A ring flash can be a very useful piece of kit. The light is flat and even, and beloved of fashion and portrait photographers alike. The problem is that, like all photographic equipment, they cost a fortune. Even an adapter, essentially a light-bending tube with no electronics, will cost around $300.
So, why not make your own? That’s what Manzin of the Digital Photography School forums did, and the result is above. Essentially free (if you raid the kitchen), the adapter is made of two plastic bowls, one big and one small. The gap between them is filled with aluminum foil and the flash is fired in from the side. You won’t get the efficiency of a dedicated adapter — that foil will eat some of the light — but for a quick and dirty projects it’s perfect. Just make sure you don’t use mom’s favorite Tupperware.
Bargain hunters, start your bargain-hunting engines — Olympus’ new Four Thirds E-450 DSLR differs so little from the E-420 it replaces that even their mother can’t tell them apart. This means an inevitable price drop to clear out older inventory, where you can snap up the previous model safe in the knowledge that you are missing almost no new features. How’s that for spin?
The one big change is the upgrade to Olympus latest processing chip, the TruePic 3+. Next is the ability to shoot eight RAW files in a burst instead of six. Third is a better screen (it’s brighter). Finally, and more a step backwards than forwards, is the addition of Olympus’ lame new Art Filters. These offer gimmicky in-camera processing to achieve effects such as “pop art", “soft focus" and “pinhole". Sadly, the last cannot be combined to make a filter named “soft hole", which would certainly be useless but also hilarious.
The relevant details carried over from the E-420 are thus: 10 Megapixels, a 2.7" screen, ISO 100 to 1600, sensor-shaking dust reduction and a wireless commander mode for the built-in flash, similar to Nikon’s high-end DSLRs (well, except the real high-end D3 and D3x, but you know what we mean).
The camera will cost $700 when bundled with both the ED 14-42mm f3.5/5.6 and ED 40-150mm f4.0/5.6 Zuiko lenses. Available May.
Canon’s new DSLR, the 500D, is the latest in a line of hybrid still/video DSLRs, joining Canon’s own 5DMkII, Nikon’s less capable D90 and Panasonic’s GH1. This trend is obviously set to continue, but do we want it?
Our rather easy-to-make prediction is that every newly announced DSLR this year will have some kind of video capability. Pretty much every mid-range DSLR already has live view, which gives a compact camera-style live image on the rear screen. All that is needed to capture video is to actually put that information onto the memory card, something that Canon’s Digic and Nikon’s Expeed processors already do in both compacts and SLRs. It’s clear that, technologically, there is no barrier to HD video on every camera.
But like rising pixel-counts, the feature is there whether we want it or not. Are SLRs the best tools to shoot video, or is this just a gimmick to sell a few more cameras?
Let’s first look at the advantages. Capturing video from an SLR means that you have access to a pretty big sensor. Even crop-framed DX sensors beat out many camcorder sensors in size, and this in turn means good low-light performance and a shallow depth-of-field. This last is what the fuss has been about — witness the jaw-droppingly filmic videos shot on the 5DMkII. This is due to the high-quality, wide-aperture lenses you can put on these cameras. Beter still, they are – compared to pro video kit at least – dirt cheap.
Another advantage is that you only have to carry one camera. You can always use it as a still camera and then, if needed, switch into video mode. This is probably the most compelling argument for video in DSLRs — there really is no downside to having one more mode in there — it’s all in the programming after all.
On the other hand, these cameras don’t shoot video all that well. The Nikon D90, as has been mentioned before, doesn’t shoot true 1080p HD and what it does shoot it records in Motion JPG, literally a succession of individual, compressed jpeg images.
The Canons do better, recording in .mov format, but there are still problems. None of these cameras will shoot full HD for very long. The times vary, but you’ll max out at around ten minutes. This isn’t necessarily a problem (how many movies do you see with single, ten minute takes?) but it shows a limitation.
Another concern has been heat. Running power through them and reading data constantly is not what these still sensors were designed for. Again, not a big deal for the odd grab-shot, but hardly ideal in a full-time video environment.
