Photography courses in Dubai
Nov 11th 2010, 7:06 am
#16
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Aug 2009
Location: Disneyland, Dubai
Posts: 15,887
Nov 11th 2010, 1:11 pm
#18
Hit 16's
Joined: Mar 2010
Location: Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine
Posts: 13,112
Re: Photography courses in Dubai
Really? Ok, I'll take you at your word:
If you're satisfied with your point n shoot compact, stop reading now.
If a) you want something more versatile than a "normal" compact, or b) have a DSLR but don't want the hassle of lugging it everywhere, continue reading. If you don't know what DSLR or SLR means (means, rather than merely stands for), look it up on Wikipedia.
Below is a picture of the rangefinder I have (a Nicca). Its called a rangefinder because, unlike an SLR (which it pre-dates) or a TLR (where the picture is taken by one lens while you view through another), the picture is taken by the lens while you view the scene through a separate window ("finder"). This involves holding the camera to your eye, rather than at arm's length as with most compact digital cameras, or at waist level (or under a black cloth) with earlier cameras. It is generally considered to be the best way to hold a camera for most uses.
Good rangerfinders have dioptre adjustment, which allows you to adjust the viewfinder to compensate for your eyesight. I need reading glasses, which are a pain to use when holding a camera to your eye, and without using them with a viewfinder which doesn't have dioptre adjustement, the view is blurry.
The G12 has a fold out and twist screen with "live view", ie it shows you more-or-less exactly what the camera is seeing and therefore what you'll get if you push the shutter release. The fact that it is fold out and twist allows you to hold the camera in various positions, eg at waist level, and yet still easily see what the camera sees. The G12's is clever: hold the camera up-side down above your head and point it backwards (yes, actually useful even outside the bedroom), and the screen automatically inverts the view.
Taking shots at waist level is also useful, because for street photography it is very discreet, and it gives an interesting perspective.
DSLRs generally allow a great deal of user choice of shutter speeds, apertures, bracketing, auto-timers, special effects and so on. But most DSLRs are pretty hefty, especially with zoom lenses. The G12 has a wide variety of functions, including in-camera HDR, in a very small package (compared to a DSLR). (If you don't know what HDR is, again look it up on Wikipedia, and look at some examples on Flickr.com. Overdone its very much an acquired taste, but done subtley is gives you photos which are very close to how we actually perceive scenes--but you have to un-train yourself from expecting that photos show scenes differently from how your brain perceives them.)
4/3 refers to sensor size (digital's equivalent of film). Sensor size is important because it determines the amount of data which is captured in the picture. If you're only ever going to view your photos on your computer, you don't need anything bigger than the sensor in a compact (unless you're into low light photography). The 4/3 format is a size of sensor somewhere between those of compacts and full-size DSLRs. They are fairly new to the market, and offer image quality superior to that of a compact, but in a camera that is physically much smaller than a DSLR.
One particular aspect of DSLRs (and the new 4/3 models) is that they tend to have (or there are available) "fast" lenses. This is not the speed of the autofocus, but the lens' maximum aperture; using a large aperture is particularly useful if you want to blur a background, or shoot in low light.
So the G12 isn't just a compact, even though its considerably smaller than a DSLR. I don't claim to be a good photographer, but I do know a bit about cameras--the technical view camera I have is shown below, and you can't use that properly without really understanding what photography entails.
I happen to think the G12 is brilliant--the natural evolution, I believe, of the rangefinder shown below (a near-identical copy of the Leica of the era--the 1950's--and a classic in terms of both design and performance).
If you're satisfied with your point n shoot compact, stop reading now.
If a) you want something more versatile than a "normal" compact, or b) have a DSLR but don't want the hassle of lugging it everywhere, continue reading. If you don't know what DSLR or SLR means (means, rather than merely stands for), look it up on Wikipedia.
Below is a picture of the rangefinder I have (a Nicca). Its called a rangefinder because, unlike an SLR (which it pre-dates) or a TLR (where the picture is taken by one lens while you view through another), the picture is taken by the lens while you view the scene through a separate window ("finder"). This involves holding the camera to your eye, rather than at arm's length as with most compact digital cameras, or at waist level (or under a black cloth) with earlier cameras. It is generally considered to be the best way to hold a camera for most uses.
Good rangerfinders have dioptre adjustment, which allows you to adjust the viewfinder to compensate for your eyesight. I need reading glasses, which are a pain to use when holding a camera to your eye, and without using them with a viewfinder which doesn't have dioptre adjustement, the view is blurry.
