Digital cameras have advanced, but could not take good care of? Well, it was the same as spending money for the cost of repair or buy new!
Digital cameras may be a mandatory thing for the holidays with family or when a reunion with old friends. Caring for these high-tech items must not be arbitrary. There are several things you need to know to care for her.
• If the camera is accidentally plunged into the sea water, first rinse with fresh water, then immediately dried. Sea water can quickly make the body and the inside of the camera rusty.
• To clean the lens, use a special blower camera you can buy at a camera store.
• After that, the new lens cloth with soft cloth (like a cloth to wipe his glasses), or a special lens tissue. Do not wipe the camera lens with normal tissue, because the coating on the lens can be detached and tissue filings will stick. This will make even more dirty lens.
• To clean the camera body, use a soft brush.
• Do not store the camera in a wardrobe, bookshelf, or other places which moist. Keep the camera in a dry and cool. If possible buy a special box or cupboard for storing cameras, or store it in glass / wood, or a clean glass jar, and put some silica gel.
• If you are finished using the camera and want to keep it, copotlah battery from the camera body to prevent leaking batteries and store separately from the camera.
• The battery will be easily damaged if used in cold areas. If you are in a cold place, do not leave the battery in the camera. If you’re not in use, store the battery in your pocket.
• Keep the camera from direct sunlight, because it can damage the plastic and rubber.
• Keep the camera out of mothballs or air freshener, because it can damage the camera chip and cause spots on the lens.
Maintenance is good and right will make your favorite camera certainly durable and produces images with good quality!
Indoor – Outdoor Bounce Flash and / diffuse
Camera-Digital.com (Agus Chiawono)
The use of Flash is very helpful when we photographer at room dark light conditions. But if we do not exactly set the settings to use flash, then the image will not be maximum, sometimes less bright or even too bright. For the continuation of this article will explain how to use flash indoor and outdoor as well as how flash is used and an explanation of the bounce and diffuse the flash. (This article is the connection from the article Blitz for Dummies)
Indoor Flash
Blitz often even almost always used in the room. The reason is because in the room lighting is usually somewhat less bright light to produce images that can be seen. Indeed, there is a technique using a slow shutter speed to capture more light, but this usually causes a rather blurry picture because the cameraman’s hand shake and the movement of people who want us to photograph. Therefore, we usually use a flash.
Its use is usually simple. We can set a digital camera on auto and let it do its work or it could be our own setting using the calculations done above. Not difficult. Only, there are some things we need to consider in order to get maximum results.
1. Do not take pictures of objects that are too close to the flash straight faced. Take for example the flash GN 20 which I think is adequate as an external flash for digital cameras in an indoor shooting in a room (not the hall). If we want to mention the shooting at a distance of 2 meters with ISO / ASA 200 then we need f/16 is not available in most of the PDC and will produce images over. Therefore, for the PDC / DSC are usually already have a built-in flash to TTL and has the GN rather small (8-12 on the part of the PDC, the Nikon 12-14). Use it instead of an external flash to objects rather close.
2. Combine flash with slow shutter speed to get the main object tercahayai well and has a background light sources are also well captured. This is a technique that’s worth a try, and often produces a beautiful picture. Do not be afraid to use a low speed because the object that was subjected to flash will be recorded freeze (freeze).
3. When the room was quite dark, beware of the red-eye effect / red eye effect. This red-eye effect occurs because the pupils are dilated to familiarize yourself with the light but rather darkness suddenly startled a very bright light from the flash. If the camera and / or flash is pre-flash/red eye reduction facility, use it. If not, change the angle akali with a flash of light coming directly not to the eye.
4. In the room there was a strong light source like a spotlight. Avoid taking pictures with facing directly into the strong light source but want to get a silhouette that is not perfect (compensation under 1 to 2 stops for a good silhouette). In this case, use flash to fill in / illuminated object that you want photographed.
