Choosing your first dSLR

It's nearly December again, which means that the retailers are rubbing their money-grabbing little paws in glee, in anticipation of making a killing over the holiday season. Be that as it may, fact remains that there's a lot of choice out there, and whether you're buying your first camera, or whether you're out shopping for a friend of family member, you might need a hand. Welcome to the Photocritic guide to entry-level dSLR cameras: What should you be looking for, what should you be buying, and why? It's all in our handy shopping guide, right here...

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25 cameras with the best dynamic range

Following from my post about dynamic range in cameras a few days ago, I did some further research... I give you: The 25 cameras with the best dynamic range! Interestingly, it seems as if Nikon is generally doing quite a bit better than Canon, and that a camera launched almost 5 years ago is actually one of the ones with the very best dynamic ranges out there - And it's not the brand you'd think, either! Oh, and interestingly, there's been a serious shift in the number of photographers shooting in raw - more about that in the end of this article.

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Photocritic’s Christmas Gift Guide

It's that time of year, and all that, so I thought I'd put together something of a christmas list: What can you get your photography-addicted buddy for the holiday season? But first, let's help the readers of this post with a poll. Here's your chance to tell people what you'd really like! {democracy:12}

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What’s in your kit bag, and why?

On Photocritic, I don't generally bother talking too much about equipment, unless I'm particularly excited about something. My approach towards photography is that a good photographer can take good pictures with bad equipment. A bad photographer can only take mediocre photos with good equipment. In other words: If your technical skills and photographic insight aren't up to scratch, you've already lost the game: No amount of equipment can save you. Nevertheless, I often get comments and e-mails asking about what type of equipment I use. It's an interesting question, but asked wrongly. My equipment list is boring. The argumentation for choosing each of these pieces of equipment is what is interesting, because it might help you pick which lens or gadget you buy next!

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Stopping down a Canon EF lens

If you're used to manual lenses, you know how easy it is to stop them down. If you are a little bit more advanced than that, and have 'graduated' to more advanced lenses, stopping down a lens (i.e making the aperture smaller) while it is not attached to a camera body can get a little problematic. There is a way to do it, however...

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New Scientist Photo Competition

Peeling the plastic of the issue of New Scientist magazine I just received in the mail, I dropped the mag on the ground. It fell page-open on page 51, which happened to be a photography competition. Now I'm not supersticious, particularly, but I definitely felt it was a sign to share it with you lot! Competition entries can be viewed here, and you can add your own entries at the same URL. Get your submissions in, you can win a Canon EOS 400D!

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Canon 400D / Digital Rebel XTi

I don't normally write about camera equipment launches - there wouldn't be much space for anything else on this blog if I did - but it's rather worth noting that Canon are launching their brand new baby-brother of the digital SLR family, the 400D.

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Concert Photography

Of all the types of photography ever invented, I would claim that live concert photography is up there among the most difficult ones. You have five thousand fans behind you, and there is a band in front of you. Nobody stands still. In fact, even the notion of standing still ruins the idea of a good music photo. The bouncers hate you, because you are in their way. The crowd is jealous of you. Crowdsurfers will kick you in the head. The band thinks you're annoying. The lighting is never bright enough, and changes so frequently that you're screwed even in the few moments that it is. And nonetheless, concert photography is one of my all-time favourite pasttimes. It's hard. It's unrewarding. But it's deeply gratifying on a personal lever. It's about capturing the mood. Capturing the looks. Capturing something the audience is feeling. Of course, it's also something I know something about - I've done my share of concerts... Tristania - Live in Manchester by Photocritic.org on Flickr

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Choosing a digital compact camera

As someone who occasionally dabbles in photography, I am frequently asked "I have £XXX to spend, and want to buy a digital camera. What should I buy?". It's a difficult question, especially because I've been known to spend high sums of money on digital photographic equipment, and I haven't actually kept myself up to date with what's stirring in the world of digital. I am able to offer a few pointers, of course...

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Extreme Macro Photography on a budget

So, you like the idea of doing macro photography, but you think you can't afford it? Think again - with less than £1 worth of equipment, a little bit of sweat and tears (and blood, if you, like me, are a bit on the clumsy side), and you can build yourself a surprisingly good macro lens. Don't believe me? Well, have a look at the article, and think again! Of course, as I'm using a Pringles can to make this lens, you also have the opportunity to pause for a snack. Now that's the type of DIY projects I like.

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