Professional photographers take a large number of photos. They know that by doing so they will most likely find that perfect one they were aiming for. Digital cameras make such a technique available to all of us.
It should be pretty intuitive that the more photos you take the more likely you are to take that perfect one – the perfect angle, lighting and composition. During the film camera era it was an expensive proposition that was used by professionals only. Digital cameras however make it affordable and reachable to all of us.
Forget the slogan “save on film”. Photos taken with film cameras are expensive. Each photo consumes a frame in a roll of film. Film rolls capacity is relatively low usually 24 or 36 photos. Every photo also needs to be developed and printed. For these reasons when using film cameras we got used to saving film. You only take a photo when the moment is right and you are pretty sure that the results will be good. There is not much room for mistakes and experiments. On the other hand photos taken with digital cameras cost literally nothing. They are stored on erasable memory and thus can always be discarded at no cost. Moreover the photos can be viewed on digital screens and archived on digital media. When taking photos the digital camera uses digital memory to store the photos. Memory prices get lower and lower and capacity higher – it is very common today for digital cameras to have enough storage space for hundreds or even thousands of photos.
You should forget the habit of saving film when using digital cameras. It is still a good idea to follow good photography rules for composition and lighting but you should be free to take as many photos as you like, experiment with different settings and scenes and don’t think twice before taking a photo. It is better to take one extra photo and delete it later on rather than regret not taking it. You will be surprised of the great quality of some of the photos that you thought would not be that good and that if using a film camera you would have never taken. And you will be surprised finding new angles and compositions that otherwise you would have never tried.
Digital cameras allow you to experiment with new angles and to take photos that were very hard to take with film cameras. For example taking overhead photos in an event or taking a photo from a floor angle were hard or even impossible for amateur photographers with limited resources. It is almost impossible to look through the viewfinder in such scenarios and check the composition. Moreover many times you do not have much time to take the photo before the opportunity is gone. With digital cameras you can easily take such photos. Just aim the camera and press the shutter. Move the camera a bit to the left or to the right, up and down and take more photos in different angles and zooms. Later on you can go over and choose a few photos that are good. Most of the photos will be bad – wrong angle, bad composition, objects not in the frame. These photos can be simply deleted at no additional cost. There was no harm in taking them and there was great value in finding the one good photo among all those bad ones.
In conclusion digital cameras are not just a digital replacement of old film cameras. They provide new features and new capabilities that can change the way you take photos. One of those is the ability to take a large number of photos. Take advantage of the high photo capacity and the practically free price tag of taking photos. You should always follow good composition and photography rules but also remember to experiment with new settings and angles. Take many photos and then choose the ones that you like the best.
http://www.articlejoe.com/Article/Professionals-take-many-digital-photos-to-get-that-perfect-one/34335
Monday, July 16, 2007
Sensor size and Depth of field in film and digital cameras
Depth of field is defined as the range in which the photo is in focus. Achieving a specific depth of field is a useful photography technique used for example to achieve a blurry background effect. Film and digital cameras have different optical attributes as a result of using different sensor sizes. For that reason depth of field is also different in film and digital cameras.
Before you can understand the difference between film and digital cameras when it comes to depth of field, it is important to understand what depth of field is and how it can be set by the photographer. Depth of field (also known as DOF for short) is defined as the range in which the photo is in focus. For example: an infinite depth of field means that the photo will be in focus from a certain distance from the camera and up to infinity. Another example: when taking a blurry photo the goal is to set the depth of field just around the object, which results in the object being in focus while the background behind it is not.
The depth of field is influenced by the optical parameters of the camera and the specific scene. The main parameters that influence the depth of field are:
The distance of the object from the camera influences the possible depth of field settings. For example shooting an object that is very close to the camera will result in a smaller depth of field. On the other an extreme case when the object is in practical infinite distance from the camera will result in the camera focused on infinity and the depth of field being infinite too.
The aperture: The depth of field increases as the f number increases. The wider the aperture (f number decreases) the smaller the depth of field and vice versa: the narrower the aperture (f number increases) the greater the depth of field.
The focal length of the lens: The depth of field grows as the focal length gets shorter. For example if you use normal lenses at somewhere around 50mm your depth of field will be much greater than if you use zoom lenses at 200mm. With a very long focal length the depth of field can be extremely small.
One of the main differences between film and digital cameras is the sensor used to capture the photo. Film cameras use a film sensitive to light that is placed behind the lens. When a photo is taken the shutter opens for a predetermined period of time and light hits the film. The result is a photo “printed” on the film. Digital cameras on the other hand use a fixed electronic sensor (also known as CCD) that is situated behind the lens. The sensor is built from tiny light sensitive sensors each representing a pixel. When the shutter opens light hits the sensor and each pixel gets its “value”. Put together all the pixels comprise one digital photo.
A normal single frame of film size was standardized at 35mm. Digital cameras on the other hand use smaller sensors. One of the reasons why digital sensors are smaller is cost – manufacturing a large electronic sensor is costly (for reasons such as yield and other specific process limitations). The depth of field changes with the sensor size, the smaller the sensor the higher the depth of field. In fact low end pocket cameras use small sensors that together with their other optical limitations result in depth of field that is practically infinite. Because photographers used to measure everything based on 35mm film – many digital cameras still quote “35mm equivalent” measurement. There are a few high end SLR digital cameras that use 35mm sensors thus providing the same optical characteristics as the old film cameras. These are still expensive and considered high end professional cameras.
http://www.articlejoe.com/Article/Sensor-size-and-Depth-of-field-in-film-and-digital-cameras/34412
Before you can understand the difference between film and digital cameras when it comes to depth of field, it is important to understand what depth of field is and how it can be set by the photographer. Depth of field (also known as DOF for short) is defined as the range in which the photo is in focus. For example: an infinite depth of field means that the photo will be in focus from a certain distance from the camera and up to infinity. Another example: when taking a blurry photo the goal is to set the depth of field just around the object, which results in the object being in focus while the background behind it is not.
The depth of field is influenced by the optical parameters of the camera and the specific scene. The main parameters that influence the depth of field are:
The distance of the object from the camera influences the possible depth of field settings. For example shooting an object that is very close to the camera will result in a smaller depth of field. On the other an extreme case when the object is in practical infinite distance from the camera will result in the camera focused on infinity and the depth of field being infinite too.
The aperture: The depth of field increases as the f number increases. The wider the aperture (f number decreases) the smaller the depth of field and vice versa: the narrower the aperture (f number increases) the greater the depth of field.
The focal length of the lens: The depth of field grows as the focal length gets shorter. For example if you use normal lenses at somewhere around 50mm your depth of field will be much greater than if you use zoom lenses at 200mm. With a very long focal length the depth of field can be extremely small.
One of the main differences between film and digital cameras is the sensor used to capture the photo. Film cameras use a film sensitive to light that is placed behind the lens. When a photo is taken the shutter opens for a predetermined period of time and light hits the film. The result is a photo “printed” on the film. Digital cameras on the other hand use a fixed electronic sensor (also known as CCD) that is situated behind the lens. The sensor is built from tiny light sensitive sensors each representing a pixel. When the shutter opens light hits the sensor and each pixel gets its “value”. Put together all the pixels comprise one digital photo.
A normal single frame of film size was standardized at 35mm. Digital cameras on the other hand use smaller sensors. One of the reasons why digital sensors are smaller is cost – manufacturing a large electronic sensor is costly (for reasons such as yield and other specific process limitations). The depth of field changes with the sensor size, the smaller the sensor the higher the depth of field. In fact low end pocket cameras use small sensors that together with their other optical limitations result in depth of field that is practically infinite. Because photographers used to measure everything based on 35mm film – many digital cameras still quote “35mm equivalent” measurement. There are a few high end SLR digital cameras that use 35mm sensors thus providing the same optical characteristics as the old film cameras. These are still expensive and considered high end professional cameras.
http://www.articlejoe.com/Article/Sensor-size-and-Depth-of-field-in-film-and-digital-cameras/34412
More things to do with your digital photos
Digital cameras have changed the way we take and use photos. With tradition film cameras you usually ended up printing photos and sorting them into photo albums. With digital cameras however the number of possible usages for digital photos is enormous.