None of this will stop video making its way into every camera made, and for the times you might need it (and even just for playing around) every extra feature will be useful. In the end it will end up like auto-exposure and auto-focus. At the beginning, camera nerds moaned (I may or may not have been one of them). Now, though, you would never dream of buying a camera without them.
To accompany the dizzyingly high-specced new 500D SLR, Canon has also released a dazzlingly pedestrian new strobe, the 270EX, which replaces the old 220EX.
Here are the differences. The older 220EX had a guide number of 22 (meters at ISO 100). The 270EX has a GN of, can you guess? Yes, 27, hence the name. Both speedlights use a pair of AAs and recycle in around four seconds and both work in auto TTL mode with most Canon cams back to the venerable T90.
Then the big differences begin. The newer flash can zoom (not much, but 28-50mm is better than nothing) and tilt 90º, allowing you to bounce flash off the ceiling. The 270EX also features a manual mode, something that shows Canon has been listening to consumers. The power output of the flash in this mode can be dialled down to 1/64th.
If you’re looking for a compact unit that will let you bounce light around instead of firing it directly in a red-eye inducing beam, this might be for you. If you’re looking to do anything more, save your money — the 270EX doesn’t really do much that your built-on flash won’t. The price and shipping dates have yet to be revealed.
Canon has just announced the 15.1 megapixel EOS 500D, known as the Rebel T1i in the US market. The new DSLR is a response to Nikon’s D90 — it’s a high-end consumer model which shoots HD video. It’s also Canon’s second DSLR to best Nikon’s HD efforts.
The 500D shoots at up to full 1080p resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels) but only does so at 20 frames per second. Drop to 720p (1280 x 720 pixels) and you get a better 30fps. This compares to the Nikon D90’s maximum 720p at 24fps (the same speed as film based movie cameras). The Nikon, though, records in the crappy motion JPEG format. The 500D pops out .mov files in the H.264 codec. Another nice touch is the ability to use the autofocus whilst shooting, although you only get to use the slower contrast-detection system available in the live-view mode.
Yes, the 500D has live-view, like almost every camera appearing these days. The stills mode (this is a DSLR, after all) also has some neat touches. The one we like most is called Creative Auto by Canon, and is essentially an easy way to tweak settings while letting the camera take care of the heavy lifting. The camera remains in auto mode, but the user can choose from English-language options, like “Darker/Brighter" or “Blur Background" to customize the image. For beginners not coming from a manual camera background, this is a great way to learn without actually messing things up.
Otherwise, there isn’t much that stands out, other than a good top “film speed". The 500D goes up to ISO 3200 in regular mode with two extra emergency settings of 6400 and 12800. The rest of the specs are unsurprising but good — a 3", 920,000 pixels LCD, 95% viewfinder coverage, HDMI-out, self-cleaning sensor, face-detection. The APS-C sized sensor measures 30mm diagonally, making it smaller than a full-frame sensor but still a huge improvement over tiny pocket cameras’ sensors.
The 500D will cost just $800 for the body and for $900 in a kit with the EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens. That, in case you were wondering, is quite the bargain. Available May.
The rumors were true. Canon has crammed the $1500 50D‘s sensor and5D-Mark-II-like 1080p video capture into an $899 entry-level Rebel. We ran it through its paces for a few hours, and it’s awesome.
So what we have here is almost the exact sensor from the 50D—a 15.1 megapixel CMOS with sensitivities up to ISO 12,800 at its top-end H2 boost setting. And almost the exact same HD capture from the 5D Mark II—the only change is that 1080p video is captured at 20fps, down from the 5D Mark II‘s 30fps. You can step down to 720p video at 30fps, though, for the same buttery smoothness we’ve seen on the 5D Mark II. Other aspects of the video capture mode have actually been improved over the 5D Mark II, which we’ll get to in a second.
