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Canon has released updated firmware for the Canon 60D, version 1.0.9. According to Canon, this update:
- Changes the name of the feature called “Art Filters” to “Creative Filters” (which is used in markets other than Japan) in the Japanese version to make the terms consistent. (This change only applies to the Japanese version and does not apply to other language versions.)
- Fixes a phenomenon where the camera may operate abnormally when it is set to Quick Mode AF during Live View shooting immediately after capturing an image with the C.Fn II-1 Long exposure noise reduction setting set to [2: On] and a shutter speed setting of 5 seconds or more.
- Fixes a phenomenon where the camera may operate abnormally when after Live View shooting, the remote switch on the EOS Utility screen is pressed to immediately start movie-shooting. This phenomenon only occurs when the camera is connected to a compatible personal computer and the Remote Live View function of EOS Utility software is being used.
Head over to the Canon website to download and install the new firmware.
I’m not usually a big fan of the “creative fun filters” that are included as in-camera processing options for many of the current dSLR and compact point-and-shoot cameras. I prefer to do my processing in Photoshop, where I can see the full quality version of the image, and have more control over the editing. However, I was playing around with the “Grainy Film” mode of the new Olympus XZ-1, and I was quite impressed with how cool, fun, and easy it is. Perhaps I should reevaluate their usefulness!
Olympus XZ-1 – Grainy Film
So I decided to have a look at some of the other cameras’ black and white grainy film options and see how they all compare. This is a pretty informal comparison without too much strict effort put into the “test” other than putting the subject camera in about the same place, zooming in all the way and using the maximum aperture if possible, and loosely trying to frame the images all about the same.
Since the Olympus XZ-1 inspired this experiment, I will cover that one first. The Olympus XZ-1 is a new competitor to the high end compact point-and-shoot class of cameras which includes the Canon S95 and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 – as well as the upcoming newly released Nikon P300. They are all roughly about the same size, and have excellent image quality and low light performance. Their features and maximum apertures vary, and there are other site, such as DPReview, that do full reviews of these models if you are more interested in learning about them.
For the Olympus XZ-1, you turn the Mode Dial to “Art.” How cool is that?! All you have to do is turn the dial and you can make art! Other cameras merely have “Scene Modes,” while the Olympus offers “Art!” In Art Mode choose Art 3, which is Grainy Film. While in Art Mode, as in most of its other modes, you can easily change the exposure compensation by pressing up on the rear dial and dialing in a (+) or (-) compensation amount, and immediately see what you will get. I kept it at 0 for this test.
The image from the Olympus, seen at the top of this post, is nice and contrasty. It has a bit of grain, but actually isn’t really very grainy. The large aperture does blur out the background nicely. Have a look at the larger version on Flickr to see it better.
Next up is the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5, another one of the high end point-and-shoots. For this camera you go into the My Color Mode and choose Film Grain.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 – Film Grain
Compared to the Olympus, it appears to have created more of a dark monochrome image, without the high amount of dramatic contrast. There is a bit of grain, perhaps a little more than the Olympus, but I really wouldn’t call it grainy. The background blurring isn’t nearly as dramatic as the Olympus. See larger image on Flickr.
The Canon S95 is quite a popular camera for those seeking great image quality in a compact point-and-shoot. After David Pogue wrote an ode to it in the New York Times, they really started to move off the shelves. For the S95, you use one of the Scene Modes called the Nostalgic Mode. You have a few degrees of exposure to choose from as you turn the front lens dial, which first start to affect image color, then go to sepia, and then to contrasty black and white. I choose the highest setting to get the grainy black and white look.
Canon S95 – Nostalgic Scene Mode
The contrast of the S95 image is between the other two – more than the Panasonic but less that the highly contrasty Olympus. The background really shows the grain, but is not very dramatically blurred out. Have a look at the larger version on Flickr to see it better.
Here is the entry from the Nikon P300. To get to this setting, you set the mode dial to Scene Mode, go to Special Effects, and set it for High-Contrast Monochrome.
Nikon P300 – High-Contrast Monochrome
Like the Panasonic, the contrast isn’t actually that dramatic. And I did not find any way to adjust the aperture setting while in this mode so as to take advantage of its fast lens (including the inability to change the ISO in this mode), so it used f/5.5 and thus the background blurring really isn’t very dramatic either. And this setting does not introduce any grain into the image. Have a look at a larger version of the image on Flickr.
The final camera is the Canon 60D, used here with its 18-135mm kit lens. This is a digital SLR, not a compact point-and-shoot like the others, but I knew it offers a grainy black and white option in its Creative Filters, so I added it to the mix. To use this feature, you take an image in color, then access the Creative Filters to apply the affect, and then save the new copy along with the original image. You can quickly access the Creative Filters during playback by pressing the Q Button. This one is called Grainy B/W, and is offered in three levels of contrast: Low, Standard, and Strong. I chose Standard to demonstrate the middle ground. Standard appears to be pretty contrasty, and is closer to the highly contrasty Strong setting than it is to the not-as-contrasty Low setting.
Canon 60D – Grainy B/W Creative Filter
As you can see, even on the Standard level of contrast it is quite contrasty. And you can definitely see the grain in the background of this image, which is nicely out of focus because I was able to use a long lens and a wide aperture. The Strong setting increases the contrast to a level very similar to the Olympus. See larger image on Flickr.
With the compact cameras, you can see on the rear LCD screen what you are going to get in advance, while with the Canon 60D, you can see how your original color image will be affected by the different levels of contrast.
So there you have it – the grainy black and white in-camera processing of these camera. Of the compacts, my favorite is the very dramatic look of the Olympus XZ-1, due to both its contrast and its more out-of-focus background. Thanks to my patient subject, the classic Nikon F3 with the stunning 50mm f/1.2 lens. Have a look at some real black and white grain on some of my earliest SLR photos from Rome, 1991.
I am moving my blog from WordPress to my own website. This post comparing the Canon T3i, T2i, 60D, and 7D can now be read here:
http://blog.dojoklo.com/2011/02/20/canon-t3i-600d-vs-t2i-550d-vs-60d-vs-7d-etc/
Thanks for following me to my new blog home!
