21 Sep 08 Nikon Digital Imaging Software Business Enhanced by Collaboration With American Developer, Nik Software, Inc.
Partnership Will Lead to Exciting New Developments in Imaging Software for Digital Cameras
TOKYO, Feb. 14 — Nikon Corporation (Michio Kariya, President) is pleased to announce collaboration in the field of imaging software for digital cameras with American software developer, Nik Software, Inc. (formerly nik multimedia, Inc., Mr. Michael J. Slater, President & CEO; headquarters in San Diego, California).
With this collaboration, the technologies of both companies will be merged to develop and market innovative software products based on new concepts. This new relationship will enable a stronger presence and guarantee a leading role in the imaging software market.
To further the success of this collaboration, Nikon has also made equity investment in Nik Software, Inc. (hereafter “Nik”).
Behind the collaboration
As the popularity of digital cameras increases, software applications that allow users to enjoy and expand the possibilities of their digital images with management, enhancement, and processing tools become more and more important. Well aware of this fact, Nikon offers a selection of software applications including the image management and enhancement application, PictureProject, and the advanced image processing and editing application, Nikon Capture.
Nikon and Nik, with its own digital imaging software technology, have maintained a cooperative relationship since 2004.
Recognizing the significant benefits this collaboration will have in fortifying the digital imaging software business of both companies, as well as in offering users simple and fun to use software that appeals to the very broad digital photography market, Nikon and Nik have decided to expand and reinforce their ties.
* Overview of the collaboration
* Technical cooperation in the development of digital imaging software.
* Worldwide distribution, utilizing channels established by Nikon, of
products developed jointly.
* Plans for the future
With integration of Nikon’s digital camera technology with Nik’s digital imaging software technology, the introduction of digital imaging software, based on new concepts, that incorporates innovative technology, versatility, and unique advantages is scheduled.
Harnessing the strengths of both companies and establishing a cooperative relationship in the software business will further the development of next-generation digital imaging software. The resulting software will offer users a wide variety of benefits in working with their digital images, as well as offering greater performance from both personal and professional digital imaging. Together, all of these new possibilities and advantages will provide both companies with greater opportunities and a stronger position in the software business.
* Nik Software, Inc. corporate profile
President & CEO: Mr. Michael J. Slater
Offices: San Diego, California U.S.A. (Corporate Headquarters)
Hamburg, Germany (European Branch Office)
Primary business: Development and sales of digital imaging software
Primary products: nik Color Efex Pro(TM) (digital filters), nik
Sharpener Pro(TM) (digital image sharpening
software), Dfine(R) (digital image noise reduction
software)
Establishment: Established in 1995; Incorporated in 2001
* Statement from Mr. Michael J. Slater, President & CEO of Nik Software,
Inc.:
“This cooperative agreement enables both Nikon and Nik to fulfill their common commitment to continuously develop advanced products and technology for the booming digital photography market. We look forward to working with Nikon to build a strong digital imaging software business by leveraging both our companies’ proprietary technologies and photo-imaging know-how.”
For further information regarding the Nikon/Nik collaboration:
* Members of the press
Corporate Communications & IR Dept. Corporate Strategy Center, Nikon
Corporation
Fuji Bldg., 2-3 Marunouchi 3-chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-8331 Japan
Mr. Hatori or Mr. Enomoto
+81-3-3216-1032
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21 Sep 08 Digital Camera - the Easy Way to Take Pictures
Author: Roberto Sedycias
In comparison to film cameras, digital cameras have number of advantages which includes displaying the image on the camera screen right after recording, a single small memory device can record thousands of images, records video with sound, provision to edit images, and above all storage capacity can be re-used by deleting the images. There are numbers of devices available that has in-built digital cameras like mobile phones, PDA`s etc. Specialized digital cameras are fit into astronomical devices like The Hubble Space Telescope.
Digitizing images on scanner and digitizing video signals are much older than making of still images using digital signals from an array of discrete sensor elements. It was then used for astronauts to provide onboard navigation information during their visit to planets. It provided the still photos of stars and planet locations during transit and also additional stadiametric information for orbiting or landing guidance while approaching planet.
Steven Sasson, an engineer at Eastman Kodak, attempted to develop first digital camera with solid state CCD image sensor chips. But it was just a technical exercise. The true digital camera was Fuji DS-1P developed in 1988. And the first commercialized camera was Dycam Model 1 in 1990. Then in 1991, Kodak launched its Kodak DCS 100. Else Casio QV-10 was the first consumer camera in 1995. Nikon D1, a 2.74 megapixel camera was the first digital SLR developed in 1999. And in 2003, Canon 300D, first 600 megapixel camera was launched.
