Selecting the right lens is critical when purchasing a digital camera. Basically, lenses can be categorized this way: fixed focal length, retractable zoom, fixed zoom and interchangeable lenses.
Fixed focal length lenses are the cheapest and simplest to use. Designed for those on a very tight budget, children or real novices, fixed focal length lenses typically offer only a wide angle view, which can be perfect for landscapes and group photos. The quality of the pictures taken using this lense, however, is not that great. Fixed focal length lenses can’t zoom in distant objects and they don’t accept converters. An autofocus lens, with a selectable macro or landscape focus mode, is often a better selection.
Retractable zoom lenses extend whenever the camera is turned on and retract when it is shut off. This type of lens is reasonably priced and takes decent pictures. A retractable zoom lens gives you a very compact digital camera style while fully protecting the lens. It offers a limited zoom range that magnifies two to three times. Retractable zoom lenses do not support filters or converters and slightly delay the start-up time of the digital camera. They also have limited manual focus controls.
A fixed zoom lens will accept converters, filters and flash rings. These extra features will allow an experienced photographer the ability to take beautiful close-ups, wide-angle and telephoto photography. A fixed zoom lens allows a magnification of up to 12x. Fixed zoom lenses offer advanced and precise zoom and manual focus controls through rings on the lens instead of buttons. This type of lens might be a bit complicated for a novice and it might be a bit bulky to be convenient.
A serious amateur or professional will use a digital SLR with interchangeable lenses. These fully detach from the camera and are replaced with a different lens. If you already own lenses for a traditional film camera, you can usually find a digital camera with a compatible SLR body. A digital SLR is the most flexible lens for all shooting situations. An added advantage is that if you want to upgrade your lenses, you can do so without buying a new camera.
Of course, the lenses can be quite expensive. They can also be quite heavy and inconvenient to carry. If you are not very knowledgeable about camera lenses, the options may be confusing and if you understood your lenses on a traditional film camera, you may be confounded by the focal length on the digital. The learning curve is a bit steep and long, but the picture quality makes it well worth it!
For more information on choosing a digital camera lens and how a digital camera works try visiting www.digital-photo-tips.info, a website that specializes in providing digital photo tips, advice and resources to include a digital camera buying guide.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tim_Gorman
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
A Lesson on Buying a Digital Camera
Are you wondering how to buy a digital camera? When looking for a digital camera, you need to think of the features that are most important to you. This is the most important rule of how to buy a digital camera.
In other words, do not get fooled into buying a camera with tons of great features and a really high resolution if these are things that do not actually matter to you. If you are not going to use any features and you cannot tell the difference between different resolutions, do not pay more to get such things!
That being said, here are some more tips on how to buy a digital camera:
· Consider buying it online. It is nice to be able to talk to a real live person at a store, but realize that many of these people are being paid commission. When you shop online, you can research the different cameras easily (there are plenty of reviews of cameras, both buy professionals and consumers online). You can also easily price compare and make sure that you get the best price. Also, you never even need to leave your house!
· Consider the resolution. For all intensive purposes, a 3 megapixel resolution is probably just fine. Of course, a higher resolution is better, especially if you plan on printing out large photographs or cropping your photographs a ton.
· Consider size. Is it ultra-important to you that your camera fit snugly and unnoticeably into your breast pocket?
· Consider memory. The more memory the better. Of course, you can always get better memory later. This is good, especially since most cameras come ready with a card that has very little memory. You must buy extra memory.
· Think about the features. If you are not much into setting up your photographs, then you definitely do not need a camera that has a manual function. If, however, you plan on taking lots of close-ups, make sure that you have a macro feature. A landscape feature is great for landscapes, etc. Red-eye reduction is excellent if you will be taken lots of photographs of people (of course, many photo software will help you take care of red eyes, but why give yourself more work for later?)
· LCD viewfinder. The newer, more expensive cameras have larger and better LCDs. These can be very nice, but you need to decide whether or not such a thing is important to you.
· Video. Many digital cameras now allow you to record live action (even with sound), as well. This can be a major benefit. Realize, of course, that such filming will take up a lot of space on your memory card. Also, the camera has a limit to how much it can record.
· Before buying a digital camera, it is a good idea to take or at least see a few photographs taken with it (and directly compare those photos to ones taken by another camera). Then you can compare quality and accuracy of color, “noisiness” or “graininess” of the images, sharpness of the image, etc.
· Take a look at the power source. It will use either rechargeable batteries (ones that are specially made for the camera) or A or AA batteries.
