Shutter Unit

Dengan makin terjangkaunya harga entry level DSLR, hobi fotografi makin banyak diminati dan mulai menjamur di Indonesia. Saya pun termasuk korbannya. ^.^

Saat membeli kamera DSLR, dalam pikiran saya yang masih awam, saya bisa jepret sesuka hati. Toh, tidak menggunakan film, jadi biaya belajar foto murah. Betul, tidak menggunakan film, hingga biaya pembelajaran fotografi lebih murah. Tapi ada satu hal yang tidak terlintas dalam pikiran saya, ternyata shutter unit dari kamera DSLR itu ada usianya. Hingga, suatu hari, saat hunting bersama teman, kameranya tiba-tiba error. Image preview dapat berjalan dengan baik, namun saat pada mode memotret, terdapat pesan error mengenai shutter error.

Apa sih shutter unit ini? shutter unit adalah bagian kamera yang berguna mengatur exposure yang akan diterima oleh sensor. Bekerja dengan  terbuka dan menutup sesuai kecepatan yang kita set pada kamera contoh 1/4000 detik, maka shutter akan menutup dengan kecepatan 1/4000 second.

Penggunaan shutter ini tercatat dalam data exif dari setiap image yang telah terekam. Data ini dapat dilihat dengan menggunakan software seperti xN view.

DSLR entry level diuji hingga 50 ribu kali jepret, dan DSLR prosumer bisa dipakai tanpa masalah hingga 100 ribu kali memotret. Untuk level pro diatas 150 ribu kali jepret tanpa masalah. Mungkin angka ini variatif untuk berbagai merek vendor.

Hal yang dapat membuat shutter unit mogok kerja adalah:

• Penggunaan shutter speed yang tinggi, shutter akan bekerja lebih keras.
• Burst, alias continues shooting, shutter Anda juga bekerja keras.

Bila Anda punya habit, jepret aja bleh.. nah, mungkin mulai sekarang sudah mulai diperhatikan, mind before shoot, selain membuat Anda lebih profesional dalam mengambil angle dan moment, Anda juga merawat kamera DSLR kesayangan Anda.

Info tambahan, di internet, saya temukan, penggantian shutter berkisar 100-200 USD (Canon), saya belum riset untuk price kamera lainnya (kebetulan saja saya menggunakan canon)

New Canon 600D

Introduction
Canon 600D is 550D with articulated screen plus EOS 60D features. Canon 600D is a 'Basic +', simple, image adjustment with which the user can change the look of their images and adjust background blur without the need for very technical.

600D is also accompanied by '60D Creative Filters', such as toy camera, fisheye and miniature fake-looks. 600D can also set up off-camera flashes wirelessly, including the Speedlite 320EX and 270EX II.

Changes were also made ​​in the automatic mode pointer icon, changed from the 'green box' to 'A +', which according to Canon, this mode will analyze scene in the camera and adjust exposure parameters and better image-processing and produce more accurate color output.

Continuing with the theme, beginner-friendly, 600D come with guide that will display a brief description of the functions to help beginners learn to use it.

In terms of video capturing, 600D provides the stitching ability to add movie soundtrack. So we do not need to do video editing again.

Which is unchanged, still using the sensor 600D 18MP APS-C CMOS. So in terms of image quality, there has been no renewal.

Can be concluded, 600D camera with features that are very nice on entry level, we can say "the disparate is thin" when compared to the EOS 60D. (More difference in terms of ergonomics and handling).


