One of the great advantages about having a digital SLR with video is that it can capture motion and sound when a still image just won’t tell the entire story.

I’ve taken hundreds of photos of my son dancing around the living room to music, and a few of them do capture the essence of his performance.

But there’s one thing missing: the music itself.

With the video option on the Nikon D90, I was able to grab some still images of him jumping about, and then quickly switched to video mode for full motion and sound.

Clearly, some subjects will benefit more from video capture than others (landscapes don’t DO very much).

A second benefit of capturing video with a digital SLR is somewhat less obvious.

Since you are able to change the lens on a digital SLR (something you can’t do with a standard video camera) you can capture some VERY interesting shots.

This is especially true when you use specialty lenses: extreme wide angle, extreme telephoto, or macro.

For example, with a macro lens, you’re able to get up close and personal with even the smallest subjects. Imagine being able to capture your very own nature documentary (Ants at Work) right in your backyard.

Or, maybe you’re really into surfing.

With an extreme telephoto lens attached to the camera (and a really nice tripod) you can capture the action as if you were sitting right in front of the wave.

perfect for Nikon beginners camera such as Nikon D40, D60 and advanced camera like the Nikon D90, D200 and D300.

The focal length of 35 mm is close to full-frame 50mm camera, a classical focus for the photographer. Mechanically, this has been equipped with AF-S Silent

Wave Motor (SWM) to ensure fast and quiet AF operation.

Mounted on a camera in DX format, the fixed focal length, the rapid opening of the lens offers photographers a range similar to the focal length of 50 mm

traditional - allowing photographers to capture images at a focal length of similar to the naked eye in the field of view.

The AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G is the first single focal length of a normal picture angle developed exclusively for Nikon DX format. It is compact and

lightweight, which gives the model of reproduction of high-performance single to a single focal length lens at an affordable price. This lens is most

suitable for portrait and landscape shooting.

It will be a good news for users of D40 and D60, because these cameras have lens AF-S for the operation of auto focus. Most of the old Nikon equivalent focal

length prime lenses do not have this ability AF-S.

Every coins has two sides.Unfortunately, this goal is only compatible with DX format camera, which means that the D3 or D700 owners can not use it for the

full-frame or have poor image quality particularly in the corner of the area. But this is not a big deal since just launched the new Nikkor 50mm AF-S f/1.4G

recently for full frame users, in addition, full-writers can use the old but reliable AF Nikkor 35mm f / 2.

This will be sold at $ 200, which is less expensive than most of the goals except the Nikon 50mm f/1.8 and 18-55mm VR kit lens.

Something that can really make or break a photograph is the lighting.The golden hour is one hour after dawn and an hour before dusk.The reason for this is the sun is very low in the sky, giving a very diffuse, even light, which lights objects from the side, instead of overhead.

Consider the angle or the shot. If the emphasis is down a hillside, adjust the camera’s angle accordingly. If emphasizing height, angle the camera upward. If taking a picture of long, flat land such as a farmer’s field, make sure to position the camera to take the bulk of the field in.

If you’d really like to improve your skills as a digital photographer, why not challenge yourself with these improvement-based assignments?

The world is a cavalcade of color, why not challenge yourself to capture a fraction of the range of colors in all their magnificent splendor and awe-inspiring beauty? Change some colors while you’re at it. Why not learn to change a bluebird to red, sepia or black and white? Capture skies that are NOT blue, clouds that are not grey and the earth in several different colors of the rainbow? Can you capture rainbows in vivid detail? See the world in all its colors – or in your own.

The trick is to get the best shot possible and it can take a little practice. As long as a person can hold the camera steady and in the right place, the photographer should be fine.

The new EOS 5D Mark II has changed most except sharing nearly the same body and AF system as its predecessor. The sensor’s been boosted to 21.1 Megapixels, matching Canon’s flagship EOS 1Ds Mark III at a fraction of the price, the maximum sensitivity increased by three stops, continuous shooting accelerated from 3 to 3.9fps, the viewfinder coverage slightly broadened to 98%, and the screen greatly improved in size and detail to a 3in VGA model. There’s now also Live View, AF micro-adjustment, support for quick UDMA cards, an HDMI port, a new battery with accurate feedback and numerous processing tricks including Highlight Tone Priority, Auto Lighting Optimizer and Peripheral Illumination Correction. And oh yes, it’s also the first Canon DSLR to offer movie recording, and in nothing less than the 1080p format.

