Live-View and Movie-Mode with any SLR

how to get live-view and movie-mode with a 5D :), originally uploaded by miami fever.

DIY Canon 5D mkII

From Carlos aka- Miami Fever over on Flickr. Perhaps this is Canon Inc's inspiration for including video into their new 5DmkII. Even if it isn't the idea is genius. Now all of us SLR users can reap the benefit of the live view and movie modes available in nearly all of today's point and shoots.

From Miami Fever's Flickr photostream:

"I would find myself having to put down the 5D when I wanted to shoot a video, and vice-versa.
It's really nice to be able to shoot a video of some subjects whose motion and sounds (such as cars) add interest as you photograph them.
I don't do this for street shooting, since discretion is key, the 5D is big enough as it is, and video wouldn't really be as interesting as a still.
This should work with any camera with a hot-shoe and any point and shoot with movie mode and a standard 1/4" tripod mount."

Carlos gives the details of the hardware used in his custom mount over at flickr where he goes by Miami Fever. Pay him a visit and let him know how much you like his creation! You can also compliment him on his amazing street photography taken on the streets of Miami. Most of his great images are what can be described as available dark, capturing the vibrant night scene in Miami without the use of a flash. It doesn't hurt that his images often include many of the beautiful women seemingly roaming the streets of Miami. You can also check out Carlos's blog: http://www.miami-fever.com/ where he posts additional photos and information about his photo documentary of life in Miami.

Carlos is also adept at converting all manner of lenses for use on his Canon 5D. Check out his flickr "Gear" set to see many of his lens adaptations. Additionally Carlos runs a photography and gear oriented blog: Ask Carlos where he elaborates and answers questions about photo equipment, lens compatibility, and his overall shooting technique.

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Free Subscription to After Capture Magazine

Subscribe to AfterCapture
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Get AfterCapture magazine right in your mailbox. Subscriptions are complimentary. Simply complete the online subscription form to apply.

AfterCapture Magazine is the premiere bi-monthly digital photo magazine for photographic post-production work. Visit this month's articles for a sample of what you will see in print.

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Using RSS technology, you can subscribe to the ACMetaforum, ACNews and Events with your favorite news reader or personalized homepage.

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Watch the latest videos on YouTube.com

A Basic Field Guide for the Outdoor Strobist

Free guide to
getting great outdoor lighting!

First go look at Bernie Ledsma's amazing outdoor photos (Here: Outdoor Strobist) and you will appreciate the fact that not only is he offering his advice to help the rest of us achieve the same great results with our photos, but that he has really gone out of his way to write up and illustrate a free guide!

Bernie titles himself a "strobist" because his style of outdoor portrature relies on fill flash or strobes to properly expose the main subject while maximizing the use of beautiful natural ambient lighting.

You can find Bernie's guide and gallery of images over on Yahoo's free photo sharing community Flickr.

(See our previous blog post about Flickr, the most active photo community on the internet)

So stop in, pick up his guide, and make sure you say hello and comment on his great photos!

-------------
Originally uploaded by Bernie Led:

“A Basic Field Guide for the Outdoor Strobist” 1st edition NOW AVAILABLE! For those who may be interested, I came up with a field guide on the basics of "Outdoor Strobing", just compiled my notes, learning’s, and work flow.

I initially made the notes for myself but decided to share it each time someone would ask me how I create those images. So I am making this material available to anyone who may benefit from it.

I know the learning curve here is steep with so much technical variations and complex exposure combinations, so I tried to keep it concise, but comprehensive.

A little thing about me, I am not a pro (have a day job in marketing) nor am I claiming to be a master, I just love and enjoy doing this... creating beautiful images and trying to be helpful to others that is.

If you would like to have a copy, Id be glad to email a copy to you, (free of course, not doing this for the money). Not really ground breaking, just my way of sharing and giving back...

All ill ask in return is for you to just let me know if it was able to help you or if you had fun using it. If you have suggestions to improve the work flow to make it easier or even better, let me know. Then we share it to even more people (open source spirit)... I'm calling it "A Basic Field Guide for the Outdoor Strobist" (just 5 pages, PDF format)

Get it here: A Basic Field Guide For The Outdoor Strobist

Bernie Ledesma

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DIY 120 SPAMera®

SPAMera®, originally uploaded by [ CK ].

