Proud Photography Blog

Digital cameras have actually been available for quite some time, but it’s only recently that professional photographers are starting to use digital photography. There are however still some people that are addicted to their 35mm camera and unwilling to give it up.

There’s no denying that 35mm cameras are fantastic, and there is something very special about them. I know that I will never get rid of my 35mm camera; however I use a digital camera everyday because of the major advantages.
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Recently I’ve been in the market for an ultra-wide angle lens. Why you ask? Well for the obvious reasons. First and foremost I’ve outgrown the rather limited 18mm wide end of one of my lenses and just felt like it was time to venture into the realm of those cool looking fish-eye lenses.

Since I’m a Canon shooter I had a couple of options to choose between. Namely the Sigma 10mm-20mm f4/5.6, the Tamron 11mm-18mm f/4.5-5.6, Tokina 12mm-24mm f/4, and the Canon 10mm-20mm f/3.5-4.5. Now of course, all of these are pretty wide lenses. Sure I could have gone wider with the Sigma Read the rest of this entry »

For this hobby, there are SO many things you need to think of; lighting, lens choice, camera settings, subject matter. The list goes on and on. But one of the most important things to think of is how you’re going to get all of your camera gear where you want to go, safely and conveniently.

The right camera bag isn’t always the easier thing to find. I’ll admit, I’m a bit of a camera bag junkee. I’ve limited myself currently to two different bags, a back-pack style, and an over the shoulder sling bag that slides around and allows me to zip open the side of it for easy access to my camera with the lens attached and everything ready to go. I love this bag! But what kinds of things should you look for when you’re looking for a camera bag? Read the rest of this entry »

If you’re the proud owner of an amazing point and shoot style camera, this article might only be of informational value to you. But if you’ve got either a film or digital SLR camera you’ve already been confronted with the sometimes dizzying array of lens choices. Do you want ultra-wide angle, super fast action, or detailed macro prime glass? What does all of that even mean?

Well lens choices all come down to what you really want to take pictures of, because each lens has various features that are better for one type of photo or another. So what are the biggest features and things to look out for? Well, to answer that I’ll try to organize everything by not feature, but by type of photography. Read the rest of this entry »

I ran across a mention of this interesting artistic venture in a photography forum, and felt that it’s novelty, along with it’s rather nebulous technology, warranted a mention in the blog this week.

Though definitely not on par with the professional Canon 1Ds Mark III, the Telectroscope combines bulbous 19th century-ish, brass, scientific instrumentation with the ability to view people in life-size from another continent. Yes, I said another continent. The story of the Telectroscope claims to begin when an inventor back in the late 1800’s who had the idea to dig a tunnel underneath the Atlantic Read the rest of this entry »

Have you ever run into the problem where you see the perfect opportunity for a picture but you don’t have your camera with you? Well it happens to a lot of people I’m afraid. You can avoid having this problem simply by bringing your camera with you everywhere you go. Now if your camera is too big to carry around with you all day, then you will want to purchase a small disposable camera. You will be glad that you did it one day, if you’re not already regretting not doing it yesterday.

Too many times have I seen posts on forums where people are saying they missed the perfect picture. Everyone has heard of the rule a million times and yet some photographers still don’t carry a camera with them. Now I’m not saying you need to take it with you at all times, unless your a professional photographer because then you never now when that next shot will come into your head as your walking by something. If you feel the need to not bring your camera out with you, then you should at least bring a little notepad and pen so that you can write down the areas you would like to take pictures at later. This is a very useful tactic for beginner photographers who won’t be able to remember where they seen great ideas. Even a lot of professionals carry around a notepad just in case something comes to mind.

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Japanese manufacturer of photographic lenses Tokina Co., Ltd. had recently announced the release of the Canon Mounted Tokina’s AT-X M35 PRO DX 35mm F2.8 lens .The company is now revealing that it will be delayed.
The wide angle macro lens was supposed to be available on December 21st this year,but it was pushed back to the end of January, 2008 by Tokina, Japan.
The postponement is due to development difficulties relating to the focus system.
Nonetheless copies with Nikon mount are unaffected and will be released on schedule.

The Sigma Corporation recently announced the launch of two new lenses ,the first one is the 4.5mm F2.8 EX DC Circular Fisheye Lens .
It is the first time that the camera company is marketing a true fisheye optic for crop sensors, projecting a circular 180° image onto APS-C sensors.
The new lens provides a focal length of 4.5mm and maximum aperture of f/2.8, HSM silent focusing and SLD low-dispersion lens elements. Pricing and availability are not yet announced.

Specifications include:
Lens construction : 9Groups 13Elements,Angle of view : 180 degree, Number of blades : 6pcs, Minimum Aperture : F22, Minimum Focusing Distance : 13.5cm/5.3in, Maximum Magnification : 1:6, Filter : Insertion-type gelatin filter into rear of the lens, Dimensions(Diameter x Length) : Ø76.2mm X 77.8mm/3in. X 3.1in.,Weight : 470g / 16.6oz.

The other other one is the 10mm F2.8 EX DC Fisheye HSM which is the diagonal variety which squeezes a 180° angle of view into a standard rectangular format.
It captures a true 180° vista only when mounted in front of a Nikon DX sensor.
Nonetheless Canon and Sigma DSLRs users get 167° and 154° respectively.
Additional features include the built-in lens hood and HSM focusing that allow the lens to focus down to 1.8cm (0.7 in),from the front surface of the lens giving a reproduction ratio of 1:3.3.

Specifications include:
Fisheye lens designed specifically for APS-C digital SLR cameras,13.5cm minimum focusing distance and 1:3.3 maximum magnification allows close up photography,Equipped with HSM allowing full-time manual focus override,Equisolid angle projection system is possible for art and scientific use.

Zeiss has recently introduced the Distagon T* 2.8/25 ZF-I series which is a new line of high-quality lenses that gives a professional feel to any photographer.
The photography company usually aims at the industrial and scientific sectors nonetheless has decided to now captivate the general  photographic community with their high performance and retro styling.
Zeiss has chosen to release these new optics with Nikon’s F-mount which is considered the most commonly used standard camera adapter in the technical area.
The first available designs will be the 25mm f/2.8, 28mm f/2 and 35mm f/2 and eventually more models will follow.
The Distagon T* 2.8/25 ZF-I series has a satin chrome design and is sealed against dust ingress and water spray.
Additionally the lenses are supplied with five locking screws which enable reliable locking of the adjustments once they have been set.
The Distagon T* 2.8/25 ZF-I. is said to be able to measure inaccuracies and errors are thus reduced, and there is no need to waste time checking the settings.
Prices and availability have not yet been announced .