| Product: |
Digital Cameras in general |
| Date: |
08.10.02 (200 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Choice of storage methods, Cheap development costs
Disadvantages: Results still marginally inferior to SLR cameras, Battery life sometimes disappointing
Digital cameras are gathering a big share of photography market from their optical cousins, as the technology advances and the prices become more affordable. Set a budget, and make a shortlist of possibles. There are so many cameras available from £30 to £1,000 that a handful should be around your benchmark price, leaving you no shortage of choice. Several hundred pounds will get you a camera of sufficient quality to print out your prized snaps, and if you use a good printer to boot, only the more discernible eye will spot the tell-tale pixellation that digital imaging is prone to.
Perhaps the greatest advantage of the digital camera is the development options available. Memory cards are now sufficiently cheap to promote almost endless picture taking if need be, and coupled with the omni-present instant delete function you will be hard pressed to fill more than one or two cards even on a good resolution setting. This facility is great for the trigger happy snapper or equally the more cautious type who doesn't want to waste film.
For those pictures that you want to keep a range of storage possibilities exists. Keeping the photos on the memory card is not recommended, as there is far more space available on your computer. Virtually all digital cameras are sold with necessary leads and software to enable you to quickly transfer photos onto your hard drive. From there you can print them out yourself, editing the images as required and defining size and quality parameters. A number of etailers now offer a service whereby you can email your photos and they will be snail-mailed back to your specifications, for comparatively little cost. For more permanent storage a CD writer allows several hundred photos to be placed on disc.
I personally drop my better photos onto a CD and view them on my television through my dvd player. This is a great way to keep images, as multiple copies can be produced for friends and family, and a viewing
session is made more bearable by allowing everyone to see the pictures at once, rather than passing an album around the room, letting all and sundry leave fingerprints all over your pictures.
There are however, limitations that must be acknowledged in owning a digital camera. Battery life is a common complaint, and nothing is more frustrating than lining up the ideal shot before realising that the flash has run out of steam. A rechargeable unit is really the only option, and carrying a spare battery avoids disappointment. Before you choose your camera, do some research into the longevity of your shortlist - some brands are significantly better than others.
Image quality is also an issue for many, especially those who like to print out their photos. Whilst the technology is advancing, a traditional camera will still produce a superior image. As a very rough guide, an image of 4 megapixels or more is likely to return an image decent enough to print. Overuse of a digital zoom function will degrade your image, so care must be taken when framing a subject, or resizing and cropping the finished article with software. I understand that the latest offerings from the electronic giants are approaching 14 - 15 megapixels, although these cameras are not yet commercially available, it is surely only a matter of time.
To conclude: for the more casual snapper, the upsides of owning a digital camera probably outweigh the inherent problems that exist. But for the more seasoned photographer, don't replace that SLR camera just yet. If portability and processing costs are not an issue, then the benefits of the digital option are less attractive. However, the affordability may well convince you to have both. Now that digital imaging has landed on mobile telephones, it looks like it is here to stay.
Website index; for further information and advice, I recommend that the following pages are worth a browse:
www.digital-camera-now.
com
www.digital-camerastore.com
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