Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Digital Camera Buyers Guide - Do You Really Need One

Like most people you probably take pictures. We all use cameras for all sorts of things; we take pictures of special events, trips and many more. We immortalize those moments in pictures for us to see them time and time again. Of course we can use a variety of cameras to do that not all of us are professional photographs. But if you are looking to buy a good quality camera these days it helps to look at a digital camera buyer’s guide.

You will soon find out that there is a wide range of digital camera buyer’s guide. But the important factor to keep in mind is that they serve all the same purpose. To help you find the best digital camera for your needs. Most of theses digital camera buyer’s guide are inexpensive but you should go to the nearest camera dealer there is a good chance you can get one for free with a photography magazine.

Just make sure you look a t the cover of the digital camera buyer’s guide as they will show what are the camera models reviewed inside and if they can be of any use for your photographic needs.

Here is some of the buying information you can expect to get out of a good digital camera buyer’s guide:

- Digital camera comparisons
- Lenses
- Various accessories
- What hot and what’s not

One good thing about these guides is that sometimes you will get valuable buying information about the latest digital camera models. Some of these articles will cover in-depth the multiple features and the overall performance of the camera. They very often point you in the right direction telling you what are considered the best digital or compact camera on the market for your money.

With the information you will gather from your digital camera buyer’s guide about the prices, lenses and even the newest camera printers there is a good chance you will be able to know what is considered a good deal when you see one.

All things considered these are just a few of the products and services you can find when looking at a digital camera buyers guide. If you are looking to buy a new digital camera, these guides can help you greatly to make an informed decision. They are jam-packed with a great quantity of information that will help you buy the camera you want.


About the Author

If you are looking to buy a digital camera then it would be a good idea to consult digital camera reviews website or getting a digital camera buyers guide.

Digital Camera Accessories - Which Ones Do You Need?

Digital cameras are one of the most popular items for consumers to purchase and have become increasingly affordable and easy to use. Many accessories are available for digital cameras but how do you know which ones you really need and which ones a salesperson is just trying to sell you in order to increase profits? Before making a purchase of digital camera accessories, educate yourself on what they do and which ones you may need most.

One of the most common accessories that most people buy to go with their digital camera is an extra or larger memory card. Many cameras come packaged with a memory card but it is often only a 32 MB card which will not hold many images. This means having to transfer the photos to your computer or a CD very frequently and may be very inconvenient and time consuming if you wish to shoot a lot of photos at one time. You may want to invest in at least a 512 MB card. Of course the larger the card capacity, the more photos it will store but the more it will cost.

Another very common accessory often purchased is an extra battery. Again, this is almost a must have if you plan to shoot a lot of photos, shoot for an extended time period or shoot at a location that has no power outlet for an adapter.

While an extra memory card and an extra battery are the most needed and common accessories to buy for your digital camera, other accessories to consider are extra lenses, a flash unit, a tripod, and a carrying case. Whether you need these items will largely depend on what type of photography you plan on doing and what type of camera you have. If you only plan to be a hobbyist shooting family, friends, and pets on an occasional basis, you probably do not need extra lenses or an attached flash unit, but if you have a desire to shoot photos to sell or pursue photography on a more professional basic, these are all accessories you will need. Also, if you have already purchased a point and shoot versus a SLR camera, extra lenses and flashes may not be an option for your camera.

Tripods and hard sided carrying cases are often good options even for hobbyist. Tripods allow you to keep the camera steady in situations where it is hard to hand hold the camera and keep the subject focused. It also will enable you to jump into those family reunion photos by placing the camera on the tripod and using the timer or a remote control (another accessory you may wish to purchase if you want to get into the photo often). A hard sided carrying case is a good accessory if you are rough on your camera or travel a lot as it offers more protection for your camera than a fabric or canvas bag.

Be sure that when considering buying digital camera accessories that you think about what you plan to do with your camera and if you really will use them. Don’t be pressured into buying costly accessories that you may never use.

Get advice for beginning photographers at digital photography basics. Visit http://www.digitalphotographybasics.net for more helpful advice about photography.


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

Three Advantages of Digital Photography Courses

When making that swap from your beloved SLR camera to a new state of the art digital camera you can find yourself like a child with a new toy and as confused as a Eskimo being asked to trade on the stock exchange for the first time. So here are three advantages of Digital Photography Courses.

Digital photography courses help you discover the features of your camera, when I first got my digital SLR camera I was very frustrated at the fact that the camera refused point blank to take a photograph if there was not quite enough light. Meaning I was unable to get the effect that I wanted. Of course taking my digital photography course I was able to work out that by changing a simple setting on the camera means I was not only able to take that photograph but have it come out much better than I could have hoped for.

