Digital Camera Buying tips: Take that perfect shot …
Posted on August 5, 2007
Filed Under Practical Tips / Photo Know-How & Knowledge base
Here are some simple pointers on buying a good digital camera. CHOOSING a camera can be a daunting task as there are so many different models and capabilities to choose from. Before buying a digital camera, there are a few important questions to be asked: What do you need the camera for? What type of photography will you be doing? (Portraits, landscapes, macro, sports) What conditions will you be largely photographing in? (Indoors, outdoors, low light, bright light) Will you largely stay in auto mode or do you want to learn the art of photography? What experience level do you have with cameras? What type of features are you looking for? (Long zoom, image stabilisation, large LCD display, etc) How important is size and portability to you? What is your budget? Megapixels are not everything It can actually be a disadvantage to have images that are so large that they take up enormous amounts of space on memory cards and computers. If you’re only printing images at a normal size then anything over four megapixels will be fine. If you’re going to start blowing your images up you might want to pay the extra money for something from the upper end of what’s on offer. Keep in mind the accessories Accessories include the camera case, memory card, spare batteries, charger, lenses (if you are getting a digital single lense reflex camera or DSLR), filters and other lens attachments, tripods or monopods, external flashes and reflectors. Some retailers will bundle such extras with cameras or offer a discount when you buy more than one item at once. DSLR or Point-and-Shoot Before you decide on the best format that will suit your way of life, ask yourself how you will be using the digital camera. Here are the pros and cons of the DSLR and point-and-shoot cameras. DSLR Pros: # Interchangeable lenses # Extensive photographic controls as well as autofocus features # No parallax in extreme close-up # Can be equipped with powerful flash units which can light the subjects from 60 to 70ft away # Advanced metering gives more precise focusing, especially in low light # No shutter lag time # Depth of field preview Cons: # Relatively expensive although cost has dropped considerably # Much heavier and bulkier than compact point-and-shoots # Complicated controls for beginners; photographer has to make more decisions # High-resolution images require capital outlay for bigger memory cards Point-and-Shoot Pros: # Many compact digital cameras offer most of the controls, features and sophisticated metering and focus systems that the high-end DSLRs do, for much less money # More compact and light weight # Extremely affordable # User-friendly Cons: # Lens usually not interchangeable although some models offer the option # On board flashes have a limited range, usually about 10-15ft # Limited manual function Optical zoom There are two types of zoom function. There is the ‘optical zoom’ and then there’s the ‘digital zoom’. You might want to consider the optical zoom when making a purchase. Digital zooms simply enlarge the pixels in your shot which not only makes your subject look bigger, but also makes it look more pixelated. Most modern cameras have them of at least 3x in length which means they’ll make your subject three times bigger, with an increasing array of ‘super zooms’ coming onto the market at up to 12x. Read reviews It is also a good idea to read reviews of the product you are about to purchase. There are many forums and photography blogs which you can retrieve online. Alternatively, you can also read photography magazines or newspaper reviews. Hands-on experience Once you’ve narrowed down your search to a handful of cameras, head down to your local camera store and ask to see and play with the functions. There’s nothing like having the camera in your hands. Negotiate After you’ve selected the right digital camera for you, it’s time to find the best price. Don’t forget to ask for free or discounted bonuses, including camera cases, memory cards, extra batteries, filters, free prints, etc.
Via: NAIR SundayMetro; Take that perfect shot
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