Now that you have a better idea of how to buy a digital camera, go out and buy one!
Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, technology, fashion, and home decor. Her background includes teaching and gardening. For more of her articles on digital cameras, please visit Disposable Digital Cameras.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anne_Clarke
In other words, do not get fooled into buying a camera with tons of great features and a really high resolution if these are things that do not actually matter to you. If you are not going to use any features and you cannot tell the difference between different resolutions, do not pay more to get such things!
That being said, here are some more tips on how to buy a digital camera:
· Consider buying it online. It is nice to be able to talk to a real live person at a store, but realize that many of these people are being paid commission. When you shop online, you can research the different cameras easily (there are plenty of reviews of cameras, both buy professionals and consumers online). You can also easily price compare and make sure that you get the best price. Also, you never even need to leave your house!
· Consider the resolution. For all intensive purposes, a 3 megapixel resolution is probably just fine. Of course, a higher resolution is better, especially if you plan on printing out large photographs or cropping your photographs a ton.
· Consider size. Is it ultra-important to you that your camera fit snugly and unnoticeably into your breast pocket?
· Consider memory. The more memory the better. Of course, you can always get better memory later. This is good, especially since most cameras come ready with a card that has very little memory. You must buy extra memory.
· Think about the features. If you are not much into setting up your photographs, then you definitely do not need a camera that has a manual function. If, however, you plan on taking lots of close-ups, make sure that you have a macro feature. A landscape feature is great for landscapes, etc. Red-eye reduction is excellent if you will be taken lots of photographs of people (of course, many photo software will help you take care of red eyes, but why give yourself more work for later?)
· LCD viewfinder. The newer, more expensive cameras have larger and better LCDs. These can be very nice, but you need to decide whether or not such a thing is important to you.
· Video. Many digital cameras now allow you to record live action (even with sound), as well. This can be a major benefit. Realize, of course, that such filming will take up a lot of space on your memory card. Also, the camera has a limit to how much it can record.
· Before buying a digital camera, it is a good idea to take or at least see a few photographs taken with it (and directly compare those photos to ones taken by another camera). Then you can compare quality and accuracy of color, “noisiness” or “graininess” of the images, sharpness of the image, etc.
· Take a look at the power source. It will use either rechargeable batteries (ones that are specially made for the camera) or A or AA batteries.
Now that you have a better idea of how to buy a digital camera, go out and buy one!
Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, technology, fashion, and home decor. Her background includes teaching and gardening. For more of her articles on digital cameras, please visit Disposable Digital Cameras.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anne_Clarke
How to Choose The Right Digital Camera
There are many things to consider when purchasing a digital camera; camera compatibility with other digitals that you own, size, ease of use, manual options, battery types, shutter lag time. Having the correct digital camera information will help you make you purchasing decision. One thing to keep in mind is will it be compatible with your other cameras. If you keep your cameras compatible, you will be able to share memory cards and batteries among your cameras or with other family members. As you know, the cost of these accessories can add up. To make sure your new digital camera is compatible with your other digital cameras; try to stay within the same brand. Camera brand lines are often similar, so if everyone in your family stays with the same brand, you can often share your digital camera accessories.
Digital cameras are no longer a novelty. Now that the novelty has worn off, you have many more options for shooting, saving, and printing your photographs. You can have as much or as little control over your pictures and getting them printed as you choose.
You need to decide how you will most often be using your new digital camera. If you want a camera that you can keep with you at all times, point and shoot and still get great looking photos of family events, you will need to choose a compact or subcompact digital camera.
If you want to expand your photography skills, choose a advanced compact or a super-zoom digital camera. These cameras are more advanced than the compact and subcompact, they offer more options in manual settings, perform better in challenging lighting situations, and have lenses that have a greater range of zoom for those nature or sporting event photos.
When you are ready to get to take a giant step forward in your artistic photography skills, the SLR digital camera will be the camera for you. It is more of a professional camera, it is higher in quality, you can change lenses, and it has manual controls that you can override the “point and shoot” setting with allowing you to get creative with your photography.
Be sure to check the battery life and the type of batteries that your new digital camera will use. All digital cameras run off of either battery packs, which can be quite expensive, or AA batteries. This option is up to you. In the compact and subcompact digital cameras, the typical battery life averages out to be around 150 to 400 pictures. The advanced compact and super-zoom
cameras can take between 120 to 300 pictures and the SLRs average more than 250 pictures.
