Tips On Buying Used Notebook

Important Tips on Buying A Used Notebook

Not all of us are being lucky to afford new laptop. Nowadays, the price range of medium - powered laptop is around RM 2,000 to RM 3,000.

Buying a Used Notebook will be one of the best ways to save money if you know how.

1. Make sure it is legal.
Make very sure that what you are buying is legal.

Unless you are buying from a shop, always ask for their IC and the bill. Make sure the name on the bill matches their IC.

You could also check the user name in the Systems Configuration to make sure the unit belongs to them.

If in doubt, do not buy it as it’s against the law to own a stolen item!

2. Determine the right price.
My rule of thumb is to always check the current market price.

Do not look at the old price on the bill. The old price on the bill does not reflect the current market price and it is still very expensive if your got it for half the old price.

What is important is it must be at least half the current market price unless you are willing to pay for it.

3. Check for warranty.
It would be best if the unit is still under warranty as then you do not have to worry when it breaks down.

4. Always buy branded.
It is always wise to buy a branded service.

5. Always buy with original operating systems(OS)
Otherwise, you could be breaching the copyright law and also it might not work properly with a pirated OS.

6. Check for Cracks.
Make sure the unit has no cracks on it because units which have cracks have usually been dropped and might not function properly

7. Check the battery.
Make sure the battery is working as battery is one of the most expensive parts to replace.

8. Check the LCD screen.
Is the LCD working properly as the LCD is the second most expensive parts of the notebook.

Don’t buy if you see stationary lines on the screen when you on it. Try opening and closing the screen cover. If the screen shakes a lot don’t buy it.

9. Check the hard disk.
Make sure the HDD has got no bad sectors. Having bad sectors might mean that your Hard Disk life is almost over.

10. Test all the I/O ports.
Make sure all IO ports like CD/DVD drive, USB ports, Serial Port, Parallel Port, Wi-Fi, Blue Tooth is working.

Hope you can save your budget by using these tips when considering used laptops.

Nexus One

Google itself has confirmed that they are working with a partner and building a new device with new mobile features and capabilities. Jessica Vascellaro from the Wall Street Journal posted that the name of the phone is the Nexus One phone and it?s being manufactured by HTC, and John Gruber from Daring Fireball even reported seeing a Nexus One in his traffic logs. Google has not confirmed the name is Nexus One, but until they do that?s the name we will be referring to their phone as.
Nexus One specs
None of the specs have been confirmed, but here is what people who have had hands on access with the Nexus One have reported on Twitter and other forums.

Android 2.1 operating system
Capacitive OLED touch screen
Snapdragon 1 GHz processor
GSM
Voice to speech dictation in every app
Thinner than the iPhone
On-screen keyboard (no physical keyboard)

Nexus One release date
If the rumors are true, the Nexus One is expected to be released in January 2010.

This post will be updated with more accurate information as we get them. If you are interested in this phone, bookmark this page and check back later for updates or you can follow @QuickPWN on twitter, or subscribe to our RSS feed.

Samsung Omnia II Review

Released in June, the Samsung Omnia II is now available from Verizon Wireless for $199.99 with a two-year contract and after a $100 mail-in rebate. The successor to the Samsung Omnia has been hotly anticipated for months, but in that time several excellent touch-screen smartphones have come to Verizon, such as the Motorola Droid and HTC Droid Eris, making us wonder if Samsung waited too long to release the device. However, after spending a couple of days with the Omnia II, we can say that the Windows Mobile 6.5 smartphone certainly has earned a spot in our hearts, distinguishing itself from the competition with excellent multimedia capabilities. Samsung has done a nice job of revamping its TouchWiz interface, bringing more customization options and making Windows Mobile easier to use for consumers, though business users might find the more sophisticated and streamlined HTC Sense user interface on the HTC Imagio more attractive. That said, the Samsung Omnia II is certainly a worthy upgrade for current Omnia owners or any Verizon customers looking for an advanced multimedia smartphone.



Design
Like many of the touch-screen smartphones available today, the Samsung Omnia II has a candy bar design but it is slightly on the bulkier side at 4.69 inches tall by 2.35 inches wide by 0.52 inch thick and weighing 4.76 ounces. However, there's good reason for the extra size and that's the gorgeous 3.7-inch WVGA (800x480 pixels) AMOLED touch screen.

