Features To Look For In Digital
Cameras
In many ways Digital cameras are a paradigm shift from the
'old-world' cameras in that they offer a host of features and
functions not generally available in the latter. This array of
features can be a bit daunting to the first time uninformed buyer
of Digital Cameras. In this article we will examine the features
found in the best digital cameras.
Digital Camera Resolution
Digital camera resolution is a very important factor to take
into account when deciding what camera to buy. All photographs are
comprised of tiny dots, or 'pixels'. The more the dots, the sharper
the image. Take a snap at 100 dots per inch (dpi ) will comprise of
100 by 100 pixels over that inch. This may look OK if you only
wanted a photo one inch big, but enlarge it to four square inches
and your photo will look grainy. This is because the image still
contains the same 100 by 100 dots over a bigger area.
Digital Camera image resolution is measured in Megapixels. One
Megapixel comprises of a million pixels or dots. The higher the
Megapixel count, the better quality of the photograph. When buying
a digital camera, you should aim for as high a Megapixel count as
you can afford - never purchase a camera less than 1 Megapixel.
Digital Camera Storage
This is the digital equivalent of film in the older non-digital
cameras. Storage is usually in the form of memory cards. One big
advantage of memory cards over conventional film is that, unlike
analogue film, you can use memory sticks repeatedly. Furthermore,
memory cards can generally store more photos than film. There are
many types of cards available and not all types of cards can be
used with all brands of cameras.
The most common types of cards are Compact Flash Cards,
SmartMedia Cards, XD Flash Memory Cards, Memory Sticks, and IBM
Flash Memory Cards. In a future article we will go through the pros
and cons of the different types of cards. But for now, just ensure
that the digital camera you purchase has at least 32 MB of
storage.
Size
Size does count - but in this case, the smaller the better!
Marketing of Digital Cameras refer to three sizes: compact,
standard and professional. Compact cameras are 'small and light'
and can usually fit into your pocket. Professional cameras are
usually larger (generally the same size as the non-digital
equivalent) with many features, such as interchangeable lenses,
which professional photographers use. These cameras are not
recommended for beginners as they can be quite complex to operate.
Standard cameras are the most common format, and most digital
cameras sold these days fall in this category.
Digital Camera Zoom lenses
A zoom lens gives you the ability to change the 'focal length'
of the lens. This allows you to take photos where the image is far
away (telephoto) or in confined spaces (wide-angle lens). There are
two types of zoom lenses - optical and digital zoom lenses. Optical
zoom is what you should be after, as this measures the ability of
the camera's lens to capture more light and more detail. This
provides for higher quality pictures. Digital zooms capture the
central portion of the image and crop as necessary, resulting in a
lower quality picture.
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