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.
http://www.articlefrenzy.com/Article/Avoiding-Digital-Camera-Shakes/110401
Friday, September 14, 2007
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.
http://www.articlefrenzy.com/Article/Digital-Camera-Primer--Look-Before-You-Buy/112087
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.
http://www.articlefrenzy.com/Article/Digital-Camera-Primer--Look-Before-You-Buy/112087
Thursday, September 13, 2007
The Best Pocket Digital Camera For The Money
What defines a good digital camera? If you’re talking high pixels, big LCD screen, and fast response then the Fujifilm FinePix E550 is just for you. The Fine Pix E550 is the first in Fuji’s E series and hopefully not the last. Costing under a hundred dollars, it comes with a ton of awesome features:
•6 megapixel great for any posters
•A big 2 inch display
•4x Optical Zoom and 6.3 X digital zoom
•Designed for both novice and intermediate photographers
•Uses XD cards and AA batteries
The Fujifilm has outdone themselves this time. The E550 has a silver colored case with textured grip and an easy to use pop up flash. With all that, the Fine Pix E550 only weighs 9.2 ounces (4.1 by 2.5 by 1.4 inches). However, the cover for the USB, A/V, and DC-power connections isn’t attached to the camera making it an easy item to lose. Probably the best part of the camera is the vibrant 2 inch LCD screen that provides a sharp and accurate preview for your snapshots. Other cameras in this price range can’t compete with the FinePIx E550.
The E550 has tons of great features that put it out of its league. It has four modes: Sport, Night, Landscape, and portrait that automatically adjust the ISO setting, flash, and shutter speed all with one click. If you’re an expert you will like all the customized settings including the shutter priority, aperture priority, and programmed auto modes for the camera. The FinePix E550 offers an array of great focus options which include: center-weighted spot focus, manual focus, or multiweighted focus. The 4x optical zoom gives you a great range from 32mm to 130mm. With all that even the pickiest shopper would be satisfied.
When I first tried out the camera, I wasn’t expecting much due to its cheap price. I was blown off my feet by its amazing speed. The elapsed time from pressing the button to the camera taking the shot is an amazing 1.8 seconds on average. Compare that to the 2.3 seconds on my old Olympus camera that was more expensive. The automatic focus works really well in both bright environments and dim environments. However, it’s a little difficult to see your subject when taking pictures in dim places. What’s really impressive is the LCD screen. Typically, lower end cameras have inaccurate LCD screens showing only 80% of what’s in the real picture. The Fine Pix E550’s LCD screen has almost 100% coverage of the real picture, so you don’t have to guess or get out the Photoshop to crop.
The big question is can the E550 do all this without making you go through mountains of batteries? In recent test results, using the AA alkaline cells the E550 was able to capture 321 pictures before dying off.
The Fuji FinePix E550 is one of the best cameras in its price range costing under a hundred dollars providing a splendid LCD screen, great features, and an amazing speed, it makes a great gift for any photographer.
http://www.articlebliss.com/Article/The-Best-Pocket-Digital-Camera-For-The-Money/141637
•6 megapixel great for any posters
•A big 2 inch display
•4x Optical Zoom and 6.3 X digital zoom
•Designed for both novice and intermediate photographers
•Uses XD cards and AA batteries
The Fujifilm has outdone themselves this time. The E550 has a silver colored case with textured grip and an easy to use pop up flash. With all that, the Fine Pix E550 only weighs 9.2 ounces (4.1 by 2.5 by 1.4 inches). However, the cover for the USB, A/V, and DC-power connections isn’t attached to the camera making it an easy item to lose. Probably the best part of the camera is the vibrant 2 inch LCD screen that provides a sharp and accurate preview for your snapshots. Other cameras in this price range can’t compete with the FinePIx E550.
The E550 has tons of great features that put it out of its league. It has four modes: Sport, Night, Landscape, and portrait that automatically adjust the ISO setting, flash, and shutter speed all with one click. If you’re an expert you will like all the customized settings including the shutter priority, aperture priority, and programmed auto modes for the camera. The FinePix E550 offers an array of great focus options which include: center-weighted spot focus, manual focus, or multiweighted focus. The 4x optical zoom gives you a great range from 32mm to 130mm. With all that even the pickiest shopper would be satisfied.
