Buying Guide For Digital Camera

BUYING GUIDE.

Digital cameras are almost as popular as Apple iPods! That may be a slight exaggeration but by the end of this year over 50 percent of U.S. households will own at least one as another 20 million will be bought in 2005, according to the Photo Marketing Association, a key industry trade group. Why are digicams so popular? There are many reasons but a few of the key ones are quality, price and convenience.

When digital cameras arrived 10 years ago, photo quality was problematic, to put it charitably. In fact, let’s be honest—they were poor compared to film. Not only that, they were very expensive. It also was a pain transferring digital stills to computers in order to make prints. All of this has completely changed—to your benefit. Picture quality is now on a par with film, working with photo files is easier than ever and camera prices have fallen through the floor. And another great benefit of digital photography is the fact you no longer have to run down to the local drug store to pay $10 a roll to develop 24 prints that always seem to end up in shoeboxes. Your Camera Link

What Digital Cameras Do What Digital Camera's Do

As noted, quality of the first digital cameras was poor. Let’s briefly discuss what a digital camera does so you can understand the great changes that occurred over the past five years. A digicam is really a device that captures digital files (photos) and saves them to memory, similar to a computer saving a file to floppy disk or hard disk drive. In fact, the first popular digital cameras—the Sony Mavicas—actually saved files to floppies. Once you saved a shot, you took out the disk, inserted it into your PC and either printed from it or saved it to the hard drive.

In the early days of digital photography, the USB (Universal Serial Bus) connection didn’t exist so people transferred files through the serial port, a very slow connection. Today every digicam has a USB 1.1 or even faster Hi-Speed USB 2.0 port so images move between your camera and PC in a flash. The way this works is very simple. After you take some shots, you connect the camera to your computer with the supplied USB cable. With just a few button clicks, images are transferred to your PC. With some digicams, the camera appears as a drive so you open your images the same way you would any other type of file. In other instances, you access files using the software supplied with your camera. It’s a very simple operation and in many instances, automatic.Your Camera Link

Another positive is the fact digicams have moved from floppy disk media to much smaller solid-state memory cards. This ongoing trend enabled manufacturers to build very compact cameras that easily fit in a pocket or purse. The most popular types of memory cards are Secure Digital (SD), Memory Stick, Compact Flash and the xD Picture Card. Choosing one type or another really shouldn’t be a consideration unless you have a collection of cards from a PDA or an older camera. Several years ago choosing a card format was a hotly contested issue but now that they are more of a commodity item and much less expensive (available at Wal-Mart and Costco) it’s much less of a worry.

All About Picture Quality

All About Picture QualityMoving images from your camera is one thing, picture quality is another. Let’s briefly discuss the digital "heart" of your camera. A critical component for saving files is the imaging device, also called a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) sensor, pronounced, "see-moss." These chips take the image viewed through the lens of the camera and turn them into digital data that’s saved to memory. Imaging devices are measured in pixels and the higher the pixel count, the better the photo. When you’re researching different cameras, manufacturers will state the maximum file (or picture) size you can take. In the case of a 4 megapixel (MP) camera, it’s 2304 horizontal pixels x 1728 vertical pixels, with 5MP it’s 2560 x 1920 and so on. Simply multiply the numbers and you get the effective resolution of the imaging device.

When digicams first arrived, quality was much less than a million pixels so the largest prints you could make were 3 x 5s—and even this was pushing the envelope. Today most manufacturers have dropped 1- and 2-megapixel cameras with 3MP the entry quality level. We suggest you avoid anything less at this point unless you’re looking for an inexpensive camera for the kids. In fact, 4-megapixels and up is really the way to go. You’ll only pay a bit more but your photos will look much better—and that’s what taking pictures is all about. We’ve had excellent success making 8×10s with a 4MP camera—and you can too. With the continuing price drops, 55 percent of the cameras sold in 2004 had imaging devices of 4MP or greater. According to the PMA, the price per megapixel dropped last year to an average of $82, down from $119 in 2003.

