Top 5 Digital SLR Camera for Professionals

As the Digital technology in Photography is concern a lot of digital camera's are available in the market today, from compact digital camera up to Digital SLR... As what I posted last 5th July with regards to Camera Needs , this is to show some of Digital SLR Camera Pros most wanted!

While pros were slow to convert to digital, now many are going the way of the megapixel and getting professional digital SLR cameras. The selection of professional caliber digital SLR cameras is quite impressive. Here is a list of the best digital SLR cameras for professionals as of today.

1. Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II Digital SLR Camera -

The 16.7-megapixel 1Ds Mark II delivers performance and high quality imaging pros will die for. This is the ultimate wish-list digital SLR for a pro shooter. The features include:
Shooting in JPEG and RAW formats
Ten white balance settings, such as daylight, cloudy, fluorescent, light and custom.
Continuous shooting speed range between four shots per second and 32 shots per second

Voice narration attached to the image Dimensions of 6.1" wide x 6.2" high x 3.1" deep, weighing 2.68 pounds (just the body).

2. Nikon D2Xs Digital SLR Camera -

The 12.4 megapixel darling of the digital pro camera lineup boasts superb image quality. Its diverse features include:
Shooting JPEG and RAW simultaneously
Continuous shooting mode of 5 frames per second up to 15 consecutive shots
GPS records location with shooting data with optional accessories (how cool is that?)
Support for transfer direct via wireless LAN
2.5-inch color LCD
Dimensions of 6.2" wide x 5.9" high x 3.4" deep, weighing 2.4 pounds (body alone).

3. Canon EOS 5D Digital SLR Camera -

The 5D, with 12.8 megapixels, brings the professional digital SLR camera closer in reach price-wise. Its features include:
Lightweight and compact pro-level digital SLR
Up to 60 consecutive RAW or JPEG shot in burst at three frames per second
Picture Style setting to mimic film styles
Wireless transmission of images directly to computer
Dimensions of 6" wide x 4.4" high x 3" deep, weighing 28.6 ounces (body)

4. Nikon D200 Digital SLR Camera -

This 10.2 megapixel digital SLR straddles the line between professional and consumer level, but for beginner pros or pros on a budget this is a fine choice. The features include:
Shooting five frames per second continuously.
Eleven area autofocus
Wireless transmission
Dimensions of 3" x 3.8", weighing 19.8 ounces (body).

5. Canon EOS 1D - Mark lll New in the Line-up of DSLR.

The EOS 1D Mark III has several improvements that illustrate its greater versatility:
Fast performance, high resolution, and improved image quality across the board
Resolution sufficient for double-truck spreads and general commercial photography
Even faster capture, processing, and write speeds, and faster AF tracking for sports shooters
Super low-light capability for photojournalists (High ISO)

So now its up to you and your budget which camera will fit your needs?

Understanding your Camera Needs... What is the best Camera to Use?

Different cameras do have their strengths and weaknesses, and these will restrict your possibilities. But the most important restriction - and strength - is always your imagination.
Digital cameras are great for photographing people, not least because you will need to edit your results severely. Better to waste a few electrons than film.

SLR / DSLR Cameras

This is the camera type most widely used by professional photographers because of its flexibility.

Advantages

Accurate viewing and framing. You see from exactly the same viewpoint as the picture is taken - no 'parallax error' Most SLR / DSLR cameras show slightly less than appears on film
Interchangeable lenses give more flexibility and different perspectives
Generally have wide range of shutter speeds and apertures
Modern cameras are highly automated, giving good exposures without much thought.
Auto focus cameras are especially useful with longer focal length lenses.
Dedicated flash units can give accurate flash exposures automatically.

Disadvantages

Generally quite large, so you have more to carry around
Camera size makes them and you quite conspicuous
Shutter and mirror noise can be obtrusive
Time between pressing shutter release and taking picture can be around 30-50ms (longer if camera auto-focuses during this time.).
Viewfinder blacks out briefly while picture is taken

Rangefinder cameras

Used by professionals before the SLR became common in the 1970s, and still preferred by some for covering rapid action. The Leica M series are expensive, but more affordable Konica and Voigtlander models have led to renewed interest.

