Andrew Gates asked:


The digital camera market this day offers buyers a large number of choices, with products in widely differing price ranges, sizes and degree of operational complexity. From miniatures the size of a credit card, to fully functional professional SLR (Single Lens reflex) systems, you can buy a digital camera from manufacturers including traditional camera brands such as Canon, Olympus, Nikon, film companies such as Kodak and Fuji, and consumer electronic companies like Sony. Then there are other options that include the mobile phone manufacturers, and webcam suppliers.

The advantages of digital photography are numerous. Topmost is the fact that there is no film processing: costly both in cost and time. But there’s also the advantage of smaller sized equipment, portable media and instant picture viewing. And if you don’t like what you see, you simply delete it and shoot again: no wastage.

If you like to take pictures, being a digital photographer makes a lot of sense. But which camera is the ideal one for you? In a field of excess abundance, how do you narrow down what you need? How much to pay? How many megapixels? (What are they anyway?) Which brand? How much memory?

Digital CamerasEvery shopper is different.

At MyShopping.com.au we recognise this fact, and so we list practically all brands and models from hundreds of suppliers. These listings include the cold hard digital data facts about each camera and a range of comparative pricings offered by different suppliers. But just as each shopper is different, each photographer is different too. And just having the facts might not make you feel any more knowledgeable about which camera is right for you.

You could start with the question: What sort of photos will you take with your new digital camera? This is a valid starting point because from here you can start to qualify your stipulations in terms of technical ability and price. What sort of pictures will you take with your new digital camera?

Is it simply for happy snaps whenever you get together with friends and family at weekends and holidays? Or are you a serious bird watcher and you want to capture nature at its finest? Perhaps you want a camera for work to record your inventory, or recording information from a client. Maybe you are a PI on a mission. The point is, you need to start by recognising that your reason for buying a digital camera may not be the same as that of your best friend who is recommending the model she purchased.

Once you have figured out the sort of photos you are going to take, you can then set about deciding on the type of camera that will meet your needs. If you need something highly portable that fits in your shirt pocket or your handbag and lets you take it anywhere you go, make size a large consideration. If you want to take seriously good photographs, and you want to pursue an artistic endeavour, make image flexibility your main concern.

It might also be worthwhile considering your own position in the digital photography experience. Are you a novice about to buy your first camera, do you have some intermediate experience, or are you an advanced user?

Someone new to the market will likely not want to spend a lot of money, nor have a lot of mind-boggling features that leave you confused. There are cameras best for beginning users that have basic ‘point and shoot’ features including optical and digital zoom lens, flexible storage media and built in flash. There’s a big range of cameras available with simple features at low cost.

If you consider yourself an intermediate user with some operational knowledge of digital camera technology, you might want to take into account more advanced features that give you more control over the pictures you take. These features usually come in a range of automatic settings and manual settings for capturing the image and different storage options in terms of resolution and picture type (raw data, jpeg, tiff). Naturally there’s some cost attached to additional features when compared to more basic cameras.

For advanced users, there are a lot of professional options you can consider; such as SLR view finding and lens interchange ability. Cameras in this range provide much greater control over the image, both before and once it is captured. These options include shutter speed and aperture adjustment, and many cameras offer the ability to manipulate images ‘in camera’, such as cropping, and brightness and contrast adjustments.

After the picture is taken

A further main consideration is what are you going to do with your images once you have them? The great beauty of digital photography is the easy fact that you can store them on digital media such as CDs and media cards, and view them on personal screens and in many cases, your television. You need print only when and those you want to see, or show to others. Digital photography also gives fantastic opportunities to manipulate your images using popular image manipulation programs, resizing them, altering brightness and contrast characteristics, and correcting problems such as red eye, or removing skin blemishes.

Most digital cameras are computer ready, able to plug directly into your Computer or Mac using USB connectors. They usually include proprietary software allowing you to easily and instantly manage your image files in pic albums or slide shows. Many digital cameras also include a video capture facility enabling you to take short motion photos.

What you want to do with your images after you’ve them can have an impact on your choice of camera. If you want to make enlarged prints for example, you’ll want a high megapixel capacity (also talked about as ‘resolution’). If you want images for website use, you’ll want to get the ideal quality images that can be reduced in resolution without severe degradation.

Beauty is in the “I”

Great pictures usually come from great conditions. You capture a great moment, the light is just right, the subject is at the perfect distance, the image is perfectly framed. But not each digital camera offers the flexibility to make the best of existing light conditions, or position. Most digital cameras (certainly at the budget end) come with a built in automatic flash, which is terrific for happy snaps in darkened environments. And the automatic flash automatically does not ‘go off’ in bright sunny conditions. But in those times when you want to use the existing light, you need a camera that gives you manual control over the operation or not, of the flash.

Moreover, most digital cameras in the lower and medium price ranges are highly automated. If you’re moving from a traditional SLR film camera where you’ve maximum control over shutter speed, aperture and ISO speeds, it might be frustrating to not have easy access to the same range of tools to take advantage of existing light conditions.