There are various types of digital cameras available. For videos, there are professional video cameras which are used in television and movie production. Camcorders come with inbuilt microphone and a small liquid crystal display to watch video while recording and playback. One can get still photographs also with them. Webcams, attached to computers, can capture full-motion video and are also available with microphones or zooming ability.
In live-preview digital camera, there is an electronic camera that can be used to frame and preview before taking the photograph and also to review stored photographs. Many of such cameras can take motion pictures. Then the recorded images can be transferred to computer, printer or any other such device. USB mass storage device enables the camera to function as disk drive for computer and Picture Transfer Protocol is then used.
To use Firewire, storage device is removed from camera and inserted into other device. Compact digital cameras, small and portable with inbuilt flash, are easy to use, and images are stored using Lossy compression. They might be able to capture motion picture but that to a limit. Bridge or SLR like camera is higher-end-live-preview camera with more advanced features like superzoom lenses, takes movies with sound, etc. Digital rangefinder, a user operated mechanism, is capable to measure subject distance.
Apart from above mentioned digital cameras, there are other categories also. Professional modular digital camera systems are used in studios for commercial production. Line-scan camera systems, based on focusing mechanism, are used in industrial settings to capture images of constantly moving materials. They capture images at extremely fast with high image resolutions.
Most of the digital cameras come with pre-set modes for different applications. Data can be transferred through USB port, Firewire port, USB PTP mode and even through wireless connections like WiFi, Bluetooth etc. These data are mostly stored in Microdrives, Joint Photography Experts Group (JPEG), Tagged Image File Format (TIFF) and RAW. Formats for movies are AVI, DV, MPEG and MOV. Recently MP4 format is also developed. Digital cameras have small but powerful batteries to operate for enough length of time.
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20 Sep 08 Choosing the Right Waterproof Digital Camera
Author: Russ Snapper
Waterproof Digital Camera can capture your memories on a beach, at a nightclub, pool and in many other places because of its high technical configuration. It is specially designed for taking clear pictures of the objects under water that is below five feet and more. Parallel to this, you can view all the pictures instantly and you have quick access of the images taken. There will be lot of differences in taking shots and the working condition also varies when compared with the other digital cameras.
Waterproof digital cameras have different modes that are used for diverse scenes, but you need to have proper knowledge of the camera before use and that can be attained by thoroughly reading the manual. You have to do some research before deciding to buy. Always purchase a camera that is easily accessible by the thumb for clicking and the user interface should be simple. Technical aspects like compact, digital zoom, flash levels, dimensions, internal memory, movie mode etc have to be given importance while buying.
Sony and Canon offer waterproof digital cameras at different prices. Nowadays the waterproof cameras are designed for lifestyle purpose and fulfilling professional needs also. People enjoying vacation on water base always opt for waterproof digital cameras to enhance and cherish their experience. You can take colorful shots while doing underwater snorkeling or scuba diving and so you cannot rely on faulty cameras. In addition to this, these cameras are good options for capturing action shots that are water-based like white water rafting, fishing and kayaking etc. There are cameras available to capture underwater photographs at the depth above 30 feet.
Sealife DC500 is scuba divers delight as it can be used up to 200feet depth. This camera has two underwater shooting options. First one is typical shot for underwater with slight shutter pause or lag. But the Shark shooting option captures intended object and the range or distance is remembered for the following photos and hence there is no lag time with the closing speed of the shutter. It has got a flash and has expandability with other lenses like 3x and 4x optical zoom. Some main features of this waterproof digital camera are 5.0 mega pixels, 3x optical zoom and auto-focus with a LCD display of two inches for viewing the photos.
Olympus Stylus 770SW is referred as the toughest waterproof camera because it is not only waterproof but also freeze and crush proof. Among the waterproof cameras available in the market, this camera sounds like handling anything on the way without any damage. It has got 7.1 mega pixels and as a result gets great resolution and also has LCD display of 2.5 inches. Underwater, the camera is shockproof till 5 feet, can take up crushing force of 220 pounds and waterproof till 30 feet. It also has 30 shooting modes with movie sounds.
Pentax Optio W20 is another waterproof digital camera that is preferred by many photographers because it provides them the needed features. A rubber-sealed seam is an important feature that can be immersed till 5 feet for a period of half an hour. It’s distinctive features are 7 mega pixels, macro lens, 3x optical zoom, 2.5 inches LCD screen, recording videos and underwater settings.
