Nikon D3000 vs D5000
Since I get a lot of requests from our readers to provide a comparison the two entry-level DSLRs - Nikon D3000 and Nikon D5000, I decided to post a quick "Nikon D3000 vs D5000" article to highlight the key differences and provide my recommendations.
 Nikon D3000 |
 Nikon D5000 |
Must-Have DSLR Accessories
Every photographer has a toolbox of camera accessories that are heavily used for photography. While some photographers have a large array of accessories for every type of situation and need, others only buy what they feel is necessity for their photography work. In this article, I will provide some detailed information about what accessories should be in every photographer's bag - I call it a "must-have" list.
1) A good camera bag
As soon as you buy a camera, you buy a camera bag, because you want to protect your investment and easily transport it between locations. But choosing the right camera bag is not always easy - there are so many different bags out there, that it gets frustratingly difficult to make the right decision. Often times, people end up buying a small camera bag, only to replace it in a couple of months with a different one, realizing that they need more room for their camera and lenses. This happens all the time and it also happened to me! I got my first Nikon D80 DSLR, thinking that I wouldn't spend a penny more on an already expensive camera. I bought a compact camera bag that fits the camera and a couple of lenses and thought that I was good to go. Eventually, I ended up buying another lens and extra accessories and my bag was too small to accommodate everything. So I had to go and buy another camera bag with more room. Instead of wasting your money like this, you should buy a good camera bag from the get-go. I personally prefer a backpack, but some people like the convenience of using sling-bags and shoulder bags. It is a personal preference and you should definitely try before you buy...a local camera store is a great place to start. My personal favorites are LowePro and Kata bags, specifically LowePro Pro Runner 300 AW and LowePro Kata 3 in 1 Sling Backpack.
Kata 3 in 1 Sling Backpack
Understanding Metering and Metering Modes
Every modern DSLR has something called "Metering Mode", also known as "Camera Metering", "Exposure Metering" or simply "Metering". Knowing how metering works and what each of the metering modes does is important in photography, because it helps photographers control their exposure with minimum effort and take better pictures in unusual lighting situations. In this "understanding metering modes" article, I will explain what metering is, how it works and how you can use it for your digital photography.
When I got my first DSLR (Nikon D80), one of my frustrations was that some images would come out too bright or too dark. I had no idea how to fix it, until one day, when I learned about camera metering modes.
1) What is Metering?
Metering is how your camera determines what the correct shutter speed and aperture should be, depending on the amount of light that goes into the camera and the sensitivity of the sensor. Back in the old days of photography, cameras were not equipped with a light "meter", which is a sensor that measures the amount and intensity of light. Photographers had to use hand-held light meters to determine the optimal exposure. Obviously, because the work was shot on film, they could not preview or see the results immediately, which is why they religiously relied on those light meters.
Today, every DSLR has an integrated light meter that automatically measures the reflected light and determines the optimal exposure. The most common metering modes in digital cameras today are:
- Matrix Metering (Nikon), also known as Evaluative Metering (Canon)
- Center-weighted Metering
- Spot Metering (Nikon), also known as Partial Metering (Canon)
You can see the camera meter in action when you shoot in Manual Mode - look inside the viewfinder and you will see bars going left or right, with a zero in the middle, as illustrated below.
Metering shown in Nikon Viewfinder
Continue reading 'Understanding Metering and Metering Modes'
Where to Buy DSLR?
One of the questions that I get asked very often from my readers and friends, is "where should I buy a DSLR from?" While this might seem like a pretty straightforward answer to many of our readers, I still decided to write a quick article about where to buy DSLRs and lenses and why.
This is not about what DSLRs and lenses you should buy and why. If you are looking for detailed information on what DSLR you should choose and why, please read my comprehensive "How to Buy a DSLR Camera" guide. If you are looking for a comparison between point and shoot cameras and DSLRs, then I highly recommend reading Lola's detailed "DSLR vs Point and Shoot" article.
If you have already made up your mind on what DSLR camera and lens to buy but you are still wondering if you should purchase it online or in a local store, then keep reading, since I might be able to save you some money.
1) Where to buy a DSLR - Local Store or Online/Internet?
