Do you know what the best advice is for buying a digital camera? Apart from following your own common sense, the next best thing you can do is become informed. Read as much as you can about digital cameras, both pros and cons. Especially the cons. While it's easy, to find out how great a camera may be, you really need to focus on the negatives as well. Instead of using the camera with the most glowing reviews as a guide, why not focus on the camera with the least negative reviews. You need to consider both sides of the coin, as any honest digital camera guide will explain.
Technical specifications for digital cameras are easy to find, but need to be understood to be relevant. If you don't know what white balance, f-stop, ISO, or image sensor size mean, then their specifications are useless. You can generally find any cameras manual in an online format, by simply Googling the manufacturers website. Reading camera reviews and articles from well respected websites can then help you determine which of those specifications are meaningful.
Hands on experience has no substitute in the online world, and can only be truly tested by getting out to the different camera shops. Big box electronics stores can be great for this, as they often have lots of camera models available. Try to go during the non busy times, as you'll have more of a chance to play with all the cameras. During school hours, your also more likely to get older more experienced sales staff to help guide you to the best decision.
Online photography discussion forums can be an invaluable source of assistance as well. Find a few, and search them for the make and model of cameras your considering. Chances are, someone else has asked the same questions you have, and you can benefit from the answers they've received. If you can't find any, then ask away. Most photography buffs are keen to share their knowledge on the subject. This can be one of the most unbiased sources of honest opinions you'll find.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Digital Camera Buying For Busy People
So, you need to buy a digital camera either for yourself or someone else. The problem is, you've never bought a digital before, and you don't have the time to get up to speed on all the pros and cons of digital cameras. Well, that sort of speeds the process up already, as we've just eliminated all the professional grade cameras and move to the category of hobbyist or casual photographer cameras.
That eliminates a lot of cameras, and narrows down the list of features we need to concern ourselves with. The first item we need to consider is budget. For simplicity sake, let's consider two categories. Under $200, and $200 to $500 cameras. After $500 we're getting into semi professional equipment, and going with our previous assumption that's neither you nor the lucky recipient of your purchase.
There's plenty of good cameras in the under $200 category, but I wouldn't venture below the $100 mark. Unless of course you like standing in customer service lines. The Canon PowerShot A720IS, or the Canon SD1000 Digital Elph are both respectable cameras. Backed by the solid Canon name, with plenty of megapixels, and some nice features like image stabilization, in camera editing and large sized LCD screens. The SD1000 is what's considered a ultra compact, so it's smaller and easier to stow in tight spaces.
In the over $200 category, you get more features, more megapizels, some extra accessories, and generally a more durable camera. Cameras to consider here would be the Canon PowerShot SD950IS or the Pro Series S5. The S5 has a nice 12X optical zoom for those times when want to be out of the scene but still want a close candid shot. Don't be shy about spending the extra money in this category, as I've generally found that cheap electronics always comes back to haunt you.
That eliminates a lot of cameras, and narrows down the list of features we need to concern ourselves with. The first item we need to consider is budget. For simplicity sake, let's consider two categories. Under $200, and $200 to $500 cameras. After $500 we're getting into semi professional equipment, and going with our previous assumption that's neither you nor the lucky recipient of your purchase.
There's plenty of good cameras in the under $200 category, but I wouldn't venture below the $100 mark. Unless of course you like standing in customer service lines. The Canon PowerShot A720IS, or the Canon SD1000 Digital Elph are both respectable cameras. Backed by the solid Canon name, with plenty of megapixels, and some nice features like image stabilization, in camera editing and large sized LCD screens. The SD1000 is what's considered a ultra compact, so it's smaller and easier to stow in tight spaces.