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In my e-book user’s guide for digital SLRs (including Your World 60D, Nikon D7000 Experience, and Canon T3i Experience) I include a list of accessories and books, complete with links to purchase these products on Amazon. However, the links don’t always work with some e-book formats, so I am posting the list here too.
Below are some accessories that are handy for general photography use as well as when traveling with your camera, plus some of my favorite photography books, and accessories mentioned in the text of Nikon D7000 Experience, Your World 60D, and Canon T3i Experience that are specific to those cameras. Click on the links to go to the product or category pages on Amazon.com. Please note that these are my Amazon Associates referral links, and I will receive a small referral fee from Amazon.com if you use these links to make your purchases, which helps to support my blog and my work. Thanks!
Sandisk Extreme SD Memory Cards: I suggest getting a couple 16 GB or 8 GB cards to store your photos – more if traveling. Class 10 cards should be used if you are shooting video. Be sure to check the Sandisk site for current rebates.
Giottos Medium Rocket Blower: Always have it handy for getting dust off lenses in a hurry, because blowing on them – no matter how careful – leads to spittle on the lenses. Also use for manually cleaning the sensor as described above.
Lens Pen Cleaning System: Works great for cleaning off mysterious spots and smudges that appear on the lens (this is why I always use UV filters) as well as that a-fore-mentioned spittle. Blow dust off the lens first with the Rocket Blower, brush it with the Lens Pen brush, and then follow the instructions for using the Lens Pen.
UV Filters: Clear, protective filters for the lenses. You should have these on at all times to protect your lenses. Get high quality ones, such as B+W, especially for higher quality lenses. Consider the MRC multi-coated versions for highest quality lenses. While some argue that any filter may degrade image quality, most know that it is cheaper to replace a $100 filter than to repair a $1500 lens. Use the slim filters for wide angle lenses to avoid vignetting.
Circular Polarizing Filter: Use this outdoors in sunlight to darken the sky, cut through haze and reflections, and increase contrast. Do not use on a wide angle lens as it will cause the sky to change from light to dark and back again across the frame. You have to turn the second ring of the filter to create the amount of lightness or darkness in the sky that you desire, or to reduce or eliminate reflections. It works best when the sun is to your left or right, but does not have any polarizing effect if the sun is directly in front or behind you. Do not use an older linear polarizing filter with a digital camera, as it will interfere with the metering and autofocus systems.
Nikon Lens Hoods or Canon Lens Hoods: Use a lens hood on your lens to both prevent flare and to protect the front of the lens when it inevitable bangs against something or drops. Some nicer lenses typically come with a lens hood. With other lenses, buy the corresponding optional hood.
BlackRapid R-Strap: A different, more comfortable way to carry your camera, especially one with a larger or heavier lens. The RS-7 version has a nice curved shoulder strap, the RS-4 is not curved at the shoulder but does have a handy little pocket for memory cards, and the RS-W1 R-Strap is designed for women.
Insurance: Make sure your equipment is covered by insurance. When I worked in a camera store, people came in on a weekly basis to replace the equipment that was stolen from their car, trunk, luggage, while traveling, or was in a fire. You may need special insurance or a rider if your homeowner or renter’s insurance does not cover it. I use the policy available through NANPA, though you have to join NANPA to get it. This insurance is primarily for the equipment only, so you are not paying for liability coverage geared toward a business as you are with many other photo equipment insurance plans. Please note that the NANPA membership fee covers you annually from July – they don’t pro-rate, so you will not get a full year if you join at any other time. (If you happen to join NANPA to get their insurance, mention my name as a referrer, and I save on my next membership renewal!)
Silica Packs: Keep these in your camera bags to absorb moisture. Consider using real ones that you buy in solid cases instead of the little packs that you found in your new pants pocket that may break open over time.
Sto-Fen Omni Bounce Diffuser: Works great on the optional external flash units (note some Nikon flashes come with a diffuser like this). Do not use this on your flash outdoors because all it will do outside is cause your flash to work harder. I know you see lots of people doing it. They didn’t bother reading how to use it. Don’t imitate them. Use a direct bare or gelled flash outdoors. These diffusers are designed to work as a diffuser when bounced off a surface and angled at 45 degrees or so. Not straight on, and not bouncing off the sky.
Digital Grey Card: Used to measure and set accurate custom white balance.
Rosco Strobist Collection Flash Gels: Use these to balance the color temperature of your flash to the color temperature of the ambient light in order to have a single WB setting that neutralizes the color cast of the entire scene. Tape them in place or use the LumiQuest Gel Holder which attaches to your flash with the Honl Speed Strap, an overpriced strip of Velcro.
Eye-Fi Wireless Flash Memory Card: This SD memory card can be used to automatically upload photos wirelessly via Wi-Fi to your computer during shooting or afterwards.
Card Reader: Use this to transfer image files from the memory cards to your computer if your computer does not have a card reader built in. They may be faster than the camera’s USB cable and will save camera batteries.
Camera’s USB Cable: Always have the included camera USB cable when traveling, as a back-up method of transferring image files to your computer.
Lens and Body Caps: Don’t forget to have these in your camera bag, to protect lenses and camera body when switching and storing them.
Camera Wrap: For protecting your camera while carrying it around in dusty, misty, or sandy situations, or for protection when storing it.
Rainhood or Rainsleeve: For protecting your camera while using it in dusty, misty, rainy, or sandy situations.
Remember, strong insect repellants can melt plastics and other materials on the body of your camera.
Adobe Photoshop CS5 and/ or Adobe Lightroom 3: These software programs are essential for editing, processing, retouching, and manipulating your photographs, especially if you are shooting in RAW. Lightroom is designed specifically for photographers and is the processing program of choice for many, but it does not have the manipulation capabilities of Photoshop.
