Vimeo is to video as Flickr is to photography.

With the advent of HD video becoming accessible, and especially since new DSLRs are starting to include video functionality, it’s only a matter of time until we start seeing an onslaught of professional grade home brewed videos. Oh, Wait… it’s already happened! New videographers are cranking out quality videos and short films faster than you can say social networking. And Vimeo is bubbling up to the top as the number one leader in video publishing and sharing.

Sharing artwork online is all about the community, being able to explore others’ work, and making it all easy. Vimeo hits the mark on all of these must-haves, but naturally there are competitors. Some of the competitors are better in certain areas, like ad sharing and integration for doing nerdy stuff.

In my opinion the leaders of the video sharing platform pack boil down to the following:

Vimeo – Makes it a cinch to upload, share your video (or album of videos) and set privacy controls. The community on Vimeo is active, and it’s easy to spend many happy half hours strolling through group galleries, or “Channels” as they call them.

Viddler – Nerd’s choice. Makes it super duper easy to customize your video player, choose how you want to deliver the video (Apple iTunes, etc.) and they even have an API (application programming interface). Also has a “Partner” program if you want to try and monetize with ads on your video.

Revver – An online video media network that shares ad revenues with you. They pair an advertisement with the video you upload, place it as a pre-roll ad bumper in your video, then share the revenue if anyone clicks on the ad. Kind of cool, but your video gets polluted with advertising, and you can’t control where it pops up (as part of their extended network).

Brightcove – Corporate choice. This video platform is robust, scalable, and enterprise class. Not really suited to the weekend enthusiast crowd. But if you need to publish professional videos and need high availability and quality, check ‘em out!

Yahoo! Video – Probably better than YouTube, but not as famous. That’s kind of how it goes for much of what Yahoo! does – probably better, but not as popular.

This article is for the person upgrading to a digital SLR (single lens reflex, or DSLR). It assumes you’re the one who’s purchasing the DSLR, and the one who’ll use it. This article may also represent a decent gift giving guide.

How to Choose a DSLR

It depends! You didn’t want to hear that. But the type of DSLR you select will hinge on a few key factors:

1. What kind of photographer do you aspire to be? Casual; carry it with you all of the time; may like to go pro at some point? This will factor into the buyer’s equation and affect the choice you should be making.
2. What’s your budget? Like so many other hobbies, photography can get really expensive, really quickly. Do you want to go entry-level, serious enthusiast level, pro gear? Sky’s the limit, of course.
3. What kind of lenses can you afford? Let’s not beat around the bush. Lenses are arguably the single most important component of photography gear. Decide whether you’re going to stick with the kit lens, upgrade to a better quality lens, or purchase a series of lenses for different shooting requirements (wide angle, telephoto, super telephoto, etc.).
4. Are you willing to buy used photography equipment? Buying photography gear is like any many other purchases. If you’re willing to buy used stuff you’ll save a  lot of money. There’s a compromise, and some added risk. But the good news is there’s not a whole lot of compromise, and there are a few easy ways you can mitigate the added risk (buy from a reputable used camera equipment source, like B&H Photo).

Who Are You?

If you’re like most people considering the purchase of a DSLR, you’re a casual shutterbug, a hobbyist. But you’ve decided to kick it up a few notches and crave the added quality you know you’ll get from a digital SLR camera. But there are different levels of you “casual” photographers. So on a scale of 1-5, with 5 being most serious (aspirations of going pro) and 1 being least serious (keeping it all casual), rate your seriousness factor. Are you a 1, 2, 3, 4, or a 5?

Are You Rich?

Because you’ll need to be if you’re going to get outfitted with the gear a pro totes around. You know that. That’s no surprise to you, right? I hope not! But much like the seriousness factor, described above, there are varying degrees of how much one can invest in camera equipment. Whatever the story, there’s also a budget factor. And it’s not necessarily a coefficient of wealth. Whatever your story… rate your frugality. On a scale of 1-5, with 1 indicating minimal budget and 5 large budget (buy once, cry once mind set).

Find yourself on this graph…

• Circle A is a person who scored 4 (high) on the seriousness scale and 5 (high) on the budget scale. This person would probably be best suited to purchase new photo gear and is definitely a “prosumer” and maybe a pro.
• Circle B is a person who scored 3 (moderate) on the seriousness factor and 4 (high) on the budget scale. This person should get a mid-level body and couple of good lenses.
• Circle C is a person who scored 3 (moderate) on budget and 1 (low) on the seriousness scale. This person should buy a normal camera body and upgrade their kit lens.

Step 1: How Bad Do You Want a Nice Body?

