By Alfred DeBat
With summer on its way, plan for your photo opportunities and have the correct equipment on hand.
If you are scheduling a vacation that will include water sports and boating activities, it’s a good idea to purchase a new digital camera that is waterproof. These cameras can be used on land but also take a dunking in fresh and salt water without damage. Among the many models on the market, two of the best are:
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Olympus Stylus 770 SW – It is an advanced model that permits underwater photography at depths of 33 feet. The shockproof Stylus 770 SW offers a 38-114mm zoom lens, up to ISO 1600 sensitivity, and a built-in manometer, which measures air and water pressure to calculate the altitude and depth of your photography. (The earlier Olympus Stylus 720 SW is rated for depths of 10 feet for one hour.) |
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Pentax Optio W30 is rated for underwater depths of 10 feet for up to two hours. It also has a 38-114mm zoom lens and up to ISO 1600 sensitivity. (The earlier Pentax Optio W 20 is rated for depths of five feet for 30 minutes.) |
Operating from 10 to 33 feet is perfect for underwater photography at snorkeling depths, as well as coastal scuba diving. Deeper dives require expensive underwater electronic flash units for quality photographs. These integrated waterproof digital models are much easier to use than land-based cameras that are protected in awkward, watertight plastic housings. Nothing keeps you from bringing two cameras on vacation, and another family member can use your land-based digital camera when you are in the water.
The price of large-storage memory cards has dropped considerably over the past year; one gigabyte (GB) cards now cost under $30. If you purchased your camera with a low-storage memory card, say 64 kilobytes (KB), you should definitely upgrade for better picture-taking ability and more exposures. This makes particular sense on vacations or trips when you can’t download your digital photos to a computer every day.
Advanced photographers using digital single-lens reflex (dSLR) cameras that employ interchangeable lenses should be careful that dust doesn’t come to rest on the camera’s image sensor. One of the great advantages of a completely closed lens system – used on point-and-shoot and built-in zoom-lens models – is that no dust can enter the camera after it is manufactured.
In dusty surroundings, particles can find their way into interchangeable-lens cameras, causing trouble. One solution is the Delkin SensorScope System (www.delkin.com). The SensorScope is a five-time magnifier with built-in ultra-bright light-emitting diode (LED) illumination that is placed over the dSLR camera lens mount so that the sensor can be inspected for dust and debris. The $190 kit also includes an ultra-small mini vacuum with a static tip, wet and dry dust wands, and a quick-drying sensor cleaner. It is one of the few sensor-cleaning products available for photographers in the field.
Delkin also manufacturers Pop-Up Shades, which are protective covers for digital camera liquid-crystal display (LCD) monitor screens. When open, the shades also work as glare guards by providing a three-sided canopy that shade the LCD screen from sunlight. This product is a lifesaver if you are making photos in bright summer sunlight and the LCD image is difficult to see. The shades come in four varieties: a professional dSLR version for $40; a snap-on ($30) version and a stick-on ($25) version for other dSLRs; and the “universal” point-and-shoot, stick-on mini shade ($20) in five individual LCD screen sizes, which are available in sliver and black to match camera colors. The shades work very well and match each of the intended camera’s design.
If you are a hiker, birdwatcher or wildlife photographer, another good summertime accessory is a monopod, which is the photographic term for a one-legged tripod. By expanding or shortening the leg length, a monopod can be used as a staff or walking stick for hikers and it has a screw mount for a camera at the top. Why would you want a monopod? Usually photographers require long telephoto lens settings to get close-up photos of wildlife. Once your zoom lens is at 200mm or beyond, any slight hand shake is greatly magnified by the extreme telephoto lens setting. Therefore, the “walking stick” camera support provides a steady platform for photography on your trek. Most tripod manufacturers also offer monopod models, and it’s best to visit your local photo specialty store to learn which monopod is the most comfortable for you.
Not to alarm vacation travelers, but I’ve seen young boys follow a photographer with an expensive camera and surreptitiously cut the camera strap from around his neck. With the camera free, it is snatched and the boy disappears into a crowd – often before the photographer fully realizes what has happened. Here’s some protection: Pac-Safe (www.pac-safe.com) provides travelers with many security and anti-theft products. Of particular interest to photographers are three Carry-Safe camera and camera bag straps. The Carry-Safe 100 ($20) is a slash-proof camera neck strap that, under its padded neck pad and webbing connectors, is reinforced with high-tensile stainless steel wires that prevent cut-and-run theft. The similar Carry-Safe 200 ($25) is a heavy-duty over-the-shoulder strap for camera bags. The Carry-Safe 300 ($35) is the same as the Carry-Safe 200, but it also incorporates a three-dial combination lock, which permits users to lock the camera bag around a secure fixture. In addition, the wire cable, built into the lock, can be fed through zipper pullers, which further prevents anyone from opening the bag.