| Things you should know about digital cameras |
Buying and using a digital camera are probably what most people on thi course want to do. But there are questions. What does megapixel mean? Zoom - digital or optical? Memory? So many questions. Some brief answers may be found below. There are however two pieces of crucial advice for would be camera buyers and users. First, always try and get a look at the camera(s) you that inerested you in the shop. Get the sales assistant to demonstrate it to you. If it looks too complicated or fiddly to you - don't bother with it! Second, when you have purchased your camera, read the manual, or at least the important parts - which are the main controls and settings. |
| Pixels and Megapixels Megapixels galore or just what you need? 3 million pixels is still fine, particularly if there is an optical zoom (3x minimum). 5 to 7million is now 'standard' but beware cameras that 'lose' the optical zoom in favour of more pixels. Digital zoom means you are in reality back to 2 million pixels. 8 million pixels or more is into professional territory. Do you really need them? |
| Lenses and zoom Lenses are considered to have 'standard' quality these days but they can vary. Think of some of the 'famous' names in photographic equipment: Pentax, Nikon, Olympus, Canon. You can safely assume that these brands will give you good lenses. The other half of the equation is mechanical performance - focussing and zooming. Check reviews - and longer 'road tests' of cameras to see if they have spotted any faults or flaws. Zoom. Consider what was said in the first paragraph. Optical zoom is king, digital zoom is a cheap and nasty alternative. Avoid it. Having said that, if your camera has a high megapixel rating, it can make use of digital zoom more effectively. |
| Memory First piece of advice - don't buy a camera that doesn't have removeable (card) memory (cheap compacts and early Kodaks fall into this category). Consider the types available. All of them are small by definition, so price and compatibility/readability are the keys. Some brands have their own proprietory type such as Sony's memory stick. Getting external readers or buying a printer with built in readers for them may not be easy. The same goes for any of the 'new' types (XD) and 'professional' formats (Microdrive). Cost is crucial too. You should always buy extra memory cards to give you backup - but they don't have to be high capacity. Always make sure that you can get an memory card reader for the type of camera you have. |
How does the camera actually take pictures? |
| How do I get my pictures on to my PC? There are two main ways to do this. The first is to connect your camera to your PC - usually with a special USB cable provided. If you have Windows XP you should find it a doddle. Again if a camera you are interested in doesn't connect to a PC with a USB cable - don't consider buying it. The second way is to take your memory card out of the camera and pop it into a card reader. Some PC's have them built in. External ones are relatively cheap and plug into USB slots. If you have a newish PC it will have USB 2.0 slots and this means transfer will be quickest. This is the first argument for buying extra memory cards. You can carry on taking pics with a second card even if you want to take your first batch and put them into the computer. If you only have a Windows 98 PC you must either check there are drivers or think about upgrading! |
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