What I've Learned From Using Third Party Lenses

by Jonathan Acierto

There are a lot of opinions out there about buying third party lenses for DSLRs. By third party lenses, I mean lenses manufactured by companies other than the company which manufactures the cameras. The biggest third party manufacturers are Sigma, Tamron, and Tokina. I currently own 2 third party lenses (Tamson 17-50mm and Sigma 10-20mm). Recently, I sold my 3rd lens (Tamson 28-75mm) so I could get my first Canon L lens (24-105mm IS) and this recent purchase made me think about what I've learned using third party lenses.

Let me first say that I have no problem with third party lenses. There are advantages and disadvantages with them, which you can read about on other photography sites and forums. What I'll write about is my own personal experience using them and how they helped me become a better photographer.

The first third party lens I purchased was the awesome Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8. I bought it to replace the kit lens of my Canon EOS Rebel XT, my first DSLR, and I still use it to this day. It was only $400 when I bought it and it's a very sharp lens (after stopping it down to f/4 or f/5.6), and the constant f/2.8 aperture makes the lens useable in low light. This lens is a great general purpose walkaround lens and it really helped me understand the advantages of a zoom lens with a big and constant aperture.

My next third party lens was the Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6. I got this lens because I wanted to be able to shoot interiors of buildings and it gets the job done. I don't use this lens too much, but when I do, I'm glad I have it. It's never given me problems and the optical quality is spectacular.

The lens that I recently sold, which was the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8, was a great portrait lens and was even sharper than the 17-50mm, espcially when stopped down to f/4 or f/5.6. With portrait lighting or with daylight, I would say this lens rivaled the optical quality of Canon's L class zoom lenses. This lens showed me how nice a long focal length was for flattering people in portaits. It was also great for throwing backgrounds out of focus. My only complaint with the lens was that the zooming action was a little too loose, so when I let the camera hang on my side, the lens would zoom to gravity. It wasn't a problem most of the time, but I found it distracting because I was constantly checking to make sure I didn't inadvertently bump the lens into something.

As I mentioned near the beginning of this post, I bought a Canon 24-105mm f/4 L IS lens to replace the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 lens. It's a fantastic lens and I'm very happy with it so far. The build quality of the lens is great and the image stabilization helps quite a bit at the longer focal lengths. Even though the Canon has a slower f/4 aperture, it isn't a big deal because I can use the lens at f/4 and get sharp photos, but the Tamron was soft at f/2.8, so I had to stop it down to at least f/4, basically eliminating the advantage of having an aperture of f/2.8.

So why didn't I just get the Canon 24-105mm L lens before and skip the Tamron 28-75mm? I just didn't have the money, for one thing. But, beyond money, I know I wouldn't have been able to appreciate the advantages of the Canon if I had not bought the Tamron first. Because I had to learn to deal with the shortcomings of the Tamron, I now know how much I can push the lens, the camera, and myself. Any problems I had with the Tamron (shooting wide open, having too much camera shake at longer focal lengths, loose zoom action) are now solved with the Canon.

Let me give you an anecdotal story to illustrate my point. I have an assistant photographer who helps me shoot weddings and she has much better equipment than I do. She's got a better camera and she has the top-of-the-line professional Canon lenses. One lens she has is the 24-70mm f/2.8 L, which is a much better lens than the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8. But, my assistant constantly uses the Canon 24-70mm at f/8, most likely because she read somewhere that's the aperture where it's sharpest. She never experimented to see how sharp the lens is at different apertures, but the lens is designed to be sharp even at f/2.8. And an f/8 aperture brings the background more in focus, whereas f/2.8 will leave the background nicely blurred. I pushed my Tamron, stopping it down to f/4 and f/5.6 to increase the sharpness, and was able to get shots comparable to my assitant's. I would venture to guess she can't tell the difference between my shots and hers.

There's a saying out there that gear is good, but vision is better. I have found this is very true with lenses. You can start out with all the professional lenses, but your vision won't be developed enough to take advantage of them. It's like a student learning guitar who buys a professional instrument, but can't even play a G chord. It's a waste of the equipment. So if you're still learning photography, don't worry about whether the lenses are third party or "first" party. Learning to get the most out of your equipment will improve your vision and give you a huge advantage in the long run, so when you do upgrade to better equipment, you'll be able to take full advantage of it.

Mobile Photography Tips

by Jonathan Acierto

Today's SpecialEver since I started taking photos with my iPhone, I've been having a blast seeing what it can do as a serious photographic tool.  Even before getting the iPhone, I knew it would be the perfect camera for taking candid photos of people in the photojournalistic tradition of Henri Cartier-Bresson.  Now, after 3 months of using the iPhone, I can safely say that it is by far the most inconspicuous camera I've ever used.