Bounce / diffuse
Flash is a source of very strong light. In addition, the flash is the light that comes from a small light source (narrow). Therefore, if the light is exposed directly to an object will cause harsh lighting (harsh). In most of the documentation photographs of personal consumption where officers documentation using point & shoot camera (film / digital) can be accepted. But in a higher level where the results of these photographs will become public consumption, hard path of light will give effect less unsightly. Plus this will usually cause a flash of light bleaching thing was a little white and cause certain details disappear.
There are several ways that we can do to avoid this in terms of softening the light:
1. Expanding the field came to light that is reflected into other areas (bounce).
2. Spreading the light coming from a small source is so widespread (diffuse).
Bounce flash is done by reflecting the flash into a broad field so that the light comes in a wider angle. We can use the ceiling or wall in the room. If the external flash mounted on a digital camera connected via hot shoe, then the flash should have a tilt facility to reflect light. If the synchro is connected via cable, then we can put flash on a bracket with a position facing upwards / sideways or hold such positions. Reflect the correct position so the light falls exactly on the object is to confront these flash on the ceiling in the middle of the photographer / flash and the object. Some things we need to consider the use of bounce flash is:
1. The distance to calculate the f / stop change is not a distance camera and the object, but turned into the distance traveled by the light flash. Normally at 45 ° tilt angle we will widen the aperture 1 stop and the tilt angle of 90 ° we widen the aperture by 2 stops. Surely this is only a brief guide. Depending on the technical implementation in the field.
2. Related to no. 1 above, the langit-langit/dinding distance should not be too far or it will be useless.
3. Always use a white reflective areas and dark. Color other than white will cause the color contaminated image and the dark color will absorb the light flash.
4. Note the appearance of the image can occur on the other side of light. For example, if we reflect on the ceiling we will get a shadow under the nose or chin and if we reflect at the wall on the left then there will be shadows on the right. To overcome this we can put a bounce card on the front of the flash so that when we reflect the light up / side we still have a light that is not too strong which leads to the front and neutralize shadow appears.
To take a photo in the vertical, would be easier if we use a cable connection because we can easily expose flash upward when using brackets or held. But if our connection is hot shoe flash then make sure we have a swivel head so the facility can we play is facing up. Even better if we have a flash that can be tilt and swivel. This will accommodate most of our needs.
Another way to soften the light is to expand dispersinya. How to use flash diffuser. Flash diffuser will spread the light out of the flash in all directions so that light does not come out hard. Special diffuser generally available for a particular flash head flash considering different. We can also make your own flash diffuser for us to use the various tools. When we use a diffuser, we actually block certain areas of the light flash and turn it into another place. This reduces the power of flash that we use it. If we use a diffuser which is the result of buying, then we can read how much compensation we need aperture when calculating exposure. Usually found on the box or paper manual. If we decide to make your own, then we can perform the experiment many times to get the right numbers required to compensate other times.
Outdoor Flash
Brief if we think about using flash, then we’ll know if it applies to an atmosphere of lack of light shooting. Therefore, we are not thinking about the need for flash in outdoor photography (during the day, of course) because the sun was very bright. This is where our mistake begins. Flash is required to shoot outdoors, especially on:
1. Condition object back to the sun. In these conditions, the camera meter will think the atmosphere was light enough so it will cause the object to be photographed the dark / under strong light such as a waste because it is not reflected by the object. How to outsmart is to fill in on an object so that even though the setting is very bright but still get the light objects.
2. The sun is above the heavens. This will cause the image appears on the bottom of the nose and chin. Use a flash to eliminate them. To soften the light using bounce card or diffuser.
3. Objects are in the open shade (shadow). Flash is used to obtain the same lighting on the overall image of the object because it will make the dark shades of different parts of objects much less a human face.
4. The sky was blue and seductive. If we are not tempted by the blue sky and willing to get pictures of white sky when shooting outdoors so please do the metering on the object without using a flash or with flash. If we are willing to object as long as the lack of light blue sky please do the metering on the sky. Well, if we want to keep the blue sky and object tercahayai well, use the metering on the sky and fill flash on the object. This will produce the right mix and right.
5. The sky was overcast. When the sky was overcast, do not hesitate to use the flash because the effect would be the same cloud as if we were under the shadow.
