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Selecting a Digital Camera

Only recently have once expensive digital cameras become affordable and increasingly popular for both professional and home use.

A traditional camera records light on film that is then chemically processed as negatives, prints, or slides. A digital camera uses light sensitive computer chips that when exposed emit an electrical charge. The camera processor converts the electrical charges into a digital format (pixels) and stores them as image files on the camera’s memory card.

The memory card is like a hard drive. The images can be downloaded from it to a computer and then edited and printed.One of the advantages with digital photography is that the images are instantly available for preview in the camera. This facilitates making on-site production decisions much easier.

Operating a digital camera is similar to that of using any 35mm camera. Some cameras are completely automatic. Others allow flexibility when it comes to selecting shutter speeds and "F" Stops. The primary difference between film and digital cameras is in the recording medium. Where as film is discussed in terms of film grain and sensitivity to light as a recording medium, digital cameras are explained in terms of megapixels and memory storage cards. A megapixel is equivalent to 1,000,000 pixels. Each image is composed of thousands of pixels that function as the building blocks of a digital image.

An image composed of 5,000,000 pixels produces a more detail than an image composed of 3,000,000. The more pixels forming an image the bigger it can be enlarged when printed. This pixel resolution factor is important when deciding on a camera that will meet your photographic needs.

A simple digital camera may have a pixel resolution of 640 pixels wide x 480 pixels high. These images can easily be used on a web site. However, paper prints made from this size digital image are limited to 3x5 inches.

A 2 megapixel image camera creates an image 1600 x 1200 in size. From this you can print a nicely detailed 5x7 inch print.

A popular camera today is one that can produce a 3 megapixel image. These are currently selling in the $300.00 price range. Such a camera produces a 2048 x 1536 image resolution from which a good 8" x 10" picture can be printed.

Cameras costing over $1,000 begin to meet the need of the photographer who is need of creating larger images. For example if you want to enlarge a photo to 10 x 15 inches you would do well with a 6 megapixel camera. And if you want a really large image think about 11 Mp and taking out a mortgage on your home.

All 35mm cameras use 35mm film regardless by who it is made. This standard provides many options for the traditional film based photographer. However, digital cameras require a memory storage unit that may not be compatible from one camera to the next.You will read about MultiMedia, MemoryStick and Secure Digital cards in 16, 128, 512 Mb and larger cards.

One can never have enough memory when it comes to taking pictures. For example, a 2Mp camera should have at least 32 or 64Mp of memory. A 3-4Mp camera needs at least a 128 Mp storage device. And a 5-6Mp camera requires at least 512Mp for recording images.Many consumer cameras come with 16Mp memory cards and that lets you record only a limited number of pictures.So when you buy a camera know you will also have to buy additional memory.

There are a number of useful online resources to help you learn more about digital cameras. These include:

Choosing a Digital Camera. An extensive guide to selecting the digital camera that may be best for your particular needs. This guide provides links to a variety of informative topics to expand your knowledge of digital photography.

Buying Flash Cards for a Digital Camera. Even if your camera comes with a 32MB or 64MB card, you probably still need to have a couple of extra cards on hand. These cards fill up faster than you expect, and you don't want to miss a prime photo opportunity because your card is full. This guide provides you information about memory cards and the number of images that can be stored in various memory configurations.

A Short Course On Choosing a Digital Camera. This is an informative web guide. It takes you around and through the digital camera so you know how it works and what its features are used for. The guide provides links to sources and products. Think of it as and informative resource with product placements.

Selecting a Professional Digital Camera: Looking Beyond Megapixels. The number of pixels contained in a digital camera’s image sensor is an important indicator of the image quality it can deliver. But megapixel rating is only one measure of image quality. In short, there’s more to choosing the right digital camera than picking the one with the highest megapixel rating. This article suggest other camera features you need to consider.

Selecting a Digital Camera by Bob Wade. This is an informative that covers topics such as resolution, memory,exposure control, viewing system and other features of a digital camera.