rob answers:

Lens flare is possible under any condition were the light source is within the angle of view of the lens.

The amount of lens flare is effected by how wide the angle of view is of the lens, how clean the front element or lens filter is and the sophistication of the special lens coatings applied by the lens maker.

The most effective way to prevent lens flare is to 1) prevent light sources from striking the lens, 2) keep the lens perfectly clean, 3) use lenses that have the state of the art lens coating and 4) if you do have lens flare, try to use it artistically to add drama to the shot

rob answers:

In order:

Read the Filter Diameter spec:

http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/camcorders/consumer_camcorders/vixia_hf_s200#Specifications

Yes.

Link to the manual:

http://gdlp01.c-wss.com/gds/6/0300003236/01/hfs20-s21-s200-nim-en.pdf

Refer to the optional accessories available from Canon on pages 205-206. Lens add-ons and filters all have a 58mm spec. Since we don’t know exactly what you ordered 9manufacturer), we can’t be 100%, but if you say you ordered 58mm fittings, then you should be good to go.

The Lens Filter spec is also listed near the end of the manual. See page 210.

rob answers:

Any EOS compatible lens will work, however if you stick with Canon lenses, they will still be performing flawlessly in twenty years.

If the lens in question was made before 1987, I will not work the Canon K2

rob answers:

To answer your first question, I’d recommend buying just Canon brand lenses. Canon is the only camera manufacturer that still has not licensed their electronics technology to any of the independent lens makers. All the other brands have to “reverse engineer” the electronics to make them compatible. Unfortunately, if Canon makes a change on future DSLRs the lenses may not be 100% compatible. It has already happened on some of the older independent brand lenses that some of the early lenses won’t work on some of the newer cameras. If you plan on staying with the same body forever it might not make a difference but if you ever plan on upgrading (and who doesn’t?) you might get stuck with a lens that won’t work with your new camera.

As far as filters go, there has been quite a bit of discussion as to whether to use a UV filter on DSLRs. There are a lot of shooting situations where the flat surface of the filter can cause problems with the autofocus and image quality. This doesn’t happen with film camera because the film isn’t as reflective as the CCD sensors are.

Nikon even says in the D200 instruction manual:

quote…use of a filter is not recommended when the subject is framed against a bright light, or when a bright light source is in the frame. … End quote

If you are going to use a filter make sure it is a high quality, multi-coated filter to cut down on problems.

Bob K
www.CameraRepairs.com

rob answers:

Try another card reader.

Did you possibly shoot in RAW format? If so, perhaps what you see on the LCD are just the embedded jpegs and not the actual RAW images.

However, the most likely scenario is that your card is corrupted and that you need to simply run image recovery software like this one: http://www.photosrecovery.com

on your card. Just stick the card into your card reader, run the software on it. You can do a trial run to see what could be recovered before spending the money to actually recover it.

Finally, I am not a fan of Lexar memory cards, because they have corruption issues, particularly with Canon cameras.

See this link here, about the middle of the page, in the section on Lexar-Canon corruption:
http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/content_page.asp?cid=7-6467-7817

rob answers:

Cameras are not built to be uploaded to.
They are image capture devices. They merely store the image until you can download and format the card.

The camera has a very simple firmware, it expects data in a very limited range…once you’ve downloaded it – and changed the filename, flags and tags and all sorts of bits – the camera has no idea what that file is or what to do with it.
Get a card reader, cut the camera out of the loop and you stand a chance of recovering those pictures.

Something like this….$4.95

http://www.amazon.com/PQI-USB-2-0-CompactFlash-Reader/dp/B000W4T9KG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=photo&qid=1275918702&sr=1-1

Try this software if you get no joy with a straight download…

Recuva

http://download.cnet.com/Recuva/3000-2242_4-10753287.html

Edit *********************************************

Check your download software.
Some software has an option to stop you importing the same file twice. It prevents multiple copies taking up space on your hard drive and confusing things.
Look in the menus to see if there’s something that fits that description. Something like “Exclude Duplicates”.

rob answers:

When windows asks you what you want to do say take no action. Then go to the program you open your pics with and hit open and on the drop down box hit removable disk (:E) and select your pics

rob answers:

This is one of the most common problems that gets asked here on YA where people unable to get their or someone else’s computer to recognize their cameras.

