Digital Camera Help - Checklist For Buying a Digital Camera

Over the last few years I have purchased quite a large number of digital cameras, and I came up with a list of questions one should ask before buying one.

1. Focal length

If you are familiar with older cameras, you should always ask for the 35mm equivalent of the focal length of the zoom lenses. With most models, this is printed on the camera itself, but you should ask, just to be on the safe side.

2. Return policy

Depending on your country, there could be a minimum mandatory period in which you can return the purchased item. Some stores might charge you a restocking fee.

3. Highest resolution

What's the maximum number of megapixels this camera can shoot at? Is that resolution enough for me if I want to print the photos in a larger format, say, A3?

4. Distinguishable features

How is this camera better than others? Does it come, for example, with in-camera red eye removal? Does it come with direct-to-printer support?

5. Maximum storage space

For any models with less than 1GB of memory you should buy at least one 4GB or larger memory card. With the constant decrease in the price of the storage media, you have no excuse to miss taking a great shot due to lack of disk space.

6. What accessories are included with the camera?

Do I get a data cable, to transfer the pictures to my computer? What about spare batteries or extra memory cards?

7. Software

Is it Windows Vista compatible? Even if you are using XP at this moment, you might consider upgrading to Vista in the future, and you wouldn't want to find that your camera is not supported. Also, you should ask whether it is automatically recognized by the operating system without installing any additional drivers: you never know when you need to download the photos to a friend's or colleague's computer, and you will want to be able to do it without using a drivers CD.

8. Warranty and extended warranty

How long is the warranty period? Does it cover both labor and spare parts cost? Can it be renewed or transferred to a third party? If so, at what costs?

9. Service and support

If I get stuck using it, can I call someone for help? Should the camera break down, is there a local repair shop where I can take it, or do I have to mail it to some other location?

Canon EOS 5D Mark II

The successor Canon delivers: the EOS 5D Mark II is in many ways a must-have upgrade, especially for the wedding photography crowd for whom the 5D is a workhorse. And with many of the imaging components of the 1Ds Mark III (including a later version of the image-processing engine, Digic 4) for a price tag $5,000 lower, it's certainly an attractive alternative.The camera comes in two official

Shopping For a New Lens - Image Stabilization

Image Stabilization (IS) is one of the features a lens might or might not have. When available (and turned on) on your lens, it will keep image blur due to camera shake to a minimum, and it will enable you to shoot with slower shutter speeds while maintaining sharp focus.

It's important to keep in mind that image stabilization will not solve blurry image problems if the motion is caused by your subject moving rather than you handholding the camera, or by extreme camera movement at and during exposure.

Image stabilization can often permit the use of shutter speeds 2-4 stops slower (exposures 4-16 times longer) than otherwise possible, and sometimes even more.

To calculate the slowest shutter speed that is possible for a handheld camera with no noticeable blurring of the image, it needs to be 1/lens focal length you're shooting with.

This means that if you're shooting with a 50mm lens, your minimum shutter speed should be no longer than 1/50, for example 1/50, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250...etc to avoid image blur.

Likewise, if you're shooting with a 70-200mm zoom lens at let's say 125mm focal length, your minimum shutter speed should be no longer 1/125, for example 1/125, 1/250, 1/500... etc. But if your lens offers image stabilization, you would be able to take the slowest shutter speed possible down an extra 2-4 stops or even more. This means you would be able to shoot at 1/15 or 1/8 or even slower, with no significant image blurring. This is of course assuming you have a 35mm format camera.

If you're not using a 35mm format, you need to note that the crop factor will affect the slowest shutter speed possible at a given focal length.

The crop factor, also known as the focal length multiplier (FLM), is the ratio of the dimensions of a camera's image plane compared to a reference format. Most often, this term is applied to digital cameras, relative to 35mm film format as a reference. In the case of digital cameras, the image plane would be a digital sensor.

