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1500 questions
69
votes
5 answers
What exactly determines depth of field?
There are several questions here about the definition of depth of field, about focal length, and about subject distance. And of course there's the basic how does aperture affect my photographs. And plenty of how do I get super-shallow d.o.f…
mattdm
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69
votes
7 answers
What is a "diffraction limit"?
I've seen the term used, but what is a "diffraction limit", when should I worry about it, and what undesirable effects are a result of it ?
rfusca
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69
votes
17 answers
Where can I find reviews of lenses?
I want to check reviews when deciding to buy a lens. There are so many factors beyond what is written in the name. Where can I find such reviews? What information does each site cover? Which reviews are most comprehensive? Which sites do the most…
eruditass
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68
votes
4 answers
What does f-stop mean?
What does f-stop mean? Is it the same thing when people say "2 stops" for example?
matt burns
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68
votes
6 answers
How to make female chest look bigger?
When photographing women they often want the chest to appear as big as possible. I tried with light coming from different positions but was not satisfied with the results. Are there any tricks to achieve this?
user2664856
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68
votes
9 answers
Why do some lenses cost 10 times as much when the specs are very close?
For example, a Canon 50mm f/1.8 lens is about US$110, while another Canon 50mm f/1.2 lens is about 14 times as expensive, at about $1450. Is the 1.8 or 1.2 the main reason for the price difference?
The same goes for some variable lens, such as a…
nonopolarity
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67
votes
5 answers
How to compose flowering plants?
Consider the following image:
Now this is a golden opportunity! A cherry tree in full bloom! And it has pink blooms, not those boring white ones. And today it's a bright, sunny day, the sky is a brilliant blue, and there's not a cloud in sight.…
MathematicalOrchid
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67
votes
9 answers
What should I look for when shopping for my first DSLR?
I am thinking of buying a digital SLR camera. What things should I be looking for?
Vaccano
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66
votes
8 answers
Is watermarking worth it?
I've recently become aware that one of my photos has been used by a national newspaper beyond its licensing terms (cc-by-sa-2.5, used without the required credit), and whilst I can pursue them for some compensation, I was wondering about how…
Rowland Shaw
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66
votes
14 answers
Why are SLR mechanisms still prevalent among high-end digital cameras?
I understand that back in the days when cameras captured images using photographic film instead of image sensors, the SLR design was a major innovation. It let you see through the viewfinder exactly the light that would be passed on to the film. …
aroth
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66
votes
8 answers
What are the key photography-related features from Photoshop that are missing in GIMP?
I am on a tight budget and chose to use GIMP for editing since it is free.
What important photographic post-processing features am I missing from Photoshop?
chills42
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66
votes
5 answers
How to get the best results for landscape and stars photographs?
I'm leaving for holidays tomorrow, and there's a good chance that I'll be able to be by night on a field with no artificial light around, and no moon in the sky. I'd love to take some picture of the landscape: the starry sky + the surrounding…
Agos
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65
votes
11 answers
Are there reasons to use colour filters with digital cameras?
Digital photos can have colour filters applied after the fact by software, so are there any good reasons to use colour filters with a digital camera? As I understand it, the main reason for them originally was for effects with black and white film,…
Hamish Downer
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65
votes
6 answers
How do I get started in Astrophotography?
I have a Canon 20D. I'd love to take some photos of the moon and stars.
How do I get started? I've search the web and the information is sparse and cryptic.
I'd like to know what equipment is the best for a beginner and what I should try taking a…
Chuck Conway
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64
votes
27 answers
What is something you learned recently about your gear that you wish you discovered earlier?
I'm playing with my old XTi with a new travel lens, Tamron 18-270mm and I'm reading the instruction sheet for the Tamron and read a section about Manual focusing and got to the small print.
Even in MF mode, when turning focusing ring while pressing…
Michael McCarty
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