Books
Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photos with Any Camera by Bryan Peterson
Learning to See Creatively: Design, Color & Composition in Photography by Bryan Peterson
The Photographer’s Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos by Michael Freeman
The Photographer’s Mind: Creative Thinking for Better Digital Photos by Michael Freeman
Available Light: Photographic Techniques for Using Existing Light Sources by Don Marr
On-Camera Flash Techniques for Digital Wedding and Portrait Photography by Neil van Niekerk
Speedliter’s Handbook: Learning to Craft Light with Canon Speedlites by Syl Arena
Digital Photographer’s Complete Guide to HD Video by Rob Sheppard and Michael Gunchen.
More Essential Digital Photography Books are listed in this post.
Nikon D7000 Accessories
Nikon EN-EL15 Rechargable Battery: It is always good to have an extra battery or two, especially when traveling or when photographing all day or for an event.
Nikon MB-D11 Battery Pack/ Grip: This accessory will enable you to use a second EN-EL15 battery or else use AA batteries, thus allowing you to shoot longer without having to change batteries. It also increases the size of the D7000 body which may be more comfortable for some shooters, especially when shooting vertically in portrait orientation.
Nikon ML-L3 Wireless Remote or MC-DC2 Remote Release Cord: These remotes will allow you to trigger the shutter of the camera remotely, thus allowing either self-portraits or the ability to release the shutter without pressing the Shutter Button thus preventing possible camera shake.
Nikon SB-900, SB-800, SB-700, or SB-600 Speedlight Flashes: These external flashes will give you greatly increased flash power and control compared to the built-in flash. They also have adjustable and rotating heads so that you can use indirect and bounce flash. All of them can be used as remote flashes controlled by the built-in flash, and with the exception of the SB-600 all can be used as commanders to trigger remote flashes.
Nikon WT-4A Wireless Transmitter: This can be used to wirelessly transmit your images to a computer as you shoot. However for certain situations and uses, an Eye-Fi SD memory card may be more convenient.
Nikon Capture NX2: If you are not using Photoshop, this software will enable you to process and retouch your JPEG or RAW files, and correct things such color, contrast, and sharpening.
Canon 60D Accessories
Canon LP-E6 Battery: It is always good to have an extra battery or two, especially when traveling or when photographing all day or for an event.
Canon BG-E9 Battery Grip: This accessory will enable you to use two LP-E6 batteries, (or else use six AA batteries), thus allowing you to shoot longer without having to change batteries. It also increases the size of the 60D body which may be more comfortable for some shooters, especially when shooting vertically in portrait orientation.
Canon Remote Switch RS-60E3 or Canon Wireless Remote Control RC-6: These remotes will allow you to trigger the shutter of the camera remotely, thus allowing either self-portraits or the ability to release the shutter without pressing the Shutter Button thus preventing possible camera shake.
Canon Speedlite 580EX II or Speedlite 430EX II or Speedlite 320EX: These external flashes will give you greatly increased flash power and control compared to the built-in flash. They also have adjustable and rotating heads so that you can use indirect and bounce flash. All of them can be used as remote flashes controlled by the built-in flash. The 320EX also has a built in LED light for lighting video.
Canon Hand Strap E2: This hand strap provides a more secure grip and allows for easier single hand operation of the camera. It attaches on the right side of the 60D and your right hand slips between it and the camera.
Canon EF-D Focusing Screen: This is the grid focusing screen to help you keep your compositions and horizons straight and level.
Canon Rebel T3i / EOS 600D (and Rebel T2i / EOS 550D) Accessories
Canon LP-E8 Battery: It is always good to have an extra battery or two, especially when traveling or when photographing all day or for an event.
Canon BG-E8 Battery Grip: This accessory will enable you to use two LP-E8 batteries, (or else use six AA batteries), thus allowing you to shoot longer without having to change batteries. It also increases the size of the camera’s body which may be more comfortable for some shooters, especially when shooting vertically in portrait orientation.
Canon Remote Switch RS-60E3 or Canon Wireless Remote Control RC-6: These remotes will allow you to trigger the shutter of the camera remotely, thus allowing either self-portraits or the ability to release the shutter without pressing the Shutter Button thus preventing possible camera shake.
Canon Speedlite 580EX II or Speedlite 430EX II or Speedlite 320EX: These external flashes will give you greatly increased flash power and control compared to the built-in flash. They also have adjustable and rotating heads so that you can use indirect and bounce flash. All of them can be used as remote flashes controlled by the built-in flash. The 320EX also has a built in LED light for lighting video.
Canon Hand Strap E2: This hand strap, used with or without the battery grip, provides a more secure grip and allows for easier single hand operation of the camera. It attaches on the right side of the camera and your right hand slips between it and the camera.
I’ve spent a significant amount of time with the new Nikon D7000 as I was researching and writing my ebook user’s guide Nikon D7000 Experience. It has been interesting to contrast it with the recent Canon 60D, as they sit in a somewhat similar position in each brand’s current dSLR line-up.
They are both excellent cameras and are both highly customizable for you to set up for the way you shoot. But I have to say I’m incredibly impressed with the higher amount of customization options offered by the D7000. Nikon offers the opportunity for advanced shooters to fine-tune many settings of the D7000 – options that the 60D just doesn’t have.
Advanced settings of the Nikon D7000 include:
White Balance – many more fluorescent options and the ability to tweek any of the WB settings along the blue-amber and green-magenta axes – including the ability to make blue-amber adjustments on the fly without going into the menus by using the WB button. The 60D not only doesn’t offer this level of adjustment, it doesn’t even have a WB button on the body of the camera.
Frame Rate – The Continuous Low release (drive) mode can be set for between 1 to 5 fps. Canon only offers 3fps in Low Speed Continuous. This is not such a big deal on the 60D because High Speed Continuous is 5.3 fps. However with the Canon 7D, this would have been an incredibly helpful option. The 8 fps of High Speed is blazing fast, typically too fast for real life use as the scene barely changes from image to image yet the large files can quickly fill up a card. But then 3 fps is too slow for action use. I have long wished for a 5 or 6 fps option on the 7D.
