Bob Crum

I previously introduced you to the new Canon Cliq+, a novel camera-and-printer-in-one. This week Canon introduced the EOS Rebel SL3, the smallest and lightest EOS dSLR camera to date. Yes, another new camera! Photography is alive and well!
Though cellphone camera technology continues to improve, forthright phonetographers will admit, albeit reluctantly, that cellphones frequently fail to capture challenging once-in-a-lifetime photos. Meanwhile, technical advantages of dedicated cameras empower a photographer to capture photos cellphones can't? Let's continue.

Available in traditional black or white, the EOS SL3 white model is cool and trendy, even au courant. Aha, got your attention, eh? It's physically compact but power-packed: 24.1 Megapixel (APS-C) CMOS Sensor, powerful DIGIC 8 Processor, and Dual Pixel CMOS Auto Focus (AF). Best of all, selfie shooters will love the vari-angle LCD! And 4K video recording plus 4K time-lapse movies is the cat's purr.

Want more? The SL3 includes Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Create a great photo with the SL3 and Bluetooth it to your cellphone and text it or email it out on the Internet. You can even remotely control the SL3 with your cellphone. The cat's meow!

The SL3 camera is also budget friendly. Note that lens selection need not be the same brand as the camera body. Third party manufacturers (Tokina, Tamron & Sigma) make a plethora of lenses for Canon camera bodies. If you regularly read the photo of the week data you've noticed that I mostly use a Tamron 16-300mm lens. The range of this zoom lens meets most of my needs. Not having to swap lenses frequently eliminates dust on the sensor.

Three photo shoots past weekend. Even though I exercise my shutter-button finger three days a week, it was taxed to the limit at the third shoot.

The first assignment was at the Fillmore Middle School where Josh the Otter appeared. Josh the Otter is the water safety & awareness project to educate children with an important message: “Stay away from water unless accompanied by an adult.” Kids loved Josh!

On Saturday, the lovable, huggable Easter Bunny appeared at the Fillmore Recreation chalk art contest and a free-for-all Easter egg hunt. What a hoot! Kids being little, I decided to shoot from ground level. Miraculously, I survived, untrampled. Nevertheless, I'm reviewing my accident/health plan coverage.

Though shooting at ground level seemed best, kids running helter-skelter created an unexpected dilemma: Who and what to shoot with dozens of kids running every which way? I resigned to just pressing the focus back-button and prayed that at least a couple of photos showed some kids snatching eggs! Next time I plan to put the camera in burst mode – 10 photos/second - and fire away. BTW, it looked like every kid participating was pursued by, ahem, a phonetographer. Seriously?

Then it was on to the 100th famous, fabulous Fillmore Flower Show, a two-day extravaganza of eye candy. Like the proverbial fly on the wall, I watched people stop and stoop to sniff the roses. Perhaps an irresistible instinct? Must be. I can no more greet a dog without patting its head than pass a rose and not have a quick sniff. C'est la vie!

Highlight May 1 through May 5 on your calendar, the dates of Fillmore's first exciting Art and Photography Exhibit. Sponsored by the Fillmore Art Commission, the free event held in City Hall. Artwork and fine art photographs from 20 local artists will be on display for your enjoyment, and purchase! Enter a prize drawing by voting for your favorite artwork and or photo. Happy photoing!

Send comments, questions or suggestions to: focusonphotography@earthlink.net