Solution: Do what most to all of Regulars do when we want to download photos onto the computer is actually using a Card Reader. Just connect the External Card Reader to the Computer only if the computer already has Internal Card Reader . Remove the Memory Card from the Camera, Insert the Memory Card into the Card Reader, and then Start Downloading photos onto the computer. It’s that easy. Plus the good thing about the External Card Readers is that the computers 99% of the time would recognize the Card Reader practically in nothing flat.

rob answers:

If you are new to photography the 1st thing to do is start taking pictures!
The EOS is a good starter camera. The price sounds good. Get it.
Start taking photos and make notes of what you like don’t like with the camera.
Take some of the money you would have spent on development, put it aside for your next camera. When you’re ready sell the EOS and get a more full featured unit.
In the mean time you have all those pictures and gained a working knowledge of what you want out of your camera gear.

rob answers:

$499 is the going price at the moment

I own this camera and it’s excellent. Superb photos and a solid build. I’m very pleased. It is a good choice.

If you’ve used an SLR you’re up on the game, If not there is a learning curve that goes with any SLR camera to operate it for the best results. Results like this.
Http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimsphotostuff/4999797748/sizes/l/in/photostream/

rob answers:

I think you should go with Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Camera Lens

50mm standard lens with f/1.8 maximum aperture
Traditional Gauss-type optical design is extremely sharp
Focuses as close as 18 inches for extreme close-ups
Ideal for natural-looking shots; excellent color balance
Measures 2.7 inches in diameter; 1-year warranty

rob answers:

Too much? There is no such thing as a camera being too much for a beginner. If a newbie can afford a $30,000 Hasselblad to learn from, then why not?

DSLRs are worth your money if and only if you dedicate yourself to learning the basics of photography. Using it exclusively as a point-and-shoot camera at full automatic all the time is a surefire way to waste your money, and yes, disappoint you.

Depending on your skill level, compact cameras can produce pictures as great as dSLRs, depending on your skill level.

The biggest drawback of getting a dSLR and not learning the basics of photography is finding out later that you just can’t take glamorous pictures with dollars alone. You also need your brain.

Will you regret getting a dSLR? We all know that that totally depends on you.

What do I suggest? Learn how to use your Cybershot more efficiently. I use my wife’s 12MP Cybershot S980 exclusively at 6MP to cram in more pictures to the horrendously priced memory stick. My brother-in-law, who owns a nicer Cybershot with a Carl Zeiss lens noticed I take much better pictures than he does even if he maxes out his MP setting. I reply to him, “Megapixels is nothing. It’s all in the settings.”

List? For compacts, Canon, Sony, Lumix. For dSLRs, Canon, Nikon, Pentax. Model? Take the most expensive you can afford. That simple.

What camera am I using? Pentax MX film SLR and Pentax K200 dSLR.

Suggestions and input? I guess I already said it all.

Video option? No, I don’t do video. My kids take that department. They have a no-name 5MP Chinese Digicam and get lots of fun using it. Most newer dSLRs have video feature nowadays, not all so be sure to check. Also be very specific to getting video with sound. Sound is not standard with the video feature in digital cameras.

Regarding your list, the most adept seems to be the Rebel but since I am anti-Canon, I would rather get the D3000.

.

rob answers:

You sure can. All EF lenses can be used on both film and digital Canon cameras. The only lenses that your film camera can not use are the EFs lenses these are designed specifically for the cropped sensors on DSLR cameras. For instance many DSLR cameras come with a EFs 18-55mm lens. This would be the equivalent to the EF 28-90mm lens that comes with many film cameras.

The reason why Canon produces these EFs lenses is that because of the cropped sensor (smaller than 35mm film) the field of view is magnified by 1.6

This is great for a telephoto lens. Your 200 mm lens becomes a 320mm lens. On the wide angle end you lose out. This is why Canon has lenses like the EFs 18-55 mm and the EFs 10-22mm.

