Monday, September 17, 2007

Digital Cameras Are Much More Than Your Traditional Camera

In the photography market today, digital cameras outsell traditional film cameras by a large margin, and digital photography is more popular than it has ever been, and it will only grow and evolve to become more popular.

A digital camera is just one part of the photography process beginning with the actual real-world view through to the final snapshot that you capture. The main part in the process is a digital format image made of pixels.

A digital photograph can be made in several ways. It can be made directly with a digital camera, or you can also scan negatives, slide and prints to convert conventional photos into a digital format. It is also possible to capture a frame of video and save it as a still photographic digital image.

Once captured, a digital photo is in a format that makes it easy to apply various special effects to it on your computer with photo editing software. Then you will be able to do almost anything you want to your photographs. You can crop them, correct red-eyes, and change the colors, contrast, anything else. You can even add or completely remove parts of the image. You can actually put a person in the photograph that wasn't there before. We've done this with one of my family reunion pictures where an aunt couldn't attend, so we edited her into the family picture.

Once you're happy with how your picture looks, and you've made any edits that you wanted, then you can then send the photo to your printer or use an online service to print them. It's easier than ever to share you pictures with family and friends by email, or post it on a website, and much more.

Also, a digital camera will most likely save you money in the long term because you don't need to buy film and then pay to have it developed. There are positives and negatives to traditional film cameras as well as digital cameras. Digital cameras let you see instantly how your photos look, but the resolution isn't as great as images produced from film. Digital cameras better for the environment, because they don't use some of the toxic chemicals that traditional cameras need to develop film.

Visit www.camera-choices.com for information on various digital cameras as well as other camera articles.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cameron_Keebler

Shopping For Your Digital SLRs Camera

Sorting through the wide range of digital SLRs that are currently on the market can be a bit confusing. If you aren't sure which options you really need and which options are best left to the pros, then you may end up buying a lot more camera than you actually need.

Worse yet, you may not buy a camera that does as much as you would like. The best place to start your search is by reading some ratings and reviews in a magazine such as PC World.

For those of us who aren't quite sure, however, the amount of technical information on the topic can be confusing and alarming. Many people feel overwhelmed at the amount of information there is on digital SLRs and other cameras. These people often end up buying a lot of software or hardware that they don't need and pay far too much for their package.

The first thing you'll need to know is what you plan on taking pictures of. This will help you decide which of the digital SLRs is right for the job and narrow down your choice.

Read reviews available in camera magazines or look through online websites like PC World at www.pcworld.com to understand your own needs. This comes before you understand the technical jargon. If you do a lot of night shooting, for example, you'll want a camera that does dark shooting well.

The truth about most of the digital SLRs on the market that the different companies won't tell you is that they are all essentially the same. All digital SLRs are capable of taking great pictures and giving you what you're looking for.

However, there are minor details with each one that can make a difference in the types of pictures you choose to take. Some SLRs are better suited to action shots while others are perfect for shooting landscapes.

An abbreviation for single lens reflex, SLR offers the photographer the ability to capture exactly what he sees. Since there is only one lens involved, the image on the screen or in the optical viewer is exactly what will be captured in the digital format.

Often with film cameras, heads get chopped off or people are squeezed out of the side of the picture because the film can't capture the entire image.

As you sort through the various digital SLRs on the market, keep your focus in mind and look for a digital camera that you like. Make sure the camera feels right in your hands, and look through the viewer screen and see if you can understand the interface.

Whether you buy the new Nikon digital SLR or something from another company, you have to ensure that you are comfortable with the product before you take it home.

Find out how digital cameras technology can make you an exceptional film photographer and learn more about the digital slrs from Mike Selvon informative collection of articles and let us know what your think at the digital photography blog.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Selvon

Digital Camera - The Future Of Conventional Cameras

Basically a digital camera is a deice use to capture pictures without the use of films. Unlike the conventional camera, the digital camera does not rely on mechanical and chemical processes. It has a built in computer and records the images it captures in an electronic form. Having and operating one does not even require the use of electricity.

Since the images that a digital camera captures is in electronic form, it is a language recognized by computers. This language is called pixels, tiny colored dots represented by ones and zeros that make up the picture that you just took. Just like any conventional cameras, a digital camera is furnished with a series of lenses that focus the light and creates the image that you want to capture. The difference here is then; a conventional camera focuses its light on a film while a digital camera focuses the light into a semiconductor device that electronically records the light. Remember the built in computer, it comes in here and breaks this information to digital data resulting to all the features of the digital camera.

