Imre Z. Balint, BSc, MPM, MBA

It's been quite a while since my last video, but after receiving another request for camera maintenance and care, I thought I'd quickly whip up this show. In the next week or so I'll also finish off the supplemental post with some links to cleaning products and other websites on this topic. And if I'm not too lazy in the coming days, I'll also post a shot or two of my wooden shark as that project is progressing quite well. L8r!

I had a question submitted to me regarding what advice I could give about photography in cold weather... I mean really cold weather, think -20C (-4F). Even though I'm not very far north, living in Calgary, Alberta, Canada has taught me a thing or two about taking my cameras out in frigid conditions. Let me first begin by saying that you should always consult your camera's manual and find out what the model's operating temperature range is. In general, most digital SLRs (and even many point and shoot cams) have operating temperatures listed between 0C (32F) and +40C (104F). Be warned that if your camera is still under warranty and damage is caused by taking it outside, the warranty may be voided. What could go wrong? Speaking of damage, what could happen? First of all, it's fairly common to hear about batteries loosing their power quite quickly, and having been in situations where I had my camera exposed to cool air for lengthy periods of time, they do die noticeab...

I've been so busy lately with various things around the home that I've been neglecting my videos somewhat. The next episode should be a quick Q&A one, but after putting some good though into the answers to the questions, which were submitted through my Binary Graphite profile on Facebook, I came to the conclusion I could better reply to them here. Winging the video would yield short answers with little sustenance, and in the end I'd still end up writing a supplemental blog post. At least with writing I can take my time to better conjure up an adequate response. So let's get started! Oh, but before I do, a quick word of warning. Some of the questions/answers below involve taking photos of the sun. If you do choose to take such shots, be warned that if you're not careful, you might not only cause irreparable damage to your camera, but to your eyes as well. Question 1:  What is the best way to use a lens hood? Once again, I tried to use one for a picture of a s...