How To Learn Photography

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is the kodak z8612is a good photography camera?

my husband bought me a kodak z8612is a while back. i'm just now starting to use it and want to learn photography. how good is it? what's a good, inexpensive photography camera? also, i'm totally dumb with cameras, i'm just now having an interest in photography. any good explanations on m, s, a, and p modes would help a lot.

Is the camera a good camera? My friends ask me similar questions quite often. My answer is a two part answer. 1) The camera is only as good as the person using it. 2) There is the best camera and there is the camera that is best for you. So, in response to your question you probably know where I am going with this.

Take the best camera that is out there on the market. Technically it is flawless in design. It is a "pro's" pro camera. If your husband spent the $7,000 for that camera and gave it to you,a casual user, would it produce the best pictures? Nope. Technically, the camera is stellar with off the chart reviews. But in the hands of a person who doesn't know the basics and advanced topics of photography, that $7,000 camera is no better than the $99 open box special at your local electronics store. So, do not caught in the "is it good," "is it the best" mindset. Sure a camera may have limitations but it is only as good as the user.

Secondly, no one is totally dumb just inexperienced. That experience comes from using the camera as often as possible and in as many different situations as possible. Some people leave the camera at home, or in the car, or on top of the computer desk and never take it with them. What helps in wanting to delve deeper into photography is if you look at it from a more philosophical view. To some, a photograph is just a picture. To a person with a science background a photograph may be nothing more than capturing reflected photons from your subject. But to the humanist, with who's emotion is truly the heart of every photograph, it is the capturing of a moment in time, an event, that will never again happen exactly the same way twice. Get into this mindset and you will be more inclined to take your camera with you and more inclined to tell a story with your images rather than simple record a picture.

So, is the kodak z8612IS a good camera. Well, I do not know this camera specifically but I can help shed some light on it. It's an 8 megapixel camera with a 12x optically stabilized zoom lens. An 8mp camera will allow for decent enlargements up to 11x14. A 12x zoom lens gives you a 35mm camera equivalent of 36-432mm zoom lens. The image stabilization system is an optical system which is better than electronic image stabilization. Those letters you see, M, S, A, and P modes are settings that will allow the camera to grow with you as your skills improve.

The two main drawbacks I see with this camera are the lack of a view finder and possibly the lag time. The lack of an optical viewfinder, means that you must use the LCD screen on the back. This drains battery power faster and puts the user in an unstable position when shooting. It makes it difficult to track objects and hold the camera steady especially at long focal lengths (zoomed in).

The shutter lag is a possible drawback. Kodak cameras are notoriously slow finally taking the image after your press the button. You'll need to time it (mentally) to get used to it. Often, you will find yourself trying to capture an action shot and after you press the shutter button, the shot is over by the time the camera finally snaps the picture. This is called lag and it has been the major drawback on every Kodak camera I've seen. However, it is not limited to Kodak. All manufacturers in this class of camera produce laggy cameras. Kodak just happens to be the biggest offender. To overcome this you will need to practice predicting the critical moment and learning to adjust when you press the button in order for the camera to catch it.


Modes:

M: Manual. This setting allows you to select the shutter speed and aperture yourself.

S: Shutter Speed Priority. This setting allows you to select a specific shutter speed and the camera will compute for you, based on available light, the correct aperture.

A: Aperture Priority. This settling allows you to select a specific aperture and the camera will compute for you, based on available light, the correct shutter speed.

P: Program Mode. This setting varies from manufacturer to manufacturer but generally lets you assign some generic or global custom settings and uses them in a completely automatic mode.

Terms:

Aperture: Think of the pupil of your eye. It controls how much light enters the eye. Aperture is the "hole" in the shutter through which the light enters the camera. Changing the aperture changes the size of the opening in the shutter. It is represented by a lower case "f" and thus commonly referred to as f number or f stop. The lower the number, the larger the opening. f2.8 is larger than f4 and f4 is larger than f5.6 etc etc. This is the case because the aperture is reported as a ratio of the focal length of the lens over the diameter of the opening. For example a 100mm lens that has a lens that opens 50mm in diameter has an aperture of 2. 100mm / 50mm = 2 . The same lens with an aperture of 4 would be opened 25mm.

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Photography Tips and Techniques, Learn Photography Camera Course


how to learn photography5
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How To Learn Photography

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Learning Photography - The Five Mistakes You Should Avoid

Photography is an exciting and challenging hobby that is accessible to almost everyone who has an interest in it. The great thing about photography is that anyone can pick up a camera and start taking pictures, but if you choose to learn more advanced methods there can be a steep learning curve. However, there are a few common pitfalls that you may want to avoid so here is a list of the five most common mistakes.

Photo Equipment Overload!

With all of the photo equipment available, it's easy to get overwhelmed with all of the possibilities. Tripods, extra lenses, filters, darkroom gear, timers, lights, reflectors - the list is endless. However, without a solid foundation and a clear understanding of what your camera is capable of on its own, you'll never be able to show true mastery of all of those accessories. Start off small with a basic digital SLR or a basic 35mm camera and only one lens. Once you've gotten comfortable with using your equipment and have goten some great shots, it's time to start looking at some new accessories.

One Missed Shot

When you get started, you're going to miss lots of shots. There will also be times when you get a shot but it turns out badly. For this reason, it's probably a good idea to take every photograph at least twice. This will help you from missing an important picture and will also help you better understand the inner workings of your camera. In this day of digital photography, there is little additional cost in shooting hundreds of images compared to only shooting ten.

Don't Use Your Flash

You don't need it. An automatic flash can prevent you from properly learning how to handle complex lighting situations and sometimes even ruin your images. Turn your flash off and force yourself to adapt to environmental light using only your wits and your camera's settings - you'll be better for it in the long run. You can take pictures without a flash in almost any environment. All you have to do is be a little creative in how you use the light that's available.

Fix Your Framing

Although you see it done commonly, you don't need to center your subject in the center of the image. This can create unnecessary space in your pictures and make them less interesting. Picture the frame or viewfinder of your camera as a cropping tool so you'll always compose exactly what you want in your picture. Good framing is something that doesn't take long to learn and will improve your work for a lifetime.

Point and Shoot

Simple digital cameras with giant LCD screens on the back are certainly tempting, but if you're hoping to learn about the art of photography and challenge yourself to improve, you're probably not going to get anything out of one. Many beginners pick these cameras due to their convenience and affordability, which is absolutely fine if you're only intending to use it for non-professional or artistic purposes. If you want to take great pictures and expand your knowledge of photography, you will need to have the right photo tools for the job.

Now that you know these 5 common mistakes, you can steer clear of them and focus your efforts on practicing and expanding your photography knowledge. The only things that are important are building good shooting habits and continually challenging yourself to do better - the rest will come over time. Just keep taking pictures every day and before you know it you'll be creating images that you'll be proud to display in your home or office.

About the Author

Autumn Lockwood is a writer for Your Picture Frames. If you want to find exactly what you want when shopping for wood picture frames, visit YourPictureFrames.com to see their large selection of frames like their popular black frames. Go online now or call 1-800-780-0699.

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