Digital photos are files stored on electronic media such as flash memory, hard disks and CDs/DVDs. When digital cameras just appeared in the market most users followed their old film camera habits. They printed the digital photos and sorted them into old fashion photo albums. Later on they viewed the photos as they used to view old film camera photos. As people continued to use digital cameras they found more interesting ways to use the newly created digital photos. Here are some such ways:
Computer screens: The simplest way to use digital photos is by viewing them on a computer screen. Instead of going through the hassle and the cost of printing the digital photos you can simple use one of many viewing software packages that display your digital photos on your color-rich screen. Such software can also provide other features such as random slide shows, programmed slide shows, fading effects and more.
Digital photo frames: These are devices that elevate photo frames up to the digital era. Digital frames embed an LCD screen that can display different digital photos at different times. Digital photo frames have different features: some can receive the photos wirelessly from a computer while others use internal storage. Other features include the ability to read memory cards content directly from a digital camera. They can also show a single photo until it is manually switched to another one, roll through a list of photos or show photos randomly.
Sending digital photos by email: Digital photos are computer files and like any other file they can be sent as an email attachment. Sending digital photos by email is a great way to share an experience with someone else. There are a limitations and considerations that you should be aware of before sending your digital photos by email. Most ISPs and free email services limit the size of the attachments that can be sent to just a few megabytes. It is not considered ‘ok’ to email large attachments unless you personally know the recipient and he or she expects to receive such an email. It is a good practice to resize the photos before sending them by email. In most cases the recipient will only use the files to view the photo on the computer screen. For that purpose a photo resolution of 640X480 or 800X600 is more than enough and the reduced resolution files will be much smaller. Make sure though that you are making low resolution copies and keep the original full resolution files intact. Some email clients such as Microsoft Outlook will automatically ask you if you want to resize digital photos before they are sent.
Using online photo albums: There are many free online services that offer digital photo albums. You can use such photo album to organize, save and view photos by yourself or you can share the album with other people – either a private group of friends of the general public. These sites also offer other services such as photo printing the are easy to use and affordable. Most photo album sites will resize the digital photos for fast viewing and loading over the Internet. Make sure that you keep a safe version of the original digital photos. It is not a good idea to rely on such photo album services as the only copy of your digital photos.
Use as your desktop wallpaper: You can set a digital photo that you like as your desktop wallpaper. You can also use software that allows you to choose a list of photos to rotate through as your desktop wallpaper: Such digital photo wallpaper rotation can be done on a time basis or on a random basis.
Use as your screensaver: When your computer is idle it can be programmed to do one of many things: turn off the monitor, go into standby mode or show a photo. You can program your screen saver to show a digital photo from your photo album. You can also use software that will allow you to set the screen saver to rotate between a list of digital photos.
Load digital photos to your cell phone: New cell phones include cameras and allow you to take digital photos and short video clips. They also store digital photos and display them on their small LCD screens. If you have a digital photo that you like you can download it to your cell phone and set it as your cell phone wallpaper.
Use as a personal online display image: Some software and web sites allow you to load one or more digital photos that can be used as your display image. This digital photo represents you when communicating with other users. MSN messenger is a good example – when you chat with a friend you can set a photo that your friend will see that “represents” who you are and what you feel. You can load digital photos that tell something about you and about what you’re going through – maybe a photo from your birthday party if you had one in the last week or two – or from your last trip abroad.
This list is just an example of what can be done with those digital photos. The possibilities are endless and new usages are found every day by the millions of digital camera users. Be open to new idea and try to get rid of your old film camera habits. Digital photos are must more than a 4X6 color printed paper.
http://www.articlejoe.com/Article/More-things-to-do-with-your-digital-photos/34413
Digital photos are files stored on electronic media such as flash memory, hard disks and CDs/DVDs. When digital cameras just appeared in the market most users followed their old film camera habits. They printed the digital photos and sorted them into old fashion photo albums. Later on they viewed the photos as they used to view old film camera photos. As people continued to use digital cameras they found more interesting ways to use the newly created digital photos. Here are some such ways:
Computer screens: The simplest way to use digital photos is by viewing them on a computer screen. Instead of going through the hassle and the cost of printing the digital photos you can simple use one of many viewing software packages that display your digital photos on your color-rich screen. Such software can also provide other features such as random slide shows, programmed slide shows, fading effects and more.
Digital photo frames: These are devices that elevate photo frames up to the digital era. Digital frames embed an LCD screen that can display different digital photos at different times. Digital photo frames have different features: some can receive the photos wirelessly from a computer while others use internal storage. Other features include the ability to read memory cards content directly from a digital camera. They can also show a single photo until it is manually switched to another one, roll through a list of photos or show photos randomly.
Sending digital photos by email: Digital photos are computer files and like any other file they can be sent as an email attachment. Sending digital photos by email is a great way to share an experience with someone else. There are a limitations and considerations that you should be aware of before sending your digital photos by email. Most ISPs and free email services limit the size of the attachments that can be sent to just a few megabytes. It is not considered ‘ok’ to email large attachments unless you personally know the recipient and he or she expects to receive such an email. It is a good practice to resize the photos before sending them by email. In most cases the recipient will only use the files to view the photo on the computer screen. For that purpose a photo resolution of 640X480 or 800X600 is more than enough and the reduced resolution files will be much smaller. Make sure though that you are making low resolution copies and keep the original full resolution files intact. Some email clients such as Microsoft Outlook will automatically ask you if you want to resize digital photos before they are sent.
Using online photo albums: There are many free online services that offer digital photo albums. You can use such photo album to organize, save and view photos by yourself or you can share the album with other people – either a private group of friends of the general public. These sites also offer other services such as photo printing the are easy to use and affordable. Most photo album sites will resize the digital photos for fast viewing and loading over the Internet. Make sure that you keep a safe version of the original digital photos. It is not a good idea to rely on such photo album services as the only copy of your digital photos.
Use as your desktop wallpaper: You can set a digital photo that you like as your desktop wallpaper. You can also use software that allows you to choose a list of photos to rotate through as your desktop wallpaper: Such digital photo wallpaper rotation can be done on a time basis or on a random basis.
Use as your screensaver: When your computer is idle it can be programmed to do one of many things: turn off the monitor, go into standby mode or show a photo. You can program your screen saver to show a digital photo from your photo album. You can also use software that will allow you to set the screen saver to rotate between a list of digital photos.
Load digital photos to your cell phone: New cell phones include cameras and allow you to take digital photos and short video clips. They also store digital photos and display them on their small LCD screens. If you have a digital photo that you like you can download it to your cell phone and set it as your cell phone wallpaper.
Use as a personal online display image: Some software and web sites allow you to load one or more digital photos that can be used as your display image. This digital photo represents you when communicating with other users. MSN messenger is a good example – when you chat with a friend you can set a photo that your friend will see that “represents” who you are and what you feel. You can load digital photos that tell something about you and about what you’re going through – maybe a photo from your birthday party if you had one in the last week or two – or from your last trip abroad.
This list is just an example of what can be done with those digital photos. The possibilities are endless and new usages are found every day by the millions of digital camera users. Be open to new idea and try to get rid of your old film camera habits. Digital photos are must more than a 4X6 color printed paper.
http://www.articlejoe.com/Article/More-things-to-do-with-your-digital-photos/34413
Smart usage can extend digital cameras battery life
Digital cameras are powered by batteries and are limited in the number of digital photos that can be taken between either replacing or recharging the batteries. If you are planning for a long digital photo shooting session or are traveling learning some habits that can save on power will help you conserve energy and squeeze more digital photos from your batteries.
Digital cameras have many features and options. Some features consume more energy than others. Some of the greatest features are power hungry. Learning which those power hungry features are and using them with caution can help you get more digital photos from your camera battery.
Digital camera LCD screen: The digital camera LCD screen is one of the biggest energy consumers. Digital cameras provide viewing of digital photos on a small LCD screen. You can also shoot digital photos using the LCD instead of the viewfinder. An LCD screen consumes a lot of energy. This is the reason why all digital cameras turn off the LCD screen after a certain amount of no usage time. In order to conserve energy try the following: Turn off the LCD and use the viewfinder whenever possible. Only use the LCD when you must for example when taking an overhead digital photo when the optical viewfinder is not usable. Minimize digital photo viewing. When you view photos on the LCD you are wasting energy. Only use the LCD to view photos when you need to do so for the benefit of the next digital photos shooting – for example to check if a composition was right or if the lighting was good.