Now you can have your camera and eat it too!

From Chris Keeney's Flickr page...

SPAMera®

This is my newest camera in my collection. It takes 120 roll film and yields 8-12 exposures. Made in my kitchen on 02.03.06. ~ 220 film compatible

Hormel // SPAM Museum // SPAM Family // SPAM History // The Art of SPAMography

more information about this camera at chriskeeney.com

Uploaded by [ CK ] on 6 Feb 06, 1.59AM PDT.

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Excellent Free Digital Photo Managment

New! Picasa 3 (beta)

The fantastic free imaging software from Google is about to get way better...

We here at Free Photography Stuff, have been huge fans of Google's image program Picasa and now there is much more to get excited about with the release of the beta trial of the new Picasa 3. If you are not familiar with Picasa see our previous post on why it is one of the few must have photo programs. Google's Picasa - Free Fantastic Photo Software

Download the Picasa 3 beta at http://picasa.google.com. To get additional support or to give feedback for this beta release, please visit the Picasa Help Group to find answers from knowledgeable users and the Google Guide.

From the Picasa website:
"To get started on the upgrade from Picasa 2.7 to Picasa 3, we've provided a detailed run-down of what's new and what's changed. This page explains the basics, but you'll need to get your hands dirty to really appreciate the changes. Click the links below to learn more about each feature."