One of the most common complaints about digital cameras is the lag time from when you push the button to take the picture and when the picture actually snaps. If this lag time is great, you can completely miss the shot you wanted. Compact and subcompact digital cameras have a shutter lag time of 2 to 3 seconds. The advanced compact and super-zoom cameras average a shutter lag time of 1 to 3 seconds and the SLR has a shutter lag time that is barely noticeable being only a fraction of a second.
When making the decision to buy that new digital camera, remember to consider the compatibility of it with your other digital cameras, size, ease of use, manual options, battery types, and shutter lag time. By consciously considering the right digital camera information you will make the right purchase to fit your photography needs.
For more digital camera information, go to http://www.squidoo.com/digital-camera-information
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ron_Swerdfiger
Digital cameras are no longer a novelty. Now that the novelty has worn off, you have many more options for shooting, saving, and printing your photographs. You can have as much or as little control over your pictures and getting them printed as you choose.
You need to decide how you will most often be using your new digital camera. If you want a camera that you can keep with you at all times, point and shoot and still get great looking photos of family events, you will need to choose a compact or subcompact digital camera.
If you want to expand your photography skills, choose a advanced compact or a super-zoom digital camera. These cameras are more advanced than the compact and subcompact, they offer more options in manual settings, perform better in challenging lighting situations, and have lenses that have a greater range of zoom for those nature or sporting event photos.
When you are ready to get to take a giant step forward in your artistic photography skills, the SLR digital camera will be the camera for you. It is more of a professional camera, it is higher in quality, you can change lenses, and it has manual controls that you can override the “point and shoot” setting with allowing you to get creative with your photography.
Be sure to check the battery life and the type of batteries that your new digital camera will use. All digital cameras run off of either battery packs, which can be quite expensive, or AA batteries. This option is up to you. In the compact and subcompact digital cameras, the typical battery life averages out to be around 150 to 400 pictures. The advanced compact and super-zoom
cameras can take between 120 to 300 pictures and the SLRs average more than 250 pictures.
One of the most common complaints about digital cameras is the lag time from when you push the button to take the picture and when the picture actually snaps. If this lag time is great, you can completely miss the shot you wanted. Compact and subcompact digital cameras have a shutter lag time of 2 to 3 seconds. The advanced compact and super-zoom cameras average a shutter lag time of 1 to 3 seconds and the SLR has a shutter lag time that is barely noticeable being only a fraction of a second.
When making the decision to buy that new digital camera, remember to consider the compatibility of it with your other digital cameras, size, ease of use, manual options, battery types, and shutter lag time. By consciously considering the right digital camera information you will make the right purchase to fit your photography needs.
For more digital camera information, go to http://www.squidoo.com/digital-camera-information
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ron_Swerdfiger
Digital Camera Information - What To Look For When Buying A Digital Camera
There are many things to consider when purchasing a digital camera; camera compatibility with other digitals that you own, size, ease of use, manual options, battery types, shutter lag time. Having the correct digital camera information will help you make you purchasing decision. One thing to keep in mind is will it be compatible with your other cameras. If you keep your cameras compatible, you will be able to share memory cards and batteries among your cameras or with other family members. As you know, the cost of these accessories can add up. To make sure your new digital camera is compatible with your other digital cameras; try to stay within the same brand. Camera brand lines are often similar, so if everyone in your family stays with the same brand, you can often share your digital camera accessories.
Digital cameras are no longer a novelty. Now that the novelty has worn off, you have many more options for shooting, saving, and printing your photographs. You can have as much or as little control over your pictures and getting them printed as you choose.
You need to decide how you will most often be using your new digital camera. If you want a camera that you can keep with you at all times, point and shoot and still get great looking photos of family events, you will need to choose a compact or subcompact digital camera.
If you want to expand your photography skills, choose a advanced compact or a super-zoom digital camera. These cameras are more advanced than the compact and subcompact, they offer more options in manual settings, perform better in challenging lighting situations, and have lenses that have a greater range of zoom for those nature or sporting event photos.
When you are ready to get to take a giant step forward in your artistic photography skills, the SLR digital camera will be the camera for you. It is more of a professional camera, it is higher in quality, you can change lenses, and it has manual controls that you can override the “point and shoot” setting with allowing you to get creative with your photography.
Be sure to check the battery life and the type of batteries that your new digital camera will use. All digital cameras run off of either battery packs, which can be quite expensive, or AA batteries. This option is up to you. In the compact and subcompact digital cameras, the typical battery life averages out to be around 150 to 400 pictures. The advanced compact and super-zoom
cameras can take between 120 to 300 pictures and the SLRs average more than 250 pictures.