Digital camera mechanical motors: The motors that move the mechanical components of the digital camera such as the lenses when focusing or zooming are also a big power consumer. Motors consume a lot of energy when moving the digital camera optical components. In order to minimize the motors movement try the following: Do not use continuous focus when not necessary: The motors that move the optical components in order to focus consume energy. You can not avoid focusing but you can avoid focusing that is not necessary. For moving objects such as in sport events continuous focus is used so your can stay focused on the object until you are ready to take the photo. In those cases as long as you press the shutter button half way down the camera will continue to focusing on the object. To save energy minimize that time to the minimum necessary.
Digital camera flash: The digital camera flash unit is also a big power consumer. Shooting photos using the flash consumes more energy than shooting photos without flash. You can not avoid flash photography when it is needed but in many cases you will find yourself shooting digital photos in situations where the flash is not needed but it is fired because it was left in automatic mode and the camera fired it for no reason. When possible set the flash to manual mode and control its usage.
False shutter button usage: Every time you press the shutter button half way down and do not take a photo you waste energy. When pressing the shutter button half way down the camera goes through a series of processes getting ready to shoot a digital photo. It focuses the lenses it wakes up electronic components and gets the flash ready if needed. Avoid pressing the shutter half way down when you do not plan to shoot a photo.
In conclusion until there is a breakthrough in battery technology you will have to keep in mind power consumption when going on long shooting sessions without being able to change or recharge the batteries. Fortunately you can follow the few simple usage tips given in this article to significantly extend your digital camera battery life.
http://www.articlejoe.com/Article/More-things-to-do-with-your-digital-photos/34413
Digital cameras have many features and options. Some features consume more energy than others. Some of the greatest features are power hungry. Learning which those power hungry features are and using them with caution can help you get more digital photos from your camera battery.
Digital camera LCD screen: The digital camera LCD screen is one of the biggest energy consumers. Digital cameras provide viewing of digital photos on a small LCD screen. You can also shoot digital photos using the LCD instead of the viewfinder. An LCD screen consumes a lot of energy. This is the reason why all digital cameras turn off the LCD screen after a certain amount of no usage time. In order to conserve energy try the following: Turn off the LCD and use the viewfinder whenever possible. Only use the LCD when you must for example when taking an overhead digital photo when the optical viewfinder is not usable. Minimize digital photo viewing. When you view photos on the LCD you are wasting energy. Only use the LCD to view photos when you need to do so for the benefit of the next digital photos shooting – for example to check if a composition was right or if the lighting was good.
Digital camera mechanical motors: The motors that move the mechanical components of the digital camera such as the lenses when focusing or zooming are also a big power consumer. Motors consume a lot of energy when moving the digital camera optical components. In order to minimize the motors movement try the following: Do not use continuous focus when not necessary: The motors that move the optical components in order to focus consume energy. You can not avoid focusing but you can avoid focusing that is not necessary. For moving objects such as in sport events continuous focus is used so your can stay focused on the object until you are ready to take the photo. In those cases as long as you press the shutter button half way down the camera will continue to focusing on the object. To save energy minimize that time to the minimum necessary.
Digital camera flash: The digital camera flash unit is also a big power consumer. Shooting photos using the flash consumes more energy than shooting photos without flash. You can not avoid flash photography when it is needed but in many cases you will find yourself shooting digital photos in situations where the flash is not needed but it is fired because it was left in automatic mode and the camera fired it for no reason. When possible set the flash to manual mode and control its usage.
False shutter button usage: Every time you press the shutter button half way down and do not take a photo you waste energy. When pressing the shutter button half way down the camera goes through a series of processes getting ready to shoot a digital photo. It focuses the lenses it wakes up electronic components and gets the flash ready if needed. Avoid pressing the shutter half way down when you do not plan to shoot a photo.
In conclusion until there is a breakthrough in battery technology you will have to keep in mind power consumption when going on long shooting sessions without being able to change or recharge the batteries. Fortunately you can follow the few simple usage tips given in this article to significantly extend your digital camera battery life.
http://www.articlejoe.com/Article/More-things-to-do-with-your-digital-photos/34413
A holistic approach to buying a new digital camera
Many buy a new camera based on just a few parameters like purchase price and megapixels. This is unfortunate as there is much more to a new digital camera buying decision. This article will describe a holistic approach to that decision.
In the early days of the digital camera era buying a new camera was relatively an easy decision. Digital cameras did not have many options and checking simple things like price and the number of megapixels was enough. Since then however digital cameras have evolved and became more sophisticated. They have many new features and options. They can work with different accessories and use different technologies. Today when making a decision on a new digital camera a holistic approach that takes the different features and options into account is more suitable.
So what does it take to make a decision on a brand new digital camera? Following is a breakdown of what to check for when buying one. This list is not complete and you should use it as a guide to understanding the complexity of choosing a digital camera.
Cost: Do not confuse cost with purchase price. Purchase price is what you pay to buy the camera. Cost is the total money you need to spend including the purchase price in order to effectively use the camera. In most cases you will spend additional money on accessories and other additional products such as lenses, batteries, carrying cases and more. Failing to budget for those extra expenses can result in buying a camera just to find out it can not be effectively used without spending more.
User knowledge: It is important to buy a digital camera that is appropriate for its user’s photography level. If you are technology and photography savvy you can consider higher end cameras that allow more flexibility and manual options but are harder to use. Digital SLR cameras fall into that category. If you are not into photography or technology you might want to choose a camera that is easier to use such as a digital point a shoot one.
Expected usage: The digital camera you choose should be appropriate for its intended use. For example if you travel a lot for long periods of time you want to pay attention to features such as camera weight, size, battery life and memory storage. On the other hand if you hardly travel at all these features are less important.
Basic features: There are some basic features that are common to most if not all digital cameras. These features are:
# Megapixels: you can not avoid the number of megapixels question. Is more megapixels better? It really depends. More megapixels is important if you are going to print photos and enlargements or if you are going to zoom in and crop photos. However if you plan to view the photos on your computer screen and occasionally print 4X6 copies then 2 or 3 megapixels is more than enough. Buying a digital camera with more megapixels is not a drawback but you should make sure that you could not have used the extra money spent on megapixels for other features that are more useful to you.
# Batteries: Digital cameras use two kind of batteries disposable or rechargeable. Disposable batteries are easy to buy, carry and replace. They are available in any store and are very convenient when traveling. Disposable batteries however are more costly to use as you need to keep buying new batteries. Rechargeable batteries require only one purchase. However if they are empty during a photo shooting session or somewhere away from home or a power supply you can not just buy another battery. Take into account the cost of extra batteries based on the expected digital camera usage.
# Zoom: There are two types of zoom – optical and digital. Optical zoom works by physically moving the camera’s lenses and changing the focal length. Digital zoom works by applying built-in software in the camera to define a portion of interest in the photo. Once chosen the software crops the rest of the photo and enlarges the area you chose. For quality and other reasons optical zoom is superior to digital zoom. From a practical point of view digital zoom should not be considered zoom at all. When you compare different digital cameras zoom figures always compare their optical zoom capabilities. You should ignore the digital zoom figures.
Accessories: Digital cameras can use a large number of accessories. You should be aware of what accessories are supported by your camera and which accessories you deem important to you. These should be taken into account in your buying decision. Some of the common accessories to consider:
# Memory cards: Digital cameras store photos as files on a memory device usually a removable memory card. Most digital cameras are sold with a very small memory card. This lowers their purchase price. Such a small memory card can hold a small number of photos and is not practical. When buying a digital camera always check how much memory is included. Then assess how much memory you will need and check the prices of memory cards appropriate for you. Add this cost to the total cost of buying the new digital camera.
