Finding A Digital Camera: How to Get A Deal

HOW TO FIND THE BEST DIGITAL CAMERA

It seems that every month, if not every week, different manufacturers are coming up with the latest digital cameras to entice potential clients. And it's just not working for us!

After spending sizeable amount of time at the mall figuring out which is the best digital camera for us, we finally have enough money to buy for that eye-popping, 7 mega pixel, 10x digital zoom, potable, candy colored, up to 512MB expandable memory of super hi-speed SD memory card and not to mention very portable, (that will be the envy of almost everyone we know). We march to the mall armed with our life savings and lotsa pride in ourselves, when we pass by a new display - an eight mega pixel, up to 1G expandable memory, with built it mic and stereo surround, video playback capable, with 22 scenic modes kind-of-camera. And we sigh because the producer of this amazing gadget claims that this is the best digital camera yet out in the market. Since we'd like to get the best, we attempt to buy such a camera." But then again, that doesn't last too long, after two months or so, there's another "best digital camera."

This can be confusing. What makes a digital camera, the best digital camera?

When looking for the best digital camera, there are certain features we can choose from to help us make a good choice

MEGAPIXELS. One of the most important features of digital camera to make it into the best digital camera category is its mega pixel property. The higher the mega pixels the better the actual photograph will come out. A mega pixel is equivalent to one million pixels. The resolution of your image is based upon the mega pixel property of your camera. This means that as you enlarge the picture, you would get more detail and less blurry colors.

LCD SIZE. A good digital camera will have a nice, bright, large, and colorful LCD. Some cameras have touch up and image editing features accessible from the LCD. A 1.5-inch display is average, a 2-inch LCD display is good, but the best LCD size would be 2.5 inches or higher.

ZOOM. Digital and optical zoom comes standard on most digital cameras. Optical zoom is superior to digital zoom in every way. Digital cameras are usually furnished with optical of between 3x to 10x. The better the optical zoom, the higher it climbs up to the best digital camera category.

CHOOSING A MEMORY CARD. Be sure that you get the right type of memory card for your camera. There are different types of memory card like the xD, SD, Flash card and the likes. Each digital camera has its own type of memory card. of course memory storage is also up there in choosing the best digital cameras. Getting the right amount of memory is critical. You can get memory cards in sizes up to 8 gigs, and growing every day.

Finding the best digital camera is all about finding one that fits your unique needs. Don't just buy the latest or the one that claims they are the best digital cameras out in the market. You wouldn't want to buy a cheap digital SLR and use it with your home activities or family outing and have to lug it around?! Or you don't want to buy the latest point and shoot camera when you're serious about being a professional photographer. (This works for beginners, but if you're a more advanced photographer, you'll want to move up.)

Getting a camera that you actually enjoying using is the best choice. Not the type that you'll just leave rotting in its box or after a few weeks of usage or so, up there in the attic.

Full Frame vs. Crop Digital SLRs: How to Choose

When looking to buy a DSLR, the issue of sensor size comes up very often. As you probably know, the sensor in a digital camera is responsible for capturing the image. Since DSLRs have much higher quality sensors than digital point and shoots, SLRs are able to achieve much better image quality. In general, the bigger the sensor, the better the image quality.

Because a larger sensor also means a greater cost, SLR manufacturers have to compromise. Ideally, a digital SLR sensor would be exactly the same size as a frame of 35mm film. However, the cost of producing a sensor like this is so high that most manufacturers decided to create a smaller sized sensor, one that is a fair amount smaller than a full sized sensor. This creates the so called "crop factor"

This crop factor is usually a number around 1.5. Basically, this means that if you were to look at a full 35mm frame, the crop sensor would only capture a 1.5x crop of the frame. This means that you're basically getting a "closer" view with an equivalent focal length. This means that your wide angle lenses will be less wide, and that your telephoto lenses will have more reach. For every given focal length, be sure to note that the depth of field will remain the same.

