PHOTOGRAPHY
SANS FILM
 Soon
film rolls may become things of the past. Digital cameras, once
the exclusive property of the rich few, are turning out to be
affordable alternatives to 35mm cameras. Though many professional
photographers still prefer the traditional film-based camera
over digitals, there is no denying that these hi-tech devices
are here to stay, and may well phase out the traditional gadget.
Though the major argument against digital cameras is the
poor quality of the images when compared to film-based cameras,
its convenience far out weighs the disadvantages. Besides,
technological inroads have improved image quality. It is easy
to get good pictures with point-and-shoot digital cameras,
but to get pictures of excellent quality you need to understand
the basic functions of the camera. If you get a hang of the
basic principles, you will be able to capture the mood and
details that make up a scene.
The greatest advantage that digital photography enjoys over
traditional photography is that it is flexible and instant.
Once the photo is taken the image is seen immediately on the
small LCD screen at the back of the camera. Another plus point
is that these images are flexible and can be stored in a universal
format, making them transferable between many devices and
applications.
HOW A DIGITAL CAMERA WORKS
 Images
in digital format are made up of hundreds of thousands, or
even millions of tiny squares called pixels. A digital camera
has a lens and a shutter that lets in light. But the light
strikes an array of image sensors or photosensitive cells
instead of a film. The sensor array is a chip about 6-11 mm
across. Each image is a charged-couple device (CCD), which
converts light into an electrical charge. The charge is stored
as analogue information, then digitized by another bit of
technology called an analogue to digital converter (ADC).
Every receptor in the array of thousands creates one pixel,
and for each pixel a certain amount of information is stored.
| HOW TO CHOOSE A DIGITAL
CAMERA |
| Choose
a camera that has the right balance of features and portability.
Though a small compact camera can be carried everywhere,
it may not have certain features that make for great photos.
|
| Buy the camera
with the highest resolution you can afford, at least 2
to 3 mega pixels (2 million to 3 million pixels), if possible.
|
| The
lens should be 100 percent glass. Avoid plastic lens.
|
| The more RAM the
camera has the more pictures it can store. Buy a camera
with as much RAM as you can afford, so your won't need
to download or erase them as often. |
| A
UBS allows fast connection for downloading pictures. Serial
connections, on the other hand, are very slow. |
| A camera with
a rechargeable battery is the best. It saves time and
money. |
| There
are four types of memory cards: Compact Flash type I cards,
Flash type II cards, Smart Media cards, and Multimedia
cards. CF cards are the best. Avoid buying Smart Media
cards. |
| Inspect the zoom
capabilities of the camera you intend to buy. |
| Look
for an optical (through-the-lens) viewfinder as well as
an LCD display. |
| If you intend
outputting pictures only on to a computer monitor (for
viewing, web page use or e-mail), and inexpensive digital
camera with a 640-by-480 pixel resolution will provide
very satisfactory results |
| If
you plan to print photographs on a good colour printer,
go in for a high resolution camera. |
| Investigate auto
focus and macro features, shutter-release lag times and
bundled software. |
| Consider
other features like interchangeable lenses, steady-shot,
burstmode, auto exposure, automatic white balance, voice
memo, variable shutter speeds, manual focus and self-timer.
|
| Other useful features
will include a battery-time-remaining indicator and AC
adapter. |
| Video-out
connections are used for outputting to a television. |
|
