The Question-And-Answer:  Guide to Photo Techniques

Beginners

Which camera for beginner? An entry level 35mm camera that offers at least aperture priority and manual mode, exposure compensation dial, 1 to 1/1000 sec shutter speed plus bulb, and full information viewfinder. Autofocus, autobracketing, continues film advance, are additional features to look for. Most entry level SLRs from Canon, Minolta, Nikon, and Pentax offer most of the above features and all are good. Pick the model that you like best and is within your price range.

Which lenses for beginner? Start with a pair of zooms. A 28-85mm and 70-210mm or 75-300mm zoom should cover most of your needs. You will definitely upgrade later. No one can tell you which lenses will work for you. Only you can decide depending on your needs. It is best to start with minimum of equipment and add to your system later. You will know exactly what additional lenses you'll need.

Learning photography at home? You can learn photography on your own if you are willing to spend time to study and take pictures. Buy several photography books and learn the basics (exposure, cameras, lenses, etc.), and take lots of pictures. You can also join a photography club to meet other people. Photography schools make the process of learning much faster. Your instructor can give you advice and answer your questions which will save you time. If you love photography and are willing to dedicate your time to it, you can learn photography on your own.

Which brand camera and lens? All currently made cameras by major camera manufacturers are equally good. Camera brands or models have no effect in final results. Any camera will produce quality pictures if you use a good tripod, sharp lens, and good film. This is true whether you use beginner or pro camera. It is difficult for me to give anyone suggestion on a model without knowing your type of photography and budget. You can't go wrong with any of the brands as long as the camera has at least aperture priority, manual mode, 1-1/1000 sec shutter speeds (most models now offer 30 to at least 1/2000 sec), +/-2 stops of exposure compensation, and viewfinder information that shows shutter speed and f-stops, exposure mode, metering mode, flash ready. Avoid Program mode only cameras. You need to take full control over your pictures and Program mode makes this very limited. For more advanced photography, look for a model that has spot metering, depth-of-field preview, mirror lock-up, 3 to 5 frames per second continues film advance, analog display in the viewfinder, AE-lock button. Some features are what I call luxury but useful: Autofocus, autobracketing, eyefocus, multiple exposure, custom functions, and multi segment metering. Remember, you can take great pictures with any camera. Lenses are more important than cameras. Buy the best you can afford from your camera manufacturer or independent lens manufacturers. Tamron, Tokina, and Sigma make lenses that are as good as camera manufacturers models at lower cost. Compare features and prices. Camera manufacturers lenses may have added features. If you don't need these, save your money for your next lens or a better tripod.

New to photography? Don't become too confused about equipment and photography process. Start with a simple 35mm camera and a pair of zooms and a good tripod. A 28-85mm and 70-210mm or 75-300mm will be enough for now. Don't spend a lot of money on more expensive equipment until you get to know more about photography and equipment. Stay with well known brand cameras and independent lens manufacturers. You can't really go wrong with any of the top brand manufacturers. Buy several photography books and learn the basics (shutter speeds, apertures, composition, etc.) and take lots of pictures. With a little time, you'll learn all the basics. Once you develop your own unique vision and interest, you can upgrade your equipment. By then you'll know better than anybody what you will need. Don't think about brand names or what other photographers use. Cameras are just tools we use to take pictures. Concentrate on learning about the process of taking good pictures. Check out photography books and see how each individual photographer takes pictures and uses his/her own unique techniques. It takes time to learn photography more than anything else. The more you take pictures and read about photography, the faster you'll learn.

Equipment

What about pro cameras? You can take equally good pictures with any camera. Pro cameras are built to withstand heavy use under difficult conditions. They also have additional features including 100% viewfinder coverage, faster continuous film advance, mirror lockup, depth-of-field preview. Don't feel you need one of these top models in order to take better pictures. If you use good technique, you can get excellent results with any camera.