Taking that into account, let's assume you're shooting with a 1.6x crop factor image plane at 50mm focal length. Your actual focal length would then be 50 X 1.6 = 80mm rather than 50mm. So the slowest possible shutter speed that will not result in image blurring while handholding your camera would be 1/80s or faster.

Image stabilization names differ from one manufacturer to another, but they all serve the same purpose and do the same job:

Canon

IS (image stabilization)

Nikon

VR (vibration reduction)

Sony Cyber-Shot

Optical SteadyShot

Sony

SSS (Super Steady Shot)

Panasonic / Leica

MegaOIS

Sigma

OS (Optical Stabilization)

Tamron

VC (Vibration Compensation)

Pentax

SR (Shake Reduction)

It's important to keep in mind though that image stabilization is not an alternative for a tripod, and that its preferable to keep it off when it's not needed (when you're already shooting at high enough shutter speeds or when it's setup on a tripod). Doing so will also lengthen your battery life since IS draws more battery power.

Most manufacturers actually do suggest that the IS feature of a lens be turned off when the lens is mounted on a tripod as it can cause unexpected results, and is generally unnecessary.

Many modern image stabilization lenses are able to detect when and when not your camera is being mounted on a tripod, due to significantly low vibration readings. A great example of those are canon's newest IS lenses.

When extremely low vibration is detected, those lenses are programmed to automatically disable image stabilization on their own.

Image stabilized lenses also have disadvantages. One main problem would be the high price tag that goes along with them. Image stabilized lenses can also yield poor bokeh results due to light shifting from its true optical path while passing through the lens, something you might be concerned about.

Top 10 Misconceptions about Photography and the Law

A Conversation with Attorney Carolyn E. Wright
By Martha Blanchfield
Carolyn Wright is an avid photographer, attorney and author of www.photoattorney.com, a rich resource Web site that covers a wide range of issues and topics of interest to photographers. In her 18 years’ work as an attorney she has worked on hundreds of cases—most of which have been resolved without formal litigation. The most common matter she handles is the unauthorized use of her clients’ photographs.
“Photographers have many misconceptions about copyright laws and intellectual property rights based on conversations they have had with colleagues and/or inaccurate information obtained from the Internet. My Top 10 List came about as a way to combat the spread of this misinformation,” Wright shares, whose areas of practice deal with intellectual property, including copyright and trademark law, rights of privacy and publicity, and contracts and licensing.
“Unfortunately, the services of an attorney are sometimes required to enforce ownership rights, but a photographer should do all that is possible in advance of engaging legal counsel,” she notes. “One of the most important things is to register the copyright to all of his or her images that have been distributed to others (especially those on the Internet) with the U.S. Copyright Office. A second task for photographers seeking to make money with their photography is to really learn how to run and proactively manage a business.”
Top 10 Misconceptions

1. You don’t need permission to photograph a work of art that is in a public area.
This rule is based on copyright law. United States Copyright Law grants exclusive rights to the copyright owner of a creative work, including the rights to: reproduce the copyrighted work; prepare derivative works based on the copyrighted work; distribute copies of the copyrighted work to the public; and/or display the image. (See 17 USC §106.)
When those rights are infringed the copyright owner is entitled to recover damages suffered as a result of the infringement. (See 17 USC §504). So even when a creative work is in a public area you may photograph it only if the work is in the public domain or your photograph makes a fair use of the work.


2. A news publication may use your photograph without your permission because it is fair use.
The answer is not so easy. Wright notes that some individuals claim that use of a photograph for educational or newsworthy purposes is okay under “fair use.” The doctrine of fair use means that copying will not infringe a copyright when it is “for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship or research.”
Four factors are considered to determine whether the use of a photograph qualifies for fair use:

• The purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for non-profit or educational purposes.
• The nature of the copyrighted work.
• The amount and substantiality of the copyrighted material that is used.
• The effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.