But as far as the specs go, it’s almost a pure hybrid of the 50D and 5D Mark II, two cameras that are decidedly more pro-leaning, positioned into the top-end of their entry-level Rebels (above the XS and XSi). Crazy stuff:
• H.264 video capture @ 1080p/20fps and 720p/30fps with mono sound
• DIGIC 4 processor
• Nine-point autofocusing
• 3.4fps burst shooting for 170 JPEGs or 9 RAW files
• The 50D’s lens peripheral illumination correction
• Three-inch, 920,000-dot LCD (same as the 5D Mark II’s)
• Built-in sensor dust removal system
• Live view
• Canon’s “Creative Auto” mode for light exposure tweaks on full-auto
• Saves to SD/SDHC cards (class 6 or higher recommended)
• $899 with kit lens, $799 body only, available early May
We had a few hours to shoot photos and video with a pre-production unit of the EOS Rebel T1i in Manhattan, and here’s our impressions:
Image Quality
I’ve never shot with the 50D, but from what I’ve read, the 50D’s sensor is about as big as Canon can and should push an APS-C sensor, megapixels wise, while still preserving image quality and high-ISO performance. When it came out just seven months or so ago, it was found to be a good performer but not significantly better than the 10-megapixel 40D at high-ISO.
Here, you’re getting effectively the same sensor (Canon says there are a few minor differences that shouldn’t effect output in any significant way) for almost half the cost. So while you still won’t be on the noise-busting level of the full-frame 5D Mark II, you’re going to come mighty close, especially at 1600 and below. Here’s a quick unscientific comparision @ ISO 6400:
And, shots moving through the full ISO range of the T1i, starting at ISO 12,800 (H2) and moving on down to ISO 400:
Video Capture Mode
And here’s where things get crazy—the T1i’s video capture mode is almost exactly the same as the 5D Mark II, short of 10 extra frames per second at 1080p made possible by the 5D’s beefier processing power. But still, shooting at 720p will serve most people just fine (and it’s as high as you can go on Nikon’s D90, keep in mind). You do notice the lower framerate at 1080p, especially if you’re panning a shot, but for slow-moving subjects, it’s not significantly jerky. Some people may even prefer the ability to switch-up frame rates.
But aside from that, everything else from the 5D Mark II is there: the ability to capture stills while video is rolling, the same slow AF system, etc. In fact, the T1i actually makes some improvements over the Mark II—a quick menu summoned via the SET button can change resolution and video settings easily while you’re shooting, and the movie capture mode has conveniently been moved to its own spot on the mode dial, rather than only being accessible via live view.
Here’s our test footage so you can see for yourself (the file below was compressed into a 30fps Flash movie, but you can still see the slight difference in the 20fps 1080p shots):
Buying Decision
You can’t imagine Canon moving a lot of 50Ds once this puppy is out—and that camera was just announced at the end of last summer. So you have to expect Canon is up to something in their mid-range line. But with the T1i, Canon has taken a big lead in the HD capture arms race over Nikon, whose only video-capable camera is the mid-range D90 which costs a couple hundred bucks more. The resolution advantage is somewhat moot, as most people will opt for 720p @ 30fps over 1080p @ the jerkier 20fps. But here’s how everything stacks up, money-wise:
Rebel T1i: $899 MSRP with kit EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS zoom lens, $799 MSRP body only
Nikon D90: $1,149 (street) with kit lens, $889 (street) body only
Canon 50D: $1,389 (street) with kit lens, $1,199 (street) body only
So with the T1i, you get a sizable chunk of the more expensive 50D’s imaging performance plus an arguably better spec-wise video capture mode than the D90—a pretty sweet deal here at an entry-level price where even the MSRP beats the street price of the 50D and D90 both.
We don’t want to get too gushy without giving this camera a serious real-world run-through, but as of now, the only major negative we can see is the ridiculous name. T1i? What? Why Canon USA doesn’t use its handy three-digit designation for the entry-level Rebels like it does in Europe (where the T1i is known as the 500D, matching with two-digits for the mid-range and single-digits for the pros) I will never know. I think Andre Agassi is to blame.