What to look for in lenses? Maximum aperture of the lens is very important. Fast lenses are ideal in low light and fast action photography. If you prefer slow fine grain films, then consider fast lenses. You can get faster shutter speeds to freeze action. Fast lenses also let you create soft background in wildlife, sports, and portrait photography when you need to remove any background distraction. You should also check lens' close focusing ability. Wide-angle lenses need not be fast as they are usually stopped down to gain depth-of-field, however fast wide-angles come in handy in low light and give brighter view for focusing.

Which lenses for wildlife? 300mm and 400mm lenses are great for larger mammals and birds. Small birds or distant wildlife require 500mm or 600mm telephotos. Buy the fastest telephoto you can afford. 300mm f-2.8 is the lightest among the fast lenses and costs less. 400mm f-2.8 is a good all around compromise. 500mm f-4 and longer telephotos should be purchased only if you are absolutely sure that you need the longer reach. These are very heavy and expensive lenses. You can always use matched 1.4X and 2X teleconverters with 300mm f-2.8 lenses to gain extra millimeters. With 1.4X converter, your 300mm f-2.8 becomes 420mm f-4 and 600mm f-5.6 with the 2X converter. You can also use teleconverters with 400mm f-2.8 and longer telephotos.

What about budget telephotos and zooms for wildlife? 300mm f-4 lenses are more affordable than f-2.8 versions. They are very sharp and can still be used with teleconverters with good results. Another alternative is the 400mm f-5.6 lenses. They are light and very affordable. Both 300mm f-4 and 400mm f-5.6 produce better results than most telephoto zooms at wide apertures. 75-300mm f-5.6 and 100-400mm f-5.6 zooms are another alternative. Current generation zooms are very sharp and you can use them with faster films to compensate for slower open aperture. Avoid using 400mm f-5.6 single telephotos and any zoom with teleconverters. Although some fast pro models give good results with teleconverters, slower zooms and even fixed focal length lenses lack sharpness when combined with teleconverters. Loss of 1 to 2 stops of light is another problem when slow lenses are used with teleconverters.

Which portrait lens? 85mm f-1.4 and 135mm f-2 single focal length lenses are favorite among portrait photographers. These focal lengths let you stand at a distance and take head and shoulder shots or just the face without distorting the feature. Fast f-1.4 and f-2 apertures let you throw the background out of focus. 100mm f-2 lens is a great compromise if you want to invest in one lens. 80-200mm f-2.8 zooms include all three focal lengths and more with a fast aperture that still lets you control background. 85mm f-1.8 are an alternative to the more expensive models. They cost less than half the price of a 85mm f-1.4 with very good performance. You can use wide-angle and standard 50mm lenses for group shots but don't use them too close to your subject as distortion becomes a problem especially with wide-angle lenses.

What are teleconverters? These are accessories that attach between the lens and camera body. They are available in 1.4X and 2X powers. They increase the lens focal length by 1.4X or 2X. The cost is loss of one stop of light with 1.4X and 2 stops with 2X models. You also loose some sharpness at open apertures. A 300mm f-2.8 for example, becomes 420mm f-4 with 1.4X converter and 600mm f-5.6 with the 2X. Some teleconverters only work with certain fast telephotos and cannot be attached to any other lenses. Generic brand teleconverters including Tamron, Sigma, and Kenko can be attached to most lenses. I do not recommend using teleconverters with zooms especially models with maximum aperture of f-5.6. Lens becomes very slow and sharpness suffers a lot. Use teleconverters with fixed focal telephoto lenses only for best results. Buy the best you can afford.

Which film? The best film is the one that gives you the sharpness, grain, and colors you like. There is no right or wrong film. What works for some may not work for others. Try several types and pick the ones you like best. Use slow ISO films for better sharpness and finer grain. Fast films should be used in low light or with slower lenses for action photography. Test several films and get to know their characteristics. It doesn't matter what others use as long as you like the results you get from your favorite films.

Are pro lenses better than amateur models? Pro lenses are sharper than amateur models especially at open apertures. They are also built more solid with larger apertures. You can stop your lens down one or two stops to improve sharpness. This should not be a problem with shorter focal length lenses as they are usually stopped down to gain more depth-of-field. Telephoto lenses cannot always be stopped down especially slower zooms. Telephoto lenses are mainly used for wildlife and sports photography where fast shutter speeds are required. If you are not planning on making large prints, you should not have any problems with most of the amateur telephoto lenses as long as you use a good tripod.

