Notes from a Crazy Gearhead...

Some of us carry a camera to document our trips while others are interested in sharing every minute of their adventures with friends. I often wonder if some of these folks are missing out on part of the outdoor experience when they seem to spend so much time observing the world through an impersonal viewfinder. There is yet a third group of people who are interested in pursuing outdoor photography as a hobby for the pure enjoyment of capturing something beautiful, aspiring Ansel Adams or Galen Rowells! With the right equipment and software even a novice can take a pretty nice picture although someone with talent, knowledge, and experience is going to consistently take better ones.

I have been using a digital camera since 1997 and I am now on my third one. Like all other aspects of the computer age, the digital photography technology is advancing at a dizzying pace. I confess that I can't keep up and consider myself to be a novice photographer with minimal expertise. Since digital photography has become so pervasive to hiking, I have asked for help from others, who are more proficient in the field, to help with this month's reviews. I would like to thank Jim Horn, Jim Hamlin, Tim Epp, and Justin Brown for their generous contributions.

Stephen Sharp
hb@clubtread.com

A review of the Olympus E-500 DSLR Camera
By Tim Epp

First a few quick specs:

• 8.1 MP sensor with 2x magnification conversion on all lenses
• "Supersonic wave" filter removes dust on the sensor
• Records photos in RAW, JPEG and TIFF. Also can record RAW and JPEG simultaneously
• 3 point focus area
• ISO 100 to 1600, with ISO settings in 1/3 steps up to 800 ISO
• Shutter speed: 60 seconds to 1/4000
• 2.5" LCD screen with serves both for image settings and photo viewing
• Sequential shooting at 2.5 FPS
• Card slots for both Compact Flash and XD picture cards
• Weight (camera only) 435 grams, 14-45mm lens: 285 grams, 40-150mm lens: 425 grams (both lenses have 58mm filter threads)
• Battery: 1500mAh battery good for @ 400 shots

Approximate cost (with the included 14-45mm F3.5-5.6 and 40-150mm F3.5-4.5 lenses) $900-1000 Cdn

Some links for more information:

product website
http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/product.asp?product=1192

great in-depth review here with plenty of pictures
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Olympus/oly_e500.asp

The Olympus E-500 was released in the fall of 2005 and continues to be their "top of the line" DSLR. I purchased this camera with the two lens kit in early January of 2006. Since then, I have taken "big oly" along on a wide variety of daytrips and backpacks, and have taken nearly 10,000 (I can't believe it's that many already) shots.

General overview and Opinion:

Overall I am very pleased with this camera. It would be a tough camera to beat for the value with the price (sub $1000.00) and the two Zuiko lenses, even with the current crop of cameras. The two lenses are both very good quality lenses providing sharp clear pictures within their entire focal and aperature ranges. The 2.5" LCD screen serves the dual purpose of both posting current settings, as well as viewing photos. This is especially beneficial for the photo settings part, as the large screen makes everything easy to read; especially since there is a lot of settings information! The menu and controls are easy to navigate through and didn't take long at all to figure out where everything was. The most important settings like White balance, ISO and focus controls all have dedicated buttons. The shutter speed is controlled by a dial at the top of the camera. Aperature adjustments are also made by a button on top of the camera, when in manual mode. Olympus has two distinctions from other DSLR's: The first is that it incorporates a 4/3 system for taking photos. All other cameras employ the more traditional 3/2 ratio. What this means is that the photo length is 4 parts, and photo width is 3 parts. An example being that if a photo is 3000 pixels long, it will then be 2250 pixels wide, or 3000x2250 pixels. Canon, Nikon and the others would give you a 3000x2000 pixel photo, as their photos are 3 parts long and 2 parts wide. This makes the Olympus photos more square in nature. This is advantageous in printing photos like 8x10's, since a 4/3 photo is more closely in proportion to an 8x10 than a 3/2 photo, so less cropping is needed.

The second distinction is that the Olympus sensor is smaller. This enables Olympus to build a more compact DSLR, and it also gives a 2x magnification ratio for its lenses, whereas most other DSLR's have a ratio of 1.6x. What this means is that if you put a 50mm lens on an Olympus, you are effectively getting a 35mm (which uses a full frame sensor) equivalent of 100mm. A 50mm lens on a Canon Rebel XT, which has a 1.6x magnification factor due to a larger sensor, would make that 50mm lens into a 80mm lens in 35mm standards. This is particularly beneficial when dealing with telephoto lenses because the E-500 doubles the magnification instead of just a 60% increase like other DSLR's. Because of the smaller sensor, Olympus manufactured the world's first line of lenses specifically created for digital photography, since lenses that were designed for full frame sensors don't work so well in this scenario.

