Chris says that cameras have gotten really smart, essentially allowing you to just point and shoot, no matter what camera you have. You can even tell it to track a subject and keep it in focus. Amazing. But sometimes, it makes the wrong choice as a result. And the more advanced you get as a photographer, the more you want to take control of the image settings to experiment and make the image look the way you want.
App of the week - Slow Shutter Cam. It will allow you to create a longer exposure by merging several shorter exposures. Great in low light. Motion Blur. $1.99 iOS.
Larry wants to use his camera with Be My Eyes on his iPhone, an app for the vision impaired. Leo says the first thing he'll need is a camera that can connect over Wi-Fi. Then he would need an app to allow him to remotely control it from the iPhone. Leo says that iOS sandboxes each app for security purposes, so one app can't compromise others, so he likely won't be able to use a separate camera with that particular app.
Mark is excited about the new Nikon full frame mirrorless camera. Leo says that Canon is likely going to announce one too, and it could be that the DSLR is on its way out. Mirrorless cameras are smaller and lighter. But it comes at a cost, as it will lose the optical viewfinder in favor of an electronic viewfinder. The sensor is also close to the lens and that means simpler optics. Photokina is coming September 26th, and we'll likely see both the Nikon and Canon full frame mirrorless cameras.
(Pictured above: Nikon D7200 24.2 MP DX-format Digital SLR Camera).
Pat recently bought a fifth wheel trailer and wants to have a rear mounted camera that he can see from the cabin. He'd like to spend around $150. Leo says that cameras are cheap. The money is in how it's installed and connected. Many cameras use Wi-Fi, though, and that could cost him some extra money as well.
Chris Marquardt says that mobile phone camera development has really improved over the years, and now we have two, three, or even four cameras to add a sense of depth. Now there's a camera that has 16 camera lenses built into the back! The camera is called the Light L16, and it's designed so that each lens will provide data to create depth of field, as well as changing the focus and aperture settings of the camera after the fact. Chris says it's an interesting concept and the hardware is very impressive.
Ed bought a Wyze Cam, but he doesn't have a smartphone to control it. Leo says that he would need to get a cell phone or at least a tablet for it to work. eBay is a good place to get one for cheap. Can he run it from a computer using BSD? Leo says probably not. BSD is a good OS, but it's not used by very many people. Also, Wyze hasn't created a desktop app yet.
He could use an Android emulator like Bluestacks, but he may need Windows or Linux to run it.
Chris says that no matter what camera you have, these tips will help someone get a better picture. Point. Think. Shoot. Have a clear subject. How does the subject relate to the photo within the space? Spacing can vary within a frame and can tell the story in and of itself. Balance is important and when one changes the balance of a photo, it can actually change the feeling of the image. Balance also makes a photo more pleasing to look at. If photographers have several subjects in the frame, how do they manage the space between them? Do they know each other? Are they family?
Chris went on a sailing adventure into Svalbard and the North Sea. It was remarkably cold and stormy. Camera batteries tend to die quickly in cold weather, so you want to be sure you have backups and keep them warm in your pockets. Cold weather can cause some condensation on your camera when you go from the cold outdoors to the warmer indoors. So you when you come in, you'll want to let the camera sit and warm up before using it. Chris also brought a shower cap, which you can use to protect your camera and it doesn't take up any space.
John wants to know how he can add a polarizing filter to his point and shoot camera. Leo says some of the point and shoots have screws on the front that would allow him to add a filter, which is the easiest way to do it. There's a variety of polarizing filter he could get, and generally, he'd want a circular one. If he doesn't have threads on the point and shoot, he'll need some way to mount it on there. John also looked at a magnetic filter, but his camera doesn't have that either.