As we've noted before, AMOLED screens have an advantage over standard LCDs by offering a sharper and brighter picture, all while consuming less power. When compared with the first Omnia and other touch-screen smartphones, videos and photos look amazing on the Omnia II. It has a smoother picture, wider viewing angles, and higher contrast. Also, a built-in accelerometer changes the screen orientation when you rotate the phone for certain applications like the Web browser, messages, photos, and video. Also, while the smartphone's touch screen is resistive and requires a bit more pressure than a capacitive touch screen to move among various home screen panes, we found it quite responsive and didn't require the precision of a stylus to select items. We should note that the touch screen was a bit temperamental when we first used it, but after realigning the screen with the stylus, everything was fine.

Below the display, you get Talk and End/Power keys and a Main Menu key (more on this later). There is an OK button, but it's on the left side of the phone along with the 3.5mm headphone jack and volume rocker. The microSD expansion slot is also located on this side but you'll have to remove the stylish red battery door to access it. On the right spine, you'll find the stylus, a Micro-USB port, a lock key, and a camera activation/capture button. Last but not least, the camera and flash are located on the back. The only thing we missed was having a back button for returning to the previous screen, since an onscreen option wasn't always available.

Keyboard and user interface
While the physical aspects of the Samsung Omnia II aren't radically different from the competition, the smartphone does have some unique "design" features beneath the surface. For one thing, it offers an onscreen portrait and landscape QWERTY keyboard with Swype technology, which Webware previewed a while back. Instead of pecking at individual keys, Swype lets you spell out a word by dragging your finger on the keyboard from letter to letter. Swype's algorithm then does its best to figure out what word you're trying to input; it also automatically enters a space after you complete a word and includes certain tricks, such as circling a key to input a letter twice. Admittedly, we were very skeptical of Swype. However, to our surprise, it worked and was mostly accurate. We ran into some problems when entering terms that weren't true words, such as an instant-messaging handle, though Swype will try to come up with a list of possible results. It also takes some adjustment to enter long words since you have to keep your finger on the screen the whole time. Still, we were always amazed when it came up with the correct word.

Another distinctive characteristic of the Omnia II is the Samsung TouchWiz user interface. Revamped and now with more features, TouchWiz 2.0 makes it easier for people to access their apps and multitask. The general idea is the same as the previous version. On the left side of the screen, you'll find an expandable widget tray where you can drag and drop numerous widgets to one of three home screen panes. However, the Omnia II is far more customizable than its predecessor since Samsung has added more widgets, such as ones for Facebook and Bing. In addition, Samsung has officially opened its Widget Store. From here, you can download from a catalog of around 200 widgets created by third-party developers, which includes widgets for Digg, LOL Cats, E Online, a tip calculator, and much more.

Also, along the bottom of the home screen, there is a notification bar along (as well as on the lock screen) to alert you to any missed calls, new messages, and voice mail, and in a nice touch Samsung added a feature where if you tap the top of the screen, it will magnify the status bar the help you better see and manage your wireless options, sound profile, and battery life.

Samsung also completely redid the main menu page. Pressing the menu key below the display will bring up a grid view of all your phone's apps. There are 12 icons per page and each page is customizable so you can rearrange the apps in the order you want. All you have to do is press the Edit button on the bottom of the screen and at that point you can move the icons to any position on any menu page. Pages will be added as you add more applications to your phone, and you can move among pages by swiping your finger left to right, or vice versa. Right next to the Edit button is one of our favorite additions: the new Task Switcher function. This feature shows you all your running applications in thumbnail visuals and lets you easily switch between tasks, exit out of an app, or end all running programs. It alleviates one of the biggest problems of Windows Mobile, which was multitasking. In fact, TouchWiz 2.0 in general does a good job making the operating system easier to use, so much so you can hardly tell it's a Windows Mobile smartphone.

Finally, like the Samsung Behold II, the Omnia II offers the 3D cube interface for the phone's various multimedia capabilities. However, unlike the Behold II, there is also a toolbar on the where you can launch the same entertainment apps with a simple tap, which is much more functional than the gimmicky cube. Overall, TouchWiz 2.0 makes much more sense and is more useful on the Omnia II than the Behold II, as it provides the customization capabilities that Windows Mobile lacks and offers a much more intuitive user interface.

Accessories
Verizon packages the Samsung Omnia II with an AC adapter, a USB cable, a mic adapter/FM radio antenna, a stylus, a software CD, and reference material. For more add-ons, please check our cell phone accessories, ringtones, and help page.