The other popular waterproof digital cameras are Casio Exilim Zoom EX-Z1000, Fuji Fine Pix A400 digital camera and Bonica Snapper-XP underwater digital camera.
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20 Sep 08 A Few Facts Of Digital Cameras
Author: Roberto Sedycias
A digital camera captures images in a digital format, unlike a conventional camera, which captures images using a photographic film.
History:
Using a mosaic photosensor, Eugene F. Lally of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory first showed how still photos could be produced in a digital domain. An engineer at Eastman Kodak, Steve Sasson, used solid-state CCD chips to build a prototype digital camera having a resolution of 0.01 megapixel, and recorded black and white digital images to a magnetic cassette tape. With this prototype model, Steve took the first image in December of 1975 taking 23 seconds to capture it.
In 1988, Fuji DS-1P became the first digital camera that captured images as a computerized file. However, the camera never entered the U.S. market. In 1991, Kodak DCS-100 was the first commercially available digital camera, which used a 1.3 megapixel sensor. With the advancement of technology, modern digital cameras have become multifunctional and are now capable of capturing audio/video and still photographs.
Benefits:
1 - You get superior image quality. Digital cameras can offer good to excellent image resolution.
2 - You get a fair price. A digital camera is reasonably priced and is affordable.
3 - You can transfer the pictures to your laptop. You can easily connect the digital camera to your laptop and transfer the pictures in your hard disk.
4 - You can print in large sizes. Due to its high resolution, pictures can be printed in large sizes by any plotter.
5 - You can email the pictures to your friends. You can send the pictures by email to your loved ones.
6 - You can store the images in CDs or hard disk. Once the pictures are transferred from digital camera to the computer, permanent storage on a CD or hard disk is possible.
7 - You can take the camera in your pocket while you travel. The small size of the digital camera makes traveling with it easy and a pleasure.
8 - You can move in close to your subject. Zoom lenses offer close-ups of your subject with sharp focus. You can take very good close-ups of flowers, bugs, stamps, coins, etc.
9 - You can rework the image in a computer. Any photo editing software can rework the images taken.
10 - You can take good pictures even in low-light situations. Due to flexible over sensitivity or ISO equivalents, digital cameras can easily take detailed pictures even in low-light conditions.
11 - You can take quality still photos of moving objects. Sports and fashion photography can be easily accomplished due to the fast burst rate of digital cameras.
12 - You save money. There is no need of buying photographic films, developing them into negatives and positives. Moreover, the batteries are usually rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, which last a long time.
13 - You can choose as per your needs and fancy. Many models are available like standard digital camera, underwater digital camera, waterproof digital camera, compact digital camera, and the professional digital camera.
Storage Media:
Digital cameras use memory to capture and store images. Some of the storages media used are onboard flash memory, 3.5″ floppy disks, video floppy disk, PCMCIA hard drives, CD or DVD, CompactFlash memory cards, Microdrives, Memory Stick, SD/MMC, MiniSD Card, MicroSD Card, XD-Picture Card, SmartMedia, and FP Memory.
Power:
Digital cameras consume a lot of power, which is supplied by powerful, small in size batteries. Batteries are broadly divided into two groups, namely, off-the-shelf and proprietary. Off-the-shelf batteries are like AA, CR2, CR-V3, AAA, and RCR-V3. They are lithium-ion (Li-Ion) or Nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries. Standard AA non-rechargeable alkaline batteries either do not work or work for only a very short time in most cameras.
Proprietary batteries are built as per the manufacturer`s custom specifications and are usually available as aftermarket replacement parts. Generally, lithium ion batteries are widely used as proprietary batteries for digital cameras.
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20 Sep 08 Shopping for the Right Type of Cheap Digital Camera
Author: Muna wa Wanjiru
Many of us look for digital cameras that can perform the tasks that we need while being priced at reasonable rates. The various digital cameras can be found in the high end market to the mid range and also cheap digital cameras. When you are looking for the digital camera that you need for your photographs you will find many different types of cheap digital cameras that you can buy.
These different cheap cameras can be bought from a variety of camera stores. The price range from some of these cameras can start at about $30 and go as high as $500. The various cameras that can you find in this cheap digital camera market also have well known brands like Nikon, Minolta, JVC, Kodak and Fuji.
While these cheap digital cameras will lack some of the features that can be found in the high end digital cameras they can deliver good photographs. You will need to look at these cheap digital cameras to see if they have the various items that you require.
These features can be the various shooting modes that you will get from your digital camera. Underwater, foliage, indoor, portrait, automatic are just a few of the shooting modes that you can look for when you are selecting your cheap digital camera. Some cheap digital cameras will feature interesting effects like that of panorama stitching.
