10 tips for buying a digital camera

[minisoji]

Deciding which digital camera to buy can be difficult because of the vast array of features available. Here are some tips that should help you find a camera that meets your needs, budget, and level of photo taking experience.



1. Select a digital camera recommended for the largest print size you're likely to print at. If you want to make 8x10 inch prints, choose a 4-mega-pixel model, though a 3MP camera will do a fair job. If you need up to 16x20 inch prints you will need an 8MP camera. If all you want is to send images by e-mail or Web posting, even a 2MP camera will do. Remember, mega pixels correspond only to image size, not quality.

2. Make sure the camera has the right features for your needs, such as an optical zoom lens and a certain amount of useful manual controls. If you wear glasses but prefer to take pictures without them, make sure that your camera has an adjustable dioptre. This will allow you adjust the focus of the viewfinder so that you can see your subject clearly.

3. Choose a camera with a bright LCD. This will allow you to better see the LCD image in bright sunlight. Having a large LCD screen will help you compose and review your images on the camera.

4. When comparing costs, be sure to calculate extras that may or may not be included, such as rechargeable batteries and charger, and a large enough memory card that can hold all your pictures until you can download them to a computer.

5. Most digital cameras come with a USB interface to transfer digital photos from camera to computer. If you will be transferring large high quality photo files, try to get USB 2.0 to speed things up.

6. When considering digital cameras with a zoom lens, what’s important is the optical zoom distance and not the digital zoom distance. Digital zoom uses software to crop and magnify an image, resulting in a loss of image quality.

7. If you don't know a lot about cameras, a digital camera with lots of modes and manual settings will be overkill. Don’t buy a camera that is higher in price and more difficult to use if all you really want to do is point-and-shoot.

8. A good option, if available, is a pocket-sized instruction manual instead of one on CD. You can take it with you when you're out shooting.

9. If you have difficulty using your hands, look for a camera with a limited number of large buttons that are easy to reach and press.

10. Test how fast the camera performs. Look for a camera that takes 4 seconds or less to get ready to shoot and 6 seconds or less between shots.

[cignusweb]

Thanks for the tips.

I am soon going to buy a digital SLR and these tips could come handy to me.

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[Perfection]

What To Look For When Buying a Digital Camera?

1. The most critical element in a digital camera is the lens because all light must go through the lens. So choose from traditional film camera makers, especially those renowned for their optical lens.

2. Consider what type of storage media the digital camera uses. SmartMedia is flimsy because its connecting wires are outside the cards. Memory stick is proprietary to Sony devices only, so it's not considered industry standards. Compact Flash card is by far the best bet because it is thick and hardy. Many output devices eg. printers and projectors use the card as storage device, so images stored can be output straight away in these devices.

The size of the Hard disk used (internal memory) is also a criteria while selecting the camera. A 60 GB space will be nice for a video camera (45 hour video recording), while 2 GB for a still camera at the minimum.

[Perfection]

Is pixel count all that important?

Traditional camera uses film to record images. But for digital camera, the film is replaced by a small sensor chip - either CCD (charged Coupled Device) or CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) - which stores the image into a digital format.

The CCD or CMOS sensor's surface is divided into tiny squares called pixels and each pixel records one segment of an image. The more pixels a sensor has, the more details it can record. While it's true that the number of pixels a CCD contains is an excellent measure of the details the digital camera can contain, this is not enough. Picture quality doesn't necessarily improve with another million pixels. Other features such as lens, colour filter used on the sensor and digital image processor also play an important role in determining picture quality.

To capture an image, lights first have to go through the lens (equivalent to human's eye) which are later gathered as electrical charges by the sensor (equivalent to human's retina). The sensor, by itself, is incapable of perceiving colours, so it obtains colour data via a colour filter arranged above individual pixels. Image data gathered by the sensor is converted into digital signals to be analysed and processed by the image processor (equivalent to human's brain) before recording the image onto a memory card. Each process is crucial in determining image quality.

So don't just be deceived by pixel count. Check for manufacturer's lens and CCD.

Eg: Olympus Mu 9000, SP-590 UZ etc

[Perfection]

How to take quality pictures from the digital camera?

Compose Your Picture Using The LCD First

Firstly, identify the subject that you are interested to emphasize. Next compose your picture using the LCD. Ensure that only the things you want viewer to see appear in the LCD screen. If you are taking a moving object, always leave enough space in front of the subject so that it appears to be moving into the picture. Now take the shot and you'll end up with your full image size "framed" the way you like it. If you are not happy with the composition, reshoot it.

