Sunday 23 February 2014

Week 2: Camera

Assalamualaikum..Semoga sihat2 belaka :)

This second week, we only have to present 3 topics regarding to basic photography which are;
a) General issue (Types of Camera)
b) Digital SLR(How to choose your first and the right DSLR Camera)
c) DSLR Brands (Nikon vs Canon)

So, only some chosen person have to present and they come to elaborate more details about the topic.
For the general issues, we focus on different types of camera including;
i) Point and Shoot camera
ii) Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Cameras
   -Micro Four Third camera system
iv) Digital Single Lense Reflects camera

All the types have its own specification and advantages. It is depends on user based on their uses and budget allocated for the camera. Sometimes, the types of camera is depend on current trends...Advancement of technology makes people always change their need and interest of getting new gadjet.

By the way, I'll show the photos of camera and the descriptions so that we can differentiate between those types of camera;
Leica X2
i) Point and Shoot camera

Olympus E-M5 Body + 8GB + Bag
ii) Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera
-Micro Four Third camera system

Nikon D600 Body
iv) Digital Single Lense Reflects camera


     For Point and Shoot Camera, generally it looks like compact camera that are very simple, and capable to take pictures without any extra bells and whistles. Typically these are powered by AA batteries as  opposed to rechargeable lithium-ion types, but these deplete their charge quickly and so aren't very economical. A better solution is to invest in a set of rechargeable batteries and a charger; while this will be initially more expensive, such batteries offer the best performance and can be used time and time again. In the market, there are many brands for compact camera like Canon,Nikon, Lumix, Pentax, Sony and so forth. Most basic compact cameras will fit in a pocket or small purse. All of the current compact cameras have a minimum three time (3X) zoom lens and at least 12 megapixels. With that many megapixels, great looking, quality images can be enlarged to 16 X 20 inch print size. Today's digital compact cameras come with a fully automatic mode which is great for beginners or those who just want to "point and shoot" when taking pictures. Other than that, they also can use digital compact cameras come equipped with a number of scene modes such as landscape, beach, sports and fireworks among others. Those scene modes make it easy to adapt to different types of picture taking situations.

    Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera is the type of digital cameras that are very similar to Digital SLR cameras. Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens cameras allow the photographer to use the camera in full manual or automatic modes the same way Digital SLR cameras can be operated. Also, as you have probably noticed by the name of this type camera, the lens can be changed just like on a Digital SLR Camera. The biggest difference between the two type cameras is that Mirrorless cameras are much
smaller than Digital SLR cameras. Their camera body size is closer to the size of compact cameras. The reason the body size is so much smaller is because they do not have optical viewfinders like the Digital SLR type cameras. Optical viewfinders that are found on Digital SLR cameras use a system of mirrors and pentaprism to show the scene that will be photographed. Mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras do not have a mirror system. They are equipped with an LCD screen and/or Electronic Viewfinder for previewing the scene that is about to be photographed. The mirrors in a Digital SLR camera take up a lot of space in the body of the camera, so the elimination of the mirrors allows for a smaller body to be used for the mirrorless camera.

     Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera also introduce a system name Micro Four Third camera system (MFT). It is a standard created by Olympus and Panasonic, and announced on August 5, 2008 for mirrorless interchangeable lens digital cameras and camcorders design and development. MFT shares the original image sensor size and specification with the Four Thirds system, designed for DSLRs. Unlike Four Thirds, the MFT system design specification does not provide space for a mirror box and a pentaprism, allowing smaller bodies to be designed, and a shorter flange focal distance and hence smaller lenses to be designed. Virtually any lens can be used on MFT camera bodies, as long as an adapter exists. For instance, Four Third lenses can be used with auto focus using the adapters designed by Olympus and Panasonic. The image sensor of Four Thirds and MFT is commonly referred to as a 4/3" type or 4/3 type sensor. The Four Thirds system uses a 4:3 image aspect ratio, in common with other compact digital cameras but unlike APS-C or full-frame DSLRs which usually adhere to the 3:2 aspect ratio of the traditional 35 mm format. Thus the "Four Thirds" refers to both the size of the image and the aspect ratio of the sensor. Micro Four Thirds cameras possess larger sensors which may offer better image quality, and interchangeable lenses.  However, it tends to be larger, heavier and more expensive than compact cameras but smaller and lighter compared to DSLR camera.


     DSLR cameras offer the best image quality and more options than the other cameras featured here, although because of these factors they are also more expensive. Their larger sensors are able to produce better images in low-light conditions than with other cameras, and with a wider dynamic range too. Furthermore, they are designed to work with a range of high-quality lenses, meaning the photographer may choose one that's been developed specifically to suit their requirements.Most DSLR cameras offer APS-C sensors, which are slightly larger than the Micro Four Thirds sensor but smaller than full-frame. This applies a conversion factor of around 1.5x to any mounted lens, which gives lenses a little extra reach. The Four Thirds system, which now consists of Olympus's E-system range, increases this to 2x, doubling the effective focal length of any mounted lens. The downside of this is that wider angles are harder to achieve, and usually mean investing in either a full-frame body or a very wideangle lens which can tolerate some cropping. DSLRs also have the widest range of accessories at present. A plethora of lenses aside, all DSLRs accept flashguns on their hotshoe, and many also take extra battery grips for extra power and easier shooting in the portrait orientation. With HD video now a staple feature on DSLRs, it's even possible to invest in an external microphones for stereo sound recording, while the shallow depth of field offered by a larger sensor can be a great benefit with regards to creativity and low-light shooting.

