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21 Sep 08 Nikon’s New D2Hs Professional Digital SLR Camera Offers Enhanced Performance, Image Quality and Features

MELVILLE, NY, FEBRUARY 16, 2005 - (www.nikondigitalusa.com), the world leader in , today introduced the new D2Hs™ professional camera that incorporates several new enhancements and features. Designed for photojournalists and sports/action , D2Hs integrates the best technologies from its predecessors with an array of exclusive new innovations that deliver the speed, response and handling required for action .

The range of new features and enhancements in the D2Hs are based on extensive research and feedback from professional around the world. An all-new image processing engine in the camera produces with higher quality, finer gradations and lower noise, while a newly refined exposure metering system improves on ’s hallmark technology. The D2Hs Auto and auto focusing systems have been fine tuned to deliver precise, accurate results and an enhanced buffer now offers continuous shooting at 8 frames per second for up to 50 (JPEG, FINE).

“During the development of ’s recently announced D2X professional camera, the company created several new technologies and innovations that delivered breakthrough performance in that camera. These new innovations have been integrated into the D2Hs to offer photojournalists and sports a camera at par with ’s flagship D2X camera, with comparable performance, features and seamless workflow,” said Steve Heiner, general manager for and Professional Products at . “ will appreciate the seamless design, transition and workflow between the D2X and the new D2Hs, allowing them to quickly switch between the two best-of-breed , as dictated by the situation they need to .”

In addition to ’s exclusive 4.1 DX format JFET LBCAST (Lateral Buried Charge Accumulator and Sensing ), the D2Hs features the following new technologies and enhancements:

- Advanced new image processing engine produces high quality
The new image processing engine adopts advances from the D2X to further improve overall in the D2Hs, producing with finer gradations, lower noise and consistent, smooth transitions.
- High-speed continuous shooting at 8 fps for up to 50
The speed achieved by the LBCAST sensor and the camera’s image processing allows the D2Hs to shoot continuously at 8 frames per second for up to 50 consecutive JPEG or 40 RAW (NEF) shots.
- 3D-Color Matrix Metering II
Refinements to ’s hallmark exposure metering system in the D2Hs result in optimal exposure calculations from the data supplied by the 1,005- RGB Exposure/Color Matrix Metering Sensor, even when shooting under challenging conditions.
- Precise
The D2Hs uses refined Auto (AWB) and Auto Tone Control (ATC) systems to deliver precise settings when shooting in tricky or mixed lighting situations.
- Faster, higher precision 11-area AF system
Refinements to the camera’s AF and lens drive algorithms further improve focus precision, subject acquisition, and subject tracking. The high precision and speed of the D2Hs’ AF system also contributes to achieving high-speed continuous shooting.
- High-speed wireless data transfer and camera control
The D2Hs is compatible with the Wireless Transmitter WT-1/1A as well as the new Wireless Transmitter WT-2/2A, which supports both IEEE 802.11g (for faster transfer speeds) as well as IEEE 802.11b networks. The WT-2/2A also strengthens wireless security options and supports a wider variety of network protocols, including the new PTP/IP protocol that realizes wireless Capture Control from a computer running Capture 4 (Ver. 4.2.1 or later).
- sYCC color space support
Added support for sYCC color space produces JPEG files that can fully exploit the output of the latest color and use a gamut wider than sRGB to achieve optimum print quality.
- GPS connectivity expands applications
The latitude, longitude, altitude and UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) at which a shot is taken can be recorded from a GPS unit to the image’s metadata. GPS units that comply with the NMEA 0183 (ver.2.01) interface standard can be connected using the optional GPS cable (MC-35).
- High- 2.5″ LCD
A new large 2.5-inch LCD monitor with a higher of 232,000 pixels adds an all-digital interface for clear, flicker-free display of and information. Displays include preview at up to 15x magnification, an improved histogram display, and new selectable RGB histogram displays, making exposure confirmation quick, easy and accurate for each of the red, green and blue color channels. Other useful displays include the World Time function and the chronological Recent Settings list.

The D2Hs comes with PictureProject, an easy-to-use software application for managing, editing and sharing image files. The D2Hs is also compatible with ’s optional Capture software package that delivers a unique, powerful and expandable environment for full control over RAW(NEF) files. Capture 4’s Remote Camera Control function can control most shooting settings and trigger the camera’s shutter release remotely, either connected via the USB 2.0 Hi-Speed interface, or using the optional Wireless Transmitter WT-2/2A. (PTP/IP wireless camera control requires Windows XP or Mac OS X.)

As part of ’s Total Imaging System, the D2Hs is compatible with ’s growing family of digital-exclusive DX Nikkor as well as the lineup of high-quality Nikkor AF . When used with the SB-800 or SB-600 Speedlights, the D2Hs maximizes the potential of ’s Creative Lighting System with high precision performance, including i-TTL control and support for ’s Advanced Wireless Lighting system.

The D2Hs will be available in March 2005 for an MSRP of $3499.95.

