Thursday, October 25, 2007

Top Gear for Photo Enthusiasts

So what if you're not paid for your photography? With the right software and hardware you can still make your photos look like a million bucks. But where do you start? Buying professional-grade gear isn't cheap, so you'll want to make sure you invest your cash wisely.

It all starts with picking the right camera. Point-and-shoot cameras are good for taking snapshots on vacation or family events, but serious photographers will need to step up to a digital SLR. SLRs, or single lens reflex cameras, direct light toward the viewfinder as you compose a photo, letting you view a crisp optical image while framing, focusing, and snapping the picture. Since you're looking at the actual reflected light and not an LCD approximation, you see a brighter and sharper image, making composition easier. SLRs also tend to have more expensive lenses that produce sharper pictures with better color contrast than point-and-shoot cameras.

In the past, buying a D-SLR meant shelling out $5,000 or more�out of reach for most. Today, you can find a decent one that won't drain your bank account nearly as much. The camera featured in this roundup, the Nikon D40, is a great entry-level D-SLR that costs less than $1,000.

Once you've got your camera, you'll need the right software to bring the best out of your images. Photoshop CS3 is the go-to app for professional-level image editing. Since this app offers a complete photo-editing solution, you can save money by buying the stand-alone app, without getting the full Creative Suite 3 package.

Errol Pierre-Louis

more : pcmag

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