photography and camping main index page

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• photography and camping are my escapes from the world and allow me to see the world in a different light as well as motivates me to keep fit outdoors
• I do not do weddings nor commercial work
• I do not sell anything
• I have almost no advertising on my sites and I am not going to send you to online retail websites such as Amazon without it being obvious to you (and if I do have such links I do not get payments from them - they are there only to save you searching)
• I am not sponsored by any photographic or camping companies and they do not give me gear to review
• I have created this website to share what I have learned, and also to keep a ready resource available.
• If I have a significant error on my site, feel free to contact me
• I mainly use Canon, Olympus and Sony digital cameras but also have Bronica SQ and Mamiya TLR medium format film kits as well as an almost complete Olympus OM 35mm film kit
• my photos on Flickr - these are better viewed on Fluidr
• my photos on 500px
• my photography blog
  • index to my blog posts
• some of my photos hosted on my website
• a selection of my photographs
• AI generated music that I have created
• some of my brief lens tests
• some handy photography links to other websites

Other sections of this wiki:

• a brief summary of mathematical principles and tools
• helpful travel links and information - Australia
• Melbourne
• Melbourne weather
• short walks within 1 hour of Melbourne
• my genealogy main index
• cats as pets
• Gary's wiki test area
• DIY tips
• photography articles written by Khen Lim
• Dokuwiki issues
• test section for web server admins