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21 Sep 08 Nikon Brings State-of-the-Art to Mid-Range with New SB-600 Speedlight

New SB-600 Expands ’s Creative Lighting System Featuring i-TTL; Offers Versatile Wireless Functions With SB-800 & D70 Built-in Speedlight

MELVILLE, NY, JANUARY 28, 2005 - ® (www.nikondigitalusa.com), the world leader in , today introduced the versatile new SB-600™ Speedlight, the latest addition to ’s Creative Lighting System. Featuring ’s next generation i-TTL™ control technology, the SB-600 delivers automatic balance fill- and advanced wireless lighting for outstanding results and creative possibilities. The SB-600 is seamlessly compatible with the newly announced D70 camera’s built-in speedlight as well as the D2H professional . The SB-600 effectively integrates with the recently announced SB-800 Speedlight, both individually and in arrangements of multiple SB-600/800 speedlights, offering consistent i-TTL control for automatic and accurate lighting for creative and complex situations.

Designed for a variety of customers ranging from experienced and amateur to beginning enthusiasts, the SB-600 incorporates a host of new features designed to make simple, accurate and creative. As part of the newly evolving Creative Lighting System, the SB-600 includes support for Advanced wireless TTL operation, and can function as a remote when controlled by the SB-800 Speedlight or the D70 camera’s built-in speedlight set to Commander Mode. Additionally, the SB-600’s Auto FP High Speed Sync Mode allows it to fire at as high as 1/8000 second when used with the D2H professional camera. Other major features include Value (FV) Lock, color information, wide area AF illuminator and built-in modeling .

“When developing the Creative Lighting System, ’s goal was to deliver a powerful lighting system that was easy to use, offered tremendous creative control without being overly complicated and integrated the advantages of to make more accurate than ever before. With the introduction of the SB-600, is realizing that goal,” said Richard LoPinto, vice president for systems at , Inc.

’s i-TTL technology is the backbone of the Creative Lighting System, and the SB-600 inherits this inventive technology. Together with the recently introduced SB-800 Speedlight, and the D70’s built-in speedlight set to Commander Mode, the SB-600 will unleash tremendous creativity and excitement among all kinds of ,” he added.

SB-600: Continuing Advanced Wireless Lighting

The SB-600 speedlight features wireless TTL technology first introduced in ’s SB-800 Speedlight. using the SB-800 as the Controller can employ up to three groups of compatible Speedlights, with any quantity of compatible SB-600 and SB-800 speedlights within each of the three groups, to achieve Advanced Wireless i-TTL . Most major functions of the

SB-600 can be controlled remotely by the master SB-800. using the D70 camera’s built-in speedlight as the Commander Speedlight can employ any number SB-600 speedlights within one group for wireless i-TTL operation. The SB-600 can be remotely controlled either in i-TTL mode or for maximum creativity. Used with the D2H, the SB-600 can employ up to four individual frequency channels, and three groups of units.
The selection of channel settings help avoid inadvertently triggering flashes not being used by them. Used with ’s D70 camera’s built-in i-TTL speedlight as the Commander, the SB-600 settings require use of Channel 3, Group A.

In addition to the wireless , the SB-600 offers a host of additional features for ’s Creative Lighting System. Highlights of the features are:

* FV-Lock: FV-Lock ( Value Lock) is comparable to the way an
AE-Lock functions in a camera for ambient light exposure metering. Once the camera measures a correct value, the SB-600 locks this value until the resets it — helping to maintain the value exposure as the adjusts composition for a scene.

* Auto FP High-Speed Sync : The SB-600’s Auto FP function can be used with the D2H to automatically fire the speedlight in i-TTL mode at up to 1/8000 second, offering excellent opportunities to use in brighter light, with faster aperture and for faster action scenes.

* Modeling : A modeling feature in the SB-600 fires a stroboscopic burst of light for approximately one second, allowing to visually confirm lighting and shadow effects before shooting.

* Auto Adjustment using Color Temperature
Information: The SB-600 achieves a high level of when used with the D70 or the D2H. With changes in the duration of light emitted by any speedlight, there are always slight variations of color temperature. Using the D70 or D2H in Auto mode, the SB-600 communicates these slight variations in color data back to the D70 or D2H and the camera’s auto system implements the fine adjustment needed for overall excellent .

* : The SB-600 also offers a full with power ratios from full power to 1/64 power, in 1/2 step increments for independent output control and creative lighting effects.

* Custom Settings: Custom settings in the SB-600 allow to personalize the speedlight according to selected preferences.

* Wide Area Illuminators: The SB-600 features a wide area illuminator that assumes autofocus assist functions in low light conditions. The
Illuminator covers all AF-points in all , including the D2H’s new 11-point AF sensors, giving the freedom to compose their shots creatively and shoot with confidence.

* Additional features: Additional features in the SB-600 include a large
, ergonomic controls, a rotating head which tilts horizontally and vertically, accessory filters for special color effects and emulation of fluorescent and incandescent lighting, front and side ready-light indicators for easy viewing, and a locking shoe.

