slr

The most popular reason nonprofessionals buy dSLRs or other types of interchangeable-lens cameras is because they want better photos or faster performance than a point-and-shoot can deliver; the power of manual controls and interchangeable lenses seem to be a secondary concern. Nevertheless, I'm still routinely surprised when someone hands me his dSLR and it's set to auto and equipped with a standard kit lens.

The best (and cheapest) way to advance your photography is to switch out of auto; here's a map for venturing into that new territory. But the next best -- and not-so-cheap -- way … Read more

Can't get enough of cameras this festive season? The folks at Photojojo have thought of a way to make photography a part of the holiday cheer with their very own Photojojo Tree Bling.

Made in Poland, these camera-inspired ornaments are made to look like miniature replicas of film-era single-lens reflex and Polaroid SX70 instant cameras. The trinkets are constructed from blown glass and furnished with a metallic top. Measuring just 3 inches tall, the ornaments are handpainted with glitter accents and topped off with silver trimmings. … Read more

There are a lot of good reasons to choose a camera over a consumer camcorder for shooting video, including larger sensors, which tend to deliver better tonal range and enhanced depth-of-field flexibility, and better photo quality. And an interchangeable-lens camera (ILC) -- a dSLR, fixed mirror (Sony's SLT series), or mirrorless model -- imparts huge creative and logistical benefits over a typical point-and-shoot design.

Most consumer camcorders have pretty ugly polygonal bokeh until you hit the $1,000 or so price point. With an ILC, even the cheap lenses deliver better handling of out-of-focus areas. … Read more

When I put together my list of five great enthusiast camera deals for less than $500, I was perturbed by a now-you-see-it, now-you-don't offer for a couple of entry-level dual-lens kits for dSLRs. But one of them popped up again just in time for Cyber Monday: a $449.99 deal on the Nikon D3000 with both the 18-55mm and 55-200mm lenses at Best Buy.

The camera is a few years old, but it's still pretty solid, and as a total kit, it covers the zoom range you need for most typical family and vacation shooting. Plus, even if … Read more

Custom SLR is no stranger to Kickstarter; its C-Loop camera strap mount and M-Plate Pro tripod plate both got their start there. The usefulness of those products was easy to see, but its latest project, the ProDot, perhaps strays a bit into as-seen-on-TV territory.

The ProDot sticks right on your camera's shutter release, adding a soft, raised, textured surface to it. It is not unlike the trackpoints used on business laptops but considerably squishier.

While Custom SLR's Ivan Wong spins it as giving you more control and less fatigue, the greatest benefit is probably shock absorption. If you tend to push a little too hard on your release, the ProDot will lessen the vibration.

Plus, having used one for a bit, it's just fun to touch and makes it easier to blindly find your shutter release. … Read more

When photo enthusiasts entering the digital SLR market ask me whether they should go for Canon or Nikon, one of the points I often raise is Canon's appealing choice of high-end but not top-end lenses.

Well, Nikon just undermined that potential selling point. At the Photo Plus Expo show today, it announced its AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/4G ED VR, a telephoto zoom lens that provides a competitive answer to Canon's superb EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM.

Let's be clear here. These are still professional-grade lenses, and they aren't cheap. Canon's costs about $1,… Read more

Canon plans to release a notable firmware update to its high-end EOS 5D Mark III in April that will let videographers use the SLR to record uncompressed HDMI video.

As the successor to the 5D Mark II that jump-started the video SLR revolution four years ago, the 22-megapixel 5D3 has big shoes to fill. The new update surely will help professionals who need better quality, even if ordinary folks need not care much. Here's what Canon had to say about the news:

When shooting video, HDMI Output makes possible the recording of high-definition uncompressed video data (YCbCr 4:2:… Read more

Studio photographers dissatisfied with recent events in the world of Canon SLRs might take heart at a fleeting glimpse of a possible 46-megapixel Canon EOS 3D.

That glimpse came from Nine Volt Photo, a maker of equipment to help photographers help take photos with cameras tethered to computers. It said it found a reference at retail powerhouse B&H Photo after an "inadvertent search for a Canon 3D."

The company shared a screenshot of the page list with specifications including a 46.1-megapixel CMOS image sensor, dual Digic 5+ processors, a 3.2-inch LCD, and dual CompactFlash … Read more

COLOGNE, Germany -- A decade ago, a cataclysm rocked the photography business as digital image sensors replaced fim.

It turns out that was just the beginning.

At the Photokina show here, it was clear a second wave of change is sweeping through the industry. Cameras produced during the first digital photography revolution looked and worked very similarly to their film precursors, but now designers have begun liberating them from the old constraints.

Three big developments are pushing the changes: a new class of interchangeable-lens cameras, the arrival of smartphones with wireless networking, and the sudden enthusiasm for full-frame sensors for … Read more