Specification

Body material	Stainless Steel and polycarbonate resin with glass fiber
Sensor	• 18.7 million effective pixels • 18.0 million total pixels • 22.3 x 14.9 mm CMOS sensor • RGB Color Filter Array • Built-in low-pass filter with self cleaning unit • 3:2 aspect ratio
Dust reduction	• Low-pass filter vibration at power-on (can be interrupted) • Anti-static coating on sensor surfaces • Software based dust-removal (camera maps dust, removed later)
Image sizes *	RAW • 5184 x 3456 JPEG  3:2 • 5184 x 3456 • 3456 x 2304 • 2592 x 1728 • 1920 x 1280 * • 720 x 480 *4:3 * • 4608 x 3456 • 3072 x 2304 • 2304 x 1728 • 1696 x 1280 • 640 x 480 16:9 * • 5184 x 2912 • 3456 x 1944 • 2592 x 1456 • 1920 x 1080 • 720 x 400 1:1 * • 3456 x 3456 • 2304 x 2304 • 1728 x 1728 • 1280x1280 • 480 x 480
Still image formats	• RAW (.CR2 14-bit) • RAW (.CR2 14-bit) + JPEG Large / Fine • JPEG (EXIF 2.3) * - Fine, Normal
Movie recording *	• 1920 x 1080 (1080p, 16:9) @ 30/25/24 fps • 1280 x 720 (720p, 16:9) @ 60/50 fps • 640 x 480 (4:3) @ 60/50 fps • Quicktime MOV format (H.264 compression, linear PCM audio) • Up to 29 min 59 sec (or max file size 4 GB)
Image processor	DIGIC 4
Lenses	• Canon EF / EF-S lens mount • 1.6x field of view crop
Focus modes	• Auto Focus • Manual Focus (switch on lens)
Auto Focus	• 9-point CMOS sensor  • F5.6 cross-type at center, extra sensitivity at F2.8 • AF working range: -0.5 to 18 EV (at 23°C, ISO 100) • Predictive AF up to 8m
AF modes	• AI Focus • One Shot • AI Servo
AF point selection	• Auto • Manual
AF assist	Flash strobe
Shooting modes	• Scene Intelligent Auto • Flash off • Creative Auto • Portrait • Landscape • Close-up • Sports • Night portrait • Movie • Program AE (P) • Shutter priority AE (Tv) • Aperture priority AE (Av) • Manual (M) • Auto depth-of-field
Metering	• TTL 63-zone SPC • Metering range: EV 1.0 - 20 EV (at 23°C, ISO 100, 50 mm F1.4)
Metering modes	• Evaluative 63-zone (linked to AF points) • Partial 9% at center • Spot 4% at center • Center-weighted average
AE Lock	AE lock button
AE Bracketing	• +/- 2.0 EV (3 shots) • 0.5 or 0.3 EV increments
Exposure compen.	• +/- 5.0 EV • 0.5 or 0.3 EV increments
Sensitivity	• Auto (100 - 6400) • ISO 100 • ISO 200 • ISO 400 • ISO 800 • ISO 1600 • ISO 3200 • ISO 6400 • H1 expansion (ISO 12800 equiv.) • Highlight tone priority
Shutter	• Focal-plane shutter • 30 - 1/4000 sec (0.5 or 0.3 EV steps) • Flash X-Sync: 1/200 sec • Bulb
Aperture values	• F1.0 - F91 (0.3 EV steps) • Actual aperture range depends on lens used
White balance	• Auto  • Daylight  • Shade  • Cloudy  • Tungsten  • Fluorescent  • Flash  • Custom
WB Bracketing	• +/-3 levels • 3 images • Selectable Blue/Amber or Magenta/Green bias
WB fine-tuning	• Blue (-9) to Amber (+9) • Magenta (-9) to Green (+9)
Color space	• sRGB • Adobe RGB
Picture style	• Standard • Portrait • Landscape • Neutral • Faithful • Monochrome • User 1  • User 2 • User 3
Custom image parameters	• Sharpness: 0 to 7 • Contrast: -4 to +4 • Saturation: -4 to +4 • Color tone: -4 to +4 • B&W filter: N, Ye, Or, R, G • B&W tone: N, S, B, P, G
Image processing	• Highlight Tone Priority • Auto Lighting Optimizer - 4 settings • Long exposure noise reduction • High ISO speed noise reduction • Peripheral illumination correction • Basic+ (Shoot by ambience selection, Shoot by lighting or scene type) * • Creative filters (Grainy B/W, Soft focus, Toy camera, Miniature effect, Fish-eye) - during image Playback only *
Drive modes	• Single • Continuous: 3.7 fps up to 34 Large/Fine JPEG / 6 RAW frames • Self-timer 10 secs (2 sec with mirror lock-up)  • Self-timer continuous
