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1500 questions
40
votes
7 answers
Does my crop sensor camera actually turn my lenses into a longer focal length?
So, I mount a 200mm lens on my Canon 450D. It effectively becomes a 320mm lens. Is this the equivalent of 320mm on a full frame camera? That is, from what I've figured out I get an equivalent field of view but nothing I've read is indicating that I…
Mike
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40
votes
14 answers
What's the best way to store over 400 GB of digital photos?
My Mom has over 400GB of photos on a quickly dying 2011 IMac. We are getting her a new computer but I am hoping to set up some system where she can safely store all these files in an easy to access format. Currently her photos are scattered…
Dan Barkhorn
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40
votes
6 answers
What is the difference between digital high ISO noise and film grain?
What is the difference between digital high ISO noise and film grain? Why does one "eat detail" and the other does not?
Karel
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39
votes
4 answers
What is back-focusing?
What is back-focusing? Is it something I need to be worried about, or can I just live with it? How can I tell if my camera/lens is sufferring from it?
Edd
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39
votes
5 answers
In which situations should I use my circular polarizing filter?
I received a circular polarizing filter as a gift, but I have a hard time determining when I should be using it.
I've done river shots with some success, but other than that, it doesn't seem to do much beyond reducing the amount of light.
What am…
Bossykena
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39
votes
6 answers
Will too much time-lapse photography reduce a DSLR's life, or cause any other damage?
I own a Canon 550D, and I'm planning to do some time-lapse experiments this weekend just for fun. Will it cause any damage or reduce my DSLR's lifetime if I do too much of it?
Srikanth
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39
votes
3 answers
Does Auto White-Balance Really Work? How?
I don't understand how the camera can work out the white-balance to use in a given scene.
I could see it working if there is an obvious colour-cast (for example: under fluorescent lights). Does it compare the histograms from the different colour…
AJ Finch
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39
votes
9 answers
How to nail focus for DSLR astrophotography?
I've been doing a bit of astrophotography and the problem that I almost always have is nailing focus. I'll manually focus on a bright star or the moon (which hopefully isn't an option!) by magnifying on live view, leave the lens on manual focus,…
rfusca
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39
votes
14 answers
Is there a software to automatically crop a scan of multiple images?
I want to digitize my old family albums using a scanner and there are lots of photos in them. Thus far, my method has been to scan 4 images at a time and then manually cropping them in a simple editor like Picasa or Windows Live Photo Gallery. This…
ab.aditya
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39
votes
6 answers
What's a concise "I'm not dangerous" phrase for a business card?
Not being a street photographer, I find myself intimidated by onlookers when shooting in public. Given that and an increasingly hostile government attitude toward photographers, I'm thinking a business card that also contains some fairly simple…
rfusca
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39
votes
15 answers
What is the best way to clean the sensor on a interchangeable lens camera (mirrorless or digital SLR)?
I've got a couple of spots of dust on the sensor of my Canon 20D. A rocket blower isn't shifting them, and I'm ridiculously scared of some of the more direct methods for cleaning sensors — what methods/systems have you tried, and how successful have…
Rowland Shaw
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39
votes
12 answers
Are equipment reviews from websites like kenrockwell.com and bythom.com reliable?
I know that nothing helps more when buying a lens to test it out yourself, but getting more than one perspective is also helpful. In particular, I run into Kenrockwell.com a lot when trying to get info on a lens. When I Google a lens, Ken Rockwell's…
Christian Chapman
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38
votes
8 answers
Why do people recommend 50mm or other prime lenses as starting lenses for learning photography?
I've seen quite a few people recommend the 50mm prime lenses, in particular the sub-$100 50mm/f1.8, as a starting lens for photographers (especially because they're likely to be using cameras with cropped sensors). From my experiences with the 18-55…
ab.aditya
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38
votes
2 answers
Why do flashes make a whistling sound when recycling?
When recycling, some flashes make a whistling sound, going from low to high frequency for a few seconds. After a more intensive flash, the sound is more intense as well.
What is the source of this whistling?
Arseni Mourzenko
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38
votes
7 answers
If I swallowed my SD Card would it be readable when it emerged?
I am entirely serious.
As I walked conspicuously down a narrow alley this morning with my camera hanging off my shoulder I began considering how I would/could respond to a bit of rough treatment by local security forces.
Assuming I had some photos I…
Drew
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