Look for more on this puppy when we’ve had a chance to really sink our teeth in.
CANON U.S.A. INTRODUCES THE EOS REBEL T1i DIGITAL SLR CAMERA, THE FIRST REBEL DSLR TO FEATURE HD VIDEO CAPTURE
Canon Breaks the $1,000 Mark Again with the First EOS Rebel Camera to Feature
HD Movie Recording Capabilities, DIGIC 4 Imaging Processor and 15.1 Megapixel Resolution
LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., March 25, 2009 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging, today introduced a new addition to its Rebel lineup, the EOS Rebel T1i Digital SLR camera, the first in the Rebel line to feature Full HD video capture. The new Canon Rebel T1i SLR incorporates some of the best technologies from the EOS 50D and EOS 5D Mark II models into an entry-level juggernaut. With a 15.1 megapixel CMOS sensor and HD video capture, along with the DIGIC 4 Imaging Processor, the Rebel T1i gives aspiring photographers plenty of reason to step-up to the latest and greatest model in the Rebel lineup.
The new Canon EOS Rebel T1i raises the entry-level bar with a host of enhanced Canon technologies now available in an entry-level DSLR. Along with the boost in megapixels and Canon’s most advanced imaging processor to-date, this latest Rebel camera has also been enhanced with HD video capture, a 3.0-inch Clear View LCD (920,000 dots/VGA) monitor and user-friendly functions such as Auto Lighting Optimizer, Creative Auto Mode and Canon’s Live View modes, all the right tools to open new doors for imaging enthusiasts. From high-resolution to high-definition, the new EOS Rebel T1i Digital SLR camera helps to give creative consumers a jumpstart on the next evolution in digital imaging.
“We are witnessing the emergence of a new phase in digital imaging history, as high-resolution still images and HD video can now both be produced in a hand-held device, for under $1,000. This is truly a great time to be involved in digital imaging as the advent of online communities are helping usher in this next great era in imaging,” stated Yuichi Ishizuka, senior vice president and general manager, Consumer Imaging Group, Canon U.S.A.
The muscle behind Canon’s new EOS Rebel T1i camera is the DIGIC 4 Imaging Processor with 14-bit analog-to-digital conversion and the ability to process full HD video. The Canon EOS Rebel T1i Digital SLR offers continuous shooting at 3.4 fps for up to 170 large/fine JPEG images or up to nine RAW images in a single burst when using a class 6 or higher SD or SDHC memory card. Whether capturing wildlife on the run or a child mid-stride on the soccer field, users will appreciate the fast shooting capabilities of the Rebel T1i Digital SLR camera.
With the combination of its 15.1-megapixel APS-C size CMOS image sensor and the powerful new DIGIC 4 image processor, the Canon EOS Rebel T1i camera provides ISO speeds from ISO 100 up to ISO 3200 in whole stop increments, along with two additional high-speed ISO settings – H1: 6400 and H2: 12800.
The EOS Rebel T1i Digital SLR utilizes a precise nine-point Autofocus (AF) system and AF sensor for enhanced subject detection. The new EOS Rebel T1i DSLR provides a cross-type AF measurement at the center that is effective with all EF and EF-S lenses, while providing enhanced precision with lenses having maximum apertures of f/2.8 or faster. The cross-type AF measurement reads a wider variety of subject matter than conventional single-axis AF sensors and thus increases the new camera’s ability to autofocus quickly and accurately when shooting still images.
The EOS Rebel T1i camera is compatible with Canon’s complete line of over 60 Canon EF and EF-S lenses, to help provide an incredible variety of visual effects to both still and video imaging capture, including ultra-wide-angle and fish-eye to macro and super-telephoto. This includes all of Canon’s large-aperture EF L-series professional lenses.