When I first tried out the camera, I wasn’t expecting much due to its cheap price. I was blown off my feet by its amazing speed. The elapsed time from pressing the button to the camera taking the shot is an amazing 1.8 seconds on average. Compare that to the 2.3 seconds on my old Olympus camera that was more expensive. The automatic focus works really well in both bright environments and dim environments. However, it’s a little difficult to see your subject when taking pictures in dim places. What’s really impressive is the LCD screen. Typically, lower end cameras have inaccurate LCD screens showing only 80% of what’s in the real picture. The Fine Pix E550’s LCD screen has almost 100% coverage of the real picture, so you don’t have to guess or get out the Photoshop to crop.
The big question is can the E550 do all this without making you go through mountains of batteries? In recent test results, using the AA alkaline cells the E550 was able to capture 321 pictures before dying off.
The Fuji FinePix E550 is one of the best cameras in its price range costing under a hundred dollars providing a splendid LCD screen, great features, and an amazing speed, it makes a great gift for any photographer.
http://www.articlebliss.com/Article/The-Best-Pocket-Digital-Camera-For-The-Money/141637
Sony Digital Video Cameras - Don't Beat Yourself Up When Searching
Sony Digital Video Cameras have been obtained through online purchases 235 times looking at the past 30 days. Most of these 235 purchases were made using Internet auctions. Let's take a look at all sides of deciding to buy Sony Digital Video Cameras using the Internet and your home computer. This will provide in-depth information on pricing to be able to refer to when you begin the task of comparing your choices for Sony Digital Video Cameras.
The options available for consumers looking to purchase Sony Digital Video Cameras have expanded beyond anything seen in the past. Internet auction websites and marketplaces are by far the biggest reason why this is happening. When you look at the last 30 days, Sony Digital Video Camera auction sales alone have been responsible for a total of $72,255.93. Statistics show that they appeared for sale 406 times over this period. Examining the information about the 406 times they were offered, 225 of them finished with a closed deal. The success rate for a listing was 55.42%, and there were about 11 different vendors selling Sony Digital Video Cameras online on a daily basis.
Now that we have a good idea of what is going on regarding shopping at online auctions, let's spend some time getting an in depth picture of some in depth information about these transactions. The data tells us that the average amount to purchase Sony Digital Video Cameras was $307.47. The absolute most that was spent was $4,045.00. The winning bid with the least amount spent was $0.99. But the average person shopping in online auctions purchased at a price of $328.99. What this information suggests is if you can find something right at or anywhere below $328.99, you can be sure that your purchase was well worth it.
When you're ready to buy Sony Digital Video Cameras, the first place to look when on any auction site should be the featured items. It varies with the auction site you're on but generally, these might be items that are showcased in a certain category, or you might find them in a more general category for the whole website. The fastest selling items are always the featured listings, which is why they also result in a higher percentage of sales made. Over a period in the past 30 days, 3 Sony Digital Video Cameras were listed specifically in a category of other similar items. When you look at these 3 listings, 3 resulted in a successful sale. So that means that overall, featured items have a winning rate of 100.00%.
The next thing that we'll take a look at is what kind of listing the seller used. When putting up their Sony Digital Video Camera to sell them on an online auction, sellers might choose to offer them for one day, or as many as ten days. The most promising listing to look at is Store listings because of its average ending sale price of $134.99. If Store auction listings are not there, then the next best type to look for is Bid-Auctions listings. Bid-Auctions listings have a very respectable closing price of $281.40.
Being armed with good information is definitely something that will help in the final bill when you're shopping at online auction sites. It will always pay off when you have made sure that you know all about Sony Digital Video Cameras before you begin to compare prices. When you start to look around for pricing information on auction sites, refer to the information we have given you here so you know if you are indeed paying the average price, and you will have an advantage when placing bids on Sony Digital Video Cameras. When at an online auction site, if it has featured categories, be sure to give them more than just a glance because that is where you will probably find the best prices. Also, if you can, shop on the days of the week when you're most likely to pay the lowest price, because those can be the best days that you will find the best deals on Sony Digital Video Cameras.
http://www.articlebliss.com/Article/Sony-Digital-Video-Cameras---Don-t-Beat-Yourself-Up-When-Searching/142068
The options available for consumers looking to purchase Sony Digital Video Cameras have expanded beyond anything seen in the past. Internet auction websites and marketplaces are by far the biggest reason why this is happening. When you look at the last 30 days, Sony Digital Video Camera auction sales alone have been responsible for a total of $72,255.93. Statistics show that they appeared for sale 406 times over this period. Examining the information about the 406 times they were offered, 225 of them finished with a closed deal. The success rate for a listing was 55.42%, and there were about 11 different vendors selling Sony Digital Video Cameras online on a daily basis.