Metering – With the D7000 you can change the size of the area metered in Center-Weighted Area metering mode if you wish for more or less precision or if you are working with a subject of a particular size. The camera can be set to meter a circle of various sizes: 6mm, 8mm, 10mm, 13mm, or even an average of the entire scene (Average will act like a very dumbed down Matrix (Evaluative) Metering and just average the entire frame and not take selected AF points into consideration). The 60D does not offer this ability but does offer Center Weighted metering mode and Partial metering mode (which meters a center circle that is 6.5% of the viewfinder). Both cameras offer Spot Metering for very precise metering.
Exposure – In the D7000 you can fine tune the default settings of each of the metering modes to slightly under- or over-expose. This is an adjustment done behind the scenes and not exposure compensation. This is something I would find very handy on my 50D because it always overexposes by about 1/3 a stop in Evaluative Metering mode. So instead of using -1/3 exposure compensation all the time, I finally settled on using Center Weighted Average metering. But with the D7000, you can fine tune the camera to always underexpose. For example if you were to have this slight overexposure problem in Matrix metering, you could fine-tune Matrix for -1/3 and then it would be fixed. You could use exposure compensation on top of that when necessary. You can also customize the controls for exposure compensation (EC) so that your EC adjustment applies to only the next photo taken or to all subsequent photos.
Autofocus – The D7000 offers AF Fine Tune (or AF Micro-Adjustment as Canon users may know it) to slightly fine tune the autofocus of multiple lenses if any of them are slightly back- or front-focusing. This feature was on the 50D but was disappointingly dropped from the 60D. The D7000 also allows you to choose from all the AF points or just 11 of them, which could be helpful to those just getting the hang of selecting their own AF point instead of allowing the camera to choose what it thinks you wish to focus on. (You should nearly always be choosing your own AF point!)
So as you can see, the D7000 offers many advanced customization and fine-tune options in the Menus and Custom Settings that the 60D just doesn’t offer. Keep in mind however that these are pretty advanced features, and if you are not going to be making use of them, don’t be swayed by them when choosing a camera.
For a more detailed comparison of these two cameras, see my post Nikon D7000 vs. Canon 60D.
If you would like to learn more about all the Menu and Custom Settings of the Nikon D7000 or the Menu items and Custom Functions of the Canon 60D, be sure to have a look at my ebook user’s guides for each of these cameras:
Nikon D7000 Experience – The Still Photographer’s Guide to the Nikon D7000
Your World 60D – The Still Photographer’s Guide to the Canon 60D
In these books I cover all of the menus and custom settings, along with their recommended settings for general photography and travel photography use. These kinds of settings are what make these cameras very powerful and precise tools that you can – and should – set up to work for the way you photograph. They are worth learning, understanding and making use of.
If you wish to compare the Canon 60D with the other Canon dSLRs, see this post Canon 5D vs. 7D vs. 60D vs. 550D/T2i and if you wish to compare the Nikon D7000 with the other Nikon dSLRs, see this post Nikon D7000 vs. D90 vs. D300s.
I suppose I should join the photo blogger holiday tradition of putting together a holiday and Christmas gift guide for photographers or those who are shopping for the photographer in their life! If you plan to purchase any of these items through Amazon.com, I you can use the product links I set up throughout this post, which will bring you right to that product’s page on Amazon. (Amazon will then reward me with a small referral reward for my effort, which will help support my blog. Thanks! If you are in the UK or wish to purchase from B+H, see the end of this post for link information.) And now on to the shopping:
The first thing you are going to need is the Canon 24-105mm f/4 lens Mug or Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 lens Mug to drink your hot cocoa or hazelnut coffee as you are unwrapping the rest of your gifts. These extremely popular and awesomely realistic mugs, complete with rubber ring grips, have a wide f/4 or f/2.8 opening which enables them to take in copious amounts of liquid just as your lens takes in all that light. The lens caps protects your beverage when not in use – no UV filter needed.
The best gift of the season for most photographers would most likely be a brand new digital dSLR camera to upgrade what they are currently shooting with – one with a few more megapixes, improved autofocus system, faster continuous shooting speeds, and some new bells and whistles.
For many photographers this will be the new Canon EOS 60D body only or the Canon 60D with 18-135mm kit lens. The EOS 60D has continued Canon’s tradition of ease of use, great ergonomics and controls, fantastic image quality and low light performance, plus added a swiveling real LCD screen. And full HD video with more frame rate options than the competitors.
For Nikon shooters the best choice is the brand new, highly sought-after Nikon D7000. The Nikon D7000 body only or D7000 with 18-105mm lens cost a bit more than the 60D, but they provide the additional features to justify the higher cost: faster continuous shooting rate, partial magnesium body, more advanced and customizable autofocus system, and two SD memory card slots to save all those shots and HD movies. Either one makes a excellent camera that is capable of producing high quality images.
Of course you are going to want some new lenses to go with these cameras. Why not step up to the professional quality lenses to see that immediate improvement in image quality, color, contrast, as well as lens and autofocus performance? For Canon this means the L series of lenses. Expand your focal range or fill in some gaps with a high quality wide angle zoom, standard zoom, or telephoto zoom.
For wide angle zooms, look at either the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM or the EF 17-40mm f/4L USM
For standard zooms, which make for a great “walk-around” lens, consider the Canon EF 24-70 f/2.8L USM or EF 24-105 f/4L IS USM
And in the telephoto zoom range, look at the EF 70-200, f/2.8L II IS USM or the much less expensive and lighter EF 70-200, f/4L IS USM
One of these lenses in each pair will be both more expensive AND heavier, so be sure and handle them first before you decide on one.
This may also be a good time to start experimenting with prime lenses. Their extra wide maximum apertures will allow you to use them in much lower light, and will create great, smooth background blurring for awesome portraits. Depending on how closely you like to work to your subject, a few to consider are the Canon 35mm f/2, Canon 50mm f/1.8 II for about $100, Canon 50mm f/1.4 (a little more costly 50mm), or the Canon 85mm f/1.8.