HD and SD Video Capture
After the introduction of the EOS 5D Mark II in September 2008, the Company’s first HD video DSLR, Canon has integrated this must-have feature into the new entry-level flagship EOS Rebel T1i camera. The camera features 16:9 720p HD video capture at 30 fps as well as a Full HD 1080p video capture at 20 fps, and a third option to record 4:3 standard TV quality (SD) video capture at 640 x 480 pixels and 30 fps. The video capture mode is part of the camera’s Live View function, using the Picture Style that has been set for Live View still image shooting. The camera allows skilled photographers and enthusiasts to adjust image sharpness, contrast, color saturation and white balance, and have those settings apply to the movie image as well. When recording video, the camera’s rear LCD screen is letter-boxed by a semi-transparent border to match the aspect ratio of the movie recording size.
Like the EOS 5D Mark II model, the EOS Rebel T1i camera will record video up to 4GB per clip equaling approximately 12 minutes of Full HD video, 18 minutes of 720p HD video, or 24 minutes of SD video depending on the level of detail in the scene. Video clips are recorded in .MOV format using an MPEG-4 video compression and sound is recorded using linear PCM without compression. The camera features a built-in monaural microphone to record sound. To help show off those fantastic movies as well as still photos, the EOS Rebel T1i camera includes an HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) output to display crisp, clear images on a High-Definition TV.
Live View Shooting
Much like the EOS 5D Mark II, the Canon EOS Rebel T1i camera features Live View for both still images as well as video. The Rebel T1i features the Company’s three Live View AF modes – Quick, Live and Face Detection Live mode – which can be used to capture still photos or video images. Quick mode automatically sets One-Shot AF using the camera’s phase detection AF system. It also allows users to select the AF point, even while the Live View image is displayed. Although the camera’s reflex mirror must be lowered briefly to take an AF measurement in Quick mode, it is the fastest way to set focus automatically when the Rebel T1i camera is set for Live View.
Live mode uses contrast-detection AF with the image sensor and here, as with Quick mode, users can change the location of the active AF point using the Multi-controller. Face Detection Live mode uses contrast AF to recognize human faces. When multiple faces are detected, the largest face closest to the center of the frame is targeted as the AF point. While Live View is engaged, users can still change settings including the AF mode (Quick, Live, Face Detection Live mode), drive mode, ISO speed, Picture style, White Balance and more.
Auto Lighting Optimizer
Canon’s Auto Lighting Optimizer technology helps ensure that the subject of each picture is clearly visible by analyzing image brightness and automatically adjusting dark areas in images so they appear brighter. This is ideal when shooting high-contrast situations that include harsh shadow areas, such as landscape images where the foreground is brightly lit and the background detail blanketed in dark shadow. In a scene such as this, the EOS Rebel T1i camera’s Auto Lighting Optimizer technology maintains exposure of the highlight areas while lightening shadow areas for a more enjoyable and evenly illuminated image. The EOS Rebel T1i also supports Peripheral Illumination Correction for up to 40 Canon EF and EF-S lenses.
Canon’s Creative Auto Mode
Canon’s “CA” Creative Full Auto setting available on the EOS Rebel T1i, EOS 50D and EOS 5D Mark II cameras allows users to make image adjustments such as exposure compensation, aperture or shutter speed through a simple navigation screen on the camera’s LCD screen, allowing them to “blur the background” or “lighten or darken the image” with ease. These easy-to-understand image options allow learning-photographers to experiment with image options while still shooting in an automatic mode.
EOS Integrated Cleaning System
With the introduction of the EOS Rebel T1i camera, the entire Canon EOS system is now equipped with the highly acclaimed EOS Integrated Cleaning System. The Self-Cleaning Sensor Unit for the Canon EOS Rebel T1i has been upgraded with a fluorine coating on the low-pass filter for better dust resistance.
Pricing and Availability
The Canon EOS Rebel T1i Digital SLR Camera is scheduled for delivery by early May and will be sold in a body-only configuration which includes a rechargeable battery pack and charger, USB and video cables, a neckstrap, an EOS Solutions Disk CD and a 1-year Canon U.S.A., Inc. limited warranty at an estimated retail price of $799.99 . It will additionally be offered in a kit version with Canon’s EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS zoom lens at an estimated retail price of $899.99 .