Now that we have a good idea of what is going on regarding shopping at online auctions, let's spend some time getting an in depth picture of some in depth information about these transactions. The data tells us that the average amount to purchase Sony Digital Video Cameras was $307.47. The absolute most that was spent was $4,045.00. The winning bid with the least amount spent was $0.99. But the average person shopping in online auctions purchased at a price of $328.99. What this information suggests is if you can find something right at or anywhere below $328.99, you can be sure that your purchase was well worth it.
When you're ready to buy Sony Digital Video Cameras, the first place to look when on any auction site should be the featured items. It varies with the auction site you're on but generally, these might be items that are showcased in a certain category, or you might find them in a more general category for the whole website. The fastest selling items are always the featured listings, which is why they also result in a higher percentage of sales made. Over a period in the past 30 days, 3 Sony Digital Video Cameras were listed specifically in a category of other similar items. When you look at these 3 listings, 3 resulted in a successful sale. So that means that overall, featured items have a winning rate of 100.00%.
The next thing that we'll take a look at is what kind of listing the seller used. When putting up their Sony Digital Video Camera to sell them on an online auction, sellers might choose to offer them for one day, or as many as ten days. The most promising listing to look at is Store listings because of its average ending sale price of $134.99. If Store auction listings are not there, then the next best type to look for is Bid-Auctions listings. Bid-Auctions listings have a very respectable closing price of $281.40.
Being armed with good information is definitely something that will help in the final bill when you're shopping at online auction sites. It will always pay off when you have made sure that you know all about Sony Digital Video Cameras before you begin to compare prices. When you start to look around for pricing information on auction sites, refer to the information we have given you here so you know if you are indeed paying the average price, and you will have an advantage when placing bids on Sony Digital Video Cameras. When at an online auction site, if it has featured categories, be sure to give them more than just a glance because that is where you will probably find the best prices. Also, if you can, shop on the days of the week when you're most likely to pay the lowest price, because those can be the best days that you will find the best deals on Sony Digital Video Cameras.
http://www.articlebliss.com/Article/Sony-Digital-Video-Cameras---Don-t-Beat-Yourself-Up-When-Searching/142068
Sony Digital Video Cameras - Don't Beat Yourself Up When Searching
Sony Digital Video Cameras have been obtained through online purchases 235 times looking at the past 30 days. Most of these 235 purchases were made using Internet auctions. Let's take a look at all sides of deciding to buy Sony Digital Video Cameras using the Internet and your home computer. This will provide in-depth information on pricing to be able to refer to when you begin the task of comparing your choices for Sony Digital Video Cameras.
The options available for consumers looking to purchase Sony Digital Video Cameras have expanded beyond anything seen in the past. Internet auction websites and marketplaces are by far the biggest reason why this is happening. When you look at the last 30 days, Sony Digital Video Camera auction sales alone have been responsible for a total of $72,255.93. Statistics show that they appeared for sale 406 times over this period. Examining the information about the 406 times they were offered, 225 of them finished with a closed deal. The success rate for a listing was 55.42%, and there were about 11 different vendors selling Sony Digital Video Cameras online on a daily basis.
Now that we have a good idea of what is going on regarding shopping at online auctions, let's spend some time getting an in depth picture of some in depth information about these transactions. The data tells us that the average amount to purchase Sony Digital Video Cameras was $307.47. The absolute most that was spent was $4,045.00. The winning bid with the least amount spent was $0.99. But the average person shopping in online auctions purchased at a price of $328.99. What this information suggests is if you can find something right at or anywhere below $328.99, you can be sure that your purchase was well worth it.
When you're ready to buy Sony Digital Video Cameras, the first place to look when on any auction site should be the featured items. It varies with the auction site you're on but generally, these might be items that are showcased in a certain category, or you might find them in a more general category for the whole website. The fastest selling items are always the featured listings, which is why they also result in a higher percentage of sales made. Over a period in the past 30 days, 3 Sony Digital Video Cameras were listed specifically in a category of other similar items. When you look at these 3 listings, 3 resulted in a successful sale. So that means that overall, featured items have a winning rate of 100.00%.
The next thing that we'll take a look at is what kind of listing the seller used. When putting up their Sony Digital Video Camera to sell them on an online auction, sellers might choose to offer them for one day, or as many as ten days. The most promising listing to look at is Store listings because of its average ending sale price of $134.99. If Store auction listings are not there, then the next best type to look for is Bid-Auctions listings. Bid-Auctions listings have a very respectable closing price of $281.40.
