Everything Digital Cameras

Digital Photography has been around for a good few years now and the days of film cameras must surely be numbered. Of course there will always be those who do not want to embrace the ‘new’ thing, but for most ‘digital photography’ is the only way forward. There is a continual advancing of technology in the digital camera field and I have noted a few of the newer concepts below.

Megapixel count

Not too long ago (a few years) my 1.3mp digital camera seemed to do the trick and took some good photographs which I could print out on A4 paper. As time went by the amount of megapixels on cameras started to rise and 5mp was considered really good. The camera I use now has 6mp and does a great job. However, the megapixel count used in dslr cameras continues to grow and the standard amount has now gone past 10mp to 12mp and some have 15mp or even 20mp!! When will it end, or will it??

It is said that you should buy a camera that has at least 6mp and I think that if you can afford one that has 10-12mp you have the capability to take really great photos which can be enlarged quite substantially without any loss of quality.

Camera shake reduction

This is a fairly recent addition to digital cameras and works really well when you find that hand movements start to cause camera shake as you go to take a picture. There are 2 main methods of providing the shake reduction. One is to have the mechanism in the lens being used, and the other to have it in the camera body itself. If using a camera body which has the shake reduction  incorporated within then that means that it can be used with any lens whereas if using stabilised lenses each lens used on the camera would need to have it. 

Sensor self-cleaning

The heart of the digital camera is the sensor and eventually some dust will find its way onto it. There are many solutions given for this for cameras which have no self cleaning mechanism.

Microscopic dust particles can get on your digital SLR sensor when you remove the camera lens. This dust shows up in every photo that you take. Self-cleaning sensors vibrate to prevent and eliminate  digital SLR sensor dust. This self cleaning was added a few years ago and does away with the need to remove lenses and get cleaning materials etc. to remove the dust which can be very awkward for the aspiring photographer.

Live View

This is where you can get a view of the intended photograph on the large LCD window on the back of the camera in contrast to being able to look through the viewfinder.

For many years the function of live view was the feature of all compact digital cameras. There was no popular SLR with this function. That has now changed and a few of the main manufacturers are introducing it to their SLR ranges.

JPEG & RAW capability

JPEG  is probably the most popular type of image used on digital cameras now. One of the drawbacks is that it is a lousy image which means that you get degradation of the photo the more cropping and resizing is done on it. RAW on the other hand is the digital equivalent of the old ‘negative’ and allows far more scope for adjustment on the photograph. RAW files are big and can take up a fair amount of room, so large storage mediums are essential. One good thing that a few of the better digital SLR’s have is the ability to take a RAW and JPEG file of each photo you take. This gives you the option of keeping the JPEG as is or doing some work on the RAW image as required.

These are some of the more recent innovations to DSLR cameras. There undoubtedly will be more and it will be interesting to see the next few advances in the technology in the foreseeable future.

By: Alan Seel

About the Author:

digital camera

If ever there was a controversial question amongst the hordes of digital camera enthusiasts, it has to be “What is the best digital camera brand?”. Sometimes referred to as “What is the best brand of digital camera to buy?”, but not to be confused with “What is the best camera to buy?”. Because everyone knows that regular (film) cameras are far superior to digital cameras. Hang on a sec, or was that the other way around? Who can keep track these days? Now before I digress too far from the topic, lets take a look at that age old battle, and see if we can determine which brand is best.

First things first, in the spirit of full disclosure, I need to declare that I do in fact own several cameras. They represent a variety of brands. I have two Canons, a Fuji, and a Kodak. I must confess, that I am somewhat partial to Canon, but I’ll try not to let that cloud any editorial comments I may subsequently make.

If digital camera sales were any indication of what the best brand was, then according to Amazon.com Canon would be a clear winner. As I write this, Canon manufactures 18 of the top 25 bestselling cameras on their best seller list. In addition, Canon holds 9 of the top 10 spots, with the top 3 being the PowerShot A570 IS, the PowerShot SD1000 Digital Elph, and the PowerShot SD850. Sharing the top 11 spots with Canon are 2 of the Pure Video manufactured Flip Video cameras. Nikon has 2 cameras in the top 25 including the Nikon D40, and the Nikon D300. Panasonic sneaks in with a couple of their Lumix models, specifically the DMC-TZ3K and the DMC-TZ3A. And finishing in a strong 25th spot, that old stalwart Kodak with the Easyshare Z812IS.

Of course being popular, or the best seller does not the best brand make. It simply means you have the best salesmanship. In that world, Canon seems to be having the most success. How exactly would we determine the best brand? Best service, best design, best features, best customer support, best images, and best user experience are all valid traits. Perhaps a critical / scientific /empirical examination of all cameras models by manufacturer would be in order. Let’s see if we can aggregate a lot of the work already done by a couple of camera review sites who take the above traits into consideration.

A perusal of one top camera review site under their 5 star category, show 39 Canon cameras, 18 Sony cameras, 17 Nikon cameras, 6 Fuji cameras, 5 Olympus cameras, 5 Panasonic cameras, 3 Pentax cameras, and 1 Konica camera. A second camera review site under their top 103 cameras showed 46 Canon cameras, 21 Sony cameras, 20 Nikon cameras, 5 Pentax cameras, 3 Fuji cameras, 2 Samsung cameras, 2 Panasonic cameras, 2 Kodak cameras, 1 Konica camera, and 1 Casio camera. If you total all that up, the top 3 end up being Canon with 85, Sony a distant second with 39, and Nikon a very close third with 37. Everyone else had less than 10 top rated cameras.