Are you in the upper right quadrant? Then you probably value a high-end camera body that will keep pace with your vigorous photography demands. Or, if you know you’ll be frequently taking your camera out into the elements you may want to invest in a higher quality body that has better weather seals. You may also want a nice body if you’re in the lower right or upper left quadrants.

But the camera body is only part of the picture. A pro camera body doesn’t guarantee better images. For example, an entry-level camera body equipped with a professional-level lens is capable of producing very high quality images. Honestly, the entry-level DSLRs have exceptional processors and sensors and are more than capable of producing exquisite digital photographic images. It’s said that the photographer, the artist behind the lens, is the one who creates the jaw-dropping photo, not the camera or the lens. So if you’re on the fence, go for the nicer lens and hold back on the body. If you already have a camera and a kit lens, read my blog post: Ready to upgrade from your kits lens?

Do you want your body to be full-figured?

The higher-end DSLRs are equipped with full-frame sensors. Check my blofgpost about the difference between a full frame (FX) sensor and a cropped frame (DX) sensor. If you’re in left-hand quadrants it’s not that big of a deal.

Here’s the short answer about sensors…

Full frame sensors are relatively new to the DSLR world. Most pros are going with full frame sensors because they a.) come on the highest quality cameras, and b.) pros benefit from the extra edge they get by capturing the maximum amount of frame, without a crop factor. Cropped frame (DX) sensors don’t mean a huge compromise in quality. In fact, they’re excellent and have some benefits over full frame (FX) sensor bodies.

If you’re in the left quadrants, invest only modestly-moderately in the camera body.

Step 2: Shell out for the best lens you can afford

Really, Step 2 ought to be Step 1. Why? Earlier in this article you read the advice about deciding on what type of photographer you aspire to be. Regardless of whether you’re going to go pro, invest in the best quality glass you can. If you’re in the left-hand quadrants I recommend buying one high quality, versatile lens (in addition to, or besides your kit lens) and renting additional lenses when you need them. I’m an advocate of renting high quality “glass” (glass is photographers’ slang for high quality lenses) for the occasions when you know you’ll be out there doing serious, no kidding around photography. The rest of the time you’re probably okay using the kit lens that comes with the camera. And you’ll save a bundle of money. You can rent a nice lens 20 times before you’ve come close to breaking even on how much you’d have to spend to purchase it outright.

You’re ready to buy your DSLR!

I hope this article has helped with your decision-making process. Read lots more, and check out D-Town TV for some inspiring videos on equipment.

Most new DSLRs are sold in a bundle that includes a kit lens. Many times this kit lens is an 18-55mm zoom. The kit lens is sufficient, but it was engineered to be the best for the most. It was designed for a wide variety of uses at an affordable price. But if you really want quality glass you have to step up to a better quality lens.

While the kit lens is versatile, the avid photographer will eventually become curious and want to try a variety of lenses for different reasons. And that’s what I advocate – try (rent) before you buy. The kit lens is decent, but if you’re looking to more easily shoot in less light, effortlessly achieve that blurry background, and produce crisp, pro-quality images, you’ll need to upgrade your lens. Also, pro lenses are constructed with more durable materials and can stand up to more than a kit lens.

It’s no secret. The single most important component of your photography system (besides what rests between your ears) is the lens you’re using. Using a high quality lens can make a noticeable difference in your photography. If it wasn’t the case, pros wouldn’t bother using anything other than a kit lens, right?

Chase Jarvis

You’ll hear advanced photographers preach that it doesn’t matter what kind of lens or camera you’re using. That may be true as it’s related to composition and subject matter, but if you want pro quality images you need pro quality (or “prosumer” quality) gear. That said, I have seen pro photographers practicing what they preach. I once had the opportunity to go on a photo walk with Chase Jarvis while he was promoting his book, The Best Camera is the One You Have With You. Chase advocates the use of your mobile phone camera since it’s the one you have with you most of the time. Formidable mobile phone photography is exploding, partly due to the cool iPhone apps that are out there, like Chase’s iPhone app. But I digress.

How to tell if you’re ready to upgrade lenses

While investing in high quality glass won’t help your composition or guarantee a better picture, it certainly won’t hurt. And chances are good that if you’re at the point where you’re curious about taking the plunge for a better lens you’re also at the point where your photography is markedly improving. You’re at the point where your friends and family are noticing your nice shots and giving you encouragement. You’re ready to upgrade to a better quality lens. And I’m not going to kid you. Getting a nice lens can make a big difference. If you’re in a financial position to invest additional money in your camera gear, read on. If not, you can still fulfill your urge to splurge by renting on special occasions.

Not so fast!

