CAMERAS

Canon EOS 350D (Digital SLR) - my main camera

This is a good camera, I have to confess that I don't utilise all the 'bells and whistles' it has, it is more complicated than the old Olympus OM-1 I started out with, but that is to be expected as it has 30 more years of technology. Of course all the basic principals work the same in regards to capturing the picture; aperture, exposure, ISO etc, or there is the automatic mode for when I am being particularly lazy.

Release date for this camera was 2005; I think I got mine in 2006. I only have the standard lens that came in the package kit, I’m sure photography purists would say it's not the best lens, and it certainly does have its limits but it is a decent place to start … although now that I am typing
this I am thinking maybe I should have a look around for a new one.

My main motivating factor in getting this camera was simply convenience. When I first gained an interest in photography I was working in a camera store and was able to develop my own film, print and colour correct it how I wanted for a very good price through my work, digital photography certainly is much cheaper if you don’t have that luxury. Also I am always playing around in Adobe Photoshop with my images anyway so it does make sense that I can go straight from camera to computer.

Specifications - A Brief Overview:

• Type: Digital SLR
• Effective Pixels: 8 mega-pixels
• Sensor Type: CMOS, this is the part that actually captures the picture.
• Colour Filter: RGB
• Optical Zoom: 1 x
• Digital Zoom: 1 x
• Aperture: F1.0 – F91, (the amount of light the lens lets in, the smaller the number the more light comes in)
• Auto-focus: Yes
• Manual-focus: Yes
• Filter Thread: Yes
• Shutter Speed: 30-1/4000 seconds (minimum – maximum)
• ISO Rating: 100/200/400/800/1600, this is the equivalent to film speed in a film camera, the higher the ISO the less exposure time is required
• Internal Flash: Yes
• External Flash Support: Yes
• Flash Modes: Auto, On, Off, Red eye reduction
• LCD Monitor: Built in colour monitor – I find that the screen on this isn’t always very accurate and once the images are downloaded I sometimes have missed that the focus is off
• LCD Size: 45.7mm
• Image Format: JPEG, RAW
• Self Timer: Yes
• Interface: USB
• Memory Type: Compact Flash – I carry a spare one
• Battery: Lithium Ion rechargeable – and a spare one of these

Olympus OM1 - the camera that started my hobby

I love this camera and I still prefer it over my digital SLR as it is so simple to use.

This camera began being made in the early 1970’s. I first got my hands on it in about 2002 (I think) when I rescued from a garage in Queenstown, at the time it needed new rubber seals and a clean but other than that it was in good condition. There were 2 lenses with it unfortunately a really nice macro lens had grown mould beyond the point of repair, but the other one, a great wee compact lens, still takes a beautiful picture even though it has a tiny bit of mould damage it doesn’t effect the picture quality.

At around 35 years old this camera is a little worse for wear these days with a minor light leak at the edge of the camera back, however fixing it into its stylish retro 70’s leather cover seems to solve that problem for now.

Specification Overview:

• Type: 35mm Single Lens Reflex
• Lens Mount: Olympus OM Mount, bayonet type
• Shutter: Focal plane shutter, ring mounted control, with speeds from 1 to 1 /1000 second plus B
• Hot Shoe Socket: Built-in. Accessory Shoe 1 or “Fixed” Type for original M-1 or OM-1 bodies
• Viewfinder: Penta-prism type wide-vision (97% of actual picture field) finder
• Viewfinder Magnification: 0.92X at infinity with 50mm lens
• Viewfinder Apparent Field of View: 23° 30' & 35°
• Focusing Screens: Standard screen, 1-1 Micro-prism-matte type. Interchangeable with any 13 additional screens
• Reflex Mirror: Quick return type with mirror Lock-up control
• Film Loading: Easy loading (Olympus EL system)
• Film Advance: (Manual) Ratchet type film advance. One stroke or several short strokes
• Film Rewinding: Rewind crank with automatic resetting rewind release lever
• Metering: Via Lever on top panel, Metering ON/OFF Switch
• Exposure Measurement: Two CdS (Cadmium Sulphide) cells located on either side of the eyepiece provide through -the-lens open aperture light measurement
• Film Speed Range: ASA 25-1600
• Exposure Range: EV1.2-EV16.9 with 55mm f1.2 at ASA100; EV 2-17 (ASA 100 with F1.4 50mm lens); EV2.35 - EV17.35 withh 50mm f1.8 at ASA100
• Self-Timer: Lever system with rotation angle 180°. Approx. 4-12 second delay lever type; Action started via start lever hidden behind Self timer lever. It can be stopped and reset after actuation
• Battery: 1.35V mercury battery Mallory PX625, or equivalent
• Dimensions & Weights: Body only: 510g, Body with f/1.8 lens: 136mm x 83mm x 81mm 680g

Canon Ixus 70 - convenient and easy to use

Yes I have 3 cameras … how greedy. I use this one as a convenient little happy snapper for those moments when I don’t feel like lugging a big camera bag around or when I’m going to a place that may end in doom for a more valuable camera, such as a night out on the town, someone has to get the annoying photographic evidence of what you got up to.

This is a great compact camera, nice and simple to use, the macro feature works well, image quality is good and it has a movie capture function.

I don’t have much more to add about this camera, the Canon Ixus range tends to be pretty good and relatively simple to use, especially if you are already used to the Canon menu layouts, so would happily recommend them to any one looking for a compact digital camera, depending on requirements.

Specification Overview:

• Type: Compact Digital
• Actual Pixels 7.1 Megapixels
• Sensor: CCD Sensor
• Optical Zoom: 3x (35mm - 105mm equivalent)
• Digital Zoom: 4x with Safety Zoom
• Processor: DIGIC III Image Processor
• Other Functions: Face Detection AF/AE, (this is quite nifty technology, the focus will normally be on a face even if it is off the side of the picture, so no excuses for poor focus)
• Flash Functions: Red-eye correction
• Screen: 2.5" LCD, 230,000 pixels
• ISO: 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 and High ISO Auto for flash-free indoor shooting
• Shutter Speed: 15 – 1/1500 sec (Shutter speeds of 1 sec. and more available in Long Shutter Mode only)
• Video Mode: Video at VGA, 30fps with sound - digital zoom available, Time Lapse Movie
• Macro: 3cm macro mode
• Memory Cards: Supports SDHC memory cards