Beautiful Bee-Eater

This tiny but beautiful bird is the Little Bee-Eater (Merops pusillus), seen here perched on a reed stem along the banks of the Zambezi River in Zambia.

For more about this bee-eater and details of how the photograph was taken from a boat on the river, see Little Bee-Eater Perched on Reed Stem.

Erotic Photographs in Black and White

Black and white photography has always demanded more imagination from the viewer than color photography. Keeping images monochrome, restricted to shades of gray, means the viewer must make personal choices and subjective interpretations in evaluating the photograph.

Erotic photography works best where more is hidden than revealed and, like black and white images, requires imagination on the part of the viewer. That’s one of the reasons that erotic photographs, as in the image below, work so well in black and white rather than in color.

Chair — Buy at AllPosters.com

See Erotic Black and White Photography for more on this intriguing topic.

Hippo Photo Taken with Extra Long Lens

This photograph of a hippo with its mouth wide open during a “yawning display” was taken using a non-image stabilized Canon EF 300mm f/2.8 lens plus Canon 2x converter, giving a focal length of 600mm.

The 2x converter also means a loss of two stops, so the maximum aperture becomes f/5.6 instead of the fast f/2.8 of the 300mm when used without a converter. However, Canon coverters are made specifically for use with selected L-series lenses, so there is little degradation in image quality when converting the 300mm to a 600mm super telephoto.

For this photograph, the lens was attached to a Canon EOS 450D digital SLR. Because of the crop factor of the camera’s APS-C format sensor, the focal length was extended by a further 60%, making it the equivalent of whopping 960mm on a full-frame digital SLR (600 x 1.6).

To handle this level of magnification and to counter camera shake, the camera outfit was fitted to a sturdy Manfrotto tripod. This allowed a shutter-speed of 1/100 at f/5.6 with ISO of 400.

The crop factor or lens magnification factor of the Canon 450D makes wildlife photography more affordable by increasing the magnification of telephoto lenses — so, for example, a 300mm lens gives an equivalent focal length of 480mm. This also applies to Canon’s prosumer models, the **D range — see Impact of Crop Factor on Canon EOS 50D for more on this.

Image Stabilized Lenses for Wildlife Photography

When photographing wild animals, a telephoto lens is essential as you can’t normally get close enough to use a standard or wide angle lens because:

a) it’s too dangerous getting close to animals like big cats, elephants, hippos, buffalos and others;
b) you’re in the animal’s habitat and it’s not good to unduly disturb or agitate wild animals.

If you’re on foot, you’ll definitely want to keep your distance, so will need a powerful telephoto lens to fill the frame. When walking in the bush it’s also difficult using a tripod, as you have to cart it with you and you’ll usually not have the time to set it up — which means hand-holding the camera and lens.

If you’re photographing from a game drive or safari vehicle, you can get closer to animals, but again will find it difficult using a tripod from within the vehicle. This once more will require hand-holding of the camera.

Fortunately many of today’s prime and zoom telephoto lenses have image stabilization (or vibration reduction), making them easier to hand-hold. Cameras from Olympus and Sony use in-camera technology to counter camera shake, rather than including the technology in their lenses.

See Canon IS Lenses a Boon for Wildlife Photography to find out more about Canon’s IS technology and why it’s of such benefit to wildlife photographers.

Two Stand-Out EF-S Lenses from Canon

If you’re a photographer using a Canon Digital Rebel camera, or one of the prosumer models like the EOS 20D to 50D, you’ll find your wide angle options limited.

This is because of the crop factor that results from using a sensor that’s smaller than 35mm film. These smaller sensors, called APS-C format, are only 22.5 x 15mm in size, whereas a frame of 35mm film is 36 x 24mm in size.

The crop factor in practise is similar to using a longer lens, or 1.6x tele converter, on your Canon digital SLR (unless it’s a full-frame camera like the EOS 1Ds or 5D series).

That’s a distinct advantage when using telephoto lenses as you’re effectively enlarging the image in your viewfinder, adding reach to your lens. So a 200mm lens on your 40D is similar to using a 320mm lens on a full-frame body.

But for wide angle shots, the opposite is true. A relatively wide lens like a 24mm, when fitted to your Rebel XSi, is now like using 38mm lens.

To cater for its customers using EOS digital SLRs with APS-C format sensors, Canon has introduced a range of EF-S lenses designed specifically for use with these cameras.

Most of these lenses, like the EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS “kit” lens, are reasonably capable, but of flimsy build quality. There are no L-series lenses within the EF-S range.

Fortunately Canon has introduced two EF-S lenses that do stand out from the crowd.

The Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM is a standard zoom, with equivalent focal length of approximately 27-88mm. Its stand out feature is the constant f/2.8 maximum aperture throughout the zoom range. This, together with superior image quality, excellent image stabilization and fast auto focus, make it a favorite of portrait and wedding photographers, and any others who need to shoot in low light.

Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM zoom lens

The Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM is remarkable because it’s a true ultra wide lens for Canon Rebel and 20D-50D users. On these cameras its equivalent focal length is 16-35mm, definitely qualifying as ultra wide at the 16mm end.

Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM Wide Angle Zoom Lens

This lens is also highly rated by users, with some comparing the image quality to that of a Canon L lens, while also praising its sharpness and excellent color rendition.

For those who can afford them, these two EF-S lenses certainly add a new dimension of creative possibilities for photographers using Canon Rebels, any of the EOS 20D to 50D bodies, or the new 7D.

See Canon Lens Reports for more information and user ratings.

Using a Camera Support to Counter Camera Shake

While image stabilization (IS) is extremely useful for wildlife photographers using telephoto lenses, it is a fairly recent innovation. Before the advent of IS, photographers had to rely on some form of camera support to eliminate camera shake. For many years photographers produced stunning wildlife images using film cameras, slow transparency film, slow shutter speeds, and no image stabilization, relying instead on a camera support to counter camera shake.

The most obvious form of camera support is a solid tripod and that’s still the best option in situations where you can use one. But what if you’re on a game drive in a safari vehicle with six or seven other people? It’s very difficult, and inconvenient to your fellow passengers, setting up a tripod in such circumstances. This is where image stabilization can come to the rescue, allowing you to shoot hand-held pictures at shutter speeds that would previously have been impossible.

Now, although I’m a big fan of Canon IS lenses in such situations, I also am coming to the realization that it’s still better to use a camera support where possible. Too often I’ve been disappointed with images taken hand-held, hoping that the IS would save the day, then blaming the lens for unsharp photos. When shooting with a digital SLR with a sensor that’s smaller than full-frame, it’s easy to forget the lens magnification factor of 1.5x or 1.6x is also magnifying camera shake.

The reality is that your Canon EF 100-400mm zoom at 400mm is mimicking a 640mm lens on a full-frame camera. Ask any old-timers whether they’d consider using a 640mm lens without a tripod and they’ll look at you in bewilderment, wondering if you’ve lost your senses.

For shooting from the type of open game drive vehicle used by most safari operators in southern Africa, you can use a beanbag to help steady the camera, lash a monopod to the inside of the vehicle with cable-ties, or use a set-up as in the picture below, where your tripod column (B) with suitable head (A) are inserted into a bracket (C) attached to the vehicle’s arm-rest. This is a good alternative to a standard tripod as you can raise or lower the column and also use the tripod head of your choice.

Cheetah Picture Using Canon L-Series Lens

This picture of a young cheetah was taken in Botswana, using a Canon EOS 400D (Digital Rebel XTi)) camera plus Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM telephoto zoom lens at 320mm focal length. The shutter speed was 1/50 and aperture f/5.6, using aperture priority mode.

The Canon EF 100-400mm tele zoom is a useful lens for wildlife and sports photography because of its wide zoom range and image stabilizer. The main drawback of the lens is the fairly slow f/5.6 maximum aperture when used at the longer focal lengths. There has also been some criticism of the pull-push zoom mechanism, but most photographers who use the lens quickly adapt to this and don’t find it a hindrance.

This is one of Canon’s L-series lenses, easily identified by the red ring around the lens barrel. The “L” designation is generally taken to mean “luxury”, as these lenses are aimed at professional photographers who demand superior image and build quality and are prepared to pay premium prices.

To satisfy these demands, L lenses are made with special optical materials, including fluorite elements and UD (ultra-low dispersion) glass. They are also more ruggedly built than normal lenses, with extra weather sealing to keep out dust and moisture. To read a more in-depth article, see Canon L Lenses.

Canon SLR Lenses and Deciphering Lens Codes

There are more than 60 Canon SLR lenses available for Canon EOS single lens reflex cameras. This can be daunting for a beginner photographer trying to find the appropriate lens for a digital SLR like a Canon 450D.

This is a typical description for a Canon SLR lens: “Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM”. You’ll notice the various letters or codes in the description that need to be understood such as EF, L, IS, USM.

Here’s a brief rundown of Canon codes or designations:

1. “EF” designation

Canon introduced a new range of SLR lenses for its EOS 35mm film cameras around 1987. These “electro-focus” lenses had electronic mounts and replaced the existing range of FD lenses.

Today EF lenses remain the core of Canon’s lens lineup and can be used with older 35mm film cameras, top of the range full-frame digital SLRs like the Canon EOS 1Ds Mk III and entry-level cameras like the Digital Rebels (300D to 500D)

2. “EF-S” designation

Canon’s entry-level Digital Rebels and its prosumer 20D to 50D cameras have what’s called an APS-C format sensor which, at 22.5 x 15mm is smaller than a full-frame sensor (36 x 24mm).

