Digital Camera Features
Getting great digital shots requires a bit of thought and a couple of useful gadgets so let’s take a look which camera features will take your photographs to the next level.
Cameras
The MEGA PIXEL
Digital photography continues to advance but many consumers have become fixated on the mighty pixel. Mega Pixels seems to be the biggest concern and really if your camera delivers 7 mega pixels or better you have more than enough for most applications. Unless you plan on printing huge poster sized photos, most digital cameras now provide enough pixels to produce great detail and sharpness.
Really the cameras digital sensor’s physical size and it’s level of “noise” should be a bigger concern than its mega pixels because the larger the sensor the more light it can process and the better its quality the lower the noise or “fuzziness” it will produce in your images when stressed with low light situations or very fast shutter speeds.
DIGITAL ZOOMS
Many digital cameras offer optical zooms augmented by a digital zoom. Digital zooms are really digital magnifying glasses making the image look closer by moving in on a section of the sensor and blowing it up. Unfortunately this has a negative effect on sharpness and graininess. When purchasing a digital camera only the optical zoom ratio is important, ignore the digital zoom altogether.
IMAGE STABILIZATION
Image stabilization is a technology that uses a sensor in the lens to compensate for any movement. This feature seems to work well and is worth the investment.
VIEWFINDERS
Digital cameras all use a LCD screen on the back of the camera that most users use to compose their image rather than the traditional viewfinder. I still find a viewfinder useful when you want to shoot in very bright conditions where the LCD can be completely washed out or in very dark situations, like a concert, where an illuminated LCD is distracting for both the user and the audience. Don’t forget to turn off the flash. It can’t reach the stage anyway and really bugs the performers.
CAMERA CONTROLS
Many people love to simply point and shoot. For folks like this the fewer controls the better. But to take your photos up a notch you need to be able to control the aperture (f-Stop) and the shutter speed. If they are buried deep in the menu or are difficult to use you will be tempted to go for the simplest solution to get the shot. So check and see if the menus make sense to you and that you can operate then quickly and simply when under the gun.
FLASH
Most digital cameras come with an internal flash. While they can be valuable, they leave a lot to be desired when you want to illuminate a large group or things that are beyond their range. An external flash unit gets the flash away from the lens thereby eliminating “red eye”, are more flattering as the light is coming from a different angle and have the power to illuminate wider and deeper into the gloom.
TRIPODS
No camera performs at its best in low light conditions because the shutter has to remain open for a longer period of time allowing your natural movement or the subjects motion to blur the images. This can be managed by using a tripod when shooting in dark environments. Traditional tripod makers like Manfrotto, Dolica or Canon make sturdy models but newcomers like Gorillapod make flexible leg tripods that can be wound around tree branches or poles to secure your camera.
INTERCHANGEABLE LENSES
This used to be the sole domain of Single Lens Reflex (SLR) cameras and today’s digital SLR’s offer a great selection of wide angle and telephoto lenses. What is new is that point and shoot cameras offer interchangeable lenses for some models. The Canon line of PowerShot digital cameras offer telephoto, wide angle and close-up lenses for this budget camera line.
CAMERA BAG
Toting your camera around in your pocket or purse will scratch your screen and lets lint and dirt into your camera. A good camera case from Lowpro or Roots gives you a padded, comfy place to cradle the camera and pockets for additional SD cards, lenses, etc.
SD CARDS
These cards store the images from your camera and have tumbled in price and leaped up in capacity. A 4 GIG SD card can be found for $20. When travelling I take a metal clamshell case that carries two SD cards, one on each side of the padded clamshell and another in the camera giving me the opportunity to shoot thousands of images on the three cards.
POWER
Some digital cameras use a permanent internal battery, which is convenient, until your camera runs out of juice at the beach. Being able to run to the drugstore and buy a couple of disposable AA batteries is the difference from a happy day of shooting and a frustrating day of babysitting a charging camera. Make sure your new toy works on regular batteries and does not require exotic rechargeable’s or only can use its internal rechargeable.
