How to Start a Photography Business - Camera Choices Made Easy
al Point and Shoot vs Digital SLR
I feel like everybody probably has their own camera right now, whether it be a point-and-shoot camera or a digital SLR, you probably already have access to a camera. If you don’t and you’re on a limited budget, I’m going to give you some choices for that as well. Let’s go over two different types of cameras.
The Point and Shoot Camera
There is nothing external. Your flash is built in and your lens is built in. You’re kind of stuck with what’s on the camera, but this is not always a bad thing because it’s compact and easy. You do not have as much control with one of these cameras. If that’s all you have to get started, that’s okay. If you had a choice I would go with a digital SLR. You just have more control with this type of camera.
A digital SLR
One big advantage with the SLR camera is that you can hook up an external flash. You also can hook up external lenses and you can change them quickly. Usually, you have a PC port that can trigger a strobe. They have a hot shoe and the hot shoe allows you to hook up those external devices I just mentioned. The digital SLRs are more expensive. They usually start at about $399 on up to as much as $9,000. The changeable lenses are a very valuable asset because you can zoom in and out really quickly by just using your hand. The PC port allows you to hook up a cable that actually communicates to an external light source. You just have more user control.
What should I look for in a camera?
1) You want to make sure it’s at least a 6 MP or higher. 2) Should have an external flash. Doesn’t mean you have to have it, but you’re going to eventually want that. I’ll cover that in another article. 3) A memory card. They’re so inexpensive today. You’re going to want a minimum of 512 MB. 4) You’re going to want a card reader so you can get your work into your computer.
So basically, that’s all you really need as far as a basic camera goes. If you only have a point-and-shoot, don’t think you can’t start a business because you can.
By: Elwin Wallace
About the Author:
I feel like everybody probably has their own camera right now, whether it be a point-and-shoot camera or a digital SLR, you probably already have access to a camera. If you don’t and you’re on a limited budget, I’m going to give you some choices for that as well. Let’s go over two different types of cameras.
The Point and Shoot Camera
There is nothing external. Your flash is built in and your lens is built in. You’re kind of stuck with what’s on the camera, but this is not always a bad thing because it’s compact and easy. You do not have as much control with one of these cameras. If that’s all you have to get started, that’s okay. If you had a choice I would go with a digital SLR. You just have more control with this type of camera.
A digital SLR
One big advantage with the SLR camera is that you can hook up an external flash. You also can hook up external lenses and you can change them quickly. Usually, you have a PC port that can trigger a strobe. They have a hot shoe and the hot shoe allows you to hook up those external devices I just mentioned. The digital SLRs are more expensive. They usually start at about $399 on up to as much as $9,000. The changeable lenses are a very valuable asset because you can zoom in and out really quickly by just using your hand. The PC port allows you to hook up a cable that actually communicates to an external light source. You just have more user control.
What should I look for in a camera?
1) You want to make sure it’s at least a 6 MP or higher. 2) Should have an external flash. Doesn’t mean you have to have it, but you’re going to eventually want that. I’ll cover that in another article. 3) A memory card. They’re so inexpensive today. You’re going to want a minimum of 512 MB. 4) You’re going to want a card reader so you can get your work into your computer.
So basically, that’s all you really need as far as a basic camera goes. If you only have a point-and-shoot, don’t think you can’t start a business because you can.
By: Elwin Wallace
About the Author:
Starting your own photography business doesn’t have to be as hard as everyone makes it out to be. Discover how to start a home based photography business with very little experience. Check out Scott’s NewPhotobiz 1.0 complete guide that explains a step by step method. Visit http://www.newphotobizreviews.com for more information.
Picking Up a Digital Camera Gift
So you have decided to buy a digital camera for someone. Digital cameras are hot gift items. They are also high tech devices with many features and options. This article will try to help you pick up the right digital camera by understanding the considerations when buying one.
Current camera: If the gift receiver is already using a digital camera you should get the model number, the memory storage and the accessories they have. In such cases getting a digital camera would only make sense if you can afford to buy a new digital camera that is significantly better than the current one they have. A better camera is not simply one that has more mega pixels. As you will see later other considerations like lenses, flash and battery are no less important.
Photography and technology level: If the gift receiver is savvy when it comes to technology and photography you can consider higher end cameras that allow more flexibility and options but are harder to use. Digital SLR cameras fall into that category. If the receive is not into photography or technology you might want to choose a camera that is easier to use such as a digital point a shoot one. It can result in high quality pictures, is easy to use and thus can be very satisfactory to the amateur user.
Expected usage: What is the expected usage of the camera? It is hard to answer this question but you can try to estimate based on knowing the gift receiver. For example if he or she travel a lot for long periods you want to pay attention to features such as camera weight, size, battery life and memory storage. If he or she hardly travel these features are less important.
Additional cost: The cost of owning a digital camera is not limited to the money paid to purchase the camera. In most cases the owner will spend more money on accessories and other additional products. When giving a gift you want to make sure that the receiver would not have to spend more money in the near future for such additional accessories. To make sure that it does not happen the gift should include additional accessories such as batteries, memory cards, lenses and cables as needed.
How many megapixels: It is hard to avoid this question. New cameras are packed with an ever increasing number of mega pixels. Is more mega pixels better? it really depends. More mega pixels is important if the receiver is going to print photos (especially enlargements) or if they are going to zoom in and crop fine details out of big photos. If they just plan to view the photos on their computer screen and maybe print a few 4X6 prints every now and then than 2 or 3 mega pixels is more than enough (yes… just 2 or 3). When buying a gift you would want to buy what is considered the standard megapixels number to date. A good advice is to buy what is considered standard. If after budgeting for extra accessories you still have more money to spend on the gift you can always go for a higher megapixels number.
Batteries: There are two kind of batteries that can power a digital camera: disposable or rechargeable. The advantages of disposable batteries are that it is easy to buy a few, carry them and replace the ones that are empty. They are available in any store and thus very convenient when traveling. The disadvantages of disposable batteries are the cost of buying new batteries every time your batteries are empty and the capacity (in most cases disposable batteries do not last as long as good rechargeable batteries). Disposable batteries are not friendly to the environment you do not want to get them for someone who is environmentally conscious. Rechargeable batteries require only one purchase. The disadvantage is that if you run out of batteries during a photo shooting session or somewhere away from home or a power supply you can not just buy another battery. If you know that the gift receiver travels a lot and might be involved in long photo shooting session you might want to include an extra battery in your gift.
Zoom: There are two types of zoom optical and digital. Optical zoom works by physically moving the camera’s lenses and changing the focal length. By changing the focal length you can make objects appear bigger and fit the full photo frame. Digital zoom works by applying built-in software in the camera to define a portion of interest in the photo. Once chosen the software crops the rest of the photo and enlarges the area you chose to fit the complete photo frame. The downside of this digital process is that the enlarged photo quality is lower than the original photo’s. The conclusion is that optical zoom is superior to digital zoom. From a practical point of view digital zoom should not be considered zoom at all.
Some manufacturers state the camera’s zoom figure without specifying if it is optical or digital. This information is confusing and done on purpose to inflate their real zoom numbers. When you compare different cameras zoom always compare their optical zoom capabilities. You can totally ignore the digital zoom figures.
By: Chris Marshall
About the Author:
Current camera: If the gift receiver is already using a digital camera you should get the model number, the memory storage and the accessories they have. In such cases getting a digital camera would only make sense if you can afford to buy a new digital camera that is significantly better than the current one they have. A better camera is not simply one that has more mega pixels. As you will see later other considerations like lenses, flash and battery are no less important.
Photography and technology level: If the gift receiver is savvy when it comes to technology and photography you can consider higher end cameras that allow more flexibility and options but are harder to use. Digital SLR cameras fall into that category. If the receive is not into photography or technology you might want to choose a camera that is easier to use such as a digital point a shoot one. It can result in high quality pictures, is easy to use and thus can be very satisfactory to the amateur user.
Expected usage: What is the expected usage of the camera? It is hard to answer this question but you can try to estimate based on knowing the gift receiver. For example if he or she travel a lot for long periods you want to pay attention to features such as camera weight, size, battery life and memory storage. If he or she hardly travel these features are less important.
Additional cost: The cost of owning a digital camera is not limited to the money paid to purchase the camera. In most cases the owner will spend more money on accessories and other additional products. When giving a gift you want to make sure that the receiver would not have to spend more money in the near future for such additional accessories. To make sure that it does not happen the gift should include additional accessories such as batteries, memory cards, lenses and cables as needed.
How many megapixels: It is hard to avoid this question. New cameras are packed with an ever increasing number of mega pixels. Is more mega pixels better? it really depends. More mega pixels is important if the receiver is going to print photos (especially enlargements) or if they are going to zoom in and crop fine details out of big photos. If they just plan to view the photos on their computer screen and maybe print a few 4X6 prints every now and then than 2 or 3 mega pixels is more than enough (yes… just 2 or 3). When buying a gift you would want to buy what is considered the standard megapixels number to date. A good advice is to buy what is considered standard. If after budgeting for extra accessories you still have more money to spend on the gift you can always go for a higher megapixels number.
