Steve J.Wilson's Articles http://www.articleheaven.net en-us editorial@articlealley.com PC versus MAC The central question for everyone wishing to buy a computer is "Do I buy a Mac or a PC?" The main practical difference between PC-compatibles and Apple Macs is that Macs are far easier to use. This is due to the fact that the operating system (OS), which ... http://www.articleheaven.net/pc-versus-mac-1400178.html 16th February 2010 Understanding How Printers Work Digital printers place inks or pigments at precisely determined points on a substrate, such as paper or cardboard. The dominant printer technologies in use are the laser and the ink-jet, with other types, such as dye-sublimation, available in far fewer nu... http://www.articleheaven.net/understanding-how-printers-work-1400177.html 16th February 2010 Understanding How Computers Work I At the heart of digital photography is the computer, yet when you open a computer you find mostly air and a board with a- few tiny items attached. The most remarkable fact about this assembly of items is that if there is the slightest fault in any one of ... http://www.articleheaven.net/understanding-how-computers-work-i-1400168.html 16th February 2010 Different Printers Models Ink-jet printer Typical of modem ink-jet printers, this model takes a variety of papers on a nearly straight paper path and is simple to use, but good prints need several minutes to output. Canon BJC 85 This is a compact and lightweight printer that ... http://www.articleheaven.net/different-printers-models-1400167.html 16th February 2010 Different Printer Models & Checking Printer Output Multipurpose laser For a small business or home office, a laser machine that can print, scan, fax, and copy - all in one unit - is an economical, space-saving solution. Image quality may not be of the highest, but modern machines provide print output sui... http://www.articleheaven.net/different-printer-models--checking-printer-output-1400166.html 16th February 2010 Random Additional Software & Installing Software Basics Publisher Optimized for business design needs and so is relatively easy to use. It is provided with numerous templates and guides to aid design. QuarkXPress Powerful, industry-standard software that works rapidly and efficiently. It is well worth ma... http://www.articleheaven.net/random-additional-software--installing-software-basics-1400162.html 16th February 2010 Additional Software - DTP & Fonts & Clip - Art DTP Desktop publishing (DTP) software enables you to design page-based products with greater ease than working with word-processing applications - however powerful the word-processor. DTP applications enable you to handle pictures and type flexibly and f... http://www.articleheaven.net/additional-software--dtp--fonts--clip--art-1400144.html 16th February 2010 Additional Software - Anti-virus Protection Modern photographers need to be multiskilled -able not only to visualize a photograph, but also capable of handling the computer resources required to make the most of the resulting images. The remarkable fact is that, for a relatively modest outlay, anyo... http://www.articleheaven.net/additional-software--antivirus-protection-1399896.html 16th February 2010 Adobe Photoshop & Other Image Editors Adobe Photoshop Ease-of-use is not the first feature that Photoshop is noted for, but that is what experienced users most appreciate. The reason is that it is easy to customize Adobe Photoshop so that working with its numerous features can be highly stre... http://www.articleheaven.net/adobe-photoshop--other-image-editors-1399895.html 16th February 2010 Basics To Know When Choosing The Best Software It is likely that with the purchase of your digital camera, scanner, or computer, you will have all the software you need to make a start in digital photography. In addition to the utility software that enables your computer, digital camera, and scanner t... http://www.articleheaven.net/basics-to-know-when-choosing-the-best-software-1399891.html 16th February 2010 Specialist Film Scanners For the digital photographer, a specialist film scanner represents the best balance of features and quality. Modern film scanners can provide excellent-quality results at a very reasonable cost, producing reproduction-ready scans for a fraction of the cos... http://www.articleheaven.net/specialist-film-scanners-1399889.html 16th February 2010 Different Scanner Models Microtek flat-bed scanner - typical of numerous flat-bed scanners, this model produces excellent results from prints, is easy and quick to operate, and is reliable. Scanmaker X6 - an inexpensive 600 x 1,200 ppi scanner from Microtek working with a SC... http://www.articleheaven.net/different-scanner-models-1399887.html 16th February 2010 LCD screens & LCD monitors LCD screen In an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) screen, the crucial element is the liquid crystal itself - a liquid or semi-liquid material whose molecules behave like crystals when subjected to the influence of an electrical field. Due to their structure,... http://www.articleheaven.net/lcd-screens--lcd-monitors-1399438.html 16th February 2010 How Colour Monitors Work