Here’s a diagram created by Reddit user GeneralSarsby that shows the effective field of view of lenses of various focal lengths when used on a 1.6x crop factor sensor. You can also download the source svg if you want to edit or build upon it.
Image credit: Diagram by GeneralSarsby and used with permission
Christmas is almost upon us, and for the second straight year PetaPixel’s gift guide comes incredibly late. Think of it as a general guide to nifty photo-related gifts that have emerged over the past year rather than a Christmas gift guide — after all, gifts are great to receive year-round, right?
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Here’s a helpful 22-page guide by National Geographic that explains many of the basic concepts of photography, from lens types to composition. It’s a free excerpt taken from the 400-page book “National Geographic Ultimate Field Guide to Photography“, and is a great read for anyone just starting out.
National Geographic Photography Basics [National Geographic]
Photography lens manufacturers use all sorts of abbreviations and acronyms to explain the features of their lenses. In an effort to educate use, the photography lens manufacturers really just confuse us. Hopefully you’ll understand a bit about the different lens feature abbreviations by reading this post.
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Reddit user geft created a useful primer to get newbies started in digital photography. It’s a single image measuring 1045×5480 pixels that covers sensors, aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and camera controls. This would be a great thing to print out, laminate, and give as a gift to someone who’s looking to learn.
Simple Guide to Photography (via Reddit)
Image credit: Graphic created by geft and used with permission
Sorry that this year’s list of awesome photography gifts comes even later than last year’s… we’ll try to have it ready earlier in 2011. This year we have 10 fun, novel, and/or useful gifts for photography-lovers you love…
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Editor’s note: The checklist presented in this post is also available as a text file for you to print out and carry along for reference. This post was first published here.
Almost all of the camera equipment I have ever owned was purchased used. While this isn’t something to be proud of, I do like to think I know a thing or two about cameras and lenses. I have run into the occasional problems with lenses, but I made sure I had the option to return them if they had issues. I have also purchased a few lenses and cameras from people on Craigslist as well and as long as you know what you’re getting and tried it out when you made the purchase, you should be covered. There are a few things that I always check and I’m putting them up here in the hope that you might find some of it useful.
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Photographer Mike Collins created this simple video that gives you a visual look at the difference between full frame sensors and crop frame sensors when using the same lens. The video uses a Canon 5D Mark II for the full frame shots, and a Canon 7D (1.6x crop factor) for the crop shots.
This is a short test with the tripod in the same spot switching between prime lenses to show how the crop affects the 7D. The subject, ace stand in Chris Clement, was roughly five feet from the camera. This isn’t meant to be an aesthetic test to show the difference in image quality between the two cameras. It’s a down and dirty field guide for myself and the other shooters we work with so we can quickly figure what lens we want to use on each camera.
We go from 20mm all the way to 100mm with a Lensbaby composer thrown in at the very end.
You might be surprised at how different the lens are, especially if you’ve never used both full frame and crop frame before.
(via planet5D)
It’s pretty amazing how many free learning resources are available on the web for photographers. Recently, BBC Wildlife opened their Masterclasses, and Tamron launched a video series for newbie photographers.
Tripod manufacturer Manfrotto is also dipping into photo education by hosting the Manfrotto School of Xcellence. The program started last Thursday with a webinar led by Bill Frakes, and will continue this Thursday from 2-3 EDT with a lighting webinar held by Joe McNally.
Future class leaders include Roberto Bigano, Ami Elsius, Drew Gardner, Joe McNally, Marc de Tollenaere, Kristoff Ramon, David Duchemin, Jim Oltersdorf and Cliff Guy.
Topics and difficulty may vary, Manfrotto announced, but they will cover tips on video and photo.
The program is free, but requires pre-registration by email.
The holiday season is upon us! In celebration of the season, we’ve compiled our first holiday gift guide! Each year, we’ll feature 20 a number of awesome photo gifts, ranging from functional to fun. Whether you’re searching for a stocking stuffer or affordable gear for your favorite photographer, we hope our guide comes in handy. We’ve arranged our gift ideas from cheapest to most expensive. Enjoy!
Personalize this shower curtain with photos!
Bed Bath & Beyond – Urban Outfitters
This single-use 35mm is sure to bring some laughter and fun to your holidays. Adds a different frame to each photo taken. Better hurry though, since only 4000 were made.
Urban Outfitters
Frame photos of your favorite mates under this 2-in-1 chess and checkerboard.
Bon-Ton
Give the gift of inspiration! PHOTO:BOX, a collection compiled by Roberto Koch, includes 250 images from 200 brilliant international photographers, including Ansel Adams, Richard Avedon, David LaChapelle, Annie Leibovitz, and more. A great coffee table addition.
Amazon
Take and make it at home: just add glue, a ruler, and a pencil.
Giant Robot Store
See light in all new ways with this amazing Bokeh Masters Kit, which includes several different bokeh discs and allows you to cut your own.
Bokeh Masters Kit
Dick Tracy would be envious of this watch, which can display around 75 jpeg images.
Adorama
A cheat sheet for the visual editor, this keyboard companion skin includes shortcuts for Photoshop, Aperture (2.0), Final Cut Pro/Express, and more.
Photojojo
Print your digital photos instantly, on the go!
Amazon
This nifty spy cam makes for a great conversation piece, especially if your name is Bond, James Bond.
UncommonGoods
These oddball lollipops are a bit silly, but a sweet, personal gift.
ilovephotogifts
Filled with nostalgic longing for the gritty look of retro color film? Look no further, Diana’s back!
Giant Robot Store
For the active photographer, the BlackRapid line is quite the sight for sore backs. With its ergonomic and functional design, BlackRapid straps stand out from the crowd.
Outdoor Photo Gear
Fashion and function meet in this photographer’s handbag.
Best Buy
This Diana lens kit is probably the best new lens out on the market. Granted, it’s made of plastic, but it’s a great way to turn your DSLR into a high-tech lomography machine.
Photojojo
Regular picture frames are boring. Spice up photo presentation with this nifty photo stand.
UncommonGoods
Who knows, maybe your tot can get his or her first freelance gig a lot sooner.
Amazon
Grab a Gorillapod pack to share with the whole family!
Joby
Polaroid may have phased out its line of instant cameras, but Fujifilm carries on the torch with this modern Instax model.
Photojojo
Aputure’s innovative remote trigger is the first and only of its kind to feature live view and instant photo display.
Amazon
From PetaPixel, we wish you all warm, safe, and happy holidays!