Mirror lockup	Yes (custom function)
Viewfinder	• Pentamirror • 95% frame coverage • Magnification: 0.85x (-1 diopter with 50 mm lens at infinity) • Eyepoint: 19 mm • Dioptric adjustment: -3.0 to +1.0 diopter • Fixed precision matte
Viewfinder info	• AF information (AF points focus confirmation light) • Shutter speed • Aperture value • ISO speed (always displayed) • AE lock • Exposure level/compensation • Spot metering circle • Exposure warning • AEB • Flash ready • High-speed sync • FE lock • Flash exposure compensation • Red-eye reduction light • White balance correction • SD card information • Monochrome shooting • Maximum burst • Highlight tone priority
DOF preview	Yes, button
LCD monitor *	• Vari-angle 3.0" 3:2 TFT LCD * • 1,040,000 dots • Approx 100% coverage • Wide viewing angle (170° horizontal and vertical)  • Dual anti-reflection, anti-smudge • 7 brightness levels • Up to 10x zoom playback
LCD Live view	• Live TTL display of scene from CMOS image sensor • Approx 99% frame coverage (30 fps display rate) • Real-time evaluative metering using CMOS image sensor • Grid optional (thirds) • Live Histogram optional • Magnify optional (5x or 10x at any point on the screen) • Quick or Live mode autofocus
Record review	• Uses last play mode  • Magnification possible  • 2 / 4 / 8 sec / Hold
Flash *	• Auto pop-up E-TTL II auto flash • Guide number approx 13 • Modes: Auto, Manual Flash On/ Off, Red-Eye Reduction • Integrated Speedlite Transmitter, wireless multi-flash support * • X-Sync: 1/200 sec  • Flash exposure compensation: +/-2.0 EV (0.3 or 0.5 EV steps) • Coverage up to 17 mm focal length (27 mm FOV equiv.)
External flash	• E-TTL II auto flash with EX-series Speedlites • Hot-shoe
Other features	• Orientation sensor • In-camera copyright information • Image rating (0-5 stars) *  • Automatically writes FAT16/FAT32 depending on capacity
Auto rotation	• On (playback uses orientation data in file header) • Off
Playback mode	• Single image • Single image with info (histogram brightness / RGB ) • Magnified view (1.5 - 10x in 15 steps, browsable) • 4 and 9 image index • Auto play • Image rotation • Jump (by 10, 100 or date)
Custom functions *	11 custom functions with 34 settings
Menu languages *	• English • German • French • Dutch • Danish • Portuguese • Finnish • Italian • Norwegian • Swedish • Spanish • Greek • Russian • Polish • Czech • Hungarian • Romanian • Ukrainian • Turkish • Arabic • Thai • Simplified Chinese • Traditional Chinese • Korean • Japanese
Firmware	User upgradable
Connectivity	• USB 2.0 (Hi-Speed) • Video out (PAL / NTSC) (integrated with USB terminal) • HDMI mini output (HDMI-CEC) • E3 type wired remote control • Remote Controller RC-6 • External microphone (3.5mm Stereo mini jack
Audio	• Mono microphone on front • Mono speaker on rear • External stereo mike (optional)
Storage	• SD / SDHC /SDXC cards
Power	• Lithium-Ion LP-E8 rechargeable battery • Approx 440 shots (23°C AE 50%, FE 50%), CIPA standard • 4 level battery life display • Optional ACK-E8 AC adapter kit
Battery Grip	Yes, BG-E8
Direct printing	• Canon Selphy Printers  • Canon Bubble Jet Printers with direct print function • Canon PIXMA Printers supporting PictBridge  • PictBridge
Dimensions *	133.1 x 99.5 x 79.7 mm (5.2 x 3.9 x 3.1 in)
Weight (inc batt/card) *	570 g (1.26 lb)
Software	• Zoom Browser EX / ImageBrowser  • Digital Photo Professional (Windows / Mac)  • PhotoStitch • EOS Utility (inc. Remote Capture; Windows & Mac except Mac Intel)  • Picture Style Editor