Alright, interested with all the types of camera? Think wisely before you buy it, okay?

There are many factors that we should consider before we buy a new camera. We know that there are many brands everywhere here and there that were at least 9 manufacturers (Canon, Fuji, Leica, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax, Samsung and Sony) and between them there were something like many different models.

How do you choose which one to buy, and in what ways are they different? With so many different cameras available and new models being announced every few months it’s not really possible to make specific recommendations on which one is "best". The term "best" will depend on many factors unique to the user. However, below are the outline which are the various factors that you might want to take into account when deciding which one to purchase.

i) We should know our purpose to buy the camera. For example, only for hobby/jobs/videography and
   so on.
ii) Skills level (beginner/intermediate/professional)
iii) Budget allocation/Pricing
iv) Specifications that may to consider such as;
  • Compatibility with Existing Lenses
  • System Expandibility
  • Price
  • Format Size
  • Image Stabilization
  • Size and Weight
  • Pixel Count
  • ISO Settings
  • Noise Level
  • Metering
  • Autofocus
  • Continuous Capture Rate and Buffer Size
  • Live View Capability
  • Video Capability
  • Viewfinder Size
  • Flash System
  • Other Features
  • The Bottom Line
Before we buy a camera, we should make some survey so that it will be useful for us to choose the best camera that suit our purpose. Here are some link that may help us;
I am also a camera lover and usually, I have always go to Miyamondo because it always offer the best price for me and the gadget and accessories come with good condition. Furthermore, it is near to UTM like Shashinki but Miyamondo has its own shop here that is located near to Sutera Mall. So, you can compare the price there. Haha..promote pulak.. :p

For the specification of the camera, we can compare all of the specs and also the expected price at www.snapsort.com. So, it will give you better understanding of the specifications and help to choose the most suitable camera for us.

Other than this, Dr. J also give some notes that we can read it thoroughly and know the camera closer..

Tadaaaa,, here are the notes;
Baca tau jangan tak baca :p

Next week,we will discuss about the mode in DSLR camera. Basically,we have four modes that usually used that are Manual, Aperture Priority,Shutter Priority,Program mode and some DSLR have Dedicated Scene. So,what are all about? What are differences among the modes? See on next week lectures,okay...

Babaii





Wednesday 12 February 2014

First Class: Welcome


Bismillahirrahmanirahim

Assalamualaikum and hello everyone.
Senyum dulu tanda sedekah :).. hihii

Ok, now, lets start our new chapter in the new semester..
Firstly, I will let you know about this blog which is as a requirement for my subject taken on this semester.
So, what's the subject? Ahaaaaa...

Alright, i think this is the right time for me to take this subject because to be honest, I really love photography. I have some experience with photography field and until now, i'm still learning. So, I take Visual Technology Production (MPT1483) with marvellous lecturers, Assoc.Prof Dr.Jamalludin Harun and Dr. Nurbiha A Shukor. I'm so glad to be one of the students in this class.

Actually, to take this subject, we should take Technology and Media Design (MPT1203) as the pre-requisite subject and we are free to choose this subject or Video and Animation Technology Production. Both are my interest, but I prefer to choose Visual Technology Production because of I really want to learn more about camera and digital graphics but in education field.

As usual, for the first week,we were exposed with the course outline along the semester including the synopsis about the course, learning outcomes, schedule, and also assessment. Here I attach the course outline. Please click to enlarge.





This week was conducted by favourite lecturer, Dr.J. The amazing part from his lectures this week is when he brings out some of his iphone gadgets which are some parts of photography and videography equipments. He shows how to use that gadgets and I think that were really awesome. I wish that I could by some of the parts..haha (Dr.J marah ni kalo dia tahu..rugi duit..tp minat takpe kan).. Jom usha2 gambar gaya Dr.J dgn gajetnya..

(sila klik kasi jelas..mihmihmih)

Last but not least, this week we were given simple briefing about what should we learn next week which is the topic of Basic Photography. Dr.J will cover this topic until mid sem and Dr.Biha will continue the lesson after the sem break. Next week we will cover about; 

  • Types of camera 
  • Choosing a digital camera 
  • Camera Settings & Camera Modes 
  • Media storage devices 
  • File formats 
Then, based on those subtopic, we were given a task to discuss about one of three subtopic given that will be learnt on the next lesson. Therefore, based on the selection, i choose to explain about DSLR Brands (Nikon vs Canon)..hoyeah..so, wait for our explanation next week, till we meet again babai n assalamualaikum :)