Features
As mentioned, the Samsung Omnia II is a Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional Edition device, which includes new features such as Microsoft's My Phone backup service and an improved Internet Explorer Mobile. Aside from the Microsoft Office Mobile Suite and preloaded apps, you can also access the Windows Marketplace for Mobile to find and download apps for your device in all categories, including entertainment, productivity, travel, and so forth. Out of the box, the Omnia II ships with such standard personal information management tools as an alarm clock, calculator, memo pad, voice recorder, and a Smart Reader business card scanner.

Meet The Nokia E72

Nokia E72 : The business of messaging

Nokia E72 is one of those handsets everybody is talking about long before their release. There may be nothing much to talk about - after all everyone knows what to expect of the Eseries and they have never let us down. But still, savoring the next batch of Eseries steel is always a pleasure.
The Finns keep feeding business ammo to the market and there's nothing out of the usual at first sight. We already tasted the new Eseries generation and the E52 and E55 were the usual good healthy meals. The E72 though needs to be nothing short of delicious.



There's no need to tell you the Nokia E72 walks and talks business. The big one though has greater responsibility to carry. We guess the E72 will not fear being judged against the best messengers in its class. But it will certainly look back to a haunting shadow within its own family. The Nokia E72 can certainly go where the E71 would not venture. But it's not only the equipment (of which the E72 has aplenty) that makes a winner.

Key features:

Quad-band GSM support
3G with HSDPA 10.2Mbps and HSUPA 2Mbps
Landscape 2.36" 16M-color display of QVGA resolution
Comfortable full QWERTY keypad
Optical trackpad on the D-pad
Symbian 9.3 OS, S60 UI with FP2
600 MHz ARM 11 CPU and 128 MB of SDRAM
5 megapixel auto focus camera with LED flash
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, UPnP technology, DLNA support
Built-in GPS receiver, A-GPS support, digital compass
Accelerometer for turn-to-mute
250 MB of internal memory, microSD expansion, ships with a 4GB card
Standard 3.5mm audio jack
Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP support and microUSB v2.0
FM radio with RDS
Remote Wipe
Great battery life
Office document editor (including MS Office 2007)
User-friendly Mode Switch for swapping two homescreen setups
Smart dialing
Full Flash support
Great audio output quality
Lifetime Nokia Messaging subscription

Main disadvantages:

Optical trackpad is not as handy as we'd like
Limited camera features, no geotagging, video recording maxes out at VGA@15fps
No DivX or XviD support (can be enabled, possibly requiring a purchase)
No TV-out functionality
No dedicated camera key (trackpad compensates for that)
Poor loudspeaker performance
Eseries are always trying to get more skills on their resume. But the one that's supposed to be the next big thing in its class is really pushing it. Nokia didn't have to try and experiment with the E72. Build muscle on the E71 was their main objective. And by the looks of it they did more than well. The E72 promises richer experience and superior skill. But it will still be expected to deliver more than the sum of its parts if it wants to prove anything to the standard-setting E71.

Nokia N97 Specifications & Price

 

Discover The New Nokia N 97

 

Nokia N97, the world’s most advanced mobile computer, which will transform the way people connect to the Internet and to each other. Designed for the needs of Internet-savvy consumers, the Nokia N97 combines a large 3.5” touch display with a full QWERTY keyboard, providing an ‘always open’ window to favourite social networking sites and Internet destinations. Nokia’s flagship N series device introduces leading technology - including multiple sensors, memory, processing power and connection speeds - for people to create a personal Internet and share their ‘social location.’

Sensing your ‘So-Lo’
The Nokia N97 introduces the concept of ‘social location’. With integrated A-GPS sensors and an electronic compass, the Nokia N97 mobile computer intuitively understands where it is. The Nokia N97 makes it easy to update social networks automatically with real-time information, giving approved friends the ability to update their ‘status’ and share their ‘social location’ as well as related pictures or videos.

Widescreen - Internet and entertainment
The home screen of the Nokia N97 mobile computer features the people, content and media that matter the most. Friends, social networks and news are available by simply touching the home screen. The 16:9 widescreen display can be fully personalized with frequently updated widgets of favourite web services and social networking sites. The Nokia N97 is also perfectly suited for browsing the web, streaming Flash videos or playing games. Both the physical QWERTY and virtual touch input ensure efficiency in blogging, chatting, posting, sending texts or emailing.