Another feature of the digital camera is that it has a sensor that converts light into electrical charges. A charge coupled device or CCD is an image sensor that is found in a digital camera. While other low-end digital camera use complementary metal oxide semiconductor or CMOS as an image device, it can still become better and more famous in the future but most engineers are do not believe that it can replace the CCD for higher-end digital cameras.

A collection of tiny diodes, the CCD gathers electrons when they are struck by photons or the light particles. Each diode or photosite is sensitive to light, meaning that the brighter the light, the number of the electrons gathering will be larger

The price of a digital camera nowadays have been depreciating, one of the main reasons of this is because of the introduction of CMOS image sensors, this is because CMOS sensors are less expensive and are easier to manufacture than CCD sensors. A CCD and CMOS sensor works the same way at first, by converting the light electrical charges into photosites. Simply putting it, is to think that a digital camera works in such a way as thinking that the millions of tiny solar cells, each of which forms a part of the whole image. Both CCD and CMOS do this task using different methods.

When shopping for the best digital camera, take note of these key features.

Image quality

Check the resolution of the camera. The higher the resolution, the more thou will be able to enlarge your picture without the grainy or the out-of-focus effect that we all want to avoid.

Lens

Choose a digital camera with better digital zoom. The digital zoom of the camera will enable you take the pixels from the image sensor and incorporate them to make an image. Power. Always opt for rechargeable batteries, they can always come in handy, plus you don’t waste as much money on the disposable ones.

Options

So you can brag to your friends how good a photographer or artist you are. Or choose the one that gives options that best cater to your lifestyle, so you won’t ever whine how you never get the right pictures.

Memory

If you’re a photo freak, be sure that you have enough memory in your camera to take all the wacky, freaky, funny and just about any photo you can. Think 512MB if you’re a photo junkie and takes pictures of just about anything.

Computer Interface

Always make sure that it is compatible with your PC, laptop, palmtop or whatever your local picture printer software is, you don’t want to go running around the whole state or the country looking for a computer that’s compatible with your digital camera, wont you?!

Physical

If you are going to be bringing it everywhere, choose a handy and portable digital camera. This way, it won’t always feel as heavy and bulky as those cameras that you see professional photographers are always dragging on their neck. Don’t they ever get tired of that?!

These are just the basic things you have to look for in a digital camera when you buy one. A digital camera is so great that it is quickly replacing all conventional cameras in the market, with all its technology and portability, truly the digital camera is the future of cameras.

Amy Hughes writes for http://www.camera-stores.net – the online yellow pages to camera stores and photography product outlets across the United States.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Amy_Hughes

How To Choose the Right Digital Camera to Suit Your Needs

In today's market, there are many different types of digital cameras to suit your different needs. We hereby list some considerable factors for choosing a digital camera. Due to the different purpose of using digital camera, it is difficult to have a camera which is perfect to everyone. Therefore it is recommended to choose the camera to suit your own needs.

The following are what you need to seriously consider before buying a digital camera.

1. Pixel:

1.3 mega pixel is suitable for screen viewing, 1280x960 is well enough for screen of 17 to 21 inches.

2-mega pixels can achieve print out under 4x6 inches. The detail of such photo can be compared with photo taken by traditional cameras.

3 mega pixel and above will make computer editing move convenient. You can do whatever you like with the image taken.

4 mega pixel and above can be used to print larger photos – 6x8 inches or print out with finer detail.

Most major digital camera manufacturers have already stepped into 5 mega pixel. It is believe it will become the mainstream very soon.

The pixel size of the digital camera will decide the resolution of a photo to be enlarged. However, the output file will be larger. Which means, more storage space will be needed for your photos. And it will also take longer time for image display, transmission or process. But be noted that resolution is not the only factor of the camera performance. The quality is not only decided by resolution but also the quality of the picture. High resolution not necessarily means good picture quality.

2. Resolution
How much resolution you need depends on how you plan to use your digital camera. Obviously you plan to take pictures, but what you plan to do with the pictures is what matters. If you plan to take pictures only for online use, such as to e-mail to friends and family or to place on a web page, most any amount of resolution will accomplish this. However, if you plan to print large photos or need clearer pictures for business use, you will need more pixels. A good rule of thumb is to choose a digital camera with the highest resolution you can afford. At the very least, buy a camera with a minimum of 2 to 3 mega pixels. Beware of sales hype, which tends to emphasize high resolution over all other features. While resolution is important, there are many other features, which influence a camera's output. Make sure the camera you choose has a combination of features important to you, not just high resolution.

3. Lens
A glass lens is preferable to a plastic lens. Do not skimp on the lens. It is best to choose an optical zoom lens over digital zoom. Many lower cost cameras do not have optical zoom lenses. Optical zoom is essential for better quality pictures. Optical zoom actually moves the lens to capture the image, while digital zoom captures fewer pixels and magnifies the captured image. Pictures taken with digital zoom are often blurry and look digitized.