The second advantage of digital photography courses is that you know that there are distinct differences between the way that your old SLR camera takes a photo and your shining new digital camera takes a photo. For example with your old camera you would line up take the photo and then have to wait until you have the film developed before you can see if the photograph is good or not. Digital photography courses show you how to use the features of the camera to view the photograph to see if what you have taken is going to be of any use when it comes to developing.

And that brings me to the third advantage of digital photography courses, having your pictures developed is something completely different to when you just removed the film and put the film into the developing shop in order to get your pictures back. Now you can choose your pictures and edit them if need be to get rid of that little bit of red eye or you want the photo in black and white instead of color.

These are just a few of the advantages that digital photography courses can bring you when it comes to making memories with your new digital camera.

Digital Photography Courses and examples of their results.


Digital Camera Primer - Look Before You Buy

As with any type of electronics, such as computer notebooks, printers, or a computer desktop, buying a digital camera presents you with a myriad of choices. Each digital camera manufacturer has more than a dozen offerings, ranging from the more basic "point and shoot" camera to the top of the line professional single lens reflex digital camera. So, it's important to consider a number of factors before you buy. Here's a primer to get you started.

Digital Camera Cost

Just a few years ago, inexpensive digital cameras had terrible optics and were an overall disappointment. Not anymore. Today, even a $149 camera has more features than a $799 camera had in the past. Of course, you can pay more than $10,000 for a camera, but for most casual photographers a camera under $500 will have everything you want and then some.

Megapixels

It wasn't that long ago that a three-mexapixel digital camera was considered state-of-the-art. Today, fairly basic consumer models are seven- or eight-megapixels, which allows you to considerably crop any photo and still get a high-quality print. For that reason, don't consider buying a camera that's less than five megapixels.

LCD Display

It may not seem like the most important part of a camera, but the size of the LCD display will make a big difference while you're shooting your photos. A two-inch LCD is great, but a three-inch is even better since you'll be able to see at a glance whether the photo you just took is fuzzy or if it's a keeper. Beyond size, make sure that the LCD display is clear in all lighting conditions - indoors, outdoors, and at night. If you can't see the photo you just took, it defeats the purpose of having a digital camera.

Shooting Modes

Many digital cameras offer a variety of shooting modes as well as manual settings. Many of the ultracompact consumer cameras, however, do not have manual overrides, and you must choose among the shooting modes provided. If you're in the market for a "point and shoot" digital camera, that's no problem. On the other hand, if you want to be able to change the aperture or shutter speed, make sure you buy a digital camera that allows you to do manual settings. Similarly, if you'll primarily use your camera in a specific environment (at sporting events, for example), make sure that the digital camera you select has that specific mode. Keep in mind that some digital cameras even have underwater capability or an "eBay" setting for taking photos of items you want to auction on eBay, so don't assume the way you'll use your camera is unique.

Storage Medium

Unfortunately, there's not an industry standard when it comes to storage cards. Make sure that you understand the type of film card your camera uses, and that you have a reader that will allow you to transfer your photos from your camera to your computer desktop or laptops. Alternately, many cameras come with software (usually on a DVD) that will allow you to plug your camera directly into your desktop or notebooks and upload your pictures.

After You Buy

Once you've purchased your digital camera, take time to practice and play with the various settings. It's often said that digital cameras are more like computer peripherals than cameras, so keep in mind that there may be a learning curve. Once you've mastered it, however, you'll be amazed at the enjoyment you'll get from your new purchase.

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web. Learn more about Digital Camera Primer or Majon's Electronics directory.


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

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.


http://www.great-digital-cameras.com/digital-camera-wholesale.html

The Primer of Digital Camera Printer

Once you have clicked photos through your digital camera, then the next step is to turn these 'virtual' images into real photos. One way is to send the memory card to a digital photo laboratory and get the images developed there. But if you take digital photos on a regular basis and want to print your own, then it is better that you buy yourself a digital camera printer, or more commonly known as a digital photo printer.

There are lots and lots of choices available in the market today. The top three companies are HP, Canon and Epson. So, before you go and spend your money, here are some tips on what you must keep in mind while deciding on a digital photo printer.

Firstly, digital photo printers are available in two basic types. There are 4-color printers and 6-color printers. Nowadays, there are even 8-color printers available. So, the higher the number of colors the better will be the photo quality once you have hit the print file button. Using good quality photo paper and one of the 8 color printers will give you results that rival your photo lab.

