Using a camera flash always comes in handy when shooting images indoors, during the night or on a cloudy day. They can bring out the best in a darker, dimmer photo - often capturing elements in a scene that the human eye would not normally recognise. Not only does it light up and brighten a deep, dark situation, it also brings focus and sharpness to the final image. The team at Kirk’s Cameras are often asked many questions about how to use the camera flash, and we would love to share some of our flash secrets with you today. Read on to find out some basic tips on using the flash to enhance your photos beautifully.

It is highly important to know the advantages of using the flash on your camera. These include:
Versatility - the quality of light may be adjusted various ways to suit you.
Portability - most flashguns can fit inside your pocket or in a small bag and are easily portable. Adjustability - brightness may be changed according to the distance from subject and lens aperture that is required.

It is also, however, important to recognise and work with the disadvantages of using a flash. These include:
Limited range - most flashes have a range of only a few meters, meaning less coverage.
Short duration - this limits the range of shutter speeds.
Heavy battery consumption - this limits the time you have to capture the perfect picture.

One of our very first tips to remember is to choose a flashgun that is right for you and your camera. The main types of flashguns include Hot Shoe Mounted, Bounce flash, Hammerhead flash, Ringflash and Slave flash. These all range in requirements and skill levels, and it is best to speak to a professional about your needs prior to purchasing - ensure that it is right for you!

Shutter speed plays a huge role in making the most of your flash, only working well at certain shutter speeds available on your camera. For example, if the shutter speed is set faster than your flash sync speed, you risk having only part of the picture frame exposed. It is also important to adjust the aperture, which controls all of the light entering the lens.

For something a little different, try using the flash on a lovely sunny day. Often a burst of flash can eliminate unwanted shadows on your subject’s face. It can make an image appear more natural, and light it up perfectly for the environment. Making the most of a camera flash is all about experimenting, so be sure to carry your camera everywhere, and practice, practice, practice!

If you would love a not-so-technical alternative to a DSLR camera, the PowerShot G11 can provide you with some of the best results possible! The PowerShot G11 delivers superior image quality with a 10.0 megapixel High-Sensitivity CCD sensor offering amazing low light capability - capturing images at DSLR-like standards.

The PowerShot G11 features a 28mm wide angle lens, 5x zoom with Optical Image Stabilizer and RAW mode, you can enjoy complete flexibility when editing and manipulating your photos. It is perfect for those photographers yearning for complete creative control; and taking stunning images at the same time with little effort. Some more of the features for this awesome new camera include:
 
- 10.0 megapixels with a High-Sensitivity CCD sensor delivers outstanding quality images in low light whilst reducing noise and blur
- A Dual Anti-Noise System expands the range of shooting situations by reducing noise and highlight blowouts, preventing blurring and making low light shooting possible
- Genuine Canon 5x optical zoom lens, helping you to take clear close-ups
- 28mm wide-angle lens allows you to shoot beautiful landscapes or capture great group shots
- RAW image recording giving you the highest image quality with complete flexibility during processing
- Optical Image Stabilizer for crisp shots even at high zoom or in low-light conditions without flash
- High resolution 2.8” Vari-angle LCD screen wide viewing angle allows you to capture the perfect shot at any angle 
- Low Light Mode ensures perfect shots are captured even in low-lit scenarios
- Get creative with your photography and enjoy full flexibility with manual control

To find out more about the Canon PowerShot G11, give the camera experts from Kirk’s Cameras a call today, and we will provide you with all of the information that you need!

Ideal for those new to macro and DSLR photography, the AF-S DX MICRO NIKKOR 85MM F/3.5G VR boasts a 1:1 reproduction ratio, allowing photographers to get close-up to more intricate textures and details. This lens is perfect for subjects such as flower petals, fabric textures and even the wings of a butterfly. The VR II system provides both a steady viewfinder image for sharper results at slow shutter speeds or when shooting movie clips. Here are some more specifications of the AF-S DX MICRO NIKKOR 85MM F/3.5G VR:

• Closest focusing distance of 0.286 m/0.9 ft.
• Optical system featuring an Extra-low Dispersion glass element is optimized for DX-format DSLRs.
• Vibration Reduction (VR II) enables sharper pictures while shooting at shutter speeds up to four stops slower than would otherwise be possible
• Silent Wave Motor (SWM) guarantees fast, quiet AF operation
• Two focus modes
• IF (Internal Focusing) enables focusing without changing the length of lens barrel

• Medium-telephoto 85mm Micro Lens 

Come on in to Kirk’s Cameras today, to speak to a camera specialist about the AF-S DX MICRO NIKKOR 85MM F/3.5G and its abilities. We can also show you a great range of DSLR cameras, in stock today and ready for Christmas!

The Nikon Coolpix P90 is a fantastic new compact digital camera model that offers extended reach, wide-angle coverage, the intuitive ease of advanced shooting functions and outstanding performance. So, if the jump from point-and-shoot to DSLR is too big for you, have a go at this marvel!

With a powerful 24x Optical Zoom, this fun new camera can help you take pictures as close up as 1cm to the subject! You also have the option of high-speed continuous shooting at up to 45 shots at 15 frames per second, making this camera a great option for families playing sports on the weekend!