Batteries: There are two kind of batteries that can power a digital camera: disposable or rechargeable. The advantages of disposable batteries are that it is easy to buy a few, carry them and replace the ones that are empty. They are available in any store and thus very convenient when traveling. The disadvantages of disposable batteries are the cost of buying new batteries every time your batteries are empty and the capacity (in most cases disposable batteries do not last as long as good rechargeable batteries). Disposable batteries are not friendly to the environment you do not want to get them for someone who is environmentally conscious. Rechargeable batteries require only one purchase. The disadvantage is that if you run out of batteries during a photo shooting session or somewhere away from home or a power supply you can not just buy another battery. If you know that the gift receiver travels a lot and might be involved in long photo shooting session you might want to include an extra battery in your gift.
Zoom: There are two types of zoom optical and digital. Optical zoom works by physically moving the camera’s lenses and changing the focal length. By changing the focal length you can make objects appear bigger and fit the full photo frame. Digital zoom works by applying built-in software in the camera to define a portion of interest in the photo. Once chosen the software crops the rest of the photo and enlarges the area you chose to fit the complete photo frame. The downside of this digital process is that the enlarged photo quality is lower than the original photo’s. The conclusion is that optical zoom is superior to digital zoom. From a practical point of view digital zoom should not be considered zoom at all.
Some manufacturers state the camera’s zoom figure without specifying if it is optical or digital. This information is confusing and done on purpose to inflate their real zoom numbers. When you compare different cameras zoom always compare their optical zoom capabilities. You can totally ignore the digital zoom figures.
By: Chris Marshall
About the Author:
This article can be reprinted as long as the resource box including the backlink is included. Ziv Haparnas is a veteran technologist. You can find more information on digital photo printing and photography in general on printrates.com - a site dedicated to digital photo printing Ziv Haparnas writes about science and technology.
Highest Rated Digital Cameras May be the Best Bargain
When you are in the market for a digital camera, and your budget allows, you may want to consider looking into the highest rated digital cameras on the market. Not that all of the highest rated digital cameras are going to be expensive, rater it depends on what you are looking for in a camera, and certain features will cost more.
Today’s highest rated digital cameras all offer about a five mega-pixel resolution with some smaller and less expensive models offering three-mega-pixels. The number of pixels determines the resolution of the picture. To put it into perspective a typical three mega-pixel picture will look better than pictures on your computer screen. On average, for every mega-pixel you add on a camera, count on adding from $30 to $50, depending on the brand.
The average zoom capabilities of today’s highest rated digital cameras are 3X using optics to bring images up closer. Some offer super zoom capabilities of 30x or 40x, which lets you take photos of objects extremely far away. Trouble with super zoom lenses is that they tend to allow less light into the lens, rendering the photos with less clarity and may appear out of focus.
Choosing SLR Or Compact Size
As digital photography becomes more popular, the size of the cameras has also become smaller. View finders also have a liquid Crystal Display to view the photo without the viewfinder, even on the highest rated digital cameras using SLR technology, a throw-back to the film photography age.
A single lens reflex camera lets you see the picture exactly as the camera lens sees it. It is basically a situation of what you see if what you get and highly regarded by professionals and most advanced amateurs. Many of the highest rated digital cameras offer SLR capabilities and may include the ability to change lenses to allow for a variety of photo opportunities without losing resolution in the pictures.
However, SLR cameras and all the optional lenses are bigger and heavier than the smaller, more-compact cameras made to fit in your pocket. If you opt for one of the highest rated digital cameras in SLR format, you will be sacrificing convenience for the ability to take photographs with more control of the outcome. The smaller cameras usually can take excellent pictures, providing the resolution is at least three mega-pixels and you don’t normally shoot items, or people, from long distances.
By: Roland Jefferson
About the Author:
Today’s highest rated digital cameras all offer about a five mega-pixel resolution with some smaller and less expensive models offering three-mega-pixels. The number of pixels determines the resolution of the picture. To put it into perspective a typical three mega-pixel picture will look better than pictures on your computer screen. On average, for every mega-pixel you add on a camera, count on adding from $30 to $50, depending on the brand.
The average zoom capabilities of today’s highest rated digital cameras are 3X using optics to bring images up closer. Some offer super zoom capabilities of 30x or 40x, which lets you take photos of objects extremely far away. Trouble with super zoom lenses is that they tend to allow less light into the lens, rendering the photos with less clarity and may appear out of focus.
Choosing SLR Or Compact Size
As digital photography becomes more popular, the size of the cameras has also become smaller. View finders also have a liquid Crystal Display to view the photo without the viewfinder, even on the highest rated digital cameras using SLR technology, a throw-back to the film photography age.
A single lens reflex camera lets you see the picture exactly as the camera lens sees it. It is basically a situation of what you see if what you get and highly regarded by professionals and most advanced amateurs. Many of the highest rated digital cameras offer SLR capabilities and may include the ability to change lenses to allow for a variety of photo opportunities without losing resolution in the pictures.
However, SLR cameras and all the optional lenses are bigger and heavier than the smaller, more-compact cameras made to fit in your pocket. If you opt for one of the highest rated digital cameras in SLR format, you will be sacrificing convenience for the ability to take photographs with more control of the outcome. The smaller cameras usually can take excellent pictures, providing the resolution is at least three mega-pixels and you don’t normally shoot items, or people, from long distances.
By: Roland Jefferson
About the Author:
Roland Parris Jefferson III is an online researcher based out of Los Angeles, California. Need more details and expert advice on Digital Cameras? Then please visit our Highest Rated Digital Cameras Resource.
Cheap Digital Cameras : Stunning Looks With Unique Technology
Photograpy and video capturing are the two common interests of almost every man. Everyone may not be professionally adept in using or operating such devices, but most of them do prefer to give a try or look out for such gadgets which are easy to use and produce excellent picture quality. Earlier we had the famous SLR or Laica cameras that were cumbersome and heavy. They were both difficult to carry as well as difficult to use. In fact, it had almost everything manual starting from setting shutter speed, Aperture, Depth of field etc. Compared to them, the latest cameras are much more user- friendly and portable. Other than just being sleek and attractive in looks, these gadgets also allow general people to try their hands on photography. What makes you feel more excited is that, these cameras are now available at economical prices. If you visit any shopping website, you would find a vast list of cheap digital cameras with impressive discount rates and excellent offers.
These digitally enhanced gadgets have multiple options to enhance picture quality. In fact, the old SLR cameras have now been updated with digitally enhanced options which leave a wide option to improve your creativity as well as user-friendliness. A very good example is the Nikon D700 which has got accolades for its amazing picture quality and noise reduction options for better clarity. It has launched a new f/2.8, 24-70 mm lens that produces amazing photo realistic effects. For example, the fading back ground of any picture. Other than this, it has an amazing high resolution LCD screen, a dust removal filter along with fabulous auto focus facility which also provides 3D light effects. One of the main reason for the popularity of this Camera is its sleek and smart shape which clearly gives a feel of superior attitude. The body is strong and solid with scientifically analysed ergonomics and operational clarity. What makes this gadget outstanding is its price range which is comparatively cheaper in comparison to the number of other options that it has and the picture quality. Most of the cheap digital cameras have become a craze among people for their long list of features and easy operational facility. The most stunning fact is it can also support operations in Win 98, Millennium, 2000 as well as XP. Other than this, it also supports MAC PCs.
These Cheap Digital cameras have become a craze among youngsters and adolescents because of their economical prices. Most youngsters depend solely on their limited pocket money and hence cannot afford to buy expensive stuffs. These gadgets are best suited for them as they are available at economical rates and have multiple high end options. Other than the latest SLR’s, these cameras also have high end features which have attracted professional as well as non professional photographers. For example, the Premier digital camera provides excellent picture output with the help of 3.2 Mega Pixels CMOS Sensor. Other than this, it has high image resolutions with a Fixed Focus Lens that functions in the range of 0.4m~0.6m. This camera has a classy exterior with high resolution TFT display, which would be obviously admirable for both youngsters as well as the adults.
By: Alden Jerry
About the Author:
These digitally enhanced gadgets have multiple options to enhance picture quality. In fact, the old SLR cameras have now been updated with digitally enhanced options which leave a wide option to improve your creativity as well as user-friendliness. A very good example is the Nikon D700 which has got accolades for its amazing picture quality and noise reduction options for better clarity. It has launched a new f/2.8, 24-70 mm lens that produces amazing photo realistic effects. For example, the fading back ground of any picture. Other than this, it has an amazing high resolution LCD screen, a dust removal filter along with fabulous auto focus facility which also provides 3D light effects. One of the main reason for the popularity of this Camera is its sleek and smart shape which clearly gives a feel of superior attitude. The body is strong and solid with scientifically analysed ergonomics and operational clarity. What makes this gadget outstanding is its price range which is comparatively cheaper in comparison to the number of other options that it has and the picture quality. Most of the cheap digital cameras have become a craze among people for their long list of features and easy operational facility. The most stunning fact is it can also support operations in Win 98, Millennium, 2000 as well as XP. Other than this, it also supports MAC PCs.
