Digital Cameras - A Basic Introduction

Image : http://www.flickr.com

A digital camera is used as the same as the traditional 35mm film camera. Basically you point, shoot and you capture an image. But the similarity ends there, and this is where the digital camera (or rather the images that have been captured) becomes so versatile.

First of all, your image is there waiting to be transferred to your computer. No more waiting to use all of the film and then going down to the photo processing lab and waiting hours/days for the images to be ready. The most common way of transferring your images to your computer is via a USB cable and software on your PC. Once on your PC, you can edit, crop, email or print out your photos. Becoming more common these days is sharing them on the internet via an online photo album (eg myspace, Flickr or a personal website).

Whilst on the subject of film, with digital cameras where are the images stored? Normally on a memory card. Memory cards come in a variety of sizes (both physical size and storage capacity). These factors are largely dependant on the type of digital camera that you buy, and typically can store hundreds of photos.

The main thing to look for when selecting a digital camera is the number of 'Megapixels' it has (or its 'resolution'). Pixels are the number of individual dots that make up the maximum size of the photo that you can take with your camera. Megapixels are in multiples of 1 million. So obviously the more Megapixels, the better you photo will look on your computer screen - and printed out. Note: The higher the resolution, the larger the physical size of the photograph in pixels, and the more space (file size) it will take up.

When looking at what digital camera to buy, also take note of the zoom feature of the camera. You will see terms such as optical and digital zoom. Optical zoom is taken care of by the camera and its physical lense, whereas digital zoom is zooming done by software in the camera itself. Digital zoom decrease the quality of the image as it is artificial - what the camera 'thinks' the image should look like. So it is best to take notice of the optical zoom capabilities of the camera only.

Do you want a no hassles digital camera when the shutter speed, aperture settings and flash options are all automatic? Most cheaper digital cameras have an automatic mode where all this is taken care of. Perfect for most consumers, and as you start to pay more for a camera, the features (and quality) will improve. These types of cameras will have a range of automatic modes, plus manual settings that allow full control over how the photo will be taken.

You may hear a term DSLR - Which stands for a Digital Single Lense Reflex. The basic theory behind these cameras is that what you see through your viewfinder is what the camera is seeing, thus operating the same as a traditional 35mm camera. These sorts of camera will have all the electronic functions of other digital cameras, and are generally more expensieve to buy.

In summary, do your homework.There is a large number of cameras available, ranging from low budget up to many thousands of dollars for a top class, professional outfit depending on your needs as a consumer.