3. You need a model release to use a photograph of a person on a book cover.
In general, the use of a person’s image on a book cover was considered to be an editorial use that would not need a model release. Recently, however, a New York court determined that a model release was needed for a cover of a fiction book. While this ruling has created an anomaly, it’s always safest to obtain a signed model release.
4. If you make money from a print, it is a commercial use.
Just selling a print or licensing a photo does not make the transaction a commercial use of a photograph. Instead, a commercial use of a photograph generally occurs when the photo is used for advertising, endorsement or trade.
5. You need a property release to use a photograph of a house for a commercial use.
No court or state has established a law—either by statute or through court rulings—creating a right to protect or prevent property from being photographed from a public area, or from that photograph being used editorially or commercially. Thus, no legal reason exists for a “property release,” except perhaps when photographing other copyrighted works or trademarks. Note that some stock agencies require a property release for fear of being sued.
6. You have no copyright protection for your photos until you register them.
Copyright exists in your photographs at the moment you click the shutter. While you do not have to register your photos with the U.S. Copyright Office for them to be protected by copyright, there are many reasons to register them. When a photo is not registered with the U.S. Copyright Office prior to an infringement (or within three months of the first publication of the photo), a copyright owner may recover only “actual damages” for the infringement (pursuant to 17 U.S.C. 504 (b)), instead of statutory damages. Courts usually calculate actual damages based on your normal license fees and/or standard licensing fees, plus profits derived from the infringement, if not too speculative.
Note also that to file a lawsuit in the U.S. for copyright infringement, the photo must be registered.
The U.S. Copyright Office now allows for registration of certain copyrighted works online using the eCO system. Currently, you may use eCO to register any number of unpublished images, a single published image and multiple images that were all first published in the same “unit of publication.” Registrations of a group of separately published photographs at this time must be submitted on Form VA only, with optional use of continuation sheet Form GR/PPh/CON. The Copyright Office expects that these group registrations will be allowed using the eCO system soon.
7. Statues and other works of art on federal or state property are in the public domain.
Works in the “public domain” are creative works that are not protected by copyright. Works are in public domain either because: (1) the author failed to satisfy statutory formalities to perfect the copyright; (2) it is a work of the U.S. Government; or (3) the term of copyright for the work has expired.
Item (1) refers to work published prior to March 1, 1989. The copyright notice had to be affixed to the work or it immediately lost protection (the copyright protection for some foreign works has been restored even if they were published without notice before that time). Works published without the copyright notice between 1/1/78 and 3/1/89, the effective date of the Berne Convention Implementation Act, retained copyright only if efforts to correct the accidental omission of notice was made within five years—such as by placing notice on unsold copies. The law has changed so that works published after that time do not need the copyright notice for protection, but it’s a good idea to use it anyway.
Item (2) provides that works of government employees, such as maps, charts and surveys are in the public domain from the date of creation.
Item (3) allows a certain time of copyright protection for the benefit of the creator. The time for that protection has changed several times over the years, so it’s difficult to explain when works fall into the public domain. The chart found at www.unc.edu/~unclng/public-d.htm is helpful to determine dates.
Sometimes, however, copyrighted works are created by non-government personnel for the government, such as when the government commissions a piece of art. The artist later transfers the copyright to the government. The “government works exception” then allows the federal government to hold the copyrights for those works transferred to it by assignment.
Some have argued that the government is using this exception unfairly and as a workaround for copyright law. So far, it has been used to prevent the copying or creation of derivative works from items such as a film series on early Supreme Court cases to the Sacagawea coin.
The Vietnam Women’s Memorial Foundation, Inc. (VWMF) has used the exception as a basis to sue those who have sold photographs of the Vietnam Women’s Memorial. The Memorial is a bronze sculpture created by Glenna Goodacre of Santa Fe, NM. It resides on the grounds of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., and depicts three women and a wounded soldier. Goodacre reportedly transferred the copyright for the sculpture to the VWMF, which has sued various entities that allegedly sold photographs of the sculpture.
8. Photographs of works in the public domain also are in the public domain.
Unless the photos are exact copies (often referred to as “slavish copies”) of the creative works that are in the public domain, they are entitled to protection under copyright law (see response to #1).
9. If a stock agency requires a model or property release, then it must be legally required.
In general, you may photograph people when they are in public. The use of those photographs, however, can be restricted due to certain privacy rights. Privacy rights are recognized in most states, but are different for each state. Since it’s tricky to know what you can do, the safest approach to follow is the most restrictive one.
One right of privacy—also known as the right of publicity—is the commercial appropriation of someone’s name or likeness. This happens when the name or likeness of someone is used without consent to gain commercial benefit, such as when a photograph of a person is used in an advertisement without the person’s permission. You don’t need a model release to use a photograph of a person for editorial purposes. Since it’s sometimes difficult to tell whether a use of a photograph is commercial or editorial use, it’s best to get a model release. Further, since stock agencies want to avoid lawsuits, they may require a model or property release in an abundance of caution, even when they are not needed.
10. If you take a photograph while working, the copyright to the photograph always belongs to the employer.
Section 101 of the copyright law includes one of the definitions of a “work made for hire” as: (1) a work prepared by an employee within the scope of his or her employment. Thus, while you may take a photo while on the job, if photography is not within your job description, then you, not your employer, own the copyright to the image. When the copyright belongs to your employer, it is as if you never took it and you may not use it for any purposes unless authorized by the employer or the law (such as a fair use).