These Cheap Digital cameras have become a craze among youngsters and adolescents because of their economical prices. Most youngsters depend solely on their limited pocket money and hence cannot afford to buy expensive stuffs. These gadgets are best suited for them as they are available at economical rates and have multiple high end options. Other than the latest SLR’s, these cameras also have high end features which have attracted professional as well as non professional photographers. For example, the Premier digital camera provides excellent picture output with the help of 3.2 Mega Pixels CMOS Sensor. Other than this, it has high image resolutions with a Fixed Focus Lens that functions in the range of 0.4m~0.6m. This camera has a classy exterior with high resolution TFT display, which would be obviously admirable for both youngsters as well as the adults.
By: Alden Jerry
About the Author:
Alden Jerry is an author of Xpert4u a Price comparison site that provides the relevant information on various Games, electronics and mobile phones products. Digital Cameras
The Panasonic Lumix Dmc-fz18 Digital Camera Features and Information
The obvious attraction of the Panasonic DMC FZ18 is its 18x optical zoom lens. This is one of the first digital cameras to increase the lens length on a consumer digital camera beyond 12 xs. The lens is supported by image stabilization to help cut down on any camera shake caused by the added weight of the lens. The DMC FZ18 also hosts a number of manual controls and settings and is based on the lines of a digital SLR camera. In fact it is one of the most feature packed cameras you can buy. It has 8 megapixels.
The FZ18 is the successor to the FZ8. The biggest change in the guts of the camera is the more powerful zoom lens. The FZ8 had a 12x optical zoom and the FZ18 gets an 18x optical zoom. Besides that, there is a small resolution bump to 8 megapixels from 7.1 megapixels, and the 2.5 inch LCD is of higher resolution on the FZ18. Software-wise, Panasonic has introduced their Intelligent Auto mode on the FZ18, which essentially bundles face recognition, continuous AF, Intelligent ISO control, and image stabilization on one easy to use auto mode.
Panasonic has been a key player in the super-zoom field since the launch of its impressive Leica-lenses Lumix DMC-FZ1 back in 2002, and has maintained this position with a series of well-received models in the same series. Today I’m taking a look at the latest in the line, the FZ18, which offers a tempting specification for anyone with £300 to spend. It has an 8.1 megapixel CCD, 2.5in 230k LCD monitor, RAW mode shooting and a massive 18x Leica zoom lens with optical image stabilization and a 28-504mm equivalent focal length range.
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18 is shaped like an SLR, but is more compact. The hand grip is coated with textured rubber that almost feels silky. At the top of the rubber panel is a shallow divot wide enough for the index finger to comfortably wrap around the front of the camera. At the tip of the hand grip, the zoom ring that surrounds the shutter button is visible. To the right of the shutter release and protruding portion of the hand grip is a small Panasonic DMC-FZ18 label.
The back of the FZ18 also looks very similar to the FZ8. Both cameras have a 2.5-inch LCD screen on the left that is on a platform that is raised from the body by a few millimeters. To the right of the LCD is about 1.5 inches of space occupied by the same buttons as the FZ8. To the upper right of the LCD is a tiny joystick. The left side looks identical to the FZ8 with the exception of the lens’ specs of course. The older model has a 12x optical zoom lens and the Panasonic FZ18 has an 18x optical zoom lens, although the cameras are about the same size.
The right side of the camera looks familiar. It is also nearly identical to the FZ8. The only difference is the addition of a thumb grip on the back of the camera that is visible on this side of the FZ18. In front of that thumb grip is a chrome eyelet for the neck strap, and the rubber hand grip surface in front of that. Two chrome neck strap eyelets flank the top of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18, which is oddly shaped. The lens barrel looks enormous when viewed from above. The flash component sits atop it. The viewfinder juts out from the flash component. Directly right of the viewfinder is the round mode dial. It has many more positions than the FZ8 including custom and several scene modes. The bottom of the camera is quite thick. There is a metal tripod socket that is slightly off-center of the lens, which could make it tough to mount. Below the hand grip is a plastic friction grip door that covers the battery and memory card slots
Features:-
* 18x optical zoom (28-504mm equiv.) - FZ8 has 12x (36-432mm) zoom
* Smaller maximum aperture at long end of zoom (F4.2 vs F3.1)
* 8.3 megapixel sensor (vs 7.2 megapixel)
* Face Detection
* Intelligent Auto mode
* Manually selectable ISO 1600
* ISO 6400 High Sensitivity mode
* AF/AE lock button and dedicated AF/MF button
* 1cm macro (was 5cm)
* Custom mode and extra scene modes (plus ‘advanced scene modes’)
* Five level Noise reduction (was three level)
* Slower continuous shooting (burst)
* Heavier and slightly larger
By: Corwin Brown
About the Author:
The FZ18 is the successor to the FZ8. The biggest change in the guts of the camera is the more powerful zoom lens. The FZ8 had a 12x optical zoom and the FZ18 gets an 18x optical zoom. Besides that, there is a small resolution bump to 8 megapixels from 7.1 megapixels, and the 2.5 inch LCD is of higher resolution on the FZ18. Software-wise, Panasonic has introduced their Intelligent Auto mode on the FZ18, which essentially bundles face recognition, continuous AF, Intelligent ISO control, and image stabilization on one easy to use auto mode.
Panasonic has been a key player in the super-zoom field since the launch of its impressive Leica-lenses Lumix DMC-FZ1 back in 2002, and has maintained this position with a series of well-received models in the same series. Today I’m taking a look at the latest in the line, the FZ18, which offers a tempting specification for anyone with £300 to spend. It has an 8.1 megapixel CCD, 2.5in 230k LCD monitor, RAW mode shooting and a massive 18x Leica zoom lens with optical image stabilization and a 28-504mm equivalent focal length range.
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18 is shaped like an SLR, but is more compact. The hand grip is coated with textured rubber that almost feels silky. At the top of the rubber panel is a shallow divot wide enough for the index finger to comfortably wrap around the front of the camera. At the tip of the hand grip, the zoom ring that surrounds the shutter button is visible. To the right of the shutter release and protruding portion of the hand grip is a small Panasonic DMC-FZ18 label.
The back of the FZ18 also looks very similar to the FZ8. Both cameras have a 2.5-inch LCD screen on the left that is on a platform that is raised from the body by a few millimeters. To the right of the LCD is about 1.5 inches of space occupied by the same buttons as the FZ8. To the upper right of the LCD is a tiny joystick. The left side looks identical to the FZ8 with the exception of the lens’ specs of course. The older model has a 12x optical zoom lens and the Panasonic FZ18 has an 18x optical zoom lens, although the cameras are about the same size.
The right side of the camera looks familiar. It is also nearly identical to the FZ8. The only difference is the addition of a thumb grip on the back of the camera that is visible on this side of the FZ18. In front of that thumb grip is a chrome eyelet for the neck strap, and the rubber hand grip surface in front of that. Two chrome neck strap eyelets flank the top of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18, which is oddly shaped. The lens barrel looks enormous when viewed from above. The flash component sits atop it. The viewfinder juts out from the flash component. Directly right of the viewfinder is the round mode dial. It has many more positions than the FZ8 including custom and several scene modes. The bottom of the camera is quite thick. There is a metal tripod socket that is slightly off-center of the lens, which could make it tough to mount. Below the hand grip is a plastic friction grip door that covers the battery and memory card slots
Features:-
* 18x optical zoom (28-504mm equiv.) - FZ8 has 12x (36-432mm) zoom
* Smaller maximum aperture at long end of zoom (F4.2 vs F3.1)
* 8.3 megapixel sensor (vs 7.2 megapixel)
* Face Detection
* Intelligent Auto mode
* Manually selectable ISO 1600
* ISO 6400 High Sensitivity mode
* AF/AE lock button and dedicated AF/MF button
* 1cm macro (was 5cm)
* Custom mode and extra scene modes (plus ‘advanced scene modes’)
* Five level Noise reduction (was three level)
* Slower continuous shooting (burst)
* Heavier and slightly larger
By: Corwin Brown
About the Author:
Read about Digital Camera Reviews and Mobile Phone Reviews. Also read about Laptop Reviews
Digital SLR Vs Compact Point and Shoot Camera
All in all, there are three main categories of digital cameras: the Digital SLR camera, the Compact Point and Shoot camera and the High Performance Digital Point and Shoot.
The Digital SLR camera boasts with a high mega pixel, the lowest being 6.3 and extending higher up. The Digital SLR is great because it offers full manual setting options while the Compact camera has only a few manual settings. The manual settings will help you establish the precise environment for taking a great picture, so you have more control over the quality.
The Digital SLR features also interchangeable lenses. This provides quality pictures, as you will be able to change the lenses according to the light and the context. On the other hand, the interchangeable lenses may be a drawback for the SLR cameras, as they cost a lot and some people don’t want to bother changing lenses only to take a picture of their dog barking.
The shutter lag time is non-existent with the SLRs, but this might be a problem when it comes to Compact cameras.
The Compact Point and Shoot camera features also all sorts of options such as an optical zoom, an LCD screen size, computer connectivity and lots more. This type camera is very easy to use and you won’t have the inconvenience of having to change lenses or settings as you can use the auto option.