This facility allows you to take three different photographs. You can them merge these distinct photographs together to create a fantastic picture. The amount of megapixels may not be that important for everyone but they do allow you to receive sharp and well defined pictures.
Since this is important for accurate and detailed photographs you should look for this information as you are gong through the various types of cheap digital cameras that are available. You can use various photography magazines and digital camera buyer’s guides to help you select the type of digital camera that is within your budget.
You should have a clear idea of the various requirements that you need from your digital camera. This way you can choose the digital camera that has many types of shooting modes, evaluative metering and how well the optical lens will work.
Since there are many different models of digital cameras you will need to know the various features and requirements that you need for taking a picture. Once you know these parameters you can start your hunt for the right type of cheap digital camera. With so many different brands and models of cheap digital cameras in the market you are sure to find your ideal digital camera.
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19 Sep 08 Canon Digital Camera: the Better Way to Move in Past
Author: Jayson Pablo
There was an era when the past good times that we had lived happily were the matters of our memories only. With every new joy, those good times of past were being vanished from our memories and re-living them became so hard for all of us. Then the age of Art arrived and we all learnt to stock our memoirs in the form of paintings and sculptures. However, the boundaries of these methods were limited and hectic. The human culture was demanding more, then, in 1660’s the English Scientist Robert Boyle with his assistant Robert Hooke developed the first portable camera. This device was capable of capturing the events, thus, the humankind found their way to re-live their life. From the day of its inception, the camera has seen various changes in its style, performance, capabilities and looks.
From camera obscure to the modern analog cameras, the history of cameras is itself a legend. The concept of logarithmic camera was first reached its destination in the year 1972 and we got our first bona fide digital camera in the year 1990 with the name-tag of Logitech Fotoman. This camera made the use of CCD Image Sensor; it had the capability of storing the pictures digitally and making them available to download them in PC. From the year 1991, various companies such as Kodak, Fuji, Sony and others started manufacturing the High-end Digital cameras on very large scale. Their attractive products ranged from Simply Digital to the Professional Digital SLRs. When we aim these cameras at the object and fiddle with the shutter release button, the camera robotically focuses on the object and digitally takes a reading of the obtainable light and then with the help of the processor, CCD and ADC it interpolates the pixels to create crystal clear pictures.
Nowadays, having a digital camera is a non-stop passion for every one. There are many companies in the market, who manufactures these digital photographic engines, but some of them are prodigious. Canon is also among those prodigy masters. This giant offers very huge range of products from different categories. They also offer a superior range of digital still and video cameras. Canon Digital Cameras are one of the most significant products that are currently available in the market. These cameras employ high-quality features and tools to make them more efficient in the terms of quality and performance. These numerical photographic machines hold high-quality mechanism and the superb understanding of all colours so that they can easily tender the eye-pleasant lively images. Fathered in the year 1937, the Canon is now one of the biggest companies that offer qualitative technology for the cameras and optics. This company has redefined the way the world look at its past.
Canon has mind-blowing categories of digital cameras in its shelf. These categories hold the range of all way simple cameras to the superbly effective professional ones. These categories are- Digital Compact Cameras and Digital SLR Cameras. The Digital Compact Camera Category is consisting of two superb series named as IXUS and the PowerShot. Both of these series offers the cameras of astounding styles and great performances. The IXUS includes the cameras that are known as the ultimate Style Icons and combines unending grace with the avant-garde technology. In addition, the PowerShot series covers the range of point-and-shoot cameras. These masterpieces are amazing in looks and they capture brilliant images to cater the photographic feel of all levels. Digital IXUS860, Digital IXUS950, Digital IXUS960, PowerShot G9, PowerShot S5, and PowerShot SX100 are some of the highlights of the IXUS and PowerShot Series.
Whereas, the EOS Series of Digital SLR Cameras are the most widespread approach Digital SLRs. These digital cameras provide sparkling and snappish images with every shot. These cameras are admired and appraised by the photographers worldwide. Ranging from 10.1 MegaPixels to the latest 21 MegaPixels of superior CMOS resolutions, the EOS Digital SLR Cameras are making the world our playground, where we can reach to the new dimension creativity. If the life is all about finding new things then the Canon Digital Cameras are the ever-best things to find and explore.
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19 Sep 08 Affordable Digital Cameras
Author: mike legg
Many of us look for digital cameras that can perform the tasks that we need while being priced at reasonable rates. The various digital cameras can be found in the high end market to the mid range and also affordable digital cameras. When you are looking for the affordable digital cameras that you need for your photographs you will find many different types of cheap digital cameras that you can buy.