Being armed with good information is definitely something that will help in the final bill when you're shopping at online auction sites. It will always pay off when you have made sure that you know all about Sony Digital Video Cameras before you begin to compare prices. When you start to look around for pricing information on auction sites, refer to the information we have given you here so you know if you are indeed paying the average price, and you will have an advantage when placing bids on Sony Digital Video Cameras. When at an online auction site, if it has featured categories, be sure to give them more than just a glance because that is where you will probably find the best prices. Also, if you can, shop on the days of the week when you're most likely to pay the lowest price, because those can be the best days that you will find the best deals on Sony Digital Video Cameras.
http://www.articlebliss.com/Article/Sony-Digital-Video-Cameras---Don-t-Beat-Yourself-Up-When-Searching/142068
The options available for consumers looking to purchase Sony Digital Video Cameras have expanded beyond anything seen in the past. Internet auction websites and marketplaces are by far the biggest reason why this is happening. When you look at the last 30 days, Sony Digital Video Camera auction sales alone have been responsible for a total of $72,255.93. Statistics show that they appeared for sale 406 times over this period. Examining the information about the 406 times they were offered, 225 of them finished with a closed deal. The success rate for a listing was 55.42%, and there were about 11 different vendors selling Sony Digital Video Cameras online on a daily basis.
Now that we have a good idea of what is going on regarding shopping at online auctions, let's spend some time getting an in depth picture of some in depth information about these transactions. The data tells us that the average amount to purchase Sony Digital Video Cameras was $307.47. The absolute most that was spent was $4,045.00. The winning bid with the least amount spent was $0.99. But the average person shopping in online auctions purchased at a price of $328.99. What this information suggests is if you can find something right at or anywhere below $328.99, you can be sure that your purchase was well worth it.
When you're ready to buy Sony Digital Video Cameras, the first place to look when on any auction site should be the featured items. It varies with the auction site you're on but generally, these might be items that are showcased in a certain category, or you might find them in a more general category for the whole website. The fastest selling items are always the featured listings, which is why they also result in a higher percentage of sales made. Over a period in the past 30 days, 3 Sony Digital Video Cameras were listed specifically in a category of other similar items. When you look at these 3 listings, 3 resulted in a successful sale. So that means that overall, featured items have a winning rate of 100.00%.
The next thing that we'll take a look at is what kind of listing the seller used. When putting up their Sony Digital Video Camera to sell them on an online auction, sellers might choose to offer them for one day, or as many as ten days. The most promising listing to look at is Store listings because of its average ending sale price of $134.99. If Store auction listings are not there, then the next best type to look for is Bid-Auctions listings. Bid-Auctions listings have a very respectable closing price of $281.40.
Being armed with good information is definitely something that will help in the final bill when you're shopping at online auction sites. It will always pay off when you have made sure that you know all about Sony Digital Video Cameras before you begin to compare prices. When you start to look around for pricing information on auction sites, refer to the information we have given you here so you know if you are indeed paying the average price, and you will have an advantage when placing bids on Sony Digital Video Cameras. When at an online auction site, if it has featured categories, be sure to give them more than just a glance because that is where you will probably find the best prices. Also, if you can, shop on the days of the week when you're most likely to pay the lowest price, because those can be the best days that you will find the best deals on Sony Digital Video Cameras.
http://www.articlebliss.com/Article/Sony-Digital-Video-Cameras---Don-t-Beat-Yourself-Up-When-Searching/142068
Digital cameras - Setting the Image Size
Setting the size of an image is something specific to digital cameras, it just didn't exist on film cameras. One effect of changing the size of image your camera takes is that it also affects the size of the digital image file your camera stores on its memory card and therefore the number of pictures you can store on any given size of card.
This is size in terms of computer memory or storage and is expressed in kilobytes, megabytes and gigabytes. Digital cameras, like all other digital devices, produce digital files that need a certain amount of space to store them. The image size setting on your camera will significantly affect the size of the resultant image file.
It may be easier to think in terms of how many pictures it will take to fill up your memory card. You will get the maximum number of pictures if the image size is at it’s lowest setting. By the same token, you will get the minimum number of pictures when this is at it’s highest setting.
In practice, this means that if getting as many pictures as possible on your card is the most important thing to you, then you need to adjust the image size to the minimum available setting.
Image size has always been an important aspect of cameras even before they became digital. With film cameras it was controlled by the size of the film that the camera would accept. A 35 millimetre camera was called that because that was the size of film it used. If you wanted larger images, you needed a camera that would accept larger film. These were called medium or large format cameras.