• Pros and cons of traveling to Australia - but isn't it scary and dangerous?
• why go camping? your why may determine the how and your gear!
• aspects many hate about camping
• bushwalking in Australia
• overnight hiking camping checklist
• bare essentials to take camping in Australia
• gear to take car camping
• camping gear that will probably end up as junk - perhaps don't buy it!
• car camping / glamping MY WAY
• Winter car glamping my way
• Quick overnight car camping set ups for southern parts of Australia
• camp ground etiquette
• camping laws and where you are permitted to camp
• shelters for camping - tents, swags, vans, hammocks
  • sleeping in your car for camping and vehicles designed for this
  • trailer shelters, vans and caravans for camping
  • roof top tents
  • swags for camping and sleeping
  • choosing a tent for Australian conditions
  • overnight ultralight bushwalking shelters and equipment
    • one door trekking pole ultralight hiking tents
    • two door trekking pole ultralight hiking tents
    • stealth camping for solo woman hikers
  • comparison of mainly mesh tents for warm nights
    • hammocks for camping and sleeping
  • comparison of full fabric 2P and 3P tents for colder nights
    • how to sleep comfortably and healthier at 7deg C without a sleeping bag
    • can excessive farting in a fully enclosed tent cause harm?
    • camping in the snow (in nice weather)
    • hot tents (tents with wood stoves inside)
    • insulated tents
  • shelters and tents for car camping or alpine 4 season use
  • chill out and de-stress by car camping comfortably
  • camping with a wood stove
  • touring tents you can stand up in
    • dark, sun blockout tents
    • tents to attach to rear hatchback of cars
    • swags, tents and inflatable / bubble tents for star gazing
    • larger tents without integrated floors to act as fly tents or hot tents
    • large tunnel / car tents
    • large dome tents
    • tipi tents
    • bell tents (similar to yurts)
    • yurt tents / ger
    • inflatable air beam tents
    • tents for long term camping
    • in search of the perfect shelter for a 2P inner tent
    • tents for music festivals in Australia
  • tarps for camping and hiking
  • tarp shelter set ups for camping and hiking
  • gazebos for camping
• more camping tips
  • tips for better sleeping when camping
  • better sleeping when camping - sleep naked or not?
  • pillows for camping and hiking
  • sleeping mats for hiking
  • air beds, mattresses and stretchers for camping
  • condensation in tents
  • ropes for camping, winches and towing
  • guy ropes
  • essential knots for campers
  • poles for camping, tents and tarps
  • tent pegs/stakes and how to stake your tent or tarp
  • zips for camping
  • tips for camping in the rain
  • camping in areas after flood events
  • tips for camping in fog ... or not camping in the fog
  • toileting when hiking or camping
• camping and hiking safety
  • risk management when camping
  • Solo camping for women
  • choosing a camp site for your tent
  • how not to get gastro or food poisoning when camping
  • towards healthier camping
  • rechargeable headlamps for hiking
  • carbon monoxide poisoning - the silent camp killer
  • heat injury, burns, heat rashes and heat illness
  • staying cool while camping in summer
  • cooling options for your tent
  • camping security and minimising theft
  • first aid kits for camping and hiking
  • survival kits for camping and disasters
  • hand crank torch radios for disasters and hiking
  • navigation management for hikers
  • the problem with cold air whilst camping
  • keeping warm when camping or hiking
  • snake survival: how to avoid snakebites and first aid if you do get bitten on your bushwalks in Australia
  • how to reduce your risks in lightning storms
  • how to reduce your risks in the event of a tornado
  • treating water to make it potable / drinkable
  • how to reduce your chance of drowning on your camping trip
  • pests in Australia
    • "sand flies" / biting midges
    • Mosquitoes in Australia
    • March flies
• adding extras to your camping trips
  • cooking options when camping
  • camp fires and fire restrictions
  • gas or liquid fuel stoves for camping
  • wood stoves for camping
    • Winnerwell Nomad wood camping stoves
    • wood fired camp ovens - Dutch ovens, etc
  • light, portable camp tables
  • measuring temperature / thermometers
    • infrared thermometers
  • keeping your food and drinks cool
  • car fridges for camping
  • 12V batteries, battery boxes and power stations
    • battery capacities compared, how much do you need?
    • camping off-grid - power, batteries, solar, fridges
    • solar power for camping
    • solar regulator / controllers for solar panels for camping
  • hot water and showers for campers
  • gas fittings for camping
  • heaters for camping
  • diesel heaters for camping
  • 12V heating pads / "electric blankets" to lie on
  • outdoor thermal imaging devices - search and rescue, hunting, hiking
  • night vision - a general overview
  • the perfect coffee when camping
  • Thermos vacuum bottles to keep fluids warm
  • air pumps for camping
  • portable weather stations for campers
  • radio for campers
  • drones for hiking
  • chainsaws and tips for your camping trip
  • bushcraft and camping axes
  • camping, 4WD and auto brands in Australia
  • winter glamping with 4 non-campers - what worked and what didn't work
• getting more from your camping experience at night
  • the night sky
    • astrophotography
    • astrophotographic landscapes of the Milky Way
  • night birds and their calls
    • birds making calls at night in Victoria
  • other nocturnal animals
    • nocturnal_animals
  • flora:
    • shooting bio-luminescent ghost fungi, mushrooms and other organisms
• troubleshooting your car on camping trips
  • going off-road / 4WD
  • Four Wheel Driving
  • 4WD off road recovery gear
  • 4WD and electric winching recovery
  • 4WD winch recoveries without an electric winch
  • 4WD / AWD / SUV comparisons with Subaru Outback
  • taking the Subaru Outback off road
  • car over-heating or losing coolant
  • car battery running flat or car not starting
  • lithium jump start batteries and other jump starters
  • troubleshooting new car noises
  • pot holes and reducing damage to car
• where to camp or hike in Australia
  • camping in Australia in Summer (Dec-Feb)
  • camping in Australia at Easter / April
  • camping in Australia in Winter
  • Multi-day one way through hikes in Australia
  • camping in Victoria
  • best overnight bushwalks in Victoria
  • best day walks in Victoria
• camp grounds in Victoria
  • non-commercial camp grounds for tents within 2 hours of Melbourne
  • non-commercial camp grounds for tents 2-4 hours from Melbourne
  • non-commercial camp grounds for tents more than 4 hours from Melbourne
  • campgrounds near Melbourne accessible by public transport
  • camp sites with scenic views in Victoria
  • summer holiday beach camping in Victoria
  • Victorian campgrounds allowing dogs
  • my favourite non-commercial camp grounds for tents in Victoria
  • non-commercial camp grounds within 2 hours of Geelong Ferry to Tasmania
• South Australia
  • camping in South Australia
• tas
  • camping in Tasmania
• New South Wales travel
  • camping in NSW
  • southern coast of NSW - Woollongong region
  • southern coast of NSW - the Sapphire Coast
  • BlueMtns
  • Snowy Mountains, NSW
  • southern_highlandsNSW
  • NSW - Coffs Harbour travel
  • north coast NSW - Byron Bay region
• camping in Queensland
  • tropical north Queensland
  • Whitsundays, Mackay and Townsville region
  • Outback Central West and Gulf Country, Qld
  • Capricorn region of Queensland - Bundaberg - Rockhampton
  • Sunshine Coast - Fraser Island / K'gari region
  • Darling Downs Qld
  • Gold Coast and hinterland region
• understanding weather, nature, waves and the tides
  • getting a weather forecast when camping or off-grid
  • tides
  • beaches, waves and currents
  • the Australian climate
  • Climate - Introduction 1 - atmosphere & temperature
  • Climate - Introduction 2 - water & rain
  • Climate - Introduction 3 - air & wind
  • Climate - Introduction 4 - Climates
  • Climate - Melbourne
  • Australian climate - mean annual data for various cities
  • earthquakes