For more reading, here is a selection of books on the topic of  Photography and the Law

35 MM Format Cameras

35 mm format cameras use roll film with an image dimension of 24X36 mm, which is the smallest format currently used in the professional market. The small format means that the camera body is smaller and lighter in weight than medium format or view cameras, and that is why it is the most portable of all three.

Using equipment of this size means that you can carry around a comprehensive set in a small, light case. There is a huge range of lenses and accessories available, and the whole system will incorporate the very latest developments in the industry.

The majority of cameras in the 35 mm market are single lens reflex (SLR) cameras, although the format also encompasses compactcameras and rangefinders.

35 mm cameras probably represent the best value for money because prices are highly competitive. They sell to a huge market of photographers (both professional and amateurs), and the 35 mm format is the one that has moved furthest away from traditional mechanical operation towards more and more electronic control, on-board processing and in some cases complete automation.

In more recent years a type of hybrid cameras, the Semi-professional, more recently known as the "Prosumer" (Professional Consumer) camera has appeared. These SLRs tend to have more of the features of the professional ranges, but are cheaper and targeted at the serious amateur. Often, the lower price results in a lower build quality and lens performance, and tend to be more programmable offering more automatic features. These models are updated quite rapidly, and bristle with every imaginable feature. This is sometimes more to upstage competitor brands than to improve your photography.

One of the useful features 35 mm cameras tend to include as standard is through-the-lens (TTL) exposure metering. This, of course, means that the whole imaging process is faster than it would be if separate exposure metering was required. TTL means that metering can be performed while looking through the viewfinder and in many cases, the camera controls are designed to be easily adjusted accordingly. Modern SLRs often include a number of TTL metering modes, such as center-weighting and spot metering, and with knowledge and experience every shot you take can be correctly exposed. This is a factor that really defines how the cameras are used; they are portable, all-in-one units, allowing the user to capture fleeting shots without spending a long time setting up their gear. Although they may indeed be used in a studio setting, they are also designed for all other types of photography and they far exceed the other formats in their versatility.

Many 35 mm ranges also include dedicated flash units and at the more expensive end, these may include TTL flash metering. Later models of independent flash units may also be adapted to use the TTL metering systems of 35 mm cameras. This is a huge plus when using on-camera flash and is particularly useful in photojournalism.

Because of the small image format, lenses for 35 mm camera systems are the shortest, with a standard lens of focal length 50 mm, telephoto lenses longer than this, wide-angle lenses beginning at around 24 mm and extra wide-angle lenses at 20 mm and below.