For many photographers, these crop sensors work great. If you're into sports, wildlife, or any telephoto heavy photography discipline, the extra "reach" you get from the crop sensor really comes in handy at times. You can also get extremely affordable crop frame bodies, such as Nikon's D40. These cameras are a real boon to amateur photographers.

However, full frame sensors still hold a serious advantage in many real world situations. As I said before, bigger equals better when it comes to image quality. Full frame sensors can deliver a much sharper, smooth image at higher ISOs than a cropped sensor can. This is great for those working in low light conditions. Full frame bodies offer the broadest range of wide angle lens options for those photographers who utilize them often.  New cameras such as the Canon 5D Mark II make it easier to afford these cameras, as well.

Overall, choosing your sensor format shouldn't be the only factor that you take into account when choosing a new camera, but it should be a major one. The image quality and dim light capabilities of a full frame sensor will blow you mind, if you can handle the price. Otherwise, you might be better off saving your money and getting a cropped sensor camera. Either way, you can still take great pictures.

Digital Cameras: How To Undelete Photographs

It's quick and easy to erase photos from your digital camera. Maybe because your camera's designers wanted an easy way to delete photos while they were testing the design. A couple of clicks and that unwanted photo is gone forever. Trouble is, it's also quick and easy to delete a photo instead of keeping it, for later transfer to your PC or your Flickr account. or even worse, you've answered "yes" to the question that needed to know if you wanted to format your complete camera memory card contents. Blast!

If the file was on your PC you'd likely go into the recycle bin and resurrect the accidentally deleted photo.

Unfortunately, you can't normally do the same on your digital camera. Does this problem mean that the photos you took so much time taking are now just digital dust?

Luckily, the answer to that question is "no".

But you need to be cautious. Camera memories work much the same way as hard disks. The available files in the menu are ones that you haven't deleted. But the filing system is lazy and hasn't really deleted the file yet. Instead, it's just given itself a note that the space is available to be used again.

Which means if you've deleted a photo in error, don't do anything else on your camera before you've done your best to retrieve your lost work of art.

There's a simple piece of software that you can download which will come to the rescue.

All you need to do is connect your camera to your PC in the same way as you would to download photos from it. Then click the "next" button on the software. You can see the software in action here.

The undelete photo software works to retrieve individual photos, complete memory cards (for instance, if you've accidentally formatted your memory card) and also has a high rate of success with those annoying errors that can affect memory cards.

It's as simple as that to get back all those photos that you thought had been lost forever.

You can download this easy to use photo recovery sofware here.

Caring For Your Digital Camera

If you're out taking pictures and a problem arises, it's not always easy to fix it.However, there's a better way!As you've no doubt often heard, "The best defense is a good offense.”  And the best offense here is to avoid problems with your digital camera in the first place.

 

That’s not to say things aren’t going to happen that are unexpected and unavoidable.Many common problems photographers have out in the field, however, could be avoided with just a little planning.

 

Dead Batteries

 

There’s nothing worse than missing that great picture because the camera battery died.The best policy is to always keep extra batteries in your camera case.It's not an issue of whether you use regular or rechargeable batteries, it's a matter of needing to always keep at least one spare.. 

 

Also, bear in mind that if you’re outside shooting in cold weather, your batteries will die a lot quicker.In the case of running around in cold weather, digital batteries just don't last as long, so it might be better to have a couple extra batteries instead of just one.

 

Yes, batteries are expensive, but it’s worth the spending a little extra money to keep from beating your head against the wall because a dead battery made you miss that once in a lifetime shot. 

 

 

When Cards Go Bad

 

A while back I went on vacation and took all my pictures on one card.I thought I had lots of wonderful pictures from my trip.I knew that card was full of memorable pictures. 

 

The scenery was indeed breathtaking, but what really took my breath away was when I tried to load the pictures onto my computer and got one of those dreaded “ERROR” messages.The card wasn't any good and all the files were corrupted.If the computer can't read the files, you don't have any pictures.

 

While it doesn’t happen often, cards can and do go bad.Easing this disaster is why it's smarter to have two or more smaller cards instead of one great big memory card.If you're thinking of buying a 2-GB card, for example, get a couple of 1-GB cards instead. 