The Nokia N97 supports up to 48 GB of storage, including 32 GB of on-board memory, expandable with a 16 GB microSD card for music, media and more. This is complemented by excellent music capabilities, full support for the Nokia Music Store and continuous playback time of up to 1.5 days. The Nokia N97 also has a 5-Megapixel camera with high-quality Carl Zeiss optics, 16:9 and DVD quality video capture, and support for services like Share on Ovi for immediate sharing over HSDPA and WLAN.

Reference Price :

RM 2040 - 2120
RM 1760 - 1840 (AP)

I Phone

Apple has trained iPhone owners to enjoy paying for digital content more than the general online population, a survey suggests.

Media law firm Olswang on Wednesday published its 2009 Convergence Survey, which analyzed e-shopping trends among iPhone owners and general online consumers. Apple enthusiast blog 9to5Mac summarizes the findings regarding the iPhone demographic:

73 percent would pay to access online a film just released in cinemas;
67 percent would pay for access to a film that will not be on DVD for at least two months;
54 percent would pay to access a film which is already on DVD or pay-TV;
41 percent of iPhone users would already be willing to take out subscriptions to access their favorite TV shows;
42 percent would pay for an online book.
Those numbers are quite high when stacked against the figures from the general online population surveyed:

58 percent of people would pay to access online a film just released in cinemas;
52 percent would pay for access to a film that will not be on DVD for at least two months;
40 percent would pay to access a film which is already on DVD or pay-TV;
30 percent would already be willing to take out subscriptions to access their favorite TV shows;
30 percent would pay for an online book.
Olswang found these numbers about the iPhone demographic to be “striking,” but they are what you’d expect. The App Store made purchasing apps incredibly easy, and many of the high quality apps are dirt cheap.

Above all, my view is that the App Store, which serves over 100,000 apps, has conditioned us to demand more and more from a single device. In turn we’re evolving into a demographic that craves more from the digital as opposed to the physical.

These numbers are quite striking indeed. And it suggests the rumored Apple touchscreen tablet, which several independent reports have said will focus on e-reader functionality, does have potential to resuscitate the dying publishing industry — because there would most likely be a large amount of overlap between the iPhone and “iTablet” demographics.

Meanwhile, a recent report from The New York Times cites sources who say a consortium of magazine publishers are jointly planning to build an “online newsstand” — a “new iTunes for magazines.” It would involve publications repurposing their print content into multiple digital formats to be sold through a new company, sources told NY Times. If that’s the case, today’s survey suggests they’ll find a friendlier reception among iPhone users than among the general population.

Olympus E-P1 Micro Four-Thirds camera

 

Review of Olympus E-P1

The Olympus PEN E-P1 Micro Four-Thirds camera is a beautiful piece of hardware and something photo geeks can’t help but want. After all, it has lots of history behind it, it’s one of the best looking digital cameras on on the market, and it packs much of the power of a DSLR into a size close that of to a point-and-shoot. But it’s not a DSLR and it’s too big to fit into a pocket, so as a result the E-P1 falls into a middle ground where might not be just right for anyone.

 

The PEN series has a long and storied history, so its return in 2009 was big news in the photo community. The use the Micro Four-Thirds standard meant that the camera would have a small body and could use lenses from Four-Thirds cameras but it also meant that the sensor size would be limited when compared to a standard DSLR. It also means that the camera can’t have a through-the-lens optical viewfinder, something that would no doubt be an issue with the photography fans who were most interested in this unique breed. But it does have a generously-sized LCD with live-view and with the E-P1 you get an interchangeable lens system on a camera that is under a pound.

Specifications:

• Megapixels: 12.3
• Mount: Micro Four-Thirds Mount
• Sensor: High speed Live MOS
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33 (4:3)
• Memory: SD/SDHC
• LCD: 3.0-inches
• ISO sensitivity: AUTO: ISO 200 – 6400 (customizable, Default 200-1600) / Manual ISO 100 – 6400, 1/3 or 1 EV steps, Movie ISO 160-1600
• File Formats: RAW (12-bit lossless compression), JPEG, RAW+JPEG
• Image size: RAW: 4032 x 3024, JPEG: 4032 x 3024 pixels – 640 x 480 pixels
• File Size: Raw: Approx. 13.9MB, JPEG (4032 x 3024 Fine): Approx. 5.7MB
• Sequential shooting speed: Approx. 3 frames/sec. in sequential shooting
• Video Format: AVI Motion JPEG(30fps)
• Video Modes: HD: 1280(H)x720(V) Aspect 16:9, SD: 640(H)x480(V) Aspect 4:3(VGA)
• Max. Recording Times: HD: 7min, SD: 14min
• Shoe: Hot shoe
• Dimensions: 120.6 mm (W) x 69.9mm (H) x 36.4 mm (D) (excluding protrusions)
• Weight: 335g (body only)
• Battery: About 300 shots