By: Chris Campbell

About the Author:

Caffeinated Content

If you’re looking for an easy to use digital camera that packs a serious punch when it comes to taking brilliant pictures, then the Nikon D3000 is it. This digital camera was built for technophobic with its Guide Mode that assists you through the picture taking process.

Not only is the Nikon D3000 user friendly, but it also takes brilliantly stunning pictures and is packed with a plethora of features. The accurate auto focus ensures that you’re able to make the most out of every picture no matter what type of lighting setting you’re in.

On top of that, the Nikon D3000 is small and light weight. In fact, it’s the smallest D-SLR camera on the market at the time this was written. And it only weighs 4.4 pounds.

The Good
• Easy to use.
• Beginner friendly.
• Small and portable.
• Loaded with features.
• Amazing picture quality.
• Quick shutter release.
• Takes rich and vibrant outdoor pictures without editing.
• Everything you need comes with the camera minus the memory card.
• Lens attaches easily to body.
• Includes short and sweet user manual.
• Fast foucs
• Great lens in the kit.

The Bad
• Does not have “Live View”.
• Can’t auto focus older lenses.
• Does not have 1/3 step ISO increments.

Who should buy this product:

1. People who are looking for a great gift for a budding photography student.
2. People who do not know a lot about photography and need a camera that will help them through the process of taking pictures and still create a brilliant outcome.
3. People who are shopping for a DSLR camera on a budget.

Who should not buy this product:

1. People who are advanced at photography and need to switch camera settings quickly.
2. People who need a digital camera with video capabilities.
3. People who take the vast majority of their pictures at night or in low light settings.

By: M Braziel

About the Author:

Kansieo.com

Nobody really wants, or needs the best of anything. It doesn’t matter, whether it’s digital cameras, automobiles, homes, or jet airplanes. What we really want and expect, is value for our money. If I’m going to spend $100 for a camera, then I better get $100 worth of features and quality from that camera. If I spend $1000 on a camera, then I better get $1000 worth back as well. If you follow a few simple rules, you’ll see how easy it is to get the best camera your money can buy.

Acclaimed science fiction author Theodore Sturgeon was famous for a couple of adages known as Sturgeons Laws. My favorite, and the one most relevant to our discussion is, “Ninety percent of everything is crap.” It’s simple, direct and brutally honest. It also really helps narrow down our search. If the camera your looking at is not on at least one top ten list, then drop it from your search. If it doesn’t have at least a four star review from someone, then drop if off your list. There are so many cameras to choose from these days, there’s really no need to settle for anything less then the best.

The second step, and a little more effort intensive, is the trial run phase. You need to try out as many of the cameras on your now very short list (thanks to Theodore) as possible. Spend a day, and blitz your favorite camera stores. Go to two or three, and just annoy and pepper the sales staff with as many questions and requests as you can. If you go during off hours, you should have plenty of time and space to try out all the cameras you want. See if you can cajole them into letting you take a few home to try out. After this exercise, your short list should be really short. Maybe even a list of 1.

Of course if the above seems like to much work for you slackers out there, here’s my short list of great cameras that are all money well spent. In the under $150 category, the Canon PowerShot A570IS. It’s a simple point and shoot with 4x zoom lens, image stabilization, and Canon reliability. For the portability minded ultra compact FaceBook crowd, you can’t go wrong with the Canon PowerShot SD1000 Digital Elph. Slightly less image quality then the A570IS, and slightly more expensive, but a very easy traveler. Another favorite compact of mine is the Olympus Stylus 790SW. The only waterproof, shockproof, dust proof, and freeze proof camera I know.

By: Chris Campbell

About the Author:

Caffeinated Content

Picking the right digital camera depends on three main points:

1. Understand the words.

There are many great cameras on the market. There are also many not-so-great cameras on the market. So it is important that you understand the limitations and terms of the camera.

Not to worry, I will be defining many of these terms and qualities in this course.

2. Speed.

I find it very frustrating when I try and take a picture with my phone and there is a delay and I lose the great smile my baby girl just had on her face and capture a blurry image of a hand coming at the camera.

How many shots can the camera take a second? I like cameras that can take many shots fast, so if I get a blurry image – say in a wedding – one of the succeeding photographs (at three shots a second) will get the clear shot in that ever so crucial moment.

Speed is one of the most important points of buying a camera. How fast does the camera click once you press that button.

3. Ask the Pro’s.

There are a lot of customer reviews out there. And reviews can be tainted.

I recommend you trace it backwards – find an image or photograph that you really like and find out what photographer or camera took the picture. Try and ask a pro. Cameras can get expensive.

If you are looking for a low-cost camera, choose a company that specializes in making cameras – not just electrical parts. Two of my favorites are Nikon and Cannon. Try not to go with cheapest model, usually, I like some in-between models. Again, understand the limitations of the lens, the memory, the speed and the over-all quality.

By: Charles Verhoeff

About the Author:

Caffeinated Content