• choosing a digital camera
  • megapixels - how many is best for you?
  • camera systems compared
    • Apple iPhones compared
    • compact fixed lens cameras:
      • tough, waterproof, shockproof compact fixed lens cameras
      • compact fixed lens digital cameras with larger sensors
      • relatively compact super zoom bridge cameras
    • digital SLR cameras
    • professional sports / journalistic dSLRs
    • mirrorless camera systems
    • lens mount cross-compatibility table
    • AF lens adapters
    • lens adapters
    • video capability and what to look for in a digital camera
  • my dream camera and lens kit
• what to look for in a laptop to edit photos
• essential items to take in your camera bag
• options on how to carry your camera - harnesses, belt mounts, etc
• ergonomic hiking backpacks for photographers
• backpacks and bags for photographic gear
• photographic filters
• camera lenses
  • fisheye lenses
  • super wide angle lenses
  • fast 50mm focal length lenses
  • standard lenses
  • portrait lens
  • super tele
  • perspective control lenses
  • image stabilised lenses
  • legacy lenses for mirrorless cameras
• light meters
• buying a telescope

• troubleshooting: camera not displaying lens aperture
• troubleshooting: camera not working, unresponsive
• troubleshooting: your camera is refusing to autofocus or images are blurry
• troubleshooting flash not firing or exposing correctly
• looking after your batteries
• how to clean your camera, lenses and sensor
• how to recover or repair corrupt or deleted image or video files

• dummies guide to using a digital camera
• photography cheat sheet
• basics of creating a good photograph
• exposure
• ISO
• photographic colour temperature (white balance)
• photographic filters
• depth of field (DOF)
• bokeh
• digital cameras and focus
• lens focal length
• the art of photography - composition
  • photographic creativity and inspiration
  • black and white / monotone imagery
  • color theory and colour harmonies
• vignetting
• digital camera sensors
• sensor size
• sensor pixel pitch size and density
• sensor read out speed and silent shutter mode
• shutter shock and how it can blur your images
• image stabiliser
• light
• color / colour in photography
• photographic colour temperature (white balance)
• color blindness / color vision deficiency
• optics
• electromagnetic radiation and optics - a brief historical timeline
• USB cables, connectors and protocols

