by Kathleen Krueger/MarginsXs 

If you are going to buy your first digital camera (or even your next one), you will want to research key features.  You will be presented with a lot of functional options, therefore, it would be ideal  not to stumble on terms like megapixels.. You will want to be prepared, so in doing a bit of research, you will find that when you do go to buy a camera, you will be able to save some time, confusion,  and maybe even money.

When most people first begin looking at digital cameras, the question in their minds is picture quality. Keep in mind, though, the quality of a digital camera is mainly defined by four quantities: lens aperture, zoom range, lens quality, resolution ,and software.

Lets talk about resolution. What is the most classic feature of a digital camera? Filmlessness.  Nearly all digital cameras use CCD’s as the sensing element. This filmless resolution measured by megapixels, or the little dots on the camera’s screen that make up the picture.   The range of pixels varies, with higher is better.  The less pixels, the more grainy your picture will be, so you’ll probably want a camera that is at least at a 2 or 3.The range for a 2 or 3 is as follows:

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                          ·         2 Megapixel = 1600×1200: Pretty good 8×10′s.

·         3 Megapixel = 2048×1536: Great 8×10′s, good 11×14′s.

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 If you want great 4 x 6 pictures, consider 1.3 megapixel.  If you are going pro, you’ll look for a 4 or above. However, once you start going above that, you won’t see much of a difference in your shots unless you are taking professional photographs that are going to be blown up or need to be of impeccable quality. 
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Shutter speed is the next feature you’ll want to think about.  While this does not define the quality of the digital camera directly, it does determine the quality and type of pictures you have in mind. If you’ve used film cameras in the past, you probably understand shutter speed, but for novices, this may be a new lesson. Briefly, you will notice that shutter speed  takes less than a fraction of a second. Therefore if someone says the shuttle speed is 600, they really mean that it is 1/600 of a second. Faster shutter speeds are better if you will be taking a lot of motion shots; however, most people and situations will never need anything higher than 2000. Shutter speed that is counted to the full seconds is useful for night photography. If you want your camera simply for regular run-of-the-mill photography, you may never encounter the importance of this variable.  However, as you progress in you skill and art, wouldn’t it be great to know you can photograph things like sports or city lights?  Know you options before you give them away!
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 Let’s briefly cover the last three characteristics of a good digital camera, aperture, zoom, and software.   What is a good aperture? The aperture of a lens is its maximum opening and the best seems to be f/2.8 – f/3.5. The larger the number, the smaller the opening.  The ideal would be to have a really fast (large aperture) lens. It means you can grab all the shots you want, 20 in a row if you wish, of Aunt Bee, without driving her and everyone else nuts over flash!  And, your photos are going to look more natural and candid.
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 For zoom, it’s an easy feature. Most digital cameras have a 3X zoom, with a focal length range from around 35 mm to 105 mm. 35 mm is a modest wide angle, and 105 mm is a modest telephoto.  That is all you will ever need.  Pay attention only to optical zoom characteristics.  The digital zoom specifications that you see in ads are worthless. Digital zoom is of no value. All it does is crop the image in the camera, and you can easily do that yourself with computer software.
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 Software quality is critical to your photos.  When you take a photo, the digital camera first captures a “pre-photo” , and then processes the brightness and color balance. In a second, you’ll hear it click or whiz, that that is when the real picture is being taken. Anyone who has dealt with film processing or has been a slide photographer knows that different light sources can result in different colors.  Know when you go drop off your regular film at the grocery store, and you see signs displaying great color?  It’s not as obvious to the average person, but processing labs that print our photos correct for most color shifts.  The Very Cool part of a digital camera is that is does this for you.  Some brands are better than others.  It’s a great question for a sales rep!
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In summary, I’d recommend you read reviews on the cameras you are interested in.  There certainly isn’t any shame in going to stores, and checking out the cameras for themselves, handling them, and asking salespersons for information.   Of course you want a good quality camera for a good price.  And you also want to like using it!   May your purchase and its process be an enjoyable one.

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This is a recently taken photo (December 2007) by “m for matthijs“.  He was testing a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 macro USM on a Benro tripod .  Very nice. 

Macro shots are to be admired, and obtaining quality photos, one needs 1/2 equipment and 1/2 talent! While this isn’t a “digital” photo, I couldn’t help but be impressed.  Happy viewing.

As mentioned above, the Photographer is by .m for matthijs.  If you would like to see a lot more of his great stuff, see the flickr link below:

m for matthijs

Kathleen

MarginsXs