It turns out that it’s possible to develop film in a mixture of instant coffee, washing soda and vitamin C. This is, to me, amazing. Here’s the recipe.
12 oz. water
5 teaspoons instant coffee crystals
3 1/2 teaspoons washing soda
1/2 teaspoon vitamin C powder
Dubbed cafenol (its a geeky photochem joke), the developer is used just like a regular developing solution, only you can make it by raiding the kitchen cupboard (apart from the instant coffee, of course. We know you all have French presses and espresso machines). You will still need a real fixer solution to deactivate the light sensitive materials, and you’ll need to take the same care in loading the film into a developing tank as you would if using regular ol’ Perceptol, but the results are surprisingly good.
Cafenol will turn any film into a black and white negative, similar in effect to cross processing (developing a slide film in color print film chemicals, for example), and you’ll still want to keep the extractor fan running. Despite the ingredients, this mixture is foul smelling. Photojojo:
Holy frijoles! How can things that smell like coffee, nothing, and nothing combine to smell like grim death?
Also, don’t drink it. One thing about this hack that isn’t surprising is that there is a Flickr group dedicated to cafenol photos. And it goes without saying that if you do try this at home, post your results to the Gadget Lab Flickr pool.
A new pocket video recorder about to be released in Japan features significant, public SAL on SAL action. No, it’s not what you think it is, Senator Craig (R). Please settle down.
The SAL minicam, from Amadana, is made to pass video and pictures super fast between twin gadgets through its USB ports, without stopping at a PC. We can only wonder why Amadana didn’t just go all the way and add media-sharing wireless ‘squirting,’ though it probably had something to do with cheapness. Also, it’s not like wireless media sharing has been a key feature for any hugely successful media gadget or anything.
The on-the-go sharing feature is an interesting feature for a mini cam, but specs-wise, the Sal doesn’t look like a big leap away from the most popular mini cams like the Flip and the Kodak.
SAL doesn’t shoot blanks, per se, with MPEG4 and VGA video at 30 frames a second (at a resolution of 640 × 480 pixels). But it doesn’t look good in contrast to Toshiba’s upcoming Camileo S10, which has a 2.5-inch screen, video resolution at 1080p, and a way sleeker design. The Flip Mino HD has a resolution of 1280 x 720, and that one is not even the top mini on the block anymore.
The SALs QVGA LCD is also quite small at only 2-inches diagonal, and comes with 2GB of internal memory (half of the Flip HD Mino).
But if you’re still interested in this mini cam after those comparisons (probably so you can continually mention that you’re going to dock SALs), it will be available in late May in Japan for an undisclosed price.
In the right hands, high dynamic range imaging can blend multiple exposures of the same scene to more closely reproduce what your eye can see. Here’s how to do HDR the right way.
So when should you use HDR? It’s simple: when you’re trying to capture a scene with a wide range between its lightest and darkest areas (aka dynamic range) as accurately as possible. Your camera’s sensor can only capture a small portion of the light that your eye can take in and process, so to make up for that, HDR images are created by combining the pixel information from several pictures into one 32-bit Voltron-file that contains the full dynamic range of each of the individual shots used to create it.
Take this range of shots of the Cairo skyline I took last week from the top of the highest minaret of the Al Azhar mosque in that lovely city. Neither one of the three accurately exposes the whole scene—in the shot that captures the sky correctly, the buildings below are too dark, and when the buildings are exposed accurately, the sun behind the clouds gets blown out, losing all detail. So this is the perfect situation for an HDR image.
But in many cases rightfully, HDR has a reputation as a gimmick that can easily be abused to turn your photos into dreadful, over-saturated, tacky looking messes of clown vomit. But if your main intent is to accurately capture a scene as your eye sees it, you can come away with some believable but still otherworldly (for a photograph, in a good way) images. In the end, it all comes down to personal preference; you may think my shot above looks like garbage. That’s cool, save your comments, photo snob trolls. You’re free to make your shots look however you want, and here’s the best way I’ve found to do just that.
