e lens does not have internal focussing or zooming, and hence the barrel extends while zooming and focussing. Th e front element also rotates while focussing, which makes it diffi cult to use CPL and graduated fi lters.

PerformanceWe tested the lens on a Canon EOS 600D body. It produced sharp images and the


Lens Review

Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II

sweet spot was consistent at f/5.6 at all focal lengths. Autofocus was slow and loud, compared to Canon’s premium lenses, but since this is a budget super zoom, this is expected. The AF system latched on to the subject without any problem even under low light. The lens produced slight pincushion distortion from 100mm (approximately 160mm equivalent) onwards, but you will notice it only if you deliberately look for it. Darkening was observed at the corners at 55mm with the lens wide open. The lens produced flare with prominent purple fringing when it was subjected deliberately to extremely strong against-the-light situations. The above ‘flaws’ were not noticeable in everyday situations.

Optical Image Stabilisation performed well, as claimed by Canon. The lens coatings did not introduce any unwanted cast in the images.

Value for MoneyThe Canon 55-250mm IS II lens retails at an MRP of Rs.17,995. At this price, the lens is good value for money.

SPECIFICATIONSFocal Length : 55-250mm Maximum Aperture : f/4-5.6Lens Construction : 12 elements in 10 groups, including one UD-glass elementDiagonal Angle of View : 27° 50’- 6° 15’ (with APS-C image sensors)Focus Adjustment : DC motor, gear-driven (front focusing design)Closest Focusing Distance : 1.1m Maximum magnification : 0.31xFilter Size : 58mmMax. Diameter x Length : 70 x 108mm (maximum lens length)Weight : 390g

Aperture:f/5.6 Shutter Speed: 1/400sec. ISO:400

FINAL SCORE

Design and Build Quality 15/20

Key Features 16/20

Ergonomics 17/20

Performance Autofocus 4/5

Sharpness 4/5

Distortion Control 4/5

Aberrations 3/5

Darkening of Corners 4/5

Extra Features 4/5

Sub-Total 23/30


Grand Total 79/100

The Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II lens provides an affordable option to those looking for an all-purpose lens to complement the standard kit lens. Certainly recommended. Sujith Gopinath

VERDICT

++

+

Great value for moneyExcellent zoom range

-Front element rotates while focussing

-

-

-

Barrel extends while zooming

Slow and loud AF

Plastic lens mount

First Look


Triggertrap Mobile

Capability Booster for Cameras

Smartphones have become so smart that they have started replacing many other gadgets.

Triggering a digital camera through a Smartphone is the latest trend. But Wi-Fi–based triggers can work only with cameras and other devices with built-in Wi-Fi. Triggertrap off ers a smart solution that can trigger even your old digital cameras and fl ashguns, expand-ing the creative possibilities.

Triggertrap Mobile app can be used to trigger either a compatible D-SLR or an electronic fl ashgun with the help of the Triggertrap Mobile Dongle as an interface device. To trigger a D-SLR, you need to purchase a connection cable compatible with your camera. If you need to trigger a fl ashgun using the device, you have to purchase the Flash Adaptor. Th e Mobile Dongle can be

with precisely set timings. Distance lapse allows you to trigger the device at set intervals of distance. For this, the app uses the in-built GPS of the Smartphone to calculate the distance travelled. In Star Trail mode, you can set the number of exposures, duration of exposure, and the time interval between successive shots. Bulb Ramping allows you to make a time lapse exposure with precisely varying exposures to take care of the change in daylight as the day progresses. Sound sensor makes use of your Smartphone’s microphone to detect the surrounding sound and trigger the device when the sound level crosses a set threshold value. You can even fi nely adjust the sensitivity of the microphone so that it matches the triggering sound.

Both the Triggertrap Mobile Dongle kit and the Flash Adaptor carry an MRP of Rs.3500 each, while the camera connection cable is priced at Rs.1100.

For details contact UrbanByte on +91-9860269323,+91-9923110080,+91-8888522220. Email: [email protected] Web site/online store:- www.urbanbyte.in Sujith Gopinath

connected to your Smartphone via the 3.5mm audio jack.

Th e Mobile app can be used to trigger the camera in various ways. Th e options include Time Warp, Time Lapse, Vibration/Shock Sensor, Sound Sensor, Distance Lapse, Star Trail, Bulb Ramping Time Lapse, Cable Release, Long Exposure HDR, Long Exposure HDR Time Lapse, Wi-Fi Slave, and Wi-Fi Master. Cable Release off ers four options—Simple Cable Release (Tap the butt on to release shutt er), Press and Hold (Touch to start, release to stop), Press and Lock (Touch to start, Touch again to stop), and Timed Release (Choose your shutt er speed and tap on the butt on). Timelapse mode allows you to trigger the device at set intervals. Time warp, on the other hand, allows you to trigger it


READERS CAN CHECK THE ENTIRE BUYER’S GUIDE,

THAT FEATURES SPECS AND PRICES OF

D-SLRS, ILCCS, DIGITAL COMPACTS AND LENSES VIDE LINK

http://www.smartphotography.in/buyers-guide

Buyers’ Guide - Digital SLRs


Effective Pixels : Approx. 12 megapixel Sensor Type : 22.2 x 14.7mm CMOS Supported File Type : RAW/JPEGExposure Modes : Auto, No Flash, Creative Auto, Scene Modes, Movie, Program AE, Shutter priority AE, Aperture priority

AE, Manual, A-DEPMetering Modes : TTL full aperture metering with 63-zone SPC, Evaluative metering, Partial metering, Spot metering, Center weighted.LCD Monitor/Dots : 2.7-Inch / 230,000 dot ISO Equivalence : 100-6400 Shutter Speed : 30-1/4000 sec (1/2 or 1/3 stop increments), Bulb Storage Type : SD/SDHC/SDXC cardWeight : 495gm

Price: Rs. 29,990 (with Kit EFS 18-55 IS II lens)

Sensor Type/Size : CMOS sensor (35.9 x 24.0 mm)Effective Pixels : 24.3 million Supported File Formats : NEF (RAW)/JPEGISO Equivalence : ISO 100-6400 in steps of 1/3 or 1/2 EV Exposure Modes : Auto; scene; programmed

shutter-priority auto (S); aperture-priority auto (A); manual (M) Metering Modes : Matrix, Center-weighted, SpotShutter Speeds : 30 sec to 1/4000 sec LCD Monitor/ Dots : 3.2-inch/ approx. 921k-dot Storage Type : SC/SDHC/SDXCWeight : 850 g