The E-500 also gives you the option to choose you ISO settings in 1/3 increments, which is quite unusual to have such a feature, in a camera of this price range. What this means is that rather than being limited to ISO 100,200,400,800 and so on, The E-500 gives you ISO 100,125, 160, 200, 250, 320, 400, 500, 640, 800, 1000, 1250, and 1600. With the smaller sensor, digital noise becomes a bit more of an issue, so the ability to customize the ISO settings like this helps get around the noise issue more so than if you had to jump from say ISO 400 to 800.

I have found that anything up to ISO 320 is virtually noise-free. Digital noise is minimal to 640 and even 800 can be removed in post processing. Certain lighting conditions make it possible to even squeeze out an ISO of 1250, but that's about as far as I would go. I've taken a number of low light shots up to 60 seconds at lower ISO settings, and have found very little in the way of "hot spots or digital noise up to ISO 250.

There are also plenty of options concerning what quality of photos you would like to take. The three formats of choice are RAW (roughly 13MB per photo or 55 photos per 1 gig card in manual mode) TIFF (roughly 20 MB per photo or 45 photos per one gig card) and JPEG (roughly 6 MB at it's lowest compression: 1/2.7 or 170 photos per 1 gig card). Of course there's various compression settings and sizes for JPEG's. RAW files at roughly 13 MB each seems a bit on the high side for an 8 MP camera. The automated modes such as landscape mode gives more like 72 photos per 1 gig card for some reason. Manual modes provide only 54. Simultaneous RAW and JPEG capture is a nice feature; especially if you want to browse through your photos quickly on the computer without having to open those large RAW files. Even here you have the option of choosing a wide variety of compressions and photo sizes. I like shooting in RAW and JPEG low compression 1024x768 pixel images simultaneously. When looking through the viewfinder, to the right shows information such as your current camera settings (F-stop, shutter speed, camera mode, and focus mode) plus what your exposure level is at; which will show a plus or minus number. I found that an exposure of -3 to -7 (3/10 and 7/10 of an F-stop) seems to give the most accurate exposure.

What I really like about this camera:

• Solidly built; doesn't feel like a cheaply made camera
• Supersonic wave filter removes dust from the sensor quite effectively
• Menu and controls easily accessible
• LCD screen displays both photo settings and photo review (but not at the same time obviously)
• Included Zuiko lenses are good quality and between the two provide an effective focal range of 28mm-300mm
• Takes both Compact Flash and XD picture card. A 1 gig card in each slot is a nice feature
• 2x magnification factor for increased telephoto range
• Great value for the money
• Mirror lock up for increased stability in longer exposure photos
• Olympus Master software is good for the RAW file viewing and editing
• Wide range of controls and settings usually not found on cameras in this price range
• Fast and accurate autofocus
• 10,000 shots so far in a variety of conditions and it still performs flawlessly
• Extra low compression feature for JPEG's (1/2.7) gives great quality photos in JPEG mode
• Camera with both lenses and battery works out to only around 3 lbs

What I'm not so keen about:

• Smaller sensor gives more noise at higher ISO's than comparable DSLR's
• Small viewfinder can be tough to see through in low light
• Very limited 3rd party lenses. Pretty much have to stick to Zuiko lenses
• Limited RAW support in 3rd party photo editors (paint shop pro can't open the RAW files, not sure about Photoshop)
• Write performance on the XD cards is quite slow compared to Compact Flash (Even with the new H-series)
• RAW files seem a bit on the large side
• In camera exposure meter seems to overexpose slightly by around a third of an F-stop (once I figured this out, I could adjust accordingly)

Conclusion:

There is plenty to like about this camera, and it certainly performs well in a wide variety of photo scenarios. The two lenses included provide the photographer with pretty much everything that's needed for whatever photo opportunity presents itself. There are also plenty of automatic settings as well for those who may be a bit intimidated with the manual settings. The "scene" mode and its sub settings provide an automated photo taking scenario for pretty well any situation. For the more serious photographer, the variety of manual settings and plethora of EXIF data and histogram information that is quickly available. For anyone looking to get into a DSLR complete with pretty much all the lens you need for under $1000.00, this is certainly a good buy.

Advice on Lenses, Filters, and Tripods
By Justin Brown

Tripods

I have had a number of crappy, hand me down tripods over the years and have learned that if you want to take good, sharp photos at low light or long shutter speeds it is very important to have a decent tripod. This is not really a compromisable tool.