Secondly, the printing method used by the printer is also very important. There are 2 main printing methods: inkjet and thermal. Inkjet is commonly used for taking photo prints but the quality of the printout is not excellent. You need to have at least a 6-color printer to get decent print quality. Also, the ink cartridges are quite expensive and the biggest disadvantage is that inkjet printing does not provide a waterproof coating to the images. Hence, the color fades after some time.

Thermal printing, on the other hand, is much better since it not only applies a waterproof coating but is also better quality-wise. It is also more cost effective as the paper and ink cartridges used are cheaper.

Most of these printers can be purchased under $500. However, there are few key characteristics that are different in all these printers which determine their price. These are :

The printing width differs amongst printers. Normally the width is either 8.5" or 13". The highest quality printers will allow you to go larger but at a much higher per print cost.

If you want to print really great looking black-and-white images, then the printer needs to have grey inks as well. So, an 8-color printer would be best suited for this purpose.

Whether your printer has separate ink tanks for each color or does it have multiple inks in each cartridge. If you have multiple inks, then you have to replace the entire cartridge even if one color finishes. Hence, it is more expensive to replace such cartridges and you waste a lot of ink as well.

The ability of the printer to print directly from your camera or a memory card through a link.

The printing speed per minute. This can go up to 10 minutes for a colored snap, so you must properly check this out depending upon our usage.

Multi use printers are great for a busy office or household but if you want to make fine prints out of your digital images you should invest in a dedicated digital camera printer or digital photo printer. Look for models that will take the most popular memory cards straight into the printer without having to load the images into your computer.


http://www.great-digital-cameras.com/digital-camera-printer.html

Getting the Most From Your Digital Camera Memory Card

Do you have your digital camera memory cards in order? Imagine taking your new digital camera on a vacation and then realizing that you can barely click 20-30 images at a go. So, what do you do to avoid such a situation? The answer to this question lies in the purchase of an extra memory card or two.
One of the important components of a digital camera is the memory card. Most digital cameras come with quite a low amount of memory and it is always better to include the cost of a memory card while purchasing a camera. There are several types of memory cards so you must check out the memory options available in the camera that you are planning to buy.

Also, remember that if the resolution of your camera is high, then you will also need a high capacity digital camera memory card. There is no predetermined number of images that you can store on a particular digital camera memory card. It depends on the kind of images, the file type of the images and the compression rate per photograph. Normally, a 128 or 256 megabyte card is adequate for the average photographer using a 3-5 mega pixel camera.

There are several types of memory cards available. Here is a list of the kinds of memory cards available in the market today:

* Compact Flash Memory Card: Compact Flash is a relatively cheap memory card. It is available in most shops and is compatible with a large number of digital cameras. It is very popular and is commonly used by camera lovers. These cards come with an in-built controller which results in high transfer speeds. However, in order to use this facility, you normally need to be using a digital SLR.

The Digital Flash's Take There are a large number of devices on the market that require this type of memory which should guarnatee it remains common. The high end versions support transfer rates of 12MB per second.

* Secure Digital & Multimedia Cards: Commonly known as the SD card, these cards are one of the smallest memory cards which are available today. These cards can be used in different types of equipment, i.e. digital cameras, phones, MP3 players and video cameras as well. However, the maximum memory capacity is only 512 MB. The difference between the SD card and the multimedia card is that, as the name suggests, the SD card comes with an additional write-protect switch for data security.

The Digital Flash's Take This is a very small form factor storage which means it can be used in many compact devices. Can be fragile so be gentle in handling.

* Memory Stick: The memory stick is an invention by Sony. As a result, these cards can mostly be used only on Sony devices. Hence, if you have a Sony digital camera, a Toshiba laptop; then it is most likely that you will not be able to use your memory stick on both equipments. It is a very durable and rugged memory option. So, unless and until you are a Sony fan, the memory stick has limited use for you.

The Digital Flash's Take Sony is a big compnay with a lot of clout, so this form of memory should be around for awhile. Can be used in a variety of Sony consumer products and is a strong durable device.

Card Reader: Once you have purchased a digital camera memory card for yourself, you will also need a card reader in order to transfer your pictures onto your laptop or PC. The advantage of a card reader is that it can be directly attached to your computer through the USB port. Then you simply need to slot in the memory card into the reader, and you can transfer files easily. The card reader does not require any additional cables and neither does it use up the battery of your digital camera.