I consider myself a photojournalist first and foremost, and I love capturing people when they don't know they aren't being photographed.  When people are aware of a camera, they tend to act differently, which leads to photos that don't quite look as spontaneous or honest.  So the trick is to take photos of people without them knowing you're doing just that.  To accomplish this, check out my tips below.  Even though I'm an iPhone user, these tips are applicable to any mobile phone with a camera.

1. Put your phone on silent mode - This is perhaps the most important tip.  Most mobile phones, when taking a photo, play a sound that's suppose to sound like a camera shutter being tripped.  Put your mobile phone on vibrate mode or silent mode to turn this stupid sound off.  You could also check to see if your phone has a setting for the camera function to turn the shutter sound off.  For that matter, on ANY digital camera, I would recommend you turn the shutter sound off.  There's just no point to it other than to draw attention to the fact that you're taking a photo.
2. Act like you're doing something on the phone other than taking a photo - It's become all too common to see people staring at their cell phone screens.  It doesn't matter whether they're walking, sitting, standing, working, the cell phone stare has become universal.  It's become so universal, in fact, that people don't think anything of it anymore, so as a photographer, you can use this fact to your advantage.  When you take a photo with your silenced mobile phone acting as a camera, try to act like you're checking your email, surfing the web, playing a game, or any other activity people do nowadays on their phones.  Try to hold your phone low, rather than holding it up to your face, because if it's too high people will know you're taking a photo.  And keep your shoulders at an angle rather than facing your subject directly.
3. Sleeping at Memphis AirportLearn how to take the photo without looking at the screen - Even after you silence your camera phone and act like you're not taking a photo, people may still suspect you're taking a photo if you look in their direction and then at your screen repeatedly.  So the best thing to do is learn to press the shutter button (whether it's onscreen or physical) without looking at the screen.  Use tip 1 and 2 to get in position and frame your subject, then use this tip to actually take the photo.

Using these tips, you'll be able to capture photos of people acting totally natural.  In fact, mobile phone cameras have become good enough that serious photojournalists like Ron Haviv are now using them to photograph serious stories inconspicuously.  So remember to always have your cell phone camera ready.  You never know when you'll be capturing history.

iPhone 4S Camera Review

by Jonathan Acierto

The box of my new iPhone 4S next to my old LG cell phoneFor my birthday and Christmas present this year, I only asked for 1 thing: the iPhone 4S.  I didn't think I needed one before because I still had a 1st gen iPod Touch and my LG cell phone, which combined took care of all my communication needs.  But, with the release of Chase Jarvis's book "The Best Camera," I started to consider the possibilities of using the iPhone as a creative photography tool.  And then there's all those photography apps available, showing what can be possible for post processing photos taken with the iPhone.  Well, with the upgrades to the camera in the lastest model of the iPhone, I finally decided I needed to have one.

Here are the specs for the camera in the 4S:

• 8 megapixel backlit photosensor
• 5 element 4.28mm lens, which translates to an equivalent focal length of 28mm
• f/2.4 aperture

I've been using the iPhone for about 3 weeks now and I can honestly say I've been impressed by the quality of the photos the camera can make.  The camera lens itself is fairly sharp and is about the same quality as a middle grade compact camera.  The f/2.4 aperture helps a lot with low light performance and it allows me to keep the LED flash off most of the time.  My only complaint with the lens is that it's a little on the wide side for my tastes and has pronounced barrel distortion, especially when shooting fairly close to a subject or shooting a subject with a lot of straight lines (think buildings or tiles).  But on the flip side, I'm pleased by the macro capabilities of the camera and I can get as close as 3 or 4 inches to subjects.

This photo of a guitar bridge shows the macro capability of the lens, along with the barrel distortionThe built in camera program for the iPhone is VERY good and easy to use.  There's built in face detection and the camera does auto white balance and auto exposure fairly well.  You can lock the exposure, white balance, and focus by simply holding your finger on the part of the photo on the screen you want to lock onto, but that's the only level of manual control the built in app gives you.  Honestly, it works fine most of the time.  I can usually point the camera in the general direction of the photo I want to capture and press the shutter button (on screen or using the volume button) and the camera will do the correct thing about 75% of the time.

The built in processing capabilities of the iPhone are pretty good, too.  During photo taking, there's the option of taking a HDR photo.  The HDR algorithm in the iPhone software creates a more "realistic" looking HDR photo rather than the more "painterly" or "processed" look of a lot of HDR type photos.  I found the HDR processing useful for bringing out shadows and preventing highlights from being clipped.  After photo taking, there are 3 options for editing: red eye removal, cropping, and auto-enhancing.  As far as I can tell, the auto-enhance algorithm seems to increase the color saturation and contract in a photo.

