Canon EOS 450D

Superb Imaging Performance
• 12.2 megapixel APS-C size CMOS sensor for high resolution images of superb quality and detail.
• DIGIC III Imaging Processor for high quality fast image processing,
- Provides ultra-fast processing system
- Reduces false colors and improve image quality
- On-chip noise reduction circuit for low levels of noise even at high ISO
• 14-bit A/D conversion. 16,384 gradations per color.
• 3-layer optical low-pass filter (LPF) effectively reduces false colors and maintains excellent resolutions.
• Expanded dynamic range due to improvements of the S/N ratio of the CMOS sensor (inhibits over-whitening) for better highlight retention and noise reduction.

EOS Integrated Cleaning System
• EOS Integrated Cleaning System is Canon's comprehensive measure to minimize effects of dust.
• Includes both Self Cleaning Sensor Unit (hardware) and Dust Delete Function (software)
- Self Cleaning Sensor Unit: Uses piezoelectric element to generate ultrasonic vibrations in the first optical low-pass filter in front of the CMOS sensor to shake off dust.
- Dust Delete Function: Camera detects and registers the location and size of extremely sticky dust adhering to low-pass filter and then appends this information (dust delete data) to the image taken. The Digital Photo Professional 3.3 (DPP3.3) software detects this data appended to the image to execute dust deletion
• Manual Sensor cleaning is also available

LIVE View shooting
• Versatile Live View functionality with 2 new AF modes for flexible focus via its 3” LCD monitor
- Quick Mode (Phase difference AF)
- Live Mode (Contrast detection AF)

High Responsiveness
• High-speed continuous shooting at 3.5 frames per second up to 53 burst JPEG format or 6 frames RAW.
• High-precision 9-point AF with 35-zone metering sensor.
• Reduced lag time resulting in quicker operations.
• Spot metering, approximately 4% of screen is metered.
• Continuous shooting with a self timer (first in a Canon SLR camera).
• Maximum shutter speed of up to 1/4000 sec. and X-sync speed of 1/200 sec.

Ease of Operability
• Auto Lighting Optimizer function
- Analyzes the brightness of the photographic subject, and automatically corrects the dark parts to make them brighter
• The EOS Integrated Cleaning System, a comprehensive sensor dust solution.
• Newly developed Li-ion battery, LP-E5 with an improved capacity (approximately 1.5x)
• 3.0” LCD monitor with 230,000 dots offers ease of viewing with its increased magnification ratio and brightness.
• Light weight body, weighing only 475gm.

New Optional Accessories
• Complete Canon EOS system with over 60 Canon auto focus lenses and wide range of accessories, compatible with EOS 450D.
• Other optional EOS accessories include battery grip (BG-E5) and semi-hard case (EH19-L).

Canon EOS 40D

Superb Imaging Performance
• 10.1 megapixel APS-C size CMOS sensor for high resolution images of superb quality and details
• On-chip noise reduction circuitry on CMOS sensor minimizes interference from electrical noise; keeping image data clean for clearer images even at high ISO settings and long exposures
• DIGIC III Imaging Processor’s 14-bit A/D conversion gives rapid processing speeds while maintaining fine detail and accurate colour reproduction
• New sRAW file format gives you the versatility of RAW at a smaller file size

High Speed & Quick Response
• High continuous shooting speed of 6.5 fps up to a maximum of 75 shots
• Shutter speed of 1/8000 sec.and X-sync speed of 1/250 sec
• Fast 0.15 sec. startup time
• Shutter release time lag of 59 ms

Live View mode
• Shooting from the LCD monitor allows easy verification of focus, composition and exposure
• Silent shooting mode for quiet environments
• Shoot remotely from your computer via a wired/wireless connection (with WFT-E3)

EOS Integrated Cleaning System
• Comprehensive measures to minimise the effects of dust particles on images
• Includes Self Cleaning Sensor Unit and Dust Delete Function

Durable Body with Rugged Design
• Magnesium alloy body for rugged field use
• High shutter durability of approx.100, 000 cycles
• New 0.95x viewfinder for large and clear view of the scene
• Large 3-inch LCD monitor (approx. 230,000 pixels resolution) offers wider viewing angle with visibly clearer images and larger text

Fast & Sharp Focus
• High precision 9-point auto-focus (AF) system provides high degree of focusing accuracy
• Flexible setting of ISO speed to adjust camera’s sensitivity to light for best exposure (ISO 100 – 1600, expandable to ISO 3200)
• 4 metering modes: Evaluative, Partial, Centre-weighted average and Spot.
• 9 White Balance settings to fine-tune white balance as desired:
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Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten light, Fluorescent light, Flash, Custom, Color temperature

Shooting Modes
• Mode dial for easy access to a wide range of shooting modes for different shooting conditions:
1) Full Auto
2) Program AE
3) Shutter-priority AE (Tv)
4) Aperture-priority AE (Av)
5) Depth-of-Field
6) Portrait
7) Landscape
8) Close-up
9) Sports
10) Night Portrait
11) Manual
12) Flash Off
• 3 Programmable Camera User Settings lets you customize camera settings for easy recall

