What focal length is a 35mm lens on an APS-C camera?

When you use a 35mm lens on an APS-C camera, the effective focal length is determined by the camera's crop factor. The crop factor for most APS-C cameras is typically around 1.5x (for Nikon, Sony, and others) or 1.6x (for Canon).

To calculate the effective focal length:

Effective focal length = focal length X crop factor.

For a 35mm lens on a 1.5x crop factor APS-C camera:

35mm x 1.5 = 52.5mm

For a 35mm lens on a 1.6x crop factor APS-C camera:

35mm x 1.6 = 56mm

So, the effective focal length will be approximately 52.5mm on a 1.5x crop factor camera and 56mm on a 1.6x crop factor camera.

The simple reason why I have written this short post is because I just did a quick search on the Internet for the 35mm equivalent on an APS-C camera (popular on mirrorless cameras) and the answers that I got were confusing as far as I am concerned 😊. They were back to front. It looked chaotic to me. Maybe its me! It is the way you present the information and I hope this way is good.

In short, the answer has to be that if you use a 35mm lens designed for a full frame camera the effective focal length on a cropped sensor camera has to be longer because you're taking out the middle of the frame. It's a bit like a digital zoom. You are cropping the picture digitally in effect. 

This means that you are zooming-in which means that the focal length is longer from 35mm on full-frame to to a little over 50 mm on APS-C. 

So a 35mm lens on a full frame camera which is a wide-angle lens, becomes a standard lens on a cropped sensor camera such as the APS-C format.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. Also, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable.

I love to see a Middle Eastern woman in a hijab taking quality photos

I am not quite sure I like it but I love to see Middle Eastern women taking quality photographs. Here we have a video promoting the Leica camera and a Middle Eastern lady in a hijab using a Leica M11. The impression is that she is a serious photographer because only a serious photographer would use a Leica M11 on account of the fact they are bloody expensive. But it is more than that. Leica cameras create great images if you are a good photographer. It is a very fine photographic tool.

She is using a Leica M11 in the desert. Great. She is holding the camera nicely which indicates a competent photographer.

The reason why I like it is - I believe - because I like to see women in general expressing their artistic desires. We so often see men as the primary photographers; the creative ones, but there are some great female photographers. So this is about equality and I am very keen on equality.

And in the Middle East the impression I get is that women lead lives in the shadow of men. They appear to be a bit second class albeit they live good lives within that context because of the high value economy.

So it is nice to see then expressing themselves in doing something they love. Sort of breaking free of the role that is perhaps expected of them. A low-profile life, which does not ruffle feathers in any way.

Serious photographers can ruffle feathers as they can photograph things that are near the bone. A bit difficult to discuss and address. So once again, for me, seeing a serious Middle Eastern photographer taking photos is nice because it signals that she has a mind of her own and demands equality. A woman with a strong mind. 

In places like Iran it would probably be impossible to take photos with a Leica M11! You'd be too ostentatious. Too visible. You'd be a marked person. I am not sure if Iranian women are allowed to take street photographers. Probably not. What do you think?

I like women with strong minds. Intelligent women. Women who see themselves as equals in a society that tends to demand that they are not equal to me judging by the reports that we get in the West. And if they are good or even great photographers as well my admiration is strengthened.

Here is some information about women's rights in the Middle East from Google Gemini:

The situation of women's rights in the Middle East is complex and varies significantly across countries. While some nations have made notable progress, others continue to grapple with deeply ingrained patriarchal norms and legal systems that discriminate against women.

Progress and Reforms:

• Legal Changes: Several countries have enacted reforms aimed at enhancing women's rights. These include:
  • Relaxing guardianship laws, granting women more freedom of movement and decision-making power.
  • Increasing women's access to education and employment.
  • Strengthening laws against domestic violence and sexual harassment.
• Social and Cultural Shifts: There's a growing women's rights activism movement across the region, advocating for change and raising awareness about gender inequality.
• Economic Empowerment: More women are entering the workforce and participating in the economy, leading to greater financial independence.

Challenges and Setbacks:

• Deep-rooted Patriarchy: Traditional gender roles and societal norms often perpetuate discrimination against women.
• Legal Disparity: Despite reforms, many countries still have discriminatory laws regarding marriage, divorce, inheritance, and child custody.
• Violence Against Women: Domestic violence, sexual harassment, and femicide remain prevalent issues in many countries.
• Limited Political Representation: Women are underrepresented in political leadership and decision-making positions.