Cameras
The MEGA PIXEL
Digital photography continues to advance but many consumers have become fixated on the mighty pixel. Mega Pixels seems to be the biggest concern and really if your camera delivers 7 mega pixels or better you have more than enough for most applications. Unless you plan on printing huge poster sized photos, most digital cameras now provide enough pixels to produce great detail and sharpness.
Really the cameras digital sensor’s physical size and it’s level of “noise” should be a bigger concern than its mega pixels because the larger the sensor the more light it can process and the better its quality the lower the noise or “fuzziness” it will produce in your images when stressed with low light situations or very fast shutter speeds.
DIGITAL ZOOMS
Many digital cameras offer optical zooms augmented by a digital zoom. Digital zooms are really digital magnifying glasses making the image look closer by moving in on a section of the sensor and blowing it up. Unfortunately this has a negative effect on sharpness and graininess. When purchasing a digital camera only the optical zoom ratio is important, ignore the digital zoom altogether.
IMAGE STABILIZATION
Image stabilization is a technology that uses a sensor in the lens to compensate for any movement. This feature seems to work well and is worth the investment.
VIEWFINDERS
Digital cameras all use a LCD screen on the back of the camera that most users use to compose their image rather than the traditional viewfinder. I still find a viewfinder useful when you want to shoot in very bright conditions where the LCD can be completely washed out or in very dark situations, like a concert, where an illuminated LCD is distracting for both the user and the audience. Don’t forget to turn off the flash. It can’t reach the stage anyway and really bugs the performers.
CAMERA CONTROLS
Many people love to simply point and shoot. For folks like this the fewer controls the better. But to take your photos up a notch you need to be able to control the aperture (f-Stop) and the shutter speed. If they are buried deep in the menu or are difficult to use you will be tempted to go for the simplest solution to get the shot. So check and see if the menus make sense to you and that you can operate then quickly and simply when under the gun.
FLASH
Most digital cameras come with an internal flash. While they can be valuable, they leave a lot to be desired when you want to illuminate a large group or things that are beyond their range. An external flash unit gets the flash away from the lens thereby eliminating “red eye”, are more flattering as the light is coming from a different angle and have the power to illuminate wider and deeper into the gloom.
TRIPODS
No camera performs at its best in low light conditions because the shutter has to remain open for a longer period of time allowing your natural movement or the subjects motion to blur the images. This can be managed by using a tripod when shooting in dark environments. Traditional tripod makers like Manfrotto, Dolica or Canon make sturdy models but newcomers like Gorillapod make flexible leg tripods that can be wound around tree branches or poles to secure your camera.
INTERCHANGEABLE LENSES
This used to be the sole domain of Single Lens Reflex (SLR) cameras and today’s digital SLR’s offer a great selection of wide angle and telephoto lenses. What is new is that point and shoot cameras offer interchangeable lenses for some models. The Canon line of PowerShot digital cameras offer telephoto, wide angle and close-up lenses for this budget camera line.
CAMERA BAG
Toting your camera around in your pocket or purse will scratch your screen and lets lint and dirt into your camera. A good camera case from Lowpro or Roots gives you a padded, comfy place to cradle the camera and pockets for additional SD cards, lenses, etc.
SD CARDS
These cards store the images from your camera and have tumbled in price and leaped up in capacity. A 4 GIG SD card can be found for $20. When travelling I take a metal clamshell case that carries two SD cards, one on each side of the padded clamshell and another in the camera giving me the opportunity to shoot thousands of images on the three cards.
POWER
Some digital cameras use a permanent internal battery, which is convenient, until your camera runs out of juice at the beach. Being able to run to the drugstore and buy a couple of disposable AA batteries is the difference from a happy day of shooting and a frustrating day of babysitting a charging camera. Make sure your new toy works on regular batteries and does not require exotic rechargeable’s or only can use its internal rechargeable.
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