Picture Style
• Just like selecting the film type for a conventional camera, users can get the optimum image by selecting the correct setting
• 6 image composition modes available with sharpness, contrasts, color tone, saturation can be adjustable:
1) Standard- vivid and sharp images (general shooting)
2) Portrait- beautiful skin tones and clear image quality
3) Landscape- vivid blues and greens, enhanced sharpness
4) Neutral-natural color reproduction, low sharpness and moderate expression
5) Faithful-extremely accurate color reproduction in daylight
6) Monochrome- black and white or sepia images
• Picture Style Editor lets you create your own Picture Style files for use with the EOS 40D

Shoot and Print Direct
• Print photos directly to any PictBridge-compliant printers without using a computer
• Enhanced PictBridge Printing options:
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Angle correction function horizontally corrects tilted images for printing
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Printing Effects Preview lets you preview the results of the selected printing effects on the LCD monitor prior to printing
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Print all JPEG, RAW and sRAW images complying to the Design rule for Camera File System

Connectivity
• MS Windows and Mac operating systems
• USB 2.0 Hi-Speed for fast and easy transfer of large files to computer

Bundled Software
• EOS DIGITAL Solution Disk (Ver. 15.0) and Digital Photo Professional (Ver.2.1)

New Optional Lenses & Accessories
• Reliable Canon EOS System with over 60 Canon EF lenses and wide range of accessories, compatible with EOS 40D
• 2 new high performance lenses- EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5–5.6 IS and EF-S 55-250mm f/4–5.6 IS lens
• New optional EOS accessories include- Battery Grip (BG-E2N) and Wireless File Transmitter (WFT-E3)

Megapixel

Source : http://www.photography.com

Megapixel, one million pixels, refers to the number of dots in a digital cameras and other digital displays. The megapixel measurement reflects the ratio of individual pixels in a screen as it is divided by one million. In simple terms, a megapixel tells a photographer the camera’s capacity to detail an image.

For example, a camera that renders a 2020 x 1440 (2020 x 1440 = 2,908,800) read will have 2.9 megapixels. Digital cameras tend to produce images at 2048 x 1536 pixels, which renders a 3.1 megapixel measurement. The higher the megapixel number, the greater the resolution of the digital image. Images with higher resolutions appear clearer, sharper and more vivid.

Images that consist of a single megapixel divide up pixel color the following way: 500, 000 pixels are green while both red and blue consist of 250, 000 pixels each.

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Kuncup Anggrek

5 Basic Digital Camera Terms You Need to Know

Being familiar with the terminology used in any subject of interest in is always useful, and digital cameras are no exception.

Although most digital cameras available on the market allow you to simply point your camera and quickly snap a picture with the touch of a button, there is often a lot more going on behind the scenes than you may have realized.

All sorts of things happen in the camera once the shutter button is pressed.

Put simply, understanding the most important terms about digital cameras will allow you to make a better-informed purchase of a new digital camera, let you have more control over your digital camera’s features, and help you to take the best quality photos possible.

1. Megapixel

When we use the term megapixel, we are referring to the maximum resolution at which a digital camera can take photos in millions of pixels. This means that a camera with a range of 4 megapixels can take photos which each contain a maximum of 4 million pixels.

But what does this mean to the consumer? One word: quality. A higher megapixel count means better quality photos, and considering the price of digital camera getting lower all the time; you should try to stick with a digital camera that has a 3 megapixel range or above, especially if you intend of making prints of your photos.

2. Focal Length

Focal length is a term overlooked far too often in amateur photography, and refers to how much the lens of a camera can magnify a shot. Focal lengths are generally split into two categories, these being wide-angle and telephoto, which are better for spacious and narrow fields of view respectively.

Due to the ease of manufacturing telephoto lenses, digital camera manufacturers seem to provide wide-angle lenses in a lot less cameras, even though these lenses are better suited towards the type of photos that most people commonly take, including groups of friends and wide landscapes. To sum up, a wide-angle focal length is the better choice in most cases, with the 20mm and 35mm varieties catering to most people’s needs.

3. Digital Zoom

Unlike the focal length, digital zoom is a term that seems to be given a lot more attention than it deserves. Unlike optical zoom, which uses the physical lenses inside the camera to enlarge a scene, digital zoom electronically enlarges the pixels in the center area of a photo, meaning that any time you use the digital zoom function on your camera you are actually sacrificing the quality of your photos. It is a good idea to disable the digital zoom function all together to stop this from happening.

4. ISO

The term ISO stands for the International Standards Organization, but what does this have to do with your digital camera? The organization sets standards for photography, and the ISO range of a camera refers to how sensitive the camera is to light.

For instance, a low ISO number (100 or under) is not very sensitive to light, and is best for shots in good lighting conditions. A higher ISO range means that the camera will be suitable for photography in darker conditions, so it is best to look for a camera that has an adjustable range; ISO 100 to 400 should be adequate for most people’s needs.