These different affordable digital cameras can be bought from a variety of camera stores. The price range from some of these cameras can start at about $30 and go as high as $500. The various cameras that can you find in this cheap digital camera market also have well known brands like Nikon, Minolta, JVC, Kodak and Fuji.
While these affordable digital cameras will lack some of the features that can be found in the high end digital cameras they can deliver good photographs. You will need to look at these cheaper digital cameras to see if they have the various items that you require.
These features can be the various shooting modes that you will get from your digital camera. Underwater, foliage, indoor, portrait, automatic are just a few of the shooting modes that you can look for when you are selecting your affordable digital camera. Some cheap digital cameras will feature interesting effects like that of panorama stitching.
This facility allows you to take three different photographs. You can them merge these distinct photographs together to create a fantastic picture. The amount of megapixels may not be that important for everyone but they do allow you to receive sharp and well defined pictures.
Since this is important for accurate and detailed photographs you should look for this information as you are going through the various types of affordable digital cameras that are available. You can use various photography magazines and digital camera buyer’s guides to help you select the type of digital camera that is within your budget.
Since there are many different models of affordable digital cameras you will need to know the various features and requirements that you need for taking a picture. Once you know these parameters you can start your hunt for the right type of digital camera. With so many different brands and models of digital cameras on the market you are sure to find your ideal and affordable digital camera.
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19 Sep 08 History And Type Of Digital Cameras
Author: Roberto Sedycias
A digital camera is such a camera that will take either video or still snaps digitally. It records the images digitally on a light-sensitive sensor. Some digital cameras can take still snaps as well as video and audio. The digital cameras have become very popular nowadays and more and more people are opting for rather than regular cameras.
Digital cameras are technologically much advanced and have many user-friendly features that are usually not found in regular cameras. One such very good feature is that it displays the image on the camera’s screen just after you catch it. Thus you can click and record millions and millions of pictures, keep the ones you want and discard the others. After the pictures or videos are recorded, you can edit the images and thus can be a virtual master of the background, people etc. Imagine the fun when you can change the background of a picture taken at your home to be changed to a Hawaiian beach, or changing the hair color of your sister to a wild pink and many other things. The choices are unlimited.
Nowadays digital cameras can be incorporated in many devices like PDAs or mobile phones or computers etc. Some astronomical devices like Hubble Space Telescope also use specialized digital cameras.
Digital camera technology has evolved from the similar technology that first recorded television images. It was in 1951 when the first video tape recorder was used to capture live images using television cameras. They converted the information in electrical impulses and saved the information on magnetic tape. It was actually due to NASA`s space technology that used digital images to capture photographs of surface of moon and advanced computer technology that led to major developments in digital photography.
Government was also using this technology in forms of spy camera and the time that being spy satellites and it contributed immensely in advancement of science of digital imaging. Soon private companies like Kodak, Sony etc were releasing professional digital cameras for ordinary people. Their strong marketing tactics worked and today digital cameras are found everywhere.
There are many varieties of digital camera and we will discuss some of them. Compact digital cameras are one of such varieties and are designed to be small as well as portable. The miniature versions are called subcompact cameras. Though they do not have much advanced features or excellent image quality but they are very simple to use and easy to carry around. Images are stored using Lossy compression in JPEG format. Such cameras are generally equipped with a low power, built-in flash usually sufficient for close subjects. Live preview is generally used for framing the photos. They are perfect for casual and home use.
Another type are Bridge cameras that are higher-end cameras. They resemble DSLRs and also share some advanced features with them but just like compact cameras, the photo framing is done with help of live preview and they also have small sized sensors. A Fuji film FinePix Bridge camera is also equipped with super zoom lenses that give you a chance to take very distant shots, though at the cost of image quality.
Another type is Digital single lens reflex cameras that are based on film SLRs or single-lens reflex cameras. These cameras are characterized by the presence of a mirror-reflex system. Other types include rangefinder and are generally used for film cameras, professional modular digital cameras that are assembled from different modular components and used for specific purposes. The common brands for such cameras include Mamiya and Hasselblad.
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19 Sep 08 Guide to Buying a Digital Camera
Author: Andrew Gates
The digital camera market today offers buyers a large number of choices, with products in widely differing price ranges, sizes and degree of operational complexity. From miniatures the size of a credit card, to fully functional professional SLR (Single Lens reflex) systems, you can buy a digital camera from manufacturers including traditional camera brands such as Canon, Olympus, Nikon, film companies such as Kodak and Fuji, and consumer electronic companies like Sony. Then there are other options that include the mobile phone manufacturers, and webcam suppliers.
