Shazam!
I'm going on a camping trip and I'm thinking about getting the Samsung NX10. It will also be my first DSLR. I don't want anything too expensive but something good enough to take awesome pictures with limited lighting. Will this also be a good DSLR in the long run?
Answer
The NX10 isn't a DSLR but an ILDC - Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera, aka an EVIL Camera - Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens Camera. The NX10 is Samsung's answer to the Micro 4/3 offerings from Olympus amd Panasonic. Sony has also joined the crowd with their NEX-3 and NEX-5 offerings.
Both Samsung and Sony are using the larger sensor common to the standard DSLR.
As far as taking good pictures in low light that's more on you than the camera. Having the right lens will also help and the 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 zoom packaged with the camera won't do the job in low light such as around a campfire. The Samsung 30mm f2 "pancake" lens would be a far better choice.
If you'll go here - http://www.calculator.org/exposure.aspx - and choose the Scene 'Domestic interiors at night, subject lit by campfire or bonfire' and ISO 1600 when you click on Calculate here is the list of f-stop/shutter speed combinations you'll see:
ISO 1600
f1.4 @ 1/250 sec.
f2.0 @ 1/125 sec.
f2.8 @ 1/60 sec.
f3.5 @ ~1/40 sec. The 18-55mm zoom at 18mm (This is an interpolated shutter speed based on f3.5 being 1/3 stop faster than f4.0)
f4.0 @ 1/30 sec.
f5.6 @ 1/15 sec. The 18-55mm zoom at 55mm
f8.0 @ 1/8 sec.
f11 @ 1/4 sec.
f16 @ 1/2 sec.
You can easily see the advantage of a fast lens like the 30mm f2.0.
After 39 years of using cameras with viewfinders I'd personally have a hard time depending on an Electronic Viewfinder but that's just me. For someone used to using the screen on the back of a point & shoot its probably no big deal. Still, I'd have a hard time justifying an investment in a niche camera like the NX10. Samsung isn't a major player in the market and currently has but 3 lenses available for the NX10. They do have an adapter, the ED-MA9NXK (Pentax K-mount to NX10) but its unclear if it supports auto focus and metering.
In my opinion the Pentax K-x would be a far better choice since Pentax has an extensive lens line and you can use all those old legacy Pentax K-mount lenses dating back to 1975. The K-x is currently $499.95 at B&H ( http://www.bhphotovideo.com ) after a $50.00 Instant Savings from B&H that ends 7-10-2010. A Pentax 50mm f1.4 lens - the SMCP-FA - will cost you $359.95 at B&H compared to $299.95 for the Samsung 30mm f2.0 lens. In my world $60.00 for a one full stop faster lens is a bargain. With an f1.4 lens you'd get the same shutter speed using ISO 800 as you'd get with an f2.0 lens using ISO 1600. A lower ISO means lower digital noise.
At B&H the Samsung NX10 w/18-55mm lens is shown at $699.95.
The NX10 isn't a DSLR but an ILDC - Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera, aka an EVIL Camera - Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens Camera. The NX10 is Samsung's answer to the Micro 4/3 offerings from Olympus amd Panasonic. Sony has also joined the crowd with their NEX-3 and NEX-5 offerings.
Both Samsung and Sony are using the larger sensor common to the standard DSLR.
As far as taking good pictures in low light that's more on you than the camera. Having the right lens will also help and the 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 zoom packaged with the camera won't do the job in low light such as around a campfire. The Samsung 30mm f2 "pancake" lens would be a far better choice.
If you'll go here - http://www.calculator.org/exposure.aspx - and choose the Scene 'Domestic interiors at night, subject lit by campfire or bonfire' and ISO 1600 when you click on Calculate here is the list of f-stop/shutter speed combinations you'll see:
ISO 1600
f1.4 @ 1/250 sec.
f2.0 @ 1/125 sec.
f2.8 @ 1/60 sec.
f3.5 @ ~1/40 sec. The 18-55mm zoom at 18mm (This is an interpolated shutter speed based on f3.5 being 1/3 stop faster than f4.0)
f4.0 @ 1/30 sec.
f5.6 @ 1/15 sec. The 18-55mm zoom at 55mm
f8.0 @ 1/8 sec.
f11 @ 1/4 sec.
f16 @ 1/2 sec.