	Sync your Picasa 3 and Picasa Web Albums edits Tired of having to manually re-upload your photos after making further edits? By enabling 'Sync to Web,' edits made to your photos in Picasa 3 are automatically transferred to your corresponding online albums. You can sync the following changes: Picasa 3 edits (Basic Fixes, Tuning, and Effects) Photos added or deleted in Picasa 3 Captions, tags, or geotags Getting started The Sync to Web button is located on the right side of each folder or album header. When you click this button, you'll first be prompted to upload the photos in that folder or album to Picasa Web Albums. You can change the upload size, album privacy setting, or even add a watermark to your uploaded photos. When the upload is complete, any subsequent Picasa 3 edits to those photos will automatically transfer to your online album. Troubleshooting You can disable the sync feature at any time by clicking the Sync to Web button again, or by selecting Disable Sync in the drop-down menu to the right of the Share button in the folder or album header. All your photos and their edits up to this point remain online, but any new edits and changes will no longer be synchronized. The following changes don't transfer to your online albums: Reordering photos Changes made to folder or album properties Changes made to filenames
	Retouch your images Always want to be airbrushed? Use the Retouch tool to remove unsightly blemishes and improve photo quality. It can also help you to restore old photos with marks, water stains, and scratches to excellent condition. When editing any photo, just click the Retouch button on the 'Basic Fixes' tab. Adjust the size of your brush, and use the mouse scroll wheel to zoom in and out of the photo for precise edits. Click once to highlight the area you'd like to retouch, and then find another portion of the picture that should take the place of your highlighted area. Hover over this replacement area and click a second time.
	Preview image files with Picasa Photo Viewer The photo viewer is a fast, lightweight application for viewing images on your desktop or through Windows Explorer. Installed with Picasa 3, it lets you to take a quick look at images without having to fully open the Picasa 3 program. What you can do with the photo viewer: Add stars, zoom in and out with your mouse scroll wheel, rotate, or proceed to Picasa 3 to make more extensive edits. Upload directly from the photo viewer to Picasa Web Albums or Blogger. Jump right into emailing or printing as well. From your computer desktop or from within Windows Explorer, just double-click any image file to launch the Picasa Photo Viewer. You can reconfigure the file types that the photo viewer will display by clicking the Tools menu in Picasa 3 and selecting Configure Photo Viewer. If you'd prefer to use a different application to view certain file types, deselect the file types that the photo viewer shouldn't open. To disable the Picasa Photo Viewer entirely, click the 'Don't use Picasa Photo Viewer' option.
	Make a movie Combine your photos, videos, and music into a movie, and create a Windows Media file. Share it with friends by uploading it directly to YouTube. About the movie maker: Supported audio formats include mp3 and .wma. You have complete creative control - change the music sync, the slide duration, and slide transition style, among other things. Add text slides: Create a title slide or a divider to provide some context. You can choose to include your photo captions as well. When playing any video in Picasa 3, explore these two features: Use the Take Snapshot button to capture a single frame of the video. Use the In and Out buttons in the lower-right corner to trim a shorter clip. Click Export Clip to finalize your selection. There are two ways to launch the movie creation screen: Create a movie for all photos in a folder or album by clicking the Create Movie Presentation button in the folder or album header. If you'd like to pick and choose photos from different collections, place them in the Photo Tray and click the larger Movie button in the Photo Tray. Use the Movie, Slide, and Clips tabs to alter movie settings, add text to slides, and insert new images, respectively. When you're satisfied, click Create Movie. Once created, use the Upload to YouTube button to share your creation with family and friends. Depending on the number of images and size of your audio file, the movie creation process can take a significant amount of time. Can't create the entire movie in one sitting? No problem, just click the Close button, and you'll be prompted to Save Draft. You can pick up your work at any time in the 'Movies' folder.
	Capture your screen Instantly take and import your screen captures and webcam captures into Picasa 3. Screen captures Press PrtScn to capture a shot of your entire screen. Ctrl+PrtScn will capture the highlighted window. These images will be placed in the 'Screen captures' folder. If you're having trouble importing screen captures, make sure Picasa 3 is open. Screen captures won't be imported if the application is closed. Webcam capture This is webcam importing made simple: Capture video or stills from within Picasa 3, and import them in the same instant. Make sure your webcam is operational, and then click the Webcam Capture button on the top button bar. The Capture tool will let you take and import video and stills. If the Webcam Capture button is inactive, first make sure your webcam is set to go. Then try closing Picasa 3 and opening it back up.
	Add text or watermarks to your photos You can easily personalize your photos using the Watermark and Text tools. Watermarks Help protect your images by stamping a watermark on all images that you export or upload. The watermark signature will be placed in the lower right-hand corner. Upload photos with watermarks Click the Tools menu in Picasa 3, select Options, then click the Web Albums tab. Select the option labeled 'Add a watermark for all uploads.' Type the text for the watermark in the field below the option. Export photos with watermarks When you click the Export button in the Photo Tray, you can select the 'Add a watermark' checkbox to include a watermark on your exported images. Type the text for the watermark in the field below the option. Text Use the Text tool to add text quickly and easily to your photographs; you can even print the result. You can edit the style, size, color, and alignment of the text, as well as drag it to your desired location on the photo. When editing a photo, click the Text button on the 'Basic Fixes' tab to access the tool. Do you want to add the same text to multiple photos? From the main Library view, click the Edit menu and select Copy Text to copy the text you've placed on one photo. Then select Paste text to apply it to all other selected photos. The text change isn't permanent. Once you've added your text, you'll see a 'Show Text' checkbox on the 'Basic Fixes' tab for that image. Deselect the checkbox and the text will disappear.
	Print captions Your captions are about to see a little more action. You can now print your captions or photo file names on or below your photos. Control the style and color of your printed caption, in addition to the width and color of the printed photo border. After you've selected the photos you'd like to print, click the Print button in the Photo Tray. Click the Border and Text Options button to add borders and adjust the style and placement of your printed text. Click Apply to preview your work, and OK to accept the changes.
	Upload easily to Picasa Web Albums Use the Drop Box to hold quick uploads and upload throttling to multi-task during your upload. Drop-box upload The Drop Box is an online album that serves as a holding pen for your quick uploads. Click the Upload to your Web Albums DropBox button located above your photo on the 'Edit Photo' screen to upload a single picture directly to your Picasa Web Albums Drop Box. Upload throttling You can choose to have Picasa 3 reserve some of your Internet bandwidth for surfing the Web while you're doing large uploads to Picasa Web Albums. During your upload, the dialog box will have an option labeled 'Don't eat all my bandwidth.' Just select this checkbox, and then continue multi-tasking.
	Control your Picasa Web Albums settings If you have an online album in Picasa Web Albums, you can now control the online settings through the corresponding folder or album in Picasa 3. There are a few different controls located in the drop-down menu to the right of the Share button in the folder or album header: Adjust the privacy of your online album. Change the online image size. Delete an online album. Sync your edits to your online album. You can also choose to apply 'Sync to Web' to starred photos only. Troubleshooting The button's only available for folders or albums that have been uploaded to Picasa Web Albums. You must be signed in to your Google Account for Picasa Web Albums. You can sign in by clicking Sign in to Web Albums in the upper-right corner of Picasa 3. You will only be able to adjust the online image size if you have enabled 'Sync to Web.'
	Manage folders on your computer It's now possible to move entire folders around on your hard drive from within Picasa 3. From the folder list, right-click the folder you'd like to move, and select Move folder. Choose your desired destination or create a new folder altogether. These moves are permanent on your hard drive, so make sure you properly stow your folders.
	Get more information about your photos We've added new icons and tools to the Library view to quickly communicate useful information about your photos. And remember... Please share this link, and let everyone know you found it here at: freephotostuff.blogspot.com Thanks.

