Why Digital?
A digital camera is a very handy device which takes out the apprehension and anguish out of photography. You get instant gratification of your efforts after taking a picture as there is no development time required for churning out great looking digital images which rival the quality of 35mm film.
The Technology
It’s kind of difficult to make out a digital camera from a regular ones by looking at it(unless you examine the same closely). This is because a digital camera works on the same principle of standard film cameras with the one notable exception. The shots are not exposed onto film but to a CCD(Charged Coupled Device). The CCD is a dense matrix consisting of light sensitive elements. The same principle is also applied to computer scanners. Needlessly to say the CCD is the heart of the camera, it captures light and passes it through an image processor(which digitally encodes the image) and finally to the H/W compression engine, which produces compressed JPG formats of the picture.
The quality and resolution of the image depends on the density of the CCD elements. Your desktop webcam may have a density of 0.4 megapixel(Millions of pixels). Entry level digital cameras posess 1.3Megapixel - 2.1Megapixel. Professional ones can have 3.3, 4 or even 5 megapixel resolutions. The best digital cameras can provide photo realistic prints at an impressing 8’X11’ image size.
Who needs Digital?
Digital Imaging opens up new and exciting avenues for both Professionals and Amateurs alike. Hobbysts and Enthusiasts can click away to glory and not ever worry about investing in film. One can retouch the digital images with help of S/W like Photoshop and Photodeluxe. Journalists and Graphic designers will appreciate the instant results of their toil, likewise for professional photographers.
One might wonder why is that with all their virtues, digital photography hasnt been able to replace conventional film photography totally. The answer lies in prohibitive costs of hardware. Hobbysts may not be too keen to shell out 20, 000 bucks for a 1.3 MP camera, and a professional, wanting to emulate 35mm quality and CMYK colors needs a high end digital SLR like the Olympus E20 which would set him back by$2000 or more.
So how do YOU decide what digital camera would be suitable for your purposes.
Lets go about some fundamental steps you should encompass before making your purchase decisions
NOTE - Please visit https://dpreview.com for comprehensive reports, reviews and price lists on hundreds of models from all the top players in the digicam market.
Define your needs.
If you’re just curious about digital photography and want to cut down on your film costs. In case you’re a freelance journalist
or an amateur web designer, a 1.3Megapixel entry level point-and-shoot autofocus camera would suffice for your purposes. A camera with an optical zoom(3X or better) is a nice add-on but it does add to the cost.
If you’re a journalist or a multimedia author, consider investing in a 2.1 megapixel camera. You should also be looking at features such as optical zoom, exposure compensation, spot metering, white balance, sequence shots, isometric correction and panaromic functions.
If you’re a seasoned pro with money to spare, you should be looking at the high end 3.3/4 Megapixel category or higher. Insist you get a full function camera with all conceivable SLR features such as manual override modes, f28 lenses, image stabilisers, flash flood modes etc. along with all the features mentioned in the 2.1 MP category. A word of caution however cameras such as the could make you lose your shirt, so it’s always a good idea to pick one up at a duty free.
After you’ve decided upon the camera it’s time to pay attention to memory. Entry level cameras usually come equipped with a 8MB CompactFlash or a SmartMedia card. It’s adcisable to go in for a 16MB or a 32MB deal as soon as prices come down. High Res JPG’s in 1600X1280 mode or uncompressed TIFF formats can hog up valuable memory and more than often you may run out of space even when the opportune moment beckons. It’s not worth the while to miss out on a great photographic opportunity for lack of memory space. Certain cameras also incorporate an IBM Microdrive with a whopping 1Gb. Other innovative methods have been employed by SONY. A certain model stores images onto a CD-R, apart from the regular memory stick device.
Image transfer modes are also important for the frequent user. Even though most cameras come with a serial transfer cable, it’s painfully slow and a USB connection is more preferred. Some cameras incorporate an IrDa port which is extremely handy for notebook users. You could also buy an external reader for your CF/SM memory card.
All said and done, buying a digital camera sure does make sense these days, and with falling prices, the days of film photography is limited.
PS - I will tackle the subject of Digital Videography and review some DV cams as soon as I can.