Advantages

Smaller, quieter and generally less conspicuous than SLR cameras.
Clear viewfinder image with bright line frame enabling areas around subject to be seen, which remains visible during exposure.
Very short lag (usually less than 30ms) between pressing release and exposure.

Disadvantages

Viewfinder is above and to the left of taking lens - has a slightly different view to what appears on film. (parallax error)
Not suitable for long telephoto lens (90mm is about the practical limit)
Generally limited automation - some have auto exposure.
Framing less accurate (still good on most models.)

Compact cameras

Commonly used by amateur photographers, although many professionals carry one in a pocket for when they don't have their full outfit with them.

Advantages

Unobtrusive and in common use; usually quiet.
Zoom lenses generally cover the most useful range for photographing people.
Relatively cheap.
Usually highly automated - exposure, focus, film wind etc

Disadvantages

Extended lag between pressing release and taking picture (often > 500ms)
Built in flash mainly useful in bright light for fill in, gives poor results in low light.

Other types

Many photographers in the middle of the twentieth century preferred the twin lens reflex camera, usually taking 120 film, and used from waist level. Rather than making eye contact with the subject through the pointing lens and viewfinder of the camera, they bowed down in front of it, peering into a box held firmly against their gut.

These cameras, particularly the Rolleiflex and Rolleicord, were quiet and unobtrusive to use, and their large negative allowed for considerable cropping. A few photographers still like to work this way.

Using Your New Camera -Technical skills

Learn to use Aperture

The aperture is the hole through which light enters the camera, also called the iris. Apertures are measured using a relative scale, and designated by 'f numbers' such as f4, f5.6 or f8. The smaller numbers refer to larger holes to let in light. The larger the aperture (smaller f number) the less time the camera needs to take a picture. For any particular light level and film speed (or digital equivalent) there are a range of 'equivalent exposures' which will produce the same exposure on film, for example

1/500 f4 : 1/250 f5.6 : 1/125 f11 : 1/60 f16

All these settings will produce the same exposure, but the results will often look rather different. If you are photographing a moving car, 1/500 f4 will probably give a fairly sharp result, but the slower shutter speed of 1/60 at f16 will produce a blurred result.

For any particular focal length, 1/500 at f4 will give a relatively shallow depth of field, perhaps useful to isolate a single figure from a background, but probably inadequate for a landscape subject with much depth. For this the much greater depth of field given by 1/60, f16 might be more suitable.

Many simpler cameras do not allow you to control the aperture, but use a 'programmed exposure' that chooses a combination of shutter speed and aperture. Sometimes there may be more than one program available, with a 'sports' program give faster shutter speeds and a 'landscape' program giving smaller apertures for any given light level.

With such cameras - and many digital cameras - the only way to control the aperture at all is to use a faster film speed, which will result in a smaller aperture being set.

Learn to use Shutter Speed

The shutter controls the length of time that light is allowed to enter the camera, and is usually expressed in a standard series of fractions of a second, such as:

1/8 1/15 1/30 1/60 1/125 1/500 1/1000 etc

Conventionally cameras used this set list of speeds. Some modern electronically controlled shutters using LCD panels for setting, allow speeds between these. It is one of those "added features" that make operating a camera slower and less intuitive, and is seldom if ever of use.

Correct exposure depends on the light level and film speed (or sensor sensitivity.) As mentioned above, there is always a choice of suitable combinations of shutter speed and aperture, such as:
1/500 f4 : 1/250 f5.6 : 1/125 f11 : 1/60 f16
all of which give the same amount of light.

Shutter Speed and Subject Movement

Shutter speeds become important with moving subjects, especially those close to the camera. Few photographers realise the importance of shutter speeds when photographing people walking. At a normal walking pace you might cover a kilometre in around 10 minutes, giving a speed of roughly 1.5 metres per second. This is 1,500 mm per second, so in 1/500s, you will have moved on average 3 mm. Not a great distance, but certainly enough to cause some blur if you are walking across close to the camera.

In fact the situation is both worse and better. A person walking towards or away from the camera will seem considerably less blurred. However, as walking is a complex motion, although the average movement will be 3mm, both arms and legs may well be moving at something like twice this speed in part of the movement cycle.

As you move further away from the subject, the significance of subject movement decreases, as the subject gets smaller in the image.