The bottom line with digital camera memory cards is that you need to always have more on hand than you need, prices are often very affordable, and you should choose your camera based on the version of memory card that it takes. Don't buy into a camera system if you feel the memory card will not accommodate your photo taking needs.


http://www.great-digital-cameras.com/digital-camera-memory-cards.html

Stock Your Kit with Digital Camera Accessories

There are a large number of digital camera accessories available in the market today. Even though you might have invested a few hundred dollars in your digital camera (although they are getting cheaper by the day), you should buy yourself a few accessories as well so that you can enhance the photo quality of your pictures and be able to capture anything that comes along in your daily digital life.

Software that can help you to organize your images properly is one of the essential digital camera accessories that you need. Remember the time when you returned from a vacation with your friends and you had over 100 images to organize? This is when you realize the value of such software.

There are a large number of such software apps available today. These include image-editing programs such as Photoshop Element 3 by Adobe. This program is an improved version of the older Photoshop Album and consists of some great image organizing tools. Then, we also have the Digital Image Suite 10 by Microsoft that has some cool features that allow you to very easily arrange your images in a particular order.


In addition to image enhancing capabilities, another problem that one faces is that normally digital cameras come with a limited data storage capacity. And when you are out vacationing, it is not always possible to keep on loading your pics onto your laptop (especially if you are trekking up Mt. Everest). So, one of the most handy of digital camera accessories is a Memory Card or a Secure Digital Card. These are extremely cheap, i.e. the price starts from a mere $30 and increases according to the memory capacity that you need. They are available in all stores that sell office or computer related items. Stock up your kit with several extra memory cards and you will never run out of room to store your images.

Now that you have purchased a memory card, the next step is to go buy yourself a memory card reader. This will help you to get rid of your USB cable and can be used to read the memory card when you want to transfer photographs to your computer. These are extremely handy and can easily be carried around in your laptop bag while traveling. But ensure that you are picking up one that is USB 2.0 compatible, since the transfer speed is much faster than the regular USB 1.1. This new standard is awesome. Now you can achieve transfer rates via USB that rival fast drives.

Once you have started collecting digital camera accessories, you will realize that there are many, many items that you can purchase. These include lenses that can add an extra zing to your snaps, an extra flash to help you during times of crisis, filters for creative work, a tripod (I recommend a large version and a small lightweight plastic version that can be taken anywhere) a nice camera bag to hold it all in - and loads more. So, get going and start your collection. Protect that investment!


http://www.great-digital-cameras.com/digital-camera-accessories-guide.html

How to make a time-lapse video with your digital video camera

Getting the most out of your digital video camera can mean being able to create some really cool stuff. You just have to step outside the manual a bit and find the cool things you can do with your digital video camera and your editing software.

We have all seen them in a movie or a TV show, those very cool shots where they speed up time and capture a long segment of time and condense it into a very short amount of video. My very favorite example of this technique was an arty movie of many years ago that was called Koyaanisqatsi. [click to view movie trailer] In that movie they had some very interesting segments where they did time lapse effects to show driving on a bridge, flowers growing, clouds flying by and so on. Another example is many of the TV news stations nowadays have a camera that captures the day’s weather and then they process it down to a 20 second clip to show the clouds and weather racing by on screen.

Well this technique is not just a tool in the hands of the movie makers or the big TV stations. You can do this with your digital video camera gear too. I will go into two ways that you can accomplish this effect and get some cool results for your next video project. This one is worth playing around with in order to find the right settings to get the most dramatic effect.

Sony digital videoTechnique number one is to use the camera itself to do the time lapse recording for you. Almost all digital video cameras have the ability to do an interval recording. What this means in a nutshell is that you tell the camera how long you want to record for and how long in between recordings and it will go on autopilot for you for as long as the battery lasts or the tape runs out. This is what those cameras at the convenience store do, they record a few seconds of motion every 30-60 seconds giving the overall view of the traffic in the store over time.

Now if you want to capture some time lapse in your digital video camera you will need to get into your cameras menu and find Interval Recording (or in my case Int Rec, as I use a Sony PD 150 for my camera) When you select this option you will decide how long of an interval between shots you want and how long to record each time. If you are trying to capture something that takes a long time to occur and in which not much happens quickly you will want to set the interval at around a minute and the record time as short as possible on your camera. An example would be if you wanted to record a day in the life of a flower or the clouds rolling by in the sky. Suppose however that you want to capture an event that has lots of action and occurs over a much shorter time frame. Then you would want to shorten the interval between recordings and increase the time of each recording. So in this case you might record every 15-30 seconds and record up to 2-3 seconds of video each time.