The compact cameras will do well when it comes to deep depth of filed, but will not excel in taking superior macro shots. You won’t be disappointed in the wide angle of these cameras either. What do you say about an angle of 15 mm?
They will do extremely well in low light conditions, when it enables the auto focus, consequently you will be able to shot at nighttime also. This digital camera will provide good pics in available lighting so it will perform just fine in these conditions.
Moreover, the Compact Point and Shoot camera is highly flexible and easy to handle, as it is smaller in size than the SLR cameras. The latest cameras can even fit in a small pocket.
Another strength of this type of camera is the price. According to the number of the mega pixels and their features, the price will hardly exceed $500. The cheapest Compact Point and Shoot camera can be found at $130-$150. The superior SLR camera prices start from $1000.
All things considered, the Digital SLR camera is highly recommended for specialists and enthusiast photographers, while the Compact camera is suitable for amateurs. Nevertheless, a quality Compact Point and Shoot camera will also allow you to take creative pictures.
The bottom line is: you choose the SLR or the point and shoot according to your budget, requirements from a digital camera and lifestyle.
By: Craig Rad
About the Author:
The Digital SLR camera boasts with a high mega pixel, the lowest being 6.3 and extending higher up. The Digital SLR is great because it offers full manual setting options while the Compact camera has only a few manual settings. The manual settings will help you establish the precise environment for taking a great picture, so you have more control over the quality.
The Digital SLR features also interchangeable lenses. This provides quality pictures, as you will be able to change the lenses according to the light and the context. On the other hand, the interchangeable lenses may be a drawback for the SLR cameras, as they cost a lot and some people don’t want to bother changing lenses only to take a picture of their dog barking.
The shutter lag time is non-existent with the SLRs, but this might be a problem when it comes to Compact cameras.
The Compact Point and Shoot camera features also all sorts of options such as an optical zoom, an LCD screen size, computer connectivity and lots more. This type camera is very easy to use and you won’t have the inconvenience of having to change lenses or settings as you can use the auto option.
The compact cameras will do well when it comes to deep depth of filed, but will not excel in taking superior macro shots. You won’t be disappointed in the wide angle of these cameras either. What do you say about an angle of 15 mm?
They will do extremely well in low light conditions, when it enables the auto focus, consequently you will be able to shot at nighttime also. This digital camera will provide good pics in available lighting so it will perform just fine in these conditions.
Moreover, the Compact Point and Shoot camera is highly flexible and easy to handle, as it is smaller in size than the SLR cameras. The latest cameras can even fit in a small pocket.
Another strength of this type of camera is the price. According to the number of the mega pixels and their features, the price will hardly exceed $500. The cheapest Compact Point and Shoot camera can be found at $130-$150. The superior SLR camera prices start from $1000.
All things considered, the Digital SLR camera is highly recommended for specialists and enthusiast photographers, while the Compact camera is suitable for amateurs. Nevertheless, a quality Compact Point and Shoot camera will also allow you to take creative pictures.
The bottom line is: you choose the SLR or the point and shoot according to your budget, requirements from a digital camera and lifestyle.
By: Craig Rad
About the Author:
On Road Mogul you can get more information on Digital Cameras and on the amazing Canon Powershot S3 IS.
Tips to Buying a Digital Camera
If you want to be sure of your decision to buy a certain digital camera, then you need to take sometime to read this article that will provide you with all the information you need to access this gadget before buying it.
The challenging thing about buying a digital camera is that as soon as you buy the latest brand new one, another better one is introduced in the market. It was not always like this, I mean back in the day the process of evolution was dreadfully slow due to the film processing system used.
A normal consumer who prefers owning a product for a little while before exchanging it for a newer version cannot match the speed with which improvements are made to digital cameras. Today we have the optical zoom being improving with every new release, the size of the cameras is becoming smaller and smaller and the storage capacity is increasing drastically.
So to buy a digital camera can be daunting task. Most South African buyers can hardly make a best choice because of the variations and continuous improvements of digital cameras. So let us look at a few things you can do before you set foot in a store of click the to check out button an online store.
There are a number of electronic websites that provide feedback on equipment bought by consumers. In these sites, you will find posts from people who have bought the same products you are interested in and be in a position to ascertain how it has worked for others and if it delivers on your expectation. There are other review sites that are based on feedback posted by experts and not necessarily ordinary consumers. In these technical review sites, you will often find reports that you can download at no cost.
Know why you need the camera
Every camera company tries to improve its line of digital cameras by providing new features, better functionality in terms of some specific features and of course they are selling these gadgets at discounted prices. Access your photography needs so you will not feel overwhelmed by the many features on offer. You may not need some add-on features that will make you pay a higher amount than necessary. I hope I have made it clear why it is important to know why you need to determine your need before buying the next big thing.
DSLRs vs point and shoot
Digital SLR cameras are highly quality, normally expensive cameras used by professionals and hobbyist. You should consider buying one it your photography needs are at an advanced level i.e. you want to take action photos, macro images etc.. With these SLRs you have to focus the shots yourself because nothing is automatic and can be attached to a microscope and telescope as well.
If you are not at all a professional, the point and shoot digital camera is for you. The point and shoot is very easy to use and most of its functions are done automatically e.g. auto focus. You also do not have to worry about color settings or lighting. The point and shoot cameras also hook up easily to PCs, even without software in most cases.
There is more I can share with you but let me end with the following summary. Consider the camera resolution, which is denoted in pixels if it is big, then it is good but it can become uselessly bigger for other users, the optical zoom the more you are able to zoom in and out the better, check out the storage capacity ask about how many images you can store.
Although it might look easy, it is a major financial decision to buy a digital camera, so you take your time and check all the recommended sources and features.
By: George Rooyen Jnr
About the Author:
The challenging thing about buying a digital camera is that as soon as you buy the latest brand new one, another better one is introduced in the market. It was not always like this, I mean back in the day the process of evolution was dreadfully slow due to the film processing system used.
A normal consumer who prefers owning a product for a little while before exchanging it for a newer version cannot match the speed with which improvements are made to digital cameras. Today we have the optical zoom being improving with every new release, the size of the cameras is becoming smaller and smaller and the storage capacity is increasing drastically.
So to buy a digital camera can be daunting task. Most South African buyers can hardly make a best choice because of the variations and continuous improvements of digital cameras. So let us look at a few things you can do before you set foot in a store of click the to check out button an online store.
There are a number of electronic websites that provide feedback on equipment bought by consumers. In these sites, you will find posts from people who have bought the same products you are interested in and be in a position to ascertain how it has worked for others and if it delivers on your expectation. There are other review sites that are based on feedback posted by experts and not necessarily ordinary consumers. In these technical review sites, you will often find reports that you can download at no cost.
Know why you need the camera
Every camera company tries to improve its line of digital cameras by providing new features, better functionality in terms of some specific features and of course they are selling these gadgets at discounted prices. Access your photography needs so you will not feel overwhelmed by the many features on offer. You may not need some add-on features that will make you pay a higher amount than necessary. I hope I have made it clear why it is important to know why you need to determine your need before buying the next big thing.
DSLRs vs point and shoot
Digital SLR cameras are highly quality, normally expensive cameras used by professionals and hobbyist. You should consider buying one it your photography needs are at an advanced level i.e. you want to take action photos, macro images etc.. With these SLRs you have to focus the shots yourself because nothing is automatic and can be attached to a microscope and telescope as well.
If you are not at all a professional, the point and shoot digital camera is for you. The point and shoot is very easy to use and most of its functions are done automatically e.g. auto focus. You also do not have to worry about color settings or lighting. The point and shoot cameras also hook up easily to PCs, even without software in most cases.
There is more I can share with you but let me end with the following summary. Consider the camera resolution, which is denoted in pixels if it is big, then it is good but it can become uselessly bigger for other users, the optical zoom the more you are able to zoom in and out the better, check out the storage capacity ask about how many images you can store.
Although it might look easy, it is a major financial decision to buy a digital camera, so you take your time and check all the recommended sources and features.
By: George Rooyen Jnr
About the Author:
Me and my Sigma Camera Lens
I have a Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 EX DC Macro HSM which i just bought last week and to tell anyone honestly I liked it a lot. I mainly used this camera lens as a standard zoom for my Nikon D40 because it covers all focal lengths I usually use for indoor shooting. Also it provides faster aperture available for DSLR zooms, which is an absolute must for shallower depth-of-field portraits and low-light photography.
So before I go into any deeper I need to explain first what is the full feature and advantages of my new Sigma Camera lens.
Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 EX DC Macro HSM has a large aperture zoom lens designed especially for use with digital SLR cameras with minimum focusing distance of 20cm (7.9”). The lens is especially designed to suit the characteristics of digital SLR cameras and provides a high level of optical performance. It has a large aperture of F2.8 throughout the entire zoom range, offers superior peripheral brightness as well as a compact and lightweight construction. Also having a maximum magnification of 1:3 making it ideal for close-up photography.
What are the features this camera lens provides?
Excellent optical Design
The Sigma Camera Lens produces an exceptional level of optical performance with a Special Low Dispersion (SLD) and Extraordinary Low Dispersion (ELD) glass elements which provides excellent correction of colour aberrations.