• light values and exposure metering
• digital camera RAW files
• shutter mechanisms, rolling shutter and flash sync
• digital image noise
• dynamic range
• using lens flare creatively
• planning for outdoor photography
• people photography
  • photographing people
  • portraiture
  • outdoor portraits
  • the girl in the woods at dusk with a lantern shot
  • the group or couple portrait
  • street photography
  • travel photography
• landscapes and seascapes
  • landscape photography
  • photographing Australian forests
  • long exposure photography
    • how to blur water motion - waterfalls, seascapes, etc
  • photographing sunrises and sunsets
  • creating sunstars and sunburst rays of light in your photos
  • photographing storms and lightning
  • photographing winter frost
  • photography in fog
  • how to shoot photos from a helicopter
  • panorama
  • 360 degree spherical panoramas and Little Planet imagery
  • fisheye lens photography
  • infrared photography
  • ultraviolet light photography (black light)
  • timelapse photography
    • motorized dolly for timelapse or video work
  • popular landscape locations
• night and low light photography
  • low light and action photography
  • shooting bio-luminescent ghost fungi, mushrooms and other organisms
  • urban night photography
  • photographing fireworks
  • astrophotography
  • photographing star trails
  • astrophotographic landscapes of the Milky Way
  • photographing the solar eclipse
  • how to photograph a total eclipse of the moon (lunar eclipse / blood moon)
  • photographing the moon
  • photographing astronomical occultations
  • photographing comets
  • observing and photographing meteors
  • observing and photographing aurora borrealis and aurora australis
• sports, wildlife and action photography
  • photographing birds and birds in flight
  • photographing wildlife
  • photographing surfers, sharks and beach life
  • photographing motor sports - car racing / motor cycle racing
  • photography at the footy (AFL photography)
  • high speed (ultra short exposure) photography
• architectural photography - buildings, interior, real estate
• indoor, close up and still life photography
  • indoor photography ideas for a rainy day
  • photographing glass, food, beer, or wine
  • converting your film negatives or slides to digital (film scanning with a camera)
  • macrophotography
  • photographing droplets
  • macrophotography for Micro Four Thirds cameras
  • flash units for macrophotography including ring flashes and twin flashes
  • automatic in-camera focus stacking function for greater depth of field on Olympus cameras
  • how to shoot creative product shots using a fish tank, water and milk
  • how to shoot flat lays
• remote control of cameras
• digital camera live preview
• geotagging your photos with GPS data
• backpacks and bags for photographic gear
• tripods
• photographic film in a digital age
• how to copy your film negatives and slides using your camera
• videography
  • using your digital camera as a webcam
  • using your digital camera to create vertical videos for Facebook or Instagram

• flash technology
• remote flash for cameras
• flash modifiers
• light reflectors and diffusers
• flash sync
• flash units for macrophotography including ring flashes and twin flashes
• TTL flash for Micro Four Thirds cameras
• more details on flash options for Four Thirds and Micro Four Thirds cameras
• studio flash
• using flash in the sun
• photographic lighting basics
• continuous source LED photographic and video lighting
• remote radio wireless flash with the Olympus OM-D cameras
• Godox X 2.4GHz radio remote TTL flash and lighting
• Cactus v6II remote radio wireless TTL flash with the Olympus OM-D cameras
• Metz flash systems
• Quantum flash systems