An extremely fun lens to work with is the Canon EF 100mm f.2.8 Macro USM. It is incredibly sharp, has dramatically narrow depth of field at f/2.8, and works as a great portrait lens too. If you have never used a macro, go try one out and experience what makes them so cool. The 60D and D7000 images just above were taken with this lens, as well as the cool close up shots of the following post comparing the Nikon D7000 vs D90 vs D300s.
If you need just one versatile lens for everyday use or for travel, the three lenses to consider are the EF 24-105 f/4L IS USM in the L series lenses, or else the EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS or EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS.
Of course with any of these lenses, be sure to protect them with a clear or UV filter, preferably a high quality, coated B+W brand UV filter. You can read a lot more about these lenses and how to choose between them in my earlier post, Best Lenses for Everyday and Travel Photography.
Possibly the most comfortable way to carry your camera around all day, especially when using a larger, heavier lens, is the BlackRapid RS-7 Camera Strap. I highly recommended this strap, and I use the older RS-4 version daily. They have made some steady, welcomed improvements on them, including the curved shoulder pad of the RS-7, the quick release strap, and the improved connecting hardware. The base that screws into your camera is a lower profile, stronger single piece, and the securing screw surface on the clasp ring is smooth rather than knurled so that it will no longer scratch up your camera bottom. The strap is comfortable, easy to use, quick, strong, and rugged. I often use it in conjunction with wearing a backpack, and although the straps fight for space against each other on my shoulder, it still works fine. There is also now a version designed for women, the RS-W1 plus a new woman’s version in just black. They are also introducing 2 different pieces of hardware which will allow you to attach your camera to a tripod without removing the R-Strap’s base that is already attached to your camera.
You are going to need something to carry all this equipment around in. My current favorite is the Lowepro Compu Trekker AW backpack, which is now called the Lowepro ProRunner 350 AW. I use this as both my airline carry-on and my working bag during the day. The size works perfectly for both needs. It easily fits the airline carry-on size, including smaller international requirements in some regions, yet fits more that it would first appear. With careful configuration of the interior dividers, I can fit 2 Canon bodies, three lenses, a 580EX II flash, its diffuser, 2 external hard drives in cases, a couple memory card cases, and some filters. In the outside pocket, I have a couple battery chargers, extra batteries, medium Rocket Blower, miscellaneous cords, caps, and accessories. In the rear pocket designed for a laptop, I easily fit a 32″ 5 in 1 reflector. The pack is extremely comfortable, has tons of padding on the straps and the back so that its weight never bothers me and I don’t feel the reflector in my back. I often wear it for hours a day while working, and it is never a problem. The Pro Runner 450 AW might be a better carry on size so that you could carry more gear on the plane with you (if it fits the airline’s requirements) but it would be too big for daily use. There are also rolling versions of these, with an “x” in the name, thought the retractable handles and wheels add weight and size to the bags.
For budding adventure videographers, the item of the year is the GoPro HD Helmet HERO Cam, which you attach to your helmet, head, mountain bike, snowboard, skateboard, motorcycle, or whatever to shoot professional quality, point of view video. It comes in a variety of packages with different mounts. Film and share your adventures in full HD video!
And to save all those images you are taking, memory cards will make great stocking stuffers. I like Sandisk Extreme 16 GB SD cards. If you still use CF cards, be sure to get the SanDisk Extreme 16GB CF cards. Use a Sandisk card reader to upload the images to your computer, rather than from the camera directly, in order to save the camera batteries. This Sandisk Card Reader is for the CF cards, and the 5 in 1 reads SD cards.
And for some basic stocking stuffers, here are a few simple but essential items for keeping your camera and lenses clean:
Giottos Medium Rocket Blower in the medium or large size. Always have it handy for getting dust off lenses in a hurry, because blowing on them – no matter how careful – leads to spittle on the lenses 5% of the time when it doesn’t matter and 95% of the time when you are in the most critical situations.
Pearstone LP-1 Lens Pen – Works great for cleaning off mysterious spots, smudges, and fingerprints that always appear on the lens (this is why I always use UV filters) as well as that a-fore-mentioned spittle. There is a retractable brush on one end and a cleaning head on the other end. Twist the cap to load the cleaning tip with the carbon based cleaning material, then remove the cap and use. Please read the instructions and visit the LensPen website to fully learn how to use it properly.
For more photography equipment and accessories like those above, be sure to see this previous post Equipment for Travel (and Everyday) Photography.
To edit and save all your photos, you are going to need some hard drive space and some software:
External Hard Drives – The Iomega Ego 1TB and a Lacie Rugged USB 1TB work great both at home and when traveling. There is a FireWire version of the Lacie Rugged 500GB also. Both are built solid and sturdy, and each fit perfectly in the Case Logic Portable Hard Drive Case made for these types of drives. Get the cases in different colors so you can quickly differentiate your different drives. For storage at home, consider a couple Western Digital My Book 1TB External Hard Drives.
Post-Production – After taking all these wonderful images with your new equipment, you are going to need to organize, edit, and work on all your photos. And for that, of course you are going to need Adobe Photoshop CS4 and/ or Adobe Lightroom 3. You can start off with the trial versions that you can download from the Adobe site, but sooner or later you are going to have to get the real versions. Use that student discount if you can!
Also be sure to consider all the great photo books to help you learn to use your equipment, improve you images and compositions, and be inspired. I’ve put together a post of several of my favorites that you can read here. The most recent addition to the bookshelf is:
The Photographer’s Mind: How to See and Shoot Better Digital Photos by Michael Freeman
Every time I read Freeman’s The Photographer’s Eye, I lament, usually aloud, “why doesn’t he have more books like this?” Well, my wishes appear to have been answered. His next book The Photographer’s Mind has just come out.
And don’t forget the eBooks I put together for setting up and learning to use you Canon dSLR:
Your World 60D – The Still Photographer’s Guide to Operation and Image Creation with the Canon 60D – an eBook user’s guide and tutorial I wrote to help get you up and running with the 60D, quickly and competently. You can learn more about it at this post here. In addition to the PDF version, which also looks great on the iPad, it is also available in a Kindle edition on Amazon.com here and a Nook verion on BarnesandNoble.com Plus, for the Rebel T2i / EOS 550D, I have written T2i Experience – a similar guide for Canon T2i / 550D users.