Bottom line make sure it is an EF lens and not an EFs lens and you will have no problems.

rob answers:

No. If you watch the trends the camera makers rarely, if ever, lower camera prices. If there are sales they’ll be conducted by local retailers.

rob answers:

I’d suggest reading the link below. It will explain the mm (focal length) as well as some other things you should understand about camera lenses.

Http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/camera-lenses.htm

I think it will also help you decide what kind of lens you’re looking for.

rob answers:

They are all good cameras it really depends on what type of pictures you plan on taking and how you plan on using it most often. Are you mostly sports/action or people/portraits? Do you need longer zoom or faster continuous burst speeds. Decide based on the shots you want to capture.

In regards to 10 MP vs 12 MP you won’t be able to visually see a difference unless you are making 20″ x 30″ posters and even then it will be negligible so don’t use that as a deciding factor.

rob answers:

I would consider Canon EOS 60D 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera
*18.0-megapixel CMOS sensor and DIGIC 4 Imaging Processor; ISO 100-6400 (expandable to 12800)
*Includes 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS UD standard zoom lens
*Improved EOS HD Video mode with manual exposure control; Vari-angle 3.0-inch Clear View LCD monitor
*5.3 fps continuous shooting; enhanced iFCL 63-zone, Dual-layer metering system

rob answers:

I don’t recommend any one brand over the other…it all comes down to YOUR ability to use what you have.

What I do tell people is to go to an actual camera shop (not an electronics store), and talk to the people that have actual experience using cameras and doing photography instead of the kid that is in the camera department of an electronics store (who was selling TVs last week and in the movie/music section the month before).

You need to hold/handle/try the different brands and model in your budget to see what feels comfortable to you, that you can find/use the controls easily, and has the ability to do the type of photography you are interested in now and in the future. I chose Canon for its ergonomics and menu layout while a fellow photog chose Nikon for the same reason.

The first thing to do is figure out your TOTAL amount you can spend. Then subtract 10% to cover taxes. After that, plan on about $150-$200 for an extra battery, several memory cards, and a nice padded case for the camera/lenses. The amount left over after that is your camera/lens budget….if this is your first DSLR, then start off with a camera “kit” that includes the camera body and 1-2 basic lenses for you to thoroughly learn the cameras operation.

If you want to do quality macro photography, budget in $500-$2000 for a nice quality lens.

.

rob answers:

I’m not familiar with the 250 but I do have a SlingShot300AW. You could fit all your camera gear, including the mic in it but the laptop would be too much I’d say, for the bag and for your back. I load mine up with cameras, lenses and accessories and hang a mono-pod off the back of it but I go everywhere by motorbike and never travel far from it to take photos so its not that much of a burden. I have a 17 inch Toshiba laptop that I carry separately when I’m traveling around the countryside. I have no doubt one of the bigger LowePro’s will accommodate your equipment but will your back?

rob answers:

Yes the 60D is an excellent camera but so is the t3i… Canon’s latest entry into the consumer market. It also has an articulated screen for shoot at low and odd angles.

You’re going to want plenty of light for any stills you do though – that or pose them and don’t let the guys / gals move because with less light the shutter speed will be longer.

Experiment around once you get your camera and you decide on the look, the light (I recommend reds and blues / light filters to brighten the set.

rob answers:

Set camera to AF. On the spot where you will stay to have your picture taken, position a broom, a chair, a pile of books or something. Focus on that. Now that the camera is focused, set it to Manual focus so it won’t change. Set the timer, press the button and run into position, knocking whatever is that you used (or you could knock only half the pile of books and sit there – hint, hint). Pose. Smile!

rob answers:

With your camera in the manual mode, adjust the shutter speed down past the 30 second exposure mark and the next setting should be Bulb.

