How to Buy a Digital CameraWritten by Gary Hendricks
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Exposure Control The ability to control exposure settings such as shutter speed and lens opening is critical to professional photographers. Cheaper digital cameras only allow you to shoot photos in automatic mode - just press shutter release and voila, your picture is taken. More advanced users prefer to tweak shutter speed and aperture to capture fast moving objects or blur image background. Choose a camera with good exposure control if you foresee yourself taking on photography as a serious hobby. User Controls If you are getting a point-and-shoot camera, make sure you find one that's easy to use. User controls to set resolution, macro mode, flash and exposure should be within easy reach. Of course, if you're a serious photography buff who wants to take time to tweak all sorts of manual settings, then this many not be so critical. I prefer to try out camera first in store - play with controls and get comfortable with them. Only then will you know whether it's comfortable enough for you. Conclusion Well, I do hope this article has helped you understand what factors to consider when buying a digital camera. A general piece of advice I can give is - if you're a total newbie, don't go for latest digital SLR. It may be tempting to get that Nikon D70 right from start, but I'd reckon its much better to start off with a cheaper camera first. Learn, experiment and build up your digital photography skills. Once you're more skilled, then proceed to upgrade to a better camera. Good luck and happy shopping!
Gary Hendricks runs a hobby site on digital photography. Visit his website at http://www.basic-digital-photography.com for tips and tricks on buying digital cameras, as well as shooting great photos.
| | 7 Tips for Shooting Great Digital PhotosWritten by Gary Hendricks
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4. Hold Camera Level A basic rule of photography is to hold camera level. Since most digital cameras come with a LCD, you can use it to properly frame your shots. Next time you're taking a shot, try to look for horizontal lines and use them as guides. A good example is to make use of horizon when you're taking a photo of a sunset. 5. Use The Tripod I recommend this tip to all budding photographers - camera tripods are an essential tool in your photography arsenal. When will you need a tripod? Well, it's useful if you're taking shots under low-light conditions or trying to capture fast moving objects. I like to use a tripod when taking night shots city streets, for example. Always try to look for a tripod that's convenient to carry around. For personal use, you don't need a huge one - just a simple compact one that's easy to pack. 6. Play with ISO Setting I find ISO setting in digital cameras very useful. The ISO setting of a essentially camera controls it's sensitivity to light. If you're taking a photo of a still object, like a flower, then always use a low ISO setting. It allows for a longer shutter speed and produces a cleaner image. If you're shooting a moving object, like a baby playing with a toy, then a higher ISO setting of say 400 would be better. Do take note, however, that a higher ISO setting gives a faster shutter speed and requires less light. This will produce noiser photos. 7. Have Enough Memory Capacity Just like you must have enough rolls of film when using traditional cameras, make sure you always have enough memory capacity in your digital camera. It's terrible to be on a holiday taking great photos and suddenly realizing you've no memory space left. Here are some general guidelines for digital camera storage. * 2 megapixel cameras - get at least a 64MB card * 3 megapixel camera - get at least a 128MB card * 4 megapixel camera - get at least a 256MB card * 5 megapixel camera and above - get at least a 512MB or 1GB card Conclusion Whew. A pretty long article. I hope I've managed to give you some good tips on shooting great digital photos. Always remember what I said - while latest and greatest digital cameras have amazing features, you still need a skilled photographer to take nice pictures. Apply above tips to your everyday shooting and learn to be a better photographer.
Gary Hendricks runs a hobby site on digital photography. Visit his website at http://www.basic-digital-photography.com for tips and tricks on buying digital cameras, as well as shooting great photos.
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