Lower prices for 7- and 8-megapixel cameras are the big news for imaging sensors in 2005. Pros have access to You know you want this cameradigicams with 16 megapixel imagers (the Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II for $7500)! You don’t have to go this route or spend that much money for great everyday photos. However, 4MP should be your minimum and if you plan making very large prints, such as 11×14s, or you feel you’re going to experiment cropping photos with imaging software, consider 5- or more megapixels. There are no hard and fast rules since so much depends on your final end use. When you shop ask to see sample prints made by the camera you’re considering. We hate to say but one picture is worth a thousand words—especially when comparing one camera to another.

Digital cameras do something their film counterparts never could dream of—change quality in midstream. All digicams let you change resolution any time you’re taking a photograph. Say you’re shooting a beautiful landscape and you’ll want to make a large print. In that case you’ll want to use the highest resolution setting (3072 x 2304 pixels in the case of a 7MP camera). If that’s not the case and you just might want to email the image to a friend, you may drop down to 1600 x 1200 pixels. Now why would you do this? To pack more shots on your memory card! There’s nothing worse than running out of space on your card or digital "film." There’s another way to save space as well. All camera save images in the JPEG format (Joint Photographic Experts Group), a standardized image compression format. All quality digicams offer compression options often referred to as Standard, Fine and Super Fine, or Basic, Normal and Fine, depending on the company. Some cameras only offer two options. Check with your specific model. Understand you’ll give up some quality when you start compressing photos as uncompressed files have more information or detail. Still it’s a great option and something photographers should experiment with in non-critical situations just to see what your camera can do. The best digital cameras offer a RAW setting and files are saved with a minimum of digital manipulation and no compression. RAW files are great to work with but they’re huge—20 megabytes in some cases—so a 64MB card will save three shots! They also need special software to open. If you’re looking for the best quality, RAW is the way to go.

The All Important Glass

The All Important GlassLens quality and power are the next issue camera buyer’s must confront. We’ll make life easy for you. Choose only models with optical zoom lenses rather than fixed focus models. Optical zooms let you take a variety of shots—close-ups, portraits, landscapes and telephoto images. It’s really the only way to go. The most inexpensive cameras—sub $100—typically have a single focal length and use electronic circuitry to digitally zoom into a subject. When this happens, photo quality actually degrades and you’ll see the difference when you make larger prints. For emails and small prints, this is not much of an issue but if you’re even thinking of making 8×10s, stick to the optical zoom.

Camera makers offer a wide variety of optical zoom ratios—from 2x (2 power) up to 15x but 3x is the most widely available. A 3x zoom equals 35mm-105mm in 35mm photography terms, the standard zoom found on most point-and-shoot film cameras. If your camera is just for casual events, 3x is fine. However, if you consider yourself a nature photographer or love taking tons of photos on vacations, a more powerful optical zoom should be on your shopping list.

You’ll also see cameras with 12x "total" zoom power, even 40x or 56x. Be aware they are referring to a digital zoom boost of the basic optical zoom power. When this occurs, picture quality drops although this spec is not highly touted by camera companies. For most photo experts the digital zoom boost is a nice trick and a good option if you’re capturing subjects very faraway. Many people have the digital zoom turned off and only engage it when absolutely necessary.

Another key consideration is lens quality. This is hard to judge simply by looking at a camera. In this situation, the company’s reputation is very important. All traditional film camera companies have jumped full bore into the digital camera field and they’ve brought their expertise to the party. If you’ve used Canon, Olympus or Nikon cameras for years and been pleased with the results, the same will hold true in the digicam arena.

Consumer electronics companies do not have centuries of lens-building experience so many have linked with reputable lens manufacturers. Sony uses Carl Zeiss lenses, Panasonic teamed with Leica and Kodak and Samsung work with Schneider-Kreuznach. If you have a choice between a camera with a brand-name lens or one without, definitely opt for the higher-end. Your pictures really will be better.

Another note: most people are content with the lens on their camera. Some models have threads so you can attach accessory filters and lenses to expand your creative horizons. It’s a good feature to have in your arsenal.

