Best Camera Tripod

How to Use Camera Settings For Your Digital Photography

2011-01-31T10:00:00.001-08:00

Are you tired of having a hard time programming the right settings on your camera? This article will show you the basics to knowing how to use your camera to take great shots. When you follow this advice, you can focus more on composing shots, not worrying about if it's going to be blurry or overexposed.

There are many settings on your camera and I'm going to dissect the most important ones for you. They are

- Shutter speed
- Aperture
- Focus
- ISO

Here's how a camera works. You have a light sensitive medium or film inside your camera. The shutter speed opens letting light in through a hole called the aperture. This hole can be changed in size to let in a different amount of light. The shutter remains open and lets the light expose the film for however long you set it in the camera. After this, the shutter closes and you take your next shot.

Shutter speed
As mentioned above, the shutter controls the amount of time light is let in. It is measured in seconds or fractions of seconds. The longer the shutter time, the more light in. This is great for dark scenes that need more light to be seen. Faster shutter speeds, on the other hand, are good for very bright scenes like at the beach. When you use a long shutter speed be sure to use a tripod. Shutter speeds slower than 1/60 should have a tripod since the shutter is open for a long time and if the camera moves, blur will occur.

Aperture
This control is the opening in the camera. It controls how much light is let in. You can change it to have a very small hole or a very large hole. A large hole is something like f2.8 and a small hole is f16. They both have different effects on your shots. A large hole will give you a shallow depth of field where your subject is in focus but the background is blurred. A small hole is for everything to be in focus and is great for landscape shots or large fields that need everything in focus.

In general, the smaller the aperture, the more likely you'll need a tripod. Why is this? Because the hole is smaller and less light is let in. This means the shutter speed (the amount of time the light is let in) must be set to a longer time.

Both the shutter speed and the aperture are mutually exclusive and effect each other. If you use a small aperture, you need a long shutter speed. If you use a large aperture, you'll need a shorter shutter speed.

Focus
The focus is something that is very important for shots. If you have blurry shots its either because your using a slow shutter speed without a tripod or just aren't focusing right. Manual focus is the best focus and is also more difficult.

ISO
The ISO on your camera controls the sensitivity to light of your film. An ISO of 800 is a very sensitive film. This means that you will be able to use it in darker scenes where less light is available. An ISO of 200 is much less sensitive and is good for scenes with plenty of light such as the beach.

Nick Estrada recommends a Free Photo course that teaches beginners digital photography. He also recommends a free five day video e-course on how to Sell Your Pictures Online

53-Inch Camera Tripod with Bubble Level (Silver)

2010-10-18T20:20:00.001-07:00

53-Inch Camera Tripod with Bubble Level (Silver) Review

With every use, I continue to be shocked at how good this tripod is for the next-to-nothing price. The head isn't terribly fluid (I use it for video), but it's what can be expected for the price. For stills, it would be great. The legs are easy to extend and retract, so far the plastic tabs have held up very well. I truly enjoy the on/off baseplate--MUCH easier than screwing my little video camera on and off every time I want to go handheld.

bottom line: for the price, this is a really good buy.

53-Inch Camera Tripod with Bubble Level (Silver) Feature

Silver color with black plastic accents / Aluminum frame / Quick-release platform / 3-way, 360-degree swivel panhead
Adjustable tilt controls / Adjustable pan controls / 90-degree vertical platform / Gear operated center column / 53-inch maximum height
3-section aluminum legs with brace / Quick-release leg locks / Non-slip feet / Bubble level indicator / 3 mm standard tripod mount
1/4" standard tripod mount

53-Inch Camera Tripod with Bubble Level (Silver) Overview

Now you can get the perfect shot each and every time with this camera tripod. It lets you focus on taking pictures, instead of messing around with a mountain of assorted parts. The aluminum construction (with black plastic components) makes it lightweight while the brace and non-slip feet keep it securly in place. This tripod features adjustable legs and an adjustable center column. A bubble level also ensures that your camera is just where you want it.1/4" standard tripod mount

Available at Amazon Check Price Now!

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 18, 2010 22:20:48

Digital SLR Camera Tips For Beginners and Pros

2010-10-18T20:15:00.001-07:00

During my career as a photographer, I picked up lots of ideas that would help a newcomer start off on the right foot. The tips I am going to share in this article are my personal suggestions and should not be taken as state of the art truths.

1. The ISO setting is the only highly important technical detail you have to know about your DSLR. When taking pictures in an improperly lit room or outside at night, you can dramatically improve the quality of your shot by increasing the ISO setting. By raising it, the lenses will stay open for a shorter amount of time and the photo will be less influenced by the natural slight movement of hands.

2. When taking a shot in dim light, it's always best to find something to brace the camera on. Ideally, you should use a tripod, but a table, chair, bar or even a telephone or light pole could do the trick.

3. Don't get cheap when buying for a tripod. If you are on a low budget, it would be better to wait, save some money and buy a good one. Cheap tripods will break when you need them mostly, shake when the wind is blowing and sometimes not keep your camera at the right angle. You know the saying: you get what you pay for; this is especially true with tripods.

4. The power is in the lenses. I know it sounds like a quote from a Jedi master, but it's as true as it can be. There is a tremendous difference between the quality of a picture taken with, say, an 135 prime L series lens and the low level stock one that comes with each digital SLR camera. Experiment with a few good ones (I would recommend any Canon L series lens) and choose your preferred one.

5. Buy and learn to use Photoshop. I can't stress this enough. No matter how great a picture may be, you can always make small adjustments, like alter the contrast, sharpness or color saturations, to make it even better. There are many Photoshop tutorials out there, some of them are even free. And it's not very expensive, the low end version of Photoshop costs only $75.

As a final tip, don't forget to have fun! Photography is a great hobby and can be lots of fun. Stay creative. Take lots and lots of photos. Explore. And, again, have fun!

Getting the perfect SLR camera, is never an easy thing, especially with the way digital technology is constantly changing. Fortunately, there are plenty of helpful websites online, that can narrow down your search and help you find the DSLR camera with all the features important to you.

Tips For Buying a Tripod: Product Reviews: Adorama Photography TV

2010-10-18T20:09:00.001-07:00

Adorama Photography TV presents Tips For Buying a Tripod. This week, Mark Wallace has some tips on purchasing the right tripod for you. Mark also recommends a tripod that is perfect for traveling. For related articles and videos, and for more information about the products mentioned in this video, go to www.adorama.com Visit www.adorama.com for more photography videos! E-mail your questions to AskMark@Adorama.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arixeXlk_XI&hl=en