In the over $200 category, you get more features, more megapizels, some extra accessories, and generally a more durable camera. Cameras to consider here would be the Canon PowerShot SD950IS or the Pro Series S5. The S5 has a nice 12X optical zoom for those times when want to be out of the scene but still want a close candid shot. Don't be shy about spending the extra money in this category, as I've generally found that cheap electronics always comes back to haunt you.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Digital camera Review
Researching buying a digital camera, I realized how convoluted and baffling the world of high-tech has become. It seemed like every digital camera review had something different to say, and every week there was some new feature that was a must-have on all new digital cameras. There were digital camera user reviews, written by people who understood the technology poorly and were either hopelessly over-impressed by standard features, or hopelessly un-thrilled because they didn't understand how to use the cameras that they had. There were digital camera pro reviews by professional photographers who had much different expectations than I did, and who were able to notice distinctions that I surely would have missed. In short, there was no way to get information from an expert writing for laymen. Either I would make a blind purchase, or I would have to find another source for my digital camera review information.
What I didn't realize was this: the reason that there were so many digital camera reviews was because there are so few features that are really crucial for digital cameras. You heard me right – I said so few features. Basically, digital cameras need about three qualities. They need to be well made, they need to have high resolution, and they need to have a variety of different lenses available. Everything else is just icing on the cake. Some of the digital camera review websites focus on features like digital zoom, but digital zoom is simply an advertising gimmick. A high-quality digital camera will have optical zoom. If it doesn't have optical zoom, it will have a lens available for it that does. You don't need to look through every digital camera lens review article. You simply have to choose a camera that has been made by a company that makes other high-quality photographic equipment. Usually, all the lenses will come in a standard format that can fit any of their products.
Basically, there is no need to look for digital camera review articles. What you do need to do is figure out what your needs are. If all you intend to do is to take 3 x 5 glossy photos of your family, practically any cheap digital camera on the market will do. If you want to be able to blow up and manipulate those photos, however, you should buy a high-resolution one from a respectable company. If you fancy yourself a serious photographer, you need to buy one that has fittings for new lenses. That's all there is to it!
What I didn't realize was this: the reason that there were so many digital camera reviews was because there are so few features that are really crucial for digital cameras. You heard me right – I said so few features. Basically, digital cameras need about three qualities. They need to be well made, they need to have high resolution, and they need to have a variety of different lenses available. Everything else is just icing on the cake. Some of the digital camera review websites focus on features like digital zoom, but digital zoom is simply an advertising gimmick. A high-quality digital camera will have optical zoom. If it doesn't have optical zoom, it will have a lens available for it that does. You don't need to look through every digital camera lens review article. You simply have to choose a camera that has been made by a company that makes other high-quality photographic equipment. Usually, all the lenses will come in a standard format that can fit any of their products.
Basically, there is no need to look for digital camera review articles. What you do need to do is figure out what your needs are. If all you intend to do is to take 3 x 5 glossy photos of your family, practically any cheap digital camera on the market will do. If you want to be able to blow up and manipulate those photos, however, you should buy a high-resolution one from a respectable company. If you fancy yourself a serious photographer, you need to buy one that has fittings for new lenses. That's all there is to it!
Wonderful digital camera technology
I am a photo nut, and constantly want to take pictures of everything everywhere. Before the advent of digital cameras, I would go through rolls and rolls of film and spend so much money on processing pictures that would end up being off center or be taken of someone with their eyes closed or with an unattractive look on their face. Now that I have found a great digital camera, I have been able to take thousands of pictures without spending the money on processing photos that are less than desirable.
The wonderful thing about having a digital camera is that you can immediately see if a picture you have taken has turned out. If you take the picture and see on the screen that someone wasn’t looking at the camera, you can immediately take another photo to correct it. Without a digital camera, you would have to wait until the photos are processed, and then the moment is gone. In addition, you can pick and choose which photos you would like to have processed for your photo album, instead of spending money on pictures that will just be thrown away. So while a digital camera may be more expensive initially, you will save hundreds to thousands of dollars in film and film processing costs over the life of the camera.
There are some wonderful digital photo organization programs that will hold all of your digital photos on your computer, most of which are free. These programs allow you to download the pictures from your digital camera memory card unto your computer, where you can then sort through to pick which ones you would like to print and which you would like to delete completely. These programs also allow you to hold onto photos in an album format without having to print the photos out at all. Many programs will organize your digital photos by the date they were taken, so you automatically have the pictures sorted by date rather than having to sort through printed pictures you have thrown into a shoebox like in the past.