At that point as long as you hold your finger down on the shutter release, the shutter will remain open. Canon makes a wired remote that you can use to reduce the chance of camera movement during your long exposure.

rob answers:

The rebel XTI doens’t offer the option of seeing your image before you shoot like a piont-and-shoot camera. The camera is made to have to look through the view finder everytime. You may want to look into a different model if you need the image to appear on the LCD before you take the shot. The more expensive canon DSLR model’s I believe offer this option, but for a hefty price. There are some low end SLR camera’s that offer this (olympus). Otherwise your best bet is to sell/return the xti and buy a nice point and shoot.

rob answers:

To use the close-up lens/filter you’ll have to use Manual Focus. If you focus at the closest focusing distance for your lens you may have to use a support since your field of focus will be very shallow and you’ll be very close to your subject.. If you focus at infinity you’ll have a better working distance from your subject.

rob answers:

“Point the Canon RC-6 Wireless Remote toward the front of the camera (line of sight only) within 16′ (5m) and take the shot when you are ready.”

From http://www.the-digital-picture.com/reviews/Canon-RC-6-Wireless-Remote-Review.aspx

You can set a 2 second delay if you want.

rob answers:

From the Rebel you want to jump to the Canon 7D. It has actually received higher ratings than the camera body just above.

I shoot with a 18-200mm IS lens, Canon 580EX II flash, with a Custom Brackets Pro M bracket and an external Qflash triggered with a pocket wizard.

As far as lights are concerned, since you are shooting weddings I would stay portable with either Quantum or Lumedyne lighting.

rob answers:

Find the setting for “Bracketing” exposures.

This will take one under, neutral, and one over (-1, 0, +1), for as long as you hold the shutter button down.

It really helps in post processing if you use a tripod, so then Photoshop can align the photos better.

rob answers:

Cameras must support ‘Streaming’ in order to be used as webcams.
Check the Canon site to verify if yours will.

rob answers:

It is the status display that shows general information about settings.

rob answers:

What lens do you have now?

What kinds of things do like to shoot?

Stick with a Canon dedicated flash unit.

rob answers:

You will see an unbelieveable improvement in your upgrade from a point and shoot to an SLR. The size of the sensor is very important – not to mention that you will find the lens quality is vastly superior. This is not 100% applicable in your situation, but it is educational nonetheless: http://www.flickr.com/photos/samfeinstein/476181751/

Nikon D40 vs. Canon EOS 350D (Rebel XT)

I have never used a Canon EOS 350D, so I can’t actually compare the cameras, but I favor the D40 because it has a spotmeter and the 350D doesn’t. Although the D40 seems small, it is practically the exact same size as the 350D.

Http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare_post.asp?method=sidebyside&cameras=canon_eos350d%2Cnikon_d40&show=all

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond40/page17.asp

tells us that the Canon 350D meter calibration is off by about 1/3 of a stop. This would not really present any problems, except that it suggests “something” to me about the quality, since the Nikon and Pentax are dead on.

Scroll on down the page for image comparisons. The D40 is clearly sharper and shows less noise at all ISO settings.

Http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond40/page18.asp shows us that both handle shadows equally, but the D40 clips the highlights by about 1/3 of a stop.

This next paragraph directly addresses your concerns about the 8 MP vs. 6 MP issue. You will see that it’s not so much the number of the pixels (as long as they are in the same league), but what you do with them that counts.

Http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond40/page21.asp shows a side-by-side of studio images. The 8 MP of the Canon 350D at least put the camera on equal footing with the Nikon D40 for image quality, but you have to take note that the Rebel XT is shot at ISO 100 and the Nikon is shot at it lowest setting of ISO 200. I think the Canon images may look a little better, but we know from the prior page that under equal lighting levels, the Canon will start to break up before the Nikon.

The reviewer says, “While it is possible to pick areas of the image which lend some credence to the EOS 350D’s 34% pixel count advantage it’s clear that the average observer would not notice these differences and that you would need a very large output size for any of them to become visible.”

Check this out…

Http://dpreview-img.fotki.com/gallery/canoneos350d_samples1/originals/img_4068-raw-dpp.jpg is taken by the Canon 350D with a 17 mm focal length at f/6.3, 1/80th of a second, ISO 400 using RAW.

Http://dpreview-img.fotki.com/gallery/nikond40_samples/originals/dsc_1206.jpg is taken with the Nikon D40 with an 18 mm focal length at f/4.5, 1/80th of a second, ISO 400 using jpeg.

