Planning to buy a digital camera? Not sure how to get started?
Read on to discover how.....
1. What do you need the camera for?
If
you buy a simple one that can be used at home, you will not get
interesting capabilities that you need for taking really good
photographic pictures. On the other hand, it would be a waste of your
money if you have the latest digital camera only to be used for personal
photos at home.
Based on the purpose one can choose from the following main three types.
o Point and shoot: - reasonably compact, with features and size like 35mm cameras.
o Lifestyle: - with moderate features, it's sleek and compact, so you can carry it around with ease.
o
Professional: - with interchangeable lenses, flashes and other
accessories, this camera is robust and feature laden, just the right
choice for a professional or serious photographer.
2. These are the important features to look for?
Pixel resolution
Digital
images are made up of dots called pixels. The higher the number of
pixels in your image, the better will be the quality of the image. This
will therefore enable you to enlarge your image to higher pixel
dimensions without creating a pixilated (broken) image.
Compression
Compression
shrinks a photo's file size, thus accommodating more images in the
memory card. However compression causes a small amount of data loss. If
you need the absolute best-quality images, you have to consider buying a
camera that takes uncompressed photos but will accommodate less number
of images.
Memory
A camera's memory size will decide the
number of images that can be stored. Memory of 128MB will be good enough
if you want to use the camera mostly at a social do or a party. If you
are on a vacation or when you cannot download images for days at a
stretch, a memory of 512MB to 1GB will be most favorable.
LCD screen
Most
digital cameras come with at least an optical viewfinder but many
digital cameras also come with an LCD screen built into the back. For a
digital camera, they vary from 1.5-2.5 inches.
Lens
It is
the length of a camera's lens that determines how much of a scene will
fit in a picture. A "Normal" lens is about 50mm, most closely
approximate to what your eye sees.
Optical zoom
This enables
the photographer to zoom in on an object without any problem in picture
quality. Depending on the magnification number, you can zoom in more.
Digital zoom
This feature enables the photographer to zoom in on the centre of the picture by removing the edges of the image.
Focus an exposure
In
most cameras, the correct exposure for the lighting conditions is
automatically determined. A camera rated ISO 100, has approximately the
same light sensitivity as that of a traditional film camera loaded with
ISO 100 film. A higher ISO rating means that the camera is more
sensitive to light and is potential enough to take pictures in darker
settings.
Audio and Movie capture
This feature allows you to
record sounds and moving images at the same time, in exactly the same
way that a camcorder functions. Some digital cameras provide the
facility to record a few seconds of audio with each shot, thus letting
you add a personal sound bite to your photos.
Movie mode
This
is a feature that lets you take short film clips with your camera. The
total record length is typically limited to 10 to 90 seconds.
Flash
Most
digital cameras come with an in-built flash. Some cameras however
include additional features, such as red-eye reduction or night portrait
mode.
Image erase
Most cameras also let you select pictures
to erase. This handy feature gives you the chance to edit out the
photos you don't want in order to create space in the memory.
Self-timer
A self-timer allows your digital camera for a delayed exposure, usually giving you about 10 seconds before the picture is taken.
Computer connections
Most
high-end cameras have software and connections for both Mac and PC
computers. However it is necessary to make sure the digital camera you
want is compatible with your platform before you buy it.
Image stabilization
This feature enables the photographer to capture still images of something moving very fast.
Printing
Nowadays
you can buy special printers, depending on the compatibility of your
camera, to print off your pictures without connecting it to a PC. This
applies both for digital and SLR Professional cameras.
3. How important is size and portability to you?
Size
is another very important factor to consider. If you are to use the
camera for non professional purposes the size has to be small as you
cannot afford to carry huge sized cameras when you are enjoying a trip.
No comments:
Post a Comment