Shutter speed and focal length

Shutter speed is also important in cutting down camera shake. For 35mm cameras a good rule of thumb is always to use a shutter speed that is equal to or faster than 1/focal length. So with a standard focal length lens of 50 mm, you should use shutter speeds of 1/50 or faster, while a 500 mm lens needs 1/500.

When working with a digital camera, you should use the '35mm equivalent' focal lengths for similar calculations. As you zoom out towards greater magnification you need to remember you are also zooming your camera shake. If you can set a faster shutter speed you should consider doing so.

The faster speeds are needed because the longer the focal length the more any slight movements are magnified in the image. Some recent lenses incorporate image stabilisation using motion sensors; in some digital cameras the same function is performed digitally. Image stabilisation enables you to use significantly slower shutter speeds without getting camera shake, but does not of course reduce any problems caused by subject movement.

In the traditional SLR camera design, one cause of camera shake was the mirror which had to flip up immediately before exposure to allow the light to reach the film. Cameras without this - including most digitals except some of the interchangeable lens SLR digitals - have an advantage in avoiding shake. Many photographers have used rangefinder cameras such as the Leica series handheld with standard 50mm lenses with success at 1/15 or even 1/8 second.

Using Your New Camera -Technical skills

Technical skills are an essential basis for photography, and until recently made it a relatively difficult medium to master. Both film and digital cameras now offer so much in the way of automation that most things are easier. Technical decisions produce differences in your pictures and cannot be separated entirely from composition and aesthetics.

Learn to Use Focus

Most modern cameras now have auto-focus systems, although there are still occasions when it is better to focus manually if your camera allows it. Older cameras always had a focus scale on the lens against which the subject distance was set. Usually the scale was also marked to give an indication of 'depth of field.'

'Depth of field' is one of the more difficult ideas for new photographers to understand and put to use. Although although only one particular distance is precisely in focus when we take a photograph, objects at a range of distances from the camera will look acceptably sharp in any print. If the closest object in a particular print that seems sharp is at 5 feet, and the most distant is at 15 feet, then the depth of field extends from 5 to 15 feet.

Depth of field is not an absolute measure, as it depends on the size of the print, viewing distance and the visual acuity of the observer. Suitable assumptions are made to come up with actual figures, and the idea remains a useful one. For any particular format and focal length, the depth of field gets larger as the lens aperture gets smaller.

The smaller format of most digital cameras results in them having greater depth of field for any given angle of view and aperture. This means that there are less focus problems, but also that it is harder to make backgrounds unsharp.

A few cameras have a built in system for setting the focus and aperture to give the required depth of field, but most auto focus cameras lack any such facility. If you want to be precise you will need a camera that allows manual focus and lens with a depth of field scale.

Even with an auto-focus camera I spend much of the time working with auto-focus switched off. Working rapidly using auto-focus on too often gives a sharp background and the closer subject out of focus.

When using wide angle lenses at moderate distances in good light, faster and more reliable results are obtained by rough manual focussing. With a 28mm lens set to f8 and a little under 1.5 metres, everything from 1 metre to about 2.5 metres will be sharp. I know because the scale on my 28mm tells me this, with depth of field markings for f8. In practice I don't set the distance at the centre mark for focus, but set the nearest distance against the aperture in use, then read off the far distance.

Using focus means using both sharpness and unsharpness. The far distance - in this example around 2.5 metres - tells me that if the background is further than this from the camera, then it will appear less sharp than my subject. This helps to make the subject stand out. At times I'll deliberately shift the focus of the lens closer than necessary for my subject to make sure that the background is unsharp

With cameras that don't have this facility, it is worth remembering that except for close-up pictures, the range of sharpness extends roughly twice as far from the point of focus away from the camera as it does towards it. To get the maximum sharpness across an area you should focus not at its centre point, but roughly one third into it.

Using Your New Camera - How to get the most from your new camera

Although specifically aimed at newcomers to photography, especially those just starting out with a new camera, some of the advice here will also be useful to those who've been taking pictures for a while and want to improve their photography. Even experienced photographers - myself included - would benefit at times from some of this advice. It's all too easy, especially with a new camera, to rush out and start taking pictures without much thought, only to find results that disappoint or even failures.

Read the Manual

When we get any new piece of equipment, most of us want to jump straight in and start playing with it. Although it's a very natural reaction, try to restrain yourself, and at least after a little playing, sit down and read through the manual.