You can easily see the advantage of a fast lens like the 30mm f2.0.
After 39 years of using cameras with viewfinders I'd personally have a hard time depending on an Electronic Viewfinder but that's just me. For someone used to using the screen on the back of a point & shoot its probably no big deal. Still, I'd have a hard time justifying an investment in a niche camera like the NX10. Samsung isn't a major player in the market and currently has but 3 lenses available for the NX10. They do have an adapter, the ED-MA9NXK (Pentax K-mount to NX10) but its unclear if it supports auto focus and metering.
In my opinion the Pentax K-x would be a far better choice since Pentax has an extensive lens line and you can use all those old legacy Pentax K-mount lenses dating back to 1975. The K-x is currently $499.95 at B&H ( http://www.bhphotovideo.com ) after a $50.00 Instant Savings from B&H that ends 7-10-2010. A Pentax 50mm f1.4 lens - the SMCP-FA - will cost you $359.95 at B&H compared to $299.95 for the Samsung 30mm f2.0 lens. In my world $60.00 for a one full stop faster lens is a bargain. With an f1.4 lens you'd get the same shutter speed using ISO 800 as you'd get with an f2.0 lens using ISO 1600. A lower ISO means lower digital noise.
At B&H the Samsung NX10 w/18-55mm lens is shown at $699.95.
How do I take a photo where everything is sharp and clear?
Richard
I'm new to DSLR's, and I want to take some pictures where everything is clear. Usually when I shoot a photo, whatever the lens is focused on is clear, but everything else is blurry.
Answer
What you are dealing with is called Depth of Field (DOF). A general definition of DOF is that area in front of and behind your subject that is in acceptable focus. DOF can be shallow (which you seem to be experiencing) and might be measured in inches or fractions of an inch or it can be deep, measured in several feet in front of your subject to an infinite distance behind your subject - which appears to be your goal. There are only 3 factors that affect your DOF:
1) The aperture (aka f-stop) used.
2) The focal length of the lens used.
3) The subject distance.
NOTE: Before someone starts ranting about sensor size I'll tell you that there is a tiny difference in DOF when you compare a Sony, Pentax or Nikon DSLR with their 1.5x "crop factor" sensor to a Canon DSLR with its 1.6x "crop factor" sensor. There is a more noticeable difference if you compare any of the aforementioned DSLRs to cameras using a 4/3 sensor such as Olympus and Panasonic with their 2x "crop factor".
These sites will help you learn about DOF - what it is and how to control it:
http://www.kamerasimulator.se/eng/?page_id=2 This is an interactive site that lets you easily see the effect on your DOF when you change 1, 2 or all 3 of the controlling factors.
http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html This site is more technical but does feature a DOF Calculator you can use to compute your DOF for any combination of the 3 factors imaginable.
Although most people assume that if you use a small aperture like f16 and a wide focal length like 18mm and focus your lens to infinity you'll maximize your DOF. That isn't necessarily true. If your lens has a Distance Scale on the lens barrel or your camera has a focus distance indicator that tells you how far away the subject you're focused on is then you're in luck. Since most lenses that have a distance scale end at 30' or 50' and the next mark is the infinity symbol ( looks like an elongated numeral 8 lying on its side), lets look at the difference in DOF between the amount of DOF using 18mm, f16 and subject distances of 5', 10' and infinity with a subject distance of 100' being considered infinity on a 1.5x "crop factor" DSLR using the DOF Calculator.
18mm @ f16 focused on a subject at infinity DOF will be from 3'-3'' to infinity. Anything from 3'-3'' in front of your camera to as far as you can see - infinity - will be in focus.
18mm @ f16 focused on a subject at 10'-0'' DOF will be from 2'-6'' to infinity. Anything from 7'-6'' in front of your subject (2'-6'' in front of your camera) to as far as you can see behind your subject - infinity - will be in focus.
18mm @ f16 focused on a subject at 5'-0'' DOF will be from 2-0'' to infinity. Anything from 3'-0'' in front of your subject (2'-0'' in front of your camera) to as far as you can see behind your subject - infinity - will be in focus.