Teleconverters and flash? You can use teleconverters with flash as you would with any other lens, however flash-to-subject distance is reduced due to smaller f-stop. You need to make sure you are within flash range at any given f-stop. A 200mm f-2.8 with 2X teleconverter becomes 400mm f-5.6 and works the same as a normal 400mm f-5.6 with flash.

Bird photography equipment? Any 35mm camera will work as long as it has aperture priority and manual mode with 1-1/1000 sec shutter speed. A built-in or accessory winder is useful to help you concentrate on your photography without having to worry about manually advancing the film. A camera with spot meter let you take reading from any important part of the bird's feature. A 300mm or 400mm lens should be enough for larger birds or those that allow closer approach. Smaller birds require longer lenses at times. Either 500mm or 600mm will cover all your bird shots. You can also use teleconverters with fixed focal length 300mm and 400mm lenses as long as they have f-4 or faster maximum apertures. Zooms including 100-400mm or 100-500mm are another good alternative. Shoot ISO 100 and 200 to gain faster shutter speeds. As always a tripod is the best accessory for any type of photography. Don't leave home without it.

Best lens for flowers? Macro lenses are the best choices. These lenses allow close focusing without the need of any other close-up attachments. 50mm macros are the least expensive but 100mm and 200mm lenses give more working distance and longer focal length creates nice softer background. You can also use telephoto zooms with extension tubes for flower photography. Close-up filters can also be attached to any lens but loss of corner sharpness will be a problem. Buy the best filter you can afford and stop the lens down at least three stops to improve sharpness.

Ball or pan/tilt heads? The choice is yours! I use both. For most of my photography, I use ball heads. One control lets me quickly adjust composition which is very helpful when I'm shooting fast subject. I switch to pan/tilt head for close-up or any type of photography where precise composition is required. I can adjust one control at a time without changing other alignments. Whichever tripod head you decide on, buy one with quick release. This allows you to remove your camera or lens and quickly place another camera body or lens. Buy the head that can hold your camera and the heaviest lens you own.

Business

Selling photographs? There are many different markets for selling your photographs. Magazines, books, greeting cards, post cards, art galleries, stock agencies to name a few. You can request a guide line from most of these companies. Very few organizations hire photographers for assignments. You are really on your own. Don't expect to get rich in this field. It may take some time before you make a sale. There are thousands of photographers with millions of pictures. To compete, you must submit, submit, submit. Eventually you will sell. You can find the list of buyers in The Photographer's Market. This is a book that is published once a year and includes thousands of different markets and guide lines as well as contact names and addresses.

Medium and large format

Affordable large format? The best way to go is used. You can find affordable monorail and flatbed models at any used photo store. Calumets offers new Cadet and Cadet Wide monorails for less than $400. Save your money for a better lens. If buying used, avoid very old lenses. These lack multicoating which effect color. Most lens manufacturers offer entry level standard 150mm lenses at low prices.

Budget medium format? Medium format systems cost higher than 35mm. Even budget introductory kits can cost well over $1000. Used market is the better way to go. Mamiya 645E is currently the lowest priced camera and comes with everything you need plus 80mm lens. Other manufacturers have their own start up kits. Don't expect these to be anywhere near 35mm beginner cameras.