There are two main methods of producing the monitor through which we control the computer and assess images before printing them out. Both require extremely high levels of precision in manufacture and sophisticated control. Cathode-ray tube CRT, or Ca... http://www.articleheaven.net/how-colour-monitors-work-1399436.html 16th February 2010 Studio Lighting – Accessories II Slave units In the usual set-up, the flash connected to the camera is the master light. When this unit fires, sensors, known as "slaves", attached to any other lights, fire their-flash units in synchronization. This removes the need for all flash units ... http://www.articleheaven.net/studio-lighting--accessories-ii-1399435.html 16th February 2010 Studio Lighting – Accessories I Studio flash units consist of a delicate, gas-filled glass tube with wire wrapped round it. When electricity is discharged into the wire, the gas in the tube is excited and emits a burst of intense light. A power unit is used to build up the necessary cha... http://www.articleheaven.net/studio-lighting--accessories-i-1399273.html 16th February 2010 The best lighting for photography The best lighting for photography on nearly all occasions is natural light. However, there will be times when daylight needs to be supplemented or you need to provide all the light yourself. The most convenient and readily available source of supplementar... http://www.articleheaven.net/the-best-lighting-for-photography-1399244.html 16th February 2010 Different Specialist Film Models Silver-based films are made up of layers of silver-halide crystals sensitive to wavelengths of, mostly, visible light. However, it is possible to sensitize film to wavelengths such as infrared. Film layers must also be balanced for a specific white balanc... http://www.articleheaven.net/different-specialist-film-models-1399238.html 16th February 2010 Choosing The Best Film II Colour Modern 100-speed films give a superb balance of image quality with speed. Nonetheless, 400-speed films are excellent and produce results in which the loss of sharpness and increase in graininess is acceptable. However, contrast is higher and the s... http://www.articleheaven.net/choosing-the-best-film-ii-1399225.html 16th February 2010 Choosing The Best Film I There are two film speeds commonly used: 100-speed (ISO 100/21°), for work where image quality matters and the lighting and circumstances allow its use; and 400-speed (ISO 400/27°), where light levels are low or short shutter times are required but not ... http://www.articleheaven.net/choosing-the-best-film-i-1399222.html 16th February 2010 The Concept of Pixels and Film Grain The picture elements (pixels) of a digital image are usually arranged in a regular array of uniformly coloured squares as to be individually invisible. In film-based images, picture elements are sometimes randomly arranged grains or clouds of dye, also co... http://www.articleheaven.net/the-concept-of-pixels-and-film-grain-1398622.html 16th February 2010 Differences Between Film and Digital The modern, film-based single lens reflex (SLR) camera is a complex of electronics, mechanics, and ultra high-precision optics. A major part of its operation is concerned with winding-on and rewinding the film - in the camera illustrated here, a motor per... http://www.articleheaven.net/differences-between-film-and-digital-1398621.html 16th February 2010 Film-Based SLR Cameras The single most important feature of the design of the single lens reflex (SLR) camera is that it allows you to view the subject through the actual picture-taking lens. This means that no matter what lens is attached to the camera - whether it is a 17mm u... http://www.articleheaven.net/filmbased-slr-cameras-1398620.html 16th February 2010 Different Film-Based SLR Camera Models & Accessories Canon EOS 3000 - a compact, lightweight yet capable camera offering a full range of operation modes with sophisticated metering and multi-zone autofocusing. - its pop-up flash is useful for providing fill-in lighting. - dial-operated setting selection ... http://www.articleheaven.net/different-filmbased-slr-camera-models--accessories-1398619.html 16th February 2010 Understanding How to Choose the Best Lenses The quality of the image projected by the camera's lens sets the upper limit of the image quality you obtain from your camera. If you have an inferior image - one that is not perfectly focused, for example - no increase in the number of pixels you employ ... http://www.articleheaven.net/understanding-how-to-choose-the-best-lenses-1398618.html 16th February 2010 Different Lenses Models for Digital Cameras Leica 35mm - This lens is very fast, offers top-class image quality in low light, but is large and heavy. - Fields of view - as focal lengths become longer, fields of view become narrower and narrower. Sigma 14mm - A wide-angle for the 35mm format, ... http://www.articleheaven.net/different-lenses-models-for-digital-cameras-1398617.html 16th February 2010 he Concept of Zoom Lenses Zoom lenses (those in which focal length and, hence, the field of view can be adjusted without affecting focus) are fitted almost universally to non-SLR digital cameras. Not