# PC connectivity: Digital cameras connect to computers in order to download photos. The most common methods of connectivity are USB and plugging the camera’s memory card directly to the PC. Make sure that your camera includes the USB cable needed to connect to the PC. If you prefer connecting the removable memory directly to your PC budget an adaptor that can bridge between the memory card and the slots available in your PC.
# Lenses: High-end digital cameras such as digital SLR often require additional lenses. When reviewing your camera check what lenses are included with the camera. If you need more lenses shop around for ones that fit your camera and budget their price. Lenses can be very expensive and can cost more than the camera itself. For example when buying an SLR camera for outdoor photography that requires zoom lenses make sure you budget such lenses that fit the camera you plan to buy.
# External Flash: Most likely that you will not need to buy an external flash unit. If do need an external flash in addition to your camera’s built-in one make sure that you shop for one that can work with the camera and budget its cost before purchasing the camera. External flash units prices can vary and can be a costly addition.
http://www.articlejoe.com/Article/A-holistic-approach-to-buying-a-new-digital-camera/34680
In the early days of the digital camera era buying a new camera was relatively an easy decision. Digital cameras did not have many options and checking simple things like price and the number of megapixels was enough. Since then however digital cameras have evolved and became more sophisticated. They have many new features and options. They can work with different accessories and use different technologies. Today when making a decision on a new digital camera a holistic approach that takes the different features and options into account is more suitable.
So what does it take to make a decision on a brand new digital camera? Following is a breakdown of what to check for when buying one. This list is not complete and you should use it as a guide to understanding the complexity of choosing a digital camera.
Cost: Do not confuse cost with purchase price. Purchase price is what you pay to buy the camera. Cost is the total money you need to spend including the purchase price in order to effectively use the camera. In most cases you will spend additional money on accessories and other additional products such as lenses, batteries, carrying cases and more. Failing to budget for those extra expenses can result in buying a camera just to find out it can not be effectively used without spending more.
User knowledge: It is important to buy a digital camera that is appropriate for its user’s photography level. If you are technology and photography savvy you can consider higher end cameras that allow more flexibility and manual options but are harder to use. Digital SLR cameras fall into that category. If you are not into photography or technology you might want to choose a camera that is easier to use such as a digital point a shoot one.
Expected usage: The digital camera you choose should be appropriate for its intended use. For example if you travel a lot for long periods of time you want to pay attention to features such as camera weight, size, battery life and memory storage. On the other hand if you hardly travel at all these features are less important.
Basic features: There are some basic features that are common to most if not all digital cameras. These features are:
# Megapixels: you can not avoid the number of megapixels question. Is more megapixels better? It really depends. More megapixels is important if you are going to print photos and enlargements or if you are going to zoom in and crop photos. However if you plan to view the photos on your computer screen and occasionally print 4X6 copies then 2 or 3 megapixels is more than enough. Buying a digital camera with more megapixels is not a drawback but you should make sure that you could not have used the extra money spent on megapixels for other features that are more useful to you.
# Batteries: Digital cameras use two kind of batteries disposable or rechargeable. Disposable batteries are easy to buy, carry and replace. They are available in any store and are very convenient when traveling. Disposable batteries however are more costly to use as you need to keep buying new batteries. Rechargeable batteries require only one purchase. However if they are empty during a photo shooting session or somewhere away from home or a power supply you can not just buy another battery. Take into account the cost of extra batteries based on the expected digital camera usage.
# Zoom: There are two types of zoom – optical and digital. Optical zoom works by physically moving the camera’s lenses and changing the focal length. Digital zoom works by applying built-in software in the camera to define a portion of interest in the photo. Once chosen the software crops the rest of the photo and enlarges the area you chose. For quality and other reasons optical zoom is superior to digital zoom. From a practical point of view digital zoom should not be considered zoom at all. When you compare different digital cameras zoom figures always compare their optical zoom capabilities. You should ignore the digital zoom figures.
Accessories: Digital cameras can use a large number of accessories. You should be aware of what accessories are supported by your camera and which accessories you deem important to you. These should be taken into account in your buying decision. Some of the common accessories to consider:
# Memory cards: Digital cameras store photos as files on a memory device usually a removable memory card. Most digital cameras are sold with a very small memory card. This lowers their purchase price. Such a small memory card can hold a small number of photos and is not practical. When buying a digital camera always check how much memory is included. Then assess how much memory you will need and check the prices of memory cards appropriate for you. Add this cost to the total cost of buying the new digital camera.
# PC connectivity: Digital cameras connect to computers in order to download photos. The most common methods of connectivity are USB and plugging the camera’s memory card directly to the PC. Make sure that your camera includes the USB cable needed to connect to the PC. If you prefer connecting the removable memory directly to your PC budget an adaptor that can bridge between the memory card and the slots available in your PC.
# Lenses: High-end digital cameras such as digital SLR often require additional lenses. When reviewing your camera check what lenses are included with the camera. If you need more lenses shop around for ones that fit your camera and budget their price. Lenses can be very expensive and can cost more than the camera itself. For example when buying an SLR camera for outdoor photography that requires zoom lenses make sure you budget such lenses that fit the camera you plan to buy.
# External Flash: Most likely that you will not need to buy an external flash unit. If do need an external flash in addition to your camera’s built-in one make sure that you shop for one that can work with the camera and budget its cost before purchasing the camera. External flash units prices can vary and can be a costly addition.
http://www.articlejoe.com/Article/A-holistic-approach-to-buying-a-new-digital-camera/34680
Your camera CCD sensor size and the number of megapixels
The digital cameras megapixels madness is very similar to the personal computer Mhz madness back in the 90s. The number of pixels a camera uses to produce a digital photo is just one element in determining the photo quality. Another important element that is usually forgotten is the sensor size. Here is why.
Digital cameras use an electronic sensor (also known as a CCD) in order to capture a digital photo. This sensor replaces the old film rolls used by traditional cameras. The electronic sensor is built from small light sensors also known as pixels. When you take a photo the camera opens the shutter for a certain amount of time. During that time light hits each individual pixel. The amount of light that hits each pixel determines its intensity (also known as the pixel value). A digital photo is comprised of many pixels each with its own pixel value.
There is a direct relationship between the size of the CCD the digital camera uses, the number of megapixels it supports and the size of each pixel. For a fixed CCD size the more pixels the CCD supports the smaller each pixel is. On the other hand for a CCD with a fixed number of pixels, the larger the CCD the bigger each pixel is.
So why should you care about the pixel size? There are many reasons to care about the pixel size as it plays an important role in the overall quality of your digital photos. One reason that is very easy to understand is sensitivity to light. Assume that you are taking a photo with the shutter opened for a fixed amount of time. During that time light hits each pixel. The larger a pixel is the more light energy that it accumulates during that period of time. The result is that with larger pixels you could take photos in darker scenarios than with smaller pixels. Also – with larger pixels the amount of noise in each pixel value is reduced.
For example if you have two digital cameras both having the same number of pixels but one is using a larger CCD sensor – the camera with the larger CCD will be able to take digital photos that are sharper and with less noise. It will also be able to take digital photos in scenes that are too dark for the other camera. Higher light sensitivity also allows more flexibility with both shutter speed and aperture settings.
High end cameras like digital SLR use larger CCD than point and shoot digital pocket cameras. Why is that? The main reason is simple: cost. It costs more to manufacture a larger CCD (for reasons such as yield and other specific manufacturing processes issues). The CCD size also influences other optical attributes of the camera – for example the aperture needed in a specific scene changes as the CCD size changes. The depth of field is directly influenced by such aperture changes.
In conclusion, when buying a digital camera always remember not to get fixated on the number of pixels. Although this number is important it is not a standalone feature. If you plan to take digital photos in extreme conditions, if you do care about depth of field, aperture settings, shutter speeds and light sensitivity than you should also check the size of the CDD the camera uses among other optical parameters of the camera.
http://www.articlejoe.com/Article/Your-camera-CCD-sensor-size-and-the-number-of-megapixels/35006
Digital cameras use an electronic sensor (also known as a CCD) in order to capture a digital photo. This sensor replaces the old film rolls used by traditional cameras. The electronic sensor is built from small light sensors also known as pixels. When you take a photo the camera opens the shutter for a certain amount of time. During that time light hits each individual pixel. The amount of light that hits each pixel determines its intensity (also known as the pixel value). A digital photo is comprised of many pixels each with its own pixel value.