The Nikon Coolpix P90 has a large 12.1 megapixel sensor, equal to some of the best DSLR cameras available. This digital camera is able to take 26mm wide angle shots, to please any photographer. The camera also sports many other exciting features such as a 3 inch tilt LCD screen, HD movie mode and CCD VR Stabiliser. A list of features include:

Come on in to Kirk’s Cameras today, and we will show you the exciting new Nikon Coolpix P90!

Many of our customers come in looking for a digital SLR camera, and find that it is too much of a jump from point-and-shoot style cameras. Nikon has released it’s Coolpix L100 digital camera, which is an exciting and suprising alternative to purchasing a DSLR if you’re not quite ready. Let’s look at what is captivating about this brand new camera…

The Nikon Coolpix L100 features the freedom of a 15x Zoom-NIKKOR lens, enabling you to get incredibly close to your subject without distortion and in beautiful quality. Covering 28mm Wide-Angle to 420mm Super-Telephoto shooting, the lens’ broad focal range can readily handle everything from landscapes to tight close-ups. This feature alone enables avid entry-level photographers to adapt to a high-quality zoom lens effectively.

The Coolpix L100 also features a large 10.0 megapixel sensor, to help you capture images with rich, high quality results. An optimised processing system has been introduced to produce fine details and subtle tones, delivering quick response time. A new Sport Continuous Mode can take as many as 30 consecutive pictures at the speed of 13 frames per second.

So, if you are looking to further your skills and take some awesome shots, come on in to Kirk’s and we will arrange a demonstration of the Coolpix L100 just for you today!

Have you seen pictures of Nikon’s Coolpix P6000? Looks a little like a DSLR, doesn’t it? Well - it’s not! The new compact camera is class-leading technology, with abilities of a DSLR. If you are looking to become more professional, this compact and talented camera is the one for you!

The Nikon Coolpix P6000 includes a massive 13.5 megapixel image sensor, capturing the finest details with sharp resolution. A 4x NIKKOR zoom lens covers focal lengths from a wide 28mm, delivering sharpness and precision throughout its entire range. Finally, a processing system based on Nikon’s original EXPEED digital image-processing concept quickly delivers the best results with perfect colours and tones. Here are some more specifications from the Coolpix P6000… 

All this - and much more! Visit Kirk’s Cameras in Ringwood to discover more about this modern, compact camera today!

When purchasing your new DSLR camera, it is important that you know what you need, and for what purpose you need it. Every single lens camera bought in a kit - whether digital or standard - comes with a ‘Kit Lens’. However, for our eager photographers, this kit lens may not be quite what you’re after - you may need to investigate your options of purchasing a specialty lens.

What is a ‘Kit Lens’? A kit lens is a starter lens sold bundled with a DSLR or SLR camera. It is generally an reasonably inexpensive lens, with basic qualities, but perfect for a beginner photographer. The kit lens you receive most likely will be a zoom lens, ranging from medium wide-angle to mild telephoto. Some higher end or more expensive DLSRs will not come with a kit lens, as they are expected to be bought separetly.

For a photographer looking to capture a specific style of image, a specialty lens may be the way to go. Specialty lenses are typically broken down into five categories - fast, fish-eye, wide, lensbaby and tilt and shift. A brief knowledge of each can assist you in making a decision.

A fast lens enables you to shoot in low light without compromising your shutter speed, and you can shoot extremely shallow depth of field. Many photographers love shooting landscapes and group shots - a wide lens is perfect, giving you the option of capturing a broad image. Effectively, a fish-eye lens is a super wide lens without the geometric correction - meaning that the edges of the image distort to fit the image in. The lensbaby is mounted onto the end of a bellows, allowing you to tilt the lens to change the centre of focus and create a smeared effect. Finally, the element of a tilt and shift lens can be moved side to side and up and down.

So, when you buy your DSLR camera, you need to know whether to purchase purely the body of the camera, or also the kit lens. Kirk’s Cameras in Ringwood are more than happy to advise you, and point you in the right direction, so come in and visit our team!

Now, for all our avid digital camera enthusiasts who aren’t so keen on the idea of a DSLR camera, Canon has released a digital compact camera with the similarities of a DSLR. The Canon SX1 IS is a sleek, clever and high quality camera, enabling its users to capture images of DSLR standard.

The Canon SX1 IS is almost identical to Canon’s previous model, the major differences hidden within the camera. Excitingly, Canon has introduced a CMOS sensor, replacing the traditional CCD sensor - a sensor saved primarily by Canon for DSLR cameras. In terms of features, the SX1 IS has numerous. The camera includes 10 megapixels, delivering amazing quality prints in up to A2 size, and has full high definition video recording. The 20x optical zoom lens enables users to capture distant objects clearly and crisply, and the 28mm wide-angle lens can assist you in shooting beautiful landscapes or group shots.

Along with these features, the Canon SX1 IS also includes both Face Detection Technology and Motion Detection Technology, along with an astounding 2.8inch LCD screen to view your photos back on. Image quality sits very high for a consumer-level digital camera, giving photographers a clear, colourful and precise image that can be altered with many on-screen functions and abilities. Capturing video footage on the SX1 IS is simple and of a very high standard. You can choose to shoot in black and white, sepia, vivid and many other in-camera display settings, unlike many digital cameras, requesting that you film in standard mode and switch to an effect after capturing the footage.

The Canon SX1 IS is a fantastic camera for those seeking flexibilty, without the ‘DSLR’ stamp. Kirk’s Cameras Ringwood would be more than happy to assist you in investigating this wonderful digital camera, so come on in!