Learning Digital Camera Basics
Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008Understanding megapixels is one of the first things to consider when thinking of buying a digital camera. Megapixels are important because they determine the size and usually the quality of the images. Having more megapixels allows you to make larger prints.
Nowadays, 5 megapixels is a good starting point for an entry level digital camera. You can expect excellent prints at 4 x 6 and even as large as 8 x 10.
The next important thing when buying a camera is which type to get. An SLR (Single Lens Reflex) camera is expensive, but if you are looking for a high-resolution camera with excellent picture quality, SLR cameras are the way to go. This would be the digital equivalent of a 35 mm film camera.
If you are accustomed to using a 35mm film camera you’ll recognize many of the same features. In particular the ability to change various lenses in the camera makes it quite popular.
A point and shoot camera will cost less, still give you excellent image quality, and can be very good at macro photography. Also, point and shoot cameras don’t have the loud shutter clack that many SLR cameras have, although the newer SLR cameras are much quieter. Another advantage of point and shoot cameras is they have many automated features and preset programs to give you optimal photographs especially if you are a beginner.
After you get a camera, you must choose a good memory card for your camera. The most popular types of memory cards for digital cameras are MultiMediaCard (MMC), Memory Stick (MS), Smartmedia (SM), Secure Digital (SD), xD-Picture Card (xD), and CompactFlash (CF). Certain cameras require certain memory card types, so make sure you ask an expert which memory card is right for the camera you have.
After you purchase your camera make sure you get the proper memory card for your camera since there are various formats. If you plan to keep the pictures stored on your camera’s memory instead of downloading them to your computer you want to get it’s a memory card with a larger storage capacity to allow you to this save more pictures.
Once you take the pictures on your camera it’s important to know how to transfer the pictures to your computer. You need to transfer them to your computer first or you can send them. You can either use a USB cable which generally comes with the camera or a card reader that plugs into your computer.
By using a card reader instead of the USB cable, it allows you to save the batteries on your camera because the camera does not have to be powered on during the transfer process. A memory card reader simply plugs into your computer using the USB cable and the card reader has various slots and all you do is remove the memory card from your camera and insert it into the card reader.
Depending on the type of computer you have, a message will come up saying that you camera is connected. Or, in the case of a Mac computer, you just go into iPhoto, which comes standard on newer Mac computers. Use the help tab at the top of your screen to find out how to download your pictures.
After you have downloaded your pictures, you can delete the pictures on your memory card, freeing up lots of space so that you can take more pictures. It is also a very good idea to periodically make a copy of the pictures on your computer and burn them to either a CD or DVD as a backup copy in case your computer’s hard drive fails. You probably have spent a lot of time and effort in creating some beautiful pictures and you wouldn’t want to lose them.