Free Guide to lighting figures and products for photography

Good photography is good lighting!

A lot of people think that good lighting is expensive. Wrong. The best light source for photography is free!

This is a great tutorial (Figure on Cheap Lighting) on how to better show off your figures to other figure enthusiasts on the net by taking better photos of your collection to share.



This knowledge is shared on the HappySoda blog written by “super rats”. HappySoda is an anime and anime stuff fan blog. Blog topics include Anime DVDs, figurines, and other related things, such as conventions. Super Rats is an avid miniature figure photographer with a fantastic portfolio of beautiful shots. Super Rats shares many of his photos on flickr as well, - Flickr Sets

Super Rats shares his experience and tips for creating a mini indoor studio using common household items. The results he gets prove that good figure and product photography does not have to be expensive or rely on expensive equipment.

DIY Lighting- Figure on Cheap Lighting
Super Rats Gallery- Flickr Sets
HappySoda Blog- Anime stuff fan blog



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Free Postcards & Postage

Hippopost.com
You design it, they print it and send it free!

Hippopost is a web-to-mail application developed by Hippopost Inc. This application allows you to send FREE postcards to addresses within the United States and Canada. This service is made possible through sponsor advertising on the back of each card. By using Hippopost to send FREE postcards you are agreeing to allow sponsor messages to be placed on the back of your postcard.

Sending a card is easy. Use Hippopost Online™ and allow your web site visitors to create and send postcards, or use Hippopost Social™ and sponsor postcard opportunities within photo sharing and social networking communities such as Facebook.

Through a network of strategically located production and fulfillment facilities, Hippopost actually produces and mails each postcard relative to the recipients address – you take advantage of local postage rates, and expedited delivery – imagine sending a postcard while on vacation, and having it arrive while you’re still away!

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Shootsack Lens Sweepstakes...

Shootsack

Lens Giveaway

Grab a sack and Shootsack will help you fill it!

The prize is your choice of any camera lens from the Adorama.com website with a maximum price of $1,800 before taxes, shipping and handling.

No purchase or payment of any kind is necessary to enter or win this sweepstakes.

Visit http://www.shootsac.com during the Promotion Period and follow the instructions to enter the sweepstakes. Send an email to sweepstakes@shootsac.com (include Name, Address, Phone Number and Email Address) or place an order to be automatically entered. All entries become the property of the Sponsor and will not be acknowledged or returned. Limit: One entry per person and per e-mail address during the Promotion Period.

Shootsack is an innovative photography bag, a Shootsack bag comfortably and safely carrys the tools you need, without making you look like a camera geek. Photographer Jessica Claire and entrepreneur Keats Elliott have teamed up to bring you Shootsac.

Based in Southern California, the company is proud to introduce an eagerly awaited and long overdue solution to the ubiquitous "camera bag" dilemma. Shootsac is a high-quality, high-fashion product made here in the United States. The goal is not to replace your traditional camera bag but rather to provide you with a handsome, handsfree, no ego, so-comfortable-you-can-forget about it, lens carrying assistant no matter where you shoot.

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Free Classic Camera Auction Catalog & CD Rom...