• the Olympus OM-D system and how to make the most of it
• comparison of current Micro Four Thirds cameras
• comparison of older Olympus OM-D cameras
• cine / video / movie gear for Micro Four Thirds
• a catalogue of Micro Four Thirds lenses
  • wide angle to standard lenses for Micro Four Thirds
  • 17mm "wide angle" street photography lenses for Micro Four Thirds
  • 25mm "standard" lenses for Micro Four Thirds
  • 45mm "portrait" lenses for Micro Four Thirds
  • 3-5x standard range zoom lenses for Micro Four Thirds
  • 3x telephoto zoom lenses for Micro Four Thirds
  • 3-4x super-telephoto zoom lenses for Micro Four Thirds
  • 8-10x super-zoom lenses for Micro Four Thirds
  • wide aperture telephoto in 135-150mm range for Micro Four Thirds
• lens adapters
  • focal reducer adapters and the Olympus OM-D cameras
• Olympus OM-D camera menus
• suggested settings for the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Micro Four Thirds camera
• suggested settings for the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Micro Four Thirds camera
• suggested settings for the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Micro Four Thirds camera
• activating the Live Super Control Panel (SCP) in Olympus cameras
• using manual exposure with the Olympus OM-D cameras
• live histogram in Olympus cameras
• ESP exposure metering in Olympus digital cameras
• spot meter modes of Olympus cameras
• Shoot RAW and Expose to The Right (ETTR) for optimal image quality
• managing white balance on the Olympus cameras
• optimising autofocus on the Olympus OM-D whilst using Micro Four Thirds lenses
• optimising manual focus on the OM-D cameras: focus peaking and magnify view
• using your Olympus OM-D with Four Thirds or manual focus lenses
• timelapse photography with Olympus OM-D cameras
• multiple exposure photography with Olympus OM-D cameras
• Olympus Hi Resolution mode
• high dynamic range (HDR) photography with Olympus OM-D cameras
• Using your Olympus OM-D cameras tethered to a computer
• flash and lighting for OM-D cameras:
  • TTL flash for Micro Four Thirds cameras
  • flash units for macrophotography including ring flashes and twin flashes
  • Olympus OM-D flash modes
  • using the Olympus OM-D cameras with flash
  • remote TTL flash RC mode with the Olympus OM-D cameras
  • remote radio wireless flash with the Olympus OM-D cameras
  • super FP flash mode
  • manual flash with Olympus cameras
  • flash x-sync in Olympus digital cameras
  • using the Olympus FL-600R flash
  • using Olympus cameras to achieve a key-shift effect with flash
• macrophotography for Micro Four Thirds cameras
• flash units for macrophotography including ring flashes and twin flashes
• automatic in-camera focus stacking function for greater depth of field on Olympus cameras
• color creator function on Olympus cameras
• Picture Modes on Olympus cameras
• Olympus Art Filters
• long exposure dark frame thermal noise in Olympus cameras
• long exposure modes in Olympus cameras
  • Olympus Live BULB mode
  • Olympus Live Time mode
  • Olympus Live Composite mode - very cool feature for star trails, light painting, etc

• tips on how to use the Sony a7 series cameras
• Sony NEX FX full frame mirrorless cameras
• Sony FE E-mount full frame lenses
• 35mm full frame lenses for Sony E-mount
• 50mm full frame lenses for Sony E-mount
• Legacy lenses on Sony NEX FX full frame mirrorless cameras
• Autofocus lens adapters for Sony NEX E-mount cameras

• Nikon Z full frame mirrorless system
• tips for using your Nikon Z system camera
• Nikon Z6
• Nikon Z7
• Nikon Z mount lenses
• Nikon Z DX cameras and lenses

• tips for using your Canon R system
• Canon R full frame and APS-C mirrorless camera system
• Canon RP full frame mirrorless camera
• Canon R system lenses (Canon RF)

• Canon EOS camera system
• Canon EOS full frame dSLRs compared
• Canon EF lenses
  • Canon EF wide angle lenses
  • Canon EF standard zoom lenses and primes
  • Canon EF telephoto lenses
  • tilt-shift lenses for Canon EOS cameras
  • macro lenses for Canon EOS cameras
• autofocus modes on the Canon 1D Mark III
• Canon 1D Mark III with tilt-shift lenses
• macrophotography with Canon dSLRs

• how to use image editing tools
• RAW image processing workflow
• image editing software
• Affinity Photo image editor
• On1 Photo RAW software
• Capture One Pro image editing software
• Luminar 4
• Adobe Lightroom techniques
• Adobe Photoshop® techniques 1
• digital photographic printing
• color calibration
• AI to create videos from stills
• AI in photography
• CGI in still photography
• composite photography and post-processing
• extending your home internet network

• creating photo albums on the web
• online image galleries
• online photography forums and communities

• copyright law and photography in Australia
• is your photograph legal and ethical?
• safety for photographers, their gear and their models
• photography as collectible fine art
• history of photography
• professional photography as a career
• photography and modelling scams
• some handy photography links to other websites
• thermometers