This photo of my living room shows the HDR algorithm can bring out shadows and recover highlights while keeping the photo looking more "realistic."But the real charm of the iPhone is the plethora of apps available for processing and sharing the photos.  I'm not even going to begin to give you a list apps that are available, but I will list my favorite apps so far.

• Instagram (free) - If you're going to download only 1 photo app, this is the one to get.  You can take a photo in the app, or choose from a photo you're already taken in the camera roll.  Once you've taken or chosen a photo, Instagram gives you lots of processing presets to choose from.  The presets were designed to immitate certain types of film, film cameras, or film processes.  Once the photo is processed, you can add a title/description, tags, geotag, and then share the photo in Instagram's community and other social and photography websites (like Facebook and Flickr, for instance.).  The Instagram community is very positive and it includes a lot of famous professional photographers and even celebrities.  With all the high quality processing presets and social capabilities, it's no wonder Apple has named Instagram best photo app of 2011.
• "Fake Plastic Orchid" - I shot this photo using the built in camera app, processed it in Simply B&W, further processed it and shared it in the Instragram app, and uploaded it to share using Flickr, Piconhead, and Facebook.Simply B&W ($0.99) - If you want to convert your iPhone photos to black & white without too much hassle, this is a great app.  Like Instagram, it lets you take a photo in the app or choose a photo to convert from the camera roll.  Processing is divided into 3 categories: color filter, vignette, and film.  In color filter, you can choose all the common filters (red, orange, green, blue, etc.) that photographers have been using for ages.  In vignette, you can choose whether to have a black or blur vignette and how much of that vignette is in the photo.  And in film, you can adjust the brightness, contrast, and amount of grain is in the photo.  I'm very impressed by the quality of black & white photos I've made so far with this app.
• Photosynth (free) - This app is super cool.  And shockingly enough, it's a Microsoft app!  To say this app creates panoramas isn't completely accurate.  Yes, the app takes multiple photos and stitches them together to create a wide photo, but what it really does is creates a quasi-3D photo that the viewer can explore in all 360 degrees horizontally and vertically.  I haven't gotten the hang of using it yet, but so far it's been very fun creating these "photo mosaics."
• Flickr, Piconhead, Facebook (all free) - These apps aren't photo apps per se.  They are all apps that are used to share your photos, and honestly, if you can't show your photos to other people, what's the point?  Facebook has become, by far, the largest photo sharing site.  Flickr still has a big community with some very high quality photos and not so high quality photos.  And Piconhead allows you to upload photos to Picasa web albums for sharing on Google+ or for sharing with anyone who can access the internet.

Like so many people (especially photographers) who have an iPhone, I have discovered that it helps me to not only keep my photographic eye sharp, but it also helps the act of photography become fun again.  A DSLR is my photographic tool of choice for capturing the highest quality images possible in any situation.  Then processing those images on my MacBook Pro give me even more creative control over the image.  But honestly, I hate carrying around a DSLR all the time.  I used to have a compact camera, but I sold it months ago because I found I wasn't using it.  Now, I have a camera with me all time in my iPhone that's convenient and inconspicuous.  Yet, it has some very powerful processing capabilities, the photos are instantly shareable, and is fun as heck to use.  I may never need another compact camera again.

My Compact Camera Wish List

by Jonathan Acierto

Currently, I don't own a digital compact camera.  I sold my Canon SX200IS earlier this year because I just couldn't justify owning it anymore, since I own 2 DSLR bodies.  At the time, I decided to use the Rebel T1i for my everyday shooting, so I bought a Canon 18-135mm lens so I didn't have to change lenses.  While this setup is great, I've lately been missing having a compact camera because of the fun I've been having with my dad's old 35mm film compact cameras.

There has also been a flood of new high quality compact cameras in recent years.  Canon's G series is great and has been around for a long time, but I'm talking about the newer cameras like the Olympus PEN's, Panasonic G's, Sony NEX's, Samsung NX's, and the Fujifilm X100.  Except for the Fujifilm, all these cameras are in the newer "interchangeable lens compact camera" category and offer higher quality images than consumer level compact cameras.  But they also come with a (much) higher price and I can't justify buying one because I'd rather just buy a better lense for my DSLR's for the price of one of these higher end compact cameras.

But using my dad's 35mm compact cameras, I find the photo quality of these "cheap" cameras better than the photos I see from most digital compact cameras.  Why?  I think it's because the film itself is much, much better at capturing light compared to the tiny image sensors in consumer compact cameras.  And I think the lenses on 35mm compacts are better quality because of the requirement of the 35mm film.