Price: Rs. 1,29,950 (Body only)

Sensor Type/Size : CMOS (22.3 x 14.9mm)Effective Pixels : Approx. 18.00MPSupported File Formats : RAW/JPEGISO equivalence : Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, 6400, 12,800, 25,600

Exposure Modes : Program AE , Shutter- priority AE, Aperture-priority AE, Manual exposure Metering Modes : Evaluative, Partial, Spot, Center- weighted averageShutter Speeds : 30 sec to 1/4000 LCD Monitor/ Dots : 3.0-inch/1.04 million dots Storage Type : SC/SDHC/SDXCWeight : 407g

CANON EOS 100DSensor Type/Size : CMOS sensor (22.5 x 15.0mm)Effective Pixels : Approx. 20.20MPSupported File Formats : RAW/JPEGISO equivalence : Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200,

6400, 12800 (25600 with boost) Exposure Modes : Program AE , Shutter-priority AE, Aperture-priority AE, Manual exposure, Bulb exposure Metering Modes : Evaluative, Partial, Spot, Center- weighted averageShutter Speeds : 30 sec to 1/8000 sec LCD Monitor/ Dots : 3.0-inch/1.04 million dotsStorage Type : SC/SDHC/SDXCWeight : 675 g

CANON EOS 70DSensor Type/Size : CMOS sensor (22.5 x 15.0mm)Effective Pixels : Approx. 18MPSupported File Formats : RAW/JPEG/ RAW + JPEG ISO equivalence : ISO100 - ISO12800Exposure Modes : Program AE, Shutter-priority AE,

Aperture-priority AE, Manual exposure Metering Modes : Evaluative, Partial, Spot, Center-weighted averageShutter Speeds : 30 sec to 1/4000 sec LCD Monitor/ Dots : 3.0-inch/1.04 million dotsStorage Type : SC/SDHC/SDXCWeight : 675 g

CANON 700D

Price: Rs. 48,995 (body only) Price: Rs. 79,995 (body only) Price: Rs. 53,995

Sensor Type/size : CMOS, 35.8mm x 23.9mm Effective pixels : Approx. 20.2 million Supported File formats: JPEG, RAW (14- bit, Canon original), RAW+JPEG Metering Modes : Evaluative metering (315

zones), Partial, Spot, Center-weighted Exposure Modes : Program AE for movie shooting, Manual exposureISO equivalence : 100-25600 (expansion possible to ISO 50, ISO 51200 and 102400) Shutter Speeds : 1/4000 to 30 sec. LCD Monitor/ Dots : 3.0-inches, 1,040,000 dotsStorage Type : SD card, SDHC card, SDXC memory cardWeight : 680g (Body only)

Sensor Type/size : Full Frame 36 x 24 mm CMOS Effective Pixels : 18.1 millionFile Formats : RAW /JPEG Metering Modes : Multi, Center- weighted, Average, Spot Exposure Modes : Program AE, Shutter priority AE, Aperture

priority AE, Manual ISO Equivalence : 100-51200 (50, 102400 and 204800 with boost) Shutter Speed : 30 sec-1/8000 sec.White Balance : Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, White Fluorescent light, Flash, Custom (up to 5), Color Temperature (Kelvin) LCD Monitor : 3.2 inches/ 1040000 pixels Storage Type : Compact Flash (Type I or II), UDMA compatible Weight : not announced

Sensor Type/size : CMOS, Full frame 36 x 24 mm Effective Pixels : 22.3 millionSupported File Formats : JPEG (Exif 2.3 [Exif Print] compliant) RAW: RAW, sRAW1, sRAW2 (14bit, Canon original RAW 2nd edition)

Metering Modes : Multi, Center-weighted, Spot, Partial Exposure Modes : Auto+ Program AE, Shutter priority AE, Aperture priority AE Manual (Stills and Movie), Custom (x3) ISO Equivalence : 100-25600 (50-102400 in expanded mode) Shutter Speed : 30 sec - 1/8000 sec White Balance : Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten

WB, Color temperature LCD Monitor/Dots : 3.2-inch, 1,040,000 dots Storage Type : Compact Flash Type I (UDMA compatible), SD/SDHC/SDXC Weight : 950 gms

CANON EOS 6DCANON EOS-1D X CANON EOS 5D MARK III

Price: Rs. 1,29,005 (body only)Price: Rs. 4,55,995 (body only) Price: Rs. 2,06,095 (body only)

CANON EOS 1100D NIKON D610

Price: Rs. 3,39,950

Sensor Type/size : CMOS, 36.0 x 23.9 mm Effective Pixels : 16.2 millionSupported File Formats : RAW, TIFF, JPEGMetering Modes : Matrix or center-weighted metering: -1 to 20 EV, Spot

metering: 2 to 20 EV

(P); shutter-priority auto (S); aperture- priority auto (A); manual (M) ISO Equivalence : ISO 100 to 12800 in steps of 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV; can also be set to approx. 0.3, 0.5, 0.7 or 1 EV (ISO 50 equivalent) Shutter Speeds : 30 secs to 1/8,000 secs in steps of 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV, bulb, X250LCD Monitor/Dots : 3.2-inch, 921,000 dotsStorage Type : Compact Flash (Type I, XQD) x2 Weight : 1349 gms (including battery)

NIKON D4

Buyers’ Guide - Digital SLRs


Sensor Type/Size : CMOS sensor (23.5 x 15.6 mm)Effective Pixels : 24.2 million Supported File Formats : NEF (RAW)/JPEGISO Equivalence : Auto, 100 - 12800 (25600 with boost) Exposure Modes : Auto; programmed

program (P); shutter-priority auto (S); aperture-priority auto (A); manual (M); scene modes; special effects modes Metering Modes : Matrix, colour Matrix, Center-weighted, SpotShutter Speeds : 30 sec to 1/4000 sec LCD Monitor/ Dots : 3.2-inch, approx. 1037k-dot Storage Type : SC and UHS-I compliant SDHC/SDXCWeight : 480 g

NIKON D5300

Price: Rs. 59,950 (with AF-S 18-55mm VR Kit Lens)

Sensor Type : 23.2 x 15.4 mm , CMOS Effective Pixels : 24.2 megapixels File Formats : RAW/JPEGMetering Modes : Matrix, Center- weighted, Spot Exposure Modes : Programmed auto with