Ensure that there is sufficient light in the background

Make sure that the automatic flash function is working when using a snap happy camera. If you are using a camera with creative controls, there are several ways to overcome the lighting conditions during your filming.

1) You could slot in different types of flashes according to the lighting conditions.
2) Adjust the aperture setting /speed to allow more/less light to enter the camera.
3) For night filming, you can adjust the ISO setting ranging from 100 to 400.
4) Use exposure compensation mode if there is a strong light coming from the back of the subject.

[Perfection]

How to ensure that your batteries will not run out on you at the crucial moment?

• Use special longer-life lithium batteries, which cost twice as much, but last three times longer.

• Use rechargeable Nickel Cadmium (NiCd) or, even better, Nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries. NiMH batteries charge up to 500 times and take just three hours for a full charge.

• Buy multiple backup batteries, so you'll always have spares.

• Consider a rechargeable, plug-in camera battery pack with longer power time. Before buying your camera, make sure that it has the right connections for such a pack.

• Use the camera's optical viewfinder whenever possible, unless your camera doesn't have one. Those sexy little LCD screens are handy for reviewing shots, but they make you pay by draining fresh batteries in 20 minutes or less. If you're shopping for a camera, make sure it has a traditional optical viewfinder as well as an LCD viewfinder.

• If you have the choice, switch off the LCD except when you must view the scene digitally or review an already recorded shot to check your success.

• Get used to turning off the camera between shots. Don't leave the camera on unless you're ready to shoot again immediately.

[ofirlebo]

Thank you for the tips!

[bytemonstr]

Very helpful!

[annie]

Digital Camera Shopping Tips


Match megapixels to your use: Most point-and-shoot cameras offer at least 12 megapixels. Cameras with more megapixels will yield even larger prints and allow you to blow up a part of an image with less likelihood that the print will be blurry. If you plan to make only 4-by-6-inch prints, you don't have to shoot at the camera's highest resolution--and as a result, you can fit more shots on your memory card.

Look for rechargeable batteries and a charger: The cost of disposable batteries adds up over the long run. Some cameras can use AA batteries of any type--disposable or rechargeable. That capability can be helpful if your rechargeable batteries run out of juice and you don't want to wait while they replenish.

Disregard digital zoom: Most cameras offer at least 3X optical zoom--and some boast an optical zoom as high as 30X. But sometimes vendors tout a high total zoom that includes digital zoom, which you should disregard: Digital zoom produces photos that are inferior to those produced with an optical zoom.

Look for a low-light focusing aid: Some cameras have auxiliary lights that help them focus in dim settings. That's important for many indoor shots.

Some cameras have commands and menus that are easier to use than others, a comparison you can make only with a hands-on trial. Also evaluate the lag time between when you press the shutter button and when the camera actually takes the picture. Try the zoom lens--does it operate quickly and smoothly? Find out how long you must wait between taking pictures. And try the LCD viewfinder--in the sun if possible--to determine how easy it is to read.



Consider investing in a memory card reader or a camera dock: A memory card reader acts like an external hard drive attached to your PC or laptop, allowing you to download pictures directly from your camera's storage media. Many newer laptops have one or more memory card slots built in, as do some inkjet printers. Alternatively, some cameras come with a dock or offer one as an option, and some of these docks offer a dedicated button for uploading all of your new photos on a memory card. A dock also charges the camera's battery.

Buy a second memory card. If you have a second memory card, you can keep shooting while the images download, rather than having to keep the camera hooked up to your PC. Also, you won't have to worry about running out of space (and missing your perfect shot) quite so quickly.

[annie]

Determine what you need



A mistake I see some digital camera buyers making is that they get sucked into buying cameras that are beyond what they really need. Some questions to ask yourself before you go shopping:

• What do you need the camera for?
• What type of photography will you be doing? (portraits, landscapes, macro, sports)
• What conditions will you be largely photographing in? (indoors, outdoors, low light, bright light)
• Will you largely stay in auto mode or do you want to learn the art of photography?
• What experience level do you have with cameras?
• What type of features are you looking for? (long zoom, image stabilization, large LCD display etc)
• How important is size and portability to you?
• What is your budget?

Ask yourself these questions before you go to buy a camera and you’ll be in a much better position to make a decision when you see what’s on offer. You’ll probably find the sales person asks you this question anyway – so to have thought about it before hand will help them help you get the right digital camera.