The point of focus for the Canon photo is a bit deeper than it is for the Nikon, but even having 8MP and using RAW and a smaller aperture, I think the Canon image breaks up a lot more than the Nikon. You can barely make out the features on the face of the gentleman in the background. Is this the camera or the superiority of the Nikon 17-55 lens, which so many of us here praise???

Okay, I’ve made my stance clear. I like the Nikon D40 better than the Canon EOS 350D, so here’s my general review of the D40.

The Nikon D40 is a great little camera, very easy to use and quite reasonably priced. It has a few “consumer friendly” totally automatic modes that make it very easy to use, but still offers total photographic control when you are ready to take charge. It will get you in the Nikon family which is a great place to be. If you buy accessories and lenses, you will be able to use everything on any Nikon that you might upgrade to later on.

Check out Nikon’s “Picturetown” promotion, where they handed out 200 D40′s in Georgetown, SC. Http://www.stunningnikon.com/picturetown/

Here are a few reviews, in case you have not read them yet. Be sure to note that they are several pages long and some of the reviews also have some sample images that you can look at.

Http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond40/

http://www.steves-digicams.com/2007_reviews/nikon_d40.html

http://www.popphoto.com/cameras/3756/camera-test-nikon-d40.html

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d40/d40-recommendations.htm

I hate to see people slam the camera because it can’t autofocus with older Nikon lenses. It is true that there is a “slight problem” with older Nikon lenses not autofocusing on the D40, but if you do not own a bag full of older lenses, it is not going to be a problem. It is barely a problem anyhow. If you check www.nikonusa.com for “AF-S” lenses, which are ALL 100% compatible with the D40, you will find 23 lenses, including 7 “VR” (vibration Reduction) lenses and one true macro lens with “VR”. There are another 25-plus lenses in the current catalog that provide all functions except autofocus as well as many (possibly dozens) “out of print” lenses that will work just as well. In addition, although these lens will not autofocus, most of them will still give focus confirmation. From the D40 manual: “If the lens has a maximum aperture of f/5.6 of faster, the viewfinder focus indicator can be used to confirm whether the portion of the subject in the selected focus area is in focus. After positioning the subject in the active focus area, press the shutter release button halfway and rotate the lens focusing ring until the in-focus indicator is displayed.” (See http://www.members.aol.com/swf08302/nikonafs.txt for a list of AF-S lenses.)

The D40 only has 3 autofocus zones arranged horizontally at the center, 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock positions. This might be considered a limitation, but realistically, most people will find this perfectly adequate, especially if you are moving up from a point and shoot with only a center zone.

You can get the D40 with the 18-55 kit lens at B&H Photo available through Yahoo! Shopping or at 1-800-622-4987) for $525 (June 2007). Add a Lexar Platinum (60X speed) card for $25 or 2 GB for $35. Or – get the D40 with 18-135 lens and 1 GB Lexar card for $750. They also have used D40′s from $475.

And yet… Clearly these are both very good cameras. What it all comes down to is which one YOU feel better about. Go to a camera shop and pick them up and see.

rob answers:

Any lens that works properly on the XT will work on any Canon, XTi, XS, XSi, 30d, 40d, 50d, T1i, etc.

rob answers:

If you are concerned primarily with video, then, for a few reasons, a video camera is acutally better:

Camcorders have much wider range lenses
Camcorders hold back focus through the zoom range
Camcorders have powered servo zooms
Camcorders often have headphone sockets to monitor audio
Camcorders often have external audio inputs, on high end models professional audio inputs
Camcorders generally don’t suffer from rolling shutter syndrome

That said, the video from DSLRs can be brilliant, I shoot with a 7D and a 550D.

Heres why:

My video camera is great for many things, but the footage looks like video. Lack of focus sepration.
Lack of saturation. I even approach it differently. When I’m using a video camera I think less about the quality of each individual shot and more about how it will cut. When I’m using a DSLR for video I kind of have my ‘every frame counts’ hat on, and perhaps will spend the extra time filtering or composing.

I bought a 7D as at the time the 5D2 was not yet 25fps compatable and didn’t have full manual exposure.

Then the 5D2 got these things plus audio control.

Hey ho.