(source dpreview.com)

Panning - Motion Feel

Panning is a photographic technique used to capture the effect movement of the object. Commonly used for sports photography. With the swing that follows the movement of the rotating object, we can capture the object and make the background blur that makes us feel the movement of the object.

These tips and terms
Tv or S mode, or shutter priority, where we manually set the speed of the shutter, and the camera will automatically adjust the aperture.

Setting the AF or AI Servo Auto Focus or C (Continues Focus) (the term may be different on different cameras)

Setting Speed ​​No exact formula for this, depending on the habits and movements of the object itself. There are comfortable with high speed is more accustomed to the lower kecepetan. Advantage at high speed (1/60) is the risk of blur on the opposite axis of the direction of panning (eg, panning direction is horizontal, then the opposite direction is vertical) can be reduced.

Swing, after all prepared, do swing to follow the movement of the object and click, capture your object.

Tripod or monopod, use this tool to get more clear on the object. When using a tripod, make sure the tripod has a head with the facility to lock the horizontal axis.

Tips Lens, you can use any type of lens. To note, when using a zoom lens, a little movement can cause motion blur on objects. In addition, when the autofocus of the lens is slow, do prefocusing at the location where you want to catch the object, before you shoot the object.

Tips Location, avoid high backlight, use the location of a rich background colors to add more motion effects.

Tips on practicing, use the first large object, like a car to practice swing.

Dry Box - DIY

Making your own dry box is actually very straight forward. Firs tof all, you will need to prepare the following items:

1. A container. A air-tight, transparent container is recommended as we do not want any humid air to enter the container and a transparent box means some light can still go on hindering fungus growth.
2. A humidity level gauge or better known as a hydrometer. It’s a vital device that tells you how dry the container is. Most of the hydrometer sold today includes temperature reading too. You can get a decent one from Shashinki at RM 76.
3. A dehumidifier agent. You can get silica gels in the market or maybe even buy those meant for keeping clothes dry like ‘thirsty hippo’ and such. If you are going to buy thirsty hippo then it requires you to replace it from time to time. The cheaper way is to actually use silica gels.

Going the silica gels way

When the silica gels absorbed all the water that it possibly could, it will turn pink. You may re-use/recycle them by putting them into the microwave, heating them up thus removing the stored water/moisture within. The gels will turn back to blue when it’s dried. Just make sure that you are on guard when the heating process is performed! We do not want anything silly to happen. If the process is done properly, you make re-use them virtually forever.

Or if you would like to save the hassle or do not have a microwave/oven at home, you can get a Electronic Moisture Absorber at RM 46.

How to put things together

1. Put a layer of bubble plastic wrap as a cushion for your gears inside the plastic container.
2. Drill a hole if needed to connect the hydrometer sensor into the container.
3. Place the dehumidifier elements in the container.
4. It’s just like that! You are done.

Monitoring the humidity level

It’s a manual job and that’s the dangerous part of the entire idea actually. An typical electronic drybox would automatically maintain the humidity level by itself but a custom made one here would require you to maintain it yourself.

You should maintain the relative humidity level at the range of 40-50% for camera equipments. You will need to add or reduce silica gels to achieve that level.

Cost

It’s the cost that make your want to DIY! And here’s the estimated breakdown.

A decent hydrometer : RM 76.
Electronic moisture absorber : RM 46.
A decent air tight plastic container (40L): RM 100.
Total: RM 222.

As a comparison, a decent AIPO 38L electronic automatically regulated dry cabinet costs RM 418.

 (source: http://www.mylensdb.com/making-your-own-diy-dry-box/)