The secrets of a DSLR (Digitale Single Lens Reflex) Camera.

By Peter, June 3, 2009 23:17

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Many of you already found out by reading my Twitter posts, that I recently bought a “real” DSLR. (“real” according to some of my colleagues). Although I was quite satisfied with my Canon 400D, I could imagine that Lifeview would be a nice feature, as well the better and larger 3.0” LCD Monitor on the backside of the camera. A few more megapixels is not really a big deal, but the faster and also better digi processor could really provide better pictures. And of course I lied to myself, that the lens I used to use, was not good anymore. It was top of the bill (for me) three years ago. I am afraid I just fell for the marketing techniques of Canon.

OK, the digital photo world develop very fast and three years of further research and development were added to the digital world. A few days ago I tried to start a discussion about the desirability of a digital photo camera to have the ability making movies, hoping for more reasons not to buy the new 500D. Colleagues at the office convinced me to buy a “real” camera. Not the Canon 500D, but the new 50D. And so I did, and I must say: it is really a top camera! Not only the new possibilities, the speed and the look, but most of all the feeling after pressing the shutter. Everytime I wonder if there is a picture taken at that moment. But the display always shows the extraordinary result.

These Digital SLR cameras are becoming more and more popular. A few friends already asked me about the new destination of my ‘old’ Canon 400D.  I want to sell the old one, but I know that most of the people do not realise that just taking pictures with a DSLR, especially a Canon EOS, will not automatically bring better pictures than a normal compact digital camera.

nikon5400I remembered my first DSLR, a Canon 350D. I was used to my Nikon Coolpix 5400. That Nikon was a very very good camera with crispy sharp photos. Then came my new Canon. Excitement all over me after putting the Canon CF memorycard for the first time in the cardreader of the computer and watching the JPG files to be transferred from the card to the computer. Knowing that within a few moments, I would see the top in photography, I would meet the high Canon standards. A great feeling that I would become one of the happy few….. How great the disappointment was! What was wrong with the camera (with the photographer everything was all right, though?). I checked my lens for irregularities. I had taken pictures with the ‘safe’ green button. What went wrong? The pictures were diffuse, the colours not vivid and there was not much contrast.

I could not believe my eyes, so I went for another round around the house, to make some more pictures. The battery level was sufficient. The viewfinder reported nothing special. But the result stayed the same. More that 20 years of photo experience was evaporated! I was condemned to use a compact camera for the rest of my life. How disappointed I was.

canon50dSo I started to explore the Internet. Not for an eBay-like site for selling the 350D (although it crossed my mind for a split second), but to see if there were people having the same problems. And I found plenty. But I also found the secrets. These secrets can be summarized in a two words: RAW and Photoshop. I will try not to become too technical, but there is a program in every digital camera that converts the information the processor has “seen” (RAW) into a readable and shareable JPG file. The program in the Nikon 5400 is very very good. It sharpens the pictures very well and puts in the right saturation for vivid pictures. But a Canon EOS is a little bit lazy and decided that all the difficult work is for you to be done. You can alter the “convert” program in the camera to meet your needs, but your needs will be influenced by the subject and the actual light conditions. Therefore it is a lot easier to shoot your pictures and to call for the help of a computer for all that difficult work: you let the computer convert that RAW into a JPG (so outside the camera). You can actually see what you are doing and you can try some different possibilities. In that way you can produce pictures that outperform a Nikon 5400 and any other compact camera. See for yourself.

The first picture is the JPG file the Canon 50D produced and the second picture is the one I produced on the computer out of the RAW file. Can you see the difference? Click on the pictures to see them in full size.

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