So I got to thinking, what would my ideal compact camera be like?  What characteristics of the 35mm compact would I like in a digital compact camera?  Here's my wish list and why I would want each item in a digital compact:

• Optical Viewfinder or Electronic View Finder (EVF) - While I like the screens on the backs of compact cameras, I would rather have an optical viewfinder or EVF.  I hate holding a camera in front of me to take a photo, it feels unnatural and unstable.  Holding a camera up to my eye feels more natural and stabilizes the camera.  Image stabilization is not built into any of the 35mm compact cameras I've been using and I don't think it's really necessary, since the camera is stabilized by the way it presses against my face.
• A Bigger sensor - I would love to have a big sensor in a small camera.  Either a 4/3 size or APS-C size sensor would be great.  The recent high end compact cameras show that a bigger sensor can, indeed, be put into a relatively small camera.  For example, the Sony NEX camera bodies are actually smaller than the latest Canon G camera.  There's really no excuse anymore for using a tiny sensor in a $500 compact camera.  Perhaps smaller sensors will be improved to the point that they can be as good or better than today's bigger sensors, but for now a bigger sensor has the advantage in image quality.
  
• Fixed and fast lens - Zooming capabilities are great and it's amazing how much the smallest cameras can zoom now, but with zoom comes compromises in image quality and maximum aperture.  I would much rather have a 28 or 35mm fixed lens with a f/2.8 or f/2 aperture, which would be much better in low light and in most everyday shooting situations.  I love the look of a semi-wide fast lens on the 35mm compact cameras I've been using and I really don't miss the zoom, which was actually a premium feature back in the 35mm days.
• Aperture/Adjustment ring - I like having an aperture ring on the lens rather than changing the aperture in a menu.  Canon put an adjustment ring on the S95, as did Fuji on the X100, so I think the other camera manufacturers should follow suit.

Looking through this list and comparing the features to the cameras I mentioned earlier, the Fujifilm X100 is the closest camera so far to a compact camera I'd like, and many professional photographers agree because it's such a hot item right now.  But it's still really expensive and, honestly, I think it's overkill.  If Canon, Olympus, Panasonic, Sony, or any other big camera company can make a compact camera with these features for under $300, I think they'd have a big hit, and it would also raise the bar for image quality in the digital compact camera market.

Why I Like Using Film Occasionally

by Jonathan Acierto

"Stranded" - taken with Minolta Hi-Matic AF2 using Kodak BW400CN 35mm filmDigital photography has so many advantages compared to film photography.  With digital, You get the instant feedback of seeing the photo right away on the camera.  Memory cards allow you to take a LOT more photos than what rolls of film can give you.  And speaking of film, you have to pay for each roll, which you can only use 1 time, plus there's the cost of developing the film.  With digital, you only pay for the card once and you can reuse it after you transfer the photos to your computer.  Digital solves a lot of the problem inherent in film photography.

But occasionally I like to take out my dad's old Minolta Hi-Matic AF2 camera, load it with some 35mm film, and shoot photos.  Why?  My cousin's fiance asked me this very question over the weekend.  A big part of it is that I use the camera to keep in touch with my dad (he passed away in 2001).  He loved taking photos.  He wasn't an amateur photographer per se, he just loved taking photos and videos of life's moments.  He was always buying new equipment so he could take better photos of my sister and I as we grew up.  The standard joke among my friends and their parents was that my dad would always have a camera on hand.

Other than the sentimental aspects, there are some really good photographic reasons I like to use film.  Here's a brief list of why I like using film:

• It's slow - The Minolta Hi-Matic AF2 doesn't have a motor, so you have to advance the film manually using a little lever.  Once the film is done, you have to rewind the film manually using another lever.  The autofocus is picky, so you have to take more time to focus on the subject.  I find all of this makes the photographic process slower, which means you have more time to work on taking a better photo.
  
• You only get 24 or 36 shots per roll - Since you're limited in the number of photos per roll, you have to make each shot count.  This is related to slowing down and being more careful with the photos.  Before pressing the shutterbutton, I make absolutely sure I want to take the photo.  Because of this, I find I get more keeper photos.
  
• Film looks old-school - If you want that old-school look to your photos, there's no better way to get it than using film.  Sure, there are a lot of plugins and ways to process digital photos to approximate the film look, but as the song goes, "ain't nothing like the real thing."
  
• You have to be patient - Because of the slowness of film, you have to be a lot more patient with the camera and with yourself.  You don't see the photo until after it's developed, so you have to wait.  You can't make adjustments and get instant feedback like you can with digital cameras, so learning how the camera takes photos is a much slower process.

So the next time you find an old film camera, don't dismiss it right away.  Go buy a roll of 35mm film, load it up, and take photos.  You may be surprised with what you get.