(P), Shutterpriority (S), Aperture priority (A), Manual (M) ISO Equivalence : Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, 6400 (12800 with boost) Shutter Speed : 30 sec -1/4000 sec in steps of 1/3 EV LCD Monitor : 3.0-inch, 921,000 dotsStorage Type : SD/SDHC/SDXC UHS-I compliant Weight : 505 gms

NIKON D3200NIKON D800Sensor Size/Type : CMOS, 35.9 x 24.0 mm Effective Pixels : 36.3 millionSupported File Formats : RAW, TIFF, JPEGMetering Modes : Multi, Center- weighted, Average, Spot

program (P); shutter-priority auto (S); aperture-priority auto (A); manual (M) ISO Equivalence : 100 - 6400 in 1, 1/2 or 1/3 EV steps (50 - 25600 with boost) Shutter Speeds : 30 secs to 1/8,000 secs in steps of 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV, bulb, X250LCD Monitor/Dots : 3.2-inch, 921,000 dots Storage Type : Compact Flash (Type I), SD/SDHC/SDXC UHS-I compliant Weight : 900 gms

Price: Rs. 32,250 (body only)Price: Rs. 1,59,950 (body only)

Sensor Type/Size : Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor (23.2 x 15.4mm)Effective Pixels : 20.1 MPISO Equivalence : Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, 6400, 12800, 16000 Supported File Formats : RAW/JPEG

Exposure Modes : iAUTO, Flash Off, Superior Auto, Scene Selection, Sweep Panorama, Picture Effect, Continuous Advance, Priority AE, Movie, Programmed AE (P), Aperture priority (A), Shutter-speed priority (S), Manual (M)Metering Modes : 1200-zone evaluative metering Shutter Speeds : 30 sec to 1/4000 sec LCD Monitor/ Dots : 2.7-inch Type 460,800-dot Storage Type : Memory Stick PRO Duo, PRO-HG Duo, XC-HG Duo, SD/SDHC/SDXC.Weight : 492 g

Sensor Type : CMOS, 35.8 x 23.8 mmEffective Pixels : 24.3 million Supported File Formats : MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264 Metering Modes : Multi, Center-weighted, Spot Exposure Modes : iAuto, Superior Auto, Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, Manual

ISO Equivalence : Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, 6400, 12800, 25600 Shutter Speeds : 1/8000 to 30 sec. LCD Monitor/ Dots : 3 inch, 1,229,000 dots Storage Type : Memory Stick PRO Duo/Pro-HG Duo; SD, SDHC and SDXC Weight : 812g (Body only)

SONY SLT A58 SONY ALPHA SLT A99

Price: Rs. 45,990 Price: Rs. 1,52,000

NIKON D7100NIKON D7000Effective pixels : 24.1 millionSensor size/type : 23.5x15.6mm, CMOSMetering modes : Matrix, Center-weighted, SpotExposure modes : A, P (with Flexible P), S, M

ISO equivalent : 100-6400, extended up to 25,600 Shutter speeds : 30-1/8000sec, plus BulbLCD monitor : 3.2”, 1,228,800 dotsStorage type : SD, SDHC, SDXCWeight : 675g, body only

Sensor Type/Size : CMOS, 23.1 x 15.4 mm Effective Pixels : 16.2 million Supported File Formats : RAW/JPEGMetering Modes : 3D color matrix metering II, Center-

weighted, SpotExposure Mode : Auto, P,A,S, MISO Eqivalence : ISO 100 to 6400 in steps of 1/3 or 1/2 EV Shutter Speeds : 30 to 1/8000 sec, Flash X-Sync, Bulb LCD Monitor/Dots : 3.0-inch / 921,000 dots Storage Type : SD / SD HC / SDXC Weight : 690 gms

Price: TBAPrice: Rs. 64,450 (Body only)

Price: TBA

Price: TBA

Sensor Type/Size : APS-C sensor (23.7 x 15.7mm )Effective Pixels : 16.3 MP ISO Equivalence: Auto, 100 to 51600, in 1, 1/2, 1/3 EV steps Supported File Formats : RAW (PEF, DNG), JPG (EXIF 2.30), DCF Exposure Modes : AF.A (auto), AF.S

(single, w focus lock, focus/shutter priority selectable), AF.C (continuous, w focus/FPS priority selectable), ManualMetering Modes : Center-Weighted Average, Spot Shutter Speeds : 30 sec to 1/8000secLCD Monitor/ Dots : 3.2-inch/1037k-dotStorage Type : SD/SDHCWeight : 649 g

Sensor Type/Size : CMOS sensor (23.5 x 15.6mm )Effective Pixels : 23.35 MP ISO Equivalence : Auto: ISO 100-51200 (1, 1/2, 1/3 steps), Auto ISO range selectableSupported File Formats : RAW (PEF, DNG),

JPG (EXIF 2.30), DCF Exposure Modes : Green, Hyper Program (P), Sensitivity Priority (Sv), Shutter Priority (Tv), Aperture Priority (Av), Shutter and Aperture Priority (Tav), Metered Manual (M), Bulb, X-SpeedMetering Modes : Multi, Center-weighted, SpotShutter Speeds : 30 sec to 1/8000secLCD Monitor/ Dots : 3.2-inch/1037k-dotStorage Type : SD/SDHC/SDXC Weight : 799 g

PENTAX K50

PENTAX K3


FUJIFILM X-E1 FUJIFILM X-M1 NIKON 1 V 2

Price: TBA Price: Rs. 47,999 Price: TBA

OLYMPUS OM-D E-M5

Price: Rs. 66,990/- Price: TBA

Price: Rs. 39,990/-

OLYMPUS PEN E-PL5

PANASONIC DMC GF5

Price: Rs. 41,990/- (with 14-42mm 11R F3.5-5.6 lens Rs. 48,990/-)

OLYMPUS PEN E-P3

Price: Rs. 1,59,000 Price: Rs 59,990

OLYMPUS OM-D E-M1 PANASONIC DMC G6

Effective Pixels : 16.1 million Seensor Size/ Type : 17.3 x 13 mm, CMOS Metering Modes : Multi, Center-weighted, Spot ISO : Auto (200 - 1600), 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, 6400, 12800 Exposure Modes : P, A, S, M , Bulb, Time, i- Auto, Scene Modes, Art Filter ISO equivalence : Auto ISO 200 - 25600 (customis able, default ISO 200 – 1600), Manual ISO 200 - 25600 in 1/3 or 1 EV ISO stepsShutter Speeds : 60-1/4000 secLCD Monitor/ Dots : 3-inch, 460,000 dotsStorage Type : SD/SDHC/SDXC Weight : 279g (body only)

