Collins
Digital SLR Handbook
John Freeman
To Chris Pailthorpe, who never lived to see this book.
Contents
Introduction
Resources
Glossary
Index
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Copyright
About the Publisher
For many years, the 35mm SLR film camera has been the cornerstone of the serious photographer’s kit but, with a speed that few could have imagined, the digital single lens reflex (DSLR) camera has now taken over its role.
The rise of the DSLR
There are those people who still maintain that the age of digital photography is all about ‘manipulation’ and that photographs produced digitally cannot come close to those printed on bromide in a wet darkroom. While no one would deny that shooting on film, developing it and then making a print is a craft that one spends a lifetime learning, equally no one should underestimate the different skills required to get the best from a digital camera, especially a sophisticated DSLR model.
Digital developments
Since the mid-1970s, when Kodak developed the first solid-state image sensor, the developments in digital photography have been as varied as they have been rapid. Only a few years ago, a compact camera boasting a 2mp (megapixel) image sensor was thought of as state of the art. Comparing that to my Canon EOS 1DS MK3 DSLR, which has a 21.1mp image sensor, it would be foolish to think that the technology will do anything but improve. This camera has now become the centre of my kit, and there are few applications that it can’t cope with just as well as, if not better than, my old film cameras once did.
The DSLR camera body is at the centre of a vast and continually growing system that is perfect for the professional photographer and enthusiastic amateur. Apart from being able to record high-definition images that can be enlarged to billboard-size proportions, the lenses available can be applied to virtually any shooting situation. These range from ultra wide-angle, such as the 180° fisheye lens, through to ultra telephoto lenses of 1000mm or more. In between there is a plethora of other lenses, such as macro, shift and tilt, image stabilizing lenses and more. Then there are the accessories, such as interchangeable focusing screens, macro ring flash, angle finders, underwater housings and so on.
However, just as it was with the old film SLRs or, indeed, with any equipment, it is you, the photographer, that makes the difference. After all, it is your ‘eye’ that sees the picture – the camera can only record it in the way you tell it to. With the help of this book you can learn how to see in a way that will enable you to get the most from your DSLR system.
Light is the lifeblood of photography, and the DSLR system enables you to capture the light at the end of the tunnel probably better than any other camera. Even in difficult situations, such as shooting in this canyon, the DSLR’s ability to record an image in low light is second to none.
> Canon EOS 1DS, 24mm lens, 2 secs, f/11.
The DSLR explained
Digital SLR cameras developed out of film SLRs. The earliest models were hybrids of film and digital technology but, as digital technology has advanced, DSLRs have become the camera of choice for many professional and amateur photographers.
How it all started
The main difference between a DSLR and an SLR camera is that in a DSLR, film is replaced by a solid-state image sensor. The images are created digitally within the camera, without the need to develop an image on film using chemicals.
In the mid-1970s, Kodak developed the first solid-state image sensor, known today as a CCD (charge coupled device), and by 1986, it had unveiled to the world the first megapixel sensor. With 1.4mp (megapixels), it was able to produce a photograph measuring around 130 × 170mm (5 × 7in). The company then pushed on to develop the Photo CD system for digitizing and storing photographs on a CD.
It was fitting that, in 1991, Kodak revealed the first commercially available DCS (digital camera system). Aimed at professionals, its DCS 100 was made up of a Nikon F3 camera body and a Kodak digital camera back with a 1.3 megapixel sensor on board.
Advances in technology
The benefits afforded to digital photographers quickly became apparent as the technology proved itself. Admittedly, the cameras available were chunky and needed a bus for carting the batteries around on, and they were also expensive: some of the first DSLRs cost over £20,000, making them a serious investment for any professional snapper and out of the reach of most enthusiast photographers.
However, the fact that you had a fast turnaround of images, could check your shot on the back of the camera as you went and had no film and development costs became key factors in the growing popularity of DSLRs. You could also use the same lenses on your digital