Compact and Lightweight lens
The design incorporates both glass-mold and hybrid aspherical lens technology which makes a compact and lightweight construction.
Reduced Ghosting and Flare
The super multi-layer lens coating reduces flare and ghost. High image quality is assured throughout the entire zoom range.
Inner Focus System
An inner focusing system eliminates front lens rotation, making the lens particularly suitable for using the petal-type lens hood (supplied) plus circular polarizing filters.
Having my own satisfactory opinion for this camera lens, having my sigma camera lens compared with other camera lenses, I prefer this one as it provides quality as well as affordability.
By: John Christian Smith
About the Author:
So before I go into any deeper I need to explain first what is the full feature and advantages of my new Sigma Camera lens.
Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 EX DC Macro HSM has a large aperture zoom lens designed especially for use with digital SLR cameras with minimum focusing distance of 20cm (7.9”). The lens is especially designed to suit the characteristics of digital SLR cameras and provides a high level of optical performance. It has a large aperture of F2.8 throughout the entire zoom range, offers superior peripheral brightness as well as a compact and lightweight construction. Also having a maximum magnification of 1:3 making it ideal for close-up photography.
What are the features this camera lens provides?
Excellent optical Design
The Sigma Camera Lens produces an exceptional level of optical performance with a Special Low Dispersion (SLD) and Extraordinary Low Dispersion (ELD) glass elements which provides excellent correction of colour aberrations.
Compact and Lightweight lens
The design incorporates both glass-mold and hybrid aspherical lens technology which makes a compact and lightweight construction.
Reduced Ghosting and Flare
The super multi-layer lens coating reduces flare and ghost. High image quality is assured throughout the entire zoom range.
Inner Focus System
An inner focusing system eliminates front lens rotation, making the lens particularly suitable for using the petal-type lens hood (supplied) plus circular polarizing filters.
Having my own satisfactory opinion for this camera lens, having my sigma camera lens compared with other camera lenses, I prefer this one as it provides quality as well as affordability.
By: John Christian Smith
About the Author:
John Christian Smith is a writer and a freelance photographer. John Christian Smith also writes for the http://macro-lens.net , http://leica-lens.com and http://leica-digital-lens.com
Olympus Sp 570 Uz Digital Camera Review
The Olympus SP-570 is a 10 megapixel digital camera with a 20x optical zoom lens. This is the longest lens currently available on a consumer digital camera.
Why Buy the Olympus SP-570?
I guess I’m stating the obvious when I say the main attraction of the SP-570 is the long zoom lens. This length of zoom usually comes in handy for wildlife and sporting subjects. In addition to the length of the lens, the camera also has manual exposure controls. For anyone who is use to handing an SLR camera you may be interested to hear that the lens is zoomed in and out by twisting the lens barrel rather than the more typical method of pushing buttons on the back of the camera.
As you would expect with a lens this size, the SP-570 offers image stabilisation. The lens has a focal length equivalent to 26 - 520mm in 35mm format. This makes the lens wide angle and makes it ideal for shooting wide scenes, such as landscapes. The camera also comes with a set of manual exposure controls. Therefore this camera is a good choice for someone who sees photography as a hobby.
Image Quality Olympus SP-570 test shots
Outdoor 1 (Medium Zoom)
The SP-570 certainly handles the lighter colours well in this shot with plenty of detail showing in the boats and also in the white wooden slats under the roof of the building.
There is also impressive levels of detail showing in the in some of the more lightly shaded areas. Focusing is sharp with the brickwork of the building standing out well.
Colours have a gentler feel to them than many of the digital cameras I have tested recently.
Outdoor 2 (No Zoom)
This is another fair effort. Sharpness stands up well considering the distance between the camera and the scene. You can also see the benefit of the wide angle lens with plenty of the scene showing in the shot.
Outdoor 3 (Maximum Zoom)
With the lens zoomed into to its maximum capacity purple fringing becomes quite evident. This will be more of a problem when taking photos with light coloured objects in the scene, such as the boats in the test shot. As with many cameras, offering extreme length of lens focusing loses some of its sharpness when the lens is fully extended.
Outdoor 4 (Building)
In this test shot the SP-570 copes well with the scene. As I would expect the picture is sharper and the camera has no problem focusing on the brickwork of the building.
Outdoor Portrait
There are no problems with sharpness or colour in this shot. If you find the result is darker in the shadows than you would like then you can try using flash to lighten these areas.
Indoor Portrait with Flash
This is another sharply focused effort. The flash is quite powerful and shows quite clearly on areas of the face.
Indoor Portrait without Flash
For me this is the most impressive photo out of all my test shots. The SP-570 is able to use the available light to produce a natural looking shot. Brightness and definition are better than the vast majority of cameras are able to manage. This is one of the benefits of working with a camera that has a large sized lens.
Colours
In most cases, the colours produced by this Olympus digital camera are calmer and less vivid than most other brands produce. There are instances where I would like to have seen more punch to the colours, but this is a matter of personal taste.
Macro
This is another shot where I am impressed by the amount of brightness the camera is able to show in the photo. Levels of detail are good without quite being top drawer. A touch of purple fringing also shows where the light catches the edge of the watch.
ISO 400 and ISO 1600
My test shots at both ISO 400 and ISO 1600 show fairly typical levels of noise. If you push ISO above these levels, it really becomes a serious problem.
Overall
Overall I’m pretty happy. Picture quality impressed me in most situations.
Shutter Lag
A single photo took 0.52 seconds with five taking 12.23 seconds. Turning the flash on increased the times to 1.35 seconds for a single photo and 14.59 seconds for five. I would like to have seen faster times for all of the tests.
It took the camera 3.05 seconds to turn on and capture the first photo.
You can compare this camera to other models by taking a look at the Shutter Lag Comparison Table.
Style: The SP-570 has as much of an SLR like feel than any other compact digital camera I can remember testing. It has a very solid feel in the hand and looks like a compact SLR. It is available in black.
Dimensions: 118.5 x 84 x 87.5 mm
Weight: 445g
Batteries: Four AA batteries are required to power the camera.
Memory cards: The camera is compatible with xD cards. Olympus has built enough memory into the SP-570 to store around 21 photos.
Ease of use rating: Good. To get the most out of thisOlympus digital camera you will need to spend plenty of time working with the camera and getting used to all the controls the camera offers. Olympus has done a good job in placing various controls at your fingertips. There is a control dial on top of the camera and dedicated buttons for focus and exposure lock, continuous shooting and a switch to select manual or automatic focusing.
Points I like:
Looks good – build quality – handling – picture quality
Where it could improve:
Shutter delay could be faster
Alternatives
Although there are an increasing number of longer and longer lenses on the market, the longest lenses I have tested before the SP-570 have 18x zoom lenses. One camera I would suggest checking out is the Nikon Coolpix P80.
Verdict:
The Olympus SP-570 handles more like a Digital SLR than any other camera I have tested. I like the barrel twisting method of zoom. Add in a hot shoe, RAW mode and various manual controls and you have a very good camera for a photography enthusiast.
Front View
Back View
Top View
Sample Menus
By: PXR5
About the Author:
Why Buy the Olympus SP-570?
I guess I’m stating the obvious when I say the main attraction of the SP-570 is the long zoom lens. This length of zoom usually comes in handy for wildlife and sporting subjects. In addition to the length of the lens, the camera also has manual exposure controls. For anyone who is use to handing an SLR camera you may be interested to hear that the lens is zoomed in and out by twisting the lens barrel rather than the more typical method of pushing buttons on the back of the camera.
As you would expect with a lens this size, the SP-570 offers image stabilisation. The lens has a focal length equivalent to 26 - 520mm in 35mm format. This makes the lens wide angle and makes it ideal for shooting wide scenes, such as landscapes. The camera also comes with a set of manual exposure controls. Therefore this camera is a good choice for someone who sees photography as a hobby.
Image Quality Olympus SP-570 test shots
Outdoor 1 (Medium Zoom)
The SP-570 certainly handles the lighter colours well in this shot with plenty of detail showing in the boats and also in the white wooden slats under the roof of the building.
There is also impressive levels of detail showing in the in some of the more lightly shaded areas. Focusing is sharp with the brickwork of the building standing out well.
Colours have a gentler feel to them than many of the digital cameras I have tested recently.
Outdoor 2 (No Zoom)
This is another fair effort. Sharpness stands up well considering the distance between the camera and the scene. You can also see the benefit of the wide angle lens with plenty of the scene showing in the shot.
Outdoor 3 (Maximum Zoom)
With the lens zoomed into to its maximum capacity purple fringing becomes quite evident. This will be more of a problem when taking photos with light coloured objects in the scene, such as the boats in the test shot. As with many cameras, offering extreme length of lens focusing loses some of its sharpness when the lens is fully extended.
Outdoor 4 (Building)
In this test shot the SP-570 copes well with the scene. As I would expect the picture is sharper and the camera has no problem focusing on the brickwork of the building.
Outdoor Portrait
There are no problems with sharpness or colour in this shot. If you find the result is darker in the shadows than you would like then you can try using flash to lighten these areas.