Effective Pixels : 12.10 Megapixels Sensor Type/Size : Live MOS Sensor Metering Modes : Intelligent Multiple / Center Weighted / Spot Exposure Modes : Program AE / Aperture Priority AE / Shutter Priority AE / Manual ISO Equivalence : Auto, 160, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, 6400, 12800 Shutter Speed : 60 sec - 1/4000 sec LCD Monitor : 3-inch, 920,000 dotsStorage Type : SD/SDHC/SDXC Weight :267 gms

Sensor Type/Size : CMOS sensor (17.3 x 13 mm) Effective Pixels : 16MPISO equivalence : 100-25600 in 1/3EV or 1EV increments Supported File : JPEG/RAW (ORF)/ MPOExposure Modes : Auto/Program, Shutter Priority, Aperture priority, Manual,

Metering Modes : Multi, Center-weighted, SpotShutter Speeds : 60 sec to 1/8000 secLCD Monitor/ Dots : 3-inch 1037 k-dotStorage Type : SD/SDHC/SDXC , Eye-FiMovie : MPEG-4 AVC/H.264/Motion JPEGWeight : 497 g

Sensor Type/Size : CMOS sensor (17.3 x 13 mm) Effective Pixels : 16 MPISO equivalence : Auto / 160, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, 6400, 12800, 25600 (Extended)Supported File : RAW/JPEG/MPO Video: MPEG4/AVCHDExposure Modes : Program AE / Aperture Priority AE / Shutter Priority AE / ManualMetering Modes : Intelligent Multiple / Center Weighted / Spot Shutter Speeds : 60 sec to 1/4000 secLCD Monitor/ Dots : 3.0-inch Type 1036k-dotStorage Type : SD/SDHC/SDXC Weight : 390 g

Effective Pixels : 12.3 million Sensor Type/Size : Live MOS sensor, 17.3 x 13.0 mmShake Reduction : Sensor ShiftExposure Modes : iAuto, Program AE (with shift), Aperture priority AE, Scene selectMetering Modes : Digital ESP, Center-Weighted Average, Spot (1%) Highlight based spot, Shadow based spotISO Sensitivity : Auto : ISO 200 – 12800, Manual ISO 100 - 12800Shutter Speeds : 60-1/4000 sec.LCD Monitor/Dots : 3.0-inch/ 614,000 dotsBuilt-in-Flash : NoStorage Card : SD, SDHC, SDXCWeight : 321gms.

Effective Pixels : 16.1 millionSensor Type/Size : Sensor Size/Type: 4/3 Live MOS Sensor Metering Modes : Multi Center-weighted, Spot Exposure Modes : i Auto, P: Program AE (Program shift can be performed) ISO Equivalence : UTO: ISO 200 - 25600 (customizable, Default 200-1600) / Manual ISO 200 - 25600, 1/3 or 1 EV steps selectable Shutter Speeds : 11/4000 - 60 sec. (1/3, 1/2, or 1EV steps selectable.)Bulb: default setting 8min. (1/2/4/8/15/20/25/30 min. LCD Monitor/Dots : 3.0-inch tilting OLED monitor Approx. 610,000 dots Storage Type : SD/SDHC/SDXC Weight : 425 gms (excluding battery)

Effective Pixels : 16.3 millionSensor size/type : 23.5x15.6mm, CMOSFile formats : JPEG, Raw, Raw+JPEGMetering modes : 256-zone. Multi, Spot, AverageExposure modes : A, P, S, MISO equivalent : 200-6400, extended up to 25,600Shutter speeds : 30-1/4000sec, plus Bulb, TimeLCD monitor : 2.8”, 460,000 dotsStorage type : SD, SDHC, SDXCWeight : 350g, including battery

Sensor Type/Size : APS-C X-Trans CMOS (23.6mm x 15.6mm)Effective Pixels : 16 MP ISO equivalence : Auto / ISO 200 - 6400Supported File Formats : RAW/JPEGExposure Modes : Advanced SR AUTO, Program AE, Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, Manual, Custom, Portrait, Landscape, Sport, SP, Adv., AUTOMetering Modes : Multi, Average, SpotShutter Speeds : 30 sec to 1/4000 secLCD Monitor/ Dots : 3.0-inch Type 920K-dot Storage Type : SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I) Weight : 330 g

Effective Pixels : 14.2 millionSensor Size/ Type : 13.2 x 8.8 mm, CMOS Metering Modes : Multi, Center-weighted, Spot Exposure Modes : P, S, A, M, Scene Auto Selector ISO equivalence : 160-6400Shutter Speed : 30-1/16000 secLCD Monitor/ Dots : 3-inch, 921,000 dotsStorage type : SD, SDHC, SDXC Weight : 278g

Buyers’ Guide - ILCCs (Mirrorless)


Price: TBA

PENTAX Q10

SONY NEX - 7

Price: Rs. 46,000

SONY NEX-6

Price: Rs. 45,200

Price: Rs. 86,363 (only body)

Price: TBAPrice: TBA

PANASONIC DMC-GH3

SAMSUNG NX1000SAMSUNG NX 300

Sensor Type/Size : CMOS 1/2,3-inch TypeEffective Pixels : 12.4 MP ISO equivalence : ISO 100 to 6400 (1/3 EV steps) Supported File : RAW/JPEG video: MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 Exposure Modes : Auto, Scene, P, S, M Bulb, Blur controlMetering Modes : TTL image sensor, Segment, Center-weighted metering and Spot Shutter Speeds : 30 sec to 1/8000 secLCD Monitor/ Dots : 3.0-inch 460k-dotStorage Type : SD/SDHC/SDXC Weight : 200 g

Effective Pixels : 16.05 million Sensor Size/ Type : 17.3 x 13.0 mm, Live MOS Sensor Metering Modes : Intelligent Multiple / Spot Exposure Modes : Program AE/Aperture Priority AE/Shutter Priority AE / Manual ISO equivalence : Auto / Intelligent ISO / 200 - 12800 (Changeable to 1/3, 1 EV step) (Extended ISO125 - less under 200, ISO more over 12800 - 25600 available) (Up to ISO3200 in Auto) Shutter speeds : Still Images: 1/4,000 - 60 and Bulb and Motion Images: 1/16,000 - 1/30 LCD monitor/ Dots : 3 inch, 614K dots Storage Type : SD/ SDHC/ SDXC Weight : 460 g