4. Battery and Power Consumption
If you treasure your battery life, you can turn off LCD display on your digital camera. One of the most power-consumed parts in a camera is LCD display. In order to obtain clear display, LCD background illumination consumes power heavily (You can turn off the LCD display to save the power). For general Alkaline Battery or Ni-CD/Ni-MH battery, the power can last for around an hour (with LCD on) whereas for camera Lithium battery, it can last longer.

In addition to LCD display, CCD (Charge Coupled Devices) also consumed lot of power. For those models that use LCD display as view finders, in order to drive CCD continuously, the power loading is heavy. Sometimes, the power of four dry batteries can only last for less than 30 minutes.

Therefore, take a check of whether rechargeable batteries or charger are included in your camera package or whether other relevant charging information is mentioned.

Are you interested in learning everything about digital photography? Then visit http://www.StudyDigitalPhotography.com where you can get plenty of information for regular folks, and many ideas to improve your own digital photography.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Enwelimikwu_Anthony

Some Digital Camera Vocabulary Explained

When purchasing a digital camera there is a dazzling array of information about the device available. The digital camera box will have bullet pointed lists of features, and many of those consist of numbers and abbreviations that may be misunderstood. High numbers always seem very impressive, but without knowing what they mean, you may end up purchasing a digital camera that does not match your requirements. Some of the most common abbreviations and the impact they have upon your gadget experience are summarized below.

Many digital camera manufacturers base their advertising campaign and packaging on the number of pixels the camera uses to create its image. Pixels are the elements that make up the digital image. Each pixel is of a single colour, and these join like a mosaic to create the image taken by the device. Pixels are indistinguishable unless the picture is enlarged as they are the smallest element of the digital image. When enlarged they can be seen with the naked eye. PPI stands for pixels per inch, and details the level of detail in the picture. The higher the number: the more intricate the detail.

The number of pixels is displayed in terms of mega pixels (MP), and they are measured by multiplying the number of pixels in the vertical line of the image by the number in the horizontal line. Mega pixels total 1 million pixels, and the number advertised is the maximum number used by the digital camera. Mega pixels affect the size of the photograph rather than the quality, though of course if you want bigger images then a high number of mega pixels are a necessity. A digital camera with 1 MP would produce a quality 5x7 inch digital image. For a quality 8x10 image, a 2MP digital camera would be required, and a 3MP device would be the minimum requirement for images of 11x14 dimensions. There are many other factors that influence the quality of an image, and so mid range mega pixel size should be perfect for the general user.

Another common abbreviation to be found on packaging is JPEG. This stands for the Joint Photographic Experts Group, which was created in 1986 with the aim of setting a universal standard for the compression of digital camera images. They oversee both the file requirements and the compression process for all JPEG digital cameras. The JPEG process compresses images into streams of bytes which are then decompressed back into the image that was taken. A minimal amount of quality is lost in this process, but it remains the most popular file for storage of digital camera images. This is because JPEG images can be full colour or grey scale, and are internet compatible which means that images can be sent via email to friends and family. The JPEG file is photographic specific and so ensures good quality.

MPEG may be seen on your digital camera and this stands for the Moving Pictures Expert Group which oversees video and audio encoding standards. They are responsible for the compression and decompression of video and audio including that of TV broadcast and digital TV networks. If you see MPEG on a digital camera, it means that it can take video clips as well as images.

LCD is the abbreviation for Liquid Crystal Display and refers to the display screen of your device. The LCD will be full colour and will enable you to preview your picture. You can then use the LCD to review the image on your digital camera. The LCD is also where you navigate your device and all its features and settings through the menu button. The LCD panel shows all the relevant information for your digital camera whilst in use, such as battery life, and the number of exposures remaining.

This article is under GNU FDL license and can be distributed without any previous authorization from the author. However the author's name and all the URLs (links) mentioned in the article and biography must be kept.

This article can also be accessed from page Digital_Camera
Roberto Sedycias works as IT consultant for PoloMercantil


What You Need To Buy A Digital Camera Wholesale

Digital cameras are available in several price ranges today. They can be purchased wholesale as well as retail. Whether your budget is a mere $30 or $300, you are sure to find a camera within the given price range. However, you might have to compromise on some of the features that you will get in the deal.

So, what do you do if you want the best at the cheapest price? The answer to this question lies within the World Wide Web. You do not have to make telephone calls to sales persons or go camera hunting in many shops…simply sit at home and click away !