I used this technique to capture an afternoon of work being done by a team of carpenters on my house remodeling project. The result was a flurry of activity as workers raced hither and yon nailing boards, carrying equipment and building walls. I have added it to my photo collection of the project. (Hey I had to live through the project so I might as well have a great record of it for posterity!)

Now suppose you have one of the great software video editing packages on your computer to work with your digital video camera. Now you can do it in post as they say in the business. You can record any length of video you want (subject to the limitations of your tape length) and then import it into your editing program.


http://www.great-digital-cameras.com/digital-video-timelapse.html


Buying a child digital camera - what you need to know

Purchasing any gift item for your child is a mind-numbing task. Getting a child digital camera might seem worse. You can never be sure whether they will like what you buy for them or not. So, when you want to buy a digital camera for your little kids, then there are lots of things, which you must know, which will help you (hopefully!) to get the right camera for your child.

One of the most important things for children is that the digital camera should be one of the latest available in the market. If it has been heavily advertised and people are talking about it, then it is even better. This gives children a sense of pride and also allows them to 'show-off' their possession to their friends.

Another factor, which is critical for children, is that the child digital camera must look good. This is very, very important to them. It does not matter whether it has a big screen or small screen, whether it is 2 mega pixel or 1.5 mega pixel - the camera should have a smart shape, come in flashy colors or it can also look cute or funky. But, the camera should not look 'boring' or very 'serious' in nature. However good the functions might be, if the child digital camera does not look good, it is most likely that your choice will get rejected.

The size is also important. Most children will definitely prefer a digital camera that is small and compact in size. The weight and size should be such that they are able to easily put the camera in their pocket or hang it by a string. Large and bulky models, even if they have better features are not advisable for children.

It is also necessary to remember that even though you might gift your child a digital camera to click photographs for school projects, they will be using it to take pictures of their friends. So, look for some 'fun' features in the child digital camera. These can include colorful background images or sound effects, photographic effects that they can use to enhance the images taken by them.

One more thing is ease of use. It is important that the camera has a simple system through which children can easily take pictures quickly. However, you really do not need to worry about this aspect a lot because today's children have been born in the digital era. They are able to pick up things much faster than you or me, so as long as the camera is good in all other aspects, even if its 'click ability' is a little confusing, it does not really matter. They are fast learners these days!

http://www.great-digital-cameras.com/child-digital-camera.html

Buying the best digital camera for your needs

hoosing the best digital camera can be a daunting task with the wide number of choices available in today’s market place. There are lots and lots of things that you need to keep in mind while going to choose a camera for yourself. The best digital camera for your friend might not be the best option for you.

So, the first question that you need to answer is that for what purpose you are planning to buy a digital camera. Is it to take photos of your family while on vacation or are you planning to become a photographer? This will help you to narrow down your choices to a limited few. So lets take a look at the options that we have :

A camera for emailing photos, taking family photos etc. : Most people use a digital camera for taking personal photos and then emailing them to family and friends. For this purpose, a simple and relatively cheap camera costing $100 to $200 and having a 2 mega pixel range is sufficient.

A camera for photographing images for online auctions : With more and more business taking place through the Internet, you might also need a camera to take photos of your antique furniture which you would like to sell. So, you need a camera which can take pictures at an extremely close range, say within 12 inches of the object. Thus, a camera consisting of 3-4 mega pixel is suitable for such purposes. The prices of these cameras are falling nowadays since they fall into mid-segment, i.e. they are neither hi-fi nor low end. So if you go and do a little bit of research, it is most likely that you will hit a good bargain.


A camera for images of top quality for web pages, desktop publishing etc : Now, if you need a camera for taking pictures for desktop publishing or web site development, then you need one with a 4-5 mega pixel range. These cameras normally have lots of additional features which you can use to enhance your images. Even though they are quite costly, they provide the best options with respect to resolution, features, and creativity. They also allow you create prints up to 8x10 inches in size with very good quality.

Besides the above points, you also need to consider other issues such as the ergonomics of the camera. How does it feel when you hold it in your hand ? Are you comfortable with its size and weight ? Is it practical to carry it throughout the day ? Is its shape user friendly or does it look like a gizmo out of Star Wars ?

If you emphasize on a light-weight and small camera, then you must also keep in mind the fact that you will compromising on the battery life. Most small cameras do not have powerful batteries since larger the battery, more the power. Also, small cameras have very small flash lights – so the amount of flash generated by these pea-sized flashes will be considerably less than a bigger camera.

Hence, it is very important that you know exactly what you need your camera for in order to ensure that you are truly buying the best digital camera for yourself.


http://www.great-digital-cameras.com/best-digital-camera.html