I have found Slik Tripods to have a great selection of reasonably priced tripods for any type of photographer. Focusing on backcountry photography, it is important to go with something light without compromising good stability. The Slik Compact Series, namely the Compact XL is a good choice at weighing only 670 grams and offering great stability in calm conditions. The Slik Able Series are an even better tripod in terms of stability but are heavier. If money is no object, there is a Carbon Fiber Series, which are 30-40 percent lighter than equivalent aluminum tripods. My overall experience with this manufacturer is that they will likely have what you need, regardless of what kind of photographer you are.

Lenses

An aspherical Macro compact zoom lens seems to be the all in one and most versatile lens for packing out on trips. Tamron 28-200mm, Tamron 28-300mm are excellent choices delivering great image quality with a sharp macro and deep clear zoom shots. Sigma also offers a line of affordable Compact Zooms but I am unfamiliar with their quality.

The Compact Zooms will get you the pano, the close-up and the zoom shots that you're looking for.

Filters

Polarizing Filter: is an absolute must and mine is rarely separated from my lens. This filter gives you so much more to work with as it actually lets you play with how light is seen. Colours can become more saturated, reflections can be added or taken away on water, ice, snow etc. Skies can be contrasted more with clouds and harsh glares can be cut from snow, water, ice, etc. I find this filter an important part of balancing out and preventing overexposure in snowy, bright scenes.

UV and Haze filters: I found were of little use and mine were quickly replaced by the polarizer which can act as either of the filters.

Neutral Density Filters and other creative filters: Most of these effects can now be duplicated reasonably in photo editing software.

I'd say the most important factors in producing outstanding outdoor photographs are an individuals use of light and the ability to see things in a creative and unique manner. Being backcountry photographers, we have advantages that many photographers don't. Rapidly changing mountain weather can host a variety of different lighting conditions over a short period of time. Take advantage of those silvery lighting conditions when the sun is barely visible through mist or cloud. Or just after a rain when things are brightening up. Shadows of clouds over terrain, bright sun, snow, we get it all. We also are exposed to a variety of terrain, which can turn up interesting angles for our subjects. The lower the angle of light that is hitting your subject, the more interesting and saturated the subject becomes. For example, taking a photo of an alpine meadow in full bloom. At midday, when the sun is at it's highest, a shot snapped of the meadow will look quite predictable, consistent and ordinary. The same shot taken as the sun is just rising or nearing sunset and things will take on a more interesting look. Certain colors may light up more and shadows will show patterns. Things will look more "painted in gold". As far as seeing things creatively and uniquely, try imagining how a marmot would see what you are seeing. Get right down low and shoot that meadow, try different focal points. If you want a nice shot of that lake, don't just stand on the shore, get high. Climb part way up a tree to get your shot or scramble up that rock outcropping.

As far as technical tips go, I can offer one. Many of my shots I will underexpose by a half stop or so. I find that often this will produce a more color saturated image in a bright sun situation. Except with bright snow, in which case I will usually overexpose by up to one stop to compensate for having a polarizer on. This will also produce a more saturated, less glared image.

Nikon COOLPIX 7600
By Stephen Sharp

If you are interested in an uncomplicated point and shoot (POS) camera, which takes decent pictures, the Nikon E7600 or its sister models are worth considering. I find its compact size of 85x60x39mm and its weight of 204g (with two AA batteries and memory card) convenient for storage in the hipbelt pocket of my pack or my pant pockets for easy access. The body is robust enough to take being dropped several times (I have tested this on many occasions!)

This 7.1 MP camera comes with a host of features or options commonly found on other brand's POS cameras but it has a few unique features such as a Face-priority AF function that automatically detects people's faces in the frame and provides the best corresponding focus, Electronic VR (Vibration Reduction), an in-camera Red-Eye Fix function that automatically detects and then corrects red eyes, and a D-Lighting function that automatically compensates for excessive back light or insufficient flash. The Nikon's 3x optical Zoom-Nikkor ED (Extra-low Dispersion) lens takes some pretty sharp pictures despite the small size of the 7.1 MP image sensor. The bright 1.8in LCD screen is easy to view and the GUI (Graphic User Interface) provided is simple and uncomplicated to follow. This camera has 14Mb of internal memory in case you need to squeeze a few more pictures in and have filled your SD memory card. The maximum resolution of the Nikon E7600 is a 7.1 MP (3072x2034) 1:2 compressed JPEG.

There are several things that I don't like about the Nikon such as it takes an extremely long time to recharge the flash between pictures and the auto focus is finicky in low light situations. The photo blur indicator is annoying because it automatically comes up on the display after every low-light picture is taken and it is often incorrect. I also find that, while I appreciate the simplicity of the camera's built in functions, I sometimes feel limited by them and wish that I could do more or have more control.