I want to get into medium format photography but can't decide on the format or the camera. Which format and camera do you think is best?
It's always difficult to give advice on photo equipment without knowing a person's type of photography, budget, or how much weight they are willing to carry, and what other equipment they already own. No two photographers are the same. What works for one may not work for others. 645 format is 21/2x larger than 35mm, and handles much like 35mm cameras. It is much easier to use than the larger 6X6 and 6X7 formats. Autofocus is now available plus many other sophisticated features found in the 35mm cameras. The 645 image however is less impressive than the larger formats. 6X6 format is the favorite among many photographers and is 3X larger than the 35mm format. Square format allows more cropping options but many people moving up from 35mm will find composing within a square format difficult. 6X7 is 4X larger than the 35mm and is considered the ideal format. It fits traditional printing papers (8x10, 16x20, etc.) with minimum of cropping. All these formats produce better detail and enlargements than 35mm. I use 6X7 for its larger and more impressive look as well as better details and sharpness. Since I also use 35mm format, I don't need the faster and easier 645 format. I also prefer rectangular proportions so I didn't choose 6X6 format. You need to decide for yourself on the format and what it is you are trying to achieve. All three formats as well as 6X9 format, have their own advantages and disadvantages. The choice of the camera depends on the type of photography you do, how much weight you are willing to carry, and price. Compare all the systems and make sure they offer lenses and other accessories you might need. 645 systems are great for any types of photography. 6X6 and 6X7 are mostly used for portrait or studio work but they can easily be taken out in the field for nature and wildlife shots. It is impossible for me to give advice on certain brands or models. One thing I can tell you is that all medium format systems are of high quality and you can't go wrong with any of them.

What's the best format for portraits? You can use any format to take quality portraits. If you mainly shoot for yourself or friends and make medium size prints, then 35mm should be fine. For very large prints or if you plan on working with clients, medium format provides better sharpness and details. You can easily make 16X20 or 30X40 prints with medium format cameras especially 6X7 format. The larger the format, the sharper and more details the results will be. Use short telephotos between 150mm to 300mm focal lengths if you decide on a medium format system. Large formats should be used if you want maximum possible sharpness for making very large prints.

Darkroom

Which enlarger is best for a small darkroom? I'm also on a small budget.
Beseler Cadet II enlarger is small and affordable. It comes with a 50mm lens. You can also purchase starter kit, complete with everything you need to build your darkroom including paper and chemistry. You can always add filters for making color prints.

What is the best color slide film and color paper for printing from slides?
To find the best film or paper, you need to try different types and pick the ones you like best. People have different tastes. Some like the bold colors of Fuji Velvia while others prefer the more realistic colors of the good old Kodachrome. Use slow, fine grain films and compare their colors, grain, and sharpness. Do the same with printing papers. I have tested almost all color slides and picked Fuji Velvia and Provia for most of my photography. I prefer Ilfochrome papers for their good sharpness and excellent colors. You need to run your own test to find what works for you.

Where to rent a darkroom? Some photo stores, especially used stores, rent darkrooms by hour or day. Most colleges also have darkrooms that can be freely used by students.

Problems

Unsharp telephoto shots? This is caused by handholding the camera. If using a tripod and still getting unsharp results, you may need to use mirror lock-up when using shutter speeds between 1/8-1/15 sec. At these speeds even a small camera vibration can cause unsharp results. Same is true in macro photography. If your camera doesn't have mirror lock-up, don't panic. Avoid 1/8 and 1/15 shutter speeds or use a more solid tripod.

Mirror Lock-up? SLRs have a built-in mirror that must swing out of the way to allow light reach the film. This can cause camera vibration especially when using telephoto lenses and in macro photography at shutter speeds of 1/8-1/15 sec. At these speeds exposure is created at the same time the mirror is causing the vibration. Some cameras have mirror lock-up that lets you lock the mirror up before shutter curtain opens to prevent unsharp pictures. If your camera doesn't have a mirror lock-up, avoid using 1/8-1/15 sec shutter speeds. At slower speeds, image is recorded after the mirror has caused the vibration and at faster speeds, image is recorded before the vibration. You don't have to upgrade your camera just to get mirror lock-up, but you should look for this feature when shopping for a new camera. A more solid tripod can also help reduce camera vibration caused by the mirror.

Sharpness problem in close-ups? Taking sharp close-ups can be difficult. You are faced with several problems. Wind is one of them. Even a small breeze can cause unsharp pictures. Another problem is high magnification. As magnification increases, depth-of-field decreases. You need to stop the lens down to very small f-stops which results in dangerously low shutter speeds. Even at very small f-stops you cannot always bring the whole image into sharp focus. You need to make sure your camera is parallel to the subject to ensure maximum sharpness. Avoid the slowest f-stop as it can cause unsharp images. At very small apertures, you gain more depth-of-field but loose sharpness due to diffraction. Expect more unsharp images than sharp ones when doing close-ups. Use a solid tripod and cable release to release the shutter.

