Digital SLR, non SLR and film cameras in Macro shootings
Digital SLR, non SLR and film cameras in Macro shootings | ||
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If it seems as if shutter lag and other features of digital cameras were designed to make action photography difficult, the reverse is true for the macro photographic realm. Many features built into every digital camera make these image grabbers ideal for taking close-up pictures. If you've been doing macro photography with film cameras, a few sessions with a digital camera will convince you that digital technology is exactly what you've been waiting for. For example, non-SLR digital cameras have an LCD display that makes it easy to frame your photo precisely. Conventional film cameras of the non-SLR variety do a very poor job of showing you what the image will look like at close distances. Cutting off the tops of subjects, unwanted trimming at the sides, and other blunders are common. Yet, even the least expensive digital point-and-shoot camera can show you virtually the same image that will be captured, using the color LCD screen on the back of the camera. That's important for framing the image, but equally useful when it comes to lighting your subject. Of course, digital SLRs don't provide this kind of image preview; you have to frame and focus the image using the SLR viewfinder instead. Focusing a close-up image can be tricky with a traditional non-SLR camera, too. It's easier to focus with the display of a digital camera (assuming you can shield the LCD screen from extraneous light and can see it clearly) if you need to, but the autofocus mechanisms of these cameras generally do a good job of locking focus in for you. Moreover, non-SLR digital cameras have much more depth-of-field at a particular magnification, so you'll find that more of your subject is in focus. The majority of digital cameras have close-focusing capabilities, too, whereas many film cameras are able to focus no closer than a foot or two. When film cameras ruled, it was common for professional photographers to shoot instant photographs of any sort of complicated studio setup (close-up or otherwise) to confirm that the lighting, composition, and other factors were perfect. After all, by the time the film was processed, the close-up setup might have been torn down to make room for a different photo shoot. Reproducing a setup is expensive and time-consuming. Your digital camera is better than a Polaroid-style instant camera, because you can review the exact photograph that was taken, moments after the exposure. You can keep taking pictures until you're satisfied that you have the precise image you were looking for. Most digital cameras focus a lot closer than their non-SLR film camera counterparts, making them much more suitable for close-ups. Digital camera lenses are more compact, which means that engineering close-focus capabilities is a lot easier for the designer. Macro photography is convenient. You don't have to jump into your car or travel by plane to photograph something that's out of the ordinary. That weird crystal saltshaker you found at a garage sale might be a perfect subject when you zoom in close to capture its angles and texture. Close-up photographs can work hand-in-hand with your other hobbies, too. Coin and stamp collections are such obvious subjects I'm almost ashamed to mention them. What about those works of art you painted on single grains of rice? A close-up photograph may be the only way to appreciate them. Do you work with ephemeral subjects, like flowers that bloom only for a short time, or study the intricacies of spider webs? A digital photo can live on long after your original subject no longer exists. If model train layouts are your thing, close-up photos can bring them to life. You might be surprised at how much macro photography can add to your favorite avocation. | ||