Olympus E - 620 Review

Facts you have to know about Olympus E-620

The Olympus E-620 is a 12.3 Megapixel DSLR with built-in anti-shake facilities and Live View enhanced by a fully-articulated 2.7in screen. Announced in February 2009, it’s positioned between the entry-level E-4xx series and the higher-end E-30, and while Olympus continues to sell the E-520 at the time of writing, we expect the E-620 to replace it over time.

As such, the E-620 represents a step-up from budget entry-level models for those who want a more sophisticated camera without having to invest in an upper mid-range or semi-pro body.

The E-620 inherits a number of key aspects from the higher-end E-30 including the same 12.3 Megapixel Live MOS sensor, six creative ‘art-filters’ and the articulated 2.7in / 230k monitor, allowing you to easily compose at any angle in Live View – although the screen panel itself is a newer version.

These are also the headline improvements over the earlier 10 Megapixel E-520, although the new E-620 additionally addresses several complaints of its ‘predecessor’ by featuring a more sophisticated phase-change AF system (7-point vs 3-point) and a slightly larger viewfinder (0.96x vs 0.92x); continuous shooting is also a little quicker (4fps vs 3.5fps). The E-620 is also a little smaller than the E-520 without sacrificing too much of a grip, making it the smallest DSLR with built-in Image Stabilisation. It's even more impressive when you consider there's also a fully articulated screen in there.

At price RM 2,399.00, it’s become another compelling DSLR specification although one that approaches the price of two key rivals: Canon's EOS 500D / Rebel T1i and the Nikon D5000. In this Olympus E-620 review we’ll compare all three models closely, starting with their physical differences and ending with how their respective image quality measures-up. So if you’re considering one of these three DSLRs or are simply after a step-up from a budget, entry-level model, you’ve come to the right place!

How to Capture Good Looking Photographs

Simple photography tips can make your pictures look good and interesting

1. Hold the camera still. If you can, rest it on a table or chair. When you hold it, press it firmly against your forehead. Brace your body by leaning against any solid object. Take a breath and hold it gently just before you take the photo.


2. Remember the rule of thirds. Try and have the main focus of the picture be at one of the intersecting lines.

3. Think about your background.

4. Change your line of sight. Try kneeling, putting the camera on the ground or climbing a flight of stairs so you?re higher than you subject.

5. Look for things that lead the eyes through the photo. A winding path, a line of telephone poles, or even a line of chairs at the beach.

6. Keep your eyes open for patterns.

7. Try getting in close. Pay attention to details.

8. Learn to crop. (Using Adobe PDF)

Buying a DSLR Camera

Factors to Consider When Buying a DSLR Camera

If you've been waiting until the 'right' model came along to buy your first digital SLR camera, now could be a good time.

The combination of price, performance and sensor size/resolution offered by most models is already 'good enough' to satisfy demanding photographers. Only marginal improvements are likely in the foreseeable future.

However, when you're forking out a thousand dollars (or more) of your hard-earned cash, you need to know that you're getting a worthwhile bit of gear.

Here are some of the key factors you should consider.

1. Sensor Size

As far as picture quality and exposure flexibility are concerned - and these are the main reasons people buy SLR cameras - the most important criteria are the size of the sensor and the size of each photosite on it.
The larger the photosite's surface area, the more light it can capture and the more information it can record.
The more information that goes to the camera's image processor, the greater the dynamic (tonal) range in the resulting image - and the better the picture quality.

The differences are most obvious in shots taken in bright, contrasty conditions and in dim lighting. In bright lighting, the small sensors of compact digicams cannot record details in the brightest and darkest areas.

The resulting pictures have blocked-up shadows and blown-out highlights and, when no detail is recorded, there is no way to tweak the image to improve the situation.

2. Megapixel Resolution

Although most advertising material and much of the media hype focuses on the number of megapixels the camera supports, megapixel count is relatively unimportant when buying a digital SLR. In theory, the number of megapixels in an image file should dictate the size to which it can be printed at 'photo' quality.
However, you can produce excellent A3-sized prints from a 5- or 6-megapixel DSLR camera - provided the original shot was correctly exposed and edited.

