Buying a good digital camera can be a confusing task as there are a lot of them out there. Here's a guide on what to keep in mind before investing in one.
Megapixel
The thing to look for in a digital camera is a mega pixel number, something between six and eight. Higher Mega Pixel means clear picture. Generally professional photographer uses high mega pixel (above 10 mega pixel) for clarity and large and massive print size option. With Megapixel there are also other factor that should be consider before purchasing any digital camera say Quality of Lens is also very important. That’s why good quality lens, such as Nikon/Olympus are the 1st choice of any professional photographer.
Focal length
The focal length is the distance between the centre of the lens and the film when an in-focus image of a far away object is formed. Wider focal length between lens of 28 mm -- 105 mm to the 35mm -- 105mm one is good and can be recommended.
For example, in a room where space is a limitation, the 28 to 105 mm wide focal length lens would allow you to cover practically the whole room whereas a 35 mm lens would just photograph a portion of the room. Since both the lens (tele and wide angle) have a 105 mm zoom capability, they achieve the results of a 105 mm zoom lens. Thus, a 28 mm -- 105 mm lens is more versatile.
Points to note:
- A 28 mm lens has a greater "depth of field" than a 35 mm lens, which means objects closer to the camera as well as those at a distance, remain focused.
- Depth of field is the distance in front of and beyond the subject that appears to be in focus.
- The longer the focal length--35mm, 50mm or 105mm-- the smaller the "depth of field".
Optical zoom
Go for a digital camera with at least 3x optical zoom as this will increase the size of your 'subject' (the object/ person) that you are shooting.
Avoid higher digital zoom cameras as they only increase the size of the pixels, making your images look stretched. Don't fall for advertisements stressing only on higher digital zoom but not the optical zoom.
Easy operation
Demand of features varies person to person. Features to look for include anything that assists in very low light capturing conditions, removal of hazy and moving features, minimise the surrounding noise and different flash modes. Olympus Zoom camera has three flash modes-- Red Eye Removal, Fill-in and the plain Flash. Thus, multiple flash options are offered in several digital camera brands.
Using
Some digital SLR (single lens reflex) cameras do offer a video capability, but then the number of video frames may be limited because of the higher resolution (leading to bigger image size) and the limitations in capacity on the memory/ storage in a digital SLR camera.
Digital SLR Cameras
In SLR cameras, the primary lens meant for taking the picture is also used as a 'view finder (display unit in a digital camera) and for picture composition. Since the exposure metering (for exposure control) is based on the light coming through the primary lens, the exposure metering is far more accurate than in the case of non - digital SLR camera. An exposure meter is used to make selective light readings. This instrument helps you in analyzing the amount of light being reflected from your subject. Some of the latest digital SLR cameras are equipped with an in-built exposure meter. Digital SLR cameras offer a set of interchangeable lenses, ranging from wide angle (say 28 mm) to telephoto/ zoom lenses for meeting various photography requirements. These facilities are not available in non-SLR cameras.
Because of these facilities a digital SLR camera is costlier than other cameras.
Best
There are many top brands in the market today like Nikon, Olympus, Canon and Sony.
Nikon is usually one of the costliest digital cameras, especially the digital SLR variety while cameras from Canon are usually good and have user-friendly features.
From where ~
- Ideally buy your camera from an authorised dealer and always insist on warranty.
- Most camera brands have exclusive outlets across the cities in India.
Photography exhibitions offer the latest discounts and accessories for your camera, so make use of them.
Checklist
Read the fine print. Whatever the cost of the digital camera, it should include the basic accessories mentioned with that brand like a camera case, batteries, charging cord, USB cord etc.
Buy extra accessories such as memory cards, batteries, tripods from the same camera store if possible. Don't buy non-branded accessories from un-authorised showrooms. You may run the risk of ruining your digital camera and wasting a lot of money.
- Check for special offers like free rechargeable batteries with charger or a 512MB/ 1GB memory card.
- Amateurs can make do with an eight megapixel camera.
- Read reviews from photography magazines and web sites. These will give you insights about brands, price and performance.
- Ask for a demo. Try out a few digital cameras by taking pictures, zoom in and zoom out, wide or tele lens, to see which camera you are most comfortable handling.
- Check out different stores before settling for the one you like.
- Check with the camera store for equated monthly instalments (EMI) options.
These are the general tips ... but not at all final one ... you should take review as per your need amd budget.
Courtsey - Rediff.com
No comments:
Post a Comment