There is a direct relationship between the size of the CCD the digital camera uses, the number of megapixels it supports and the size of each pixel. For a fixed CCD size the more pixels the CCD supports the smaller each pixel is. On the other hand for a CCD with a fixed number of pixels, the larger the CCD the bigger each pixel is.
So why should you care about the pixel size? There are many reasons to care about the pixel size as it plays an important role in the overall quality of your digital photos. One reason that is very easy to understand is sensitivity to light. Assume that you are taking a photo with the shutter opened for a fixed amount of time. During that time light hits each pixel. The larger a pixel is the more light energy that it accumulates during that period of time. The result is that with larger pixels you could take photos in darker scenarios than with smaller pixels. Also – with larger pixels the amount of noise in each pixel value is reduced.
For example if you have two digital cameras both having the same number of pixels but one is using a larger CCD sensor – the camera with the larger CCD will be able to take digital photos that are sharper and with less noise. It will also be able to take digital photos in scenes that are too dark for the other camera. Higher light sensitivity also allows more flexibility with both shutter speed and aperture settings.
High end cameras like digital SLR use larger CCD than point and shoot digital pocket cameras. Why is that? The main reason is simple: cost. It costs more to manufacture a larger CCD (for reasons such as yield and other specific manufacturing processes issues). The CCD size also influences other optical attributes of the camera – for example the aperture needed in a specific scene changes as the CCD size changes. The depth of field is directly influenced by such aperture changes.
In conclusion, when buying a digital camera always remember not to get fixated on the number of pixels. Although this number is important it is not a standalone feature. If you plan to take digital photos in extreme conditions, if you do care about depth of field, aperture settings, shutter speeds and light sensitivity than you should also check the size of the CDD the camera uses among other optical parameters of the camera.
http://www.articlejoe.com/Article/Your-camera-CCD-sensor-size-and-the-number-of-megapixels/35006
Are film cameras better than digital cameras?
Film cameras are becoming rare. Although digital cameras have come a long way since they were first introduced there are still photographers that prefer to use old film cameras. Some of them use film exclusively while others prefer film for specific scenarios.
There is no simple answer to the question which camera is better, film or digital. In some scenarios film is better than digital and in other scenarios digital is better than film. They both have advantages and disadvantages and the true answer to which is better is simply a list of differences. Here are a few:
The sensor: In film cameras a light sensitive film is situated behind the lens. To take a photo the shutter opens for a predetermined period of time and light hits the film “printing” a photo on the film. After a photo is taken the film is rolled and a fresh film is placed behind the lens. In digital cameras an electronic sensor (known as CCD) is situated behind the lens. The CCD is comprised of many tiny light sensitive sensors one per pixel. To take a photo the shutter opens for a predetermined period of time and light hits the sensor. Each pixel gets its value and together all the pixels comprise one photo. The photo is saved on a digital media and the CCD is electronically emptied.
The main difference between a CCD sensor and a film is the Depth of Field. Since digital sensors are smaller than 35mm film the depth of field is much bigger in fact in most compact digital cameras it is almost infinite.
Instant feedback: One of great features digital cameras is instant feedback. Digital cameras include a small LCD screen. After a photo is shot it can be viewed on that screen. If the photo is not good you can take another one. The ability to view the photos helps in making an educated decision on how to fix it or how to compose it better. It takes much of the guessing out of photography.
Photo capacity: Digital cameras today can hold hundreds and even thousands of digital photos on a single media. With extra storage media in your pocket digital cameras have virtually infinite capacity. On the other hand film cameras’ capacity is very limited. The standard is a roll of 36 photos which can hold only 36 photos. After such a roll is used changing to a new roll takes time and is not easy to do in scenarios such as darkness or a harsh environment. Rolls of film are not small and carrying rolls equivalent of thousands of photos is not practical.
Shooting angles: Digital cameras allow you to take photos without having your eye glued to the viewfinder. Combined with the virtually zero cost of taking photos and high capacity this means new opportunities for new shooting angles.
A photo cost: Photos taken with a digital camera really cost nothing. They are saved on erasable memory and thus can always be freely discarded. The photos that you decide to keep can be copied to digital media such as a computer’s hard disk. With low digital storage prices the cost of storing one photo is practically zero. Film does cost money. A roll of film costs money and can not be reused. Every time that the shutter button is pressed money is spent regardless if you later on decide to discard them.
Photo processing: Digital cameras photos are basically computer files and can be manipulated by computer software. Such software is known as photo processing software and allows you to correct photos and create special effects. Some photo processing abilities are built-in cameras. With film on the other hand it is very hard to make corrections. If corrections are absolutely needed the easiest way to do them is to scan the negative or the printed photo (i.e. converted to digital) and process it on a computer as if it was a digital camera photo.
Adapting to different conditions: Rolls of film are designed for specific scenarios There are indoor and outdoor films or films with different light sensitivity. When conditions change a film camera photographer will have to shoot with the wrong film, change the roll (and lose the remainder photos) or use another camera with a different roll in it. Shooting photos with the wrong roll of film can result in distorted colors (reddish photos for example), a grainy photo and more.
With digital cameras on the other hand the characteristics of the sensor can be electronically set. With a click of a button the camera can change to indoor or outdoor mode, low light, night photography and son on.
http://www.articlejoe.com/Article/Are-film-cameras-better-than-digital-cameras-/36707
There is no simple answer to the question which camera is better, film or digital. In some scenarios film is better than digital and in other scenarios digital is better than film. They both have advantages and disadvantages and the true answer to which is better is simply a list of differences. Here are a few:
The sensor: In film cameras a light sensitive film is situated behind the lens. To take a photo the shutter opens for a predetermined period of time and light hits the film “printing” a photo on the film. After a photo is taken the film is rolled and a fresh film is placed behind the lens. In digital cameras an electronic sensor (known as CCD) is situated behind the lens. The CCD is comprised of many tiny light sensitive sensors one per pixel. To take a photo the shutter opens for a predetermined period of time and light hits the sensor. Each pixel gets its value and together all the pixels comprise one photo. The photo is saved on a digital media and the CCD is electronically emptied.
The main difference between a CCD sensor and a film is the Depth of Field. Since digital sensors are smaller than 35mm film the depth of field is much bigger in fact in most compact digital cameras it is almost infinite.
Instant feedback: One of great features digital cameras is instant feedback. Digital cameras include a small LCD screen. After a photo is shot it can be viewed on that screen. If the photo is not good you can take another one. The ability to view the photos helps in making an educated decision on how to fix it or how to compose it better. It takes much of the guessing out of photography.
Photo capacity: Digital cameras today can hold hundreds and even thousands of digital photos on a single media. With extra storage media in your pocket digital cameras have virtually infinite capacity. On the other hand film cameras’ capacity is very limited. The standard is a roll of 36 photos which can hold only 36 photos. After such a roll is used changing to a new roll takes time and is not easy to do in scenarios such as darkness or a harsh environment. Rolls of film are not small and carrying rolls equivalent of thousands of photos is not practical.
Shooting angles: Digital cameras allow you to take photos without having your eye glued to the viewfinder. Combined with the virtually zero cost of taking photos and high capacity this means new opportunities for new shooting angles.
A photo cost: Photos taken with a digital camera really cost nothing. They are saved on erasable memory and thus can always be freely discarded. The photos that you decide to keep can be copied to digital media such as a computer’s hard disk. With low digital storage prices the cost of storing one photo is practically zero. Film does cost money. A roll of film costs money and can not be reused. Every time that the shutter button is pressed money is spent regardless if you later on decide to discard them.
Photo processing: Digital cameras photos are basically computer files and can be manipulated by computer software. Such software is known as photo processing software and allows you to correct photos and create special effects. Some photo processing abilities are built-in cameras. With film on the other hand it is very hard to make corrections. If corrections are absolutely needed the easiest way to do them is to scan the negative or the printed photo (i.e. converted to digital) and process it on a computer as if it was a digital camera photo.