Furthermore, an 8-megapixel sensor has only 30% more photosites than a 6-megapixel sensor. At the correct viewing distance for A3 prints, this difference will be negligible. Few photo enthusiasts are likely to want prints bigger than A3+ size, which is well within the capabilities of all current models.

2. Brand Loyalty

Photographers who already own a film SLR plus a suite of interchangeable lenses will be lured towards digital cameras from the same manufacturer.
It makes both logical and financial sense to buy a body that will accept the lenses you have.
However, it's not necessarily the best option for the following reasons:

Most DSLR bodies change the effective focal length of a 35mm lens by a lens multiplier factor (LMF) of 1.5x to 2x. This means the 24mm lens that gave you a great wide-angle view will have the same angle of view as a 36mm lens on a 35mm camera. You gain a bit at the tele end; a 200mm lens becomes equivalent to a 300mm lens on a 1.5x LMF DSLR.

The 35mm lens is designed for imaging onto film, which has a different structure from an image sensor. It may not produce such good image quality on the DSLR body.
35mm lenses are often heavier and bulkier than digital lenses.

Olympus DSLR bodies cannot accept the lenses designed for Olympus film SLR cameras.
Lenses

Most entry-level DSLRs are sold with at least one medium-range zoom lens but an increasing number are being offered with two lenses. The additional lens is usually a tele zoom with a focal length range equivalent to about 70-200mm in 35mm format.

Twin lens kits represent great value so don't be put off by comments about "cheap optics". While the optics are usually housed in plastic (to minimise weight), the main compromise is lens speed (maximum aperture) rather than actual performance.

The plastic bodies may not be quite as tough as metal bodies, but they're rugged enough for normal handling and a lot lighter to carry around and use.

Digital SLR Beginner – Facts About Shutter Speed, Aperture and ISO

 

 

Digital SLRs are dirt cheap these days. We see more and more people purchasing Digital SLR on a daily basis but quite often these newbies are also pretty much disappointed at how they were promised beautiful pictures yet fail to achieve.

The most common problem would be the lack of understanding of Shutter Speed, Aperture and ISO – the 3 fundamentals of capturing image, and capturing it properly.

In fact many I’ve got to know many who are new when it comes to photography, and it’s been the same question time and again and I’ve been spending quite a fair bit of time explaining this and that. So now here it is – my (simplified, as usual) version of explaining how Shutter Speed, Aperture and ISO works.

While far from being the best when it comes to explaining the fundamentals, I do hope you still gain some knowledge after reading this article.

Always keep it in mind that what a camera does is capturing light.

What you see through the viewfinder is what the camera sees. The light enters through the lens, hit on the on the mirror and reflected as to what is shown on the viewfinder.

When the shutter button is pressed, the camera takes the shot based on the shutter speed, aperture and ISO set on the camera – these 3 factor holds greatest influence on the exposure of your shots. The aperture blades close in, the shutter lifts and thelight lands on the sensor, the camera captures it.

Don’t worry if you don’t know what those terms mean, continue reading the article and you’ll understand it better as I elaborate.

Remember, no matter how good your composition is, ultimately it’s the exposure that determines whether your shot is a success. And to get the correct exposure, you’ll need to know how to balance these elements to get the right amount of light to make the shot look right.

While this article talks about the Digital SLR, the same concept actually works for SLRs (referring to the non-Digital types). The difference would be that light would be captured on film instead of light sensors.

Shutter Speed?

So what is shutter speed? Shutter speed is the setting on your camera that decides how long the shutter should open. The longer the shutter opens, the more the amount of light is captured on the sensor. This is a mirror though, behind it is the shutter, which is right in front of the sensor.

Think of it as your eye lids. The shutter is basically a closed eye lid, once the shutter button is clicked, the eye lid opens and closes. By setting the shutter speed, you’re telling the camera to duration to keep the eye lid open.

For our human eye, the longer the eye lid is open also means more light has entered the eye. Stare at some bright lightbulb for half a second and your eyes barely hurt. Stare at the bright lightbulb for 5 seconds and you’re stuck with the ghost of the lightbulb. The same concept applies to shutter. Assuming all factors (like aperture and ISO) remain the same, the longer the shutter is opened, the more exposure you get – which is why another common term for Shutter Speed is EXPOSURE TIME.