5. Shutter Lag

Shutter lag refers to the time between pressing the button to take a photograph and the time when the picture actually gets taken. This may not seem a very important factor when buying a camera, but think of it this way: if you have to wait a second or longer for a photo to be taken, like with many older and inexpensive digital cameras, then chances are that you won’t end up with the photo you desired. Many camera manufacturers do not list the shutter lag time for their cameras, so the best way to find this out is by testing a camera before you buy.

Top 10 Tips for Great Pictures

Do you wish you were a better photographer? All it takes is a little know-how and experience. Keep reading for some important picture-taking tips. Then grab your camera and start shooting your way to great pictures.

1. Look your subject in the eye

Direct eye contact can be as engaging in a picture as it is in real life. When taking a picture of someone, hold the camera at the person's eye level to unleash the power of those magnetic gazes and mesmerizing smiles. For children, that means stooping to their level. And your subject need not always stare at the camera. All by itself that eye level angle will create a personal and inviting feeling that pulls you into the picture.

2. Use a plain background

A plain background shows off the subject you are photographing. When you look through the camera viewfinder, force yourself to study the area surrounding your subject. Make sure no poles grow from the head of your favorite niece and that no cars seem to dangle from her ears.

3. Use flash outdoors

Bright sun can create unattractive deep facial shadows. Eliminate the shadows by using your flash to lighten the face. When taking people pictures on sunny days, turn your flash on. You may have a choice of fill-flash mode or full-flash mode. If the person is within five feet, use the fill-flash mode; beyond five feet, the full-power mode may be required. With a digital camera, use the picture display panel to review the results.

On cloudy days, use the camera's fill-flash mode if it has one. The flash will brighten up people's faces and make them stand out. Also take a picture without the flash, because the soft light of overcast days sometimes gives quite pleasing results by itself.

4. Move in close

If your subject is smaller than a car, take a step or two closer before taking the picture and zoom in on your subject. Your goal is to fill the picture area with the subject you are photographing. Up close you can reveal telling details, like a sprinkle of freckles or an arched eyebrow.

But don't get too close or your pictures will be blurry. The closest focusing distance for most cameras is about three feet, or about one step away from your camera. If you get closer than the closest focusing distance of your camera (see your manual to be sure), your pictures will be blurry.

5. Move it from the middle

Center-stage is a great place for a performer to be. However, the middle of your picture is not the best place for your subject. Bring your picture to life by simply moving your subject away from the middle of your picture. Start by playing tick-tack-toe with subject position. Imagine a tick-tack-toe grid in your viewfinder. Now place your important subject at one of the intersections of lines.

You'll need to lock the focus if you have an auto-focus camera because most of them focus on whatever is in the center of the viewfinder.

6. Lock the focus

If your subject is not in the center of the picture, you need to lock the focus to create a sharp picture. Most auto-focus cameras focus on whatever is in the center of the picture. But to improve pictures, you will often want to move the subject away from the center of the picture. If you don't want a blurred picture, you'll need to first lock the focus with the subject in the middle and then recompose the picture so the subject is away from the middle.

Usually you can lock the focus in three steps. First, center the subject and press and hold the shutter button halfway down. Second, reposition your camera (while still holding the shutter button) so the subject is away from the center. And third, finish by pressing the shutter button all the way down to take the picture.

7. Know your flash's range

The number one flash mistake is taking pictures beyond the flash's range. Why is this a mistake? Because pictures taken beyond the maximum flash range will be too dark. For many cameras, the maximum flash range is less than fifteen feet—about five steps away.
What is your camera's flash range? Look it up in your camera manual. Can't find it? Then don't take a chance. Position yourself so subjects are no farther than ten feet away. Film users can extend the flash range by using Kodak Max versatility or versatility plus film.

8. Watch the light

Next to the subject, the most important part of every picture is the light. It affects the appearance of everything you photograph. On a great-grandmother, bright sunlight from the side can enhance wrinkles. But the soft light of a cloudy day can subdue those same wrinkles.
Don't like the light on your subject? Then move yourself or your subject. For landscapes, try to take pictures early or late in the day when the light is orangish and rakes across the land.

9. Take some vertical pictures

Is your camera vertically challenged? It is if you never turn it sideways to take a vertical picture. All sorts of things look better in a vertical picture. From a lighthouse near a cliff to the Eiffel Tower to your four-year-old niece jumping in a puddle. So next time out, make a conscious effort to turn your camera sideways and take some vertical pictures.

10. Be a picture director

Take control of your picture-taking and watch your pictures dramatically improve. Become a picture director, not just a passive picture-taker. A picture director takes charge. A picture director picks the location: "Everybody go outside to the backyard." A picture director adds props: "Girls, put on your pink sunglasses." A picture director arranges people: "Now move in close, and lean toward the camera."
Most pictures won't be that involved, but you get the idea: Take charge of your pictures and win your own best picture awards.

Source = http://www.kodak.com