Free Collection of Clasic Cameras on CD

WestLicht of Vienna, Austria, is a Camera Museum and Photo Gallery with revolving exhibits and a major Photographic Auction House. The cameras that are displayed in the museum and pass through the auction house are nothing short of beautiful, representing a full history of photographic cameras and equipment.

Prior to the each years auction WestLicht makes the auction catalog available for free. The collection can be viewed on-line of ordered on CD ROM with accompanying book. Visit the WestLicht website to view or order the current catalog: https://www.westlicht-auction.com/index.php?id=24750&_ssl=on

The WestLicht museum in Vienna, Austria is one of the worlds premier collections of photographic equipment. For those of us who love cameras it is a shrine to the past. Their collection is vast and extends from the orgins of photography until today. If you are passing through Vienna or Europe don't miss a chance to visit.

WestLicht
Westbahnstrasse 40
1070 Vienna, Austria
Tel: ++43 1 523 56 59 16


No I didn't have the winning bid....

Original Daguerreotype SOLD for $792,000

In 2007 A 1839 daguerreotype camera, ancestor of modern photography, was sold at WestLicht's auction in Vienna for nearly 600,000 euros making it the world's oldest and most expensive commercial photographic apparatus.

An anonymous buyer paid 588,613 euros (792,000 dollars), bidding by Internet, said the Westlicht auction house.

The first camera ever sold, 1839 "Daguerreotype" by the Paris manufacturer Susse Frères

Oldest & most expensive camera of all time.
Fetching near 600,000 euros at auction on May 26th 2007, a "Daguerreotype" by the Paris manufacturer Susse Frères. This very recently discovered camera throws new light on the history of photography: the attic find proved to be an example of a camera from September of 1839. up till now it had been thought to be a myth. In the meantime numerous experts attest it very likely might be the oldest commercially-produced camera in the world.

Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre (18 November 1787 – 10 July 1851) was the French artist and chemist who is recognized for his invention of the daguerreotype process of photography.

The Daguerreotype was the first successful photographic process, the discovery being announced on 7 January 1839. The process consisted of:
- Exposing copper plates to iodine, the fumes forming light-sensitive silver iodide. The plate would have to be used within an hour.
- Exposing to light - between 10 and 20 minutes, depending upon the light available.
- Developing the plate over mercury heated to 75 degrees Centigrade. This caused the mercury to amalgamate with the silver.
- Fixing the image in a warm solution of common salt (later sodium sulphite was used.
- Rinsing the plate in hot distilled water.

A site dedicated exclusively to Daguerre is http://www.daguerre.org
Interestingly enough, there are enthusiasts who still produce dagerreotypes. See here.

The origins of commercial photography, previously no camera by this manufacturer was known to even exist!

Up till the present "The Daguerreotype" produced (also in 1839) by Daguerre’ s brother-in-law, Giroux had been regarded as the origins of commercial photography. There are around ten of these in existence in various large museums. But even earlier, on the 5th September 1839, a small Susse Frères advertisement appeared in the French newspaper “La Quotidienne” though except for a few instructions (e.g. in the George Eastman House in Rochester) no camera by this manufacturer was known to exist. This world sensation is now being exhibited in WestLicht, in Vienna, Austria. The camera with the original lens by Chevallier is in wonderful original condition and has never been restored or modified.

Some Free Trivia - The f Stops here....

In search of the origin of the f-stop

For some time I have wondered how it is that we have come to call the aperture of a lens the f-stop. I have run into a myriad of various explanations but none have been completely satisfying or seemed entirely plausible.

I had assumed that it came from a scientific or mathematical expression, and indeed I believe I have found that formula.

Where f is the focal length, and D is the diameter of the entrance pupil. By convention, "f/#" is treated as a single symbol, and specific values of f/# are written by replacing the number sign with the value. For example, if the focal length is 16 times the pupil diameter, the f-number is f/16, or N = 16. The greater the f-number, the less light per unit area reaches the image plane.

The literal interpretation of the f/N notation for f-number N is as an arithmetic expression for the effective aperture diameter (input pupil diameter), the focal length divided by the f-number: D = f / N.