I prefer to use the term EXPOSURE TIME as I find it to express the purpose of having the shutter movement better, but for the sake of this article I’ll use Shutter Speed as I think it’s the more commonly used term.

Aperture?

Aperture refers to the diaphragm opening inside a lens. How wide the aperture is open is indicated by the F-number. The lower the number, the wider it is. The wider it is, more light goes through it.

Think of it at your eye lids again, but instead of being the duration of the eye lid being kept open, aperture is like how wide your eye lid is to open.

or here’s how one of our readers thought of it….

“Think of it at your pupil size, in a dark room your pupils get wider and lets more light in to your eyes. On a sunny beach your pupils retracts and get smaller.”

When you set the aperture value to the lowest value available (meaning widest aperture) then it would open the aperture blades as wide as it can. The aperture will close to the width as indicated by the setting in the camera. Increase the value and the aperture will reduce in opening size accordingly.

The aperture available depends on the lens you’re using. The F-number will also be displayed on your camera’s indicator, in the image below we see that the aperture is indicated – at f/2.5

ISO?

ISO is all about sensitivity, in the case of the Digital SLR – it’s about the sensitivity of the sensors. By setting the ISO, you’re telling the camera how sensitive it should be when it comes to absorbing light. The higher the ISO setting, the more sensitive the sensor is towards light.

Think of the camera sensor as your retina. The ISO setting basically tells your retina how sensitive it should be  Too bad it’s not possible to tell your retina how to behave.

Do remember that higher sensitivity also means higher NOISE level, it’s not that it’s bad. Some people are picky on noise. Others just couldn’t be bothered. Noise is more noticeable on the darker areas of a picture, you’ll see those tiny little dots that resemble little grains.

Notice the noise on the darker parts of the picture?

Hope this will be useful to the DSLR beginners.

Nikon D5000 Review

 

Nikon D5000 is suitable for beginners

The recent boom in DSLR sales has seen all the major manufacturers adding bulked-up or stripped-down entry level models, repositioning their offerings to make sure that anyone willing to put up with the size and weight of a DSLR will look at one of their models. The whole thing has often left existing DSLR owners a little lost - 'why isn't there a direct replacement for my camera?' - but has undoubtedly meant there are many more attractive, accessible cameras on the market just waiting to entice first-time DSLR owners.

And its into this maelstrom of DSLR proliferation that Nikon launches its latest baby DSLR, the D5000. Nikon's recent strategy of inexpensive, simplified models caused a lot of confusion. The D40, D40X and D60 removed the autofocus motor, making them smaller and less expensive but limiting the choice of lenses that could be autofocused. Despite this oft-criticised move, the cameras sold very well, prompting the major third-party lens makers to create versions of their popular budget lenses that would focus on these baby Nikons. However, it appears Nikon has again decided that simply replacing models isn't the best way to address the market. So here we have a camera that genuinely seems to sit above the D60 (rather than continuing in parallel until the stock runs out), and below the D90. Like the baby Nikons, the D5000 doesn't have an autofocus motor built into the body but does gain a tilt-and-swivel LCD.

The idea of an upper-entry-level DSLR (for want of a better term), that sits below the 'enthusiast' grade D90 (with its twin control dials, big battery and pentaprism viewfinder), is hardly a radical one - the Canon EOS 500D and Olympus E-620 seem to cater to a similar market. So what does this new Nikon have to offer either the tech-savvy first-time DSLR buyer, or the owner of an older entry-level model wanting newer features but unwilling to slavishly follow the manufacturer's 'upgrade path'?

  

Nikon D5000 Key Features

• 12.9 megapixel DX-format CMOS sensor (effective pixels: 12.3 million)
• 2.7" tilt and swivel LCD monitor (230,000 dots)
• Movie capture at up to 1280 x 720 (720p) 24 fps with mono sound
• Live View with contrast-detect AF, face detection and subject tracking
• Image sensor cleaning (sensor shake)
• 11 AF points (with 3D tracking)
• IS0 200-3200 range (100-6400 expanded)
• 4 frames per second continuous shooting (buffer: 7 RAW, 25 JPEG fine, 100 JPEG Normal)
• Expeed image processing engine
• Extensive in-camera retouching including raw development and straightening
• Connector for optional GPS unit (fits on hot shoe)
• New battery with increased capacity
• 72 thumbnail and calendar view in playback

DSLR For Beginners

Digital SLR Camera Guides For Non-Professionals



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