As mentioned in my blog several time before, Nikon’s D700 is the company’s first ‘affordable’ full-frame DSLR. Compared with The Nikon D700 features quicker 5fps continuous shooting (or up to 8 with the optional battery grip), a considerably more sophisticated 51-point AF system, a popup flash, on-demand grid lines in its optical viewfinder, a virtual horizon facility and in-camera correction of chromatic aberrations. In all, both Nikon and Canon have produced stellar DSLRs at prices that we would have considered unbelievable five years ago. Nevertheless, the Canon 5D Mark II and Nikon D700 are probably the best overall DSLRs in the market in terms of cost vs. benefits.

Just as I have said, both Canon EOS 5D Mark II and Nikon D700 are the worth buying DSLRs in the market in terms of costs and benefits. So it’s hard to decide which one is better. I think all depends! Here below I listed the features of both cameras and maybe it will help:

Good points:
Big Live View viewfinder and detailed screen
First DSLR with movie mode
4.5fps shooting & 11-point AF
Great handling and ergonomics
Fair Priced

The Bad:
Resolution not a big step from D80.
Remote & RAW software costs extra.
Video Recording needs lots of storage space and is limited in length to protect the CCD chip.
No Autofocus during video recording.
It is a SLR camera, therefore it does not fit in your pant pocket.

For Whom:
There’s no doubt the D90 should be short-listed by anyone shopping in its price-bracket, and should its features match your requirements, you’ll be very happy with it. Existing D80 owners should however think very carefully about whether it really offers them an upgrade, or whether stretching to the D300 – or indeed waiting – is a better bet. The Nikon D90 is a great gift for anybody who wants to seriously start taking high quality photos with SLR technology.

For beginners in photography, it is highly recommended that you read a lot of books and take a lot of pictures before you begin your search on the internet. This will give you a good knowledge of some important things such as the lens, focus, and face detection, whether to use digital zoom or optical zoom, find out the ISO sensitivity you need for different shots along with the lighting, stabilization features, and the mega pixels you need for a particular project.

Many digital SLR cameras are as cheap as ordinary cameras. But most of these models do not come with all the key aspects like dust control and image stabilization, do not, however, disregard these cameras for those reasons as they do also produce high quality images. These are especially good for beginners.

So, when you want to buy a cheap digital camera, don’t just go for the first thing you see that is a well known name brand. First look at the specific details like the ISO sensitivity, mega pixels, zoom functions and more to make sure that you are getting the quality you want, and also be open to some relatively unknown name brands because if you find the correct specifications, you may get a cheaper camera that is still of great quality. Also look at lots of digital camera reviews and price comparisons from various online and offline sources. Then do different online shop to find the best for you.

Olympus was the first camera manufacturer to install dust-reduction technology in its DSLR cameras, with a special Supersonic Wave Filter (SSWF) system that vibrates the filter in front of the sensor to dislodge dust. The dust collects in a tray below the sensor, which is cleaned when the camera is serviced. Other manufacturers have followed with similar systems - but they may only be included in one or two models.

Some manufacturers combine the vibrating filter with anti-static materials in the camera’s mirror box, while Canon adds a Dust Delete detection/removal system via software. Only Canon’s system deals effectively with dust that becomes ‘welded on’ when a camera with dust on its sensor is moved between low and high humidity.

Listed below are a part of the latest digital SLR cameras that include dust control systems.

Camera with Image stabilization option and ability to handle high ISO is essential. Camera should be responsive and auto focus must be fast and accurate. Lenses with a large maximum aperture of f/2.8 or larger are extremely valuable for weddings. The wide-angle zoom lens makes it possible to photograph in confined spaces, such as the bride’s dressing room or a packed dance floor. The wide-to-tele lens is wide enough to take a group photograph, but still long enough to take a three-quarter portrait of a couple without the unflattering effects of wide-angle perspective distortion.

Flashes and Accessories

1. 2-3 500-800 w/s monolight heads
2. 2-3 “speedlight” on-camera TTL flashes
3. light stands for each flash
4. umbrellas/softboxes for each flash
5. flash triggering device (radio slaves, optical triggers, or PC cords)
6. hand held flash meter

Wedding photos are a challenge to take, simply because of the flurry of activities that go on and the wide variety of lighting conditions that may occur.  But do remember that while wedding photos are challenging to take, they can be very rewarding. Especially when you see the couple smiling and reminiscing about how wonderful their wedding day was.