Specific Examples:

• Saudi Arabia: Has witnessed significant reforms in recent years, including allowing women to drive, work without male guardian permission, and attend educational institutions. However, challenges remain in areas like women's inheritance rights and freedom of movement.   1. Saudi Arabia: Proposed Reforms Neglect Basic Rights - Human Rights Watch www.hrw.org
• Iran: Women have a history of activism and have fought for their rights, leading to achievements in education and the workforce. However, they face restrictions on dress code, freedom of movement, and legal rights in areas like marriage and divorce.
• Other Countries: The situation varies widely. Some countries like Lebanon and Tunisia have relatively progressive laws on paper, but enforcement and social attitudes remain obstacles. Others, like Yemen and Syria, are engulfed in conflict, exacerbating the vulnerabilities of women and girls.

Overall, while there have been positive developments, the path towards gender equality in the Middle East is still fraught with challenges. Progress is uneven, and much work remains to be done to ensure that women and girls have equal rights and opportunities across the region.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Overzealous furore over Princess of Wales's botched photo-edited picture

The picture by the Prince of Wales for Mother's Day which was photo-edited by his wife the Princess of Wales has hit the headlines in the wrong way. Firstly, there was a lot of hypocritical - as far as I am concerned - criticism of the photograph by picture agencies. They pulled the picture once they understood that it had been photo edited.

Within 12 hours of being notified of the botched photo editing (which they should have spotted in the first place) they issued a kill notice advising editors and librarians to delete the image because it had been "manipulated".

Yes, it has been manipulated in a bad and amateurish way by the Princess of Wales who was just experimenting (but shouldn't have been) but the basic substance of the image, the content, has not been changed in any fundamental way at all. It is still a charming photograph of her family. It's a good picture.

Note: I cannot publish the photograph here because it is copyright protected. The copyright is owned by the Princess of Wales and I guess her husband because he took the photograph. I'm afraid you will have to refer to the picture from a different source if you're reading this article.

Catherine, the Princess of Wales. See credit at base of page.

Photo-editing is the norm nowadays

All she was doing was tidying up bits and pieces and trying to to make the picture look 'cleaner' and more organised. This happens all the time. These photo agencies receive pictures from hundreds of thousands of photographers who have assiduously and with great expertise photo edited their images to make them look cleaner and aesthetically beautiful.

It's all part and parcel of modern day photography. You always clean up the images by removing little defects in the background like a bird in the sky or a electrical socket on a wall; that kind of thing. Kate, the Princess of Wales, went too far and she wasn't skilled enough to do it for a picture that was destined to be published worldwide.

Mistake - apology

She should have experimented more at home and become more proficient before she issued a photograph for worldwide publication.

That's a mistake and she apologised today. In a statement she said "Like many other amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone celebrating had a very happy Mother's Day. C".

Pulled

Some big news agencies pulled the photograph. Some claim that it did not meet their photo standards. Fair enough. But the public doesn't mind. It is still a good photograph.

Reissue the original photograph

Why couldn't the news agencies have asked the Princess for the original, unedited version of the photograph and used that instead? If the news agencies had been more assiduous they would have spotted the problem initially, telephoned the Princess's staff and asked for the original instead.

Or perhaps they could have patched up the photo editing themselves. It is entirely possible to re-photo edit a botched photo edited photograph to make it more acceptable. There were ways around this but I would argue that the photo agencies are complicit in some way in this mistake.

Overzealous criticism - crazy response

And in The Times today we have a massive overreaction by overzealous journalists to this image from across the world. With some newspapers saying that they can't trust the Royal family any more which I think is absurd.

For example, American newspapers suggested that the episode may have inflicted lasting reputational damage. Ridiculous. This is simply an example of poorly done photo editing by an amateur photographer. That is all it comes down to. No attempt to manipulate the public or fundamentally change the image.

It appears that many newspapers have reported on this botched photo edited image but always it seems to me in an overly zealous manner. For example, in Italy, the newspaper La Repubblica said: "This is one of the biggest and most embarrassing controversies in the recent history of the Royal family." Ridiculous again.

Six areas of photo-editing

Apparently there are six poorly completed photo edited sections in the photograph which The Times have highlighted. But that newspaper's analysis is that these basic errors "should have been spotted by the Palace". I agree that. The picture should have been more accurately assessed by somebody at the Palace but once again I would lay the blame partly at the photo agencies for not assessing the picture themselves accurately.

They have the staff and the expertise to assess the images that they receive. Why weren't they more careful? A lot of the blame needs to fall upon them in my opinion.

