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FindBest Digital Camera for Your Needs and Maximum Enjoyment |
by:
Dave Saunders |
Digital Cameras have becomecommon site wherever you go. If you're getting ready to purchase your first digital camera, or maybe you're looking to replace one you already have, it is best to familiarize yourself withknowledge of what makes one digital camera different from another and chooseone that is right for you. In this article we'll cover one ofmost significant factors in picture quality. This is“digital film.”
Just like withfilm camera,digital camera haslens which brings light into focus onbed of light sensitive material. Indigital camera, that light sensitive material iscircuit bed called“CCD.” The CCD playssame role as film infilm camera andlens allows light to fall ontoCCD which is then converted intodigital image. The quality oflens can makesignificant difference inclarity of that image. Very cheap digital cameras may even usepiece of plastic aslens, which will usually haveuneven surface and light transmission. This will be noticeable inpicture but may not beissue forsecurity camera orweb cam. Better quality digital cameras will have ground-glass lens and high-end digital cameras will even have interchangeable lenses as do high-end film cameras. The lens still playsimportant role of bringing light clearly toCCD surface fordistortion free picture.
A CCD also providesinteresting advantage todigital camera. It is possible to automatically adjust light sensitivity to improve contrast, shoot in dim light, or even take black and white, sepia or infrared and ultraviolet light pictures withtouch ofbutton. Because any of these images are stored assame data onmemory card,digital camera can offer unsurpassed versatility withoutneed to change film types. Not all digital cameras have these features built in, but they are options you may see in some cameras. Whilepossibilities are cool, ask yourself if you that isfeature you need indigital camera.
With digital cameras, CCD isgrid of light sensitive points which captureimage for conversion intodigital image. The number of points onCCD is measured in terms of “mega pixels.” The mega pixel rating iscompletely new bit of terminology and is unique todigital camera. The mega pixel rating ismeasure ofresolution ofcamera, or its ability to store details of am image. For example,digital camera withmaximum resolution of onetwoeightzero by sevensixeight pixels (dots) comes out tototal of nineeightthree,zerofourzero pixels with which to describedigital image. As each mega pixel represents one million pixels, we can see this is not even one mega pixel. Some digital cameras have mega pixel ratings at five.one and even seven.one mega pixels. What does this mean to you? The more pixelsmore detail stored. Ifimage is going to be viewed onscreen orTV, this is not very meaningful because video displays have resolutions which are usually well below one mega pixel. However, when printing onhigh quality photo printer,difference betweenthree mega pixel digital camera andfive mega pixel digital camera can be very obvious.
Some people will try to evaluatemega pixel rating by how largeprint can be made fromdigital camera's image. The truth is that any digital image can be printed to any size. The real issue is what it looks like. Most people print their film to fourxsix prints and many are now doingsame with their digital cameras. Ask to see printed samples of pictures which are liketype you would normally take and comparesame prints between different cameras. Many stores will try to dazzle you with colorful still life images of piles of multi-colored fruits and hot air balloons. Do you take pictures like that? Probably not, so perhaps they're notbest images to be scrutinizing. If you take pictures of friends standing around, use each camera to take pictures of people standing around. Then usedemonstration printer atstore to make prints and look atresults. Do you see little dots inmiddle of solid colors? Doesimage look like it was taken withpoor quality film camera? Don't seek outdigital camera that happens to take perfect pictures inperfect setting, contrived bymarketing department ofdigital camera's manufacturer. Look fordigital camera that takes pictures you like insettings in which you most commonly find yourself.
Another issue to consider is that some digital cameras are designed for “point and click” use while other cameras are designed with lots of settings which must be manipulated for optimal results. In my personal experience, I have found that Kodak makes digital cameras which are ideally suited for simple “point and click” use and consistently take great looking pictures inwide variety of settings. I have also personally found that digital cameras from Nikon work best when you set them to “manual” and do not rely onautomatic settings. This seems to be true of their film cameras as well. Does this make one digital camera better than another? Only if one fits your needs and skills, andother does not.
There are many magazines available on digital cameras today. Most recognize these differences in digital camera quality, based on needs and intended use ofowner. Before buying your new digital camera, pick upfew of these magazines and familiarize yourself withlatest reviews. Remember thatpros and cons are still written “throughlens” ofreviewer. If you seenegative aboutdigital camera that you otherwise like, ask yourself if that negative is meaningful to your needs. Next ask yourself if that negative might be meaningful to your needs as you become more experienced. Ifanswer is yes, ask yourself if you would still be using that camera asmore experienced photographer infuture or would you perhaps sell it and buyentirely new digital camera? It's unlikely thatdigital camera you buy today is going to beonly one you'll ever have. Buydigital camera that most reasonably meets your needs and how you normally plan to take pictures.
Memory cards and battery life are also consideration factors which will be covered in other articles. For now, I hope this information has taught you more aboutworkings ofdigital camera and some offactors to consider when choosing one. Take your time and learnbit about digital cameras before your purchase. Sure, it's not like buyingcar, but photography isvery personal experience andright digital camera will truly makedifference in your enjoyment of capturingmoment with digital photography.
Aboutauthor:
Dave Saunders isnutritional educator and published author.
He enjoys writing on his many hobbies and passions.
You can find other news and articles on digital cameras at
www.aboutdigitalcameras.net
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