When digital cameras came along the idea of being able to take different sizes of image with the same camera became possible. This is simply done by changing the image size setting in your camera. It is perfectly feasible to change the image size between shots and store different sizes of image on the same card.
One thing that hasn't changed is the effect of using a larger or smaller size of image whether it's a digital image or the size of the negative you got from a film camera. A bigger image (or negative or transparency) will produce a better image. Most adverts for cameras or other sources of information about digital photography will tell you just that, but it's not the whole story.
The first thing to consider is what exactly is meant by a "better image". Things like the accurate reproduction of colour, the image noise produced by the camera or the amount of distortion produced by the lens are entirely unaffected by image size but play a large part in deciding if one picture is technically better than another. It is certainly the case that two different cameras can produce the same size of image but with very different overall technical quality.
That is something to think about when looking to purchase a new camera but it's not under consideration here because this is just about the effect of altering the size setting on your camera. The only thing that changes when you do this is the "resolution" of the images your camera produces.
What is resolution?
The word resolution means the ability to see (or resolve) fine detail in a printed photograph. A high resolution image will have a lot more visible detail than a low resolution image. The image size setting on your camera may even be called resolution because they are so directly related. A large image means high resolution and a small image means low resolution.
Please note that this ability to resolve fine detail only applies when you print your digital photograph and not when you are viewing it on a computer monitor. Viewing a high resolution picture on screen will allow you to zoom in and look at the detail you have captured, but that's it. When you zoom out to see the whole picture then the resolution of the image you see will be that of the screen itself, it physically cannot be any higher than that.
You can prove this for yourself by simply comparing a high and low resolution image side by side on your computer. As long as they are visibly the same size on screen, they will have the same resolution. No matter how close you get to the screen, you will not see any more detail in the larger, high resolution picture.
In practice this means that if you only ever view your digital images on a computer and never print them then you can use your camera's smallest image size setting and gain the benefit of being able to store lots more pictures on your memory card.
On the other hand, if you want to make big prints from your camera's pictures, then you should set the image size to the largest you have available. Another thing you can do with a large image is to print (or view) only a small part of it. This is sometimes called "cropping". So, if you think you might want to do this at any time then you should set your image size or resolution to its maximum.
The size of a digital image is measured in megapixels, which simply means one million pixels. A pixel is the smallest part of a digital image and is a single colour. If you zoom in close enough to any digital image, you can see the individual pixels that it is made of, all neatly lined up in rows and columns.
You might have noticed that, so far, I have not made any mention of the actual numbers involved. Whereas, every reference to a digital camera you come across will usually include mention of the number of megapixels it has. This is an indication of the maximum size of image that the camera can produce.
The actual size of the image only matters when it comes to comparing cameras but, here is an indication of how megapixels relate to resolution and print sizes. A high resolution print at 6 x 4 inches requires just over 2 megapixels. An A4 print (roughly 8 x 11 inches) at the same resolution needs an 8 megapixel image.
The situation is complicated by the fact that it is easy to resize a digital image after it has been taken. This is called “interpolation” and some editing programs (and even some printers) can do it very well. So well in fact, that they can fool the eye into thinking that your picture has more resolution than is actually there. Added to that is the fact that the human eye has an upper limit to the detail it can resolve.
You could print an 8 megapixel image at 6 x 4 inches and although technically it would be at a much higher resolution than the 2 megapixel version, no human in the world has good enough eyesight to tell. You also have to take into account that large pictures tend to be viewed from further away than small ones, which greatly affects how much detail people can actually see. All in all, the whole issue of image size and resolution is at least partly a matter of personal taste.
When it comes to setting up your camera however, it doesn’t matter what the actual largest size is, just that it’s the largest available from your camera. You should use this setting if you ever want to make big prints or do further editing work like cropping and printing just a part of the picture.
If you have never checked the size setting on your camera, I definitely recommend that you do so. Most cameras will give you a choice of either small, medium or large for the size and, when they first come out the factory, they are usually set to medium. I’m sure the manufacturers’ figure that this is a good compromise setting for most people but personally, I think that it’s the setting that is least likely to be right for most people.
For example, if you have an 8 megapixel camera, then a medium setting is likely to be around 4 megapixels. This is too big to view on screen without shrinking it down and, if this is the only way you want to see your pictures, it is quite wasteful of space on your memory card and hard drive. In these cases you should use the minimum size unless that looks too small on screen (you may have a very big screen).
The other side of the coin is that, if you have spent your hard earned money on an 8 megapixel camera because you want to print big, high quality pictures or do some photo editing then, unless you have the image size set to maximum, you wont be taking 8 megapixel pictures. You could have saved your money and just bought a 4 megapixel camera.
