Achieving results like this is possible with the Canon EOS 20D and a bit of practice.
As with any specific photographic art, high-speed photography is a matter of patience and practice. The Canon EOS 20D is equipped for high-speed photos, but you will require more than the basic kit setup to achieve truly spectacular results. A macro lens is recommended, but not required, but the key here is, obviously, having a fast lens. This isn't a true high-speed camera, so don't expect to the same results as with an HD video camera that shoots 1,000 frames per second. You're limited to five frames per second with the EOS 20D, so timing is everything.
Instructions
1. Use accessories. The remote control, in particular, is essential to high-speed photography. Pressing the shutter button manually is slow, and causes vibrations that are lethal to up-close photography. Using the remote allows you to set up the shot, focus and then stand back and use the camera in rapid-fire mode.
2. Attach a macro lens (or another high-speed lens with a wide aperture). Lenses are expensive, but having a variety of lenses allows you to broaden your photographic horizons. Telephoto lenses are great for sports photography, for example, and macro lenses are excellent tools for close-up photography, as your high-speed shots will likely be. Consider the maximum shutter speed of a lens in addition to its aperture. Lenses with low F-stop numbers (F1.4, 1.8 or 2.2) are great for high-speed photography. These lenses have a wide aperture, which allows more light to hit the sensor and requires the shutter to be open for a shorter time. At aperture settings like F1.4, the depth of field is narrow, which gives a blurred background effect and gives your shot more pop.
3. Get set up. High-speed photography takes a lot of practice and involves a bit of luck because of the frame rate of the EOS 20D. For practice, take pictures of water dropping into a sink. To set up, attach the camera to a tripod and frame the shot. Run the tap and manually focus your lens so the exact spot of the drops is in focus. As mentioned in Step 2, a wide aperture will make your depth of focus extremely narrow, so focusing might take a bit of practice. Attach an external flash and your remote control, and get ready to experiment.
4. Adjust your camera's settings on full manual mode. Rotate the mode dial to "M." Here's where experimentation is essential. You'll have to adjust the shutter speed, aperture setting and flash speed for your situation. Try the widest aperture setting first, as this allows for the fastest speed for both your shutter and flash. Run the tap, then hold down the shutter button on the remote and let the camera's rapid fire go to work. A lot of your shots will be of nothing, but you'll occasionally get pictures with the splash at its peak. Adjust flash speed settings to change the lighting. High-speed photography is about playing around and having fun, so enjoy, experiment and let the results come to you.
Tags: wide aperture, aperture Lenses, aperture setting, flash speed, frames second