The advantages of digital photography are numerous. Topmost is the fact that there is no film processing: expensive both in cost and time. But there is also the advantage of smaller sized equipment, portable media and instant picture viewing. And if you don’t like what you see, you simply delete it and shoot again: no wastage.
If you like to take pictures, being a digital photographer makes a lot of sense. But which camera is the best one for you? In a field of excess abundance, how do you narrow down what you need? How much to pay? How many megapixels? (What are they anyway?) Which brand? How much memory?
Digital CamerasEvery shopper is different.
At MyShopping.com.au we recognise this fact, and so we list practically all brands and models from hundreds of suppliers. These listings include the cold hard digital data facts about each camera and a range of comparative pricings offered by different suppliers. But just as every shopper is different, every photographer is different too. And just having the facts may not make you feel any more knowledgeable about which camera is right for you.
You could begin with the question: What sort of pictures will you take with your new digital camera? This is a valid starting point because from here you can begin to qualify your requirements in terms of technical capability and price. What sort of pictures will you take with your new digital camera?
Is it simply for happy snaps whenever you get together with friends and family at weekends and holidays? Or are you a serious bird watcher and you want to capture nature at its finest? Perhaps you want a camera for work to record your inventory, or recording information from a client. Maybe you’re a PI on a mission. The point is, you need to begin by recognising that your reason for buying a digital camera may not be the same as that of your best friend who is recommending the model she bought.
Once you’ve figured out the sort of pictures you are going to take, you can then set about deciding on the type of camera that will meet your needs. If you need something highly portable that fits in your shirt pocket or your handbag and lets you take it anywhere you go, make size a big consideration. If you want to take seriously good photographs, and you want to pursue an artistic endeavour, make image flexibility your main concern.
It might also be worthwhile considering your own position in the digital photography experience. Are you a novice about to buy your first camera, do you have some intermediate experience, or are you an advanced user?
Someone new to the market will likely not want to spend a lot of money, nor have a lot of mind-boggling features that leave you confused. There are cameras ideal for beginning users that have basic ‘point and shoot’ features including optical and digital zoom lens, flexible storage media and built in flash. There is a huge range of cameras available with simple features at low cost.
If you consider yourself an intermediate user with some operational knowledge of digital camera technology, you may want to consider more advanced features that give you more control over the pictures you take. These features usually come in a range of automatic settings and manual settings for capturing the image and different storage options in terms of resolution and picture type (raw data, jpeg, tiff). Naturally there is some cost attached to additional features when compared to more basic cameras.
For advanced users, there are a lot of professional options you can consider; such as SLR view finding and lens interchange ability. Cameras in this range provide much greater control over the image, both before and once it is captured. These options include shutter speed and aperture adjustment, and many cameras offer the ability to manipulate images ‘in camera’, such as cropping, and brightness and contrast adjustments.
After the picture is taken
A further main consideration is what are you going to do with your images once you have them? The great beauty of digital photography is the simple fact that you can store them on digital media such as CDs and media cards, and view them on computer screens and in many cases, your television. You need print only when and those you want to see, or show to others. Digital photography also gives fantastic opportunities to manipulate your images using popular image manipulation programs, resizing them, altering brightness and contrast characteristics, and correcting problems such as red eye, or removing skin blemishes.
Most digital cameras are computer ready, able to plug directly into your PC or Mac using USB connectors. They usually include proprietary software allowing you to easily and instantly manage your image files in photo albums or slide shows. Many digital cameras also include a video capture facility enabling you to take short motion pictures.
What you want to do with your images after you have them can have an impact on your choice of camera. If you want to make enlarged prints for example, you will want a high megapixel capacity (also talked about as ‘resolution’). If you want images for website use, you will want to get the best quality images that can be reduced in resolution without severe degradation.
Beauty is in the “I”
Great pictures usually come from great conditions. You capture a great moment, the light is just right, the subject is at the perfect distance, the image is perfectly framed. But not every digital camera offers the flexibility to make the best of existing light conditions, or position. Most digital cameras (certainly at the budget end) come with a built in automatic flash, which is terrific for happy snaps in darkened environments. And the automatic flash automatically does not ‘go off’ in bright sunny conditions. But in those times when you want to use the existing light, you need a camera that gives you manual control over the operation or not, of the flash.
Moreover, most digital cameras in the lower and medium price ranges are highly automated. If you are moving from a traditional SLR film camera where you have maximum control over shutter speed, aperture and ISO speeds, it may be frustrating to not have easy access to the same range of tools to take advantage of existing light conditions.
