Digicam Buying Guide: Vivid Video

A digital camera will never be a substitute for a full-fledged video camera but if you want to shoot short video clips it’s often a convenient and inexpensive option.

When it comes to video quality the most important numbers are the resolution and the frame rate. For decent quality make sure the camera can shoot at a resolution of 640 X 480 at 30 fps. Another important factor is the maximum length of the clip; ideally you would want the option to shoot as long as memory is available instead of a fixed time limit.

Generally there are fewer shooting options available in movie mode but cameras like the Canon Powershot SD 450 will offer various image effects like the option to shoot in sepia or black and white. Some cameras also allow you to make adjustments in the brightness or zoom while shooting a clip.

The editing options available inside the camera are also important; especially useful is the ability to trim video clips in order to save memory. Some cameras like the Samsung Digimax A50 come with additional features like a camera shake prevention function which reduces the jerkiness in your video clip.

Technorati Tags
Digicam | Digital Camera | Video Camera | Canon Powershot | Samsung

Digicam Buying Guide: Options Galore

Consumer level digital cameras are often referred to as point and shoot since they allow you to take pictures with very little effort. However they often have some fairly sophisticated shooting options available for the more adventurous photographer.

Most cameras come with a number of scene specific modes where you select the basic type of picture: like landscape or portrait and the camera will select the appropriate settings. Some cameras like the Olympus SP 310 allow you to manually control the underlying exposure settings like the shutter speed and aperture. This allows you to tailor the shot more precisely to the subject; for instance if you wish to freeze a fast-moving object in action you would select a high shutter speed.

Other options include various image effects like sepia and black and white or the ability to manipulate colours; for example changing one colour into another or making a particular colour more vivid. Some cameras like the Sony DSC T7 also allow you to adjust contrast, sharpness or saturation. Other features include the ability to set a self-timer, to adjust the power of the flash or the option to reduce red eye problems.

Next: Shooting video

Technorati Tags
Digicam | Digital Camera | Megapixels | Sony | Olympus

Digicam Buying Guide: Zip, Zap, Zoom

Optical and digital zoom are among the most prominently advertised features of digital cameras but the two are very different in their value and camera buyers should be aware of the difference.

Optical zoom is when the camera magnifies the image through the physical movement of the lens and it is achieved without any significant loss of quality. Digital zoom, on the other hand, simply means that the camera digitally magnifies the portion of the image that you want to zoom in on. It is like enlarging the image through a software package and will similarly lead to a loss of quality. The bottom line is that you should pay attention to the optical zoom on a digital camera but you can largely ignore digital zoom.

While some low-end digital cameras come with no optical zoom at all, a typical model comes with 3X optical zoom. This offers a moderate amount of magnification allowing you to frame the picture in the manner you want without resorting to software enlargement. However for serious zoom capabilities for shooting sports or wildlife you should consider cameras with 10X optical zoom like the Nikon Coolpix S4.

Next post: Shooting options

Technorati Tags
Digicam | Digital Camera | Kodak

Digicam Buying Guide: Resolving Megapixels

One of the most important factors in selecting a digital camera is the number of megapixels of resolution it offers.

A digital photo consists of millions of dots called pixels. A million pixels is called a megapixel. Thus higher megapixel cameras have more pixels in the photo which in turn means they produce pictures with greater detail.

Higher resolution is especially handy if you want to print large photos: for great quality you need around 5 megapixels for 8’’ by 10’’ photos and 7 megapixels plus for 11’’ by 14’’. More resolution also means that you can crop photos significantly without losing too much detail.

However if you are not interested in large prints or cropping, you shouldn’t worry too much about megapixels. Even low-end models like the Kodak C310 offer around 4 megapixels which is great for showing pictures on a PC or regular 4’’ by 6’’ inch prints. Also note that higher resolution photos consume more space on your memory card.

Finally, there is more to picture quality than resolution; you should research other capabilities like how well the camera reproduces colours and how well it shoots in low light

Mega Options:
0-1.9 Megapixel
2-2.9 Megapixel
3-3.9 Megapixel
4-4.9 Megapixel
5-5.9 Megapixel
6-6.9 Megapixel
7+ Megapixel

Next article: Optical and Digital Zoom

Technorati Tags
Digicam | Digital Camera | Kodak

Digicam Buying Guide: Size Matters

The physical design of a digital camera, especially its size, plays a big role in how comfortable it is to use and should be one of the first things you research.

The smallest cameras , like the Sony Cybershot DSC-T9, are called ultracompacts. They fit in your shirt-pocket and are great for taking everywhere on vacation. They do take good photos but usually have a shorter battery life than larger models and come with fewer shooting options.

Your typical consumer digicam like the Canon Powershot A-95 are a bit bigger. In return you will usually get more controls, a better flash and better pictures than ultracompacts.

Digital SLRs and SLR-like prosumer models are the bulkiest of all and the most expensive. They take fantastic pictures and have numerous options including the ability to change lenses for SLRs.

Apart from size you should also check how the buttons are arranged, the size of the LCD screen and the overall look and feel of the camera. The best design ultimately depends on your preferences.

Next: Understanding Megapixels

Technorati Tags
Digicam | Digital Camera