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How
does it work?
Digital cameras use electric light sensors in place of film to record
images and store them as data files. These files can then be downloaded
to your computer, edited, and printed. Most digicams include reusable,
removable memory cards or sticks, which offer potentially unlimited,
picture storage capabilities. You can view your shots instantly
on the camera's LCD monitor and keep only the best images for printing,
which will save you money in film and processing costs.
Which
features should I look for?
Resolution is one of the most important factors to consider when
choosing a camera. Each digital picture is made up of millions of
tiny dots called pixels. More pixels means higher resolution, which
in turn means your camera will create pictures with more detail
and smoother color gradations - in short, you'll get better-looking
images. Here's a rough guide to determining the amount of resolution
you need:
2-3
megapixels: Good for a wide variety of uses including moderately
sized prints.
Over
3 megapixels: These cameras can create much larger prints and
are good for professional applications. Any camera that offers more
than 2 megapixels can make photographic-quality prints up to 8x10
inches.
Computer
connections: After snapping the perfect shot, you'll want to
download it to your computer for editing, e-mailing, posting to
your web page or printing. There are a variety of different options
to transfer the images to your computer, including parallel, serial,
SCSI and USB, as well as infrared connections.
Power
source: Power source is an important consideration, since digital
cameras suck up battery power quite quickly. Most digicams include
a set of rechargeable batteries and a charging unit. An external
power adapter can also come in handy when transferring images from
camera to computer.
Compression
options: Some cameras allow the user to choose their shooting
resolution and compression options. If you don't need high quality
images, you can choose a lower resolution and save memory space,
allowing you to take more pictures before swapping out your memory
card.
Movie
recording: Many cameras offer the option of recording short
movies in addition to still images. The video quality is generally
not very high, and only some cameras will be able to capture audio
to accompany the movie.
Digicams
have many of the same features as traditional cameras. Here are
some to consider:
Lens:
A zoom lens offers more viewing angles and more opportunities for
unique shots than a fixed lens. A macro creates detailed close-up
shots and is helpful for subjects like flowers or food. Pay attention
to the type of lens your camera offers. An optical zoom lens will
actually move in and out, while a digital zoom is simply software
that blows up the information in your image, cropping the edges
and potentially sacrificing image quality.
Focus
System: An autofocus (AF) camera automatically focuses on the
subject in the center of the viewfinder. "Focus-free"
cameras use a lens that is set at a fixed focusing distance.
Flash:
Most digicams include a built-in flash with a variety of modes to
accommodate different lighting situations. Red-eye reduction is
a particularly useful feature for portraits.
Where
should I go to compare cameras?
The following has been a very useful location for comparing up to
27 different criteria of digital cameras.www.dpreview.com
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