So in conclusion, go and check the size setting on your digital camera, you want the minimum size for viewing and email and the largest size for big prints or editing. Medium is usually not much use to anyone. Let’s not compromise!
http://www.articlebliss.com/Article/Digital-cameras---Setting-the-Image-Size/143775
This is size in terms of computer memory or storage and is expressed in kilobytes, megabytes and gigabytes. Digital cameras, like all other digital devices, produce digital files that need a certain amount of space to store them. The image size setting on your camera will significantly affect the size of the resultant image file.
It may be easier to think in terms of how many pictures it will take to fill up your memory card. You will get the maximum number of pictures if the image size is at it’s lowest setting. By the same token, you will get the minimum number of pictures when this is at it’s highest setting.
In practice, this means that if getting as many pictures as possible on your card is the most important thing to you, then you need to adjust the image size to the minimum available setting.
Image size has always been an important aspect of cameras even before they became digital. With film cameras it was controlled by the size of the film that the camera would accept. A 35 millimetre camera was called that because that was the size of film it used. If you wanted larger images, you needed a camera that would accept larger film. These were called medium or large format cameras.
When digital cameras came along the idea of being able to take different sizes of image with the same camera became possible. This is simply done by changing the image size setting in your camera. It is perfectly feasible to change the image size between shots and store different sizes of image on the same card.
One thing that hasn't changed is the effect of using a larger or smaller size of image whether it's a digital image or the size of the negative you got from a film camera. A bigger image (or negative or transparency) will produce a better image. Most adverts for cameras or other sources of information about digital photography will tell you just that, but it's not the whole story.
The first thing to consider is what exactly is meant by a "better image". Things like the accurate reproduction of colour, the image noise produced by the camera or the amount of distortion produced by the lens are entirely unaffected by image size but play a large part in deciding if one picture is technically better than another. It is certainly the case that two different cameras can produce the same size of image but with very different overall technical quality.
That is something to think about when looking to purchase a new camera but it's not under consideration here because this is just about the effect of altering the size setting on your camera. The only thing that changes when you do this is the "resolution" of the images your camera produces.
What is resolution?
The word resolution means the ability to see (or resolve) fine detail in a printed photograph. A high resolution image will have a lot more visible detail than a low resolution image. The image size setting on your camera may even be called resolution because they are so directly related. A large image means high resolution and a small image means low resolution.
Please note that this ability to resolve fine detail only applies when you print your digital photograph and not when you are viewing it on a computer monitor. Viewing a high resolution picture on screen will allow you to zoom in and look at the detail you have captured, but that's it. When you zoom out to see the whole picture then the resolution of the image you see will be that of the screen itself, it physically cannot be any higher than that.
You can prove this for yourself by simply comparing a high and low resolution image side by side on your computer. As long as they are visibly the same size on screen, they will have the same resolution. No matter how close you get to the screen, you will not see any more detail in the larger, high resolution picture.
In practice this means that if you only ever view your digital images on a computer and never print them then you can use your camera's smallest image size setting and gain the benefit of being able to store lots more pictures on your memory card.
On the other hand, if you want to make big prints from your camera's pictures, then you should set the image size to the largest you have available. Another thing you can do with a large image is to print (or view) only a small part of it. This is sometimes called "cropping". So, if you think you might want to do this at any time then you should set your image size or resolution to its maximum.
The size of a digital image is measured in megapixels, which simply means one million pixels. A pixel is the smallest part of a digital image and is a single colour. If you zoom in close enough to any digital image, you can see the individual pixels that it is made of, all neatly lined up in rows and columns.
You might have noticed that, so far, I have not made any mention of the actual numbers involved. Whereas, every reference to a digital camera you come across will usually include mention of the number of megapixels it has. This is an indication of the maximum size of image that the camera can produce.
The actual size of the image only matters when it comes to comparing cameras but, here is an indication of how megapixels relate to resolution and print sizes. A high resolution print at 6 x 4 inches requires just over 2 megapixels. An A4 print (roughly 8 x 11 inches) at the same resolution needs an 8 megapixel image.
The situation is complicated by the fact that it is easy to resize a digital image after it has been taken. This is called “interpolation” and some editing programs (and even some printers) can do it very well. So well in fact, that they can fool the eye into thinking that your picture has more resolution than is actually there. Added to that is the fact that the human eye has an upper limit to the detail it can resolve.