Apparently Optical Engineers Sutton and Dawson defined the f-stop in 1867, and was adopted by lens manufactures soon afterward. Although apparently the f expression was unanimously adopted by lens makers the numbering scale was not. By 1901 there were at least 5 separate numerical scales used to denote the f-stop.

By 1920, the term f-number appeared in books both as F number and f/number. In modern publications, the forms f-number and f number are more common, though the earlier forms, as well as F-number are still found in a few books; not uncommonly, the initial lower-case f in f-number or f/number is set as the hooked italic f as in f/#. Notations for f-numbers were also quite variable in the early part of the twentieth century. They were sometimes written with a capital F, sometimes with a dot (period) instead of a slash, and sometimes set as a vertical fraction.

Although by the 1940’s most of the world had settled with the current f-stop scale we use today it wasn’t until 1961 that the ASA created the f-stop as an official standard. PH2.12-1961 American Standard General-Purpose Photographic Exposure Meters (Photoelectric Type) specifies that "The symbol for relative apertures shall be f/ or f : followed by the effective f-number." Note that they show the hooked italic f not only in the symbol, but also in the term f-number, which today is more commonly set in an ordinary non-italic face.

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Pentax Sweepstakes

Pentax
Sail Away to Costa Rica
Sweepstakes

Will you Sail Away on a cruise for two to the birding paradise of Costa Rica and Panama? Or walk away with a PENTAX K20D digital camera package, or a Optio W30 camera?

Enter the PENTAX Sail Away Sweepstakes by participating in a binocular demonstration at a PENTAX retailer or viewing the PENTAX binocular video right now!

Grand Prize is a 10-day cruise to Panama and Costa Rica - a birding paradise - aboard Cruise West's 102-guest Pacific Explorer.

Second Prize is a PENTAX K20D digital camera package including flash attachment and 18-55 mm and 50-300 mm lenses.

Third Prize is a Pentax Optio W30 camera.

Enter today… and picture yourself trekking through remote jungles in search of the unexpected and unusual.

More info from the Pentax press release:

PENTAX Imaging Company launched the PENTAX SAIL AWAY program to highlight select models of our binocular line. Between now and May 31, 2008, consumers may view an online product video and enter* the PENTAX Sail Away Sweepstakes at www.PentaxSailAway.com. Prizes include a Cruise West cruise and exciting PENTAX products.

*No purchase is necessary for the consumer. Limited to U.S. residents only and one entry per person. Official contest rules and product video posted at www.PentaxSailAway.com.

Did you know that PENTAX has announced 16 new products since January 2008? Leading the line-up are the PENTAX K20D digital SLR with 14.6 megapixels, live view and a host of customizable features and the K200D with advanced technologies in a user friendly package. PENTAX also announced five new lenses and a popular spotting scope camera adapter.

Check out the K20D video, K200D video, and a binocular video for more information on these products. PENTAX also has developed two tutorials on flash photography that are now live on the PENTAX Imaging and PENTAX SLR websites. Stay tuned for future photography tutorials.

On the compact digital side, PENTAX announced five compact digital cameras including the full-featured Optio A40, the tiny Optio S12, the affordable Optio E50 and the colorful Optio M50 (with a new website at www.PentaxOptioM50.com). With a 5X zoom, a 3 inch monitor and a slim body with Face Recognition, Smile Capture and Blink Detection, the Optio V20 is the latest PENTAX digital camera model.

Finally, don't miss out on the great rebate saving on sleek and stylish PENTAX Optio Z10. Learn more before you buy about this fun, full-featured camera at www.pentaxoptioz10.com.

Good Luck! And remember...

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Free Comics for Photographers

What The Duck

by Aaron Johnson

What the Duck is an online comic strip. Viewers are welcome to link, post, copy/paste, or save the strips to their own sites, blogs, forums, newsletters, etc.

Begun as a simple blog "What The Duck" has grown into a regular comic strip. Writer Aaron Johnson mainly tells the tales of a photographer duck as he experiences many of the same trials and frustrations as real photographers.

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Free Photo Network

Flickr
Store, Share, Communicate, and Network
Free from Yahoo!

Flickr is the most active photo community on the internet. More people visit share there photos and visions and make connections than anywhere else on the net.