And the Princess should not be so heavily criticised like this. I am not a royalist. I don't actually like the Royal family. But I also don't like unfair behaviour and criticism in this case of an amateur photographer who tried her hand at minor photo editing at the wrong time and in the wrong way. That's all.

Image credit: By Ian Jones - Buckingham Palace reception, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=131607684

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

OMG amazing dog group photo by dog walker who was photographed taking the pic

You won't see a more impressive group dog photo and it's impromptu. It was taken by a dog walker whose name we don't know when out walking his group of dogs. He used his smart phone. Although the picture has been substantially photo-edited which he probably did himself in the phone before uploading it to social media where it ended up on Twitter, the source for me of the photo. 

We don't know if he knew that he was being photographed while he photographed the dogs but they make a really great combination.

You can see that when he took the photograph, he was looking at the dogs over his phone. He is not looking at the dogs through the phone which is interesting. Perhaps he felt that he could control the dogs better that way. And my God he did an amazing job of controlling them for the photo and/or they were very obedient.

We don't know where it was taken either. It looks like a Mediterranean country to me. Italy perhaps. 

Here are the pics. First the dog group photo and them him taking it.

The best dog group photo that you'll see. Image: Twitter.

Everyone on Twitter who has seen it are as impressed as me and why not? 

The photographer who took the best dog group photo at the time he took it! Image: Twitter.

Picture of a giant cat in the middle of the road!

A nice bit of photo-editing from Matt McCarthy in North Carolina, USA. I should imagine that it was quite time consuming to do this photo-editing. You have to get the edges clean and that means a lot of meticulous deletions unless he uses software that does it all for him. But in my experience the best software is imperfect. I am probably wrong but this looks like three images sandwiched together: the background buildings, the cat and the foreground people. He has built up the image from the background creating three layers in all. 

Giant cat sleeps in the middle of the road. Image: Matt McCarthy.

You can see his work on Instagram: link.

Cool way to get up close and personal with wild lions

NEWS AND COMMENT - HARRISMITH, SOUTH AFRICA: The Glen Garriff (GG) lion sanctuary is a non-profit organisation in South Africa which currently takes care of 77 lions which opened for business in 2002. The lions live their lives in safety and security at the sanctuary. The non-profit has social media accounts through which they raise most of their money. Their stated mission is to "love, protect and preserve the magnificent lions in our care."

Lion experience cube at GG lion sanctuary. Photo: Suzanne Scott (presumed) via Caters News.

The director (and a photographer) of this non-profit company, Suzanne Scott, 53, has a cage which she uses to get up close and personal with lions when she photographs them. She is using this cage to allow paying customers to her sanctuary to do exactly the same thing. And she's photographed the lions and humans interacting. 

They are interesting photographs and my immediate reaction is that this is a good idea. How else do you get so close, in safety, to a genuine wild lion? And the bars are wide enough to allow a camera to be used to photograph these fabulous cats at very close range. It would be a great opportunity for an amateur photographer to get some interesting photographs. I am sure that there are strict rules though. There is still a potential for harm.

It seems social media has spread this idea to the world rather late in the day because Suzanne Scott said: "We have been offering this experience almost 2 years now and the safety of both our guests and big cats is the top priority. "

The cage originally came from a German photographer who visited regularly. They adapted the cage for customer use by making it into a "lion experience cube". A German TV company had used a plexiglass cube to film the lions and I guess they got the idea from them.

The cube is regularly checked to make sure that it is safe and that it can carry the weight of a lion or lions who jump on top of it which they appear to enjoy doing as it provides a nice vantage point.

The GG lion sanctuary is in the process of rescuing lions from a closed down zoo in the Middle East and are expected to bring another 17 lions into the sanctuary soon.

The cube is another nice source of income for them. It looks like it is an excellent idea because it benefits both the customer and the lions who are stimulated by its presence. It adds a bit of colour into their lives. It's called environmental enrichment in the domestic cat world.

What is Good Photography?

Good photography is not just recording what is in front you. It is seeing merit in what is front of you and then transforming that into an image which speaks to all about life so that it touches the emotions of viewers.



To see merit in the subject is itself a skill. To then enhance and transform the record/image to something which powerfully speaks to viewers is creating art (sometimes). Not many people can do this. Those who can are good photographers.

Photography is about communication. It is about touching the sensibility of viewers whereby they learn more about themselves and the world they live in.

In creating "art" there is usually a lot of thought. It does not come easy.

Note: the photo is by me of my cat. I don't profess to say that it is good photography. Just fun.