Effective Pixels : 20.3 megapixels Sensor Type/Size : APS-C type CMOS, 23.5 x 15.7 mm Metering Modes : Multi, Center-weighted, Spot Exposure Modes : Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, Manual, Lens Priority, Magic, cene, Movie, Wi-Fi ISO Equivalence : Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, 6400, 12800 (1 or 1/3EV step) Shutter Speed : 30 sec - 1/4000 sec LCD Monitor : 3-inch, 921,000 dots Storage Type : SD/SDHC/SDXC Weight : 222 gms

Effective pixels : 20.3 Million Sensor size/type : 23.5 x 15.7mm CMOSFile formats : JPEG, RawMetering modes : Multi, Centre-weighted, SpotExposure modes : Smart Auto, P, A, S, MISO equivalent : 100-25,600Shutter speeds : 30-1/6000 secLCD monitor : 3.31 inch AMOLED with TouchStorage type : SD, SDHC, SDXCWeight : 284 g (without battery)

Effective pixels : Approx. 24.3 megapixels Sensor type : APS-C type (23.5x15.6mm), “Exmor” APS HD CMOS sensor Metering Modes : Multi / Center / Spot selectable Exposure Modes : Programmed AE (iAUTO, P), Aperture priority (A), Manual (M), 3D Sweep Panorama, Anti Motion BlurISO equivalence : AUTO (ISO100-1600), ISO100 to 16000 selectable Shutter Speed : 1/4000 to 30 sec, Bulb LCD Monitor/ Dots : 7.6 cm (3.0-type) wide type TFT, 921,600 dots Storage Type : Memory Stick PRO Duo / PRO-HG Duo and SD/SDHC/SDXC card Weight : Approx. 291g

PENTAX Q7

Price: TBA

Sensor Type/Size : BSI-CMOSEffective Pixels : 12.4 MPISO equivalence : 100 to 12800 (1/3 EV steps) Supported File : RAW/ JPEG / DCF 2.0 compliant. Video: MPEG–4 AVC/H.264 Exposure Modes : Program Auto Exposure, Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, Manual Exposure, Bulb, Blur Control, Macro, Night Scene Portrait, Night Scene, Blue Sky, ForestMetering Modes : Multi, Center-weighted, SpotShutter Speeds : 30 sec to 1/2000 secLCD Monitor/ Dots : 3.0-inch Type 460k-dot

Weight : 200 g

Buyers’ Guide - ILCCs (Mirrorless)

Price: TBA

PANASONIC DMC GX-1

Effective Pixels : 16.0 millionSensor Type/Size : Sensor Size/Type: 4/3 Live MOS Sensor Exposure Modes : Program AE / Aperture Priority AE / Shutter Priority AE / Manual / Auto Metering Modes : Intelligent Multiple / Center Weighted / Spot ISO Equivalence : Auto, Intelligent ISO 160 – ISO 12800Shutter Speeds : 60 -1/4000 sec, Bulb (up to approx 2 mins) Flash X-sync 1/160 sec LCD Monitor/Dots : 3.0-inch, 460,000 dots Storage Type : SD/ SDHC/ SDXC Memory Card (Compatible with UHS-I standard SDHC / SDXC Memory Cards) Weight : 272 gms (body only)

Effective pixels : 16.1 million approx.Sensor size/ type : 23.5 X 15.6mm, CMOS sensor Metering modes : Multi-segment, Center-weighted, Spot Exposure modes : iAUTO, Superior Auto, Programmed AE (P), Manual (M), Sweep Panorama ISO equivalence : Still images: Auto (ISO 100-3200), Selectable (ISO 100-25600) Movies: Auto (ISO 100-3200) Shutter Speed : Still images: 1/4000 to 30s (Bulb). Movies: 1/4000 to 1/4 (1/3 steps) up to 1/60 in AUTO mode (up to 1/30 in Auto slow shutter) LCD Monitor/ Dots : 3.0 inch, 921,600 dots Storage Type : Memory Stick PRO Duo™, PRO-HG Duo™, SD, SDHC, SDXC memory card Weight : 287 g

SONY NEX-5R

Price: Rs. 39,990/-

Effective pixels : 16.1 MillionSensor size/type : 23.5x15.6mm Exmor APS HD CMOSFile formats : JPEG, Raw, Raw+JPEGMetering modes : Multi, Center-weighted, SpotExposure modes : Auto, P, A, S, MISO equivalent : 100 -3200Shutter speeds : 30-1/4000 sec, BulbLCD monitor : 3” Type wide TFT, 921,600 dotsStorage type : SD, SDHC, SDXC, Memory Stick PRO Duo/PRO-HG DuoWeight : 276g with battery and card

Lens manufacturers use diff erent suffi xes to identify certain lens characteristics. Here they are, along with simple explanation (wherever required) of how they help.

Rohinton Mehta

Lens Nomenclature Guide

CANONDO : Diff ractive Optics: Special lens elements that reduce colour aberrations to the minimum, thus improving image quality.EF : Denotes that the lens is designed for full-frame cameras EF-S : Denotes that the lens is designed for APS-C camerasIS : Image Stabiliser: Helps to eliminate/reduce blur caused by camera movement during exposure.L : ‘Luxury’-series lens: Canon’s high-end, professional lenses.

NIKONAF-S : Denotes that the lens is using a Silent Wave Motor: For fast and quiet autofocusCRC : Close Range Correction: Allows lenses to focus closer, while still maintaining good sharpness. Th is is done using a ‘fl oating lens element’ design. Generally used in macro and wide-angle lenses. D : Distance information passed on to the camera body: Helps to provide more accurate exposuresDX : APS-C camera lensFX : Full-frame camera lensED : Extra Low Dispersion glass element: Corrects for chromatic aberrationsG : Lens without aperture ring; aperture is controlled from the camera bodyN : Nano Crystal Coat: Greatly reduces fl are due to internal refl ections of light.IF : Internal focussing: Instead of moving all the elements further away or closer to the fi lm/sensor to focus, IF lenses move only certain internal elements. Th is allows for much faster focussing.RF : Rear Focussing: Similar to IF but only the rear group of elements move to focus the lens.