In the more advanced (and therefore more expensive) range of digital cameras, most lens and aperture functions are available in exactly the same way as other SLR systems. What differs is how the colours and light of the image is translated through pixel capture compared to the chemical processing systems.
You may want a wide range of focus options. Most digital cameras have two different types of image magnification, lens magnification (zoom) that may be equivalent of a 35mm to 150 mm lens, and a digital magnification that may be to ten-fold (expressed as x10). This provides you with zoom lens capability, which may be limited in its depth of field control and is subject to soft focus and movement if the conditions aren’t just right, and a digital magnification of the pixel image. If being able to capture magnified distant images is important to you, you need more megapixels, and a lens system that gives you some control over its focus and aperture management.
A final word on accessory
Digital cameras are electronic equipment. That means they run on batteries, and if you use your camera a lot, you will find that you will be frequently replacing batteries. Some cameras have rechargeable batteries; others simply use dry cells (AA), which you can of course load with rechargeable ones. It pays to have spare batteries so that you always have a charged power source. Some cameras have docking stations to help manage the connection with computers. Many digital SLR cameras have interchangeable lens systems, some of which may be compatible with traditional film SLRs.
You can also print your own pictures at home with special printers that handle standard photograph paper, and connect directly to your camera. Although it may be less expensive to simply take your camera’s card, or a CD to your local camera store, and now many supermarkets and department stores, and use the automatic printing machines to print the images you want.
There is a lot you can do with a digital camera, and you can pay les than $200, or more than $10,000. It all depends on how you see yourself as a photographer, what you’re shooting, and what you want to do with your pictures. At Myshopping.com.au you can very quickly compare specifications and prices.
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19 Sep 08 Consumer Reports - Digital Cameras
Digital cameras, which employ reusable memory cards instead of film, give you far more creative control than film cameras can. With a digital camera, you can transfer shots to your computer, then crop, adjust color and contrast, and add textures and other special effects. Final results can be made into cards or T-shirts, or sent via e-mail, all using the software that usually comes with the camera. You can make prints on a color inkjet printer, or by dropping off the memory card at one of a growing number of photofinishers. You can upload the file to a photo-sharing Web site for storage, viewing, and sharing with others.
Like camcorders, digital cameras have LCD viewers. Some camcorders can be used to take still pictures, but a typical camcorder’s resolution is no match for a good still camera’s.
WHAT’S AVAILABLE
The leading brands are Canon, Fujifilm, HP, Kodak, Olympus, and Sony; other brands come from consumer-electronics, computer, and traditional camera and film companies.
Digital cameras are categorized by how many pixels, or picture elements, the image sensor contains. One megapixel equals 1 million picture elements. A 3-megapixel camera can make excellent 8×10s and pleasing 11×14s. There are also 4- to 8-megapixel models, including point-and-shoot ones; these are well suited for making larger prints or for maintaining sharpness if you want to use only a portion of the original image. Professional Digital cameras use as many as 14 megapixels.
Price range: $200 to $400 for 3 megapixels; $250 to $400 for 4 and 5 megapixels; $300 to $1,000 for 6 to 8 megapixels.
IMPORTANT FEATURES
Most Digital cameras are highly automated, with features such as automatic exposure control (which manages the shutter speed, aperture, or both according to available light) and autofocus.
Instead of film, digital cameras typically record their shots onto flash-memory cards. CompactFlash and SecureDigital (SD) are the most widely used. Once quite expensive, such cards have tumbled in price–a 128-megabyte card can now cost less than $50. Other types of memory cards used by cameras include Memory Stick, Smart Media and xD-picture card. A few cameras, mainly some Sony models, use 3 1/4-inch CD-R or CD-RW discs.
To save images, you transfer them to a computer, typically by connecting the camera to the computer’s USB or FireWire port or inserting the memory card into a special reader. Some printers can take memory cards and make prints without putting the images on a computer first. Image-handling software, such as Adobe Photoshop Elements, Jasc Paint Shop, Microsoft Picture It, and ACDSee, lets you size, touch up, and crop digital images using your computer. Most digital cameras work with both Windows and Macintosh machines.
The file format commonly used for photos is JPEG, which is a compressed format. Some cameras can save photos in uncompressed TIFF format, but this setting yields enormous files. Other high-end cameras have a RAW file format, which yields the image data with no processing from the camera.
Digital cameras typically have both an optical viewfinder and a small color LCD viewer. LCD viewers are very accurate in framing the actual image you get–better than most of the optical viewfinders–but they use more battery power and may be hard to see in bright sunlight. You can also view shots you’ve already taken on the LCD viewer. Many digital cameras provide a video output, so you can view your pictures on a TV set.