If you’re normal then you’re anxious to bolt away from your pedestrian kit lens and snuggle up with a pro quality lens. Slow down and be methodical! Use the power of the Internet to surf many reviews. Ask other photographers what they think of the lenses you’re interested in. Consider whether you’ll be changing your camera body and how that may affect your lens upgrade choice. Weigh the pluses and minuses of investing in a more expensive lens. And above all, first rent the lens you’re interested in. That’s the acid test.

Consider your evolutionary path

If you are likely to change your camera body (say from Canon to Nikon) at some point then decide on whether you can afford to buy an expensive lens that only mounts on one brand of camera. If you’re likely to stray from your camera body brand any time soon it may be better to hold off on that new lens. Also, if you imagine that you’ll soon upgrade from a cropped frame to a full frame sensor camera take that into consideration as well by ensuring you buy a lens that will work on both kinds of cameras.

Step 1 – Rent

Regardless of what lens you’re considering you should rent it first. It’s a prudent way to ensure you really like the product. And there’s no better way to get that warm feeling that you’re making the right decision than by taking it for a real test drive. Tip: always buy the rental insurance.

New vs Used

Buying a used lens can obviously be a way to save a lot of money. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of inherent risk. The warranty may not apply, among other things. But if you’re going to purchase a used lens I would recommend buying it from a reputable camera store, like B&H. Also, rental companies like Borrow Lenses put their lenses up for sale from time to time. I would not recommend buying a used lens off eBay or Craig’s List unless you have some special knowledge of the seller. Also, avoid buying a used lens from  friend or family member. You’d both feel uncomfortable if there ended up being a problem with the lens.

If you buy a new lens you’re going to have a full warranty and be assured that if there are any defects in the quality of the product that you can return the lens for replacement or repair. Buy once, cry once.

Which Lens to Get?

Now that’s the $2,000 question! There are so many lens reviews out there. But a natural place to start is on your camera manufacturer’s website. A few questions you can start wrestling with:

• What kind of photography do you do most of the time? Portrait, landscape, general walk-around, sports, macro? That’s the lens to get first, obviously.
• What can you afford? The best lenses (especially Nikon and Canon) can get really pricey. If you’re going to go into debt buying this new lens, don’t do it. Rent instead.
• Generally speaking, a lens with a constant low f-stop is going to be a higher quality lens. Get that one!

The purpose of this article is to whet your appetite for creating a time lapse photo movie. It all starts with using your DSLR in an unconventional way. While I won’t go into an explanation of exactly how to do it (umm, mainly because I’ve never done one and am far from being able to personally elaborate on best practices) I have provided a video that is hopefully intriguing enough to pique your interest and prompt you to ponder how time lapse photography is done. I hope you’ll then go on to read the tutorial on how to make a time lapse from Timothy Allen (a guy who’s totally qualified to explain what’s going on).

This blog, WIDE OPEN, is generally devoted to topics that beginners will want to read. But my sense is that while beginners are not necessarily going to run out and attempt a time lapse project, they’re still interested in it and want to learn about it. So that was my thinking. Let me know your reaction.

Time lapse photography is a lot like stop motion [film] photography, like the old ’60s TV show, Davey & Goliath:

The big difference is that now we are using a still shot camera (not film). And we have “prosumer” grade DSLRs – more computing power baked into our camera’s firmware than the computers that helped chart the Apollo 11 mission to The Moon.

With some [...a lot of...] blood, sweat, and tears you too can venture out and create a cool time lapse video.

The following time lapse movie is a stunning example of what can now be done outside of Hollywood. It was created by Tom from Timescapes.org. Keep in mind that each 10 seconds of a time lapse movie typically requires starting with hundreds of photographs.

How did they do this?

Timothy Allen is a photographer for the BBC’s EARTH series and has posted an easy-to-read article on how to create a time lapse movie. It’s a great article and will give you a sense of what you’re in store for if you fancy going out and doing a time lapse.

Some of the stuff you’ll need:

• DSLR camera
• Patience
• Tripod and something to weight it down (to reduce movement)
• Wide angle lens (preferred)
• Use manual mode on your camera
• Remote shutter trigger
• Patience
• Use a camera that has the ability to program time lapse (The Nikon D300S has this) or use a tethered sync accessory.
• Maybe a telescope motor
• Patience
• Maybe a generator
• Plenty of battery life in your camera battery
• Video making software
• Patience
• A giant memory card
• Oh yeah, something interesting to photograph in time lapse (fast forward)
• Maybe a ND filter if you’re going to photograph a transition from night to day
• Soundtrack idea
• And I’m probably leaving off a few dozen other things!