Viewfinder photographer how to#

This is the result when the angle of view is wider than the sensor and the shot compresses the scene into a smaller space. While I love working with wide angles, one must be cautious of barrel distortion. TIP: Lens selection is a compromise between features, function, and cost. It doesn’t match Canon’s quality and weatherproofing, but has an exceptionally wide focal range and is good for run-and-gun work when I can’t sling two cameras or don’t want to change lenses for photography in outdoor locations. I also use the economical Tamron 18-270mm telephoto zoom. It has exceptional optics, image stabilization, and is nearly impervious to the elements. For example, the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS telephoto I took to Africa 20 years ago is still a go-to tool in my kit. Great glass helps in the creation of great images, but all glass is not equal.

Choosing the Right Glass to Use in the Field TIP: Lens focal length is inversely proportional to its field of view. In this diagram you can see that a 14mm lens (close to the focal plane) provides a wider angle of view, while a 600mm lens (further from the focal plane) provides a very narrow angle of view.Ī lens’ rating, stated in millimeters, is inversely proportional to its angle of view. Zoom numbers simply indicate its range of focal lengths. It seems counterintuitive, but big numbers equate to a narrow angle of view (telephoto) while small numbers equate to a wide angle of view. In simple terms, focal length, stated in millimeters, should not be taken as a literal term of measurement, but rather an optical calculation between a point in the lens where the image becomes an image, to the camera’s focal plane (film or sensor). The outdoor photography lenses on the market are as broad as paint colors from Sherwin-Williams, but we’ll stick with wide-angle and telephoto zooms, as they can provide just about everything you need. Now that we’ve established that digital technology is amazing, let’s look at what has remained a constant…the glass. Quality glass is expensive, but it can make or break a well-composed photograph. TIP:A quality sensor with a high-ISO rating is best for low-light photography. To boot, if you consider the cost of film and processing, they are much cheaper. Digital capture also provides instant preview, quick setting adjustments, easy file backups, and a seemingly infinite number of photos on a single SD card you can slip in your wallet.

Most auto-advance film cameras had a cap of a few frames per second a few more with a high-speed booster drive. And lest I mention auto focus (AF), auto exposure (AE), and the sports photographer’s nemesis, frames per second (fps). In comparison, usable ISOs (sensor sensitivity) of today’s high-end cameras are in the stratosphere (64,000 or better), allowing for low-light capture never imagined 20 years ago. This would be reserved for night shots such as concerts and came with an anticipated level of graininess.

Flash memory cards are nearly impervious to moisture, temperature (-13☏ to 185☏), and airport X-ray machines.įilm sensitivity (speed), or ISO, was basically limited to 800. The digital SLR, or DSLR, is identical in operation but the film has been replaced with an electronic sensor.įor comparison, this SanDisk 128GB SD card can hold 15 times as many images (at 3x the resolution) as three rolls of 36-exposure film. Press the shutter, the mirror flips up, shutter iris opens, and the film receives light flowing through the lens.

As an FYI, the pentaprism is used to correct the image inversion caused by the lens. By allowing the path of light to flow through the lens, reflect off a “reflex” mirror up to a pentaprism, and then through the viewfinder, the photographer viewed the exact image that would be presented to the film. The Single Lens Reflex camera (SLR) was a monumental development over previous twin-lens reflex (TLR) and rangefinder designs. In this Viewfinder we’ll start with some camera basics, move on to glass (lenses), discuss settings and outdoor photography lens selection, and wrap it up with incorporating some of our newfound knowledge in creating a single image. And while I have always maintained it is the eye behind the viewfinder that creates compelling photographs, I would be remiss to omit the fact that taking your photography to the next level requires high-quality hardware.

Viewfinder photographer how to#

In previous Viewfinders we’ve discussed what I feel are the most important elements of creative photography: distilling a scene into its various components, how to frame a unique composition of those elements, working with light, camera settings, and methodology. Compression, f-stop, and bokeh: what does it all mean, and how can your outdoor photography lenses accomplish it?