Updated Camera Recommendations and Equipment List

People commonly ask me how to get an “HDR Camera” (see link for recommendations). Well, I have to tell them that there is no such thing as an “HDR Camera”. But there are certain types of cameras that are better at making HDR photos than others. The secret to HDR is not really in the camera, but in the software and process.  If you are new, I have all that laid out in my HDR Tutorial.

I used to recommend the Nikon D40 as a good entry-level camera, but I just can’t do it any more. Yes, you can make a decent HDR out of a single RAW file, which the D40 can certainly do, but it is not always optimal. I have organized the three categories of camera into “Good”, “Better”, and “Best” to make it simple for people that are just getting into the sport.

I talk to thousands of people that are new to photography (or just about to get more serious about it), and you’d be surprised how many people ask me, “So where do I get an HDR Camera?”  The most important thing is that your camera can do auto-bracketing.  I only know about and recommend Nikon cameras — I am just not all that familiar with Canon.  Although, if you have a Canon DSLR camera, you should be just fine.

New Newsletter Soon – Free How-To Video

If you like the photo below, I have a how-to video that will be included with the newsletter. It’s free, and I promise not to spam you. I send about one per month, and try to fill them up with beautiful things… The newsletter is spreading like wildfire! If you are not yet on it, fill out this simple thing below and get ready…

Daily Photo – The Valley of Abundance

I started the day in Queenstown and decided to cut out early because it was too stormy. That was too bad, because I was really excited about going up the mountain to do the street-luge. I did it near Rotorua on the north island and had a great time.

Anyway, I was disappointed to leave, but I had a good feeling about where I was going to next towards Milford Sound. The feeling paid off, because I found this place as the sun was setting! This valley could have been more perfect, but I just don’t know how! On this one, I used my 70-200mm lens, which is typically not a lens I use a lot for landscapes. I made a little handheld video that I am going to get edited together for the newsletter crowd to see first!