Indoor Portrait with Flash
This is another sharply focused effort. The flash is quite powerful and shows quite clearly on areas of the face.
Indoor Portrait without Flash
For me this is the most impressive photo out of all my test shots. The SP-570 is able to use the available light to produce a natural looking shot. Brightness and definition are better than the vast majority of cameras are able to manage. This is one of the benefits of working with a camera that has a large sized lens.
Colours
In most cases, the colours produced by this Olympus digital camera are calmer and less vivid than most other brands produce. There are instances where I would like to have seen more punch to the colours, but this is a matter of personal taste.
Macro
This is another shot where I am impressed by the amount of brightness the camera is able to show in the photo. Levels of detail are good without quite being top drawer. A touch of purple fringing also shows where the light catches the edge of the watch.
ISO 400 and ISO 1600
My test shots at both ISO 400 and ISO 1600 show fairly typical levels of noise. If you push ISO above these levels, it really becomes a serious problem.
Overall
Overall I’m pretty happy. Picture quality impressed me in most situations.
Shutter Lag
A single photo took 0.52 seconds with five taking 12.23 seconds. Turning the flash on increased the times to 1.35 seconds for a single photo and 14.59 seconds for five. I would like to have seen faster times for all of the tests.
It took the camera 3.05 seconds to turn on and capture the first photo.
You can compare this camera to other models by taking a look at the Shutter Lag Comparison Table.
Style: The SP-570 has as much of an SLR like feel than any other compact digital camera I can remember testing. It has a very solid feel in the hand and looks like a compact SLR. It is available in black.
Dimensions: 118.5 x 84 x 87.5 mm
Weight: 445g
Batteries: Four AA batteries are required to power the camera.
Memory cards: The camera is compatible with xD cards. Olympus has built enough memory into the SP-570 to store around 21 photos.
Ease of use rating: Good. To get the most out of thisOlympus digital camera you will need to spend plenty of time working with the camera and getting used to all the controls the camera offers. Olympus has done a good job in placing various controls at your fingertips. There is a control dial on top of the camera and dedicated buttons for focus and exposure lock, continuous shooting and a switch to select manual or automatic focusing.
Points I like:
Looks good – build quality – handling – picture quality
Where it could improve:
Shutter delay could be faster
Alternatives
Although there are an increasing number of longer and longer lenses on the market, the longest lenses I have tested before the SP-570 have 18x zoom lenses. One camera I would suggest checking out is the Nikon Coolpix P80.
Verdict:
The Olympus SP-570 handles more like a Digital SLR than any other camera I have tested. I like the barrel twisting method of zoom. Add in a hot shoe, RAW mode and various manual controls and you have a very good camera for a photography enthusiast.
Front View
Back View
Top View
Sample Menus
By: PXR5
About the Author:
Digital Camera: Nikon’s Digital Slrs
Nikon is a camera brand, best known for producing SLR camera. As with the boom of digital cameras all over the world, Nikon joined the bandwagon by producing what they make best, thus the new era of the Nikon digital camera was born - digital SLR.
One of the best in DSLR, the Nikon digital camera called Nikon D70 is 6-mega pixel Nikon digital camera. Coated with polycarbonate over its stainless steel chassis, this Nikon digital camera is furnished with a 50mm AF Nikkor lens that can combine with an 18-70mm kit lens and still be portable enough to be carried around. It has a 200-1600 ISO effective speed range, great for taking pictures both in the shade and under the sun. and why won’t it be?! With its three frames per second continuous shooting rate and its 1/8000 second shutter speed, taking pictures is as easy as clicking away and having fun. this Nikon digital camera is supported with a Flash card.
Another SLR from Nikon is the Nikon Coolpix 8800. An 8-mega pixel Nikon digital camera, the Coolpix 8800 has a compact body. Furnished with a 1.8 inch flip-out and swivel LCD, this baby is surely first rate SLR. This Nikon digital camera features an image stabilizer system to reduce camera shakes particularly on long shots since this gadget can zoom up to 10x (optical zoom) and can focus to up to 3cm in macro mode with its 35-350mm lens. Key controls are very user-friendly, with modes such as sensitivity, image size/quality and white balance - found directly with the mode dial. The image output quality is the middle name of this Nikon digital camera, with great detail rendition, color fidelity and saturation. a rather exceptional feature of the 8800 is the continuous shooting modes, where users can choose 1.2 or 2.3 frames per second. A bit bulky to carry around, the 8800 is perfect for shooting action and sports shots. The 8800 works with a Compact Flash card for storing up your images.
Another digital SLR from Nikon is the Nikon D50. A 6.1 mega pixel Nikon digital camera, this gadget has 7 varied modes to shoot from using its AF-S DX Zoom Nikkor 18-55mm lens. These modes are Auto, Portrait, Landscape, Close Up, Sports, Night Portrait and Child. To see the images that you took, this Nikon digital camera is furnished with a 2.0 inch LCD screen. How fast can this camera shoot? It has 2.5 frames per second and with uninterrupted shooting of up to 137 frames per second. This Nikon digital camera is not too bad, especially for novice photographers. This package also includes a software for touching up, editing and sharing your pictures. The software even enables you to burn your images to VCD or DVD format.
One of the first point and shoot Nikon digital cameras is the Nikon Coolpix 4800. A four mega pixel Nikon digital camera, the old school designed 4800 is equipped with a 1.8 inch LCD screen for viewing your pictures. The 4800 is an 8.3x zoom Nikon digital camera with 6-50mm Nikkor Ed lens that zooms quickly and has continuous auto focusing (a feature where your lens is always trying to keep your pictures sharp). It also allows users to shoot, record and playback short movie clips with its assist and excellent scene modes - meaning that includes providing outlines for portraits (for tweaking purposes), exposure and sensitivity settings. These features are very helpful especially for novice photographers that want to try their hands at photography. Along with that, it comes with a 13.5MB SD card and the Li-on battery pack.
Remember to check out Nikon’s website at nikon to see the latest Nikon digital cameras.
By: Nicholas Tan
About the Author:
One of the best in DSLR, the Nikon digital camera called Nikon D70 is 6-mega pixel Nikon digital camera. Coated with polycarbonate over its stainless steel chassis, this Nikon digital camera is furnished with a 50mm AF Nikkor lens that can combine with an 18-70mm kit lens and still be portable enough to be carried around. It has a 200-1600 ISO effective speed range, great for taking pictures both in the shade and under the sun. and why won’t it be?! With its three frames per second continuous shooting rate and its 1/8000 second shutter speed, taking pictures is as easy as clicking away and having fun. this Nikon digital camera is supported with a Flash card.
Another SLR from Nikon is the Nikon Coolpix 8800. An 8-mega pixel Nikon digital camera, the Coolpix 8800 has a compact body. Furnished with a 1.8 inch flip-out and swivel LCD, this baby is surely first rate SLR. This Nikon digital camera features an image stabilizer system to reduce camera shakes particularly on long shots since this gadget can zoom up to 10x (optical zoom) and can focus to up to 3cm in macro mode with its 35-350mm lens. Key controls are very user-friendly, with modes such as sensitivity, image size/quality and white balance - found directly with the mode dial. The image output quality is the middle name of this Nikon digital camera, with great detail rendition, color fidelity and saturation. a rather exceptional feature of the 8800 is the continuous shooting modes, where users can choose 1.2 or 2.3 frames per second. A bit bulky to carry around, the 8800 is perfect for shooting action and sports shots. The 8800 works with a Compact Flash card for storing up your images.
Another digital SLR from Nikon is the Nikon D50. A 6.1 mega pixel Nikon digital camera, this gadget has 7 varied modes to shoot from using its AF-S DX Zoom Nikkor 18-55mm lens. These modes are Auto, Portrait, Landscape, Close Up, Sports, Night Portrait and Child. To see the images that you took, this Nikon digital camera is furnished with a 2.0 inch LCD screen. How fast can this camera shoot? It has 2.5 frames per second and with uninterrupted shooting of up to 137 frames per second. This Nikon digital camera is not too bad, especially for novice photographers. This package also includes a software for touching up, editing and sharing your pictures. The software even enables you to burn your images to VCD or DVD format.
One of the first point and shoot Nikon digital cameras is the Nikon Coolpix 4800. A four mega pixel Nikon digital camera, the old school designed 4800 is equipped with a 1.8 inch LCD screen for viewing your pictures. The 4800 is an 8.3x zoom Nikon digital camera with 6-50mm Nikkor Ed lens that zooms quickly and has continuous auto focusing (a feature where your lens is always trying to keep your pictures sharp). It also allows users to shoot, record and playback short movie clips with its assist and excellent scene modes - meaning that includes providing outlines for portraits (for tweaking purposes), exposure and sensitivity settings. These features are very helpful especially for novice photographers that want to try their hands at photography. Along with that, it comes with a 13.5MB SD card and the Li-on battery pack.
Remember to check out Nikon’s website at nikon to see the latest Nikon digital cameras.