Flickr is a free service owned by Yahoo. To set up an account to share your photos on Flickr all you need is a free Yahoo id. Flickr is such a valuable tool for photographers that nobody despite your level of photographic experience should ignore it.

Flickr is vast and encompasses people and photos from all walks of life and experiences. It has professionals as well as those who post via cellphone camera.

For the professional photographer Flickr offers networking exposure to millions of potential customers and the ability to tag each photo with keywords and provide links and information to potential customers. For any professional photographer that is thinking about ignoring Flickr first read 36 reasons that Flickr is a photographers ultimate tool over at photopreneur.com, a website dedicated to identifying digital-age earning opportunity's to photographers.

For the ameature photographer Flickr provides a terrific place to host and share your photos. But it is much more. Flickr encourages its members to participate by allowing you to annotate and comment and ask questions on others photos. It also provides groups that you can join to share photos of a specific theme, or based on a photographers make of camera, or even skill level. Perhaps best of all Flickr is full of helpful fellow photographers that will help you grow and learn as a photographer.

So don't wait, Join Flickr today! And open a whole new world to your photographic experience! It is free after all...

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DIY Camera Lens

Teach an Old Camera
New Tricks!

(Photo: Zeiss Ikon on a Sony Alpha A100)

Make an old camera useful again. Many old film cameras and lenses can easily be adapted for use with todays Digital SLR's. The science for which cameras and lenses make good DSLR adaptations is simple. The lens needs to go from a thicker camera body to a thinner body (with the adapter thickness making up the difference).

If you transfer to a thicker body then the lens will only focus for a couple of feet like a macro lens and everything else beyond will be out of focus. An optical element (lens) can be fitted into an adapter to correct this but they 1.) are very hard to find 2.) are very expensive 3.) you lose some quality and perhaps 1 f-stop of speed.

Kimmo Kulovesi (who took the photo above) writes about his adaptation on Yahoo flickr:

Contessa Nettel Cocarette on the Sony DSLR A100

"A Contessa Nettel Cocarette camera attached to my Sony DSLR A100 by means of sticking an 11mm M42 extension tube to the rear port of the camera. The moving lens assembly allows infinity focus to be achieved, enabling the 105mm f/4.5 Carl Zeiss Tessar lens to be utilized with the DSLR. (Or indeed, almost any SLR capable of accepting M42 lenses either directly or with an adapter..."

"from 1923... it's about as sharp as any lens I have."

-Arkku from Flickr

Lens adaptations or hacks have been around for as long as there have been cameras. Since there has never been a agreed upon standard mount between manufactures there has always been the case of certain special lenses that photographers could not live without and were adapted over when the photographer changed or updated camera systems. Some lenses like the 1920's Kodak Pocket Folder lens have been considered so special for their soft focus portraiture that they have been sought out, and modified to work in modern portrait studios.

Loss of automation is something to consider if you do desire to do an adaptation. Today's DSLR wonder-cams have a lot of integration between the camera and the lens. Without a modern electronic lens attached you will lose some automation that we take for granted today. Some of the biggies include:

Autofocus

You will surely lose Autofocus and the ability of the camera to determine when the shot is in focus using the focusing points. You will have to twist the focus knob yourself and then eyeball the image in the viewfinder to determine if the focus is correct.

Creative Modes

You will be stuck using the camera set to manual "M" mode or (if you are lucky depending on the camera make) possibly Aperture priority, if your camera can still meter light properly without an electronic lens, (Sorry Nikon DSLR users you lose your lightmeter!)

Auto Diaphragm

Modern cameras allow you to meter and focus with the lens iris wide open, then as the shutter is pressed the lens automatically stops down to the preset opening just before the shutter fires. The reason for composing with the lens wide open is to give a brighter viewfinder and to ease in focusing. With an adapted lens you will need to set the lens iris manually before you press the shutter.

To the modern DSLR user the loss of automation alone can be daunting. For those of us that used film cameras it will be like stepping back in time. Either way it is surely more work to adapt and use a non system lens than to just buy one made for your camera. However for many of us Do-It-Yourselfers hours of enjoyment can be had by adapting and using these older lenses and cameras.