Make sure you understand each section as you go through it, finding the parts mentioned on the camera as you read about them. Don't load the camera with film at this point, as you will want to open it and look inside. If you have a digital camera, you can't look inside much anyway - usually only in the battery compartment, but it doesn't matter if you take pictures trying out the controls as you will soon learn how to delete them.

You will soon run down the batteries on a digital camera playing around with it, so if you haven't got spares, one of the first things is to find out how to use the recharger. An advantage of the digital is that you can try out more or less everything as you read about it and see the results.

It usually pays to go through all the details, making sure you understand. This isn't always easy as sometime the manuals are very poorly translated into English. One Russian camera I bought only had the manual in Russian, which was even less helpful. Fortunately there were enough diagrams for me to work out the important points - and I needed to use them as it was an unusual camera design.

Getting Help

If you are new to photography, you may find some words you don't know. The 'Glossary' (links at right) may help you with these. Some more complicated cameras come with a brief sheet with important details for you to carry when you go out to take pictures, at least when you are starting. It may be a good idea to make your own card with what you think are the most important points.

I still need to do this with some of my cameras for the features I use less often. Almost every camera I use, for example, seems to have a slightly different way of using flash, and there are often several different settings. I'm not sure how many cameras I own. There are a dozen or so I use fairly often (3 SLR bodies, 3 rangefinder bodies, 2 compacts, 3 panoramic cameras, a medium format camera and a digital) as well as those that see the very occasional outing. Fortunately most of them are pretty simple.

Find all the controls and what they do

This is really point 1 again, but looked at from the camera rather than the manual The great Henri Cartier-Bresson used to advise photographers to learn how make all the camera settings (shutter speeds, apertures and distances) without looking at the camera.

The aim was to be so familiar with the camera you could even operate it in total darkness, working completely by feel. This isn't possible with many camera designs, which rely on LCD menus and various buttons, switches and wheels.

Older cameras - such as the Leica M series - could become almost an extension of the photographer. His main purpose in doing this was to get the camera ready so that when he wanted to take a picture he had only to raise the camera to his eye for a fraction of a second to frame the image precisely and take it. If you want to be a photojournalist you certainly need to learn to work fast and without fuss, and to get it right.

Greater automation in cameras has fortunately made the kind of total control he had less necessary. Often we can get away with letting the camera sort out the exposure details, using automatic or programmed exposure settings. Expensive autofocus systems can focus fast enough for us to leave it to them, although it is still better to rely on manual focus in some situation.

However you still need to know your camera. Even with static subjects like architecture or landscape, you will sometimes have to work fast to catch an effect of light or a person in the right place. Time spent getting to know your camera, and what all of the buttons and menus do really will help you to take pictures

Camera Parts and Functions ( Manual Camera)

A Short Vocabulary List

When using many of the automatic cameras today, many of the features listed below are obsolete. This list is provided for those students who are enthusiasts of the manual camera.

Lens - It draws the light into the camera and focuses it on the film plane.

Shutter - It open and closes to control the length of time light strikes the film. There are two types of shutters: a leaf shutter, located between or just behind the lens elements, and a focal plane shutter, located in front of the film plane.

Shutter Release - The button that releases or "trips" the shutter mechanism.
Film Advance Lever or Knob - It transports the film from one frame to the next on the roll of film.

Aperture - It dilates and contracts to control the diameter of the hole that the light passes though, to let in more or less light. It is controlled by the f-stop ring. (f/22, f/16, f/13, f/11, f/8, f/5.6, f/4.5, f/3.5, f/2.8, f/1.8 and f/1.4)

Viewfinder - The "window" through which you look to frame your picture.

Film Rewind KnobThis knob rewinds the film back into the film cassette.

Camera Body - The casing of the camera which holds the encloses the camera pats.

Flash Shoe - This is the point at which the flash or flash cube is mounted or attached.

Self-Timer - This mechanism trips the shutter after a short delay - usually 7 to 10 seconds - allowing everyone to be in the photograph.

Shutter Speed Control - This know controls the length of time the shutter remains open. Typical shutter speeds are measured in fractions of a second, such as: 1/30 1/60 1/125 1/250 1/500 and 1/1000 of a second.

(This article was a request of my friends from the Philippines)