STACK #222 April 2023

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TECH

STACK ’ s TECH tips

This month's main thrust of our tech feature is cameras,

Do you have a tech horror story? Has tech come back to ‘byte’ you hard? Have you sent a text to the wrong person or deleted your employer’s hard drive by accident?Well, we want to hear about it. Send your terror byte to editor@stack.com.au B. Ellis recalls her tech nightmare. I feel pretty bad about this as I never owned up to it – until now. About ten years ago, I was living in the UK and became friendly with a local who I worked with. His dad was really into his music, had vinyl on shelves everywhere, and his pride and joy was a very expensive Naim amp from the ‘70s. While his dad was away, his son had a party. I stumbled across the music room at some point during the night and put my drink on the amp so I could look through the vinyl. However, my arm caught the glass while reaching for an album and sent the contents straight into the back of the amp. Taking the glass with me, I left the room and never said a word about it. The fallout when the dad returned and tried to play a record was insane. The vintage amp, supposedly worth over ten grand, was completely ruined. But no one came forward. I left to come back to Australia six months later, taking my secret with me. so here are a few tips for the amateur photographer. 1 When it comes to equipment, you don’t have to buy every accessory immediately. Invest in a good camera and build from there. 2 Become an expert in your camera, and learn what all the settings do. Master which aperture, ISO, and shutter speeds deliver the best results, and if possible, enrol in a photography course. 3 Practice makes perfect.Take photos at all times of the day, and experiment with different styles. The more you understand the process of taking photos, the better you will become. 4 One of the first accessories you should invest in is a tripod. Providing stability will exponentially improve your photography. 5 Learn the rule of thirds. Imagine your photo is dissected with two horizontal lines and two vertical lines forming a grid.Try to keep the photo's subject within the central line of the imaginary grid. It will draw the eye of the viewer into the photo.

APRIL

Technology has become an integral part of Australian lifestyles and continues to advance in leaps and bounds. From smartphones to smart homes, STACK keeps you up to date on the latest consumer tech in user-friendly terms, along with key points to consider before you buy. If you love tech, you’re in the right place.

1986

What was the hottest tech in…

Back in 1986, Fuji recognised a lack of affordable cameras in the marketplace. One of its ideas was the disposable camera. A simple yet incredibly effective design, the camera was, in fact, just a small cardboard box that held a 35mm film. It could take 24 (sometimes more) snaps and contained a lens, a button for taking photos, and a

disc for winding the film on. No adjustments were needed – the user just pointed the camera and click, the photo was taken. Due to its basic form and to avoid any confusion as to what it

was, Fuji named it Utsurun-desu – Japanese for “It really takes pictures”. Released at a price point of 1380 yen (approximately 17 bucks today), it was a hit and quickly became a mainstream

phenomenon, selling a purported million units in just six months. Inevitably, the big competitors soon followed suit, and Fuji continued to refine the design to stay ahead of the pack, introducing features such as flash photography and waterproof cases. Once synonymous with tourism, the advent of the smartphone has largely consigned the disposable camera to weddings and the inevitable ‘down the trouser’ photograph.

If you want to get the STACK tech scribes excited, just mention visual. As movie and gaming nuts, we all appreciate a good screen, and in May, we get to look at the new tech making waves (no pun intended) in the visual space. On The Radar

26 APRIL 2023

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