Digital SLR Notes and Links Page
CF Card problems:
Because these cards plug into two rows of fine pins inside the camera it is important that the card is inserted the right way around and aligned properly. If the card is inserted incorrectly (forced in, sidewards, back-the-front) you are likely to bend or break the pins.
Replacing the pin assembly is not necessarily a big job, except where the bent or broken pins have caused a power supply short to the circuit board to which they are mounted. It then becomes a very expensive repair.
It is worth noting the cards can become faulty. So if you have an odd problem try a new known good card in the camera first. If you use a card from another camera make sure it is cleared and formatted before use. Do not insert or remove cards from the camera while it is switched on. Do not remove the card from the card reader connected to your computer without closing the files/folders first.
Not all cards are suitable for a particular camera. Later models require cards with a higher transfer speed. Always check the user manual or manufacturer’s website for approved cards.
Most D-SLR cameras also have a menu option to reset the camera to original configuration. Using this function may restore odd problems. You should also make sure that the camera has the latest firmware installed (see you user manual or manufacturer’s website).
Battery warning:
We are aware of damage caused by the use of non-brand batteries.
It appears that some low cost non-brand batteries do not have protection circuits built in and may cause heat and electrical damage to the camera. Make sure that the battery you buy is properly designed and compatible with the camera you are using.
Soft focus with longer lenses:
We have had many clients complain of soft focus when using their older zoom lenses, purchased with a film camera, but now used on a DIGITAL camera. It seems to be mostly lenses in the 100-300 range that are the problem.
Our tests prove that an older lens manufactured for FILM camera use may NOT perform as well when used on a DIGITAL camera, especially on long focal length. We believe this has to do with the ‘Circle of Confusion’ vs Film Emulsion as compared to a CCD sensor. There is little that can be done and you may just have to live with the problem if you want to use an older lens on a new D-SLR.
Filters and picture quality:
The MOST common cause of complaints of poor image quality was traced to the use of an INFERIOR QUALITY FILTER on front of the lens! When you fit any filter on your lens the added glass surface WILL affect the image quality. Your lens is very high quality and coated with anti-reflective layers (the colour tint you can see) and it stands to reason that a lessor quality glass being added WILL reduce quality.
By all means use a filter to protect your expensive lens, but make sure it matches the quality of your lens. This means spending that extra amount to purchase a HOYA MULTI-COATED or a B&W MULTI-COATED filter rather that anything else.
AND, when you add a filter right at the front ALWAYS fit a lens hood as well. This will prevent reflections and enable you to take shot at much more acute angles to the sun.
Sensor or Low Pass Filter damage risks:
The filter which protects the actual image sensor has a coating applied during manufacture. It has been reported that this coating may lift or remove when incorrect cleaning chemicals or methods are used.
Physical cleaning involves wiping the surface with special pads moistened with specially designed cleaning fluids. If the coating has been damaged by non-approved cleaners the cleaning process may cause larger areas to be removed which in turn may affect image quality.
If the sensor has been cleaned with non-professional materials or if an excessive amount of cleaning fluid has been used a haze may develop on the filter. It may not be possible to remove this and the images may appear to to be 100% sharp.
The only remedy is replacing the filter or sensor assembly - a very costly procedure.
Spots or marks which cannot be removed:
If normal physical cleaning of the sensor fails to remove all spots, and your cannot detect the spot on the surface under magnification it may be a dust particle that has come between the filter and sensor surface. This may happen spontaneously but is more likely caused by using the camera in very dusty conditions or trying to clean the sensor using compressed canned air.
Regardless of the cause cleaning involves the risky and costly procedure of dismantling the sensor unit unless you can live with editing out such spots with your imaging software.
Archiving your digital images:
After having had some bad experiences with standard CD and DVD disks (disks deteriorating after 2-3 years, backing lifting off, etc) I now use TAIYO YUDEN brand CD and DVD disks exclusively. They cost more, but at least they are manufactured properly and have a very long life expectancy compared with any other brand.
In the good old days you simply stored the negatives in a box and could always have more prints made, even 100 year old negatives can be printed today. Do yourself a favour and invest in quality disks to store your digital images.
Some links of interest:
Infrared Photography and conversion of D-SLR cameras - read about it here:
LifePixel Infrared
The latest reports and test results on digital cameras from DPreview -
http://www.dpreview.com/news/newsletter_subscribe.asp
Canon site for learning digital photography:
http://www.canon.co.jp/Imaging/enjoydslr/index.html
Canon’s Sensor Technology:
http://web.canon.jp/Imaging/cmos/index-e.html
Tutorial on calibrating your monitor:
http://beesbuzz.biz/art/tutorials/gamma.php
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