Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Digital Camera Guide

Just like with normal film cameras, there are different types of digital cameras which you can buy. What exactly you buy though depends entirely on your preference. Finding the best rated digital camera will involve some degree of knowledge about digital photography, as well as an understanding of what it is that you plan on doing with your camera. A simple digital camera buyers guide may not provide you with the whole picture, no pun intended.
If you’re only a family-holiday kind of photographer you might want to stay away from the more expensive professional cameras. Whereas if you’re a budding photographer who has only now seen the light through the lens, so to speak, you might want to go in for something that’s not top of the line in terms of equipment, but something that will instead help you in your endeavors.
If you’re a professional photographer then you probably don’t need my input into which type of cameras you should get. On the other hand, the budding, novice photographer might find it interesting to know that when they get to a stage where they feel comfortable enough with their photography skills, they can then move on to the top of the range professional cameras.
What I tried to do here though is to give you some insight into the different types of cameras available. It’s up to you to take it from there and do more research into the various different makes of cameras and their pros and their cons.
Before you wonder why I’m not giving you any detailed specifications on any of the existing cameras, it’s for the very simple reason that by the time you’re reading this, the cameras I’m talking to you about might not be the best on the market. Technology is a forever changing thing and what’s new today, will almost definitely be old hat three days from now.
Phone Cameras
With the advent of new technology and the ability to make small micro-chips and things even smaller to a macro level, we’re now faced with the ability to use these macro-chips just about anywhere we want to. This is the reason why we now have the ability to take reasonably good photographs from our mobile phones.
If you look anywhere these days you won’t be surprised to see many people with their phones out and snapping merrily away. To illustrate my point let me give you a small snapshot if you will, of something that happened to me not too long ago. There I was at a friend’s wedding, snapping merrily away on my digital SLR camera – I was the designated photographer – doing my utmost best to remain inconspicuous and blend in with the background.
I wanted to get as many candid shots as I could that the happy couple could laugh over and treasure for a long time. It was during my efforts at attaining this state of photographic perfection that I came across a scene that was hilarious as much as it was thought provoking in its own way.
While the newly married couple had taken to the dance floor for their first dance as man and wife, the guests had gathered around to admire their grace. This though, was not the moment that remains in my memory as a candid camera moment.
No, it wasn’t the picture of the happily dancing couple, but instead the picture that caught my eye was that of their friends and relatives all more or less huddled together as close as they could get to the best view point of the dance floor. It was nighttime, and only the floor was softly lit, so in that dim gloom it was amusing to see so many blue screens all held up in their owners’ hands pointed all in the same direction, towards the couple.
Just about everybody with a camera phone was out there snapping merrily away, some even taking videos. This might seem normal and not even remotely funny – especially if you do the same thing yourself, but to me it was a sign of the times.
And what was amazing was that no one even noticed this highly unnatural phenomenon of over a dozen people all with phones in their hands and all looking into the their screens, instead of the dancing couple.
Compact
I still remember the first compact camera I had. My dad gave it to me for my fourteenth birthday, and I have to say that it was the pride and joy of my life – for exactly five months. After that I have no idea what happened to it, and frankly I have to say at that time I wasn’t really all that bothered about it either.
The joys of photography still hadn’t caught my attention and there were more interesting things for me to do at the time. However, it must also be said that when I finally did gain more than an average interest in photography, the first camera that I went out and bought was a compact.
And a more worthwhile purchase I have never made. Since for all intents and purposes I was very much an amateur in the photography field (my first camera at age fourteen notwithstanding), I was able to experiment and fiddle around as much as I wanted to.
And since at that time I wasn’t yet into the expenses of positive films, and since negative film rolls were generally inexpensive, I was able to pretty much do what I wanted. The only restriction that I had, if at all, was the cost of developing the film, which I solved by creating my own darkroom and developing the negatives myself.
However that may be, you’ll be glad to know that the compact camera is probably the best camera for when you’re starting out.
And since nowadays you’re more likely to go for the compact digital camera, your life just got considerably easier, and your photography just became considerably more enhanced. You know that you don’t have the expenses of processing to contend with, and with the ease of digital, if you’re still very much a novice then you can learn your way quickly and easily through photography 101.
SLR – Single Lens Reflex
These are the cameras that professionals go for, but don’t limit yourself thinking that only professionals can use these properly. There’s no such thing; anyone can use them as long as they can point and shoot.
Things get slightly more complicated as you go further in depth into photography, but don’t let that stop you. If you’re interested in photography at all and are considering taking it up seriously as a hobby or a profession, then I would suggest that you shop around and find the right digital SLR for you.
Start as you mean to go on and you should be fine. Admittedly you might be stuck on the auto meter button for a while, but you will eventually get over that problem and will find yourself using the many functions offered to you by the digital SLR, with ease.
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Trusting Digital Camera Reviews

Digital camera reviews have been all over the place. All of these media outlets from newspapers, TV and radio, have filled each review with nothing but praises. So what we really need is an outline to detect reliable reviews that actually HELP. The Question is Should You Trust Digital Camera Reviews?
First point: Never trust reviews from press releases directly rooted from the manufacturer. All they reveal are the good attributes. Of course, if you do sell your own line of digital cameras, the only way to boost up your sales is to promote its good points. Glitches, as well as, limitations and bad points pertaining to your camera line will never help your sales go up. These press releases are often half-truths. Indeed, a certain digital camera on sale might have its advantages but press releases rather not talk about its disadvantages. Press releases are for promotional purposes alone to entice potential customers and give the product a better name.
Next, home shopping networks and advertisements do the same thing press releases do. They are half-truths as well. But, the good thing though, customers can always return products that do not work for them.
Lastly, digital camera reviews that actually HELP are often found in specialty magazines on gadgets and gizmos computer based and technical. There are also specialty websites for these subjects that do contain unofficial yet reliable reviews. Reviewers coming from these sources are those who are never afraid to enumerate the pluses and the minuses of each digital product out in the market. These digital camera reviews are very TRUTHFUL. Often, reviewers point out differences in the digital cameras released by a certain company for comparison whether, the digital camera line have progressed technologically or not. These reviewers are well-equipped in the field and they know what they are talking about. Reviews from these people root from first-hand experiences with using the digital camera in study and not just any review under some advertising agent out to capture you and your wallet with all the flowery words they can write down.
In addition, YOU can be among the best sources for a digital camera review. But, buy your own camera first. Check everything, play with everything and make sure this fits with what it claims to be. Be keen on specifications, options, and features especially the words, weatherproof and waterproof. If the digital camera is weatherproof, it is splash resistant. If its waterproof, it is water resistant. Never interchange these two terms. And after everything else, you can write down the myriad things you did with your camera attaching either your thumbs-up or down. Emphasize that your review is based from a first-hand experience with the product to heighten its reliability value. And if your digital camera does not satisfy you at all, call customer service.
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