There are many different sources of where you could buy DSLR equipment, but I will talk about the two main ones:
- A local camera/electronics store
- An online Internet store
Low Light Photography Tips
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 various low-light environments, whether indoors or outdoors.
Antelope Canyon, 5 second exposure @ f/10, ISO 200
Three levels of low-light
Before we go any further, let's first identify the varying levels of low-light and categorize them, so that we could refer to them in examples. Although it is very hard to categorize the amount of light, due to the fact that it is a long range of light between very bright and pitch black, just for the sake of making it easier to explain and refer to, I still decided to divide it into three categories:
- Visible: in daylight, when you happen to be in shadow areas behind buildings, under large trees or bridges.
- Low Light: after sunset, when you can still clearly see everything around you, but you can tell that it is getting dark or when you are indoors.
- Dark: at night, when you can only see the brightest objects.
Understanding ISO, Shutter Speed and Aperture – A Beginner's Guide
It is impossible to take good pictures without having a solid understanding of ISO, Shutter Speed and Aperture - the Three Kings of Photography, also known as the "Exposure Triangle". While most new DSLRs have "Auto" modes that automatically pick the right shutter speed, aperture and even ISO for your exposure, using an Auto mode puts limits on what you can achieve with your camera. In many cases, the camera has to guess what the right exposure should be by evaluating the amount of light that passes through the lens. Thoroughly understanding how ISO, shutter speed and aperture work together allows photographers to fully take charge of the situation by manually controlling the camera. Knowing how to adjust the settings of the camera when needed, helps to get the best out of your camera and push it to its limits to take great photographs.
Continue reading 'Understanding ISO, Shutter Speed and Aperture – A Beginner's Guide'
How to photograph children
Photographing children can sometimes be a challenging task, since children typically do not like posing for the camera (especially when they are too busy doing something they like). Everything happens way too fast, making it extremely difficult for the photographer to capture the moment. Because of that, many of us end up with blurry and out-of-focus photographs and wonder how we can improve our photography skills to get better results. After learning much about child photography, taking pictures of my two boys and doing some work on the field, I decided to write an article and provide tips and pointers on how you can successfully photograph children.
Powerful child portraits are much different than "look at the camera and smile" pictures. A true portrait will reflect a child's personality, energy and uniqueness that every one of the bundle of joys have.
Understanding Shutter Speed – A Beginner's Guide
Shutter Speed is one of the three pillars of photography, the other two being ISO and Aperture. Shutter speed is where the other side of the magic happens - it is responsible for creating dramatic effects by either freezing action or blurring motion. In this article, I will try to explain everything I know about shutter speed in very simple language.
Dolphin - 1/1600 Shutter Speed
Continue reading 'Understanding Shutter Speed – A Beginner's Guide'
Understanding Aperture – A Beginner's Guide
Aperture is one of the three pillars of photography, the other two being ISO and Shutter Speed. Without a doubt, it is the most talked about subject, because aperture either adds a dimension to a photograph by blurring the background, or magically brings everything in focus. In this article, I will try to explain everything I know about aperture in very simple language.
Continue reading 'Understanding Aperture – A Beginner's Guide'
Understanding ISO – A Beginner's Guide
It is extremely hard to take good pictures without a good understanding of how ISO works and what it does. Camera ISO is one of the three pillars of photography (the other two being Aperture and Shutter Speed) and every photographer should thoroughly understand it, to get the most out of their equipment. Since this article is for beginners in photography, I will try to explain ISO as simple as I can.
Before we go any further, you should first understand how DSLR cameras work.
1) What is ISO?
In very basic terms, ISO is the level of sensitivity of your camera to available light. The lower the ISO number, the less sensitive it is to the light, while a higher ISO number increases the sensitivity of your camera. The component within your camera that can change sensitivity is called "image sensor" or simply "sensor". It is the most important (and most expensive) part of a camera and it is responsible for gathering light and transforming it into an image. With increased sensitivity, your camera sensor can capture images in low-light environments without having to use a flash. But higher sensitivity comes at an expense - it adds grain or "noise" to the pictures.
Take a look at the following picture (click to open a larger version):
ISO 200 and ISO 3200 Comparison
