DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY - - Page 2

2.  DIGITAL CAMERAS  -  Yeah!  Finally!  

Film-less digital photography is here to stay.  

The prices are down and features are going up.  The cameras and DIGITAL photographs are improving.  Many now have vibration reduction (VR)  shake control built in.  The fact that you don't have to buy film and you can erase/delete bad shots makes digital photography very attractive.  

Digital retouching with computer software is another real boon.  With the appropriate software you can correct exposure, white balance, sharpness and other parameters of the image.  You can also erase those ugly telephone poles and power lines from otherwise great shots.  It takes some time and effort to learn - but it is great fun.

If you don't have a digital camera and are taking only a very few family photos a film camera you already have or a throw away one-time film camera is still an inexpensive way to get a few shots of a family event.  Eventually though, you will want a digital camera. It is the way to go.

Everyone asks - when buying a digital camera, how many mega pixels do I need.  Well, I would suggest you not purchase one with less than four MP - mega pixels.  Six is better if you plan on doing any cropping and/or printing 8 x 10 inch prints.  Ten mega pixels is great - especially if you plan on purchasing or printing 11" x 14" sized blow-ups or plan on very extensive cropping.  There you have it.  The important point here is that for all practical purposes an image small enough to be sent in an email, for example, will be just as good from a 4 mega pixel camera as one from a 10 mega pixel or more camera, all other things being equal.  Are there differences between brands?  Yes, but today almost all will serve you well for your family snapshots so look primarily for price, size, type of memory required, battery type, LCD size and handling issues.  You can drive yourself crazy trying to decide which brand and model is best for you so - just go get one.  Many stores will let you bring it back for a full refund, if your not happy.  Check the store policy before you make the purchase.  Be sure to keep your receipt, box, and everything that came with the camera.  Make sure you meet their time requirements for a camera return as it is usually shorter than other purchases.  Ten days is fairly normal.   At the beginning of page one we talked about point and shoots versus digital single lens reflex (DSLR) cameras so go back and read the first section again for more details.  Ccheck internet reviews of various cameras but remember they are often only one persons opinion and new and better models come out every day it seems.  Just order one and try it out today.

A book you should own.

Some Typical Digital Cameras