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Digital camera types
There are three basic types of cameras and this is the same whether you are shooting film or digital media. These three types are: point and shoot cameras, prosumer cameras and professional quality SLR cameras.
1. Point and shoot cameras operate automatically. They do everything for you except for framing the subject. Exposure is decided by the camera as well as whether a flash is needed or not. All you need to do is to point and shoot. 2. Prosumer Cameras. This camera is a step up from your typical point and shoot because it allows the photographer not only to shoot in a fully automatic mode but also to have control over various aspects of the exposure. They typically have various modes including portrait mode, a close-up mode, action mode, and landscape mode.
Resolution
Regardless of what type of camera you decide to get you will also have to make the decision about the resolution of the camera. If you have shopped at one of those electronics superstores you will be lead to believe that the most important thing to consider when purchasing digital cameras is the number of pixels. Although it is important there is much more to deciding on a digital camera than pixels. Pixels are tiny squares, and in new models other shapes, that make up the image. Obviously the more pixels the sharper the image. The more pixels there are the more detailed the image. Almost all of the digital cameras on the market today produce images with at least 4 million pixels. With this resolution you can print images up to 8x10 which will look very good.
The number of pixels keeps increasing, and the price keeps going down... if you do not need professional quality, you can very often pick up a last season bargain at below half price. And, of course, the necessary printers to print your photos are coming down in price too... though when taking into consideration the price of ink and 'lasting' quality it may still be better to get them printed at a shop.
Try various digital cameras before you purchase
Different cameras can have very different image qualities even though they may have the same number of pixels. This is due to different types and sizes of sensors on which the images are recorded and the various qualities of lens used. It is recommended that you purchase a memory card and take it in with you to the camera store. Then you can try out various cameras by taking photographs on your memory card. You can then take the pictures home and view them on your computer or better yet have them printed at a local lab to compare the results. Make sure to take notes so that you remember which image was taken on which camera. Digital cameras are constantly changing and being improved upon. Every few months it seems there is a new model out with more pixels and better features at a more affordable price. Do not let this bother you. Take the time to choose a good digital camera which makes quality photographs and enjoy the benefits of digital photography for years to come. And one last piece of advice. Digital photography has created a new problem. People are not printing their photos anymore. They download them to their computer and then they eventually get lost or deleted. Print those special photographs. Your children will thank you.
N.B. I have updated this article in places as progress is so rapid in this field.
Sean Packards is the owner of
Filme Cameras...
which is an excellent
place to find cameras links, resources and articles.
For more information on this article.
please visit: http://www.filmecameras.com/
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