Certain cameras let you record an audio clip with a picture. But these clips use additional storage space. Some allow you to record limited video, but the frame rate is slow and the resolution poor.
A zoom lens provides flexibility in framing shots and closes the distance between you and your subject–ideal if you want to quickly switch to a close shot. The typical 3x zoom on mainstream cameras goes from a moderately wide-angle view (35mm) to moderate telephoto (105mm). You can find cameras with extended zoom ranges between 8x and 12x, giving added versatility for outdoor photography. Other new cameras go down to 24 or 28 mm at the wide-angle end, making it easier to take in an entire scene in close quarters, such as a crowded party.
Optical zooms are superior to digital zooms, which magnify the center of the frame without actually increasing picture detail, resulting in a somewhat coarser view.
Sensors in digital cameras are typically about as light-sensitive as ISO 100 film, though some let you increase that setting. (At ISO 100, you’ll likely need to use a flash indoors and in low outdoor light.) A camera’s flash range tells you how far from the camera the flash will provide proper exposure: If the subject is out of range, you’ll know to close the distance. But digital cameras can tolerate some underexposure before the image suffers noticeably.
Red-eye reduction shines a light toward your subject just before the main flash. (A camera whose flash unit is farther from the lens reduces the risk of red eye. Computer editing of the image may also correct red eye.) With automatic flash mode, the camera fires the flash whenever the light entering the camera registers as insufficient. A few new cameras have built-in red-eye correction capability.
Some cameras that have powerful telephoto lenses now come with image stabilizers. These compensate for camera shake, letting you use a slower shutter speed than you otherwise could for following movement. But an image stabilizer won’t compensate for the motion of subjects.
Most new 6- to 8-megapixel cameras come with full manual controls, including independent controls for shutter and aperture. That gives serious shutterbugs control over depth of field, shooting action, or shooting scene with tricky lighting.
HOW TO CHOOSE
The first step is to determine how you will use the camera most of the time. Consider these two questions:
How much flexibility to enlarge images do you need? If you mainly want to make 4×6 snapshots, a camera with a 3- or 4-megapixel resolution will be fine. Such a camera will also make an 8×10 print of an entire image without alteration that looks as sharp as one from a 6- or 8-megapixel model. But to enlarge the image more or enlarge only part of it, you’ll want a 6- to 8-megapixel camera.
How much control do you want over exposure and composition? Cameras meant for automatic point-and-shoot photos, with a 3x-zoom lens, will serve snap shooters as well as dedicate hobbyists much of the time. The full-featured cameras in the 6- to 8-megapixel range offer capabilities that more-dedicated photographers will want to have. Two of the more important capabilities are a zoom range of 5x to 10x or more, which lets you bring distant outdoor subjects close and also lets you shoot candid portraits without getting right in your subject’s face, and a full complement of manual controls that you determine the shutter speed and lens opening. ‘
Once you’ve established the performance priorities that you need from a camera, you can narrow your choices further by considering these convenience factors:
Size and weight. The smallest, lightest models aren’t necessarily inexpensive 3-megapixel cameras. And the biggest and heaviest aren’t necessarily found at the high end. If possible, try cameras at the store before you buy. That way, you’ll know which one fits you hand best and which can be securely gripped. In our tests, we have found that some of the smallest don’t leave much room even for small fingers.
Battery type and life. All digital cameras can run on rechargeable batteries of one of two types: an expensive battery pack or a set of AA batteries. In our tests of the cameras, neither battery type had a clear performance advantage. The best-performing cameras offer upward of 300 shots on a charge, while the worst manage only about 50. We think it’s more convenient to own a camera that accepts AA batteries. You can buy economical, rechargeable cells (plus a charger) and drop in a set of disposable lithium or alkaline batteries if the rechargeable run down in the middle of the day’s shooting.
Camera speed. With point-and-shoot cameras like the ones we tested, you must wait after each shot as the camera processes the image. Most models let you shoot an image every few seconds, but a few make you wait 5 seconds or more. They may frustrate you when you’re taking photos in sequence.
Your other cameras. If you’re adding a camera to your lineup or trading up to a more versatile model, look first for one that’s compatible with the other cameras. If it is, you can share memory cards and batteries. Designs within a camera brand line are often similar. So staying wit the brand you have lowers the learning curve on the new camera for family members who switch between cameras.
Copyright © 2002-2006 Consumers Union of U.S., Inc.
For the latest information on this and many other products and services, visit www.ConsumerReports.org.
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