One of the most common complaints about digital cameras is the lag time from when you push the button to take the picture and when the picture actually snaps. If this lag time is great, you can completely miss the shot you wanted. Compact and subcompact digital cameras have a shutter lag time of 2 to 3 seconds. The advanced compact and super-zoom cameras average a shutter lag time of 1 to 3 seconds and the SLR has a shutter lag time that is barely noticeable being only a fraction of a second.
When making the decision to buy that new digital camera, remember to consider the compatibility of it with your other digital cameras, size, ease of use, manual options, battery types, and shutter lag time. By consciously considering the right digital camera information you will make the right purchase to fit your photography needs.
For more digital camera information, go to http://www.squidoo.com/digital-camera-information
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Debra_Proctor
Digital cameras are no longer a novelty. Now that the novelty has worn off, you have many more options for shooting, saving, and printing your photographs. You can have as much or as little control over your pictures and getting them printed as you choose.
You need to decide how you will most often be using your new digital camera. If you want a camera that you can keep with you at all times, point and shoot and still get great looking photos of family events, you will need to choose a compact or subcompact digital camera.
If you want to expand your photography skills, choose a advanced compact or a super-zoom digital camera. These cameras are more advanced than the compact and subcompact, they offer more options in manual settings, perform better in challenging lighting situations, and have lenses that have a greater range of zoom for those nature or sporting event photos.
When you are ready to get to take a giant step forward in your artistic photography skills, the SLR digital camera will be the camera for you. It is more of a professional camera, it is higher in quality, you can change lenses, and it has manual controls that you can override the “point and shoot” setting with allowing you to get creative with your photography.
Be sure to check the battery life and the type of batteries that your new digital camera will use. All digital cameras run off of either battery packs, which can be quite expensive, or AA batteries. This option is up to you. In the compact and subcompact digital cameras, the typical battery life averages out to be around 150 to 400 pictures. The advanced compact and super-zoom
cameras can take between 120 to 300 pictures and the SLRs average more than 250 pictures.
One of the most common complaints about digital cameras is the lag time from when you push the button to take the picture and when the picture actually snaps. If this lag time is great, you can completely miss the shot you wanted. Compact and subcompact digital cameras have a shutter lag time of 2 to 3 seconds. The advanced compact and super-zoom cameras average a shutter lag time of 1 to 3 seconds and the SLR has a shutter lag time that is barely noticeable being only a fraction of a second.
When making the decision to buy that new digital camera, remember to consider the compatibility of it with your other digital cameras, size, ease of use, manual options, battery types, and shutter lag time. By consciously considering the right digital camera information you will make the right purchase to fit your photography needs.
For more digital camera information, go to http://www.squidoo.com/digital-camera-information
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Debra_Proctor
Digital Camera and Cell Phones; Are They Really Privacy Busters?
Many people believe that they deserve privacy and yet what is privacy; is anything truly private? After all we hear people talking in the coffee shops, in airports and in lines at the post office on their cell phone and although you can only hear one side of the conversation you can learn a lot of personal data about someone by listening in.
What is amazing is people really don't seem to care; they chat away as if no one is listening, yet they often raise the volume of their voice so everyone can hear and therefore everyone really is listening. Some people want people to hear what they are saying and then they start making the conversation elevated to impress the nearby listeners.
Yet despite all this that goes on people want their data secured at the government and the corporations they do business with. Identity theft is the number one complaint of consumers at the Federal Trade Commission and this is increasing. Identity theft has now passed the illegal drug sales on the criminal monetary scale.
But people are really not doing much about it and they still give away information to the public freely on their own. Of course it is their right to do so, yet at the same time they demand privacy protection from their government. Wouldn't you?
Even if you are careful with your data others find ways to capture your data or information or privacy without your knowledge, via camera cell phones for instance. I certainly hope this article is of interest and that is has propelled thought. The goal is simple; to help you in your quest to be the best in 2007. I thank you for reading my many articles on diverse subjects, which interest you.
"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lance_Winslow
What is amazing is people really don't seem to care; they chat away as if no one is listening, yet they often raise the volume of their voice so everyone can hear and therefore everyone really is listening. Some people want people to hear what they are saying and then they start making the conversation elevated to impress the nearby listeners.
Yet despite all this that goes on people want their data secured at the government and the corporations they do business with. Identity theft is the number one complaint of consumers at the Federal Trade Commission and this is increasing. Identity theft has now passed the illegal drug sales on the criminal monetary scale.