I have a Canon EOS Ellan IIe and a Sigma 75-300mm lens. Can I use a 2X teleconverter with my 75-300mm lens? Canon's teleconverters as well as Nikon and Minolta, are designed to work with certain telephoto lenses and cannot be attached to any other lenses. Sigma, Tamron and Kenko (part of Tokina) converters can be used on most lenses including zooms. Autofocus will only function with lenses having a maximum aperture of f-2.8, or f-4 if you use a 1.4X converter. You loose one stop of light with a 1.4X converter and two stops with a 2X. A 75-300mm f-5.6 zoom becomes a 105- 420mm f-8 with a 1.4X and a 150-600mm f-11 with a 2X converter. Image quality will degrade to some degree, especially when the lens is used wide open.

I'll be shooting some indoor sports. What type of films do you suggest for freezing action? What about flash?
Your main problem is low light. Use the fastest lens you own. You need fast film, ISO 400 is a good choice and you can push this film one or two stops. Fast f-2.8 lenses are ideal but you can also use slower lenses with faster films. If you can get close to the action, you can use flash but make sure you are within flash range. The type of flash depends on how close you can get to the action. If you can't get too close, you'll need a flash unit that covers the distance with the film speed you'll be using. Check your flash guide number (GN) number which is usually given at ISO 100 to calculate flash range with your lens' maximum aperture. For example, if your flash has a guide number of 80 with ISO 100, and you are 20 feet from your subject, an aperture of f-4 is needed for proper exposure. GN= Aperture X flash to subject distance. You can easily calculate GN for other film speeds. The fastest way is to drop the zero from the known GN (you can round up your GN to the nearest number), in this case 80, and you have 8 which is f-8. To calculate GN for ISO 200 which is one stop faster than ISO 100, you need one stop less exposure, in this case f-11. Add the zero you dropped earlier and you have 110, which is your flash GN with ISO 200. If your flash has distance markings for different ISO and f-stops, simply focus on your subject at a given f-stop and check the distance scale on your lens to see if you are within flash range.

On your site you suggest not using a UV filter for protecting front lens element. Everyone I've asked told me a UV filter is needed to protect the lens from scratches and other damages.
All filters degrade image quality to some degree. Cheap UV or skylight filters can turn an expensive, high quality lens into a low quality piece of glass. It doesn't make any sense to spend several hundreds of dollars on a lens and placing a $10 filter on it! You won't see the quality you paid for your lens. I use a lens hood at all times and take extra care not to scratch my lens. If you feel you need a UV filter to protect your lens, consider a high quality one. Quality filters cost much more but worth the extra money.

I'm shopping for a new telephoto zoom that covers 400mm for my Maxxum 600si, either Tokina 80-400mm or Sigma 135-400mm. I have been to several camera shops and each sales person told me something different about each brand. Which lens do you recommend? or should I just go for Minolta 100-400mm?
Always know exactly what you want to buy before going to a camera store or buying mail order. Mail order shops rarely have the time to explain all the details about equipment. Sales people usually work on commissions and try to sell what they feel is a better deal for them, or at times are told to try to sell certain products that the store hasn't been able to sell. They are running a business and you can't really blame them for trying to sell you something more expensive or an over stock item. Do your homework by requesting literature from the manufacturers and reading test reports on photography magazines. Compare prices and features and pick the one you like best. In this case, all lenses you mentioned are high quality. Tokina 80-400mm is the best buy in my opinion. It costs less than Minolta and is 1/2 stop faster and is about the same price as the Sigma 135-400mm, but covers a wider range.

