What's the Perfect Camera?
There are three digital features that have an impact on your picture quality, they are;
1. Resolution (pixel count)
2. File format
3. ISO setting
DO YOU NEED A RESOLUTION?
Simply put, camera resolution refers to the number of pixels that a camera can capture. Pixels refer to the square looking "tiles" of color that comprise all digital images.
Camera resolution is usually measured in megapixels. A megapixel represents 1 million pixels, 2 megapixel means 2 million pixels and so on.
Megapixels have always been a major consideration in the purchase of digital cameras even when people don't understand what that is. To print a good snap shot of 5-x-7-inch prints or more, you need at least a 1 megapixel image. Today, however, most cameras come with not less than 3 megapixels at less than $100. With the right knowledge on megapixels and how they apply to images, you can save yourself a lot of money by not necessarily going for high end megapixels but for the ones that matter.
Choosing a digital camera with a number of megapixels depends on how you would like to use your photos. The list below gives you some guide to this;
• VGA resolution (640 x 480 pixels): The VGA resolution is good when you want to post your images or share them on e-mail, post it on a web page or use it for presentations. If you are going for a quality print with a VGA resolution, you will definitely be disappointed.
• One megapixel: with a 1 megapixel camera, you can get an acceptable image mostly or only for an on-screen picture use.
• Two megapixels: With 2 megapixels, you can produce very good 5 x 7- inch prints and acceptable 8 x 10s.
• Three megapixels: With this many pixels, you can generate good 8 x 10s.
• Four megapixels and up: If you like to produce prints that are larger than 8 x 10, go for 4 megapixels or more
It's worth knowing that if you want to go larger number of megapixels, endeavor to find out if the model can shot images at lower resolution. This is because the higher the resolution, the higher the space needed to hold the image or picture file. The best cameras offer a choice of two to three resolutions setting that most times comes with the names such as "Good, Better, Best" or "Fine, Basic, Normal."
So to summarize, unless you are going for very large prints or making lots of close cropping, you will be satisfied with just 3 megapixels. This will save you a lot of money to invest in other accessories like zoom lens and a good photo printer.
WHAT ABOUT FILE FORMATS?
Just as pixel count is important in digital photo, file formats equally plays an important role as file formats used to record your pictures. Digital cameras rely mostly on three formats for saving picture files: JPEG, TIFF, and Camera Raw (or Raw, for short). Here is a brief introduction on the file formats:
• JPEG (jay-peg): This format is the standard for digital-camera images. All Web browsers and e-mail programs can display JPEG photos, which mean that you can go straight from the camera to the online world. JPEG has a disadvantage, though: When JPEG files are created, they're compressed, a process that throws away some image data in order to shrink file sizes. Smaller files are great, allowing you to fit more pictures on a camera memory card and reducing the time required to share images online. But although a small amount of compression does little noticeable damage, a high degree of compression seriously degrades picture quality
• TIFF: Unlike JPEG, this format retains all critical image data. That means the best possible image quality, but also files that are significantly larger than JPEG files. And you can't share TIFF files online without first opening them in a photo editor and converting them to JPEG
• Camera Raw (or just Raw): When you shoot in the JPEG or TIFF format, the camera does some post-capture processing to refine color, contrast, and other picture qualities. In the Raw format, none of these changes are applied. You get uncooked, "raw" data right from the image sensor. This format is designed for photographers who want to control whether and how any tweaking is done to the image-sensor data, in the same way that some film experts like to develop and print their own negatives. Because no compression is applied, Raw files are larger than JPEG files. More important, you must use a special piece of software called a Raw converter to tell your computer how to translate all the raw data into a digital picture. Note that some manufacturers give Raw files a proprietary label. For example, Nikon Raw files are called NEF files.
It's best if you find cameras that can enable you choose from 2 or all of the three file formats. You can find cameras that will two versions of each picture (JPEG+Raw or JPEG+TIFF option).
That said, if you are not that kind of photographer that is demanding and have the right skills to "process" and "fine tune" images, JPEG alone is just fine.
2. WORRIED ABOUT MEMORY?
Some people still use film cameras these days and their film information is held in a film negative. Same goes for a digital camera. Every picture file is saved either in the cameras inbuilt memory (often referred to as on-board memory) or in an electronic storage tank (often referred to as removable memory card). Few cameras rely on inbuilt memory while most cameras now rely on removable memory card.
Sincerely speaking, I advise you to go for cameras that support a removable memory card. Why do I say this; well, going for an in-built gives you these limitations:
• When you fill up your on-board memory, you will have to either delete some pictures.
• You will have to empty your on-board memory into a computer before you can continue taking more pictures. Can you estimate the time spent and opportunities wasted? I just can't imagine people waiting for you to empty your on-board memory first so as to continue your shot. That's ugly.
To be on the safer side,
• Get yourself a camera that supports a removable memory card. You can get yourself a cheap accessory called a memory card reader that helps you quickly transfer files into your computer.
• You could equally print directly from your memory card as some printers have slots for memory cards. You could equally take the card to a photo lab for printing.
3. DO I GO FOR ONE WITH MONITOR, VIEWFINDER OR BOTH?
Some cameras come with a viewfinder, other with only a monitor (LCD screen meaning liquid-crystal display) and some even come with both.
• Viewfinders are little looking windows you look through to compose pictures when using a screen camera. Viewfinders are found on most cameras and loved by many as it gives you stability when taking your shot.
• LCD or Monitor is found a lot now on recent cameras. It gives you a broad view of your subject and even gives you the chance to view your subject from different angles (there are cameras that provide you with monitors that swivels giving you different angles of view).
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