If you take pictures at any point of your life, a digital camera is a wonderful investment. There are so many things you can do with the photos, and you will save money over regular cameras. Once you learn how to use them, you will never use a camera that is not a digital camera again.
The wonderful thing about having a digital camera is that you can immediately see if a picture you have taken has turned out. If you take the picture and see on the screen that someone wasn’t looking at the camera, you can immediately take another photo to correct it. Without a digital camera, you would have to wait until the photos are processed, and then the moment is gone. In addition, you can pick and choose which photos you would like to have processed for your photo album, instead of spending money on pictures that will just be thrown away. So while a digital camera may be more expensive initially, you will save hundreds to thousands of dollars in film and film processing costs over the life of the camera.
There are some wonderful digital photo organization programs that will hold all of your digital photos on your computer, most of which are free. These programs allow you to download the pictures from your digital camera memory card unto your computer, where you can then sort through to pick which ones you would like to print and which you would like to delete completely. These programs also allow you to hold onto photos in an album format without having to print the photos out at all. Many programs will organize your digital photos by the date they were taken, so you automatically have the pictures sorted by date rather than having to sort through printed pictures you have thrown into a shoebox like in the past.
If you take pictures at any point of your life, a digital camera is a wonderful investment. There are so many things you can do with the photos, and you will save money over regular cameras. Once you learn how to use them, you will never use a camera that is not a digital camera again.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Use Of Compact Digital Cameras
Everyone knows, that technology shrinks everything, and digital camera technology is no exception. The small, the better . . . right? Wrong! Smaller is not necessarily better, it's just smaller. Consumers have a preoccupation with small though. Ever since Captain Kirk said "beam me up Scott" and Dick Tracey started sporting his little video phone wrist watch, people have been fascinated with technology gone small. Digital photography continues to follow the trend, and I can't help but tag along.
We're going to say away from the whole ultra tiny "James Bond" type spy camera stuff for now, so you'll have to read elsewhere if you want to keep tabs on that wandering spouse of yours. I digress. Let's concentrate on the ultra compact / pocket sized / sub compact digital cameras with nice big LCD screens that take really nice images.
There are quite a few to choose from in this category, as all the big manufacturers like to play in this retail sandbox. Canon, Sony, Nikon, Pentax, Olympus and Kodak all have some nice models here. One of the most popular, has to be the Canon SD1000 Digital Elph Camera. It's been the number one ultra compact with many of the online retailers for some time now. The Olympus Stylus 790SW brings an interesting twist to this niche with a freeze proof, water proof, and shock proof camera. As if that wasn't enough, it's also available in black, lime, blue, orange, and boring old silver. Its not only tough but fun too.
We're going to say away from the whole ultra tiny "James Bond" type spy camera stuff for now, so you'll have to read elsewhere if you want to keep tabs on that wandering spouse of yours. I digress. Let's concentrate on the ultra compact / pocket sized / sub compact digital cameras with nice big LCD screens that take really nice images.
There are quite a few to choose from in this category, as all the big manufacturers like to play in this retail sandbox. Canon, Sony, Nikon, Pentax, Olympus and Kodak all have some nice models here. One of the most popular, has to be the Canon SD1000 Digital Elph Camera. It's been the number one ultra compact with many of the online retailers for some time now. The Olympus Stylus 790SW brings an interesting twist to this niche with a freeze proof, water proof, and shock proof camera. As if that wasn't enough, it's also available in black, lime, blue, orange, and boring old silver. Its not only tough but fun too.
Digital Cameras With Distinguished Features
Why is so difficult for camera companies to come up with one good all around digital camera that's perfect for all occasions? I suppose it's not really in their best interests to encourage consumers to only own one perfect camera, when they can sell them several. If I were more of a conspiracy theory advocate, I'd suggest they do it on purpose. But, I'm not, and I do believe there are other factors at work here. With all that being said, it doesn't mean we can at least try to find the most likely candidate for best all around digital camera.