Digital SLRs Arrive

Want This Camera Too?The vast majority of digital cameras do not have interchangeable lenses nor do they let you view subjects directly through the lens. Cameras that do—called Digital Single Lens Reflex editions (D-SLRs)–made up around 3 percent of the market in 2004, around 600,000 of the 18 million digicams sold in the U.S. Digital SLRs are targeted to people who have an investment in 35mm lenses whether they’re Canon, Nikon, Minolta…you name it. They’re also for those who are serious about taking good photographs. We love them but they are expensive ($799 and up). If this price doesn’t intimidate you, by all means check out the Canon Digital Rebel XT, Nikon D70s, Pentax *ist DS and other models in this fast-growing category.

When you pick up a digital camera for the first time, you’ll notice a large screen on the back, usually off to the side of a traditional viewfinder. The LCD screen is one of the finest benefits of digital cameras. It’s used as a larger viewfinder to frame your subject in much same way you used your film camera. Once you’ve taken the shot you can review it on the screen to see if it came out properly. No film camera—other than a Polaroid Instant Camera—offered this feature. It’s great seeing digicam owners passing their cameras around, showing off their latest shots. Better cameras let you zoom in on parts of the picture so you can make sure it’s in focus.

LCD screens are measured diagonally and 1.5- and 1.6-inches are the most common size. We prefer larger ones, from 1.8 up to 2.5 inches. If your eyesight is a bit challenged, definitely look for a larger LCD. LCD screens are measured in pixels, just like image size. Again, the more pixels, the better the image you’ll see on screen. A new feature worth seeking are screens that work even in bright light. It’s no secret LCDs can wipeout in bright sunshine, making them practically useless. When you’re shopping, take the camera you’re considering near a window or put it under a bright light to see how the screen reacts.

If you can’t use the LCD screen or want to hold the camera up to your eye, there’s always the optical viewfinder. There’s not much variation here. However, better cameras have an Electronic Viewfinder (EVF) that’s a smaller version of the LCD. It too is rated in pixels and the more your camera has the better.

Taking Good Pictures

Taking Good PicturesMost people really don’t care how their cameras work—they just want good pictures. Digicam manufacturers know this well and all digital cameras offer point-and-shoot operation, usually called "Auto." All you do is set your camera to "Auto," frame your subject and the camera makes all the adjustments for focus, aperture opening, shutter speed and white balance. It’s as simple as that. You don’t really need to know how your camera works but it’s important to have a cursory knowledge so you can make the most of your purchase.

Auto focus means exactly what it states: the camera focuses on the subject in the center of the frame. With a digicam, you simply press the shutter down half way; the camera locks on the subject and makes all the other necessary computations for a well-exposed picture. Click the shutter once one and it’s saved to memory. Better digital cameras offer multi-point auto focus for more accurate results. You’ll see figures like three-, five- or even nine-point AF, depending on the model. No matter which you choose, it’s a good feature to look for.

The size of your lens opening is called the aperture and it’s measured in f-stops, such as f2.8, f4 and so on. The higher the number, the smaller the opening so if you’re taking a shot in bright sunshine, the lens will "close down" so the image isn’t overexposed. Conversely, if you’re shooting in dim light, the aperture will "open up" to let in more light. Also by adjusting the aperture, you can change the "depth of field," the area that’s in sharp focus. The higher the number, the more of the photo is in focus. You can see these adjustments in action by checking the on-screen display of your camera’s LCD screen. When you’re comparing models, look for the lowest f-stop in your price range.

Shutter speed refers to the amount of time light hits the imaging device. Camera makers will give you a range of speeds for each individual model. If you plan on shooting action sports such as car racing or soccer games, you’ll need a faster speed, typically stated as 1/2000th of a second, 1/4000th and so on. The reverse of this is a long shutter speed used for taking shots at night. Here the shutter may stay open for 15 seconds or more. When you’re shopping look for the widest range possible.

White balance settings help you deal with different light sources such as sunshine or fluorescent bulbs. We’ve all taken shots with film cameras only to discover a ghoulish green color. Auto white balance handles this or you can do it manually. Good digicams offer specific settings for sunny, cloudy, tungsten bulbs and several types of fluorescent lights.

