Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 8 i Canon Photography The Complete Manual

Light up the horizon Never discount an overcast sky as an opportunity to photograph a possible sunrise or sunset. Sometimes the clouds may start to break and reveal a glowing horizon, making a very dramatic image. These moments may be fleeting, but they can create gorgeous colours and contrast against the rest of the clouds in the sky. Colours of sunrise Sunrise goes through some particular phases, each with its own quality of light. Pre-dawn is usually cooler in tone, with lower dynamic range and soft shadows but the clouds will normally start lighting up before the sun actually gets to the horizon. The minutes before sunrise are generally more orange/ yellow in tone and shadows become more obvious. Then, once the sun is a couple of degrees above the…

Take more creative control of your photography with a range of digital cameras for enthusiasts that are as easy to use as you need them to be, with image quality that is sure to impress. Turn snaps and video clips into something far more wonderful: images and footage that you are proud of and want the world to see. Use high-end techniques such as shallow depth of field to create differential focus and draw your viewer’s eye to your subject. Make your images distinctive with the use of creative filter effects that can all be done in-camera with the touch of a button. Take command of your camera with controls that are easy and intuitive. Touchscreen LCDs give you greater access to your camera’s functions and shooting modes. You can…

Although mirrorless cameras have been with us for a number of years, Canon has taken its innovative and popular EOS system and developed it still further with the brand new EOS R and RP cameras. They’ve taken all the things you love about the EOS DSLR and built a full-frame mirrorless system around it. You have greater and more varied creative possibilities and even more ways of capturing that decisive moment that will take your photography and your filmmaking to new heights. The new EOS R lens mount system comes with five new lenses built specifically for this new system that will give you unrivalled clarity and image quality across a range of prime and zoom lens types. Don’t worry if you have already invested in other EF and EF-S…

EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM £180/$249/€245 A light and compact wide-angle zoom. Get more in every shot with this ultrawide zoom lens Easy to carry thanks to a compact design Smooth, near-silent AF when shooting movies 4-stop Image Stabiliser 0.22m close focusing Pros: Smooth and quiet motor. Amazing 4 stops of image stabilisation. Exceptional image quality. Cons: It uses a plastic mount, not metal. Can be a bit soft at the widest apertures. EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II £149/$199/€129 Affordable general purpose lens. Lightweight, compact design Wide-angle to short telephoto range Four stop Image Stabiliser Aspherical lens elements 0.25m close-focusing distance Circular aperture diaphragm High-speed AF Pros: Excellent image quality, particularly around f/8. Low distortion. 4 stop stabilisation. Cons: Can cause fringing in high contrast situations. Manual focus control a…

The majesty of mono Don’t be a fair weather photographer. You don’t always need a stunning sunrise or glorious sunny day to undertake a photography session. Sometimes, a grey day can give up the goods as well as any sunny day. It’s just a case of approaching it from a different angle. If it is a lacklustre day, the shadows will be flat or non-existent and there will be very little contrast compared to a bright day. Make the most of form and texture instead. Also, perhaps you could shoot with the intent of doing a mono conversion such as the examples seen here.…

“Autofocus technology has improved immensely, and these days even the most basic modern AF systems are generally fast, accurate and reliable.” With only one or two exceptions, all current digital cameras have automatic focusing. The first autofocus systems were developed by Leica in the 1970s. The first autofocus compact camera, the Konica C35 AF, was introduced in 1977, and the first autofocus 35mm SLR, the Pentax ME-F, was launched in 1981. Since that time autofocus technology has improved immensely, and these days even the most basic modern AF systems are generally fast, accurate and reliable. Although we now rely on autofocus for the vast majority of photographs, anyone who has tried taking a photo in low light, with fast-moving subjects or using very long telephoto lenses will have noticed that…

Of the three main controls common to nearly all cameras, shutter speed, focus and aperture, it is aperture adjustment that is the least well understood. This is because it not only helps to control exposure, but also affects something called Depth of Field. Understanding the effects of aperture size is a vital skill for any keen photographer. At least there’s nothing mysterious about the name. The aperture is literally a hole through which light passes after it enters the lens. The diameter of this hole can be altered, allowing a greater or smaller amount of light to pass through on its way to the sensor. In the early days of photography, aperture was adjusted by slotting cards with different sized holes cut in them into the body of the camera…