The three most distinguishable features or dividing factors when it comes to digital cameras are size, ease of use, and image quality. To lesser and greater degrees, these traits seem to be mutually exclusive when it comes to camera design and build.
Smaller sized camera designs are very portable, but usually affect ease of use and image quality in negative ways. The smaller a camera is, the smaller the controls are, which makes them harder to use. Single control buttons and wheels are often used for multiple functions which can increase user confusion. Smaller cameras often mean, that features like viewfinders get left off in the effort to add bigger LCD screens. Smaller often means zoom lenses are less powerful, and overall lens quality suffers. The most successful small sized cameras I like are the Canon SD1000 Digital Elph, and the Olympus Stylus 790SW.
Ease of use usually means lots of auto settings, which is great for newbie photographers, as little skill is required to snap a picture. But, it also means camera designers are forced to compromise on default settings that are OK for most pictures, but not great for all pictures. Factory set defaults will have to do until cameras become smart enough to detect all the nuances of a particular shot regarding lighting, color, and artistic intention. The Canon Powershot A570IS is one of the better cameras in terms of simplifying things at a reasonable price.
The three most distinguishable features or dividing factors when it comes to digital cameras are size, ease of use, and image quality. To lesser and greater degrees, these traits seem to be mutually exclusive when it comes to camera design and build.
Smaller sized camera designs are very portable, but usually affect ease of use and image quality in negative ways. The smaller a camera is, the smaller the controls are, which makes them harder to use. Single control buttons and wheels are often used for multiple functions which can increase user confusion. Smaller cameras often mean, that features like viewfinders get left off in the effort to add bigger LCD screens. Smaller often means zoom lenses are less powerful, and overall lens quality suffers. The most successful small sized cameras I like are the Canon SD1000 Digital Elph, and the Olympus Stylus 790SW.
Ease of use usually means lots of auto settings, which is great for newbie photographers, as little skill is required to snap a picture. But, it also means camera designers are forced to compromise on default settings that are OK for most pictures, but not great for all pictures. Factory set defaults will have to do until cameras become smart enough to detect all the nuances of a particular shot regarding lighting, color, and artistic intention. The Canon Powershot A570IS is one of the better cameras in terms of simplifying things at a reasonable price.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Digital Cameras - Review Information Sources
Researching buying a digital camera, I realized how convoluted and baffling the world of high-tech has become. It seemed like every digital camera review had something different to say, and every week there was some new feature that was a must-have on all new digital cameras. There were digital camera user reviews, written by people who understood the technology poorly and were either hopelessly over-impressed by standard features, or hopelessly un-thrilled because they didn't understand how to use the cameras that they had. There were digital camera pro reviews by professional photographers who had much different expectations than I did, and who were able to notice distinctions that I surely would have missed. In short, there was no way to get information from an expert writing for laymen. Either I would make a blind purchase, or I would have to find another source for my digital camera review information.
What I didn't realize was this: the reason that there were so many digital camera reviews was because there are so few features that are really crucial for digital cameras. You heard me right – I said so few features. Basically, digital cameras need about three qualities. They need to be well made, they need to have high resolution, and they need to have a variety of different lenses available. Everything else is just icing on the cake. Some of the digital camera review websites focus on features like digital zoom, but digital zoom is simply an advertising gimmick. A high-quality digital camera will have optical zoom. If it doesn't have optical zoom, it will have a lens available for it that does. You don't need to look through every digital camera lens review article. You simply have to choose a camera that has been made by a company that makes other high-quality photographic equipment. Usually, all the lenses will come in a standard format that can fit any of their products.
Basically, there is no need to look for digital camera review articles. What you do need to do is figure out what your needs are. If all you intend to do is to take 3 x 5 glossy photos of your family, practically any cheap digital camera on the market will do. If you want to be able to blow up and manipulate those photos, however, you should buy a high-resolution one from a respectable company. If you fancy yourself a serious photographer, you need to buy one that has fittings for new lenses. That's all there is to it!