The smaller sensor has the effect of cropping the image, known variously as “crop factor” or “lens magnification factor” and is similar to using a 1.6x converter. (See our previous post, Canon Digital SLR Crop Factor, for more on this).

While this is a bonus when using a telephoto lens — your 200mm lens now acts like a 320mm lens — it’s a disadvantage when shooting with wide angles. In the latter case, a really wide lens like a 24mm now becomes longer by 1.6x, so is like using a 38.4mm lens.

To counter the effect of crop factor on wide angle lenses, Canon introduced its EF-S lenses specifically for digital SLRs with APS-C format sensors. These carry the “EF-S” designation and cannot be used on EOS film cameras or on full-frame digital cameras.

3. “IS” designation

This stands for “image stabilization”, a technology aimed at reducing the camera shake that results in unsharp images. Each IS lens has its own image stabilizer unit, comprising a microcomputer and two vibration gyros, which detects lens movement and rectifies this.

4. “USM” designation

Stands for ultra sonic motor. USM technology, pioneered by Canon, uses sound waves to position the lens elements when focusing to produce highly responsive, fast and silent focusing with excellent holding torque.

5. “L” designation

Canon L lenses are designed for professional use, carry the “L” designation in the description, and have a red ring around the lens barrel to distinguish them from Canon’s normal lens lineup.

L lenses are made with special optical materials such as fluorite, ultra-dispersion (UD) or super UD elements to produce images that are sharp with superior color rendition and are also constructed to keep out dust and moisture..

6. “DO” designation

Stands for Diffractive Optics — an optical technology developed by Canon for building telephoto lenses that are significantly shorter and lighter than previously possible. Canon produce two DO lenses, the EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM zoom lens and the EF 400mm f/4 DO IS USM telephoto lens.

For a more in-depth discussion about Canon lenses and what the various codes and designations mean, see this Squidoo lens: Canon SLR Lenses and All You Need to Know

Using a Canon Wide Angle Lens to Show Location

This picture of a Natal Francolin (Francolinus natalensis) pecking around for food was taken with a Canon wide angle lens — the EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS zoom, fitted to a Canon EOS 450D SLR camera.

The camera was placed on the ground and the picture taken using an electronic cable release, so the viewpoint is almost eye-level with the subject.

Although wide angle lenses are not exactly the first choice for bird photographers, what this image shows is how a wide angle can give a much better idea of location and the surrounding vegetation than can a long tele lens with its shallow depth of field and narrow angle of view.

While it usually makes for a more pleasing image when the background’s totally blurred so the subject stands out from its surroundings, there are occasions when it’s necessary to show more of the background and surroundings and that’s when wide angles come into their own.

Exposure details: shutter speed 1/80 sec; aperture: f/5.6, ISO: 400, focal length: 21mm (33.6mm equivalent). See Canon EF-S lenses for explanation of why we refer to equivalent focal length.

Canon Digital SLR Crop Factor

Canon digital single lens reflex cameras do not all come with the same size digital sensor or chip.

On Canon full-frame digital SLRs such as the Canon 1Ds and 5D models, the sensor is the same size as a film negative - 36mm x 24mm.

On the Canon 1D models, the sensor is slightly smaller, measuring 28.5mm x 19mm (referred to as an APS-H sensor), while on the Canon Digital Rebels and 30D, 40D, and 50Ds, the sensor is even smaller, measuring 22.5mm x 15mm (referred to as an APS-C sensor).

Normally, with lenses designed for 35mm film cameras and digital SLR cameras, the image projected by the lens fully covers the area of the negative or full-frame sensor. However, when you substitute the sensor with one that’s smaller in area, part of the image flows over the edges of this smaller sensor. It’s like showing slides or an old home movie on a screen that’s too small, so the picture “overflows” the screen.

This can be seen in the example below, where the black lines represent a full-frame sensor, the blue lines an APS-H sensor, and the red lines an APS-C sensor:

The practical implications for photographers are far-reaching, as the image received by the smaller sensors is apparently now magnified - it fits on the full-frame sensor, but is too big for the smaller ones. The effect is similar to using a teleconverter - or post-processing by cropping the image in an image editor. This is great for photographers using long lenses, as their teles now have more reach, but it’s not so great if you shoot wide angle, as your wide angle lens is now more like a standard lens.

This effect on the image caused by smaller sensors is known as the “crop factor” or “focal length conversion factor” - for more information, see this article about the Canon Digital SLR Crop Factor.

For general information about Canon lenses, see these articles:
Canon Telephoto Lenses
Canon Zoom Lenses
Canon Wide Angle Lens