By: Nicholas Tan
About the Author:
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Guide to Buying a Digital Camera
The digital camera market today offers buyers a large number of choices, with products in widely differing price ranges, sizes and degree of operational complexity. From miniatures the size of a credit card, to fully functional professional SLR (Single Lens reflex) systems, you can buy a digital camera from manufacturers including traditional camera brands such as Canon, Olympus, Nikon, film companies such as Kodak and Fuji, and consumer electronic companies like Sony. Then there are other options that include the mobile phone manufacturers, and webcam suppliers.
The advantages of digital photography are numerous. Topmost is the fact that there is no film processing: expensive both in cost and time. But there is also the advantage of smaller sized equipment, portable media and instant picture viewing. And if you don’t like what you see, you simply delete it and shoot again: no wastage.
If you like to take pictures, being a digital photographer makes a lot of sense. But which camera is the best one for you? In a field of excess abundance, how do you narrow down what you need? How much to pay? How many megapixels? (What are they anyway?) Which brand? How much memory?
Digital CamerasEvery shopper is different.
At MyShopping.com.au we recognise this fact, and so we list practically all brands and models from hundreds of suppliers. These listings include the cold hard digital data facts about each camera and a range of comparative pricings offered by different suppliers. But just as every shopper is different, every photographer is different too. And just having the facts may not make you feel any more knowledgeable about which camera is right for you.
You could begin with the question: What sort of pictures will you take with your new digital camera? This is a valid starting point because from here you can begin to qualify your requirements in terms of technical capability and price. What sort of pictures will you take with your new digital camera?
Is it simply for happy snaps whenever you get together with friends and family at weekends and holidays? Or are you a serious bird watcher and you want to capture nature at its finest? Perhaps you want a camera for work to record your inventory, or recording information from a client. Maybe you’re a PI on a mission. The point is, you need to begin by recognising that your reason for buying a digital camera may not be the same as that of your best friend who is recommending the model she bought.
Once you’ve figured out the sort of pictures you are going to take, you can then set about deciding on the type of camera that will meet your needs. If you need something highly portable that fits in your shirt pocket or your handbag and lets you take it anywhere you go, make size a big consideration. If you want to take seriously good photographs, and you want to pursue an artistic endeavour, make image flexibility your main concern.
It might also be worthwhile considering your own position in the digital photography experience. Are you a novice about to buy your first camera, do you have some intermediate experience, or are you an advanced user?
Someone new to the market will likely not want to spend a lot of money, nor have a lot of mind-boggling features that leave you confused. There are cameras ideal for beginning users that have basic ‘point and shoot’ features including optical and digital zoom lens, flexible storage media and built in flash. There is a huge range of cameras available with simple features at low cost.
If you consider yourself an intermediate user with some operational knowledge of digital camera technology, you may want to consider more advanced features that give you more control over the pictures you take. These features usually come in a range of automatic settings and manual settings for capturing the image and different storage options in terms of resolution and picture type (raw data, jpeg, tiff). Naturally there is some cost attached to additional features when compared to more basic cameras.
For advanced users, there are a lot of professional options you can consider; such as SLR view finding and lens interchange ability. Cameras in this range provide much greater control over the image, both before and once it is captured. These options include shutter speed and aperture adjustment, and many cameras offer the ability to manipulate images ‘in camera’, such as cropping, and brightness and contrast adjustments.
After the picture is taken
A further main consideration is what are you going to do with your images once you have them? The great beauty of digital photography is the simple fact that you can store them on digital media such as CDs and media cards, and view them on computer screens and in many cases, your television. You need print only when and those you want to see, or show to others. Digital photography also gives fantastic opportunities to manipulate your images using popular image manipulation programs, resizing them, altering brightness and contrast characteristics, and correcting problems such as red eye, or removing skin blemishes.
Most digital cameras are computer ready, able to plug directly into your PC or Mac using USB connectors. They usually include proprietary software allowing you to easily and instantly manage your image files in photo albums or slide shows. Many digital cameras also include a video capture facility enabling you to take short motion pictures.
What you want to do with your images after you have them can have an impact on your choice of camera. If you want to make enlarged prints for example, you will want a high megapixel capacity (also talked about as ‘resolution’). If you want images for website use, you will want to get the best quality images that can be reduced in resolution without severe degradation.
Beauty is in the “I”
Great pictures usually come from great conditions. You capture a great moment, the light is just right, the subject is at the perfect distance, the image is perfectly framed. But not every digital camera offers the flexibility to make the best of existing light conditions, or position. Most digital cameras (certainly at the budget end) come with a built in automatic flash, which is terrific for happy snaps in darkened environments. And the automatic flash automatically does not ‘go off’ in bright sunny conditions. But in those times when you want to use the existing light, you need a camera that gives you manual control over the operation or not, of the flash.
Moreover, most digital cameras in the lower and medium price ranges are highly automated. If you are moving from a traditional SLR film camera where you have maximum control over shutter speed, aperture and ISO speeds, it may be frustrating to not have easy access to the same range of tools to take advantage of existing light conditions.
In the more advanced (and therefore more expensive) range of digital cameras, most lens and aperture functions are available in exactly the same way as other SLR systems. What differs is how the colours and light of the image is translated through pixel capture compared to the chemical processing systems.
You may want a wide range of focus options. Most digital cameras have two different types of image magnification, lens magnification (zoom) that may be equivalent of a 35mm to 150 mm lens, and a digital magnification that may be to ten-fold (expressed as x10). This provides you with zoom lens capability, which may be limited in its depth of field control and is subject to soft focus and movement if the conditions aren’t just right, and a digital magnification of the pixel image. If being able to capture magnified distant images is important to you, you need more megapixels, and a lens system that gives you some control over its focus and aperture management.
A final word on accessory
Digital cameras are electronic equipment. That means they run on batteries, and if you use your camera a lot, you will find that you will be frequently replacing batteries. Some cameras have rechargeable batteries; others simply use dry cells (AA), which you can of course load with rechargeable ones. It pays to have spare batteries so that you always have a charged power source. Some cameras have docking stations to help manage the connection with computers. Many digital SLR cameras have interchangeable lens systems, some of which may be compatible with traditional film SLRs.
You can also print your own pictures at home with special printers that handle standard photograph paper, and connect directly to your camera. Although it may be less expensive to simply take your camera’s card, or a CD to your local camera store, and now many supermarkets and department stores, and use the automatic printing machines to print the images you want.
There is a lot you can do with a digital camera, and you can pay les than $200, or more than $10,000. It all depends on how you see yourself as a photographer, what you’re shooting, and what you want to do with your pictures. At Myshopping.com.au you can very quickly compare specifications and prices.
By: Andrew Gates
About the Author:
The advantages of digital photography are numerous. Topmost is the fact that there is no film processing: expensive both in cost and time. But there is also the advantage of smaller sized equipment, portable media and instant picture viewing. And if you don’t like what you see, you simply delete it and shoot again: no wastage.
If you like to take pictures, being a digital photographer makes a lot of sense. But which camera is the best one for you? In a field of excess abundance, how do you narrow down what you need? How much to pay? How many megapixels? (What are they anyway?) Which brand? How much memory?
Digital CamerasEvery shopper is different.
At MyShopping.com.au we recognise this fact, and so we list practically all brands and models from hundreds of suppliers. These listings include the cold hard digital data facts about each camera and a range of comparative pricings offered by different suppliers. But just as every shopper is different, every photographer is different too. And just having the facts may not make you feel any more knowledgeable about which camera is right for you.
You could begin with the question: What sort of pictures will you take with your new digital camera? This is a valid starting point because from here you can begin to qualify your requirements in terms of technical capability and price. What sort of pictures will you take with your new digital camera?
Is it simply for happy snaps whenever you get together with friends and family at weekends and holidays? Or are you a serious bird watcher and you want to capture nature at its finest? Perhaps you want a camera for work to record your inventory, or recording information from a client. Maybe you’re a PI on a mission. The point is, you need to begin by recognising that your reason for buying a digital camera may not be the same as that of your best friend who is recommending the model she bought.
Once you’ve figured out the sort of pictures you are going to take, you can then set about deciding on the type of camera that will meet your needs. If you need something highly portable that fits in your shirt pocket or your handbag and lets you take it anywhere you go, make size a big consideration. If you want to take seriously good photographs, and you want to pursue an artistic endeavour, make image flexibility your main concern.
It might also be worthwhile considering your own position in the digital photography experience. Are you a novice about to buy your first camera, do you have some intermediate experience, or are you an advanced user?
Someone new to the market will likely not want to spend a lot of money, nor have a lot of mind-boggling features that leave you confused. There are cameras ideal for beginning users that have basic ‘point and shoot’ features including optical and digital zoom lens, flexible storage media and built in flash. There is a huge range of cameras available with simple features at low cost.
If you consider yourself an intermediate user with some operational knowledge of digital camera technology, you may want to consider more advanced features that give you more control over the pictures you take. These features usually come in a range of automatic settings and manual settings for capturing the image and different storage options in terms of resolution and picture type (raw data, jpeg, tiff). Naturally there is some cost attached to additional features when compared to more basic cameras.
For advanced users, there are a lot of professional options you can consider; such as SLR view finding and lens interchange ability. Cameras in this range provide much greater control over the image, both before and once it is captured. These options include shutter speed and aperture adjustment, and many cameras offer the ability to manipulate images ‘in camera’, such as cropping, and brightness and contrast adjustments.