Depth of field is affected by a number of factors, such as focusing distance, aperture (f-stop), and lens focal length. Shorter lens focal lengths produce a larger depth of field, especially useful when subjects are close. Another important characteristic of shorter focal length lenses is wider achievable maximum apertures (f/1.0-f/1.4 at the more expensive end of the 35 mm market), therefore the lenses are also faster. The result of this is that they are the most versatile in low light conditions. The smaller camera size means that they are already the most portable, but with faster lenses, they are also the easiest to hand-hold in existing light, meaning that fewer accessories such as tripods and additional lighting may be necessary. Large apertures also allow the selection of faster shutter speeds to freeze motion, particularly important in areas such as people and sports photography.

As previously mentioned, modern 35 mm cameras tend to rely heavily on electronics to control everything from exposure metering, film winding, ISO setting, exposure compensation and bracketing to sophisticated program automated modes. A downside of this is the possibility of camera failure either as a result of failure of the power supply, or because of a fault in on-board circuitry, which can be expensive to overcome. Excessive control buttons or, alternatively, total automation can also stand in the way of serious work. The many mode options and viewfinder signals get in the way, even lead you into errors - perhaps through mis-selection or distraction by data displays at the key moment of some prize shot. Any camera for advanced amateur or professional work must also offer complete manual control. You need to have the assurance that you can take over and choose your settings to get the result required, including special effects.

A fully automated camera is well worth considering however, for fast, candid photography (including situations where you must shoot over your head in a crowd). Auto-focusing can be useful, particularly if panning and focusing on a moving subject, but it is important to remember how power-consuming continuous focusing is. There can also be a tendency for the focus to slip between different subjects and it can sometimes be easier to change focus manually. The more sophisticated models have a range of auto-focus zones within the frame, which are useful if the subject is off-center. Some of the highest quality (and of course most expensive) lenses have ultrasonic image stabilizers to combat camera shake which can result in a huge improvement in image quality and sharpness, but as this is also a form of continuous auto-focusing, they will consume more power shortening battery life.

It is important to remember that these cameras are only artificially intelligent. For example, they go for the greatest depth of field in bright light conditions, and they can easily be focusing on, or exposing for, the wrong part of the scene. So make sure that there are convenient reading lock facilities for auto-focus and for TTL metering. Other features you may well rate as essential for any SLR camera include a stop-down button to preview your actual depth of field with all preset aperture lenses.

Because film structure is the same regardless of frame size or format, noise is another concern. Film grain is the result of either specks of silver (black and white) or clouds of color being formed in the emulsion layers during processing. When enlarged for printing, beyond a certain level, film grain becomes more and more visible. The random structure of film grain can be used for creative effect, but it can also degrade the image appearance in terms of sharpness and noise. The size of developed grain is also a limiting factor in the resolution of the film, or its ability to record fine detail.

Relative to a 35 mm frame size, film grain will be much larger than it is in the larger formats. 35 mm film therefore has the lowest effective resolution of the three (35 mm format , medium format, and view cameras) which means that if enlarged to the same size, the images will be less sharp, noise will be more evident and generally they appear to be of lower quality. Scratches and blemishes will also be much larger when the film is printed, and often more difficult to remove. The lower image quality may be problematic if the images are enlarged much beyond 8 x 10 inches (203 x 220 mm), however other factors can compensate for this, such as variations in the processing chemicals, and also in the distance at which the prints are to be viewed.

Achieving the Film Look With Digital Video - 35mm Adapters and More

One of the more apparent differences between film and digital video is the way the cameras handle depth of field. Film cameras have allow for a shallow depth of field (resulting in only the subject area being is in focus), while video cameras offer a larger depth of field (resulting in everything being in focus). This article will go into the details on achieving a shallow depth of field with a digital video camcorder.

35mm Adapters - Benefits

Why is shallow depth of field good?

Having the ability to shoot with a shallow depth of field isn't really a good or bad thing. Think of it as an option when plotting a scene. Having a shallow depth of field helps keep your audience focused on what you want them to focus on. It also provides a feeling of depth to the viewer while a shot with a large depth of field is overall sharp and makes it difficult to focus on any single area.

Other benefits to 35mm adapters are the softness they provide to an image. This also aids in providing that "film look" we all desire from our footage.