Written by: Agus Chiawono (chiawono@centrin.net.id)
Blitz for Dummies
Camera-Digital.com (Agus Chiawono)
Blitz or flash freely translated into the flash. This is one accessory that is widely used in the world of photography. Its main function is to illuminate (mencahayai / illuminated) objects to the lack of light exposure well. But later began expanding its use to produce artistic photographs. However, flash photography is one thing to be learned. Most of the readers must have often used the flash well and getting good results also, but this paper will discuss the basic knowledge required to use the flash correctly. Correct in the sense in theory can be accepted and justified in terms of using a base that can be explained scientifically.
Using the flash is not merely a flash lit it, directing the camera and click and be a single photo and beautiful light, but there are things we need to know for the sake of getting good photographs and correct it. Whether we look at digital cameras as art or technology, the flash still is a means of simplify, optimize, and enhance creativity.
Meters, Aperture, and Shutter Speed
Photography briefly defined as the science is often painted with light. In conventional photography using film, we ‘paint’ with light in the film layer. Term is to burn the movie permanently using light with a certain intensity. The intensity of light entering the film or CCD / CMOS digital camera should be right. Excess lighting will cause the results of washed-out photos (commonly called over-exposure/OE) and lighting will cause the results of the dark images (commonly called under-exposure/UE). So how to get the right light?
We know what is called lightmeter in the world of photography. Lightmeter some built-in in the camera body and some are handheld. We usually use is the built-in lightmeter it. We use to measure lightmeter reflective light that comes into our lens (if TTL) and the processor will determine whether the camera is in accordance with the type of film cameras installed in us. In the auto mode or programmed auto, the camera will automatically find the right combination of f / stop and shutter speed (explanation follows). In the aperture priority mode (A / Av) the camera will use the f / stop which we select and determine the appropriate shutter speed. In contrast, the shutter speed priority mode (S / Tv) the camera will use a shutter speed that we choose and determine the appropriate aperture. In manual mode (M) we will have to determine the right combination is guided by the camera meter.
Aperture or shutter opening is wide hole opened by the camera to allow light inside. Usually symbolized by the number f / stop. This figure is actually the result of a multiple of sqrt (2). Commonly used is usually started from 1.4, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, 11, 16, 22, ff. To keep in mind, the greater the number the smaller the opening. Because it is usually written as the denominator fractions such as f/1.4, f / 2, f/2.8, f / 4, f/5.6, f / 8, f/11, f/16, f/22, and so on. Aperture is also associated with DoF (Depth of Field) or the space that we can sharply defined as a room in front and back of objects that are included in the range of focus. DoF is itself influenced by 3 things are:
1. f / stop where f / greater DoF would provide a wider (more and more regional focus).
2. Distance of objects where objects are further focus will cause the DoF is also widening.
3. The use of telephoto lenses where the lens will give a narrower DoF than a wide angle lens (wide angle).
Shutter speed or aperture is the length of the shutter curtain is opened to allow light inside. This figure is symbolized by a second unit and the increase / decrease in the form of multiples of ½. Example: 30s, 15s, 8s, 4s, 2s, 1s, 1/2s, 1/4s, 1/8s, 1/15s, 1/30s, 1/60s, 1/125s, 1/250s, 1/500s, 1/1000s, 1/2000s, 1/4000s, and so on. The slower the light coming in more and more.
As measured by the camera’s meter the incoming light intensity is. If the meter shows the lack of light then we can reduce the f / stop or slow the shutter speed. Conversely if the meter shows the advantages of light then we can expand f / stop or speed up the shutter speed. One thing to remember is that the slower shutter speed the more likely the object blurred by hand movement, camera shake or movement of the object itself.