I still prefer the 7D, when i’ve shot with a 5D2 I ‘ve found it more prone to rolling shutter, perhaps down to the larger sensor. I’ve also found it far trickier to manually focus (in video you manually focus. Full stop.)

But I wouldn’t buy a 7D for video today. I’d buy a 60D or 600D. Flip out screen. Audio controls.

Oh yes!

The 7D still has the upper hand for sports and nature photography (it’s miles above the 5D2 in this respect) and so I would still have a 7D for my photography.

If you shoot nature or sports stills get a 7D. If you shoot video get a camcorder. If you don’t need top end stills performance and shoot some video get a 60 or 600D.

rob answers:

It really depends upon how many EF-S lenses you have. You do know that none of those lenses EF-S lenses can be used on any 5D or 1D Canon cameras and that means only the 7D can use those current lenses. If you do choose the 5D, Mark II, you will have to replace all your current EF-S lenses.

Since most DSLR cameras are up dated every 18 to 24 months and the 5D, Mark II has only been out a short time, you will have plenty of time to replace all your EF-S lenses during that time frame. If you choose the new 5D, Mark III, you can keep using your entry level XS and finish learning how to use a fully adjustable camera and save your money for buying all EF lenses so you are ready for your new 5D series camera

rob answers:

It does not matter how old the Canon 5D is. It could be replaced several times over, and still be an excellent camera. It’s one of those cameras that remain timeless, not like an entry level camera that gets replaced every year. My suggestion is, if you want it, buy it. When the replacement comes out, whenever that will be, it’s going to be probably twice as expensive as the 5D.

Canon has a reputation of releasing new camera models at the drop of a hat. Look at the EOS 1Ds Mark III. Came out about a month after the 1D Mark III.

rob answers:

I never buy used, too many questions that can’t be answered unless you know the individual selling the gear, if you have a chance to look closely at it, shoot with it, etc.

Can you answer these questions? How’s it been treated? Has it been roughed or beaten up?
Wet? How have the lenses been treated? Do they work properly? What’s the shutter count?

You see, for me at least, way too many questions.

rob answers:

I have seen it been done before, but don’t have a great deal of experience with it myself. This site has a pretty in depth information about the types of adapters available as well as details on focusing, metering and exposure:

http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/eosfaq/manual_focus_EOS.html

The site below also has details, but only for using the Canon Lens Converter FD-EOS and not any third party ones, but it does have useful information about what lenses to use with it as well as a PDF instruction manual and links to other sites about FD-EF converters.

Http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/canon/fdresources/fdlenses/fdeos.htm

Hope that helps.

rob answers:

I would suggest that you take a photography course (or at least a basic camera course) as soon as you get your camera.

There is no all around “BEST” lens. The best lens is the one that does what you want/need it to do. What works for me may not be the best for your situations. I could recommend a really good $29,999 lens for wildlife, but what if you want a wide angle for landscape. I could suggest a $1,500 telephoto lens when you want a cheap portrait lens.

The basic “kit” lens is just that…it is basic. It is meant to be used until you have a better understanding of the camera and know what you need. You use the basic kit lenses (18-55 and 75-300) until you can answer “what doesn’t this lens do that I need it to?”, then you will have a better idea of what lenses you will want/need. The reason people buy a DSLR is so they can build a collection of lenses for different situations.

For example…I have a 85mm f/1.8 and a 70-200 f/2.8L lens. The 70-200 is a higher quality lens BUT… The 85mm f/1,8 allows more than twice the amount of light in when fully opened (which comes in handy in a low light situation).

rob answers:

You know the ae-1 is a film camera right? Unless you are prepared to spend money on film and developing that film it does not sound like a good trade. Also, do you know how to use a manual film SLR camera? They are very different from the point and shoot digital camera you already have…

rob answers:

It is not a DSLR so you can’t change lenses.

You can, however, get an adapter that lets you add those dreadful add-on “lenses”.
They are not very good quality, and will disappoint anyone with a discerning eye.

If you have a look on the Canon website, you can learn a LOT about that camera, including which accessories are available.

Http://www.canon.com.au/en-au/For-You/Digital-Cameras/PowerShot-Digital-Cameras/G12-Camera