Got shaky hands? Can’t hold a camera steady? Want sharper photographs? It just might be that you need some image stabilization. I’m now sure what it will be called now. It was called lens stabilization.

However, now there are two types of stabilization – lens stabilization and sensor stabilization. Maybe it ought to be called camera stabilization. I have also seen the terms: anti-shake, vibration reduction, and image stabilization.

There is a third method that some digital cameras utilize and advertise as image stabilization. This method to counteract movement involves increasing the ISO setting to allow a faster shutter speed setting. This is not real stabilization. Also, be aware that image quality will go down as ISO goes up. I would avoid this type of stabilization.

Lens stabilization is obtained by moving the lens elements inside the lens that is attached to the camera.

Sensor stabilization is obtained by moving the sensor that is in the camera body.

Canon and Nikon currently utilize lens stabilization. Canon is more or less getting raked over the coals for not offering sensor stabilization. Nikon not so much. Not sure why Canon and not Nikon.

In any case if the demand is sufficient, then Canon and Nikon will both someday offer sensor stabilization.

So, what’s the big deal? With lens stabilization you have to buy each lens with the stabilization capability built into the lens. This can be expensive.

However, for those that want it and have a digital single lens reflex (D-SLR) camera, you can see the affect of stabilization through the lens. For some that is a big advantage.

With sensor stabilization you have stabilization for all lenses. That’s a potential cost savings. However, you can’t see the affect through the lens. Is that a disadvantage for you? After all we call these things D-SLR cameras because you can see the result of all your photographic techniques through the lens.

This controversy will be worked out over time.

In any case, if you do not have interchangeable lenses, you want have to be concerned about this. Even if your stabilization is in the lens, it is still build into the camera, since the lens is built in also.

Another potential disadvantage of the sensor method is that currently it performs better with shorter focal length lenses and not as well with longer telephoto lenses. Maybe the break point is around 200mm?

But like the controversy talked about above this will be improved over time.

Let’s talk about what stabilization, either type, does for you.

Basically, it allows you to handhold the camera in many situations in which you could not without stabilization. This allows you to get fewer blurry photographs.

By moving the lens elements or the sensor, the light path or optical plane is changed so that the effect of camera movement or vibration is lessened.

So, if you’ve got shaky hands, you get a break that results in better photographs because they are sharper.

This technology is becoming available for nearly all digital cameras and not just the high end cameras and not just digital single lens reflex cameras.

Stabilization is a great benefit in many situations. It allows you to handhold the camera at lower shutter speeds from 2 to 4 stops slower depending on the stabilization technology built into your camera.

However, if you need to use a really slow shutter speed it will not help you to hold the camera steady enough to obtain sharp pictures. How slow? That is really somewhat photographer dependent. Your abilities to handhold a camera may be very good. Mine may not. Most photographers experience problems hand holding a camera at lower shutter speeds and when using the longer focal lengths.

In general, however, if you need a shutter setting of somewhere around 1/3 of a second or slower, you will need to get your tripod out or maybe select a shorter focal length lens or zoom.

The other situation where stabilization will help is when using a telephoto lens. The longer lenses tend to magnify movement and make blurry photographs.

So, if you have shaky hands, or a need to use lower shutter speeds, then stabilization just might be the counteraction that you need to extend you photographic experience and the quality of your digital photographs.

More on Digital Photography information at http://www.digitalphotohelps.com/

Copyright 2007 by Lonnie Minton, All rights reserved.

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If you want to be creative in your digital photography depth of field is one aspect you must get comfortable with. This is the distance between the nearest and farthest points that appears in acceptably sharp focus in digital photography. The range within which all subjects, though located at different distances from the camera, are in focus and with an aperture setting. In digital photography this takes more importance due to the fact on some occasions focal issues change depending on your lens.

When practicing your digital photography, ss a rule of thumb, the area 1/3 in front of and 2/3 behind the subject is the actual distance in focus. If for example you were looking at an item which varies over time (such as an assembly line), will the object always be at the working distance precisely or will it tend to move farther or nearer over time to the lens/camera combination? A depth of field from five to 16 feet, e.g., would mean everything closer than five feet and farther than 16 feet would be out of focus.

Another aspect of digital photography is this; Depth of field is influenced by the focal length of the lens in use, the f-number setting on the lens, and the distance from the camera to the subject. It can be shallow or deep, and can be totally controlled by the photographer. It is one of the most creative and profound effects available to photographers.

Depth of field varies with lens aperture, focal length, and camera-to-subject distance. Depth of field depends on the lens opening, the focal length of the lens, and the distance from the lens to the subject. With a greater depth of field, more of the scene near to far is in focus. Lens aperture and scene lighting will greatly influence the D.O.F. When the lens is set to a smaller aperture, a greater depth of field results i.e. subjects close to and further away from the camera will still appear in focus. In digital photography especially a shallow depth of field allows you to focus tightly on your subject, with any background or foreground out of focus.

You can control or exploit depth of field in your digital photography by varying three factors: the size of the aperture; the distance of the camera from the subject; and the focal length of the lens. If you decrease the size of the aperture, the depth of field increases; if you focus on a distant subject, depth of field will be greater than if you focus on a near subject; and if you fit a wide-angle lens to your camera, it will give you greater depth of field than a normal lens viewing the same scene. Many SLRs have a depth of field preview control – a button that closes the lens diaphragm to the aperture selected for an exposure so that the depth of field in the image can be checked on the viewing screen first.

If you are not sure how to make interesting composition in digital photography then I recommend starting with narrowing your depth of field. The best way becoming expertly skilled in digital photography is to practice, practice, and practice!

Best wishes, Amy

If you want to Get Clear, Sharp Digital Photos With Superb Detail And Clarity Even If You Never So Much As Picked Up A Digital Camera Before In Less Than 14 Days then go to www.digitalphotographysuccess.com

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Stock Photography For the Beginning Photographer

If you are a amateur photographer that is wanting to be able to sell your work, selling your photography online just may be the way for you to go. Maybe you have been thinking about it for a while and did not know where to start.

You start with the photo and you need a shot will catch the eye of anyone that may come across it. Your photo is your product and everybody wants a good product. Now you may be thinking that you need a great shot of some glamor place but this is not necessarily true. Not if you are selling your work online as stock photography.

Don’t get me wrong here, stock photography does have certain standards. What ever the subject you need to have a nice clean shot, but the beauty of stock photography is that the subject can be just about anything. A hand placed upon a keyboard is a photo that can sell over and over.

You can get started in stock photography with just a few basic things. The first of which would be your camera. You will want to use a digital camera and you want this digital camera to have at least 5 mega pixels. 5 mega pixels will give you the quality of photo that is acceptable for publication. I’m not going to go into mega pixels right now but the more pixel the better.

Next you will need a computer with internet connection. Most computers come with some type of photography program and have plenty of memory. As far as the internet I strongly suggest that you spend the money on high speed. Images take a lot to download or upload so if you are moving photos around the internet, you don’t wait to drop the connection and lose the image. Plus it feels like you are waiting forever.

Stock photography has a very low overhead compared to other photography business. This is a great way for the amateur photographer to break into the business and make some money. Yes, this can become a full time business for you. A key factor to being successful with your stock photography business is knowing what photography niche people are buying.

There is more than one method to find out what people are buying and it is well worth your effort to find out as much as you can about the subject. Digital photography is a big niche with a lot of micro niches. Don’t worry yourself, because right now there are some great books on this subject and you even have online photography courses that are available to you.

From just being able to take a better picture to making money with your photography, we can help. Get your free copy of Your Top Photography Questions, before they are gone! http://www.shutterbugphotobiz.com

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