I just purchased a Canon EOS 75-300mm Image Stabilizer lens, but some of my pictures still came up unsharp. Can you tell me what went wrong?
EOS Image Stabilizer lenses (IS) allow you to handhold these lenses with better sharpness than non IS lenses, but they are not full proof. Slower shutter speeds can cause blurred images. You still need to hold the camera and the lens as steady as possible. IS lenses are simply an improved version of conventional lenses for better handholding and at times where camera vibrations may occur even on a tripod. Your chances of getting handhold sharp images with IS lenses is better than non-IS types, but using IS lenses do not guarantee sharp photographs at all times. A solid tripod is still the best accessory for sharp photographs.

How do you meter a fast moving subject since there is no time to bracket?
You can meter your subject and open up or close down from suggested meter reading depending on the tonality of your subject. Open up for lighter and close down for darker subjects. Alternatively, meter something medium tone in the same light as your subject and transfer those settings on manual mode. Manual mode is best since you can quickly adjust settings. In aperture and shutter priority modes, your camera automatically readjusts settings as you change f-stop or shutter speeds which may cause under or over exposed images unless you use AEL button or dial in enough exposure compensation.

What is pushing films mean?
Pushing films mean setting an ISO faster than the film's speed. ISO 100 film for instance, can be pushed one stop to ISO 200 or two stops to ISO 400 to gain more shutter speeds in low light or fast action photography where you don't have faster films. If you are photographing wildlife and your fastest film is ISO 100 and your lens maximum aperture is f-5.6, you may end up with a shutter speed of 1/30 sec which might be too low to freeze action. By setting the ISO to 200 or 400, you underexpose the shots which gives faster shutter speeds. You need to have your films push processed to correct underexposure. Pushing film has its draw backs. Contrast and grain are increased, especially if you push films 2 stops. It is better to use faster films than pushing slower films. Push films only if you need more shutter speed and when you don't have faster films with you.

I like to get into close-up photography. I have a 70-210mm zoom lens with macro. Is this a good lens for close-ups?
Many zooms have a macro setting but these are not true macro lenses. A true macro lens focuses to at least 1/2 life size or higher magnification. Most macro zooms only go to 1/4 life-size. Life size means that the image on film is exactly the same size as in real life. For some close-ups of flowers, a macro zoom works fine, but for serious close-up photography, you need a macro lens that focuses to life-size. 50mm and 100mm macros are the most popular. 50mm macros costs much less but you need to be twice as close to your subject to obtain the same magnification as a 100mm macro lens. You can also use extension tubes with any lens for close-up photography.

What is the best film to use at night?
It all depends on what you want to photograph. Since your shutter speed will be low, ISO 100 or faster films can reduce exposure times. Any film can be used at night, even slower films. However, if you need to freeze action, a very fast film is needed. Some scenes which include tungsten lights may require tungsten balanced films, otherwise images will have a yellowish appearance. You can also use 80A (blue) filter with day light balanced films if the scene includes tungsten lights.

I use a Cokin +3 close-up filter on my 100-300mm lens but can't get my images to come up very sharp even at very small apertures. What am I doing wrong?
The combination you are using will not give razor sharp images, no matter which f-stops you use. The problem is not the filter or the lens. Close-up filters are good accessories for some close-up work but they don't match the quality of a good macro lens or a lens used with extension tubes. Image quality will definitely suffer with a +3 and a zoom set at 300mm. Stopping the lens down to its minimum aperture will degrade overall sharpness even more due to diffraction. Use shorter focal lengths with close-up filters for smaller magnifications. If you need to get closer, use extension tubes or a macro lens for better sharpness.

What is the best exposure mode to use?
It all depends on your subject and light. Program mode is used by beginners who have very little knowledge of exposure. Camera sets everything automatically, but this is no guarantee for perfect exposure. Besides, cameras don't know how you want your pictures to be. Aperture priority is excellent for controlling depth-of-field. Pick an f-stop and the camera sets the appropriate shutter speed. Shutter priority works the opposite. Used mostly for fast action photography, you set the required shutter speed and the camera selects the f-stop. You still need to make adjustments for bright or dark subjects, and in high or low light situations by using exposure compensation dial. Manual mode is where you have total control over your photography. You set both the f-stop and shutter speeds. You can refer to your camera meter or ignore it and pick what you think gives the result you are after. Experiment to find the mode that you feel more comfortable to work with.