Rangefinder Magazine
December 2004

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Digital Photography by John Rettie
P&S Cameras Continue to Improve

If you’re like me, I’m sure you have found it’s convenient to own at least three different sized cameras. Naturally I use a digital SLR camera when I am on a serious assignment and need high-quality images for publication. However, my diminutive Minolta Dimage Xt camera, which is not much bigger than a credit card, slips into my jacket pocket when I am attending a dinner or reception and I am not planning on taking photographs. It’s totally inconspicuous, yet it’s amazing how often I have taken grab shots that have ended up being used as small images in magazines or on web sites.

Next up is a mid-sized camera I use to take quick product shots such as those accompanying this column. I also carry it with me whenever I am not traveling on a photo assignment. For the past few years my choice has been the Nikon Coolpix 9xx-series with a rotating body. Sadly, Nikon has elected not to continue with this range, so I have been shopping around for a replacement.

The two new Canon PowerShot cameras include the G6, left, and the A95, right.

Canon PowerShot A95 and G6
Canon has introduced about two new digital cameras every month since the beginning of the year. While the digital SLR cameras are obviously of most interest to Rangefinder readers, it’s worth looking at some of their compact point and shoot models as well.

There are about 20 point and shoot Canon digital cameras on the market, making it tough to sift through them all in order to decide which ones make sense for a pro to own.

With my needs in mind there are two new Canon cameras that fit the bill. They are the $700 7.1-megapixel PowerShot G6 and the $400 5.0-megapixel PowerShot A95. Although they are priced very differently, I found them remarkably comparable in use.

The G6 is Canon’s top-of-the-line “conventional” point and shoot camera with an optical viewfinder and a flip out rotating LCD screen on the back. More advanced consumer cameras, such as the PowerShot Pro1, have SLR-type bodies with electronic viewfinders and are almost as bulky as SLR bodies.

	Unretouched photo of Steve Saleen introducing the new 2005 Saleen S281 Ford Mustang at the California International Auto Show in Anaheim in October. The Canon PowerShot A95 camera was set on auto (flash, 1⁄60, f/3.2, zoom set at 11.4mm—the equivalent of 55mm on an SLR).

Because they are not as versatile as SLRs with interchangeable lenses, they don’t make much sense for professional use. With a full complement of automatic and manual settings, the G6 is ideal for a serious amateur photographer who does not want or need an SLR camera. It has a decent handgrip and feels quite substantial, tipping the scales at just over 16 ounces.

Compared to its predecessors, the G6 is smaller (approx. 4x4x3 inches) but still large enough to have a flash hot-shoe on top that is compatible with the EX range of Canon Speedlite flashguns. The 4X zoom is equivalent to 35–140mm on a 35mm camera and has an impressive maximum aperture of f/2.0–2.8. It accepts the same Li-Ion battery pack as used in the EOS-10D and EOS-20D cameras, which could prove useful for someone owning those cameras otherwise is not as convenient as cameras that use regular AA batteries.

Canon has switched to CMOS image sensors for its digital SLR cameras but has stuck with CCD sensors on its consumer cameras. I’m not sure why. A few years ago industry pundits predicted the opposite would happen, nevertheless there does not seem to be any problem with image quality from either type of sensor. While the image captured by the G6 is not as good as one from a SLR camera with its physically larger-sized chip, it certainly is capable of producing excellent images for prints up to 8x10 or even 11x14.

As you can see from the side-by-side photograph, the A95 and G6 are very similar. Although the A95 has two million less pixels, I found its image quality was just about as good as that obtained by the G6. The lens is a 3X zoom (38–114mm equivalent) with a maximum aperture of f/2.8–4.9. During the loan period I had the opportunity to use both cameras, and I found myself picking up the A95 more than the G6. I found its smaller size (approx. 4x2.5x1.5 inches) and lighter weight (12 ounces) more convenient when I just wanted to carry a simple camera with me. I ended up using this camera to shoot some images at an auto show, and I used it to take photographs of some cars for use on a web site. The A95 uses AA batteries, which is another distinct benefit.

Neither camera is fast in operation, taking about two seconds to turn on, and there’s about a one second lag between taking pictures. No problem for simple shoots but definitely not acceptable as a replacement for a pro-level digital SLR camera. Because the usability and quality obtained by the A95 is on par with the G6 and it’s smaller and lighter, I like the A95 better than the G6. If I wanted to utilize the extra features on the G6, I’d far rather use my EOS-10D camera. Although I have not had the opportunity to try the latest equivalent cameras from other manufacturers, I think the PowerShot A95 could become my mid-size point and shoot camera of choice for the next year or so.

There are no knobs or collars to turn on the latest Manfrotto 458B Neo Tec tripod.

