Re: Digital cameras: Maybe OT
- From: bearclaw@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 03 Aug 2006 15:54:05 -0500
In article <lunachick-8CEF1F.01493803082006@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
Luna <lunachick@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I'm thinking of buying my first digital camera, but I know next to
nothing about them.
Digital cameras are great, but more important in this discussion is how
much do you know about photography in general and the operation of
cameras in specific? Are you a rank amateur? Knowledgeable? A
professional?
This is important in deciding what features are important to you.
Some questions to ask yourself:
Do you want to focus the camera manually?
Do you want to photograph at very close ranges (from less than a foot
away)?
Will you use the camera most in the daytime or at night?
Do you want to edit your digital photos without losing any detail?
I have an iMac, and I want to be able to take pictures for web pages
For most web purposes, 1/3 - 1/2 megapixel is sufficient. An image that
is 640 x 480 pixels (that's 0.31 megapixels) is a good starting point
for reasonable uploading. Images with greater resolution start to
require more bandwidth for your audience to download. Keeping image
resolutions reasonable helps insure that dialup users will be able to
view your shots too.
Multi-megapixel resolutions require more space to store, but are great
for cropping and detailed image editing. They are essential for
printing good 8" x 10"s or larger. Hi-res pictures can also be handy if
you tend to shoot from a distance.
I think that the more megapixels the better the camera, right?
Not necessarily. There are quite few ultra-cheap cameras that advertise
several megapixels, but actually use electronic enhancement to achieve
those resolutions. Avoid those, as they will almost certainly
disappoint you.
But how many do you need for a decent quality printed image? And,
here's where I particularly need help, what kinds of cameras can plug
right into my USB port to load the pictures onto my computer, and can
I possibly get what I need for less than $200?
Practically every name brand digital camera and most knockoffs will
connect with a USB cable. You can very likely get a 2 or 3 megapixel
name-brand camera for that price. Note that USB is NOT the same as
PictBridge.
You might want to reserve some money for extras like storage media to
hold the pictures you take with your camera (SD or compact flash cards
or memory sticks if you buy a Sony); a carrying case and likely some
kind of tripod (digital cameras seem very prone to hand shake).
For the money you want to spend, you will probably have to sacrifice
some features. You probably won't get a model you can focus manually,
for instance, or one that will allow real macro photography. But if
point-and-shoot is satisfactory to you, for under $200 you can certainly
get a camera that will make you happy-- IF you shop around, compare, and
go with the one that produces the most pleasing image to your eye.
There are many good websites offering primers on digital camera,
including Kodak, HP, Canon and all major camera manufacturers. Camera
review sites offer comprehensive reviews of features and extraneous
bells and whistles.
Take your time to look, not just at the device, but also the product it
produces. Once you know what you like, you'll be able to narrow your
choices down pretty fast.
.
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