Chad Emerson

Cleaning decision What the guides support Planning use Blowing before wiping Blowing air across the glass and the mounting surface loosens dust and debris. Two or three blasts, then recheck and repeat if needed. Make the blower the first tool every time, before any cloth touches the glass. Generic glass cleaner Any old glass cleaner…

Effect What the evidence supports Planning use Narrow angle of view A telephoto lens has a narrow angle of view and enlarges distant subjects. Lenses around 80mm or greater are called telephoto. Choose one when you cannot or should not step closer. Expect to frame tighter than your eye suggests. Compression Distant objects appear closer…

Picking up a bulky lens and a slim one, you might guess the bigger one has the bigger number. What is focal length, really? An optical distance in millimetres, not physical length, that sets angle of view and magnification. Sensor size changes the framing you actually get, so the same number behaves differently across camera…

With a compact prime in your left hand and a zoom in your right, the prime vs zoom lens decision comes down to variety: choose the zoom when subjects change, a prime for portraits, dim light or tight budgets. Lens choice follows the body, so start with our guide to the best camera for beginners,…

Sunset shots keep coming out soft. What is a tripod, and will it fix that? Yes, when the blur comes from camera movement: a tripod is a camera support that holds frames steady for long exposures, heavy lenses and matched shots. Tripod choice follows the camera, so if you are still picking a body, read…