Camcorder vs Camera

Some customers want the best of both worlds. They want to make movies as well as take still pictures. So the question often surfaces, which is better, a camcorder that can take still pictures, or a camera that can record movies.

To answer that first let's consider an analogy. A restaurant in a bar or a bar in a restaurant. If you go to a bar and order food you get chicken wings. If you go to a restaurant and order alcohol you get wine (ok, you can get more but your choices are usually more limited than in a bar).

A camcorder that can also take still pictures takes low quality pictures (usually 2 megapixel or less) and doesn't have all the features of the still camera. Attempt to set your shutter speed and aperture on a camcorder, forget it. Where is the portrait, landscape, and sports setting on a camcorder? Nonexistent. The list of features on a still camera that is NOT on a camcorder is pretty lengthy.

Now let's consider still cameras that can make movies. How long of a movie do you want to make? Some cameras limit the movie length to a half a minute. Those that let you record to the end of the card still can only put about 20 minutes of movie on a 512 card. Camcorder dvc tapes allow you to record an hour or two of high quality movie. Here is another issue with recording movies on a still camera's memory card, most people don't realize that will eat up most, or all, of the card. Customers frequently come into the store and say, "my card is full but the camera (or computer) only shows 5 pictures on it." There are 5 pictures and one (or more) movies. Some computers can only see the still pictures (like those in camera store lobbies specifically made for printing still pictures). What about the quality of the still camera's movie? Most of them display on a tiny screen on your computer (a couple inches by a couple inches). Camcorders play back on a tv or computer screen full sized.

There are some exceptions to the above overview, but I have yet to see a camcorder that is feature rich when it comes to making still pictures. So the best solution for someone who wants to do still pics sometimes and make movies sometimes is to buy both and use the right tool for the right job. If you usually want to take still pics and once in a great while want to make a short movie, sure get a still camera that can make movies. If you usually want to make movies and once in a great while want a still pic, buy both. Still cameras are pretty reasonable and even an inexpensive still camera will give you better pics than a camcorder. Besides, who only wants still pics once in a great while?

geopic

Geopic goes to "Jail"

Hi all,
I've been honored with the opportunity to go to jail. LOL. Yup, the
Musclar Distrophy Association has decided that someone somewhere will
donate money either to keep me in jail or bail me out of jail. So I'll
be "arrested" on May 11. In the mean time, they have asked me to get
donations toward my freedom (and of course for a good cause). If you
can donate, even a little bit is appreciated. Go to:
http://www.mdalockup.org/bailpage.aspx?j=21508
To see my lockup page and donate if you can.

Don't let the bail amount on the page scare you. That is how much they hope
I can get in total donations, not how much they want individuals to donate.

Hey, think about this, if you have learned something from my ramblings, this is a nice way to return a favor.

Hugs,
geopic

Contests

My friend Ginny Todd told me about a cool contest. That got me searching for others as well.

Check out these contests for Missouri pics:

Missouri Tourism:

http://www.visitmo.com/mainpage.cfm?SectionID=7&LeftNavID=102&SubNavID=0&BottomNavID=0

Missouri Lottery cats:
http://www.molottery.state.mo.us/aboutourgames/promotions/cattitude/rules.shtm

There are lots more. Just go to google and search on photo contest. For my example I used Missouri Photo Contest

geopic

Speed filter. 

Cosmos filter. 

Radial Zoom filter. 

Cross screen (Star) filter. 

Fun with Filters

A filter is a piece of glass that fits onto the front of a lens to protect it or create special effects. SLR cameras (that allow lens changes) and some fixed lens cameras, have threads on the front of the lens that enable you to screw a filter on. A few fixed lens digital cameras (such as the Canon A95, Fuji S3000, and Konica Minolta Z series) have threads on the body of the camera that enable the addition of a hood. The hood goes over the lens and allows the lens to fully extend without hitting the filter (or additional lens) that is screwed on to the hood. Sorry this is hard to explain and understand if you haven't seen how these things work. Basically an SLR filter fits on the lens itself so if the lens goes in and out the filter goes with it. The hood system is for fixed lenses that don't have threads on the lens itself, thus the hood has to extend beyond the farthest extension of the lens. Finally there are digital filters that are simply effects selected in a menu on the camera. If you are still confused as to what filters are, visit your local camera store and ask them to show you.

So what kind of filters do you need? If your camera is capable of using filters, I recommend having a UV filter for every lens you own. The UV filter can be left on the lens all the time and it's most important function is protecting the lens. If you get a scratch or a ding on the UV filter you only have to spend $20 - $40 bucks to replace the filter, but a lens could cost hundreds or thousands.

I also have a polarizing filter for every lens I own. The polarizer works like sunglasses to reduce glare on water and glass. If you take a picture of a car without a polarizer, you probably won't see the people inside, just glare on the glass. With the polarizer you will see the people inside the car. Polarizers are also especially effective for pictures with water in them. On a sunny day water reflects a lot of light and the polarizer cuts down the glare. If you have autofocus lenses, be sure to get a circular polarizer. Linear polarizers can confuse your camera's autofocus.

