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The
instant satisfaction of going digital
By
Cpl Mark Eaton
Digital camera prices have plummeted over the past 12 months making
this new technology more affordable and comparable with the cost
of most film cameras.
Digital
photography is appealing to those who want the satisfaction of being
able to instantly preview pictures on a colour screen and have the
ability to store hundreds of images that can easily be printed at
home or sent by e-mail.
When
you think of it, a digital camera can save you money. Erasing the
‘ones that didn’t work out’ and only printing the
pictures you want is a definite advantage financially and a time
saver.
The
days of having to carry bulk film around or switch between different
film types and speeds is now a distant memory for those who have
made the technology leap.
When
looking to buy a digital camera, resolution is one of the most important
indicators of performance. Picture quality and size is measured
in pixels — short for picture element — and this ultimately
determines the overall cost.
For
about $300 you can get a decent ‘point and shoot’ packed
with two mega pixels giving a reasonable 10x8 cm print. For larger
sized prints such as A3, consider looking at digital cameras with
four to five mega pixels but expect to pay a bit more.
Any
lower than two mega pixels and your images can only be used for
e-mailing and are too small for a decent sized print any bigger
than a postcard.
Digital
cameras have similar characteristics and perform in much the same
way as a film camera. They have a lens with an aperture and shutter
and can automatically adjust focus from near to far. The majority
have a zoom lens, an optical viewfinder and an LCD viewing screen.
Some models come with basic movie capability and most come with
viewing software.
Images
are captured on an electronic imaging sensor, called a charged coupling
device, and are stored on reusable memory cards, the electronic
version of film. The four main types of memory cards are Compact
Flash, Smart Media, Memory Stick and Secure Device.
A higher
memory card size means more images can be recorded to the one card.
Some Compact Flash cards for example now have a storage capacity
of one gigabyte, which is more than a few rolls of film considering
most images are recorded at approximately one mega byte.
Before
taking the plunge with a new digital camera consider the points
already mentioned, do your research and keep in mind what you’re
going to use it for.
- For
detailed information on digital cameras and products check these
popular websites:
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