Adapting to different conditions: Rolls of film are designed for specific scenarios There are indoor and outdoor films or films with different light sensitivity. When conditions change a film camera photographer will have to shoot with the wrong film, change the roll (and lose the remainder photos) or use another camera with a different roll in it. Shooting photos with the wrong roll of film can result in distorted colors (reddish photos for example), a grainy photo and more.
With digital cameras on the other hand the characteristics of the sensor can be electronically set. With a click of a button the camera can change to indoor or outdoor mode, low light, night photography and son on.
http://www.articlejoe.com/Article/Are-film-cameras-better-than-digital-cameras-/36707
How does a digital camera passive auto focus work
In focus objects in a digital photo is a very basic requirement for high quality photography. There are two different ways to focus on such objects: manual or automatic. There are a few automatic focus methods one of them is known as passive auto focus.
High quality sharp and crisp digital photos are a result of many optical parameters that need to be set right. One of the most important optical parameters is focus. When objects in a digital photo are out of focus they look blurry and are missing details and clarity. When objects are in focus they look sharp and crisp.
While focus can be set manually by the photographer in most cases using the digital camera’s automatic focus feature is much easier and faster. There are many different algorithms and methods that digital cameras use in order to automatically determine the right focus for a specific scenario. One of those methods is knows as passive auto focus.
Passive auto focus
In many ways the passive auto focus imitates the way in which we set the focus manually. The digital camera defines one or more regions in the picture to focus on. These areas are usually around the center of the photo and are marked as rectangles on the viewfinder or the LCD. The digital camera then analyzes the captured picture seen through those regions.
The digital camera has a built-in computer chip that can run image processing algorithms. The camera executes such image processing algorithms to determine a Focus Level number. The exact way in which such a number is calculated is out of the scope of this article. A very simplistic explanation is that the digital camera transforms the digital image to a frequency space and measures the amount of high frequencies in the photo (high frequency in an image correlates to high contrast or to focus). The more high frequencies present the more in focus an image is and the higher the Focus Level number is.The digital camera goal is to maximize the Focus Level number. In this way the digital camera achieves the best possible focus (or at least theoretically achieves such a focus). The digital camera does that by moving its lenses back and forth as it recalculates the Focus Level number. The camera is searching for a position where the Focus Level number is the highest.
When such a position is found the digital camera compares the Focus Level number to a predetermined threshold. If it is higher the digital camera announces a successful focus (usually by coloring the focused areas in green). If it is lower the digital camera announces a failure (usually by coloring the non-focused areas in red).
The passive auto focus method is relatively cheap to implement as it does not require extra sensors (such as distance sensors for active focus solutions). However passive auto focus can also fail. The reasons can vary: poor lighting conditions, low contrast objects that are hard to focus on like walls or solid surfaces and others. When the auto focus fails you can either try to focus on other objects in the same distance from the digital camera, lock the focus and pan back to the original objects you wanted to capture or you can revert to old fashion manual focus.
http://www.articlejoe.com/Article/How-does-a-digital-camera-passive-auto-focus-work/36023
High quality sharp and crisp digital photos are a result of many optical parameters that need to be set right. One of the most important optical parameters is focus. When objects in a digital photo are out of focus they look blurry and are missing details and clarity. When objects are in focus they look sharp and crisp.
While focus can be set manually by the photographer in most cases using the digital camera’s automatic focus feature is much easier and faster. There are many different algorithms and methods that digital cameras use in order to automatically determine the right focus for a specific scenario. One of those methods is knows as passive auto focus.
Passive auto focus
In many ways the passive auto focus imitates the way in which we set the focus manually. The digital camera defines one or more regions in the picture to focus on. These areas are usually around the center of the photo and are marked as rectangles on the viewfinder or the LCD. The digital camera then analyzes the captured picture seen through those regions.
The digital camera has a built-in computer chip that can run image processing algorithms. The camera executes such image processing algorithms to determine a Focus Level number. The exact way in which such a number is calculated is out of the scope of this article. A very simplistic explanation is that the digital camera transforms the digital image to a frequency space and measures the amount of high frequencies in the photo (high frequency in an image correlates to high contrast or to focus). The more high frequencies present the more in focus an image is and the higher the Focus Level number is.The digital camera goal is to maximize the Focus Level number. In this way the digital camera achieves the best possible focus (or at least theoretically achieves such a focus). The digital camera does that by moving its lenses back and forth as it recalculates the Focus Level number. The camera is searching for a position where the Focus Level number is the highest.
When such a position is found the digital camera compares the Focus Level number to a predetermined threshold. If it is higher the digital camera announces a successful focus (usually by coloring the focused areas in green). If it is lower the digital camera announces a failure (usually by coloring the non-focused areas in red).
The passive auto focus method is relatively cheap to implement as it does not require extra sensors (such as distance sensors for active focus solutions). However passive auto focus can also fail. The reasons can vary: poor lighting conditions, low contrast objects that are hard to focus on like walls or solid surfaces and others. When the auto focus fails you can either try to focus on other objects in the same distance from the digital camera, lock the focus and pan back to the original objects you wanted to capture or you can revert to old fashion manual focus.
http://www.articlejoe.com/Article/How-does-a-digital-camera-passive-auto-focus-work/36023
Digital camera flash units
Digital cameras flash units come in many shapes and sizes. Low end digital cameras include low energy built in flash units. High end digital SLR cameras can support sophisticated external flash units which can provide superior lighting in difficult scenarios. Here are some basic facts about flash units both built in and external.
Flash units came a long way since their early days. Back then flash units were using powder that was lit by electrical current and literally “blew up” to produce the light energy. Using these flash units was a risky business. It was also difficult as the flash units were not automatically synchronized to the camera’s shutter. The photographer had to make sure that the flash goes off at the exact right time synchronized with the shooting of the photo.
Nowadays flash units are sophisticated technology devices. They use an electronic flash tube that is automatically synchronized to the camera. The photographer merely needs to do nothing. New digital cameras can decide on their own if the flash is needed, they can set its intensity and other parameters and they can fire the flash at the exact right time when the shutter is opened. All this is done automatically in the background. Digital camera also provide the user with the ability to manually control the flash, force it to either fire or not to fire, set its intensity and more.
Flash units are divided into two categories: Internal built-in flash units or external flash units. Internal flash units are built into the camera. Almost all digital cameras include such a unit and allow the user some control over it through the camera’s menus and buttons. External flash units are attached to the camera’s body through a dedicated slide-in slot or by using an electrical cable. Not all digital cameras support external flash units. Usually the lower end pocket cameras do not allow external flash units while all high end digital SLR cameras do allow such external flash units. External flash units can vary a lot. They can have different light energy levels that they can emit and different mechanical characteristics. Some external flash units also include smart sensors to measure ambient light, distance and other optical parameters in order to optimize the flash effect.
Digital cameras can use their flash units in automatic or in manual mode. In automatic mode the camera measures ambient light and fires the flash when not enough ambient light is available. Sometimes the camera will make the wrong decision as to using the flash and will either fire or not fire the flash when the opposite was needed. Setting the flash intensity is important too. If the flash unit fires too much light energy on objects that are too close to the camera the digital photo will be washed out. On the other hand if the flash unit fires a small amount of light energy on an object that is farther away from the digital camera the digital photo will be a too dark.
Flash units have limitations too. They can not light any scene and any object at any distance from the camera. It is important to know your flash unit limitations. For example check what the maximum light energy that it can emit is and what the farthest that an object can be effectively lit from. This is also known as the effective flash range. If the object is out of the effective flash range it is actually better to turn off the flash altogether and use a tripod with a longer exposure. Sometimes it is useful to use the flash even if there is enough ambient light. In such cases you can manually force the camera to fire the flash. This is also known as fill-in flash as it is usually used to fill-in shadowed areas on objects in the digital photo.
http://www.articlejoe.com/Article/Digital-camera-flash-units/35901
Flash units came a long way since their early days. Back then flash units were using powder that was lit by electrical current and literally “blew up” to produce the light energy. Using these flash units was a risky business. It was also difficult as the flash units were not automatically synchronized to the camera’s shutter. The photographer had to make sure that the flash goes off at the exact right time synchronized with the shooting of the photo.