Nearly all digital cameras, from topof-the-range DSLRs to the humblest budget point-and-shoot compacts, have multiple light metering options. Knowing how and when to use these different metering modes can make a dramatic difference to the quality of your photography; unfortunately most people don’t understand what the different modes are for, how they work, or how to use them. Know your modes Depending on your camera, you’ll find metering options either in the menu or with their own separate control. In cameras with a fully-automatic setting, this will usually disable the metering options; automatically selecting multi-zone metering as the best option for day-to-day scenes and snapshots. The most common light metering modes are found on nearly all digital cameras. They are spot metering, centre-weighted metering and matrix metering. The symbols used…

This one can separate the newcomers form the pros. Post-work allows you to take that photo and wring every last bit of detail out of the shot to make it the best photo it can possibly be. However, it is also possible to over process the photo and turn it into a lurid oversharpened version of the original. Take your photo and then, at the post-process stage, add subtlety. Yes, you can add saturation, contrast and sharpness, but learn to see when you’ve taken it too far. One area that suffers the most abuse is the world of HDR photography. HDR (high dynamic range) photography requires the taking off several photos of the same scene but at different exposures. These are then combined to create images that contain much more…

Whether you are a beginner, an enthusiast or a seasoned professional, Canon’s range of cameras and accessories means that there is something for everyone. From stylish compact cameras, to entry level DSLRs and top of the range professional equipment; the range available to choose from is huge. Over the following pages we’ll take a look at the primary Canon range with easy at a glance specifications to help you decide which type of camera is right for you, along with some pros and cons to help refine your choices. We start with a few choice compact cameras and then move on to more advanced models such as the EOS M range and APS-C crop sensor and full-frame DSLRs. We also have a breakdown of lenses for EOS M, crop-sensor and…

If you seek something easy to use but still powerful, sleek and stylish, then Canon’s range of compact cameras is where you can find your perfect device. Canon’s innovative technologies are the backbone of the PowerShot and IXUS range of compact digital cameras that take you to the next level of shooting and sharing beautiful photos and HD quality movies. From the ultra-compact, to the versatile and affordable, you will no doubt find something that suits your pocket and your lifestyle. Here is just a sample of the digital compact camera range, that will get you inspired and ready to share your precious memories. Canon PowerShot G7 X III £699/$749/€766 A smart and small, multimedia compact. 1.0-type stacked sensor 20.1MP effective pixels DIGIC 8 image processor 4.2X zoom lens RAW…

Now you can enjoy ultimate image quality from APS-C and full-frame highperformance sensors. Delve deeper into the fascinating world of photography, try out new ideas and tackle new projects. You have world leading imaging technology at your fingertips, so it’s time to raise your game and shoot like you never thought possible before. The EOS system really helps you as you explore new compositions, locations and effects. Whether APS-C or moving up to full-frame, you can enjoy amazing levels of performance and image quality. You can shoot with ambient low light thanks to high ISO capability; or track and capture the action with faster and more accurate autofocus precision. Thanks to HD video capture built in to your EOS camera, you can be just as creative with your movies as you…

Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 IS Macro STM £520/$499/€584 A versatile high-quality 35mm lens for the EOS R mirrorless system. Maximum aperture of f/1.8 5 stops image stabilisation 11 elements in 9 groups 9 diaphragm blades Closest focusing distance 0.17m 63° diagonal angle of view Pros: Fast AF system. Amazing build quality. Great sharpness with sharp corners wide open. Cons: Not a true 1:1 macro lens. Some vignetting visible. Noisy AF motor. Some distortion visible. Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L USM £2687/$2699/€2999 An L series prime lens with incredible low light performance. Maximum aperture of f/1.2 Smooth, fast, USM motor 13 elements in 9 groups 9 diaphragm blades Closest focusing distance 0.85m 28° diagonal angle of view Pros: Fast autofocus. Highest build quality and performance. Impressive sharpness across the range. Cons: Not…

Modern Canon cameras are marvels of miniaturised technology, with many automatic functions to help you take good photos in a wide range of different situations. However by learning more about how your camera works and how to use its many features you can expand the scope of your photography and get good results every time, even in difficult conditions. For owners of more advanced DSLRs there are options such as aperture and shutter speed control, sensitivity and white balance, as well as creative light metering modes and manual focusing, all of which can be used creatively to make your photos really stand out. Photography is a rewarding and potentially profitable hobby, and the more you learn about it the more you’ll get out of it. Read on and find out…

The shutter of your camera is simply a mechanical barrier that prevents light from entering the camera until it is needed, controlling when and for how long light is allowed in to expose the sensor. The latest digital cameras have high-speed electro-mechanical shutters capable of timing exposures with an accuracy measured in fractions of a millisecond. Along with the aperture setting and the sensitivity control, shutter speed is one of the three ways that photographic exposure is adjusted. When a picture is taken, the shutter is opened for a precisely measured amount of time allowing light to pass through. The duration of the exposure is set either automatically by the camera’s light meter or manually by the photographer. The wider the range of available shutter speeds, the greater the creative…