At $349 Can, the Nikon Coolpix 7600 is a good digital camera for novices or those, who just want something simple, compact, and portable for their backpacking adventures.

Roots Digital Camera Bag
By Jim Hamlin

Having a larger digital camera has its pros and its cons on the trail. The biggest problem is packing it along with you – a delicate balance between it being in the way while you hike and being easily accessible should you want to take a shot quickly.

A couple of years ago I moved from my smaller Canon G3 to a Canon Pro 1. I realized that I would need to find a case that could be as small as possible, but still be durable enough to protect the camera from the elements.

I looked around at several options but many were tourist oriented camera cases, not really ideal for hiking. I ended up finding this roots bag that ended up being a perfect fit for my Pro 1.

The handle on the top is nice to have. I use it frequently when at camp or if I have it off my hip belt. It is a durable handle that is large enough to fit over my hand and be supported by my wrist if I so desire.

The front of the pouch has a nice amount of storage to store an extra battery and flash cards. This storage is suitable for a larger digital camera as many bags that support cameras of this size also have additional compartments for lenses – something that isn't necessary unless you have a DSLR.

The padding inside is good and protects the camera well. The bag itself isn't waterproof. It will deflect a certain amount of rain, but during a rainstorm, the bag can become saturated.

The double Velcro back is designed to be easily added and removed from a belt. This is ideal in cases where you want to attach it to straps on your backpack hip belt. Many camera bags have plastic hoops or backs that are stitched, therefore being inconvenient for connecting and disconnecting.

The biggest complaint that I have about the bag is the zipper on the back. Its intent is to be an additional storage compartment for storing "something". Not sure what would actually fit in there as it is so slim. I would consider it a design flaw in the bag as the zipper has been prone to unzip itself several times over the course of the hike because of the weight/pull on the Velcro connector just below.

Canon EOS 30D (quick) Review
By Jim Horn

When asked to do a quick review of the Canon 30D, it was difficult to decide which features to focus on - there are so many to choose from. I think I've narrowed it down to the features that will be of interest to my fellow CTers.

• "Pro-summer" - The 30D is midrange in Canon's lineup of dSLRs - between the digital rebel and the 5D (with its 16 mp full frame sensor).
   
• Very rugged - The body is made from a magnesium alloy, and feels very substantial in your hand. My typical configuration (camera, battery, and 18-200 lens) weighs in at 2 lbs 12.6 oz. It's definitely out of the ultralight league, but now that I've used the camera on a backpacking trip, it would be tough to switch back. I haven't really sorted out the best way to carry this camera. Typically, I carry it around my neck, so it's ready for use. When I'm not taking pictures for a while, I put an arm through the neck strap so that the camera swings down by my side. All this is fine and dandy for nice weather, but I still haven't investigated the best way to carry it in inclement weather. This brings me to the next point...
   
• Not sealed against weather. You'd think that a camera at this level would be better sealed against the elements (I'm talking moisture here), but it isn't. Of course a better sealed camera is going to require the same of its lenses, and that's not available until you move to professional quality glass (read $$$).
   
• Large LCD. The 30D has a nice, large 2.5 inch LCD screen - with exactly twice as much real estate as on the 20D. The larger the screen, the easier it is to see if the shot(s) you just took are keepers. The new LCD is viewable at angles of up to 170 degrees, which is helpful when sharing with others, or when you have to change the angle due to reflections.
   
• Built-in flash. Although I rarely use a flash, a built-in sure comes in handy from time to time. This particular unit (E-TTL II) is mounted high atop the camera, and thus reduces the red-eye effect that's common with built-in flashes. When I have used the flash, I've been impressed by the quality of the images; they don't generally have the typical blown-out appearance of flash photographs. The 30D is the highest Canon model to sport a built-in flash.
   
• Its 8.2 mp sensor provides stunningly clear prints - even at larger sizes (such as 13x19 inches).
   
• Extensive range of ISO settings. There are 14 ISO levels, ranging from 100 to 3200. Noise is virtually undetectable at up to 800 and very acceptable at 1600 or even 3200.
   
• Subject-specific (customizable) "picture styles" - There are 6 predefined picture styles (standard, portrait, landscape, neutral, faithful, and monochrome), as well as three user-defined styles. Within each style, you can define the sharpness, contrast, saturation, and color tone that you'd like to use. I find myself using the landscape setting more often than not - which slightly increases the image sharpness, but leaves the other settings at their default. A feature of note is that if you shoot in RAW format and apply a picture style (monochrome for instance), the style is not permanent and can be completely reversed on your PC. If you shoot JPEG, styles are permanent.
   