There are cameras which are available at wholesale prices. However, the trick here is that these are not so easily available because you need to take a pre-requisite number of cameras before you can get them at such a bargain. Or there might be older models which companies are trying to sell off at wholesale prices. Hence, it is possible to get a bargain but you really need to shop hard before you strike gold.

What you can do however, is to access the Internet for services known as ‘price comparison engines’. These are basically web sites which search the Net for the best prices available on digital cameras from different suppliers. So instead of visiting hundred different sites consisting of different suppliers, you can choose to visit ten price comparison engines and get a good estimate for the digital camera that you need.

But this is only possible if you have a basic idea of what you are looking for in a digital camera. You should at least know the make, if not the model, so that the research can be done properly. This will help you to narrow down your search drastically and thus save you a lot of time and effort.

Some of the well-known web sites which sell wholesale digital cameras include Ebay.com and Amazon.com. Both these sites have a huge collection of digital cameras, and you are sure to find what you are looking for at a cheap price. These sites also deal in digital camera accessories; hence you can probably find that extra memory card on Amazon or Ebay and get yourself a good packaged deal.

It is very important that you keep in mind the fact that the wholesaler from whom you purchase your camera is authentic and can be relied upon. Thus, do not get lured by attractive deals at wholesale prices before checking this out.

Kevin Rockwell worked as a network TV cameraman for 20 years shooting news and sports. Now a devoted fan of digital photography and video he works to gather information, tips and news for digital camera users. Oh and he loves to shoot pictures of his kids playing sports. http://www.great-digital-cameras.com/gdcj.html


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kevin_Rockwell

Avoiding Digital Camera Shakes

If ever you have seen a picture that is blurred, it is most probably because the camera was shaken while the picture was taken. With traditional photographic film cameras, it was evident only after the negatives and positives were made. However, with digital camera, the captured image can be seen immediately on the LCD screen, and if the image has shaken, then it can be discarded for a new shot.

Digital camera shakes are common with new users. This is primarily because, new users have not fully understood that the shutter-release button must not be pressed twice, but pressed two steps down. The first step locks the focus and exposure while the second step takes the photo. This pressing of the button has to be smooth, otherwise the digital camera shakes and a blurred picture is the result.

The shutter speed also plays an important role in blurring the picture. The shutter speed is the amount of time the shutter remains open to allow light to reach the digital camera sensor. It is measured in seconds or fractions of a second. An image is exposed by the combination of the lens aperture and the shutter speed. A slow shutter speed needs a small aperture (large F-stop number) to avoid over exposure. With a slow shutter speed below 1/60th of a second, over exposure is adequately controlled, but the digital camera is likely to vibrate more, giving a shaky picture.

A tripod is extremely useful to eliminate digital camera shakes. It is generally used by sports photographers who use long telephoto lens, as it helps in close-ups, landscape and panning shots, for timed exposures, for shooting at slow shutter speeds, and for taking photographs in low or dim light conditions. Shooting a fast moving subject, like athletes, or wildlife, tests the photographer`s skill and the equipment. In such cases, camera shakes are most likely to happen, and thus a monopod or a tripod is always used. Digital cameras mounted on tripods always tend to eliminate camera shakes and give sharp results.

A great feature in most high-end digital cameras available nowadays is image stabilization (IS). IS is an anti-shake and vibration reduction technology and is common in digital cameras with long telephoto zooms of 10X and 12X. With IS, sharp images can be obtained even if the camera shakes a little, a slow shutter speed is used, shooting is done in low light conditions, or a tripod is not used. IS was originally developed for video cameras. It is now available in interchangeable lens, consumer and professional digital cameras, which use optical image stabilization. Sports and wildlife photographers use a tripod and IS technology together to get the maximum sharpness of their photographs; however, many other photographers turn the IS feature off while using a tripod.

Digital camera shakes can be eliminated or minimized by the utilization of the above techniques. However, the fundamentals of taking a good shot prove to be most effective in avoiding camera shakes, in the absence of tripods, or IS technology.

The basics of good photography should be followed. You should hold the digital camera with both your hands. You should keep the legs apart with the knees slightly bent forward. Your elbows should be braced with your body and your body braced with some support, if possible. You should generally frame and compose the picture with the viewfinder and not the LCD screen. You should not jab but lightly press the shutter release button two steps down, and during that time, it would be beneficial to hold your breath to prevent any movement of the chest and hands. With this basic technique of good photography, you can be sure that your digital camera will not shake and no picture will be blurred.

This article is under GNU FDL license and can be distributed without any previous authorization from the author. However the author's name and all the URLs (links) mentioned in the article and biography must be kept.

This article can also be accessed from page Digital_Camera_Shakes
Roberto Sedycias works as IT consultant for PoloMercantil