The G12 has a fold out and twist screen with "live view", ie it shows you more-or-less exactly what the camera is seeing and therefore what you'll get if you push the shutter release. The fact that it is fold out and twist allows you to hold the camera in various positions, eg at waist level, and yet still easily see what the camera sees. The G12's is clever: hold the camera up-side down above your head and point it backwards (yes, actually useful even outside the bedroom), and the screen automatically inverts the view.
Taking shots at waist level is also useful, because for street photography it is very discreet, and it gives an interesting perspective.
DSLRs generally allow a great deal of user choice of shutter speeds, apertures, bracketing, auto-timers, special effects and so on. But most DSLRs are pretty hefty, especially with zoom lenses. The G12 has a wide variety of functions, including in-camera HDR, in a very small package (compared to a DSLR). (If you don't know what HDR is, again look it up on Wikipedia, and look at some examples on Flickr.com. Overdone its very much an acquired taste, but done subtley is gives you photos which are very close to how we actually perceive scenes--but you have to un-train yourself from expecting that photos show scenes differently from how your brain perceives them.)
4/3 refers to sensor size (digital's equivalent of film). Sensor size is important because it determines the amount of data which is captured in the picture. If you're only ever going to view your photos on your computer, you don't need anything bigger than the sensor in a compact (unless you're into low light photography). The 4/3 format is a size of sensor somewhere between those of compacts and full-size DSLRs. They are fairly new to the market, and offer image quality superior to that of a compact, but in a camera that is physically much smaller than a DSLR.
One particular aspect of DSLRs (and the new 4/3 models) is that they tend to have (or there are available) "fast" lenses. This is not the speed of the autofocus, but the lens' maximum aperture; using a large aperture is particularly useful if you want to blur a background, or shoot in low light.
So the G12 isn't just a compact, even though its considerably smaller than a DSLR. I don't claim to be a good photographer, but I do know a bit about cameras--the technical view camera I have is shown below, and you can't use that properly without really understanding what photography entails.
I happen to think the G12 is brilliant--the natural evolution, I believe, of the rangefinder shown below (a near-identical copy of the Leica of the era--the 1950's--and a classic in terms of both design and performance).
Last edited by Bahtatboy; Nov 11th 2010 at 1:16 pm.
Nov 11th 2010, 1:15 pm
#19
Concierge
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 29,625
Re: Photography courses in Dubai
I had a friend who collected old cameras like those ones, picked them up in junk shops etc
Nov 11th 2010, 1:16 pm
#20
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Aug 2009
Location: Disneyland, Dubai
Posts: 15,887
Re: Photography courses in Dubai
Really? Ok, I'll take you at your word:
If you're satisfied with your point n shoot compact, stop reading now.
If a) you want something more versatile than a "normal" compact, or b) have a DSLR but don't want the hassle of lugging it everywhere, continue reading. If you don't know what DSLR or SLR means (means, rather than merely stands for), look it up on Wikipedia.
Below is a picture of the rangefinder I have (a Nicca). Its called a rangefinder because, unlike an SLR (which it pre-dates) or a TLR (where the picture is taken by one lens while you view through another), the picture is taken by the lens while you view the scene through a separate window ("finder"). This involves holding the camera to your eye, rather than at arm's length as with most compact digital cameras, or at waist level (or under a black cloth) with earlier cameras. It is generally considered to be the best way to hold a camera for most uses.
Good rangerfinders have dioptre adjustment, which allows you to adjust the viewfinder to compensate for your eyesight. I need reading glasses, which are a pain to use when holding a camera to your eye, and without using them with a viewfinder which doesn't have dioptre adjustement, the view is blurry.
The G12 has a fold out and twist screen with "live view", ie it shows you more-or-less exactly what the camera is seeing and therefore what you'll get if you push the shutter release. The fact that it is fold out and twist allows you to hold the camera in various positions, eg at waist level, and yet still easily see what the camera sees. The G12's is clever: hold the camera up-side down above your head and point it backwards (yes, actually useful even outside the bedroom), and the screen automatically inverts the view.
Taking shots at waist level is also useful, because for street photography it is very discreet, and it gives an interesting perspective.
DSLRs generally allow a great deal of user choice of shutter speeds, apertures, bracketing, auto-timers, special effects and so on. But most DSLRs are pretty hefty, especially with zoom lenses. The G12 has a wide variety of functions, including in-camera HDR, in a very small package (compared to a DSLR). (If you don't know what HDR is, again look it up on Wikipedia, and look at some examples on Flickr.com. Overdone its very much an acquired taste, but done subtley is gives you photos which are very close to how we actually perceive scenes--but you have to un-train yourself from expecting that photos show scenes differently from how your brain perceives them.)
