Professor Newman looks at depth of field from the standpoint of what happens in front of the lens
Technology guides
Advanced technology guide: The ultra-wide lens phenomenon
What are the technological developments that have led to building and using wider and wider lenses?
Advanced technology guide: The optimal format?
With its 1in sensor, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ100 is capable of matching full-frame – with limitations
Advanced technology guide: Information theory
How to manage exposure to maximise information rather than manipulate output brightness
Advanced technology guide: Light-emitting diode
The popularity of the light-emitting diode has led to a decline in flash tubes, but why is the LED so popular?
Advanced technology guide: the art of focus pulling
With stills cameras now the norm for filmmaking, why haven't cine lenses changed accordingly?
Advanced technology guide: bokeh and lens design
What factors determine the appearance of bokeh and how far will people go to achieve this effect?
Advanced technology guide: the limitations of the JPEG
Bob Newman explains why the JPEG format isn't perfect and why its proposed replacement is no better
Advanced technology guide: a camera’s ‘reach’ – photographing distant objects
Bob Newman looks at the factors affecting how a camera system renders an image of a distant object
Advanced technology guide: autofocus motors
The motors that drive a camera's autofocus system have changed dramatically since the first one in 1985
Advanced technology guide: electronic shutters
Bob Newman discusses how electronic shutters work and the operation of the most common shutter types
Advanced technology guide: the modern autofocus
Bob Newman explains how the sophisticated autofocus system on the Nikon D500 stays on track, even when following erratically moving objects
The WDC Guide to Bridge Cameras
What is a bridge camera, and should you buy one? Our complete guide to bridge cameras (aka superzooms or ultrazooms) has the answers.
Advanced technology guide: camera hacks
The manufacturers may not like them, but a well-chosen hack can add functionality to your camera.
Advanced technology guide: comparing lens speeds
At first glance, one camera lens can appear to be faster than the other, but is this actually the case?
Advanced technology guide: dynamic reversal
Canon and Nikon’s new, top-end cameras are, at first glance, quite similar, until you look below the surface
Advanced technology guide: silver halide photography
Nowadays, analogue is used to describe ‘old school’ silver halide photography, yet up close, it’s pure digital
Advanced technology guide: JPEGS, the raw truth
Bob Newman explains why the camera JPEG can often be better than the raw file
Advanced technology guide: counteracting noise
Bob Newman revisits some raw files taken with a Canon EOS 5D and reveals tips for counteracting noise
Pentaprism: what is it and how does it work?
In this article we look at the pentaprism, providing a guide to what it is for and how it works