Although 6" isn't a great difference (subject distance of 10'-0'' compared to 5'-'0'') 1'-3'' is, in my opinion, a significant difference (subject distance of infinity compared to 5'-0''). Using a subject distance of 5'-0'' allows you to get closer to those flowers or that gnarled piece of driftwood you want to include as part of the foreground.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/drifter45h/3982233634/ 24mm lens @ f16 on a 35mm film camera with the distance scale on the lens at 6'-0''. DOF from 2'-5'' to infinity.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/drifter45h/4032748624/ 21mm lens @ f16 on a 35mm film camera with the distance scale on the lens at 6'-0''. DOF from 2'-2'' to infinity.
Camera in Aperture Priority and mounted on my tripod in both examples. A circular polarizer was also used.
I highly recommend using a tripod when your goal is to maximize DOF. In fact, I consider a tripod as mandatory for landscape photography.
What you are dealing with is called Depth of Field (DOF). A general definition of DOF is that area in front of and behind your subject that is in acceptable focus. DOF can be shallow (which you seem to be experiencing) and might be measured in inches or fractions of an inch or it can be deep, measured in several feet in front of your subject to an infinite distance behind your subject - which appears to be your goal. There are only 3 factors that affect your DOF:
1) The aperture (aka f-stop) used.
2) The focal length of the lens used.
3) The subject distance.
NOTE: Before someone starts ranting about sensor size I'll tell you that there is a tiny difference in DOF when you compare a Sony, Pentax or Nikon DSLR with their 1.5x "crop factor" sensor to a Canon DSLR with its 1.6x "crop factor" sensor. There is a more noticeable difference if you compare any of the aforementioned DSLRs to cameras using a 4/3 sensor such as Olympus and Panasonic with their 2x "crop factor".
These sites will help you learn about DOF - what it is and how to control it:
http://www.kamerasimulator.se/eng/?page_id=2 This is an interactive site that lets you easily see the effect on your DOF when you change 1, 2 or all 3 of the controlling factors.
http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html This site is more technical but does feature a DOF Calculator you can use to compute your DOF for any combination of the 3 factors imaginable.
Although most people assume that if you use a small aperture like f16 and a wide focal length like 18mm and focus your lens to infinity you'll maximize your DOF. That isn't necessarily true. If your lens has a Distance Scale on the lens barrel or your camera has a focus distance indicator that tells you how far away the subject you're focused on is then you're in luck. Since most lenses that have a distance scale end at 30' or 50' and the next mark is the infinity symbol ( looks like an elongated numeral 8 lying on its side), lets look at the difference in DOF between the amount of DOF using 18mm, f16 and subject distances of 5', 10' and infinity with a subject distance of 100' being considered infinity on a 1.5x "crop factor" DSLR using the DOF Calculator.
18mm @ f16 focused on a subject at infinity DOF will be from 3'-3'' to infinity. Anything from 3'-3'' in front of your camera to as far as you can see - infinity - will be in focus.
18mm @ f16 focused on a subject at 10'-0'' DOF will be from 2'-6'' to infinity. Anything from 7'-6'' in front of your subject (2'-6'' in front of your camera) to as far as you can see behind your subject - infinity - will be in focus.
18mm @ f16 focused on a subject at 5'-0'' DOF will be from 2-0'' to infinity. Anything from 3'-0'' in front of your subject (2'-0'' in front of your camera) to as far as you can see behind your subject - infinity - will be in focus.
Although 6" isn't a great difference (subject distance of 10'-0'' compared to 5'-'0'') 1'-3'' is, in my opinion, a significant difference (subject distance of infinity compared to 5'-0''). Using a subject distance of 5'-0'' allows you to get closer to those flowers or that gnarled piece of driftwood you want to include as part of the foreground.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/drifter45h/3982233634/ 24mm lens @ f16 on a 35mm film camera with the distance scale on the lens at 6'-0''. DOF from 2'-5'' to infinity.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/drifter45h/4032748624/ 21mm lens @ f16 on a 35mm film camera with the distance scale on the lens at 6'-0''. DOF from 2'-2'' to infinity.
Camera in Aperture Priority and mounted on my tripod in both examples. A circular polarizer was also used.
I highly recommend using a tripod when your goal is to maximize DOF. In fact, I consider a tripod as mandatory for landscape photography.
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