But people are really not doing much about it and they still give away information to the public freely on their own. Of course it is their right to do so, yet at the same time they demand privacy protection from their government. Wouldn't you?
Even if you are careful with your data others find ways to capture your data or information or privacy without your knowledge, via camera cell phones for instance. I certainly hope this article is of interest and that is has propelled thought. The goal is simple; to help you in your quest to be the best in 2007. I thank you for reading my many articles on diverse subjects, which interest you.
"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lance_Winslow
Digital Camera Aperture Settings
A great photograph depends on a lot of things. A great view, a good camera, good light and of course, aperture settings and shutter speeds. What exactly does the aperture do? It is, basically, an aperture or an opening. The size determines how much light enters the camera through this opening and falls on the image sensor to form the digital photograph. Did too much light get through? Your photograph could be a washout. Was it too little? You'll get a dark picture.
Apertures come in different sizes - all classified as 'f' numbers. Each number lets in double the amount of light as the previous one. The standard is between f/1.8 and f/16. The smaller the aperture, the less light that will be let in. So an f/16 lens will let in half the amount of light as an f/8 lens. The aperture works in conjunction with the shutter as well when it comes to the amount of light let in. The speed at which the shutter opens and shuts is also a factor that determines the amount of light. When it comes to fast-paced action, a fast shutter speed is essential to capture the motion. For a landscape or a posed photograph a slower shutter speed is fine.
A photographer who is extremely particular will adjust both the aperture as well as the shutter speed. A perfect balance between the two could very often bring about that one perfect picture. It needs a trained eye in order to judge perfectly exactly what the settings should be. What he would also take into account is the depth of field, that is, how much of the image remains in focus. In larger apertures, there is just a short range that is in focus, whereas smaller apertures have a much deeper range, going from the foreground close by to way back, deep into the background. It would all depend on the kind of shot to determine what the settings should be.
For those of us who do not have the inclination, the understanding or the patience, we can always resort to the automatic setting. It's simple, the camera does all the work of adjusting for you and you get a good photograph. It might not be a work of art as might a photograph that a true professional photographer might have taken, but most cameras today give you a very acceptable quality.
Why do we need aperture settings at all? The simple, old cameras didn't have any. If you choose a camera with aperture settings like a telephoto, wide-angle and maximum aperture features, you know that even in an automatic setting, you will get different kinds of pictures, not the same, flat look. It gives you the freedom to take any kind of shot, anywhere, in any light. Otherwise you might find yourself restricted to typical, posed cheesy pictures without too much character or depth.
For more helpful digital photography information, visit Digital-Photgraphy-Help.com at www.digital-photography-help.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jill_Kane
Apertures come in different sizes - all classified as 'f' numbers. Each number lets in double the amount of light as the previous one. The standard is between f/1.8 and f/16. The smaller the aperture, the less light that will be let in. So an f/16 lens will let in half the amount of light as an f/8 lens. The aperture works in conjunction with the shutter as well when it comes to the amount of light let in. The speed at which the shutter opens and shuts is also a factor that determines the amount of light. When it comes to fast-paced action, a fast shutter speed is essential to capture the motion. For a landscape or a posed photograph a slower shutter speed is fine.
A photographer who is extremely particular will adjust both the aperture as well as the shutter speed. A perfect balance between the two could very often bring about that one perfect picture. It needs a trained eye in order to judge perfectly exactly what the settings should be. What he would also take into account is the depth of field, that is, how much of the image remains in focus. In larger apertures, there is just a short range that is in focus, whereas smaller apertures have a much deeper range, going from the foreground close by to way back, deep into the background. It would all depend on the kind of shot to determine what the settings should be.
For those of us who do not have the inclination, the understanding or the patience, we can always resort to the automatic setting. It's simple, the camera does all the work of adjusting for you and you get a good photograph. It might not be a work of art as might a photograph that a true professional photographer might have taken, but most cameras today give you a very acceptable quality.
Why do we need aperture settings at all? The simple, old cameras didn't have any. If you choose a camera with aperture settings like a telephoto, wide-angle and maximum aperture features, you know that even in an automatic setting, you will get different kinds of pictures, not the same, flat look. It gives you the freedom to take any kind of shot, anywhere, in any light. Otherwise you might find yourself restricted to typical, posed cheesy pictures without too much character or depth.
For more helpful digital photography information, visit Digital-Photgraphy-Help.com at www.digital-photography-help.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jill_Kane
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