Purchasing: If you plan to purchase cameras, photo equipment, books, or anything else from Amazon.com I encourage you to do so through any of the Amazon referral links I’ve set up. Just click on the equipment name or book title within this post and you will be taken to that Amazon page. Or click here to go directly to Amazon or click on the Amazon.com logo below, and start shopping. Thanks, I appreciate your support!
If you are in the UK, you can click here for the UK Amazon referral link.
For those interested in purchasing through B+H Photo, I have set up an affiliate link with them as well – just click here to go to B+H, or click the B+H icon here:
Happy Holidays, and I hope you get everything on your list!
Your World 60D Menus and Custom Functions - A Mini-Guide to the Menu Settings, Movie Mode Menu Settings, and Custom Function Settings of the Canon EOS 60D is my new eBook guide for setting up the Menus, Movie Shooting Mode Menus, and Custom Function settings of the Canon EOS 60D.
Several weeks ago when the Canon 60D came out, I started to put together a blog post on explaining and setting up the 60D Custom Functions and Menu settings. I got a bit carried away because each item led to a more in-depth explanation of exposure or metering modes or auto focus points. So that post turned into a entire guide, which became my first eBook, Your World 60D (a bestseller on the Amazon Kindle store, also available in PDF format here on this blog or for the Barnes and Noble Nook e-reader).
But I realize that a lot of people are just interested in the Custom Functions (C.Fn) of the EOS 60D, and how to set up all the menus and options, and don’t necessarily want the entire guide. So I excerpted that part of the eBook right back out, and created a mini-guide – Your World 60D Menus and Custom Functions. It has over 15 text only pages of the Menu Settings, Movie / Video Mode Menu Settings, and Custom Function Settings, with brief explanations of what they are, what they do, and recommended settings for general and travel photography.
See HERE for more information about it and how to purchase or click the PayPal button below,
Format: PDF – Instant Download
Page Count: 20
Price: $4.99 now on Sale: $2.99
(plus 6.25% sales tax for residents of Massachusetts)
Secure payment with PayPal or Credit card
or 
This text only guide will help you set up your EOS 60D, quickly and competently, and is intended for those new to digital SLR cameras as well as intermediate users. As you have figured out by now, the Canon 60D is an advanced tool, and this mini-guide explains how to set it up in order to begin to use it to its full potential. Taking control of its settings will help you to take control of your camera, the image taking process, and the photos you create.
It is an instant download eBook mini-guide which consists of an important section taken from the full version of Your World 60D. It contains every Menu setting and Custom Function setting, with brief descriptions and recommended settings to get you up and running quickly, and includes Movie Mode menu settings and My Menu.
The Canon EOS 60D Custom Functions (C.Fn) and Menu settings are a big part of what make it such a powerful digital SLR camera. This guide can save you time and help you better understand and control your camera as you set up and customize the Canon EOS 60D to work best for the way you photograph.
Your World 60D Menus and Custom Functions is a text-only PDF document that builds upon the information found in the Canon 60D manual, to help you begin to master your dSLR and learn to use the Canon EOS 60D to its full capabilities!
If you decide to purchase thefull version of Your World 60D after reading this mini-guide, you can buy it at a $4 discount using the Coupon Code you will receive when you order and download the mini-guide.
I am moving my blog from WordPress to my own website. This post comparing the Canon 50D vs. 60D can now be read here:
http://blog.dojoklo.com/2010/10/18/canon-50d-vs-60d/
Thanks for following me to my new blog home!
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There are countless books available about digital photography, ranging from general over-encompassing guides to specific texts on lighting or composition. Many of them discuss basically the same topics, and after reading and absorbing a few, you begin to pick up only a few new tips or pieces of knowledge here and there.
But I’ve put together a list of what I think are the best books for digital photography out there. These are the ones I believe you should read first, the ones that will give you the maximum bang for the buck, and which are consistently full of solid, useful information. They are divided into categories of Camera Guides for specific cameras, Digital Photography Guides for general information and composition, Lighting and Flash, and Post-Production for Photoshop and Lightroom.
You can click on each title to take you directly to Amazon.com. If you purchase through these links Amazon will reward me with a small referral fee, so I appreciate you helping to support my photography work and my effort of creating all these links!
Camera Guides
First, of course, are my e book user’s guides! So far I have written one for each of these cameras:
Nikon D7000 – Nikon D7000 Experience
Nikon D5100 – Nikon D5100 Experience
Canon Rebel T3i / 600D – Canon T3i Experience
Canon 60D – Your World 60D
Canon Rebel T2i/ 550D – T2i Experience
You can learn about all of them at my Full Stop ebook bookstore, (www.dojoklo.com/Full_Stop/). They are also available in Kindle and Nook versions. Learn how to set up and customize the menus, settings, and functions of your Canon T3i / 600D, Nikon D7000, Canon 60D, or Canon T2i / 550D. Then start to learn to use your powerful dSLR to its full potential so that you can improve your photography and consistently take better photos! Download your ebook instantly and start learning right away.
Canon 7D: From Snapshots to Great Shots by Nicole S. Young
This series of camera user’s guides is one of the few that really gets it. They explain everything in a way that is clear and easy to understand and put to use. They don’t get bogged down in confusing technical explanations, but instead present everything in a straightforward, user-friendly manner. The books explain not only how to use the camera, but how to use it to take better photos. Highly recommended for someone relatively new to digital SLR photography who wants to quickly learn to use their camera and improve their photography.
Canon EOS 60D: From Snapshots to Great Shots by Nicole Young
By the same author as the above book. It has not been released yet, but should prove to be just as good. While you are waiting for guides specific to the 60D to come out, please have a look at my eBook Your World 60D, listed later in this section.
Canon EOS Rebel T2i / 550D: From Snapshots to Great Shots by Jeff Revell
Another book in the above series.
