Canon 40D vs Canon 450D / Digital Rebel XSi

It came as quite a shock to many that the lower-priced Canon EOS 450D that was introduced in January 2008 had better specifications in some areas when compared to its more expensive sibling, the Canon 40D which was released not even half a year before in August 2007.

In this post, I attempt to compare and summarize the differences between these two digital SLR cameras from Canon and hopefully, this will help those deciding whether to get the 40D or 450D.

Photoshop Tutorial: Give your photo that infrared look

Here's a quick how-to on converting your photo to an IR (infrared) version.

I got the steps from The Adobe Photoshop CS3 Book for Digital Photographers (by Scott Kelby).

Step 1

Open the photo in Photoshop.

I used the following image of Bryce Canyon, Utah, for this tutorial, courtesy of my pal Low Hor Kwai.

Step 2

In the Layers panel (the default location of which is the bottom right of your Photoshop screen), click the Create new fill or adjustment layer icon, and then click Channel Mixer.

Step 3

Enter the following base settings (these serve as a starting point) in the Channel Mixer dialog:

1. Turn on the Monochrome checkbox.
2. Set the Red channel to -50% (either drag the channel slider or enter the value directly into the box).
3. Set the Green channel to 200%.
4. Set the Blue channel to -50%.

Step 4

Scott explains that Step 4 results in a photo that mimics what you get with a Hoya R72 infrared filter on your lens.

The objective here is to make the sky look almost black, and make the white clouds whiter.

Dragging the sliders around lets you evaluate the effect on the photo.

Enter the following values:

1. Increase the Red channel back to zero. This makes the clouds whiter.
2. Lower the Blue channel to -100%. This makes the blue sky darker.

Step 3 vs Step 4

In the table below, you can observe the impact different values in the Channel Mixer has on the output. The values input in Step 4 results in a much more dramatic infrared photo.

Step 3
Step 4

Add a Color Infrared effect

If you'd like to give a little color to the B&W infrared photos you got out of Step 3 or 4, continue reading.

I'll use the output from Step 4 for the remainder of this section of the tutorial.

Step 5

Duplicate the background layer.

In the Layers panel, click on the Background layer, hold and drag to the Create a new layer icon.

Step 6

Drag the Background copy layer to the top of the layer stack.

Step 7

Do the following for the Background copy layer:

1. Change the layer blend mode to Overlay
2. Lower the Opacity to 50% (or to taste).

Final Results

Output from Step 4 - B&W IR sample

Output from Step 7 - Color IR sample

Original

Nikon D300 Reviews and Samples

Last update: Ketzal Sterling's mini D300 review.

The Nikon D300 was launched worldwide on November 21st, 2007. As the camera makes its way into the hands of excited new owners, we'll be hearing a lot about their impressions of the cameras and enjoying the posted pictures.

Linked here are summaries of user and professional reviews, opinions, tests and feedback on the Nikon D300, as well as sample images, photos and galleries.

Why you shouldn’t use cheap UV lens filters

I've read about the occurrence of weird flare appearing in photos when you have a cheap UV filter on your  lens, but this is the first time I'm able to produce it.

The Best Way to Save Images as JPG / JPEG in Irfanview

You need to know how to properly save images as a JPG or JPEG file in Irfanview because the default options do not give the best quality.

Fuji Finepix S5 Pro Samples

The latest digital SLR camera from FujiFilm promises to deliver images with stunning dynamic range and color, but do the actual results live up to that promise?

Compiled here are links to various Fuji Finepix S5 image samples and galleries that I think do a good job in showcasing the capabilities of the camera. A note will be made where the full-sized photo is available. My thoughts and comments on the pictures are also appended.

Nikon SB-600 Speedlight Reviews, Samples and References

Having recently purchased a Nikon SB-600 Speedlight hotshoe flash, I'll share here my experiences with it. Additionally, I'm compiling annotated links to related user and professional reviews, sample photographs and galleries showcasing the use of this flash, and community / forum discussions.

Nikon D40 vs Nikon D50

When the Nikon D40 was first announced in November 2006, one of the topics most debated about was on the subject of the 6-Megapixel Nikon D40 compared with the Nikon D50 (also a 6 MP camera). It is only logical that this debate continued to rage on various online forums because the D40 is positioned as Nikon's new entry-level digital SLR camera, a position that was previously occupied by the D50.

Important note: It's not clear how much longer the D50 will be made available - Click to view available Nikon D50 configurations

Till today, comparisons are still made between the D40 and the D50 simply because despite having a slew of advantages, the D40 can't quite supplant the D50 in several key areas, and I'll attempt to list the pros and cons of each camera here and summarize the key attributes of each camera that makes it attractive to the target market.

Canon G9 Reviews

Collected here are annotated links to Canon Powershot G9 professional and user reviews, opinions, reports and feedback, sourced from various discussion boards and forums, and review sites.

All about lighting

Here's a personal compilation of lighting for photography techniques and tips that I've found extremely useful. Topics range from the use of ambient or natural light to flash, studio strobes and light modifiers and other equipment.