The Ins and Outs of a Digital

CameraImage of Digital Camera

There are hundreds of digital cameras. Over the years they have developed from large clunky cameras to small point and shoot cameras.

Pixel Cameras

• 1 Mega Pixel Cameras (1Mp)-produce good quality 3x5 inch to 5x7

inch images.• 2 Mega Pixel Cameras (2Mp)

-produce higher quality and image resolution images than the 1Mp.

• 3 to 4 Mega Pixel Cameras-produce the highest quality 8x10 images with clear resolution.

Among the numerous cameras made each year, they are categorized into camera types.

So what do they have in common?

All digital cameras have: – View finders– Lenses (regular or zoom)– An Onboard Flash– Controls– Batteries– Memory Card

It is important to keep in mind that since no two digital cameras are created equal in order to determine where all of theses items are on your camera, you will need to explore it and refer to the manual for an trouble you encounter.

View Finders

• There are two types of viewfinders.– Simple Optical Viewfinder– LCD Screen

• Simple Optical Viewfinder is the defaulted viewfinder on every camera, digital and 35mm. This is the small window that your eye looks into when you are trying to frame a picture. When you look inside this viewfinder you will most likely see a small box that helps you center subjects.

LCD Screen

• The LCD screen acts as your own personal movie screen. It shows you what the lens is seeing when you point the camera at a subject.

• On the LCD screen you are able to see the image you are about to capture by previewing it and see the image you have already captured by reviewing it.

• Keep in mind that LCD screens drain a lot of power from your batteries. So if you can turn it off and look through the viewfinder, that would save battery life.

Lens

• Most digital cameras come with one lens, usually a combination of a wide-angle or telephoto or zoom lens that is permanently attached to the camera. The lens type and size determines the crispness and sharpness of your pictures.

Onboard Flash• The majority of digital camera come with an

onboard (which means on the camera) flash. Since digital cameras are unable to capture as much light as 35mm cameras, they need all of the help they can get. They get that light and exposure help from the flash.

• Don’t forget about “red-eye” when taking pictures. There is nothing more damaging to a photograph than a person with demon looking eyes. This red-eye effect is caused when the flash is too close to the lens on the camera. The flash directs light straight into the subject’s eye, so you are actually taking a picture of their retina.

Controls

• The controls are the on-camera dials and knobs that allow you to change the automatic settings that are defaulted on the camera. Since each camera’s controls are different, refer to your owner’s manual or camera manufacturer’s website for details about how work each control.

Memory CardMemory, memory, memory. • Memory cards are your film for digital cameras. There are two major

types of memory cards that are used by most cameras. Higher end cameras are able to hold more than one type of memory card at a time. The amount of pictures that are able to fit on a card are determined by their K size: 8,16,32, 64, 128, 256K, 1G.

Smart Media

Compact Flash

Remember: the larger the size of the card, the more pictures can be stored on them.

Memory Card cont.

• Just as the memory card types vary, so do the amount of pictures that they can store.

Resolution 16MB 32MB 64MB

1 megapixel 17 34 68

2 megapixel 12 24 48

3 megapixel 9 18 36

4 megapixel 6 12 24

How many pictures fit on a memory card?

Adapted from Shooting and Sharing Digital Photos for Dummies 2003

BatteriesNo digital camera will work if the batteries die. • Don’t forget, the batteries will add to the weight of

the camera; so be prepared when traveling to take pictures.

• There are different types of batteries that are used in different digital cameras. So make sure you know what type of battery your camera calls for before buying the wrong kind.– Alkaline batteries- the most common type of

battery and dies quickly– NiCad (Nickel Cadmium) -rechargeable and

provide a good amount of power– NMH - Nickel Metal Hydride - rechargeable and

provide a lot of power

Your Digital Camera• Now that you have been introduced to the basic

components of a digital camera, you should explore your own digital camera.

• While exploring your camera keep these things in mind.– Can I see through the viewfinder? Or do I prefer to

use the LCD screen?– Do I have a large enough memory card for the

amount of pictures I anticipate taking?– How does my lens operate? Do I have an optical

zoom or telephoto zoom?– Do I know what type of batteries my camera uses

and do I have extras?– Do I know where on my camera the memory card

and batteries go?