Oxford School of Photography

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Tag Archives: Canon EOS 550D

Viewing RAW files in Windows

There is a download now available that makes it possible to view RAW files as thumbnails in Windows, being a Mac user for more than 30 years I didn’t realise this was a problem but a friend in Denmark alerted me to the difficulty, so here is the resolution of that

“Overview

  • The Microsoft Camera Codec Pack enables the viewing of a variety of device-specific file formats in Window Live Photo Gallery as well as other software that is based in Windows Imaging Codecs (WIC).
  • Installing this package will allow supported RAW camera files to be viewable in Windows Explorer.
  • This package is available in both 32-bit (MicrosoftCodecPack_x86.msi) and 64-bit (MicrosoftCodecPack_amd64.msi) versions.
  • The Microsoft Camera Codec Pack provides support for the following device formats:
    • Canon: EOS 1000D (EOS Kiss F in Japan and the EOS Rebel XS in North America), EOS 10D, EOS 1D Mk2, EOS 1D Mk3, EOS 1D Mk4, EOS 1D Mk2 N, EOS 1Ds Mk2, EOS 1Ds Mk3, EOS 20D, EOS 300D (the Kiss Digital in Japan and the Digital Rebel in North America) , EOS 30D, EOS 350D (the Canon EOS Kiss Digital N in Japan and EOS Digital Rebel XT in North America), EOS 400D (the Kiss Digital X in Japan and the Digital Rebel XTi in North America), EOS 40D, EOS 450D (EOS Kiss X2 in Japan and the EOS Rebel XSi in North America), EOS 500D (EOS Kiss X3 in Japan and the EOS Rebel T1i in North America), EOS 550D (EOS Kiss X4 in Japan, and as the EOS Rebel T2i in North America), EOS 50D, EOS 5D, EOS 5D Mk2, EOS 7D, EOS D30, EOS D60, G2, G3, G5, G6, G9, G10, G11, Pro1, S90
    • Nikon: D100, D1H, D200, D2H, D2Hs, D2X, D2Xs, D3, D3s, D300, D3000, D300s, D3X, D40, D40x, D50, D5000, D60, D70, D700, D70s, D80, D90, P6000
    • Sony: A100, A200, A230, A300, A330, A350, A380, A700, A850, A900, DSC-R1
    • Olympus: C7070, C8080, E1, E10, E20, E3, E30, E300, E330, E400, E410, E420, E450, E500, E510, E520, E620, EP1
    • Pentax (PEF formats only): K100D, K100D Super, K10D, K110D, K200D, K20D, K7, K-x, *ist D, *ist DL, *ist DS
    • Leica: Digilux 3, D-LUX4, M8, M9
    • Minolta: DiMage A1, DiMage A2, Maxxum 7D (Dynax 7D in Europe, α-7 Digital in Japan)
    • Epson: RD1
    • Panasonic: G1, GH1, GF1, LX3
    • Download here
  • ©Keith Barnes

On Test: Canon EOS 60D, the mid-range camera

Canon’s latest digital SLR fits neatly between the 550D and the higher-priced 7D in the EOS range. David Kilpatrick finds out how the 60D fares against them…….more from the BJP

The Differences Between Canon and Nikon DSLR cameras | Improve Photography

This article is a touch silly but is the basis for endless discussions or even arguments among photographers. My view is that a camera is just a tool and what you do with it is what matters. Slight differences in performance in one area or another make hardly a jot of difference in the end. Naturally being a Canon user I know they are generally better……..pause for argument to brew from Nikon users,  anyway there are some points here……. most of which are well pointless Read more

 

 

Canon 600D first review

Canon move ever onward, the new 600D is ready for release in March, here is the first review by the very well respected DP review site and there is more from the official Canon site here. It has new features such as the articulated monitor now a standard for new cameras and a whopping 18 megapixels, that will eat up your memory.

Ever since Canon introduced its original ‘Digital Rebel‘ back in August 2003 – famously the first ‘affordable’ digital SLR – the company has continually developed and refined its entry-level line with ever-more-frequent releases, adding in more and more features in the process. So true to form, almost precisely a year to the day after the launch of the Canon EOS Rebel T2i / 550D comes the next model, predictably named the Rebel T3i / EOS 600D. As usual the 550D remains in Canon’s range at a lower price point, with the newly-announced EOS 1100D slotting in beneath it to round off the company’s offerings to entry-level SLR users.

The new kid on the block can most succinctly be described as a 550D with an articulated screen, that also incorporates many of the beginner-friendly features we first saw on the more enthusiast-orientated EOS 60D. Perhaps most notable of these is ‘Basic+’, a simple, results-orientated approach to image adjustments in the scene-based’ exposure modes that allows the user to change the look of their images and control background blur without needing to know anything technical about how this all works. The 600D also gains multi-aspect ratio shooting plus the 60D’s ‘Creative Filters’, a range of effects than can be applied to images after shooting, including toy camera, fisheye and fake-miniature looks. Additionally it can now wirelessly control off-camera flashes, including the Speedlite 320EX and 270EX II announced alongside it.

Photography Competition – “Winter”

This is your chance to win a fantastic Canon 550D SLR camera & other prizes with a total value exceeding £1000, showcase your best images and enter now !

* 1st Prize: Canon 550D SLR (inc 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens Kit), Hama Rexton 150 Camera Bag & x2 8GB Hama High Speed Gold SDHC Cards
* 2nd Prize: Hama Rexton 140 Camera Bag & Hama Traveller Compact Pro Tripod – 163cm
* 3rd Prize: Hama Profil Duo III Tripod – 150cm

The theme for our first photography competition this year is: “Winter”
Closing date for entries is 30th March 2011, the winner will be announced shortly afterwards.

20 Top posts

This is a link to a blog site that you might find useful. It is aimed at those interested in photography but unlike our space is almost entirely devoted to equipment. We are more interested in the ideas surrounding photography than the kit involved. This site offers technical information as well as reports on the hands on experience of shooting with particular types of cameras.

Here is a list of the top five posts

The Definitive Guide to Stabilising Your Camera for Crisper Shots Read more: The Definitive Guide to Stabilising Your Camera for Crisper Shots

In our camera based courses we always say the first thing you have to learn is how to hold your camera still, without doing so your pictures will be unsharp or soft.
Camera shake is a problem that almost every photographer is going to experience. Sometimes there’s just nothing you can do, but in most cases there are a few tricks you can use to get a little bit of extra stability. Here are some things you might like to think about, next time you get jolted out of a perfectly focused shot.

Read more: The Definitive Guide to Stabilising Your Camera for Crisper Shots