In the more advanced (and therefore more expensive) range of digital cameras, most lens and aperture functions are available in exactly the same way as other SLR systems. What differs is how the colours and light of the image is translated through pixel capture compared to the chemical processing systems.

You might want a wide range of focus options. Most digital cameras have two different types of image magnification, lens magnification (zoom) that might be equivalent of a 35mm to 150 mm lens, and a digital magnification that might be to ten-fold (expressed as x10). This provides you with zoom lens ability, which may be limited in its depth of field control and is subject to soft focus and movement if the conditions aren’t just right, and a digital magnification of the pixel image. If being able to capture magnified distant images is important to you, you need more megapixels, and a lens system that gives you some control over its focus and aperture management.

A final word on accessory

Digital cameras are electronic equipment. That means they run on batteries, and if you use your camera a lot, you’ll find that you will be frequently replacing batteries. Some cameras have rechargeable batteries; others simply use dry cells (AA), which you can of course load with rechargeable ones. It pays to have spare batteries so that you always have a charged power source. Some cameras have docking stations to help manage the connection with personal. Many digital SLR cameras have interchangeable lens systems, some of which might be compatible with traditional film SLRs.

You can also print your own photos at home with special printers that handle standard photograph paper, and connect directly to your camera. Even though it might be less pricey to simply take your camera’s card, or a CD to your local camera store, and now many supermarkets and department stores, and use the automatic printing machines to print the images you want.

There’s a lot you can do with a digital camera, and you can pay les than $200, or more than $10,000. It all depends on how you see yourself as a photographer, what you’re shooting, and what you want to do with your photos. At Myshopping.com.au you can very quickly compare specifications and prices.

Boris C. asked:


Main Concept And Evolution

When digital cameras became common, a question many photographers asked was whether their film cameras could be converted to digital. The first recorded attempt at building a digital camera was by Steven Sasson, an engineer at Eastman Kodak. The first true digital camera that recorded images as a computerized file was likely the Fuji DS-1P of 1988, which recorded to a 16 MB internal memory card that used a battery to keep the data in memory.

Digital cameras can include features that are not found in film cameras, such as:

- Displaying an image on the camera’s screen immediately after it is recorded.

- The capacity to take thousands of images on a single small memory device.

- The capability to record video with sound.

- The capability to edit images and deletion of images allowing re-use of the storage they occupied.

A digital camera is a camera that takes video or still photographs, or both, digitally by recording images on a light-sensitive sensor. Most digital cameras measure subject distance automatically using acoustic or electronic techniques, but it isn’t customary to state that they’ve a rangefinder. The resolution of a digital camera is often limited by the camera sensor (typically a CCD or CMOS sensor chip) that turns light into discrete signals, replacing the job of film in traditional photography.

Digital cameras have high power stipulations, and over time have become increasingly smaller in size, which has resulted in an ongoing need to develop a battery small enough to fit in the camera and yet able to power it for a reasonable length of time. Digital cameras are incorporated into many devices ranging from PDAs and mobile phones (called camera phones) to cars and even webcams. Webcams are digital cameras attached to personal, used for video conferencing or other purposes.

When You Purchase Digital Camera

Measuring the “pixels per dollar” as a basic measure of value for a digital camera, there has been a continuous and steady increase in the number of pixels each dollar buys in a new camera consistent with the principles of Moore’s Law. Before you buy digital camera, it is important to determine what kind of pictures you want to take with it. Be sure to check first its capacity to produce high quality pic images and do not forget about camera’s batteries – make sure they’re rechargeable.

When you buy digital camera, sometimes the spending does not end there. For instance you may want to buy additional memory if the one that’s already included doesn’t suit your need and its capacity is not enough for you. This is why you must make sure that the gadget that you buy has not only a “built-in” memory or a card slot for external and additional memory, but also includes memory card with good enough capacity.

The LCD is a special consideration you have to look into when you purchase a digital camera. This is a small screen located at the back of a digital camera that allows you to preview the photos you took. This has to be considered when you buy digital camera, because it uses up a lot of battery power.

It is essential for you to feel comfortable holding your digital camera while shooting. So, before you buy digital camera, the right thing will be to test and check if you are comfortable holding it and using it. Special features that’ll suit your needs should be thought about, too before you purchase digital camera. No matter what your needs and wants are for the device, your financial resource will play a massive part in dictating the type of digital camera you’ll buy. When buying digital camera in on the web store, make sure you already know what you want and begin sorting by lowest price first and later calculating shipping and sales tax.

With these information, you can now figure out what you really need and want before you purchase digital camera.

J Adams asked:


A digital camera might look like a film camera but they are actually quite different. Both freeze light to make a photograph. Film cameras do this chemically using film. Digital cameras use a light sensitive CCD or CMOS silicon chip to convert light and digital information into pixels.

