If you’re a beginner DSLR camera user, it means you’ve outgrown your smartphone or compact camera and want to take your photography to the next level and deliver quality images. Right? If that’s the case, we’ll help you take that big step up.
There’s a range of DSLR Cameras for entry-level users like the Canon and Nikon brands that offer brilliant features, more shooting parameters, and custom functions.
I was browsing through The Official White House Photostream on Flickr today. The photographs are excellent. Pete Souza is the Chief Official White House Photographer for President Obama and Director of the White House photo office.
I noticed that the EXIF data was available for just about every photo and it contained lens information. Naturally, being a programmer/photography geek, I decided to download the EXIF data for all 1,433 photos (as of today) and find out which lenses the White House photography staff likes best. Here are the results:
| Camera | # of photos |
| Canon EOS 5D Mark II | 1074 |
| Canon EOS 1DS Mark III | 31 |
| Canon EOS 5D | 23 |
| Canon EOS 1DS Mark II | 2 |
| Unknown | 303 |
| Lens | # of photos |
| EF35mm f/1.4L USM | 439 |
| EF50mm f/1.2L USM | 179 |
| EF24-70mm f/2.8L USM | 166 |
| EF135mm f/2L USM | 136 |
| EF24mm f/1.4L II USM | 69 |
| EF85mm f/1.2L II USM | 34 |
| EF70-200mm f/4L USM | 16 |
| EF70-200mm f/4L IS USM | 27 |
| EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM | 20 |
| EF28mm f/1.8 USM | 10 |
| EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM | 5 |
| EF135mm f/2L USM +1.4x | 3 |
| EF300mm f/2.8L IS USM | 3 |
| EF70-200mm f/2.8L USM | 3 |
| EF24mm f/1.4L USM | 3 |
| EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM | 2 |
| EF70-200mm f/2.8L USM +1.4x | 2 |
| 70.0-200.0 mm | 2 |
| EF20mm f/2.8 USM | 1 |
| EF35mm f/2 | 1 |
| EF70-200mm f/4L IS USM +1.4x | 1 |
| EF200mm f/1.8L USM | 1 |
| Unknown | 310 |
… Continue reading Top cameras and lenses used by the White House photography staff
Kuroshio Sea – 2nd largest aquarium tank in the world – (song is Please don’t go by Barcelona) from Jon Rawlinson on Vimeo.
Shot with a Canon 5DMKII with 28-135mm lens. Full screen viewing recommended. Via Kottke.
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Girls think it’s cute but don’t count on it getting you any phone numbers on walks in the park. It’s cheap and easy but not a tramp. Give up? I’m talking about the Canon Selphy CP760 compact photo printer, of course.
I purchased the Selphy Sunday evening and through the miracles of the internet and a global transportation infrastructure it arrived on my doorstep Wednesday. And I’m so glad I did. It’s a fun little printer.
Despite it’s tiny size, the CP760 leans more toward the non-portable end of the spectrum than, say, the CP770 which comes in a plastic bucket or the ES30 which has an integrated handle and optional wireless and can run on batteries. No, this guy is intended to sit on a desk or table unobtrusively and quietly until needed. Although, technically, it’s small enough and light enough to move about if necessary and doesn’t require a connection to a computer to operate.
Color reproduction is very good at the default settings although reds are a little oversaturated for my taste.
… Continue reading Video review: Canon Selphy CP760 Compact Photo Printer
I hate printing photos at home. Every time I do it I’ve got to fiddle with printer settings, change the paper, do a test print, yadda yadda. It’s always been a pain in the neck. But, at least partly, I think that’s been because I’ve never owned a dedicated photo printer. I’ve always had my main document printer do double duty. Not only was it a pain, the results weren’t all that great anyway. Which is why I think I was so fascinated when I discovered compact photo printers.
I’d heard of them before, of course. Maybe it’s the price. Maybe it’s the new form factor. But something about this latest generation just clicked with me. Here is a class of printers dedicated to doing one thing and one thing only: print 4×6 snapshots. No fussing with loading the right paper. No worrying about running out of ink for your documents. No connectivity to a computer required.
I narrowed my final selection down to four: the Epson PictureMate Dash PM260 ($139), Canon Selphy CP760 ($77), HP A636 ($116), and the Canon Selphy ES30 ($136).
In a what?
It’s so weird, I don’t know how I missed it when it came out. I was out buying ink today when I stumbled across the Selphy. Somehow, those wacky guys over at Canon had the brilliant idea that portable photo printers ought to come in bucket form.
The Selphy CP770 (Amazon) is a playful little 4×6 dye-sublimation photo printer that comes in a plastic bucket big enough for its accessories, paper, and cables. The printer itself becomes the “lid” of the bucket and latches on with two large green plastic clamps. And you carry it around by the handle. On the bucket.
CNET Editors gives it a “very good” rating citing excellent photo quality, fast printing, and ease of use.
I’m still a little boggled. And yet I am intrigued. Would you dare bring this to a corporate or any other kind of “serious” environment? You’d have a hard time getting anyone to take you seriously. But, whip out this fruit tart of a photo printer at a child’s birthday party or family social gathering and fire off some 4×6’s at grandma and I predict you’d be the hero of the moment.
… Continue reading The Canon Selphy: A portable photo printer in a bucket
…on the whole DSLR + video thing:
Click to watch: Sample Video: EOS 5D Mark II
This video was shot with a pre-production Canon EOS 5D Mark II digital SLR. The files used to create this video were not manipulated in any way, only re-compressed for 1/4 resolution display on our website. To view Vincent Laforet’s comments and behind-the-scenes video on the making of REVERIE, please visit his blog: blog.vincentlaforet.com
… Continue reading Reverie: Just in case you needed more convincing…
Personally, I’m really excited about the Nikon D90, not only because it looks like a great camera and a nice upgrade to my trusty old original D70 (I must like odd numbers), but because it’s got this great high-def video feature. I’ve always liked video but I’ve always hated video cameras. I have a Panasonic DV camera around here somewhere… probably on the floor gathering dust. Too big. Transferring video from tapes. It’s a chore. But video in my DSLR? That can be recorded without the use of disposable media? At 720p? In a device I have with me everywhere already that can also record 12 megapixel stills? Heaven!
Of course, Canon announced video capability in their new Canon 5D Mark II. They’ll undoubtedly include it the next generation of their Rebel line as well. The Mark II is also a very nice camera and does 1080p. It’s just a bit pricier, though.
I can think of a bunch of fun things to do with a video camera with interchangeable lenses. I almost bought one today on impulse, the kit with the new 18-105 VR,
To be honest I bought this lens because it was on sale for $100 in my local camera shop and the longest lens I had was 85mm. My main requirement in a zoom lens was that it let me capture some reasonable wildlife and landscape shots while I was on my travels through some of the National Parks of the American Midwest and Western Canada. I knew the likelihood of it getting broken before the end of the 6 weeks of travel was fairy high (as a combination of road-trip and backpacking it wasn’t exactly gentle travel) so there was no way I was going to spend several hundred (or even thousands) of dollars on one of the high-end lenses.
The Canon EF 100-300mm f/4.5-5.6 USM Telephoto Zoom Lens (as it is called on the box) usually retails for between $250 and $300 so I figured if I could pick one up for $100 it would be worth it even if it only lasted a couple of weeks. But I didn’t exactly have high expectations which might be why I’m so happy with this lens. First off it has proved to be a hardy little bugger,