You could print an 8 megapixel image at 6 x 4 inches and although technically it would be at a much higher resolution than the 2 megapixel version, no human in the world has good enough eyesight to tell. You also have to take into account that large pictures tend to be viewed from further away than small ones, which greatly affects how much detail people can actually see. All in all, the whole issue of image size and resolution is at least partly a matter of personal taste.
When it comes to setting up your camera however, it doesn’t matter what the actual largest size is, just that it’s the largest available from your camera. You should use this setting if you ever want to make big prints or do further editing work like cropping and printing just a part of the picture.
If you have never checked the size setting on your camera, I definitely recommend that you do so. Most cameras will give you a choice of either small, medium or large for the size and, when they first come out the factory, they are usually set to medium. I’m sure the manufacturers’ figure that this is a good compromise setting for most people but personally, I think that it’s the setting that is least likely to be right for most people.
For example, if you have an 8 megapixel camera, then a medium setting is likely to be around 4 megapixels. This is too big to view on screen without shrinking it down and, if this is the only way you want to see your pictures, it is quite wasteful of space on your memory card and hard drive. In these cases you should use the minimum size unless that looks too small on screen (you may have a very big screen).
The other side of the coin is that, if you have spent your hard earned money on an 8 megapixel camera because you want to print big, high quality pictures or do some photo editing then, unless you have the image size set to maximum, you wont be taking 8 megapixel pictures. You could have saved your money and just bought a 4 megapixel camera.
So in conclusion, go and check the size setting on your digital camera, you want the minimum size for viewing and email and the largest size for big prints or editing. Medium is usually not much use to anyone. Let’s not compromise!
http://www.articlebliss.com/Article/Digital-cameras---Setting-the-Image-Size/143775
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
A new digital camera is 'Braun'
The Braun D410 Digital Camera
Pros A camera compact in shape and function - size of a packet of 20 cigarettes. Designed for simplicity in use and the ladies handbag with a neat case included 4MByte sensor - very respectable: and a three times optical zoom - a good lens. Simple to use and gives excellent results - prints of up to 10 x 8 inches are feasible on best settings.
Cons Only space for two AA batteries - but the case is small! - take some spares. Lacks an optical viewfinder, LCD display difficult to see on a sunny day. Flash is good up
to 10 feet max - but then that is true of most on camera flashes.
The Braun D410 is a compact camera that comes compete with batteries and camera case - rare nowadays - and a set of leads for connection to your PC or to your TV. While this is a still picture and a movie camera, this review is more concerned about the still picture capability of the Braun D410.
I was able to operate the camera from the box - but then I am a photographer.
Reading the first few pages of the manual will get you going - and that will probably be all you require. As with all things electronic, there are many functions included, most of which you will never use. Indeed the camera manual - printed in 7 languages - is considerably larger and heavier than the camera - so leave it at home! Same applies to the CD Rom containing software for your PC.
Inserting a 256Mbyte SD Memory card allows the camera to store in excess of 100 images at its highest resolution - 4Mega Pixels. This card can be used to transfer images to your PC or can be taken to a photo lab to get the images printed. The camera will take either Secure Digital or Multimedia memory cards - they are physically identical. The only difference is that the SD card has a small switch in its side to lock the contents of its memory. Take care when inserting batteries or cards. This is a small and delicate piece of equipment! The cards can be inserted the wrong way around - but the battery cover will not fit back into place!
Switch on the Braun D410 camera by pressing the small button at the centre of the command dial at the top of the camera. The dial sets the mode of the camera - fully automatic or a range of options including landscapes, portraits, sport subjects (rapidly moving) and night photography.
The controls are intuitive to operate starting with the upper toggle switch on the rear of the camera switching between wide angle and telephoto. The image you are focussing on is displayed on a small screen on the rear of the camera - there is no eye piece as such.
Slight pressure on the picture taking button causes the camera to focus and calculate exposure - a full press causes the camera to take a picture - there is a small delay between pressing the button and taking the shot - so keep the camera still!
Most users will use the fully automatic mode which involves no thinking or playing. The built in flash gun switches itself on as and when needed for individual groups or small portraits. Do not expect it to fill a hall though - this is a compact camera!
The screen on the back of the camera is able to review images taken and stored in memory. Press the playback arrow button to go into review mode - press it again to go back to photograph mode. Use the lower toggle switch to step through the shots you have taken. Individual images can be deleted - and taken again - if required. I found the screen difficult to use on a very bright sunny day.
A drawback of any small camera is that there is little room for the batteries. The Braun D410 accepts 2 AA size batteries. So take some spares with you as they soon run down should you be making use of the camera over a period. The motors for the telephoto lens, flash and other circuits drain the cells.