• teleconverters explained
• camera lenses
  • super wide angle lenses
  • wide angle lenses
  • fast 35-40mm focal length lenses
  • fast 50mm focal length lenses
  • standard camera zoom lenses
  • portrait lenses
  • lenses for macrophotography
  • telephoto zoom lens to 300mm
  • super telephoto lenses
    • super telephoto mirror lenses
  • perspective control, shift and/or tilt lenses
  • travel photography
  • weatherproof lenses
  • iPhone camera lenses
• lenses by mount type:
  • lens mount cross-compatibility table
  • lens adapters
  • mirrorless cameras
    • Sony FE E-mount full frame lenses
    • Nikon Z mount lenses
    • Canon R system lenses (Canon RF)
    • a catalogue of Micro Four Thirds lenses
  • dSLR cameras
    • Canon EF lenses
    • Canon EF-S lenses
    • Four Thirds lenses
    • Nikon DX lenses
  • legacy lenses for mirrorless cameras
    • Olympus OM lenses
    • Leica and Voigtlander rangefinder lenses
    • Minolta SR mount manual focus Rokkor lenses
    • Pentax M42 lenses
    • Nikon F camera system lenses
    • Leica R mount lenses
    • Canon FD lenses
    • Konica Hexanon AR legacy manual focus lenses
    • Carl Zeiss 35mm full frame lenses

• history of photography

• compact fixed lens cameras:
  • tough, waterproof, shockproof compact fixed lens cameras
  • compact fixed lens digital cameras with larger sensors
  • relatively compact super zoom bridge cameras
  • multi-lens cameras
• mirrorless camera systems
  • Micro Four Thirds system - Olympus PEN/OM-D and Panasonic Lumix
    • the Olympus OM-D system and how to make the most of it
  • 35mm full frame mirrorless camera systems
    • Sony NEX FX full frame mirrorless cameras
    • Leica SL-system full frame mirrorless digital camera system
      • system announced late 2015
    • Nikon Z full frame mirrorless system
      • system formerly announced Aug 2018
    • Canon R full frame and APS-C mirrorless camera system
      • system formerly announced Sept 2018
    • Panasonic S full frame mirrorless system
      • announced Sept 2018, same mount as Leica full frame
  • other cropped sensor mirrorless systems
    • Sony NEX E-mount camera system
    • Sigma SA mount cameras
    • Fujifilm X mirrorless system
    • Canon EOS-M EF-M mirrorless system
    • Leica LT-system mirrorless digital camera system
    • Polaroid mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras
  • medium formal mirrorless systems
    • Phase One A series medium format mirrorless cameras
    • Hasselblad X series medium format mirrorless cameras
    • Fujifilm GF medium format mirrorless digital
  • discontinued mirrorless series:
    • Nikon 1 mirrorless camera system
    • Samsung NX Mini mirrorless camera system
    • Samsung NX mirrorless camera system
• digital SLRs:
  • digital SLR cameras
  • timeline of development of digital cameras
  • 35mm full frame digital cameras
    • Canon EOS camera system
    • Nikon F dSLR system
    • Pentax K mount camera system
  • medium format digital camera systems
    • Hasselblad H series medium format cameras
    • Mamiya / Phase One 645 medium format camera system
    • Leica S medium format digital camera system
  • discontinued dSLR systems:
    • Olympus Four Thirds dSLR system
    • Sony Alpha dSLR system

• 35mm film systems:
  • Olympus OM system
  • Pentax K mount camera system
  • Minolta SR mount manual focus 35mm film SLR system
  • Minolta autofocus 35mm film SLR system
  • Canon FD lenses
  • Canon EOS camera system
  • Nikon F
  • Contax Yashica 35mm film SLR camera system
  • Leica camera systems
• medium format film camera systems
  • twin lens reflex film cameras
  • Mamiya twin lens reflex film cameras
  • Bronica SQ 6x6 medium format film system
  • Bronica RF 645 medium format rangefinder film system
  • Hasselblad
  • Mamiya / Phase One 645 medium format camera system
  • Mamiya 6x7 medium format SLR camera system

• Vincent Laforet's blog - his video gear - well worth a read
• Philip Bloom's blog - another very worthwhile videography blog
• video capability and what to look for in a digital camera
• pro video cameras:
  • professional level digital video cameras
  • videography tips