OLYMPUSED : Low Dispersion glass element: Corrects for chromatic aberrations

PANASONICOIS : Optical Image Stabilizer: Helps to eliminate/reduce blur caused by camera movement during exposure.Mega OIS : Mega Optical Image StabilizerPower OIS : Power Optical Image Stabilizer: A superior design of Mega OIS.ED : Low Dispersion glass element: Corrects for chromatic aberrations


SIGMAAPO : Apochromatic lens element: Corrects for chromatic as well as spherical aberrationsASP : Aspherical lens element: Corrects chromatic aberrationsDC : APS-C camera lensDG : Full-frame camera lensHSM : Hyper Sonic Motor: Internal motor, for fast and quiet autofocusOS : Optical Stabiliser: Helps to eliminate/reduce blur caused by camera movement during exposureRF : Rear Focussing: Only the rear group of elements move to focus the lensEX : ‘Excellent’ series lens

TAMRONAD : Anomalous Dispersion element: Eliminates lateral chromatic aberrationUSD : UltraSonic Silent DriveASL : Aspherical lens element: Corrects chromatic aberrationsDi : Digitally integrated: Full-frame camera lens designed for digital camerasDi-II : Digitally integrated: APS-C camera lens HID : High Index Dispersion glass element: Special glass for improving optical performanceLD : Low Dispersion glass: Corrects for chromatic aberrationsIRF : Internal Rear Focussing: Only the rear group of elements move to focus the lensVC : Vibration Correction: Helps to eliminate/reduce blur caused by camera movement during exposurePZD : Piezo Drive: Internal motor, for fast and quiet autofocus

TOKINAAT-X : ‘Advanced Technology Extra’- range of lensesPRO : Professional lensSD : Super-low Dispersion element: Corrects chromatic aberrations

PENTAXSDM : Sonic Direct-drive Motor: Internal motor, for fast and quiet autofocusDA : APS-C camera lens

SONYDT : APS-C camera lens



Glossary

Terms used in photography can often confuse a photographer, especially a beginner. Here is a list of photographic jargon, with as-simple-as-possible explanations.

Rohinton Mehta

Sensor Buffer Memorycard

APS-C: Describes a imaging sensor size or a camera using this size of sensor.

APS-C stands for Advance Photo System, type C . Sensor size 15.7 x 23.7mm approximately. Varies slightly between manufacturersAperture: Set of metal blades that control the amount of light entering a lens (same as Diaphragm)AVCHD: Advanced Video Coding High Definition. A format for digital recording and playbackAF Sensor: A sensor used in achieving autofocus

Buffer: Temporary storage of data before the images are written to the memory card

Bridge camera: Describes a camera that fits between a compact and a D-SLR. Also known as Prosumer cameraBallhead: (Used on a tripod). Performs similar functions as a pan and tilt head but uses a central ball as a pivot to allow for camera movementsBattery Grip: A device that attaches to the base of a D-SLR. The battery grip, not only provides better grip for vertical shooting, but uses extra batteries to supply power to the camera when the camera battery dies down. In some cases, it helps to increase the frames-per-second firing rateBurst mode: A camera mode that allows continuous firing

Barrel distortion: The outward bulging of straight lines in the centre of the frame due to lens imperfectionBit: Refers to a binary digit – the smallest unit of computer data, either 0 or 1Bit depth: A measure of the number of possible colours/tones in an image. Our images are basically formed using the three primary colours (also known as channels), red, green and blue. JPEG files are 8-bits per channel (which is the same thing as 24-bit. When we say 24-bit, we should not say “per channel”). Raw files can be 12-bits per channel or 14-bits per channel, that is 36-bit or 42-bit respectivelyBracketing: A method of taking three or more shots in succession (using different exposures), with a hope that at least one of them will be accurate. We also bracket when shooting for HDR imaging. Bracketing could also be for White Balance and ISO

J

36mm

APS-C

23.7mm

FullFrame

24mm

15.7

mm

argonPhotographic


Glossary

CCD/CMOS: Types of imaging sensors. CCD stands for Charged Coupled Device. CMOS stands for Complementary Metal-Oxide SemiconductorCompact camera: Describes a small, point-and-shoot type of cameraCenter-weighted meter: One of the in-built exposure meter that places greater emphasises on the central area of the frame. The user generally has the choice of selecting the area (8, 12, 20mm circle at the center) Circular Polariser (CPL): A polarising filter designed to be used with digital cameras (as well as certain film cameras). A CPL prevents secondary polarisation of light at the reflex mirror, thereby preventing exposure/focussing error.Contrast-detection AF: A system of autofocussing wherein the camera uses contrast as the basis of evaluating correct focusChromatic Aberration: The inability of all the three primary colours (Red, Green, Blue) to focus on the same plane. This manifests itself in the form of colour fringing at the edges and is most noticeable against high-contrast elements in the pictureClipping: Overexposing of highlights. Underexposing of shadows.Crop factor: A factor by which the focal length of a lens needs to be multiplied to get the equivalent focal length of a full frame 35mm sensorClose-up lens/filter: A magnifying glass that is attached to the front of a lens to make the lens focus closer. The magnifications are described by the term ‘dioptre’. Eg. +1, +2, +3 etc.

CMYK: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black. These are the colours used in books/magazines printingColour temperature: A measure of the colour of light.

D-SLR: Digital Single Lens Reflex camera. An interchangeable lens camera that uses a reflex mirror for viewingDiaphragm: Set of metal blades that control the amount of light entering a lens (same as Aperture)Depth-of-field: The zone of sharpness in a photo.DOF Preview Button: A button on the camera that allows you to visually check the depth-of-field.Dynamic Range: The range of brightness that can be captured by a film or digital imaging sensor. This range is much lower than the dynamic range of our eyesDigital zoom: In-camera electronic enlargement of the central area of a frame. Use of digital zoom should be avoided if high image quality is required. The same effect can be achieved during post-processing, by cropping an area and enlarging itDPI: Dots Per Inch. A measure of print resolutionDiffuser: (1) A camera filter that softens an image (generally used with portraits). (2) Any material that softens the light from a ‘hard light source’ like the sun or a flashgun. Placed between the light source and the subject

