About Bob Todrick Expertise I can answer questions on most areas of photography. Though fine-art nudes is my main focus, I can, as well answer most questions dealing with darkroom processes (including many alternative processes).
My expertise does not include digital.
Experience I have photographed since 1975. Among my clients have been a number of major retail department stores (the Bay, Eatons). I photographed for Canada's premier motorsports magazine for a number of years, and have done much portraiture and wedding photography.
In 1990 I gave up shooting professionally to concentrate on my fine-art work and have had numerous group and one person shows since.
Organizations Co-founder of the Group of Several.
Publications Numerous newspaper and print ads.
GRAPHIS photo annual.
Expert: Bob Todrick Date: 5/5/2005 Subject: digital cameras
Question I don't know if you can help me. I'm finding the world of digital cameras confusing! I'm basically looking for a good family digital camera which most importantly can focus in close on small details ie/ inches away. At present I have the Canon IXUS V. It's been OK over the past few years but now the anti red eye doesn't work and the focus on close detail is useless! Please could you suggest an option?
Answer There are a number of options out their that would do the trick.
Firstly, what you DON'T need.
The really tiny, shirt pocket cameras are useful for one thing...fitting in a shirt pocket. They are a huge seller, but are actually quite limited. Most have only a 3x zoom lens, with limited closeup capability and few over-ride functions in their controls.
Big 'megapixels'. Many people will tell you (salespersons included) that you have to have the latest 7, 8 or 9 megapixel camera to get the best results.
Not true. A 3 megapixel camera, for example, will give you great 'photo quality' 8x10 print and a very acceptable 11x14. A 5 megapixel camera will give you a great 13x19. What they don't tell you is that the more pixels you pack into a sensor, the less sensitive it is in lowlight. The smaller the actual individual sensor is, the more noise (which comes across as 'sparklies' in the shadows) the camera will generate. So forget those nice windowlight portraits you can so easily do with film, or a smaller megaapixel digital camera.
To sum up, two of my favorite cameras are the Canon IS-1s, and the Minolta Z5 (which I personally own). The Canon is 3 megapixels, the Minolta is 5. The Canon has a 10x optical zoom (very important...if anyone tells you a camera has a 10x DIGITAL zoom...stay away...the results are crap and I advise to turn the feature off when you buy the camera and never turn it on...all digitals have the capability, but it's a sales feataure only) and the Minolta has a 12x optical zoom. Both cameras have image stabilizers (so you don't need a tripod) and very good closeup capability.
As well they both have many extra controls that allow you to experiment when you wish to do so, they both have movie modes and they can both be fitted with more powerful flash units than the little popup flashes they come with.
Both cameras should sell in the U.S. for about $300.00.
