Professional Cameras for Photography

January 6, 2015

ISO How High Can You Go?

Today, cameras are made with ISO capability of 204,800 and more, but is it even remotely usable? We unravel what ISO is, how it works in a modern camera and how it can work for you.

By Staff
Back in the film era, ISO 800 was high. Use a film rated higher than that, and image quality definitely fell off. The fastest films available were ISO 1600 and EI 3200 (EI, or exposure index, meaning it didn’t meet the ISO standards criteria for an ISO rating). Today, we have digital cameras with ISO settings up to 409,600—seven stops greater.... Read more
January 6, 2015

Hi-Tech Studio: Compacts For Pros

Small cameras with big sensors put superior image quality in your pocket

By Staff
As a pro photographer, you use gear that provides the results you need, that satisfies your clients. But you can’t always carry that gear with you everywhere you go. Sure, an iPhone is nice and gives you a lot of flexibility, and it’s always with you, but having something a little larger that’s much more capable and can still be with... Read more
December 11, 2014

What's Your Next Pro DSLR?

The lines between top-tier and mid-level camera models are blurring.

By The Editors
Today’s pro DSLRs, and even the mid-level models, offer a lot to hard-working pros, including image quality, performance, ruggedness and system accessories. And prices are coming down—while you can still pay over $6,000 for a top pro DSLR, you also can choose from Canon and Nikon full-frame models for just over $2,000, and the APS-C models... Read more
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September 1, 2014

Time To Lose The Mirror

New interchangeable-lens mirrorless cameras are threatening to take the place of your DSLR

By Staff
When rangefinder cameras came along in the early part of the 20th century, they revolutionized photography. Designed to use 35mm movie film with its rugged film base and sprocket system for advancing frames, 35mm rangefinders ushered in a new era of compact, fast cameras that were mated with ultra-high-level optics. Ultimately, Leica became synonymous... Read more
September 1, 2014

Dedicated To Motion

The advantages of working with a video camera for filmmaking or broadcast

By David Willis
Despite offering much larger-format sensors than those you find in a typical camcorder, the problem with using your primary still camera for video is that a number of accessories will be required to gain the same advantages that a dedicated camcorder system has right out of the box. Camcorder bodies include XLR connections for the use of balanced professional... Read more
July 1, 2014

Monochrome Specialists

Dedicated black-and-white cameras eliminate the sharpness-robbing Bayer array and anti-aliasing filter to create the sharpest images possible

By Staff
Many digital photographers do monochrome photography with their regular color digital cameras. This provides a couple of benefits. First, if you shoot RAW, you can process your images to color or monochrome. If you use the camera’s monochrome mode, you’ll see the images in black-and-white on the LCD monitor, including the tonal-changing... Read more
May 1, 2014

Do You Use Any Aliases?

Is the anti-aliasing filter still necessary or even useful in modern, high-resolution digital camera systems? Several manufacturers are eliminating them from their highest-resolution models.

By Staff
Digital image sensors consist of a grid of light-sensitive photodiodes (pixels). When you make an exposure, each pixel receives a certain amount of light—a certain number of photons—according to the brightness of the portion of the scene being photographed that’s focused at that pixel. Inherent in this process is the moiré that can result... Read more
March 1, 2014

Retro-Style Cameras

The proliferation of high-end, back-to-the-future, retro-design cameras has style as well as substance

By The Editors
“Retro”-look serious cameras are hot today. Besides the nostalgia factor, they provide their users with a sense of style. We wouldn’t trade the technology of our recent DSLRs and mirrorless cameras for that of the old 35mm film cameras, much less earlier digital cameras, but there’s something to be said for the retro look. Photographers—pro... Read more
December 1, 2013

The Best Of The Best

A look at the top pro DSLRs available today from 35mm and medium-format camera models

By The Editors
There are two main types of DSLRs: Those based on the 35mm SLR form factor and those based on medium-format. In a nutshell, today’s pro 35mm-type DSLRs are extremely versatile do-it-all cameras that deliver a combination of high image quality and performance with action subjects and in low light in a relatively compact package. They also (with... Read more
November 1, 2013

Advantages of Mirrorless Cameras

Like the transition from Speed Graphics to 35mm film and SLRs, today’s pros might consider making a full switch to a mirrorless system.

By The Editors
Mirrorless cameras have become increasingly popular. They’re aimed at compact camera users who want DSLR image quality and interchangeable-lens versatility in a compact package, as well as at advanced and pro shooters looking for a lighter alternative to their big pro cameras. A goodly number of pros have a mirrorless camera as a backup or for... Read more