What You’ll Need: • A camera that has auto exposure bracketing (not essential, but without it, you’ll have to set the range of exposures manually and will need a tripod). At the very least you’ll need manual exposure controls.
• Photoshop CS2 or higher (you can also use specialized HDR software like Photomatix, but for this guide I’m using Photoshop CS4).
• Some knowledge of curves and histograms in Photoshop. This video tutorial is a great start for curves.
Take Your Shots As mentioned before, you’ll get the most bang for your HDR buck with scenes that have both extremely bright and extremely dark areas of interesting detail to bring out. So choosing the right scene is an obvious first step.
1. Set your camera to auto exposure bracketing mode, which takes three (usually) sequential shots at three different exposure levels: one correctly exposed, one overexposed, and one underexposed. You can usually specifiy the amount of exposure stops to under- and overexpose—you probably want the maximum range, which is usually a full two stops in either direction.
2. You want to take the three shots in the quickest succession possible since we’ll be merging them later and you don’t want moving objects to foul that up. So turn your camera on burst shooting where possible and hold down the button, firing off three quickies without moving. This is where you’ll need a tripod for cameras without AEB to keep the shots uniform.
Note: If you can, shoot in RAW. Photoshop can handle RAW files just fine, and the extra exposure information within compared to JPEG will make your HDR images all the more juicy. Also, the more source images you have the better, so if you do have a tripod and are shooting an immovable scene, bringing more than 3 images to your HDR file will only give you more detail to work with.
Create Your HDR Image 3. In Photoshop, go to File -> Automate -> Merge to HDR. Select your three images, click “Attempt to Automatically Align Source Images” if you think they may be slightly crooked, and then hit OK. Photoshop will chew on them for a while and then present you with your 32-bit HDR image.
You may notice that the file you have now doesn’t look so hot. That’s because a 32-bit HDR image isn’t useful in itself unless you have a $50,000 HDR monitor. To look good on your screen and on paper, it must now be “tone mapped” into an 8-bit image that selectively uses parts from each exposure to accurately represent the scene.
4. Before we head to tone mapping, save your HDR as a 32-bit Portable Bit Map file so you can start fresh again if need be.
Tone Mapping Your Image How you tone map the HDR file determines whether your result will look great or like the aforementioned clown vomit. We’re using Photoshop here because it’s more closely tuned, in my opinion, to achieving real-world results than HDR-specific software like Photomatix. Here, though, personal taste is everything, so if you like your images more or even less saturated and otherworldly than I do here, feel free to experiment, of course. They’re your photos! It also helps to keep an eye on your originals as you’re doing this to make sure you don’t stray too far from reality.
To become a skilled HDR jockey in the tone mapping department, you’ll need to be at least a little bit familiar with two fundamentals of digital imaging that tend to hide in the background for most users—the scary-looking graphs known as histograms and curves, both of which look like they belong in your school text book.
But no need to cower in fear! Watch this video right now to get the basic gist of curves (and also, essentially, histograms).
Now, armed with that knowledge, to tone-mapping!
5. With your 32-bit HDR file open, go to Image -> Mode -> 8 Bits/Channel. This will bring up the tone mapping window, which has four options in the drop-down: Exposure and Gamma, Highlight Compression, Equalize Histogram and Local Adaptation. The first three, to varying degrees, are automatic settings. To say I understand the specific differences between all four would be lying, but I do know this: Local Adaptation is the only one that lets you manually futz with the image curve, giving you the most creative control. Choose that one (but feel free to experiment with the others, of course).
6. Here’s where things get kind of abstract. If you watched your tutorial video, you’ll know you want to use the eyedropper tool to isolate areas of the image you want to work with, then create an anchor point and move that section of the curve into the ligher or darker area of the graph. You can start with the easiest adjustment, which is dragging the lower-left portion of the curve to where the histogram begins—this will make the darkest parts of your image pure black, which you want for good contrast.