Nowadays flash units are sophisticated technology devices. They use an electronic flash tube that is automatically synchronized to the camera. The photographer merely needs to do nothing. New digital cameras can decide on their own if the flash is needed, they can set its intensity and other parameters and they can fire the flash at the exact right time when the shutter is opened. All this is done automatically in the background. Digital camera also provide the user with the ability to manually control the flash, force it to either fire or not to fire, set its intensity and more.
Flash units are divided into two categories: Internal built-in flash units or external flash units. Internal flash units are built into the camera. Almost all digital cameras include such a unit and allow the user some control over it through the camera’s menus and buttons. External flash units are attached to the camera’s body through a dedicated slide-in slot or by using an electrical cable. Not all digital cameras support external flash units. Usually the lower end pocket cameras do not allow external flash units while all high end digital SLR cameras do allow such external flash units. External flash units can vary a lot. They can have different light energy levels that they can emit and different mechanical characteristics. Some external flash units also include smart sensors to measure ambient light, distance and other optical parameters in order to optimize the flash effect.
Digital cameras can use their flash units in automatic or in manual mode. In automatic mode the camera measures ambient light and fires the flash when not enough ambient light is available. Sometimes the camera will make the wrong decision as to using the flash and will either fire or not fire the flash when the opposite was needed. Setting the flash intensity is important too. If the flash unit fires too much light energy on objects that are too close to the camera the digital photo will be washed out. On the other hand if the flash unit fires a small amount of light energy on an object that is farther away from the digital camera the digital photo will be a too dark.
Flash units have limitations too. They can not light any scene and any object at any distance from the camera. It is important to know your flash unit limitations. For example check what the maximum light energy that it can emit is and what the farthest that an object can be effectively lit from. This is also known as the effective flash range. If the object is out of the effective flash range it is actually better to turn off the flash altogether and use a tripod with a longer exposure. Sometimes it is useful to use the flash even if there is enough ambient light. In such cases you can manually force the camera to fire the flash. This is also known as fill-in flash as it is usually used to fill-in shadowed areas on objects in the digital photo.
http://www.articlejoe.com/Article/Digital-camera-flash-units/35901
Using a digital camera panoramic photography mode
Panoramic digital photos cover a wide angle of view. In its extreme a panoramic photo can cover 360 degrees of view. Such panoramic photos are for example taken from a sky scraper to convey the view it provides. Most new digital cameras provide a panoramic mode that supports such photography.
There is no formal or definitive definition of what a panoramic photo is. It is common practice to define panoramic photos as such that cover a wide angle of view. How wide? A common definition is “wider than our eyes can see” – or in other worlds – provide an artificial view that otherwise we could not have gotten by just looking at the scene (without moving our head left and right or up and down of course). Panoramic digital photos can be taken in a single shot using special panoramic wide angle lenses. This technique is limited of course as for example a 360 degree panoramic photo can not be taken this way.
Another way in which panoramic photos are created is in segments – a few photos are taken in series and are later attached to each other to create one big panoramic photo. The process of attaching the photos together is fast and easy thanks to modern digital photo processing software (as long as you’re following some guidelines when taking the photos). Panoramic photos are not limited to capturing landscape or wide angle view. They can be very useful when capturing objects that are just too big to be captured from where you stand. For example if you are standing too close to a tall tower and can not retreat to a farther position – using panoramic photography will enable you to capture the complete tower (in 2 or more shots).
Most digital cameras support a special panoramic mode. In this mode the camera optimizes its optical settings for panoramic wide angle photography. But more than just setting the optical parameters the camera also provides tools that allow you to more easily take the photos series and later on stitch them together. When put in panoramic mode the camera will first let you choose if you plan to take a horizontal panoramic photo (i.e. taking photos from left to right or right to left while keeping the vertical position fixed) or to take a vertical panoramic photo (i.e. taking the photos from bottom to top or top to bottom while keeping the horizontal position fixed). You can also choose a combination.
After you choose the panoramic mode – the camera will let you start taking the photos. On its LCD screen you would always see the previous photo you took and the new photo you are taking. This allows you to easily compose each photo in a way that it complements the previous one. You would also want to make sure the photo overlaps a bit with the previous photo – this allows for easier photo stitching later on. The camera also names the digital photos files in a special format that further helps stitching.
Photo stitching can be easily done on a computer at home. Many digital cameras come with a photo stitching software. If your digital camera did not come with one you can find either free or low priced commercial software that can stitch single photos. Basically what the photo stitching software does is: based on the photo file names it orders the photos in their right order. Then it identifies the overlapping areas in each pair of photos and places the photos in a way that these overlapping areas match (this is why having a bit of overlap is important). The final step is to attach all those pairs of files and create a single panoramic digital photo.
It is a good practice to use a tripod when taking panoramic photos. A tripod will help you maintaining either a fixed horizontal or a fixed vertical position. Also it is good practice to keep the optical settings fixed between shots and to make sure that the lighting stays the same. As always practice makes perfect – go and experiment with panoramic photography and master your digital camera panoramic mode
http://www.articlejoe.com/Article/Using-a-digital-camera-panoramic-photography-mode/35714
There is no formal or definitive definition of what a panoramic photo is. It is common practice to define panoramic photos as such that cover a wide angle of view. How wide? A common definition is “wider than our eyes can see” – or in other worlds – provide an artificial view that otherwise we could not have gotten by just looking at the scene (without moving our head left and right or up and down of course). Panoramic digital photos can be taken in a single shot using special panoramic wide angle lenses. This technique is limited of course as for example a 360 degree panoramic photo can not be taken this way.
Another way in which panoramic photos are created is in segments – a few photos are taken in series and are later attached to each other to create one big panoramic photo. The process of attaching the photos together is fast and easy thanks to modern digital photo processing software (as long as you’re following some guidelines when taking the photos). Panoramic photos are not limited to capturing landscape or wide angle view. They can be very useful when capturing objects that are just too big to be captured from where you stand. For example if you are standing too close to a tall tower and can not retreat to a farther position – using panoramic photography will enable you to capture the complete tower (in 2 or more shots).
Most digital cameras support a special panoramic mode. In this mode the camera optimizes its optical settings for panoramic wide angle photography. But more than just setting the optical parameters the camera also provides tools that allow you to more easily take the photos series and later on stitch them together. When put in panoramic mode the camera will first let you choose if you plan to take a horizontal panoramic photo (i.e. taking photos from left to right or right to left while keeping the vertical position fixed) or to take a vertical panoramic photo (i.e. taking the photos from bottom to top or top to bottom while keeping the horizontal position fixed). You can also choose a combination.
After you choose the panoramic mode – the camera will let you start taking the photos. On its LCD screen you would always see the previous photo you took and the new photo you are taking. This allows you to easily compose each photo in a way that it complements the previous one. You would also want to make sure the photo overlaps a bit with the previous photo – this allows for easier photo stitching later on. The camera also names the digital photos files in a special format that further helps stitching.
Photo stitching can be easily done on a computer at home. Many digital cameras come with a photo stitching software. If your digital camera did not come with one you can find either free or low priced commercial software that can stitch single photos. Basically what the photo stitching software does is: based on the photo file names it orders the photos in their right order. Then it identifies the overlapping areas in each pair of photos and places the photos in a way that these overlapping areas match (this is why having a bit of overlap is important). The final step is to attach all those pairs of files and create a single panoramic digital photo.
It is a good practice to use a tripod when taking panoramic photos. A tripod will help you maintaining either a fixed horizontal or a fixed vertical position. Also it is good practice to keep the optical settings fixed between shots and to make sure that the lighting stays the same. As always practice makes perfect – go and experiment with panoramic photography and master your digital camera panoramic mode
http://www.articlejoe.com/Article/Using-a-digital-camera-panoramic-photography-mode/35714
10 Tips In Better Photography
Taking a good photo isn’t as hard as you may think. You don’t need the most expensive camera or years of experience, just 10 simple tips.
Enjoy!
Tip 1 - Use All Your Available Space
Don't be afraid to use all the space in your photo. If you want to take a picture of something, it's ok for it to take up the whole shot with no or very little background showing. Keep distractions out of your shot
Tip 2 - Study Forms
This is a vital aspect to photography. Understanding forms in your photos. Don't see an object, she its shape and its form and find the best angle to photograph it from. Form is all around us and I highly suggest you read as many books on it as possible.