There are three categories an adapter can fall in: Static, Vibrating, Spinning. The difference between the adapters all rely on movement of the ground glass the image is projected on.

There are pros and cons to each type:

Static adapters - The ground glass (focusing screen) has no movement.

Cons

- Grain can be visible and static in lower light conditions and/or when f-stop is set to a high number.

- Since the camera is focused on the ground glass, all imperfections and dirt will show up in your video.

- Depending on the type of ground glass you choose, cleaning the ground glass puts it at risk for damage.

Pros

- Ability to have a more compact housing.

- Cheaper and less time-consuming to make.

Vibrating Adapters - The ground glass vibrates.

Cons

- More expensive and time consuming to build.

- Requires battery power adding to weight.

Pros

- Imperfections and dust are blurred and rendered almost un-noticeable.

- Grain is blurred and aids in providing a soft feel to footage.

Spinning Adapters - The ground glass spins.

Cons

- Most expensive and time consuming to build.

- Requires battery power adding to weight.

- Poor alignment can cause an unwanted pumping effect blurring the focus in and out.- Larger and heavier.

Pros

- Imperfections and dust are blurred and rendered un-noticeable.

- Grain is blurred and aids in providing a soft feel to footage.

35mm Adapter - Basic Principle

The basic order for an adapter is camera > adapter > 35mm lens (see below)The main component inside and adapter is the ground glass (focusing screen). The ground glass is what the 35mm lens projects the image onto. The ground glass is also what the camera focus is set to. The distance of the ground glass to the camera (focal flange) is important to achieve the correct focus(varies by lens type). It is important to distance the ground glass far enough away from the camera so the camera can focus in on it.

How do I build my own 35mm adapter?

Basic parts overview

It varies between types and there are all sorts of tutorials and methods available on how to build an adapter. Although there are a lot of tutorials still be prepared for trial and error as there are a lot of variables that can affect your setup, from camera type to 35mm lens type. No matter which type you use the following will be common parts.

A macro tube.

These can vary, however many DIY adapters use inexpensive tubes found on eBay (see links to tubes below). These will provide the housing and/or distance needed in your adapter. Remember to choose the tube that fits you 35mm lens.

Step rings

Step rings will be needed to attach your camera to the extension tubes and/or filters utilized. There are couplers, step-up, and step-down rings. The sizes you need will depend on your camera's and filters thread sizes.

Circular Polarizing Filter (CPF)

Some adapters utilize a circular polarizing filter with the glass removed. This allows the tube to rotate to aid in aligning you ground glass (focusing screen)

Ground Glass (Focusing Screen)

You will need a focusing screen. They basically are diffused glass that the image from your 35mm lens is projected on. On static and vibrating adapters the Canon EE-S and EE-A are recommended by many DIY adapter builders. There are methods of making your own ground glass such as using wax or grinding the glass. For a spinning adapter a frosted blank CD is generally used. Note that no matter which one you choose, this is a crucial element in your adapter that will affect bokeh, light, quality, etc. So take time researching before you decide on any one method...again allow for trial and error.

Ground Glass holder

Unfortunately this is not a common part. There is only one place I know of that sell pre-made ground glass holders for both static and vibrating adapters (jetsetmodels.info). Although a bit costly, these do come highly recommended. You can also attempt making your own. There is a little information shared about creating your own holder.

35mm lens

In most cases you already own one. Especially if you have an old 35mm film camera that has been collecting dust since the age of digital photography came to be. The lens will have to be manual. A good place to start would be a 50mm lens. The larger the aperture can be open on the lends the better as this will allow more light through to illuminate your ground glass. I use 50mm the most, but it is fun to play with different lenses to achieve different results...experimenting and knowing your equipment is the key.

There are other parts such as 12mm vibrating pancake motors, achromats, battery holders, carbon fiber pins, etc. These parts relate to specific setups based on your adapter type and camera. You can find more details on these parts in the tutorials and link below.

Hey my image is upside down!

Flipping the image....