Neo Tec tripod
There’s nothing digital about a tripod, but I couldn’t resist trying out the latest Manfrotto Neo Tec tripod imported by Bogen Imaging. It was one of the surprise products announced at the PMA show earlier in the year and is now just hitting the market. The trick thing about this high-tech tripod is that the legs open and close in the opposite way to every other tripod on the market. As you pull a leg out, it automatically locks in position without the need to turn a knob. To release a leg, a button is pressed near the top, and if there is pressure on the leg, it will retract and stop immediately when the button is released. It’s difficult to describe, but it’s amazing how much easier it is to adjust for height than a regular tripod.

Manfrotto will not disclose how it works, but there must be some spring-loaded mechanism inside the hollow aluminum tubes. The collars are sealed at the top to prevent dust and dirt from entering, and there is some lubricant residue visible on the legs as they are opened and closed. I just hope the mechanism is able to continue working after being subjected to rain and dirt over a period of time. If the tripod is only used in a studio, it should be reliable. I hope the same would be true when used outdoors. Anyway congratulations to Manfrotto for developing a new tripod. Who would ever have guessed such a lowly product as a tripod could be re-invented?

	The ExpoDisc is a white-balance filter that helps fine-tune color balance on a digital camera.

ExpoDisc
Remember the good old days when we changed the type of film we were using in order to get a different color balance? Or we used filters to warm an image or get rid of ugly colors from fluorescent lighting? On a digital camera it’s much simpler—one only has to change the white color balance to adjust colors. Filters can still be used, and if shooting in RAW format, changes can be made after a shoot in the computer.

Nonetheless, there is still something satisfactory about getting accurate colors at the time of a shoot. Most pro cameras and many more sophisticated consumer cameras, such as the two Canon cameras reviewed above, allow one to shoot a gray card to get a cus-tom white balance.

Now there’s a better way. ExpoDisc is a diffusion filter that is placed over a lens. The camera is ideally pointed at the light source or at the subject, and a photo is exposed. The resulting gray image is then used to set the white balance in the camera. The camera knows how to adjust the red, green and blue colors to produce an accurate gray. This custom white balance setting can be used for the rest of the shoot as long as the lighting stays the same.

I’ll admit that most of the time I am somewhat lazy leaving the white balance on auto. Usually it is no problem, but at other times the color shifts are dramatic and changes have to be made in Photoshop to get an acceptable image.

I tried both a neutral ExpoDisc (prices range from $80–160 to fit 49–88mm filter sizes) as well as one that has a warming effect equivalent to an 81A filter. It didn’t take long to take an image then turn the menu on and have the camera use the resultant gray image to set the white balance. I was amazed at how much it changed the look of some images I shot. It was also possible to tell which images were warmer after using the warm disc.

Hopefully I’ll now get in the habit of using the ExpoDisc before I do any important shoots as it’s always better to get the shot right in the first place rather than relying on tweaking later in the digital darkroom.

Fred Miranda’s Velvia Vision plug-in makes it easy to tweak photographs in Photoshop for a more vivid look.

Quick Software Review: Velvia Vision Plug-in
Talking of color balance is a natural segue to Fred Miranda’s newest Photoshop Plug-in. Fred is a photographer who has written many actions and plug-ins for a variety of effects. He sells them through his web site (www.fredmiranda.com) and has hundreds of users.

As its name suggests, this plug-in alters colors on an image to make them more vibrant. While some don’t like the Velvia look, there’s no denying it’s something that appeals to many photographers. While the tweaking done by this plug-in can be accomplished by anyone who knows how to use Photoshop, it is certainly much easier to adjust sliders and numbers on a user-friendly menu and watch the changes happen in front of your eyes. What’s more: This plug-in only costs $25 and can be downloaded for instant use.

	Amphoto’s Guide to Creative Digital Photography by George Schaub could prove useful for someone learning how to use a digital SLR camera.

Quick Book Review: Creative Digital Photography
This book written by George Schaub, the editorial director of Shutterbug, is too simple for anyone who already knows how to operate a digital SLR camera. However, if you’re thinking of giving a camera to someone for the holidays and they are beginners, this guide could prove to be a valuable tool. The blurb accompanying the book says a digital SLR gives serious photographers more control over the quality of their images. However, many people have trouble grasping the concepts of photography, let alone the unique knowledge needed to get the most from digital image capture. To help them, the book’s step-by-step approach covers the basics through to an introduction to techniques for modifying images. Amphoto’s Guide to Creative Digital Photography (160 pages, $24.95) is ideal for someone starting out even if they don’t own an SLR, as it is relevant to digital photography and can only encourage him or her to get more involved in the art of photography.

John Rettie is a photojournalist who resides in Santa Barbara, CA. He has been using a camera as a professional for 34 years, a computer for 24 years, and has combined his knowledge of both for the past 11 years. Readers can contact him by e-mail at john@johnrettie.com or by snail-mail c/o Rangefinder.