Tip 3 - Motion In Your Photos
Never have motion in your photos if you are photographing a still object. If there is something moving while you are trying to photograph a stationery object, your photo won't turn out anywhere near as well. Also never put a horizon line in the center of your frame.
Tip 4 - Learn To Use Contrasts Between Colors.
Some of the best photos have shades of white, gray and black. You can take great shots with just one color on your subject, but the contrasts between colors in a shot is what makes you a great photographer.
Tip 5 - Get Closer To Your Subject
This is one of the biggest mistakes most photographers make, not getting close enough to their subject. Get up and personal and close the distance gap. You can always reshape and resize a good shot but you can't continue to blowup a distant object.
Tip 6 - Shutter Lag
Shooting action shots with digital camera's can be tricky due to shutter lags. What this means is, when you press the button to take the photo, it can take up to a second for the shutter to take a photo, by that time what you were photographing would have moved or changed somehow. This means you have to compensate for shutter lag by predicting what your subject is going to do and taking the photo just before it takes the action you want. More expensive digital cameras don't have this problem.
Tip 7 - Pan
If you are taking an action shot and your shutter speed is slow, pan with the object. Follow through with the subject, from start to finish and one of those shots will be a winner. You have more chance of getting a good shot if you take more then one photo.
Tip 8 - Continuous Shots
To pan like I suggested above you will need a camera that does continuous shots and doesn’t need to stop and process after every shot.
Tip 9 - How To Take Fantastic Night Time Shots
Night time shots can be spectacular, almost magical.... if done right! If not they can look horrible. Really horrible. Without adequate lighting, even good camera's can turn out crappy photos if the photographer doesn't know what he or she is doing.
Tip 10 - Study Your Manual
If your digital camera has a special night time mode, read the manual and follow their instructions on how to use it properly.
http://www.articleinterchange.com/Article/10-Tips-In-Better-Photography/4617
Enjoy!
Tip 1 - Use All Your Available Space
Don't be afraid to use all the space in your photo. If you want to take a picture of something, it's ok for it to take up the whole shot with no or very little background showing. Keep distractions out of your shot
Tip 2 - Study Forms
This is a vital aspect to photography. Understanding forms in your photos. Don't see an object, she its shape and its form and find the best angle to photograph it from. Form is all around us and I highly suggest you read as many books on it as possible.
Tip 3 - Motion In Your Photos
Never have motion in your photos if you are photographing a still object. If there is something moving while you are trying to photograph a stationery object, your photo won't turn out anywhere near as well. Also never put a horizon line in the center of your frame.
Tip 4 - Learn To Use Contrasts Between Colors.
Some of the best photos have shades of white, gray and black. You can take great shots with just one color on your subject, but the contrasts between colors in a shot is what makes you a great photographer.
Tip 5 - Get Closer To Your Subject
This is one of the biggest mistakes most photographers make, not getting close enough to their subject. Get up and personal and close the distance gap. You can always reshape and resize a good shot but you can't continue to blowup a distant object.
Tip 6 - Shutter Lag
Shooting action shots with digital camera's can be tricky due to shutter lags. What this means is, when you press the button to take the photo, it can take up to a second for the shutter to take a photo, by that time what you were photographing would have moved or changed somehow. This means you have to compensate for shutter lag by predicting what your subject is going to do and taking the photo just before it takes the action you want. More expensive digital cameras don't have this problem.
Tip 7 - Pan
If you are taking an action shot and your shutter speed is slow, pan with the object. Follow through with the subject, from start to finish and one of those shots will be a winner. You have more chance of getting a good shot if you take more then one photo.
Tip 8 - Continuous Shots
To pan like I suggested above you will need a camera that does continuous shots and doesn’t need to stop and process after every shot.
Tip 9 - How To Take Fantastic Night Time Shots
Night time shots can be spectacular, almost magical.... if done right! If not they can look horrible. Really horrible. Without adequate lighting, even good camera's can turn out crappy photos if the photographer doesn't know what he or she is doing.
Tip 10 - Study Your Manual
If your digital camera has a special night time mode, read the manual and follow their instructions on how to use it properly.
http://www.articleinterchange.com/Article/10-Tips-In-Better-Photography/4617
Digital Or Film Photography
The popularity of digital cameras may have enjoyed amazing increase but film has still an important part to play in photography and will continue to be important for some time, a few years at the least. Film has many advantages that photographers continue to recognize. Major players in the production of film like Kodak is still putting into it millions though experts all agree that digital film will reign supreme in the near future.
These are the reasons though why some photographers prefer film over digital:
1) Facilities and Investment
Ordinary people, not only photographers, have invested considerably in photographic equipments that use film. Cameras and lenses still have capabilities that digital photography cannot match. Compared with a high-end professional 35mm camera, a digital camera still lacks facilities that only the traditional camera can provide. A photographer who decides to switch to digital may find himself spending big especially if his lenses, flashes and other accessories are not compatible with a new digital system.
2) Wide Angle
The absence of extreme wide-angle lenses and a slow start-up time are two of the most disadvantages of even the best digital cameras. 35mm cameras modifies to digital bodies usually employ a CCD image sensor that is smaller, usually around 245mm x 16mm) as opposed to the 36mm x 24mm x 35mm film that results to a narrow angle. Photographers who are fans of wide angles may find the traditional 35mm more of their liking.
3) Action
Film cameras also offer an advantage during fast-changing and unpredictable photography scenarios. Unlike digital camera that uses batteries than can ran out in the most unexpected time, a 35mm camera can be easily switched on and ready for use whenever you need take a shot. Moreover, digital cameras usually take several seconds before you can use it which obviously is a disadvantage for photographers who wants to capture actions which can’t be repeated anymore.
4) Tough Conditions
Film cameras are also sturdier equipments than their digital counterparts and can withstand harsh conditions that photography may demand in the line of work. Count on film to be more reliable than digital especially when your are working in a not-so-good weather conditions.
5) Comparing Costs
When it comes to cost, film and digital advantages and disadvantages vary considerably depending on the usage. A photographer with a film budget amounting to thousands of dollars in one year may find digital camera more practical. But if you are not a busy photographer, your income may not defray the cost of going digital.
http://www.articleinterchange.com/Article/Digital-Or-Film-Photography/9468
These are the reasons though why some photographers prefer film over digital:
1) Facilities and Investment
Ordinary people, not only photographers, have invested considerably in photographic equipments that use film. Cameras and lenses still have capabilities that digital photography cannot match. Compared with a high-end professional 35mm camera, a digital camera still lacks facilities that only the traditional camera can provide. A photographer who decides to switch to digital may find himself spending big especially if his lenses, flashes and other accessories are not compatible with a new digital system.
2) Wide Angle
The absence of extreme wide-angle lenses and a slow start-up time are two of the most disadvantages of even the best digital cameras. 35mm cameras modifies to digital bodies usually employ a CCD image sensor that is smaller, usually around 245mm x 16mm) as opposed to the 36mm x 24mm x 35mm film that results to a narrow angle. Photographers who are fans of wide angles may find the traditional 35mm more of their liking.
3) Action
Film cameras also offer an advantage during fast-changing and unpredictable photography scenarios. Unlike digital camera that uses batteries than can ran out in the most unexpected time, a 35mm camera can be easily switched on and ready for use whenever you need take a shot. Moreover, digital cameras usually take several seconds before you can use it which obviously is a disadvantage for photographers who wants to capture actions which can’t be repeated anymore.
4) Tough Conditions
Film cameras are also sturdier equipments than their digital counterparts and can withstand harsh conditions that photography may demand in the line of work. Count on film to be more reliable than digital especially when your are working in a not-so-good weather conditions.
5) Comparing Costs
When it comes to cost, film and digital advantages and disadvantages vary considerably depending on the usage. A photographer with a film budget amounting to thousands of dollars in one year may find digital camera more practical. But if you are not a busy photographer, your income may not defray the cost of going digital.
http://www.articleinterchange.com/Article/Digital-Or-Film-Photography/9468
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