Yes, it is true the image projected onto the ground glass (focusing screen) is upside down and mirrored. This is an easy fix in any NLE video application, but the real issue arises when filming the video as it will be upside down in the LCD and viewfinder of your camera. There are many workarounds that range from utilizing a cheap mirror attached to the bottom of your LCD to a full on hack to your camera's LCD screen (risky if camera is under warranty). To me the best solution is to purchase a cheap field monitor and mount it upside down.

Does camera size matter?

Larger prosumer camcorders vs smaller consumer camcorders

Yes, size matters. The main differences will be the filter thread size and the distance needed from ground glass to camera. On larger cameras such as the Panasonic HVX200 the filter thread is larger (82mm on the HVX200). On smaller camcorders such as the HV30 the filter thread is smaller (43mm on the HV30). Also larger camera need a longer distance between the camera and the ground glass to allow them to focus in on the projected image. In the end this means that adapters for larger camera will tend to be longer and a tad more $$ needed for extra tubing and step rings.

Achieve Shallow Depth of Field Without an adapter

With some effort and planning you can achieve a shallow depth of field without the use of an adapter.

-First, Put your camcorder into manual setting (refer to your camera's manual)then open your iris (aperture, exposure)all the way.

-Second, You want your subject to be as far from the background in your shot and you want the camera as far away from the subject as possible (see image below).

-Third, zoom in on your subject as much as possible.

Too much exposure?

Try some of these tricks:

- Turn on your camera's ND filter (if equipped)

- Switch to a negative gain (try not to go below -6 dB)

- Try using ND filters

- Tweak the shutter speed to fine tune.35mm Adapters - Types Which type is the best?

Passion for Photography - How to Buy the Perfect Digital Camera

In case photography has been your long-time passion, you probably already know many things on how to pick a good digital camera. A lot has been written on the subject, and this article is by no means directed at covering all of the information available. However, in case you are new in the area, it will offer you a basic idea on how to select the right digital camera.

In short, there are four things you should look at when selecting your digital camera: resolution, lens aperture, zoom and lens quality. Let's take each of them separately. The resolution of your digital camera indicates the number of pixels, or how detailed your picture can be. Digital camera resolutions normally range from 1.3 megapixels to 10 megapixels. With 1.3 megapixels you can have an acceptable 4x6 photo, or maximum 5x7. With higher resolutions you can get larger photos. For cameras above 6 megapixels, image size is no longer limited by resolution, but by other things such as lens quality.

One other thing to look at is lens aperture. It is used to estimate how much the lens can open. The higher the opening, the more light it gets, and the less ambient light you need to shoot a good photo. Many customers often overlook this characteristic, although it is rather significant. It allows you to shoot some good photos even indoors without using a flash. Pictures taken with no flash look more natural. Also, if you have just discovered your passion for photography new passion, you are likely to shoot a lot of photos, and the flash would drive people nuts. With higher aperture you don't normally need flash, which means you can shoot pictures less obtrusively. Note that small numbers (such as 1.8 or 2.5) stand for better aperture.

A zoom lens is a type of lens with variable focal length. A short focal length has a wide angle, enabling you to shoot photos of large areas. A long focal length is used for telephoto, and helps you photograph a person or an object at a long distance. A zoom lens combines these two and everything in the middle into just one, variable focal length. For instance, a zoom of x3 tells you that the longer focal length is 3 times longer than the shortest one. This is the standard zoom for most cameras, while the shortest focal length is usually 35mm, and the longest 105mm. You can also find superzoom cameras, which have the same short focal length, but a zoom of x8 or x10. Remember to always check the optical zoom, not the digital. Digital zoom only crops your picture, which you can easily do yourself in any photo editing software.

And last, but not least, you should also think of lens quality. Higher-quality lenses are sharper, and this will make a significant difference in your photo. Unfortunately, this is not something you can find on the camera box. The best way to go is to select reliable manufacturers that specialize in photo devices, and to search for reviews online. And while you are there, you can also look into what other customers say about the camera software, which is important for color rendition.