Thursday, July 30, 2009

Looking To Buy A Digital Camera?

By Dan Feildman

Shopping for a digital camera can be a daunting task. The huge variety of cameras on the market is enough to give you a headache when trying to decide which will work for you. Not only must you decide on a manufacturer, once you have that narrowed down you must then decide on a model. Every time I turn around it seems as if there are new models available, each with bigger and better features. Understanding what all the jargon means makes the process even more mind boggling.

Remember, the companies tell you only about those features of their products, they want you to know about. A layman is not technically adept to go into the details of the digital cameras. A flashy marketing campaign is enough to allure the customers and sell the products. But you can easily get the best with in your budget by just knowing a few basic essentials for shopping a digital camera. This basic knowledge enables you to purchase the right camera, according to your choice.

The first thing to look out while shopping around for a digital camera is the number of mega pixels. You must have come across the advertisements boasting well on the more mega pixels of their digital cameras as compared to any other camera. Mega pixels are actually one million pixels. Pixels are small squares that form a picture on a camera screen. All the pixels have a particular color assigned to them. The pixels are building block of the picture.

Now, it is a common belief that you need a large number of pixels in order to have a better image. This is actually a wrong perception. Pixels only determine how large your picture can reasonably be. For example, if you have a 10,000 MP camera your image will not be crisper than if you had an 8000 MP camera. However, a 10,000 MP camera is better if you desire to print out large images. Hopefully with this knowledge under your belt you will be better equipped to figure out exactly how many mega pixels you want in the camera you purchase.

The sensors in your digital camera determine its efficiency. While you shop around for your digital camera, always pay attention to the types of sensors employed in it. Sensors are used to capture the image before transferring it to the main memory of the camera. This makes the camera ready to capture further images instantly.

There are two types of sensors that are found in cameras. These are either CCD and CMOS. The CCD is Charged Couple Device. More expensive models usually have the CCD sensor. These sensors give a great image quality and are perfect for professional photographers. Typical point and shoot cameras contain CMOS sensors (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) which do not provide the best image quality. Basically if your goal is to do simply point and shoot photographs, like the majority of photographers, you will do well with the CMOS sensor. Professional photographers will definitely need the CCD sensor.

Your choice of camera will also depend on the kinds of photos you plan on taking. There are a variety of cameras for different purposes. For example, if you are planning on do a lot of wild life photography I recommend you purchase a camera that has Center-Weighted metering. Center weighted metering is is when the camera takes a light reading from the whole frame, but it pays attention to the center of the image. The camera stays focused at the center of the object allowing you to get the perfect shot.

On the other hand, if nature photography is more your thing I would recommend a camera that has a wide angle lens and memory exposure lock. Memory exposure is responsible for the depth of a photograph. The wide angle lens brings the depth visible. Always make sure that you carry a light camera if you are mountaineering or going for an adventure trip. - 16887

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