Hi, I have recently seen references to SLR and digital SLR cameras as well as lomo. I understand that SLR cameras are more expensive than the low end....what is different about them? Thanks.
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what is SLR and lomo
- Thread starter swingerofbirch
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An SLR is a single lens reflex camera. It allows you to view the scene through the same lens in which you take the picture from. A range finder is where you view the scene through a sort of window--you aren't looking through the lens. The SLR uses a mirror that moves as the photo is taken. The mirror basically projects the image upward so that you can see the scene thru the lense.swingerofbirch said:
Lomo is wonderful, it's more of a way of life. It's better described here: http://www.lomography.com/
As Jessica says. What she doesn't say is that viewing the shot through the lens means you *know* what you're going to shoot - there's no confusion about composition like there is with a separate viewfinder, where parallax can be an issue.swingerofbirch said:
There's also the point that with most (but not all) non-SLR cameras, you're stuck with whatever lens is attached to the camera at the time of purchase. Even if you can change it (or add a converter to make it wider or "longer" - meaning greater levels of magnification), you're fairly limited in your choice.
With an SLR, you can buy different lenses for different needs. So, for example, on my EOS 20D, I could buy a 10-22mm lens for wide angle shots (really wide angle -- much wider than the human eye is capable of seeing); I have a 17-85mm which is a reasonable "walk around" lens; I could buy a 70-200mm lens for moderate telephoto work; or a 100-400mm lens for long range telephoto work.
You can also buy prime lenses: lenses with a fixed focal length, so you are unable to zoom in or out with them. The advantage here is that a prime lens is easier to design and manufacture, so you get much better image quality for a lower price than an equivalent zoom lens. Against that, if your prime lens is just that little bit too long, you can't make a small adjustment to the zoom to get that last bit of image into the shot (unless you're able to physically move yourself and the camera.)
The downside to all this is that good quality lenses cost a lot of money. My next purchase (the afore-mentioned 100-400mm) will cost me more than the camera body is worth. However, you'll almost always (assuming you spend the money on a good quality lens) end up with a better quality image than a compact is capable of.
What it comes down to is how much money you're prepared to spend, and how seriously you want to take your photography. You can take excellent shots with a compact, just as you can take very ordinary ones with an SLR. Good skills will make a huge difference.
I checked out the lomo site noted above for a bit - I'd never heard of lomography before - seems like a certain way to shoot with a certain type of camera. So, as far as I can tell, Lomography is a "type" of photography using a certain unique type of camera that had certain characteristics. It's an interesting questions posed above as I think the more garden variety would be "should I get a P&S or an SLR" rather than "SLR vs niche imaging".
From the questionalby accurate, but here useful Wikipedia:
"Lomography is a commercial trademark of Lomographische AG, Austria for products and services related to photography. The name is licensed from a former state-run optics company LOMO PLC in St. Petersburg, Russia. The 35 mm LOMO LC-A camera employed an unusual lens which produced large amounts of distortion at the edges of the image whilst keeping the center sharp, and was promoted by businessmen from Austria with international gallery shows.
Lomography emphasizes casual, snapshot photography. Accidents such as over-saturated colors, lens artifacts, and exposure defects are rehabilitated to produce swirly, abstract effects — a trait emphasized by practitioners. Others use the technique to document everyday life, because the small camera size and ability to shoot in low light encourages candid photography, photo reportage and photo vérité.
The lens effect (although perhaps not the philosophy) can be partially emulated in photo-editing programs, such as Gimp or Photoshop.
Similar to Eastman Kodak's concept of the "Kodak moment," the Lomography motto of "don't think, just shoot" presumes spontaneity, close-ups and ubiquity, while deemphasizing formal technique. Typical Lomography cameras are deliberately low-fidelity, or inexpensively constructed. Some cameras make use of multiple lenses and rainbow-colored flashes, or exhibit extreme optical distortions and even light leaks - compare the popular Chinese-made Holga. Principles of Lomography have also been extended to cinema.
Current models marketed by Lomographische AG include Lomo LC-A, Holga, Holga 35mm, Actionsampler, Frogeye, Pop-9, Oktomat, Fisheye, Colorsplash, Colorsplash Flash, F-stop Bang, SuperSampler, Horizon 202, Seagull TLR and Smena 8M. The company also resells modified Polaroid cameras and Russian deadstock - the sort normally acquired at "quirky, old-school camera shops", as the company's website puts it.
The following are the company's 10 Rules of Lomography:
1. Take your LOMO everywhere you go.
2. Use it anytime — day or night.
3. Lomography is not an interference in your life, but a part of it.
4. Shoot from the hip.
5. Approach the objects of your lomographic desire as close as possible.
6. Don't think.
7. Be fast.
8. You don't have to know beforehand what you've captured on film.
9. You don't have to know afterwards, either.
10. Don't worry about the rules.
It can be argued that points 1, 2, and 3 are substantively the same as each other, as are points 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10."
From the questionalby accurate, but here useful Wikipedia:
"Lomography is a commercial trademark of Lomographische AG, Austria for products and services related to photography. The name is licensed from a former state-run optics company LOMO PLC in St. Petersburg, Russia. The 35 mm LOMO LC-A camera employed an unusual lens which produced large amounts of distortion at the edges of the image whilst keeping the center sharp, and was promoted by businessmen from Austria with international gallery shows.
Lomography emphasizes casual, snapshot photography. Accidents such as over-saturated colors, lens artifacts, and exposure defects are rehabilitated to produce swirly, abstract effects — a trait emphasized by practitioners. Others use the technique to document everyday life, because the small camera size and ability to shoot in low light encourages candid photography, photo reportage and photo vérité.
The lens effect (although perhaps not the philosophy) can be partially emulated in photo-editing programs, such as Gimp or Photoshop.
Similar to Eastman Kodak's concept of the "Kodak moment," the Lomography motto of "don't think, just shoot" presumes spontaneity, close-ups and ubiquity, while deemphasizing formal technique. Typical Lomography cameras are deliberately low-fidelity, or inexpensively constructed. Some cameras make use of multiple lenses and rainbow-colored flashes, or exhibit extreme optical distortions and even light leaks - compare the popular Chinese-made Holga. Principles of Lomography have also been extended to cinema.
Current models marketed by Lomographische AG include Lomo LC-A, Holga, Holga 35mm, Actionsampler, Frogeye, Pop-9, Oktomat, Fisheye, Colorsplash, Colorsplash Flash, F-stop Bang, SuperSampler, Horizon 202, Seagull TLR and Smena 8M. The company also resells modified Polaroid cameras and Russian deadstock - the sort normally acquired at "quirky, old-school camera shops", as the company's website puts it.
The following are the company's 10 Rules of Lomography:
1. Take your LOMO everywhere you go.
2. Use it anytime — day or night.
3. Lomography is not an interference in your life, but a part of it.
4. Shoot from the hip.
5. Approach the objects of your lomographic desire as close as possible.
6. Don't think.
7. Be fast.
8. You don't have to know beforehand what you've captured on film.
9. You don't have to know afterwards, either.
10. Don't worry about the rules.
It can be argued that points 1, 2, and 3 are substantively the same as each other, as are points 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10."