Anyone who has owned a digital camera for a while will be familiar with the concept of image noise. It’s that grainy distortion that spoils pictures shot in low light conditions with high ISO settings. What is image noise, where does it come from and what can be done to prevent it? All electronic devices generate noise. The background hiss of a radio, the sound of an overamplified electric guitar, or the interference on a badly tuned television, all of these things are electronic noise, and so is the noise seen in a digital photograph. This noise comes from a variety of sources. Some of it is generated by imperfections in the electronic components, or as a by-product of their normal operation. For instance, capacitors generate a small amount of…

If you’re serious about your photography then sooner or later you’re going to want a digital SLR. Despite all the improvements in advanced compact, super-zoom or compact system camera design, in terms of image quality, performance and creative versatility the digital SLR still beats almost every other type of camera hands down. There are some top-end pro cameras costing tens of thousands of pounds which can take better pictures, but frankly if you’re considering one of those then you’re reading the wrong book. The acronym “SLR” stands for “single lens reflex”. The “single lens” part is to differentiate them from the twin-lens cameras that were popular in the 1960s, while the “reflex” part refers to the reflex mirror, an angled movable mirror that sits in front of the sensor and…

EF 11-24mm f/4L USM £2699/$2799/€2549 The best in ultra-wide-angle photography. Minimum focusing distance of 11 in./0.28m 9 diaphragm blades 16 element in 11 groups The widest angle rectilinear zoom lens Minimal distortion for architecture Advanced lens coatings Swift, nearly silent AF Pros: Astonishing scope and quality. Superb sharpness, colour rendition, and contrast. Cons: Colour fringing reported at 11mm. Sigma’s 12-24 might be an alternative. Heavy. EF 17-40mm f/4L USM £549/$799/€747 A lightweight and affordable ultra-wide zoom. Superb optical performance throughout the zoom range Fast autofocus speed Highly resistant to dust and moisture 28cm minimum focusing distance at all focal lengths 12 elements in 9 groups Pros: Quality L series lens. Incredible image quality and fast focusing. Relatively inexpensive. Cons: Distortion reported at 17-20mm focal lengths. Copies seem to suffer softness…

When shooting hand-held and wishing to avoid camera shake, as a rule of thumb you can safely use a shutter speed roughly equivalent to the reciprocal of the focal length you are using. For example if you’re using a 100mm focal length then you can take a sharp hand-held shot at a shutter speed of 1/100th of a second or faster. If you’re using a 35mm focal length then 1/35th of a second is safe, and so on. Many modern cameras include technology which can reduce the effects of camera shake at low shutter speeds. Many compact cameras use electronic processing to counteract movement, which does work but produces relatively poor image quality. Among digital SLR and CSC manufacturers there are two types of image stabilisation in common use. Canon,…

When you look at, for example, a sheet of white paper, your brain adjusts what you see so that it matches what you are expecting to see. However your digital camera doesn’t have any expectations, and the colour that it “sees” is the actual colour present in the scene. ‘White’ light visible to humans can actually vary in colour from reddish orange to greenishblue. This variation is usually described as a temperature range, with warm being the red end and cold at the blue end, and is usually measured in degrees Kelvin using a colour meter. Confusingly, the higher the colour temperature, the cooler the tone and vice versa. We perceive various shades of white light illuminating a scene as neutral, a clever trick performed by our brains to maintain…

Don’t keep the camera on auto. You have an amazing piece of imaging technology in your hands so use it. If you don’t know enough about it, then spend the time and learn how to use it. Learn about aperture, shutter speed and ISO and how they all interact with each other and you will not regret it. You will have total control over your images and the camera will not have control over you and the choices you want to make. If you really get a good grasp of the basics, then the whole world of photography really opens up and you will be using the camera to its full potential. You will make some mistakes, we all do. A classic is to set your lens to manual focus…

A common issue for newbies is not having access to a mentor or another experienced photographer that they can talk to. If you are out shooting at a location where are other photographers around, why not go and have a chat with them? Photographers are a genial bunch and happy to chat about the subject and share insights and help newcomers who are trying to get to grips with their cameras. Think about joining a local photography club. You will be part of a larger group of likeminded enthusiasts who usually plan photo expeditions and go as a group. This is an excellent way to learn the craft. It just requires that you, the photographer, are comfortable enough to go and ask for help and advice when you need it.…