I am not going to go through all of the options and control functions of the camera. The manual does that very well. So I would suggest that should you buy this camera you spend half an hour reading the manual and then put it to one side and take some photographs! The advantage of digital is that you are not exposing film - and you can delete the images you do not want to keep.
The camera can take short bursts of video as well, but I am not going to describe that!
In summary The Braun D410 is a very competent consumer camera which will delight the user in its simplicity and quality. Ideal for the ladies and their handbag!
For more information on this product visit http://www.view-link.com/contact.html
About the Author
Christopher Thomas is a keen photographer and company director at Viewlink Ltd based in Amersham, Uk. The company specialises in digital photo developing for both amateur and commercial [hotographers as well as supplying a range of photographic supplies. For more articles by Christopher Thomas please visit the company website at http://www.view-link.com
Pros A camera compact in shape and function - size of a packet of 20 cigarettes. Designed for simplicity in use and the ladies handbag with a neat case included 4MByte sensor - very respectable: and a three times optical zoom - a good lens. Simple to use and gives excellent results - prints of up to 10 x 8 inches are feasible on best settings.
Cons Only space for two AA batteries - but the case is small! - take some spares. Lacks an optical viewfinder, LCD display difficult to see on a sunny day. Flash is good up
to 10 feet max - but then that is true of most on camera flashes.
The Braun D410 is a compact camera that comes compete with batteries and camera case - rare nowadays - and a set of leads for connection to your PC or to your TV. While this is a still picture and a movie camera, this review is more concerned about the still picture capability of the Braun D410.
I was able to operate the camera from the box - but then I am a photographer.
Reading the first few pages of the manual will get you going - and that will probably be all you require. As with all things electronic, there are many functions included, most of which you will never use. Indeed the camera manual - printed in 7 languages - is considerably larger and heavier than the camera - so leave it at home! Same applies to the CD Rom containing software for your PC.
Inserting a 256Mbyte SD Memory card allows the camera to store in excess of 100 images at its highest resolution - 4Mega Pixels. This card can be used to transfer images to your PC or can be taken to a photo lab to get the images printed. The camera will take either Secure Digital or Multimedia memory cards - they are physically identical. The only difference is that the SD card has a small switch in its side to lock the contents of its memory. Take care when inserting batteries or cards. This is a small and delicate piece of equipment! The cards can be inserted the wrong way around - but the battery cover will not fit back into place!
Switch on the Braun D410 camera by pressing the small button at the centre of the command dial at the top of the camera. The dial sets the mode of the camera - fully automatic or a range of options including landscapes, portraits, sport subjects (rapidly moving) and night photography.
The controls are intuitive to operate starting with the upper toggle switch on the rear of the camera switching between wide angle and telephoto. The image you are focussing on is displayed on a small screen on the rear of the camera - there is no eye piece as such.
Slight pressure on the picture taking button causes the camera to focus and calculate exposure - a full press causes the camera to take a picture - there is a small delay between pressing the button and taking the shot - so keep the camera still!
Most users will use the fully automatic mode which involves no thinking or playing. The built in flash gun switches itself on as and when needed for individual groups or small portraits. Do not expect it to fill a hall though - this is a compact camera!
The screen on the back of the camera is able to review images taken and stored in memory. Press the playback arrow button to go into review mode - press it again to go back to photograph mode. Use the lower toggle switch to step through the shots you have taken. Individual images can be deleted - and taken again - if required. I found the screen difficult to use on a very bright sunny day.
A drawback of any small camera is that there is little room for the batteries. The Braun D410 accepts 2 AA size batteries. So take some spares with you as they soon run down should you be making use of the camera over a period. The motors for the telephoto lens, flash and other circuits drain the cells.
I am not going to go through all of the options and control functions of the camera. The manual does that very well. So I would suggest that should you buy this camera you spend half an hour reading the manual and then put it to one side and take some photographs! The advantage of digital is that you are not exposing film - and you can delete the images you do not want to keep.
The camera can take short bursts of video as well, but I am not going to describe that!
In summary The Braun D410 is a very competent consumer camera which will delight the user in its simplicity and quality. Ideal for the ladies and their handbag!
For more information on this product visit http://www.view-link.com/contact.html
About the Author
Christopher Thomas is a keen photographer and company director at Viewlink Ltd based in Amersham, Uk. The company specialises in digital photo developing for both amateur and commercial [hotographers as well as supplying a range of photographic supplies. For more articles by Christopher Thomas please visit the company website at http://www.view-link.com
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