Low light photography is not necessarily just night photography, as many people assume. There could be different amounts of light coming from various sources and whatever is less than daytime light outside, I consider low-light. Indoors photography without much ambient light (as in many of our homes) as well as the light that is barely visible to our eyes at night, is also considered to be low-light. In this article, I will provide tips on how to take pictures in…
This camera works. That was my thought after testing the Nikon D7500 for two days of sub-freezing photography in Rocky Mountain National Park – only taking breaks from the cold while driving from one location to the next – in conditions that are the very definition of a field review. We’ve now been testing the D7500 at Photography Life for several weeks, but the 48 hours of intense shooting at Rocky Mountain solidified things. This DSLR packs a serious punch,…
One of the three pillars of photography that can dramatically affect the look of your images is camera ISO (the other two being shutter speed and aperture). Like those two settings, ISO controls the brightness of your photos, and it is a crucial setting to use properly if you want to take the best possible images. In this chapter of Photography Basics article, we will explain ISO using simple language and examples so that you can make the most of…
Many photographers struggle with some of the most basic and fundamental concepts of exposure in photography, getting frustrated with not being able to take good pictures. Unfortunately, some get stuck in automated modes, preferring to let their cameras decide everything for them. In order to help our readers explore the full potential of their camera gear, we will start by exploring one of the pillars of photography – aperture (the other two being ISO and Shutter Speed). Without a doubt,…
One of the three pillars of photography is Shutter Speed, the other two being Aperture and ISO. Shutter speed is responsible for two particular things: changing the brightness of your photo, and creating dramatic effects by either freezing action or blurring motion. In this chapter of Photography Basics, we will explain everything you need to know about shutter speed, in very simple language.
Everyone’s favorite part of photography is camera equipment. I’m kidding, of course — although that is the impression you’ll get from certain photographers. But no one can deny that some gear is necessary in order to take pictures. At the very least, you need a camera and lens, but there are also important considerations like software and other accessories. This article dives into the most necessary and important camera equipment you need for photography, including some of our top recommendations.
In this article, we gathered and compiled the available information on buffer capacity of all current Nikon DSLRs. The below table outlines many of the current and discontinued Nikon DSLR models, along with such information as sensor resolution, continuous shooting speed (fps) and RAW / JPEG buffer capacities. While most of the RAW buffer information is included, we decided not to bother with smaller JPEG sizes, since most cameras presented below can accommodate 100 or more of smaller JPEG images…
It is a big day today at Nikon, since the company is celebrating its 100th year anniversary. Nippon Kogaku K.K. was founded on July 25th 1917 and the company has been making everything from consumer cameras to industrial optical equipment ever since. As part of this important day and celebration, Nikon’s president Kazuo Ushida gave an important statement that reassures the future of the company, particularly when it comes to addressing the “rapidly changing consumer needs”. With the announcement of…
Tomorrow is the 100th year anniversary of Nikon. While we have been patiently waiting for the company to announce something new for this big date, it looks like we will only be seeing a teaser in the form of the Nikon D850 “development announcement”. Unfortunately, aside from the teaser video (see below) that does not reveal much aside from the ability to shoot 4K video and 8K timelapses, no additional information is provided as part of this development announcement, which…
For the past few years now, the digital photography camera market has been on a steady decline. Some people blame it on smartphones taking over the big chunk of camera sales, while others have related other factors to the decreased camera sales. While we have written a number of articles on this topic, I personally don’t think that there is only one factor that can be singled out as the root cause – I believe there are a number of…
This short article summarizes some of the feedback that I have received from seniors who have downsized their gear, or are thinking about doing so. The desire to downsize camera gear is not restricted to seniors! Some of the actions that seniors are taking may make sense for other photographers as well. It has been quite surprising to witness the number of comments and contacts that have occurred since my senior-related article, Senior Perspectives on Photography. I’d like to thank…
One of the areas within the camera that rarely ever gets touched, is the camera software, also known as “firmware”. Most modern electronic gadgets provide the ability to update their firmware by downloading fixes and updates through manufacturers’ websites and applying those updates on the devices. The firmware updates not only provide important fixes for identified bugs, but also provide brand new features that were absent when the device was shipped from the manufacturer. This ability to be able to…
One of the key features that many high-end Nikon DSLRs hide in their menu system, is the ability to instantly zoom into an image at 100% zoom, or 1:1 magnification. This “one-click zoom feature” can be very useful when reviewing images on the rear LCD, as it saves you from having to press the zoom and the navigation buttons so many times in order to see whether the subject you are capturing is sharp or not – you simply press…
A polarizing filter is one of the most essential tools in a landscape photographer’s bag. It is typically the first filter landscape photographers buy to instantly improve their pictures by adding vividness and contrast to them. In this article, we will go through detailed information on polarizing filters, what they do, why they are important and why you should consider using them for your landscape photography.
I never did completely lose faith. I think in the end it was probably just myself, Thom Hogan and one or two others – the true believers. Nikon would give us a legitimate successor to the D300S. I think that the many who told us to give up and move on to FX because DX is dead, or that the D7200 was the real D300S replacement, perhaps missed the point. The D7200 is an absolutely excellent camera, but I have…
I recently spent some time looking at CIPA data and wrote a few articles on my blog pertaining to these camera industry statistics. I thought Photography Life readers may find some of the data of interest. What follows are a few thoughts about the camera market, based on my interpretation of CIPA data. It should be noted that data is simply data and two people can look at the same information and arrive at differing interpretations. For folks who find the…
With the long-awaited and much-anticipated Nikon D500 out, one might be wondering how it compares to its predecessor, the Nikon D300S. Since there has been such a huge delay between the releases, it is a given that the D500 is a much better and more advanced camera. However, how much do these cameras differ really when we look at their specifications and what has changed in the last 7 years? Let’s take a look and see in this Nikon D500…
It is just the beginning of the year and we are already getting treated with some huge announcements, thanks to the CES show that is taking place in Las Vegas. One of the biggest and most anticipated announcements is surely Nikon’s flagship DSLR, the Nikon D5. Many sports and wildlife photographers have been waiting to see what kind of a beast Nikon would unveil in its new generation, top-of-the-line DSLR and it looks like the D5 is indeed a performance…
What is Nikon’s best DSLR? This is perhaps one of the most frequently asked questions that many of us Nikon shooters get. Having been using Nikon gear for close to a decade, I have been fortunate to use pretty much every Nikon DSLR produced since I started – from low-budget entry-level cameras to high-end professional DSLRs. While my overall experience with Nikon DSLRs has been mostly positive, I surely did criticize Nikon heavily a number of times (and sometimes very…
I am getting a little nervous writing articles, seems like it puts a target on your forehead for criticism, some just, some un-warranted. So let me start this article by telling you what I am intending to convey in this article and that is the following: I took a 12 day wildlife trip (self-organized) to Alaska to photograph moose, I have done many self-organized wildlife trips before to other places. When I do these trips, what do I bring and why…