 

Yes, it’s cheaper to buy a huge bunch of gigabytes on one card.But what are your pictures worth? If you lose that one card, you've lost ALL your pictures.Be sure you don't make that mistake.Saving PART of your pictures is better than losing ALL your pictures. 

 

Remember, two cards are better than one.

 

 

It’s Raining, It’s Pouring

 

The weather isn’t cooperating, or maybe you just like pictures of rain.Maybe you're somewhere else with a lot of moisture in the air, like on the seashore or in a boat.  You want to take pictures but you don’t want to ruin your camera.How can you keep your camera dry?

 

Well, you can buy protective gear to keep in your camera case for such times.  Places like B & H Photo or Calumet Photographic stores carry waterproof cases.If you only need waterproof casing once in a while, you might not want to spend that much money.

 

For a make-do solution, carry a clear plastic bag in your camera case to keep water off your camera.  If you’re traveling and don’t have a plastic bag in your camera case, grab one of those clear disposable shower caps and use it.

 

Planning Ahead Saves Your Sanity

 

If planning ahead doesn’t save your sanity, it will at least improve your chances for good pictures with your digital camera.A dry camera, charged batteries and extra memory cards will at least give you the opportunity to try for good shots.

 

And that’s why you bought a digital camera in the first place, right?

Canon EOS 5D Digital SLR Camera Reviewed

The Canon EOS 5D Digital SLR Camera is unlike any previous digital SLR camera in that it combines a full-frame 35-mm sized high resolution sensor with 12.8 mega pixels and includes a relatively compact body size. The EOS 5D is a professional digital SLR. This camera has the obvious professional appeal to those who want a high quality digital SLR in a light camera body.

The sensor is 35.8x23.9 mm CMOS with 12.8 million effective pixels and no FOV crop. Image sizes vary between 4368x2912, 3168x2112 and 2496x1664. The auto-focus comes with a 9-point TTL, 6 “invisible assist AF points”, 0.5 to 18 EV working range and within the spot metering circle. Metering modes vary from evaluative 35 zone, center-weighted average, 1.0 to 20 EV metering range, spot and partial. There are number different image parameters and they include the following Picture Styles: Standard, Portrait, Landscape, Neutral, Faithful, Monochrome, User 1, User 2 and User 3. The View Finder offers 96% frame coverage and 0.71x magnification. The focusing screen can be changed also. The LCD monitor is a 2.5 inch TFT LCD with wide viewing angles and 230,000. The shutter release offers a soft touch and the histogram comes in both luminance and RGB.

There are seven different kind of shooting modes including: Auto, Program AE, Shutter Priority AE, Aperture Priority, Manual, Bulb and Custom. The continuous speed offers up to 3 frames per second. This camera also features a unique playback jump of 10 images, 100 images, all by date and folder on screen. There are 21 different custom functions with 57 settings. With battery the camera weighs 2 pounds and without 1.8 pounds. Images can be viewed at a larger size by a small magnifying glass icon on the bottom right corner of the image on the screen. Clicking on the image will display a larger image in a new window. To navigate around pictures, simply use the next/previous page buttons to jump to any section. To skip to a particular section, pick the section from the drop down menu or select it from the navigation bar located at the top of the screen.

The EOS 5D features a super responsive DIGIC II processor that enables quick and effortless high-quality picture taking along with a USB 2.0 high-speed transfer that is compatible with the WFT-E1 wireless transmitter.

The MSRP is $3299 and there is no doubt that this camera will be of great interest to a wide variety of photographers. Save money on the Canon EOS 5D

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Canon EOS Digital REBEL XTi 400D Camera

The Canon EOS Digital REBEL XTi 400D Camera is the successor to the best selling EOS 350D. It combines a number of highly anticipated advancements along with a few stylish surprises.

