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Dally Press Gazette
Desert Destinations |
Is it time to go digital?
Here are some things you need to know if you're about to make the leap into digital photography.
Digital cameras are very enticing. The cost to own and operate them has dropped to reasonable levels, and there's the promise of instant gratification: You don't need to wait for the film to come back from your processor. You are the processor, and your computer is your darkroom. But there's a lot to think about when choosing your new camera, and some decisions to make.
The first thing to consider is: How are you going to use the pictures? This determines the resolution you need. If you're never, ever going to print one of your pictures - all you're going to do is put them on the web or email them - then a lower resolution camera will work for you. But if you want to be able to print at least some of your pictures you'll need higher resolution.
The resolution is determined by the amount of pixels your camera can store for each picture. A pixel is defined as the basic unit of the composition of an image on a video screen. So the number of pixels tell how much information about your picture is recorded when you shoot. This means that they determine the quality of the final picture.
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A rule of thumb is a 3-4 mega-pixel camera can give adequate enlargements up to 8 x 10. A 4 mega-pixel camera can make enlargements up to 11 x 14. A 5 mega-pixel camera can provide a good enlargement up to poster-size prints - 16 x 20 or even larger, with enhancement. These aren't great prints, but good enough for viewing from a distance of 4-5 feet where any resolution issues won't be noticed. Obviously, the more pixels your camera has, the better the quality of the print picture you can make with it.
So, if you want to make 4 x 6 prints and an occasional enlargement, a 2 or 3 mega-pixel camera will probably work well for you. A 4 or 5 mega-pixel camera will give you even more choices, but it will be at a higher cost.
After settling on the mega-pixels, you'll need to think about your lens.
The subject matter you like to shoot helps determine your lens choice. Do you like scenic vistas? Do you want to shoot close-ups of flowers? These different types of photos require different equipment. The ideal lens can handle all of this as it has macro (close-up) capability, a wide-angle view, and a zoom or telephoto capability.
Zoom lenses are extremely handy. But only look at OPTICAL zoom - don't be fooled by 'digital zoom'. This is a virtually useless feature, which some reviewers even call a marketing ploy. All the digital zoom does is crop your picture down, and enlarges that area. So if you are using a 2 mega-pixel camera, using a 2X digital zoom reduces your picture to a one-mega-pixel picture. There is no image enhancement at all. You can easily do the same thing in the computer instead of in the camera.
Using an optical zoom is much better. Your image quality remains high, just as with a film camera. Using a 4X optical zoom lens, your pictures will be at the 35 mm camera equivalent of around 150 mm - which is a decent telephoto and will give a good range of choices. 8X zooms are available, which equates to 280 mm - a very nice telephoto range.
The next consideration is "digital film" or storage devices. This gets a little tricky.
Most newer digital cameras will store a few pictures internally, but if you want to shoot more than the 8 or 10 the camera allows, you'll need to use a storage device. These range all over the spectrum with many different types developed and released, but the marketplace seems to be settling on one of three methods: Memory sticks, Compact Flash, or Smart Media.
All three work pretty much the same and are readily available. An inexpensive reader plugs into your computer's USB port, and you put the card into the reader. Software (supplied by your camera maker) moves the images onto your computer, and your camera can then erase the card so you can reuse it.
And you'll need to, for high-resolution pictures take a lot of storage space. The amount of space taken by each picture can't easily be foretold; it depends on too many factors. First is the resolution, which you can change in the camera; second is the storage method, which you may or may not be able to change, depending upon your camera; and third is the scene itself - the complexity and range of colors, lines, shadows, and so on affect the amount of information that is recorded when you take a picture.
For example, I use a 256 MB Compact Flash card in my 5 mega-pixel Nikon CoolPix 5700 (yes, this is an endorsement. I love this camera!). I can take over 400 pictures in 'Basic' mode - but I don't use that much, for I want higher resolution. The next step is 'Normal' - which I do use sometimes - and I can take over 200 images in that mode. My preference is 'Fine' mode, which allows over 100 pictures. But occasionally I shoot in 'Hi' - the best possible - which only records 16 images on this 256 MB card.
Of course, you can switch back and forth between modes, which I do, using the higher levels for shots which have more potential than others. I also carry extra cards with me on long trips.
One last consideration is batteries. I suggest that you buy the best rechargeable batteries you can, and get an extra set. Digital cameras use an incredible amount of electrical power and if you're not using rechargeable batteries, your battery costs might more than offset the money you would have spent on film. I get about 90 to 120 minutes' worth of shooting out of my batteries before they have to be recharged.
While the 'digital film' and rechargeable batteries are options that will cost extra, they are a one-time expense and a good investment to stretch out the amount of time you can spend shooting instead of recharging batteries or downloading pictures.
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