7. Your next goal should be to fiddle with a point higher on the curve to make your whites whiter. So grab a point up there and move it into the top portion of the graph until the whites are to your liking in the live preview.
8. And finally, choose a point in the middle and work the midtones. Again, preference is key, but you’ll want something that, in the end, represents a classic S-curve for the best contrast. In the end, you want an image that has black blacks, white whites (but few to zero completely washed out areas), and detail through the midrange. Your image may still look not so good when your curve is done, but that’s OK.
9. The last step in the tone mapping process is to mess with the good ol’ Radius and Threshold sliders. Again, like many things in Photoshop, I have no idea exactly what’s being jiggered here, but these essentially control how HDR-ed out your HDR images will look, if that makes sense. The wrong setting will peg the image’s edge detail, resulting in some yucky looking mess. I like to keep a little bit of blown-out highlights in the image too, to remind everyone it’s still a photo.
So fiddle with these sliders until the live preview looks good in your esteemed opinion. Again, your image won’t look perfect, even now. The object here is to strike the right balance between detail and a natural look.
Toning Your Image Now you have a good old fashioned 8-bit image that contains some elements of all three of your original source files, tone mapped. The final step is applying some of Photoshop’s basic tools used for any photo in order to bring out the most detail possible.
10. First, Levels. Even though you set contrast with your tone curve, you may still be able to fine tune it with levels. So under Image -> Adjustments -> Levels, make sure the black and white sliders are aligned with the left and right edges of your histogram mountain to the extent that it pleases you.
11. Next, Image -> Adjustments -> Shadows/Highlights, one of Photoshop’s most magical tools. Here is where the areas of your image that previously looked too dark will reveal their glorious hidden detail. Slowly raise the Amount and Tonal Width sliders under Shadows until the detail comes out, but not too far into ugly boosted-out territory. Do the same for Highlights.
12. And last, Image -> Adjustments -> Hue/Saturation, where you probably want to boost the Saturation just a little bit to get the colors popping to your liking.
And that’s it! You should now have an HDR image that captures that amazing scene like you remembered it, without the clown vomit!
Like always, knowledge dropped in the comments of our Saturday How-To Guides is essential.Don’t feel like my way is the only way—if you’ve got something constructive to share, please do! Happy HDR-ing this weekend everyone, and please do post your results in the comments. I want to see,
Over at Make, Jason Striegel explains how to turn your DSLR into a pinhole camera using "only need a few things: black paper, aluminum foil, a rubber band, and tape. Really, that’s it."
Apart from the camera itself, of course. The hack is about as simple as these things get — remove the lens, block the hole in the body with a piece of black card (with a hole pre-bored in the center) and cover with foil. Use a pin to punch a tiny hole in this piece of foil. Hey, it’s called a pinhole camera for a reason, OK?
That’s almost it. If your camera can’t take long exposures, set it to bulb (or "b") mode. This lets you hold the shutter release down to keep the shutter open. Striegel uses a ball of scrunched up foil and a rubber band to keep this in place.
Now, put the camera on a tripod or other steady base and take some pictures. You’ll get dreamy images with almost infinite depth of field due to the small aperture. The aperture also means exposures in the minutes, not seconds, of fractions thereof.
Try it out, and be sure to post the results to the Gadget Lab Flickr Pool. I’ll be making one this afternoon.
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
The 
But aside from that, everything else from the 5D Mark II is there: the ability to capture stills while video is rolling, the same slow AF system, etc. In fact, the T1i actually makes some improvements over the Mark II—a quick menu summoned via the SET button can change resolution and video settings easily while you’re shooting, and the movie capture mode has conveniently been moved to its own spot on the mode dial, rather than only being accessible via live view.
In the right hands, 
3. In Photoshop, go to File -> Automate -> Merge to HDR. Select your three images, click “Attempt to Automatically Align Source Images” if you think they may be slightly crooked, and then hit OK. Photoshop will chew on them for a while and then present you with your 32-bit HDR image.
