Most Popular

1500 questions
25
votes
4 answers

Do very short shutter speeds result in diffraction?

I'm curious if very short exposure times (say 1/8000 or even 1/16000) would cause noticeable blur due to diffraction. To achieve very fast shutter speeds focal-plane shutters start to close the second curtain before the first one has passed…
benjy
  • 353
  • 4
  • 9
25
votes
11 answers

Is it better to have one large memory card or several smaller ones?

I don't think anyone can give a definitive answer, but what are the factors I should consider? What are the pros and cons? I'm thinking: What are the costs? the risks? How is usability affected? Anything else? Can you give any concrete examples…
AJ Finch
  • 11,822
  • 3
  • 43
  • 76
25
votes
2 answers

What are the biggest differences between Reversal Rings, Extension Tubes and Macro Lenses?

As far as I understand all three options help you do macro photography but are their other reasons for having the three different items? I figured reversal rings and extension tubes were just for the low cost but with additional more expensive…
Vian Esterhuizen
  • 2,554
  • 2
  • 24
  • 34
25
votes
3 answers

How to photograph smoke?

I have been trying to get images of smoke against a black background. Does anyone have any advice on the best way to do this and a good lens choice and lighting set up for the job?
Paul Round
  • 2,589
  • 16
  • 14
25
votes
7 answers

Why are larger sensors better at low light?

The top answer of What point and shoots are good in low light conditions? says that (1) a fast lens/wide aperture (2) reasonable ISO 400+ handling and (3) a large sensor when put together are critical in shooting in low light. The first I understand…
William C
  • 1,524
  • 2
  • 13
  • 19
25
votes
6 answers

How well do smart phone light meter apps work?

There are a number of smart phone apps which use the phone's camera as a light meter. How well do these work? The metering built into most modern cameras is very powerful and accurate, but in some cases it's nice to have a detached device. A…
mattdm
  • 143,140
  • 52
  • 417
  • 741
25
votes
9 answers

How can I stitch a panorama correctly if I moved the camera along the horizontal axis?

Here in Argentina, we have a very fancy street called "Lanin". All the houses and walls on that street have some kind of mosaic stuck to it, and it's very cool. It was made by a local artist who lives on that street. Because to this piece of urban…
Andres
  • 5,014
  • 12
  • 48
  • 70
25
votes
10 answers

What makes a DSLR better than a Point & Shoot?

Why should I put up with the inconvenience of lugging around a DSLR? They look cool, but is there more substance to it?
mmccoo
  • 1,123
  • 4
  • 14
  • 23
25
votes
4 answers

Why does this picture look so painterly?

While browsing through explore on Flickr I saw this picture: John Starkey "Morning Coffee" I really like it because, to me, it looks like it is a painting (I hope I'm not the only one seeing it this way). Since I like my pictures to have some kind…
x3b7z99
  • 417
  • 4
  • 7
25
votes
1 answer

What is the function of the MISC folder on my memory card?

In all the Canon cameras that I have/had, after every session a MISC folder was created, besides the normal DCIM folder. This folder was always empty and the camera didn't bother if I deleted it. What's the point of this folder?
Andres
  • 5,014
  • 12
  • 48
  • 70
25
votes
8 answers

What solutions are available for a self-hosted portfolio website?

I am trying to find a simple yet solid solution for a self-hosted photo site. I have been through a bunch but have found them outdated code-wise (Gallery2), technology-wise (Flash based) or just plain ugly or disorganized (Coppermine). I am…
Wyck
  • 471
  • 1
  • 4
  • 9
25
votes
6 answers

Are there general rules for selecting the correct shutter speed and ISO in manual mode?

I have purchased my first DSLR (a Canon 500D) and have been playing around quite a lot within the aperture priority mode, with auto shutter speed and ISO. Anyways as I would like to become a better photographer I would like to start taking all my…
JT.WK
  • 359
  • 1
  • 3
  • 4
25
votes
8 answers

What should my plan be for photographing in a nightclub setting?

I'm going to be photographing in a club setting. Imagine a foggy atmosphere, with a lighting nightmare: everything from strobe lights to colored spotlights and everything in between, both bright and dark. The atmosphere is very fast-paced. I'm…
qJake
  • 1,195
  • 2
  • 16
  • 25
25
votes
9 answers

Why did they ever make smaller than full-frame sensors?

You will occasionally encounter articles about how awesome full-frame cameras are. Lot of that is probably over-enthusiasm over a new piece of equipment or simple marketing, but it seems to me that at least these things are true: Sensor with a…
Tomáš Zato
  • 1,050
  • 1
  • 11
  • 25
25
votes
4 answers

Does it give higher quality to shoot in low-res mode in-camera, or to downsize high-res photos later?

Suppose you want to store your photos at some lower resolution, let's say about ~1 MB large. You own a camera able to make photos at 5 MPix and more. And, you want to have the maximum quality at the smaller size. Would it be better to make a photo…
theSpyCry
  • 353
  • 3
  • 7