The Canon EOS Digital REBEL XTi 400D Camera now features a larger, 2.5 inch screen and Canon’s Picture Styles. This new Canon model features a 10.1 Mega Pixel CMOS sensor. This easily makes this Canon model the highest resolution digital SLR with an EF-S lens mount. The Canon digital SLR also features a self-cleaning censor which removes dust particles. Reference frames can also be tagged to images that require automatic removal of more difficult dust particles. This is achieved later on through supplied software.

These features places the Canon EOS Digital Rebel Xti 400D above it’s own higher end EOS 30D, in terms of resolution and dust-elimination technology. It has a similar nine-point AF system to the 30D’s. This camera is a much more significant upgrade than anyone had previously expected. The new sensor allows this camera to compete on the same levels against two of it’s toughest rivals, the Nikon D80 and the Sonly Alpha A100.

The Canon EOS 400D/Rebel Xti is a fantastic entry level digital SLR. It features high resolution without compromising noise levels and has a bigger screen, which doubles for detailed shooting information. The AF system offers fast overall handling. The only thing that’s missing is a lens that is bundled with Image Stabilization. The Canon 400D/Rebel Xti is a great camera that produces excellent image quality and is by far one of the best budget digital SLR camera’s to date.

Other improvements include:

-Custom auto-rotation
-Photo editing functions plus index print options
-Improved Share/Print function
-Faster image processing
-More precise 9-point AF system
-Better grip
-Improved overall interface
-2.5 inch, 230,000 pixel LCD with 160-degree viewing angle
-Picture Style settings for quick color mode changes
-Great buffer depth of 27 Large/Fine JPEGs or 10 RAW frames
-A folder that holds up to 9,999 images
-Print/share buttons
-IR detection turns off LCD to help reduce glare or battery drainage
-Picture styles makes choosing and customizing of color modes fast and easy
-Fully compatible with over 50 lenses and accessories

Ultimately, the Canon Rebel 400D Xti is an improvement of an already superb digital camera. With Canon’s latest innovations, making digital SLR photography more versatile. This camera offers great improvements, features and value, making it an excellent choice for anyone wishing to capture great-looking photography.

Canon Digital Cameras

With so many different cameras out there for you to choose from, it might be difficult for you to come to any sort of decision when you’re buying a new camera. But the truth is, whether you prefer an old crank-and-shoot manual camera (which is out of date!), or a new point-and-shoot digital camera, you can’t go far wrong with the new breed of Canon digital cameras.

Since Canon is a worldwide name, the quality and excellence of these cameras is undisputed. That’s why, when you buy any one of the Canon digital cameras, you’re assured of getting the best possible camera for your money.

This also means that with Canon digital cameras, you can choose the right camera to suit your level of expertise as Canon digital cameras range from the easy to handle point-and-shoot varieties, to the more complex SLR cameras which gives you the option of taking full control of the whole picture.

And with a number of features to be found on just about all of the Canon digital cameras, be they the simple family-fun type of cameras or the more professional-photographer type of cameras, you can be sure to find many options available to make the process of photography a fun and easy thing.

These Canon digital cameras are also good if you’re a novice photographer with ambitions to rise to the very top of your profession. The range available from the Canon digital cameras gives you the ability to choose something relatively simple and easy on the pocket, but which will also help you to take professional looking photographs.

If you look through the many Canon digital cameras available you will find that a host features such as digital macro mode, night shot, AE compensation, Exposure lock, and changeable image formats are mostly standard, as are such things as the ability to change ISO ratings, Histograms, Center-weighted and Evaluated metering, and adjustable white balance.

You also have the option of using fully automatic mode, fully manual mode, aperture priority mode, or shutter priority mode to take your photographs, along with the option available for you to use one of the pre-programmed modes such as Kids and Pets, Sports, Indoor, Beach, Fireworks, Snow, Underwater, Portrait or Night shot.

With this many features packed into the Canon digital cameras and more, you would be forgiven for thinking that the cameras would be weighty and bulky, when in fact the opposite is true. In the main, they are all very light and also designed with ergonmics in mind in order that they are easy to handle.

Although there are lots of reasons that lead the comsumers to purchase Canon digital cameras, this is just another reason.