What I didn't realize was this: the reason that there were so many digital camera reviews was because there are so few features that are really crucial for digital cameras. You heard me right – I said so few features. Basically, digital cameras need about three qualities. They need to be well made, they need to have high resolution, and they need to have a variety of different lenses available. Everything else is just icing on the cake. Some of the digital camera review websites focus on features like digital zoom, but digital zoom is simply an advertising gimmick. A high-quality digital camera will have optical zoom. If it doesn't have optical zoom, it will have a lens available for it that does. You don't need to look through every digital camera lens review article. You simply have to choose a camera that has been made by a company that makes other high-quality photographic equipment. Usually, all the lenses will come in a standard format that can fit any of their products.
Basically, there is no need to look for digital camera review articles. What you do need to do is figure out what your needs are. If all you intend to do is to take 3 x 5 glossy photos of your family, practically any cheap digital camera on the market will do. If you want to be able to blow up and manipulate those photos, however, you should buy a high-resolution one from a respectable company. If you fancy yourself a serious photographer, you need to buy one that has fittings for new lenses. That's all there is to it!
Digital Technology - Best And Easy Pictures
I am a photo nut, and constantly want to take pictures of everything everywhere. Before the advent of digital cameras, I would go through rolls and rolls of film and spend so much money on processing pictures that would end up being off center or be taken of someone with their eyes closed or with an unattractive look on their face. Now that I have found a great digital camera, I have been able to take thousands of pictures without spending the money on processing photos that are less than desirable.
The wonderful thing about having a digital camera is that you can immediately see if a picture you have taken has turned out. If you take the picture and see on the screen that someone wasn’t looking at the camera, you can immediately take another photo to correct it. Without a digital camera, you would have to wait until the photos are processed, and then the moment is gone. In addition, you can pick and choose which photos you would like to have processed for your photo album, instead of spending money on pictures that will just be thrown away. So while a digital camera may be more expensive initially, you will save hundreds to thousands of dollars in film and film processing costs over the life of the camera.
There are some wonderful digital photo organization programs that will hold all of your digital photos on your computer, most of which are free. These programs allow you to download the pictures from your digital camera memory card unto your computer, where you can then sort through to pick which ones you would like to print and which you would like to delete completely. These programs also allow you to hold onto photos in an album format without having to print the photos out at all. Many programs will organize your digital photos by the date they were taken, so you automatically have the pictures sorted by date rather than having to sort through printed pictures you have thrown into a shoebox like in the past.
If you take pictures at any point of your life, a digital camera is a wonderful investment. There are so many things you can do with the photos, and you will save money over regular cameras. Once you learn how to use them, you will never use a camera that is not a digital camera again.
The wonderful thing about having a digital camera is that you can immediately see if a picture you have taken has turned out. If you take the picture and see on the screen that someone wasn’t looking at the camera, you can immediately take another photo to correct it. Without a digital camera, you would have to wait until the photos are processed, and then the moment is gone. In addition, you can pick and choose which photos you would like to have processed for your photo album, instead of spending money on pictures that will just be thrown away. So while a digital camera may be more expensive initially, you will save hundreds to thousands of dollars in film and film processing costs over the life of the camera.
There are some wonderful digital photo organization programs that will hold all of your digital photos on your computer, most of which are free. These programs allow you to download the pictures from your digital camera memory card unto your computer, where you can then sort through to pick which ones you would like to print and which you would like to delete completely. These programs also allow you to hold onto photos in an album format without having to print the photos out at all. Many programs will organize your digital photos by the date they were taken, so you automatically have the pictures sorted by date rather than having to sort through printed pictures you have thrown into a shoebox like in the past.
If you take pictures at any point of your life, a digital camera is a wonderful investment. There are so many things you can do with the photos, and you will save money over regular cameras. Once you learn how to use them, you will never use a camera that is not a digital camera again.
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