Another important camera adjustment is the ISO setting that’s similar to the ASA or sensitivity rating of film. Unlike film that only has one sensitivity rating per roll, you can change ISO on a digicam from shot to shot. Typically left in Auto mode, you can adjust to different lighting conditions. The lowest setting is used when you want the finest color and have a lot of light. You can raise the ISO to capture subjects in dim scenes. Again look for the widest range. Note as you turn up the ISO, digital noise appears, adding artifacts to your photos. Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do about this but manufacturers are adding noise reduction settings to cut this down.

This brings us to the built-in flash found in every digital camera. There will be some instances where the subject is simply too dark for a good image, no matter how wide open the aperture, slow the shutter speed and high the ISO. Enter the built-in flash to handle the job. Flashes are rated in effective ranges, usually around eight to 10 feet away. Almost all digicams offer a variety of settings such as Auto and red-eye reduction. Better cameras offer a fill-flash setting that lets you add light to the foreground and a slow synch flash that goes off with slower shutter speeds. Another good option is a hot-shoe that lets you add a separate more powerful flash. With the hot shoe, the flash is connected to the camera’s electronics for smoother operation.

For shooting in low light our favorite feature is the AF Illuminator or AF Assist. With it a "pre flash" briefly lights the scene to get a positive lock on the subject. The results are far superior to a camera without it. Definitely seek this out.

Point And Shoot

Point and ShootCamera makers realize the vast majority of people don’t want to make a variety of adjustments every time they want to take a snapshot. That’s why most people leave their cameras in Auto and happily fire away. Almost as easy are Scene Modes. Usually found on a dial, you simply turn it to the type of shot you’re taking. If you want to take a portrait of the wife and kids, turn the dial to the Portrait icon and the camera will automatically bring your family into focus and blur the background. Want to take a shot of son or daughter’s swing at the plate, move the dial to High-Speed Shutter and you’ll stop the action. There are a wide variety of settings available, depending on the company and it makes life so easy.

Other settings worth seeking are cameras with aperture and shutter priority mode. With aperture priority, you choose the aperture or depth of field and the camera automatically adjusts the shutter speed. With shutter priority, you pick the speed and the camera adjusts the aperture.

Digital cameras can be used as mini camcorders although the quality is a shadow of what you can record on a $400 Mini DV model. Still it’s fun to take a brief clip on vacation or a family reunion. Most digicams record 320 x 240 pixel videos (sometimes with sound) at rates of 15 to 30 frames per second. As we said, this is very poor quality compared to a camcorder. On the plus side, manufacturers are upping the quality in 2005 so the results are more realistic. If video seems like a strong option for you, look for 640 x 480 pixel quality at 30 fps. Also look for cameras that record in the MPEG4 format, a compressed format geared for sending clips via email. The amount of recording time is only limited by the size of your memory card and level of quality you choose.

Better digicams offer several different ways to measure exposure called spot, center weighted or evaluative. Rather than the standard auto exposure, these methods let you zero in on a specific area of the scene for more accurate results.

Taking a great, natural light shot is wonderful but sometimes you want to have even more fun. Many digicams offer How Cute!special effects modes where you can change the overall color of the picture. One of our favorites is sepia that gives an old-fashioned look to your photos. Other options (depending on the model) let you add a warm tone or simply take a black-and-white shot.

We strongly urge you to play with your camera to get a real idea of its capabilities. Even if you make a horrible mistake, simply erase it and try again!

The Important Hands-On Test

Once you’ve zeroed in on several cameras, it’s very important to actually hold them in your hands. Ergonomics is critical since the idea of a tiny digicam may seem great in theory but if the buttons are difficult to find or press, the camera won’t be used as much as it should be.

Also make sure you get a complete camera kit that typically includes the camera body, strap, starter memory card, battery/recharger, USB cable as well as PC drivers and editing software on a CD ROM. Then it’s time to charge the battery and get out there and take photographs. Once you go digital, you’ll wonder how you ever dealt with film!

For more information
For more on retail outlets, check out our where to buy Digital Cameras article.


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