Now the fun part: Special effects filters can be a lot of fun. I've met lots of photographers who snub filters wanting to only produce pictures that capture the true image. Take the shackles off and have some fun once in a while.

The most common special effect filter is the cross screen filter, also known as the star filter. Star filters most commonly come in 4 points. You can get 6 and 8 point stars though. This filter streams light from a bright light source creating a star effect. The picture of the old courthouse with the sun setting in the window is an example of the star filter.

All of the filters discussed so far are round filters that can screw directly onto your lens. The next group of filters I'll talk about are square Cokin filters. Cokin makes both round and square filters, but they are best known for their square filters. How can you screw on a square filter? With a Cokin filter bracket. A round adapter screws onto the lens and the square bracket then mounts on the adapter. Square filters are useful when you want an effect that only fills half of the lens. Such as a sunset filter. The sunset filter enhances the sky colors while leaving the foreground with no or less effect. If this were a round filter you'd run into problems if the filter horizon didn't align with the true horizon. Thus they are square.

Another square Cokin filter is the speed filter. It is half clear (no glass) and half thick, arched glass. It allows part of the pic to look normal while the other half is blurred, creating a speed effect. The bulbs with the light emitting from the side were taken with the speed filter.

I do have a couple of great round Cokin filters. One is called the radial zoom. This one can be used to give a blur effect to the outside of the pic, closing in on a clear center. The pic of the two flame bulbs in the circle of light shows how the radial zoom can be used with lights. Note that the effect is drastically different as you zoom closer or farther out.

The other round Cokin filter I have is called the Cosmos. WOW this filter creates straight rainbow colors of light at the angle you choose. Similar to a prism effect. The jeep headlight was taken in bright sunlight with the Cosmos filter. I saw a picture on CNN this week that had three nuns in white with a prism of color light streaming behind them. I'm pretty sure this effect was created with the Cosmos filter, or one similar to it.

There are hundreds of filters available, the trick is finding the ones you need. Cokin filters come in an A series for smaller lenses and the P series for lenses with an objective larger than 58mm. Tip: To find out your lens filter size look inside your lens cap. Common filters such as UV, Polarizers, and cross screen filters are not that hard to find. Special effects filters may have to be ordered if they aren't in stock, and my experience has been that the vendors are incredibly slow to deliver on special orders. So if you have to order something special be sure to order it 2 months before you need it.

As for all those anti-filter folks, to each his own. Sure sometimes you want something close to reality, but sometimes it is a blast to have fun with filters.

geopic

Storm at sunset panoramic 

Two bolts 

Vertical lightning 

Photography Adventure: Storm Chasing

Spring has sprung and with it comes storms, big ones. YAY. I don't remember ever looking forward to storms as much as I do since I learned to photograph them. Tip #1, use a single lens reflex (SLR) camera (the kind you can change the lenses on).

The best case scenario for storm photography is when the storm is in the distance and there is a lot of lighting. You may be tempted to try taking pictures of lighting by waiting until you see it and then pushing the button but forget it, you will never get a lighting picture doing that. The phrase lightning fast was invented for a reason. Some people have had success using slow shutter speeds, leaving the shutter open for a long time, but the best way is using bulb mode.

Tip 2: do this on a digital SLR. Bulb mode enables the shutter to stay open as long as you hold down the button. The process is, press the button, wait several seconds, if no lighting has struck by then delete the image and do it again. The longer the shutter is open the more ambient light is sucked in so the brighter the image gets and the less contrast between the lighting and the black night and clouds. So the best shot will be one in which you pressed the button, the lightning fired, and you released it right away. With that in mind it is feasible to get a good shot with a slow shutter speed, but I still prefer the control of bulb mode. The reason to use digital is because you can delete the failed attempts and keep going. You could waste a heck of a lot of film trying to do this on a film camera.

Tip 3: Use a tripod and a cable release. It is usually dark when lightning strikes, the darker the better. Anytime you are working in low to no light situations, with the shutter open for long periods of time, any movement of the camera will cause a blurry picture. The tripod will stabilize the camera. The cable release allows you to take the picture without touching the camera, thus no shake created by pushing down the button.

A few days ago I was lucky enough to be at Bee Tree Park overlook when a storm rolled in over Illinois just as the sun set. I was able to make a nice panoramic of the storm. There are 9 pictures merged with photostitch in this image (no lighting in the panoramic so don't squint trying to find it). I especially like the fact that you can see the storm from a side view, inclusive of the end of the storm. After the sunset the lightning show began. The lightning was very intermittent, so it wasn't easy getting a good shot. Plus I was racing the clock to get the shot before the park rangers locked me in or kicked me out. The vertical lighting shot was from that day. The horizontal was one I took last year with the car window tripod.

geopic