Exposure meter: A light-meter that recommends the aperture and shutter speed for a given lighting condition. An exposure meter can be built into the camera or can be an external hand-held variety. To use any light meter, you first need to set the ISO sensitivity.EVF: Short form of Electronic View FinderEvaluative meter: One of the in-built exposure meter that divides the frame into various segments and based on thousands of pre-set exposures built into the camera’s memory, selects a suitable exposure depending on the lighting conditions and the set ISO sensitivity. Also known as Segmented/Matrix meterFrame rate: A measure of how many frames a camera can fire in one secondFlare: Image degrading, unwanted reflection of light within the lensFull-frame: Denotes a camera/imaging sensor that is the same size as a 35mm film (24 x 36mm)Focal plane: Describes the location of the film/imaging sensor within the cameraFocal plane shutter: A type of shutter used in SLRs/D-SLRs. This shutter is placed in front of the film/sensor.Focal length: In a simple convex lens (a magnifying glass for example) and with light coming from infinity – the

Focal Length


Glossary

distance between the vertical centre of the lens and the point where the light rays meet. Focal length tells us how much of the scene will be covered by the lens and what the magnification will beFirmware: A downloadable software offered by the camera manufacturer. Generally used to upgrade/improve on a camera’s performanceFilter: (As applicable to a camera) A thin glass/plastic or gelatine placed in front of the lens to modify the colour/quality/quantity of light entering the lens

H.264: A standard for video compressionHardware: (In terms of computers) The physical elements that make up a computer systemHDR Imaging: High Dynamic Range Imaging. A technique of extending the dynamic range beyond the normal capacity of the imaging sensor. Three (or more) shots are taken from various areas of the scene (one from the shadows, one from the highlights and one from the mid-tones) and then combined in a computer program to create a picture with good detail in shadows as well as highlights. HDR technique is used when the lighting contrast is very high.Histogram: A graph showing the

distribution of tones in an image. The horizontal axis shows the gradation of tones from the darkest to the left, to the brightest at the right. The vertical axis shows how many pixels are there in any particular tone.

HSB: Hue, Saturation, Brightness. The standard colour model for adjusting colour in image editing programs

Intervalometer: A device that allows you to automatically take pictures at fixed intervalsIS: Image Stabilizer– a feature that eliminates/reduces the effect of hand-shake (Originally a Canon Moniker)ILCC: Interchangeable Lens Compact Camera. Describes a mirror-less digital camera with interchangeable lenses, Incident Light Meter: A hand-held light meter that reads the amount of light incident to (falling on) the subject. (see image, Exposure meter)Interpolation: (As related to digital imaging) The act of introducing new elements (pixels) in an image

JPEG: Joint Photographic Experts Group – a compressed (data losing) file formatJitter: Another way to describe the effects of hand-shake

Kelvin: A unit of measurement of colour temperature based on absolute zero.

Lateral CA: Chromatic aberration in which all the colours are in focus in the same plane but are not placed along the optical axis Longitudenal CA: Chromatic aberration in which different colours do not focus at the same pointLeaf shutter: A type of shutter used in rangefinder cameras. Situated between the lens elements

Linear Polariser (PL): A polarising filter designed to be used with film cameras that do not use a ‘light-splitter’ in the exposure metering systemLive View: A camera feature that allows the LCD to be used as a viewfinderLCD: Liquid Crystal Display – the display (monitor) at the rear of digital camerasLuminosity: Brightness of colour, without considering hue or saturation LZW: An option while saving TIFF files. LZW compresses the file size without loss of data. LZW actually stands for – Lempel – Ziv – Welch, the names of three persons who devised it

Matrix meter: See Evaluative meterMulti-segmented meter: See Evaluative meterMicro Four Thirds: A sensor format jointly created by Kodak, Olympus and

Panasonic. Sensor size approx. 13 x 17mmMOV: A common multi-media format for saving movies and other video films.Macro lens: A special lens designed for life-size (1:1) photographyMemory card: The removable module within a digital camera, that stores the imagesMid-tone: Average tone. Neither too dark or too light; an in-between tone

Noise: The digital equivalent of film grain. Noise is caused mainly due to underexposure.Normal lens: A lens having a focal length equivalent to the diagonal of the given format

36mm

Micro Four Thirds

17mm

FullFrame

24mm

13m

m


Glossary

Optical Viewfinder: The normal viewing device in a camera, through which you view and frame a subject. It uses optical glass as opposed to Electronic Viewfinder that uses electronic circuitry to boost the information within

Pan and Tilt head: A camera support used along with a tripod, that allows the camera to be tilted (up/down) and panned sideways. It is different from a ‘ball-head’ in that it uses separate levers to control the pan and tiltPerspective Control/Tilt-Shift lens: A special lens designed for correcting perspective distortionPolariser: A filter that cuts off polarised light from entering the lens. This filter, when used correctly, has the ability to darken blue sky, cut reflections from water, glass, painted metal, wood, paper etc.Phase-detection AF: A method of autofocussing that splits the image in two and compares the images for similar light intensity patternsPerspective: The size relationship between the foreground, mid-ground and background objects in a photo.Pin cushion distortion: The inward pulling of straight lines in the centre of the frame due to lens imperfection.Prosumer camera: Same as Bridge cameraPartial metering: Found mostly in Canon cameras, roughly 10-15% of the

frame is measured in the centre.Pixel: The building block of any digital image; the smallest unit of any digital image. Short form of Picture ElementPlug-in: A software designed to supplement a computer program’s performance or features. Generally created by third partiesPPI: Pixels Per Inch. A measure of image resolution (applies to images on the computer screen)

Raw: Refers to the data received directly from the imaging sensor, without any image parameters applied to itReflected Light meter: A light meter that reads the amount of light reflected from a subject. Light meters built into cameras are reflected light meters.RGB: The primary colours (Red, Green, Blue) of the additive colour systemRAID: Redundant Array of Independent Disks. A stack of hard disks, functioning as oneReflector: Any material that can reflect some light back onto a subjectResampling: The act of increasing or decreasing the resolution of an image by interpolation

Sensor: (Imaging Sensor): Digital equivalent of film.Spot meter: One of the in-built exposure meter that reads a very small area of the frame (typically 3-5% area). External, hand-held 1-degree spot meters are also available.Softbox: A type of light modifier, generally used with studio lights

Software: A computer program that instructs a computer what to do, when to do and how to do

TIFF: Tagged Image File Format – a lossless file formatTelephoto lens: A lens having an angle-of-view narrower than that of a Normal lens (Eg. 70, 85, 100, 200, 300mm etc)Teleconverter: A lens that fits between the camera body and the main lens. Its job is to increase the focal length, thereby offering a larger image

Umbrella: A light modifier in the shape of an umbrella

VR: Stands for Vibration Reduction – a feature that eliminates/reduces the effect of hand-shake

White Balance: A process of getting rid of colour casts. White objects should appear white in prints (there could be several reasons why that may not be so). Once white objects appear white, all other colours appear without any colour castsWide-angle lens: A lens having an angle-of-view greater than that of a Normal lens (Eg. 35, 28, 24, 20mm etc)

X-sync speed: Shutter speeds compatible with electronic flash

Zoom lens: A lens having multiple focal lengths


SP Recommends

Canon PowerShot G15

The G15 is the latest in Canon’s G-series and one of very few

compact cameras to offer an optical viewfinder. With a

12.1-megapixel 1/1.7-inch Type CMOS

sensor, a 28-140mm F/1.8-2.8 lens, and a 3” LCD, the camera

handles extremely well and produces superb

pictures.