4/3 refers to sensor size (digital's equivalent of film). Sensor size is important because it determines the amount of data which is captured in the picture. If you're only ever going to view your photos on your computer, you don't need anything bigger than the sensor in a compact (unless you're into low light photography). The 4/3 format is a size of sensor somewhere between those of compacts and full-size DSLRs. They are fairly new to the market, and offer image quality superior to that of a compact, but in a camera that is physically much smaller than a DSLR.
One particular aspect of DSLRs (and the new 4/3 models) is that they tend to have (or there are available) "fast" lenses. This is not the speed of the autofocus, but the lens' maximum aperture; using a large aperture is particularly useful if you want to blur a background, or shoot in low light.
So the G12 isn't just a compact, even though its considerably smaller than a DSLR. I don't claim to be a good photographer, but I do know a bit about cameras--the technical view camera I have is shown below, and you can't use that properly without really understanding what photography entails.
I happen to think the G12 is brilliant--the natural evolution, I believe, of the Nicca shown below (itself a near-identical copy of the Leica of the era--the 1950's--and a classic both in terms of design and performance).
Attachment 96849
Attachment 96850
If you're satisfied with your point n shoot compact, stop reading now.
If a) you want something more versatile than a "normal" compact, or b) have a DSLR but don't want the hassle of lugging it everywhere, continue reading. If you don't know what DSLR or SLR means (means, rather than merely stands for), look it up on Wikipedia.
Below is a picture of the rangefinder I have (a Nicca). Its called a rangefinder because, unlike an SLR (which it pre-dates) or a TLR (where the picture is taken by one lens while you view through another), the picture is taken by the lens while you view the scene through a separate window ("finder"). This involves holding the camera to your eye, rather than at arm's length as with most compact digital cameras, or at waist level (or under a black cloth) with earlier cameras. It is generally considered to be the best way to hold a camera for most uses.
Good rangerfinders have dioptre adjustment, which allows you to adjust the viewfinder to compensate for your eyesight. I need reading glasses, which are a pain to use when holding a camera to your eye, and without using them with a viewfinder which doesn't have dioptre adjustement, the view is blurry.
The G12 has a fold out and twist screen with "live view", ie it shows you more-or-less exactly what the camera is seeing and therefore what you'll get if you push the shutter release. The fact that it is fold out and twist allows you to hold the camera in various positions, eg at waist level, and yet still easily see what the camera sees. The G12's is clever: hold the camera up-side down above your head and point it backwards (yes, actually useful even outside the bedroom), and the screen automatically inverts the view.
Taking shots at waist level is also useful, because for street photography it is very discreet, and it gives an interesting perspective.
DSLRs generally allow a great deal of user choice of shutter speeds, apertures, bracketing, auto-timers, special effects and so on. But most DSLRs are pretty hefty, especially with zoom lenses. The G12 has a wide variety of functions, including in-camera HDR, in a very small package (compared to a DSLR). (If you don't know what HDR is, again look it up on Wikipedia, and look at some examples on Flickr.com. Overdone its very much an acquired taste, but done subtley is gives you photos which are very close to how we actually perceive scenes--but you have to un-train yourself from expecting that photos show scenes differently from how your brain perceives them.)
4/3 refers to sensor size (digital's equivalent of film). Sensor size is important because it determines the amount of data which is captured in the picture. If you're only ever going to view your photos on your computer, you don't need anything bigger than the sensor in a compact (unless you're into low light photography). The 4/3 format is a size of sensor somewhere between those of compacts and full-size DSLRs. They are fairly new to the market, and offer image quality superior to that of a compact, but in a camera that is physically much smaller than a DSLR.
One particular aspect of DSLRs (and the new 4/3 models) is that they tend to have (or there are available) "fast" lenses. This is not the speed of the autofocus, but the lens' maximum aperture; using a large aperture is particularly useful if you want to blur a background, or shoot in low light.
So the G12 isn't just a compact, even though its considerably smaller than a DSLR. I don't claim to be a good photographer, but I do know a bit about cameras--the technical view camera I have is shown below, and you can't use that properly without really understanding what photography entails.
I happen to think the G12 is brilliant--the natural evolution, I believe, of the Nicca shown below (itself a near-identical copy of the Leica of the era--the 1950's--and a classic both in terms of design and performance).
Attachment 96849
Attachment 96850
Nov 11th 2010, 1:17 pm
#21
Hit 16's
Joined: Mar 2010
Location: Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine
Posts: 13,112
Nov 11th 2010, 1:18 pm
#22
Hit 16's
Joined: Mar 2010
Location: Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine
Posts: 13,112