After the picture is taken
A further main consideration is what are you going to do with your images once you have them? The great beauty of digital photography is the simple fact that you can store them on digital media such as CDs and media cards, and view them on computer screens and in many cases, your television. You need print only when and those you want to see, or show to others. Digital photography also gives fantastic opportunities to manipulate your images using popular image manipulation programs, resizing them, altering brightness and contrast characteristics, and correcting problems such as red eye, or removing skin blemishes.
Most digital cameras are computer ready, able to plug directly into your PC or Mac using USB connectors. They usually include proprietary software allowing you to easily and instantly manage your image files in photo albums or slide shows. Many digital cameras also include a video capture facility enabling you to take short motion pictures.
What you want to do with your images after you have them can have an impact on your choice of camera. If you want to make enlarged prints for example, you will want a high megapixel capacity (also talked about as ‘resolution’). If you want images for website use, you will want to get the best quality images that can be reduced in resolution without severe degradation.
Beauty is in the “I”
Great pictures usually come from great conditions. You capture a great moment, the light is just right, the subject is at the perfect distance, the image is perfectly framed. But not every digital camera offers the flexibility to make the best of existing light conditions, or position. Most digital cameras (certainly at the budget end) come with a built in automatic flash, which is terrific for happy snaps in darkened environments. And the automatic flash automatically does not ‘go off’ in bright sunny conditions. But in those times when you want to use the existing light, you need a camera that gives you manual control over the operation or not, of the flash.
Moreover, most digital cameras in the lower and medium price ranges are highly automated. If you are moving from a traditional SLR film camera where you have maximum control over shutter speed, aperture and ISO speeds, it may be frustrating to not have easy access to the same range of tools to take advantage of existing light conditions.
In the more advanced (and therefore more expensive) range of digital cameras, most lens and aperture functions are available in exactly the same way as other SLR systems. What differs is how the colours and light of the image is translated through pixel capture compared to the chemical processing systems.
You may want a wide range of focus options. Most digital cameras have two different types of image magnification, lens magnification (zoom) that may be equivalent of a 35mm to 150 mm lens, and a digital magnification that may be to ten-fold (expressed as x10). This provides you with zoom lens capability, which may be limited in its depth of field control and is subject to soft focus and movement if the conditions aren’t just right, and a digital magnification of the pixel image. If being able to capture magnified distant images is important to you, you need more megapixels, and a lens system that gives you some control over its focus and aperture management.
A final word on accessory
Digital cameras are electronic equipment. That means they run on batteries, and if you use your camera a lot, you will find that you will be frequently replacing batteries. Some cameras have rechargeable batteries; others simply use dry cells (AA), which you can of course load with rechargeable ones. It pays to have spare batteries so that you always have a charged power source. Some cameras have docking stations to help manage the connection with computers. Many digital SLR cameras have interchangeable lens systems, some of which may be compatible with traditional film SLRs.
You can also print your own pictures at home with special printers that handle standard photograph paper, and connect directly to your camera. Although it may be less expensive to simply take your camera’s card, or a CD to your local camera store, and now many supermarkets and department stores, and use the automatic printing machines to print the images you want.
There is a lot you can do with a digital camera, and you can pay les than $200, or more than $10,000. It all depends on how you see yourself as a photographer, what you’re shooting, and what you want to do with your pictures. At Myshopping.com.au you can very quickly compare specifications and prices.
By: Andrew Gates
About the Author:
Andrew Gates is a writer for comparison online shopping site MyShopping.com.au. MyShopping.com.au helps you compare digital cameras and buy online from top-rated online stores. You can also read digital cameras reviews and specifications.
Why Would you Decide to Purchase an Slr Digital Camera?
The majority of consumers who purchase a new digital camera opt for a point and shoot model. Many wouldn’t and probably shouldn’t, consider an SLR. However, for those who want greater control, an SLR camera can certainly be a good option. Point and shoot cameras produce great pictures, but an SLR is for those who want more.
Most of the basic point and shoot cameras offer all kinds of automatic functions to allow us to take pictures with a minimal amount of fuss. No messing around with focus, aperture settings, shutter speed, or even flash in most instances. Their ease of use, affordability, and smaller size has kept point and shoot cameras on the top of most consumers shopping lists.
Now certainly some point and shoot models do allow users to take control of some functions. Equally true is that if a lower quality lens is used with an SLR camera or user skill is poor, picture quality will not be enhanced just by having such a camera. For anyone opting to go the route of an SLR, they should be willing to spend more for quality lenses and have a strong interest in learning more about adjusting the settings on the camera to get the pay off of images that stand out.
There are a number of reasons some avid amateurs choose an SLR digital camera. One feature that is attractive with these models is that they eliminate the issue of parallax error. Parallax error occurs with a point and shoot camera that has users viewing a scene through a lens which is separate from the lens that the camera uses to capture an image. This can easily result in the subject of a picture being cropped unintentionally. SLR is the acronym for single lens reflex; the camera uses the same lens for viewing and taking images eliminating such unintentional errors.
SLR cameras are more expensive than the typical point and shoot camera, and are often sold as body only, requiring the user to purchase the lens separately. Affordable camera bodies are certainly available but skimping on the lens can result in disappointing results. Despite the increased cost and complexity in purchasing the body and lens separately, the increased versatility it offers is the prime advantage as far as improving image quality that the SLR model cameras offer. The number of lens options allows users to purchase not only higher quality lenses but more specialized lenses such as wide and super wide angle lenses, telephoto, full range zooms, and so forth. For anyone wanting to shoot in specialized situations, such as those who want to do a lot of macro (very close range) photography, this is a necessity.
Another attraction is that SLR cameras also tend to be much faster than lower end, point and shoot cameras and don’t experience the same lag time. Certainly higher end, point and shoot cameras offer far less latency and lag time than those that were available several years ago but SLR models are still faster. These models also tend to use batteries much more conservatively as they don’t use all of the automated functions.
Although the miniature size and portability of an ultra compact point and shoot camera can not be matched by the more complex and bulky SLR, things are changing. SLR models have been shrinking in recent years, making them a bit more attractive to non-professionals who want to make photography more of a hobby.
Certainly for those who merely want to snap picture of family gatherings, pets, and family vacations there is no reason to opt for the costlier and more complex SLR model. However, for those who are more avid in their desire master the world of photography an SLR may be the tool of choice.
By: Christine Peppler
About the Author:
Most of the basic point and shoot cameras offer all kinds of automatic functions to allow us to take pictures with a minimal amount of fuss. No messing around with focus, aperture settings, shutter speed, or even flash in most instances. Their ease of use, affordability, and smaller size has kept point and shoot cameras on the top of most consumers shopping lists.
Now certainly some point and shoot models do allow users to take control of some functions. Equally true is that if a lower quality lens is used with an SLR camera or user skill is poor, picture quality will not be enhanced just by having such a camera. For anyone opting to go the route of an SLR, they should be willing to spend more for quality lenses and have a strong interest in learning more about adjusting the settings on the camera to get the pay off of images that stand out.
There are a number of reasons some avid amateurs choose an SLR digital camera. One feature that is attractive with these models is that they eliminate the issue of parallax error. Parallax error occurs with a point and shoot camera that has users viewing a scene through a lens which is separate from the lens that the camera uses to capture an image. This can easily result in the subject of a picture being cropped unintentionally. SLR is the acronym for single lens reflex; the camera uses the same lens for viewing and taking images eliminating such unintentional errors.
SLR cameras are more expensive than the typical point and shoot camera, and are often sold as body only, requiring the user to purchase the lens separately. Affordable camera bodies are certainly available but skimping on the lens can result in disappointing results. Despite the increased cost and complexity in purchasing the body and lens separately, the increased versatility it offers is the prime advantage as far as improving image quality that the SLR model cameras offer. The number of lens options allows users to purchase not only higher quality lenses but more specialized lenses such as wide and super wide angle lenses, telephoto, full range zooms, and so forth. For anyone wanting to shoot in specialized situations, such as those who want to do a lot of macro (very close range) photography, this is a necessity.
Another attraction is that SLR cameras also tend to be much faster than lower end, point and shoot cameras and don’t experience the same lag time. Certainly higher end, point and shoot cameras offer far less latency and lag time than those that were available several years ago but SLR models are still faster. These models also tend to use batteries much more conservatively as they don’t use all of the automated functions.
Although the miniature size and portability of an ultra compact point and shoot camera can not be matched by the more complex and bulky SLR, things are changing. SLR models have been shrinking in recent years, making them a bit more attractive to non-professionals who want to make photography more of a hobby.
Certainly for those who merely want to snap picture of family gatherings, pets, and family vacations there is no reason to opt for the costlier and more complex SLR model. However, for those who are more avid in their desire master the world of photography an SLR may be the tool of choice.
By: Christine Peppler
About the Author:
Shopping online is convenient and often provides the best prices. Unfortunately it can be hard to ask questions online. The author, as webmaster of the online home electronics store, homemedias.info can help. Visit her site to find out more about a digital camera or camcorder before buying.