Blitz and GN
To divide / classify blitz, there are several classifications that can be used. The first, based on the availability of the camera flash is divided into the built-in flash and external. Built-in flash from the camera itself while the external flash is a flash attached additional cables or hot shoe to the camera. In addition, we also can divide by the type / brand of camera. We know the dedicated flash and non-dedicated flash. Dedicated flash flash is made specifically to use certain features within a specific camera. Usually the camera manufacturer-specific flash out also for the camera range and can use features such as TTL, slow sync or rear sync, etc.. While non-dedicated flash has the general functions of most of the camera alone and can be used regardless of the type / brand of camera. Flash this type usually require a lot of computation because the flash is already dedicated’ve got the information from the camera lighting so that does not require additional settings again. There are also flash output power (GN) can be arranged and some are not able to (fixed GN). We’ll tend to talk more about the flash non-dedicated, non-TTL, and fixed GN.
In using flash photography, we will not escape from the calculations related to the intensity of light reflected back from objects that we cahayai. Therefore, we will see what is often called the GN (Guide Number) or flash power. In short we can say if flashnya powerful, it will be one object with mencahayai lighter and can reach more distant objects.
GN is basically a simple calculation of flash power. There are 2 kinds of writing GN using a different calculation of unit m (meters) and feet (feet). Normally in Indonesia, we use the count to m. This is one of the considerations are also due to flash with the same strength, the number GN m and different feet away. In addition, GN is generally written for the use of film with ISO / ASA 100 and wide angle (35mm/24mm/20mm).
GN is a product of the distance from the opening (f / stop or aperture) in certain conditions (ISO / ASA 100/35mm/m or ISO / ASA 100/35mm/feet). For example, if we want to use flash to photograph a person standing at a distance of 5m from us using a 35mm lens and we want to use f/2.8 then we need to flash GN 14. Calculation commonly used is usually just find the right aperture for a particular blitz. For example, the GN 28 will flash to photograph the object is 5m that we will use f/5.6.
GN is only a guide for photographers. Not set in stone. Which affected a few. One of them is the ISO / ASA is used. Each 1-stop increase in ISO / ASA will cause GN increased by sqrt (2) or approximately 1.4 times (or the farthest distance multiplied by 1.4) and 2-stop improvement in ISO / ASA will cause GN increased 2 times (or the farthest distance multiplied by 2 ).
Film SLRs vs. Vs. Prosumer Digital Camera. DSLRs
One thing to remember is that the film cameras and digital camera is different. In the digital camera itself, there is a difference between pocket camera (in this case is usually able to use additional flash is the PDC / Prosumer Digital Camera)) and Digital SLR (DSLR). The first difference, of course, in terms of the proportions of the sensor / film to the lens. Because the digital camera sensor smaller than 35mm film, then we’ll be stuck on a long comparison of different lenses. To obtain a similar angle as 35mm, so the camera with a sensor 1/1.8 “will use the lens of about 7.5mm, D100 will use a 24mm lens and 10D will use a 20mm lens. This is the effective length of the lens to start the calculation using the flash GN.
Second, zooming. At the PDC, zooming will cause a change f / stop is slower (large numbers) and so also with the use of consumer zoom in SLR / DSLR. For example, we know f/3.3-f.5 lens 35-70. That is, the largest opening is f/3.3 at 35mm and the largest opening is f/4.5 at 70mm. This certainly will affect the object being photographed.
Use the zoom on the camera is usually coupled with the use of the flash zoom head. Telephoto lens / zoom to narrow the angle and zoom lens coverage on the flash head to narrow the dispersion of light that flash in other words increasing intensity, so they can reach further. Zoom head position and the telephoto lens on the wide positions would cause a part of the photo is not a light or familiar with the term vignet. Zoom head in wide positions and telephoto lens in position will cause a flash of light can not reach the remote object (after all, it’s worth a telephoto lens? For photographing objects that far?). In addition it also happens if we attach a 35mm lens on DSLR and then we do a flash calculation using the calculation remains to SLR is usually because the angle is equivalent to 50mm or more (depending on factors pengalinya). Actually there are no significant problems that arise, but we are ‘wasting’ the light in vain.
(Continued on next articles about Indoor – Outdoor Flash, and the Bounce / diffuse)
Written by: Agus Chiawono (chiawono@centrin.net.id)
Posted by cahsiji 