David Busch’s Canon EOS 7D Guide to Digital SLR Photography by David Busch
David Busch’s camera guides are all excellent books, and will help you really get to know and understand all the features and functions of you camera. They are clear and straightforward enough for the beginner, yet are also in-depth and technical for the intermediate and advanced dSLR user. Highly recommended as an essential, more comprehensive, useful, and easy to understand manual than the one that comes with your camera.
David Busch’s Canon EOS 60D Guide to Digital SLR Photography by David Busch
If you need this guide for the 60D, it has not be released yet, so make use of his 7D Guide or my Your World 60D eBook below while you wait.
David Busch’s Canon EOS Rebel T2i / 550D Guide to Digital SLR Photography by David Busch
See the description of his 7D Guide above
David Busch’s Canon EOS 5D Mark II Guide to Digital SLR Photography by David Busch
See the description of his 7D Guide above
Digital Photography Guides
Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson
I recommend this book throughout my blog for anyone who is new to digital SLR photography or ready to take their camera off Auto or Program and needs to learn and understand the relationship between aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. It is the go-to book to help you learn these essential settings, take control of your dSLR and image making process, and start to use aperture priority and shutter priority modes.
Learning to See Creatively by Bryan Peterson
By the same author as above. Once you have control of your camera after reading Understanding Exposure, you will quickly discover you need to learn how to make better compositions in order to take better photos. This book can help start you on this process. His best piece of advice is to think about and use different, more dynamic points of view in your photos. Taking a photo of a flower? What would the image look like from the flower’s point of view? Simple but brilliant.
The Photographer’s Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos by Michael Freeman
As I just said above, once you get control of your camera and its settings after reading some of the other camera and photo guides, you may wonder why your photos aren’t improving as quickly as you had hoped. That is when you need to turn to this book. It is a unique book for teaching photographic composition – which is an often difficult concept to teach beyond the basics. Most books explain concepts such as the rule of thirds or depth of field, but this book takes it to a whole new level. And he walks the reader through the example images describing the process and decisions he makes as he works a scene (which must be what inspired my Deconstructing the Shot series of posts!) It is a challenging book, and it takes some experience with working at photography and applying the basic composition techniques and experiencing specific problems and frustrations before one can get the most out of this book. So if it is too heavy for you at first reading, come back to it after you have worked at it some more. This is perhaps my favorite photography book, and I wish there were more out there that were as helpful as this one. I re-read it every few months to set these concepts into my brain. Read this other guy’s gushing review to see the effect this book has on photographers!
The Photographer’s Mind: How to See and Shoot Better Digital Photos by Michael Freeman
Every time I read Freeman’s The Photographer’s Eye, I lament, usually aloud, “why doesn’t he have more books like this?” Then I did some more research and discovered an older book of his, Achieving Photographic Style, from 1984. It blew me away – it is just as good as Photographer’s Eye, but a bit dated in many ways, as it discusses the photographic trends of that period and it is pre-digital. Again, I lamented, “why can’t he update this book for today?” Well, my pleas appear to have been answered. His next book The Photographer’s Mind has just come out. I haven’t seen it yet, but I immediately ordered my copy from Amazon.
Pro Photographer’s D-SLR Handbook by Michael Freeman
This is a comprehensive handbook for everything about digital photography from equipment, lighting and accessories, to technical explanations of settings and concepts, to post-production including Photoshop and printing. It covers a lot of topics, but gives good, solid information. Like its title says, it is a handbook that is extremely handy to have as a reference guide for everything related to digital SLR photography. Essential for any serious intermediate dSLR photographer, especially one wanting to go pro.
The Digital Photography Book (Volume 1) by Scott Kelby
Scott Kelby’s series of books are good for the beginning or intermediate dSLR photographer. Some claim that everything they know about digital photography they learned from Scott Kelby. Other reviewers on Amazon don’t think he’s so great. Never-the-less, he doesn’t get caught up in technical explanations, but rather just tells you what settings and equipment to use and how to do something. The page-by-page brief topics each give starting points for anyone confused about the variety of subjects they may be trying to absorb from all the other books. For example, every Photoshop book explains Unsharpen Mask, but then leaves you totally clueless as to where to even start with the three sliders. Kelby simply tells you what numbers to use. (Actually that may have been from one of his Photoshop books, but that is the type of info he provides.) Keep in mind, all of his advice is intended as starting points. His word is not gospel, it is to help you begin and then you can experiment and learn from your own experience after that. These are not books to teach you the basics of digital photography, but are rather a collection of various, almost random tips about a wide variety of photo topics. Keep in mind, his instructions are not the only way to do something, and sometimes they are actually very round-about ways of doing things that can be done much more simply. His humor is annoying to some and the equipment he uses may be totally unnecessary for how you work, so take what you read with a grain of salt. As a studio photographer, Kelby is especially knowledgeable about flash and lighting. There are three books in this series, which can also be bought as a set, as seen below.
The Digital Photography Book, Volume 2 by Scott Kelby
See above description of The Digital Photography Book.
The Digital Photography Book, Volume 3 by Scott Kelby
See above description of The Digital Photography Book.
Scott Kelby’s Digital Photography Boxed Set, Volumes 1, 2, and 3 by Scott Kelby
See above description of The Digital Photography Book.
National Geographic Photography Field Guide: Secrets to Making Great Pictures, Second Edition by Peter Burian and Bob Caputo
This is a great general guide to photography, with insightful and useful nuggets of information from some of the best Nat Geo pros, like Sam Abell and Michael Nichols. However, it is a bit dated, from the films days at the verge of digital. But I feel it is still worth reading because the essentials of image making remain unchanged. The updated version is below, but I have not yet seen it, and it may be all new with different content. Maybe see if your library has this one.
National Geographic Ultimate Field Guide to Photography: Revised and Expanded by National Geographic
I haven’t yet seen this updated version, but based on the previous edition as well as the Travel Photography version, it is bound to be good.
