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1500 questions
21
votes
6 answers
What makes someone a good photographer?
What makes someone a good photographer?
Skill with the camera?
Artistic eye?
Theoretical knowledge?
A lot of practice?
The reason I am asking is that my photographs don't look nearly as good as I wish it to be. When I see photos on deviantArt and…
BokehMan
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21
votes
1 answer
How does shutter work when shooting videos?
I am a little confused about the concept of shutter speed in video shooting mode. I assume that the "shutter speed" means how fast the shutter would open and close. When this happens, I would hear a click sort of sound from the camera which means…
B Faley
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21
votes
1 answer
21
votes
1 answer
What is background compression?
What does the term "background compression" mean? How would you tell you're achieving it, and how would you achieve it? Ideally, the right answer would also explain how this is related to background blurring. For example, is compression…
jfklein13
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21
votes
4 answers
What is Chromatic Aberration?
What is Chromatic Aberration? Is it a physical part of the lens, or just an optical illusion?
WireGuy
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21
votes
2 answers
What is the benefit of an internal focus lens?
The "IF" in Pentax DA★ 200mm f/2.8 ED (IF) SDM stands for "Internal Focus". I know what this means: the lens doesn't change in size as I focus. (And it's true; it doesn't.) What's the point of this, and why is it important enough to rate a few…
mattdm
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21
votes
2 answers
Why do mirror lenses have poor contrast?
I was reading this question on mirror lenses and the answers taught me a lot about mirror lenses. It is pretty obvious to me why they have donut bokeh (central obstruction) and why they are fixed aperture (an iris would be difficult to insert into…
Paul Cezanne
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21
votes
4 answers
Why does using a tilt-shift lens make things look miniature?
This question isn't so much about how to achieve the effect of making a scene look like it's modelled in miniature, but why tilting the focal plane creates the effect. What is it about photographing miniatures that makes them look like miniatures,…
Edd
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21
votes
2 answers
Why are cine lenses so much more expensive?
For example, compare a cine lens like the Zeiss Compact Prime CP.2 50mm/T2.1 ($3,900) to a high-end DSLR lens like the Canon 50mm f/1.2L ($1418). Both are EF-mount, have the same focal length, and it seems the Canon is a faster lens. Another example…
jp89
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21
votes
7 answers
How can I get better results photographing dry erase boards?
As far as photography goes, I'm less than an amateur. I have a camera my friend (the head of the photography dept. at a local college) recommended to me that I really want to learn to use, but haven't had time (Nikon D90 - a gift from a relative). …
Tango
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21
votes
3 answers
How did they post process before Photoshop?
So, yes, I'm intrigued as to how they post process pictures before Photoshop (or computers, for that matter) came about. Or is post processing a by-product of the computer revolution?
My understanding of film photography (all from the film…
skytreader
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21
votes
4 answers
What features should one look for when selecting a flash?
I have been thinking of getting a flash to improve my low light photography (particularly indoors). However, there seem to be a number of different models available at similar price points (budget of INR 8,000-12,000 ~$150-250). What features and…
ab.aditya
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21
votes
6 answers
Is it true that there are no stabilized prime lenses (and if so, why)?
Fast prime lenses like the Canon 50mm f/1.4 lens work nicely in low-light situations. But I'm quite sure they would work even more nicely if they had optical image stabilizers. It seems to me that no such lenses are available in the Canon system. Is…
Radu
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21
votes
6 answers
Are there any free but comparable alternatives to Lightroom?
Does anyone have any recommendations for free software that provides the key features of Lightroom in one package? The main things I am looking for are:
RAW photo editing
Library management
Multiple catalogs
Rich keyword/tag support
Thanks!
David
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21
votes
4 answers
Why do some professional cameras have dual memory card slots?
I have noticed that some cameras such as the Nikon D300s, Canon EOS 1D Mark IV, or Pentax 645D have dual memory card slots.
What is the purpose of having multiple memory card slots and why would you want them?
dpollitt
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