Pixels are the tiniest areas of light that your digital camera can recognize and change into information. The greater amount of pixels the more detail and higher the resolution the photograph. A low resolution color printout of tree will show that it is green but in a high resolution photograph the leaves and texture of the bark will be more sharply defined.

With digital photographs your have the ability to use software like Adobe Photoshop Deluxe and Microsoft Picture to edit pics and make corrections.

Choosing Your Camera

Important considerations when choosing a digital camera are: What do you want the camera to do? What features do you require? How much do you wish to spend on your camera?

There are professional high end cameras that cost thousands of dollars, cheap throwaway cameras and a massive selection of mid-level cameras available to select from.

Will you be photographing images for the web and for email? Will your photos be printed? For regular print size snapshots and web pics a one to two megapixel camera will do. In fact for the internet a lower megapixel would be better as higher resolution pics are slow to download.

Do you want a point-and-click camera? Are you someone who just wants to get the picture taken with the least amount of bother. Do you want a camera that does everything automatically and you simply have to press a button? Or, are you someone who would rather figure out the ideal settings for your camera and make the adjustments manually? It’s always best to find a camera that suits your purpose, need and capability.

High or Low Resolution

High end, high resolution cameras are good for photographs that are to be printed. The greater the number of pixels the higher the resolution. High resolution does not make sense on the web as the extra resolution does not make images appear any sharper. Also, high resolution pics are slow to download on the internet.

To print your photographs you will need a good quality color printer. If pics are to be printed, high resolution does make a difference depending how large you want the picture to be. High resolution will give a massive print better definition. High resolution cameras cost more. Expect to pay more for high resolution. You also need to check that your printer can handle high resolution prints.

Lenses

Low-end digital cameras have fixed focus lenses made of plastic. With these lenses everything is focused and you do not need to make a decision what to focus on.

Variable focused lenses are made of glass or high quality plastic. These lenses focus on whatever object you are trying to capture in a photograph.

Most mid-range digital cameras come with auto focus and manual focus built in. Auto focus is for point-and-click pics of whatever is in the middle of the frame. Or, by turning the ring over the lens, you can manually focus the camera. These cameras grant users to switch between auto and manual focus.

Zoom Lenses

Digital cameras have optical zoom and digital zoom lenses. Optical zoom costs more, give a better quality picture, and works the same way as on non-digital cameras with lens adjustments. A digital zoom comes about when the camera makes calculations to manipulates the pixels. Digital zoom gives a less sharp image. Some cameras include both optical and digital zoom.

View Finder

The view finder is what you look through to see what you’re photographing. The view finder on both digital and regular film cameras will approximate the picture your lens is viewing. Digital cameras will also come with an LCD display that you can use to check your photographs and decide weather or not to keep them.

Lighting

When it comes to lighting you might not want the camera to make the decision automatically for you. On an auto setting you camera might not make the best lighting choice given the location and environment. At times like this you can appreciate being able to switch between manual and automatic settings.

Digital cameras allow you to test exposure and view a picture on LCD prior to pressing the button fully and committing to a photograph.

Flash

There will be a built in flash that comes with your digital camera. In addition, the better cameras have a location for a flash attachment. This is a good option for producing better quality photographs.

Connecting to Your Computer

You’ll need a Personal computer USB cable, or for Mac’s – Firewire or Mac USB cable, to connect to your computer. You’ll also need a cable adapter for your camera’s CF (Compact Flash) or SM (Smart Media) card .

The CF or SM cards are removable high capacity storage cards for your photos. Your camera will use one type of card or the other. Not both. Check to see which type of storage card your camera uses.

USB connections are fast and easy to set up. Older cameras connect through a serial port. USB is faster and does not require that the computer be rebooted before it recognizes the camera.

Batteries and AC Adapters

Digital cameras often come with rechargeable batteries. It is best to have two sets of batteries. One set to use while the other is recharging. AC adapters make it simple to plug into an electrical outlet when you’re near by one.

Main Drawback of Digital Camera

The main drawback of digital cameras is shutter lag delays when the camera delays responding after you squeeze the button. It is possible you may miss the moment when photographing moving objects due to shutter lag. Some of the newer cameras are beginning to address the problem.

Select a camera that does what you want it to do, has features you will use and is priced in the range you want to pay. This will be the right camera for you. If your experience is limited and you do not want to take a lot of time learning how to use the camera, go with a point-and-shoot camera. Something without too many features. If you’re a camera enthusiast who wants to do more with your camera or is willing to take the time to learn how to use the feature then, by all means go all out.

Sources:

http://www.dpreview.com/

http://www.pcphotomag.com/

http://www.letsgodigital.org/en/index.html

http://dpnow.com/

http://digiphoto.org.uk/123di.htm

http://www.dcviews.com/

http://photo.net/

http://cameras.about.com/

http://digital-photo-basics.classes.cnet.com/