Olympus XZ-2

The Olympus XZ-2 has a new 12MP back-

illuminated 1/1.7-inch Type CMOS sensor, and features a 28-

112mm f/1.8-2.5 Zuiko lens and a tiltable touch-sensitive 3”

LCD monitor. Overall, the Olympus XZ-2 is a very capable and

pocketable compact camera.

Canon PowerShot G1X

Canon’s G1X has excellent build quality in a compact camera. With a 14.3MP sensor, a 28-112mm F/2.8-5.6 lens, and an optical viewfinder as well as a tilt-and-swivel LCD panel, the G1X is highly impressive,

with its excellent noise control, outstanding

White Balance performance, and

quality images.

Panasonic Lumix DMC TZ40

The TZ40 is the successor to the TZ30 in Panasonic’s popular

TZ (Travel Zoom) series. Featuring the

first ever 18.1 MP MOS sensor, a 24-480mm F/3.3-6.4 lens, and a 3” touch screen, the

camera, with its Leica lens, ensures optimum

picture quality, and overall results are

impressive.

Fujifilm Finepix X100s

The Fujifilm Finepix X100s comes with a 16 MP APS-C size CMOS sensor, paired with a 35mm equivalent f/2 lens and a 2.8” LCD screen. The X100’s noise control and

hybrid viewfinder are very impressive, and it produces pleasing pictures with good

accuracy.

Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ200

Panasonic’s FZ200 is a bridge camera. Equipped with a

12.1MP high-sensitivity MOS sensor, a unique 25-600mm F/2.8 Leica lens with 24x optical zoom, and a tilt-and-swivel monitor, the FZ200 impresses

with good and fast autofocus, reliable

metering and overall image quality.

Nikon Coolpix P7800

The Coolpix 7800 is Nikon’s top

professional compact. It features a 12.2 megapixel 1/1.7-

inch Type CMOS sensor, a 28-200mm f/2.0-4.0 lens, a 3” articulated LCD

monitor and an EVF. Overall, the Coolpix 7800 produces very good results, with an

impressive Auto White Balance system.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC RX1

The RX 1 is the world’s first compact camera

with a full size 24.3 MP CMOS sensor. It has a Carl Zeiss Sonnar 35mm f/2 lens that can be switched to

macro mode. There is a built in 3” LCD screen.

Anyone wanting a compact camera that produces high quality results should look at

the RX1.

Nikon Coolpix A

The Nikon Coolpix A, reviewed in this edition of SP, comes with a 16.2 MP APS-C sized CMOS sensor, and a fixed 18.5 mm (28mm equivalent) f/2.8 lens attached to the camera. The 3”

LCD helps monitor the image to be captured.

Given its mouth watering specifications,

the Nikon Coolpix A is certainly a worthy addition to this list.

Sony Cyber-shot RX100 II

Sony’s RX100 has a unique 20.2 MP 1-inch

Type CMOS sensor. Along with a 29-105mm

F/1.8-4.9 lens, and a 3” LCD, the camera is exceptionally light at 254g. Image quality

and handling are top notch and the RX100

II is certainly to be considered if you want a high quality compact

camera that is also pocketable.

Compact Cameras

PHOTOGRAPHY INSTITUTE


STUDIO


PHOTO PRODUCT AND ACCESSORIES

PHOTO STUDIO

DIGITAL CAMERA AND ACCESSORIES

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Tidbits

VIDEO IN D-SLRs AND MIRRORLESS CAMERAS

In this era of convergence, we are now quite used to having a still and video feature in one camera. Th e fi rst D-SLR to off er a video feature as well was the

Nikon D90. Th e system off ered by the D90, however, was very restricted because the camera could not autofocus during video capture.

Panasonic has been in the forefront of video technology, courtesy its camcorders. Th e Lumix GH3 has been widely acknowledged to currently off er the best video performance of any mirrorless camera. Panasonic has done so by providing full time autofocus in video including autofocus tracking. How has Panasonic done so? Firstly, Panasonic has developed a special heat-dispersing design to enable longer recording times. Overheating was an issue that plagued many earlier D-SLRs in the past. Secondly, users can record video in either the most space-effi cient AVCHD format or a more compatible MP4 fi le format. Th e GH3 has also introduced a new H.264 format for increased fl exibility in editing and color correction. Yet again with the GH3, video can be recorded for an unlimited time rather than the 30 minutes restriction that its predecessor, the GH2 had. Th is means, the GH3 can record as long as your memory card has space. Panasonic also use contrast detection autofocus rather than phase detection thereby ensuring that the camera focuses like a

rangefi nder and quickly moves into focus.

Canon has also recently introduced new technologies for video. Canon’s new SLRs now use contrast detection autofocus off the sensor and this system can be very accurate as well as quick. Secondly, Canon has introduced autofocus lenses with stepping motors i.e STM to improve autofocus in video. Canon, you will remember, was the fi rst to engineer ultrasonic autofocus motors in its lenses. However, this ultrasonic system did not work too well with video and resulted in both noise and vibration. Th e stepping motor was brought in to smoothen the focusing in a gentle and precise manner. With contrast detection autofocus, Canon’s STM lenses are quieter than their ultrasonic counterparts. However, when the phase detection autofocus system is used, Canon’s ultrasonic lenses still have an edge on the noise front. Canon has also introduced moving servo autofocus. Th is system enables a camera to detect which direction to move the lens in focus thereby making it quicker. All these measures have been taken to make the video feature in Canon cameras more att ractive.

As the video in still cameras continues to improve, expect to see more new technologies. H. S. Billimoria