• Ease of use - Intuitive menus with easy access via a few buttons, thumb wheels, and a "multi-controller" joy-stick device. The controls seemed a little complex at first (a ton of new settings to deal with), but have now become second nature to access. The big dial on the back, for instance, can be quickly rotated in shooting mode to increase or decrease exposure compensation.
   
• High-speed 5 frames per second. There are 2 high-speed modes on the 30D - 3 and 5 frames per second. I find the 3 fps mode useful in most situations, but on occasion I like to switch to 5 fps to be certain I catch the action. I shoot a lot of soccer pictures, and it's nice to assured of getting that shot of the "high-five" after a goal or the ball pushing out the back of the opponent's net. One thing I find with the 5 fps mode is that it's sometimes difficult to shoot a single frame - especially if you're carefully trying to hold the camera steady in low-light conditions.
   
• Low power consumption - Using one battery I'm able to take close to 1,000 photos, and that's with up to a 2.5 second review of each image on that great big LCD. It's always a good practice to carry a spare battery and extra memory cards though.
   
• Lenses - With SLRs it's easy to spend thousands and thousands of dollars on lenses (commonly referred to as "lens lust"). I've joked that manufacturers should GIVE you the camera as long as you agree to buy a couple of their pro lenses. While I decide which lenses I really NEED to have, I went ahead and purchased a lens that would serve me well for most applications. I settled on the Sigma 18-200 DC lens, which set me back a little over $500, but is a nice wide-angle, and telephoto unit, and which will focus to as little as 9 inches at all focal lengths for some macro work. This particular lens has received a lot of great reviews.
  
  My wish list currently includes (in no particular order):
  • Canon EF 50mm f/1.4
  • Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM
  • Canon EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye
  • Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM
  
  
• Easy to use - the 30D has modes to suit everyone - from fully automatic point-and-shoot to fully manual. I personally shoot almost exclusively in aperture priority and with an ISO of 640, since optimal sharpness for my lens is around F8. This combination generally allows me to use a high enough shutter speed to freeze the action. A bonus with an SLR is that you can zoom in to ensure your focus is bang on (using manual focus), then zoom out a bit to recompose your shot.
   
• 1.6x conversion factor - This refers to the difference in size between the sensor and an actual frame of film. This effectively gives you better zoom, but adversely effects your wide-angle shot. The 18-200 lens I use is equivalent to 29-320 on a full-size sensor, or with a standard SLR.
   
• $1700 - At this price, the 30D is quite an investment. This is my first real foray into the world of dSLRs, and I didn't want to compromise quality, knowing I'd long for the pro features of this camera if I settled for less. My logic in this was that the pain of the price tag is long forgotten while the ease of use of the pro features is still being appreciated. Some of the lesser models make you fumble through menus to access common settings, while with the 30D, most settings require nothing more than a quick flick of a finger.

In conclusion, I've become very fond of my 30D, and wouldn't hesitate to buy it again. If you make the move to a dSLR, I think you'll find it very difficult to go back to point and shoot. Beware of lens lust!

iPod Camera Connector
By Stephen Sharp

There may be an occasion where your all media cards have reached their maximum storage capacity and you are desperate for somewhere to upload the pictures so you can continue to shoot more. The options usually are to carry more cards or to use a digital wallet. Apple has a connector, which allows you to upload your pictures from your camera (through the same USB cable you would use to connect to your computer) into an iPod Photo/Video.

Now I don't use my iPod on the trail but I know many people who do. The idea of being able to multi-task with this luxury item might justify carrying its weight. The software for uploading the pictures from your camera is extremely easy to follow (the iPod leads you through the steps – plug and play!) and the connector is compatible with most cameras.

Once stored on the iPod, you can look at the pictures and upload them onto your computer at your leisure. RAW photos can be stored but not viewed. Each download of pictures is stored in its own directory labeled as "role 1" etc.

Just as an example of what kind of storage capacity I am talking about, my 30Gb/5G iPod Video has 21Gb of free space still available with 1500 songs, 81 podcasts, and various other software and files loaded on it. This gives me the capability to still upload over 5000 pictures at 7MP from my camera should I be crazy enough to ever need it. The down side to this otherwise fantastic storage option is the slow transfer rate of the connector. It takes ~10 seconds to upload one 7MP picture so uploading full media cards of 2Gb may take up to two hours to upload, which makes the battery power levels of both the iPod and the camera a possible concern.

I'm not sure about the practicality of using this combination on a backpacking trip unless it is a very long one but it would be great for traveling. An iPod is still cheaper than purchasing multiple media cards and perhaps risk losing a full one. The iPod Photo Connector costs $50 Cdn.