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FREE exhibition space for photographers

Nikon Salon

Free Exhibition Space
for Aspiring Photographers

In its quest to contribute to the advancement of photographic culture,
Nikon Salon is offering a free exhibition space for aspiring photographers.

Exhibitions of your work may be held in one of three different spaces:
Nikon Salon, Nikon Salon bis, and Nikon Salon Juna21.
Each space has its own unique concept.

Nikon Salon Website: http://www.nikon-image.com/eng/activity/salon/index.htm


Nikon will provide the following:

・ A set portion of production costs for invitation cards.
・ Production costs for greeting, profile and caption panels.
・ Frame rental
・ Invitation card postage fees (Excludes personal invitations)
・ Press release
・ Exhibition space
・ Staff to hang the exhibitor's work in the gallery provided.
・ \50,000 for printing materials
・An extra \30,000 for transport costs to/from Osaka, etc.


Nikon Salon is open to all creative contributions

However the opportunities don't stop there. The Nikon Salon bis gallery holds group exhibitions by members of the Nikkor Club and its branch offices, as well as other photographic organizations, schools and clubs. For aspiring young photographers, there is also Nikon Salon Juna21, where exhibitors must be under 35 years old.

Nikon Salon

Nikon Salon accepts any exhibition that strives to contribute to photographic culture. This program is open to all photographers.

Juna21

Nikon Salon Juna21 seeks creative, original ideas from young photographers. Exhibitors must be under 35 years old.

For nearly 40 years

Nikon Salon has contributed to the spread of photographic culture by offering a free exhibition space to aspiring artists.
It started in January 1968, when Nikon Salon was first established in Ginza to celebrate Nikon's 50th anniversary. Since the very first exhibition "Eyes of Ihei Kimura," Nikon Salon has provided unique opportunities for both professional and amateur photographers by sponsoring their lectures and hosting their exhibitions. These opportunities expanded with the opening of Shinjuku Nikon Salon in June 1971. Osaka Nikon Salon followed in March 1974. The goal was to pursue the true meaning of photography: the expression of ideas. This meant breaking the barrier between professional and amateur photographers and viewing their work as art, not business strategy. The applications are still open to everyone. Photographers of every style and level of experience are welcome at Nikon Salon.

Nikon Salon looks forward to viewing your work!

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Free Subscription to Professional Photographer

Free for 6 months

Professional Photographer Magazine

Right now you can receive a free 6 month subscription to Professional Photographer magazine.

For more than 100 years, Professional Photographer, the official magazine of Professional Photographers of America, has helped readers advance careers in the photographic industry. Each issue contains practical yet cutting-edge lessons in the artistic, business, and technological aspects of professional photography. No other magazine offers a more influential presentation of the people, trends, products, and photographs changing and defining the portrait, wedding and commercial photography landscape.

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Free Fujifilm Professional Film Data Guide

Fujifilm
Professional Films
Data Guide

If you are still shooting film then you need to have this guide.

This is the complete A-Z reference for Fujifilm's professional films. It is chock full of excellent information about every aspect of Fujifilm film.

The guide is available free from Fujifilm in adobe PDF format.

Profrssional Film Data Guide

It includes technical data on all Fijifilm films in 35mm, 120/220mm, instant, and APS. It discusses the features of each film type and provides advice for shooting as well. It contains info on processing and edge markings and much much more.

Basically it is everything you ever wanted to know about film, but may have been to confused to ask.

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Free Slideshow Software from Fujifilm

Free - Fun & Easy

Photo and Video Editor

From Fijifilm

Import your life Load in your digital photos and video files with a simple click. You can even upload from Facebook!

Edit your photos and video Cut, trim, build. Add an effect. Zoom in on the cute friend in the group shot. Cut out your brother-in-law's embarrassing karaoke at the beginning of the video. It's simple to do.

Add some music Add a soundtrack to your clip using music pre-loaded in the Z-Clip editor, other tracks from the Playlist, or your own MP3s! Share your mashup Sharing your creation with your friends and family is a snap. Email it, or post to your blog!

Here is a sample clip I whipped up quickly. It did have a couple of errors, 1 image was lost and the audio is terrible....




youtube
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