National Geographic Ultimate Field Guide to Travel Photography by Scott Stuckey
This is an excellent introduction to most everything you need to know to work as a travel photographer with helpful information for both beginner and more advanced photographers that isn’t found in most other travel photography books. And it contains valuable contributions from several professional travel photographers like Bob Krist and Catherine Karnow. However, its title is annoying because it is not in any way a field guide. It is not designed as a quick and easy reference to any of the topics it covers, as the term field guide would imply, but rather it is a book to read before your travels, and a book to read to learn the realities of working as a travel photographer. It is also a book about how to take travel photos in the visual and editorial style of Nat Geo Traveler magazine. I highly recommend this book for someone who is truly interested in becoming a commercial travel photographer, as it competently and thoroughly covers numerous aspects of this vocation – technical, logistical, and perhaps most importantly, learning how to tell a story through photographs. Or if you don’t wish to become a pro travel photographer but want to learn to capture better travel images, it will be most helpful for someone whose travel style truly accommodates the time and effort if takes to make great travel images.
Within the Frame: The Journey of Photographic Vision by David DuChemin
VisionMongers: Making a Life and Living in Photography by David DuChemin
Rick Sammon’s Complete Guide to Digital Photography 2.0: Taking, Making, Editing, Storing, Printing, and Sharing Better Digital Images by Rick Sammon
Rick Sammon’s Travel and Nature Photography by Rick Sammon
Lighting and Flash
Available Light: Photographic Techniques for Using Existing Light Sources by Don Marr
This is a simple, straightforward book that immediately changed the way I see light and the way I photograph using natural light. You often hear the idea of “taking your photography to the next level.” This book doesn’t itself make that claim, yet it is one of the few photography books that can actually deliver that result. It is short, easy to read and to understand, and immediately applicable to your work. Many books discuss light – it’s direction, intensity, quality, softness, color – and you think, “Yeah! I’m keenly aware of different light and how it falls on my subject.” But did that knowledge suddenly help you to take better photos? Many books never fully take it the next step and really explain how to seek out, modify, and use this light. You may or may not be able to then figure it all out on your own. I thought I had until I read this book. It actually guides you in exactly the right direction and truly helps to open your eyes to the intensity, direction, and quality of natural light, and then teaches you to work with it and modify it to create the softness/ hardness, direction, color, and intensity you want, whether you are working on an overcast day, at high noon, inside, outdoors, or any other type of situation. It makes one suddenly aware of the existence and potential use of natural reflectors everywhere which will help give you the lighting you want: a wall, the ground, a pole. And it explains the important concept and effective practice of subtractive lighting, used to even-out or create the desired lighting instead of turning to flash to artificially add to existing lighting. The concepts in this book are so obvious and intuitive I didn’t even write down a single note while reading it the first time. Then the next week I used what I learned and took one of the nicest, best lit spontaneous portraits I have ever taken. While many are happily joining the Strobist camp, this book offers a refreshing and viable alternative to that never-ending accumulation of lighting equipment and techniques, and should be read by off-camera-flash fans as well so they can learn to look for beautiful natural lighting alternatives that will give them as-good or even better images, before setting up their lighting equipment and knocking down the natural light in order to rebuild it artificially. However the author is not against the (limited) use of flash, and certainly not against reflectors, and discusses their use in different situations. I highly recommend this book to photographers of every level. It is a wonderful book for beginners or intermediate photographers so that they can be aware of, understand, and use these concepts from the start, and it is just as helpful for advanced photographers who may intuitively practice some of the techniques, but will certainly become aware of even greater potential and opportunities in the use of available light.
As you can see, I’m pretty enthusiastic about this book. I even contacted the publisher and asked them for a copy that I could use as a free give-away here on my blog, and indeed they are sending me one! Details on the free give-away coming soon!
On-Camera Flash Techniques for Digital Wedding and Portrait Photography by Neil van Niekerk
The Complete Guide to Light & Lighting in Digital Photography by Michael Freeman
Post-Production
The Adobe Photoshop CS5 Book for Digital Photographers by Scott Kelby
Scott Kelby is the founder and head of NAPP, the Photoshop users’ organization, so I don’t have any qualifications with the Photoshop and Lightroom recommendations as I did with his photo books above.
The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 Book for Digital Photographers by Scott Kelby
Adobe Photoshop CS4 How-Tos: 100 Essential Techniques by Chris Orwig
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 How-Tos: 100 Essential Techniques by Chris Orwig
And of course in able to make use of the Photoshop and Lightroom books, you are going to need the software!
Adobe Photoshop CS4 and/ or Adobe Lightroom 3 are the latest versions. Photoshop CS4 has the amazing and revolutionary content aware fill, which takes cloning and spot healing to a whole new dimension. And Lightroom has quickly become the tool of choice for photographers to work on their images.
(Descriptions of some of the above books still to come!)
My eBook user’s guide and tutorial on using the new Canon 60D, Your World 60D – The Still Photographer’s Guide to Operation and Image Creation is now available! Learn how to use the 60D, quickly and competently, to create the types of images you want to capture. The Canon 60D is an advanced tool, and this guide explains how to begin to use it to its full potential.
Click here to learn more about and purchase the Your World 60D.
You can preview it at the following link. The preview shows the Table of Contents and Introduction, a sample Menu Settings page, a sample Custom Functions Settings page, and a sample text page.
http://www.dojoklo.com/writing/Your_World_60D-Preview.pdf
Purchase information is below.
Purchase Your World 60D through PayPal here!
This version is in PDF format, 8.5″x11″, which can be read on your computer screen, printed on your printer, and can also be read on the iPad.
$11.99 on Sale now: $10.99
(plus 6.25% sales tax for residents of Massachusetts)
Secure payment with PayPal or Credit card
or
_____________________
The Kindle Edition is available at Amazon.com, the Nook Version is available at BarnesandNoble.com, and the iPad version available on iTunes/ iBooks. See this page for direct links to the other versions.
Begin to master your Canon 60D and learn to use it to its full capabilities!
(Since my subsequent guides have been called Canon T3i Experience and Canon 7D Experience, this one should perhaps be called Canon 60D Experience.)