only are these zoom lenses convenient for the photographer - they provide a choic... http://www.articleheaven.net/he-concept-of-zoom-lenses-1398616.html 16th February 2010 Different Specialist Lenses Models In return for their high price, specialist lenses can make a huge difference to your photography. With all these lenses, however, an SLR is essential. Shift/tilt lenses The optical elements of a shift lens are mounted on a mechanism that allows the le... http://www.articleheaven.net/different-specialist-lenses-models-1398612.html 16th February 2010 Random Specialist Lenses Models Leica shift lens This is a high-quality wide-angle lens with the ability to shift the image circle up, down, or across the centre of the film format in order to reduce, say, the foreground without having to tilt the camera. Shift views With the camer... http://www.articleheaven.net/random-specialist-lenses-models-1398609.html 16th February 2010 Camera Accessories - Exposure Meters & Tripods & Bags Small items can make a big difference to how your camera handles and greatly improve the quality and scope of your photography. Exposure meters While almost all cameras made today have built-in exposure meters, some photographers still rely on hand-he... http://www.articleheaven.net/camera-accessories--exposure-meters--tripods--bags-1398607.html 16th February 2010 Camera Accessories - Waterproofing, Power Packs & Digital Image Storage Waterproofing A waterproof camera housing is essential in situations such as shooting from a canoe or when sailing - not just if total immersion is likely. Power packs The power capacity in cameras and flash units is necessarily a compromise between ... http://www.articleheaven.net/camera-accessories--waterproofing-power-packs--digital-image-storage-1398606.html 16th February 2010 Film-Based Cameras If your requirement is for a film-based camera, relying on a scanner to create digital image files, you are spoiled for choice in terms of camera size, features, degrees of automation, and price. The least expensive, most compact, and easiest cameras t... http://www.articleheaven.net/filmbased-cameras-1398602.html 16th February 2010 The World of Sensor Technology Practically all microprocessor and memory chips are sensitive to light and so are normally protected by light-tight covers. There are several varieties of CCD and CMOS devices used in digital cameras, and although they do not differ in the basic principle... http://www.articleheaven.net/the-world-of-sensor-technology-1398601.html 16th February 2010 Different Digital Camera Models The digital camera that is best for you depends on what you want to do with the images. If you only want to make small-sized prints or send images via emails, then a basic model is best. Basic digital cameras For many purposes, a basic digital camer... http://www.articleheaven.net/different-digital-camera-models-1398596.html 16th February 2010 Different 3-Plus Megapixel Digital Cameras 3-Plus-Megapixel Model - with a two-section body that allows the lens to be swivelled and excellent optical quality that is outstanding close-up, this camera has become a popular choice. - when choosing a camera, test all its features - this main swit... http://www.articleheaven.net/different-3plus-megapixel-digital-cameras-1398595.html 16th February 2010 3-Plus Megapixel Digital Camera Model With a 3.3-megapixel digital camera you have really crossed over into the realms of professional-quality image-making. Cameras in this category are capable of producing good-quality ink-jet prints up to A4 size, or even greater. If work requires the type ... http://www.articleheaven.net/3plus-megapixel-digital-camera-model-1398593.html 16th February 2010 SLR Digital Cameras The single lens reflex (SLR) design, in which the lens that projects the image for recording is the same as that used to view and focus the subject, is the most versatile available. With digital cameras, however, there are now two different types of SLR. ... http://www.articleheaven.net/slr-digital-cameras-1398592.html 16th February 2010 Studio Digital Cameras Professional quality in digital cameras is not defined only in terms of very high image resolutions. Part of the definition also has to do with equipment reliability - the general build quality that is required to ensure that the highest levels of operati... http://www.articleheaven.net/studio-digital-cameras-1398589.html 16th February 2010 Studio Digital Camera & Accessories Professional studio model - MegaVision S3 Pro - This 6-megapixel digital back is available to fit most medium-format cameras. For location work, the back can be tethered to a power pack with disk drive. - Digital backs allow medium-format cameras to be ... http://www.articleheaven.net/studio-digital-camera--accessories-1398587.html 16th February 2010 Random Camera Accessories Combined exposure meter - professional exposure meters can measure flash as well as ambient light and accept a range of accessories. Spot meter - for the most precise measurement of light a hand-held spot meter is needed. Simple meter - a simple ... http://www.articleheaven.net/random-camera-accessories-1398586.html 16th February 2010