The SB-600 is compatible with all digital and , achieving performance that is limited by each camera’s capability. The SB-600 will realize full i-TTL control when used with the D2H or D70 cameras, and D-TTL control and Auto Aperture (AA) when used with the D1, D1X, D1H and D100 cameras. The SB-600 will offer TTL and Non-TTL Auto control when used with all . The SB-600 Speedlight will be available at authorized dealer locations in Spring 2004. Price will be announced approximately 30 days prior to first sales.

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21 Sep 08 Nikon Introduces New SB-800 Speedlight With i-TTL Technology

Designed For D2H Professional , SB-800 Offers Full Wireless Remote Control for Multiple Speedlights; New Level of

MELVILLE, NY, JULY 22, 2003 - (www..com), the world leader in , today introduced the SB-800™ speedlight, the foundation for a new Creative Lighting System. The SB-800 features powerful new i-TTL™ control system for automatic balanced fill- and advanced wireless lighting that delivers outstanding results creative new possibilities. The SB-800’s i-TTL Balanced Fill- control utilizes ’s new Advanced Data Communication system to introduce improved monitor-pre- and wireless operation.

Designed for professional and enthusiasts, the SB-800 offers groundbreaking new features when used with ’s new D2H professional camera. These features include advanced wireless control for multiple SB-800 speedlights that are controlled by a master speedlight, new Auto FP high-speed sync, new Value (FV) lock, color information communication for improved and a new Wide-Area AF Assist Illuminator that is tailored to the D2H’s new 11-area Multi-Cam 2000 AF sensor module. Combined with other cameras, the SB-800 offers performance comparable to the highly successful SB-80DX speedlight.

“While developing the new D2H professional camera, recognized the opportunity to create a new speedlight system that could harness the revolutionary technology incorporated in the camera and respond to professional ’ needs. The result is the SB-800 speedlight, ’s most system, featuring revolutionary new i-TTL advanced wireless control ,” said Richard LoPinto, vice president for systems at , Inc. “The SB-800 will find creative uses in studios, remote locations and any number of -taking situations where need to carry a compact, versatile and powerful light system that works automatically and maintains tremendous creative control,” he added.

SB-800: Advanced Wireless Lighting Control for Easier Creative Lighting

The SB-800 speedlight system features new wireless technology that enables to fully control up to four groups of SB-800 speedlights wirelessly. This set of four includes one Master Controller and three remote groups - each of which can contain any number of SB-800 speedlights for total lighting control. A majority of features for speedlights within each group can be individually controlled from the Master Controller. These settings are made and confirmed on the Master Controller’s large dot-matrix . All speedlights within this wireless arrangement can operate in i-TTL mode for completely automatic exposures - which are calculated via a new monitor pre- function that measures light from each source and combines them with overall camera exposure readings - producing an accurate, well exposed with balanced lighting. Each group within the wireless arrangement can also be programmed to different modes such as i-TTL AA, or , or any combination of these modes.

One of the most appealing features of ’s i-TTL wireless system is the ability to adjust compensation settings on the fly for each group of speedlights, from the Master Controller. This makes controlling light output from speedlights placed in hard to reach locations simple and effortless. The SB-800 makes multiple as easy as using a single speedlight mounted on a camera, without the hassles of cables or stands.

In addition to wireless , the SB-800 offers significant new features designed for high-speed and exceptional overall accuracy. Highlights of these new features include:

- Auto Adjustment using Color Temperature Information: The SB-800 achieves a high level of when used with the D2H camera. With changes in the duration of light emitted by a speedlight, there are slight variations of color temperature. Using the D2H in Auto mode, the SB-800 communicates these slight variations in color data back to D2H and the camera’s auto system implements the fine adjustment needed for overall excellent .
- FV-Lock: FV-Lock ( Value Lock) is comparable to the way an AE-Lock functions in a camera. Once the camera measures a correct value, the SB-800 locks this value until the resets it - helping to maintain the value for correct exposure of the subject.
- Auto FP High-Speed Sync : The SB-800’s Auto FP function can automatically fire the speedlight in i-TTL mode at up to 1/8,000 second, offering excellent opportunities to use in bright light with fast aperture .
- Modeling : A modeling feature in the SB-800 fires a stroboscopic burst of light for approximately one second, allowing to visually confirm lighting and shadow effects before shooting.
- Quick Recycle Pack: Included with the SB-800 Speedlight is the SD-800 Quick Recycle pack that cuts recycling time in the SB-800 to as short as 2.7 seconds for full power manual .
- Additional features: Additional features in the SB-800 include coverage, bounce and rotating head, large LCD read-out panel, accessory filters for special color effects and emulation of fluorescent and incandescent lighting, robust locking shoe, and autofocus assist light.

Seamless Functionality Within ’s Total Imaging System

The SB-800 offers 3D Multi-Sensor Balanced Fill- function with ’s F5, F100, N80 and N75 and offers Matrix Balanced Fill- with the N65 . The SB-800 also provides D-TTL performance with cameras including the D1x, D1H, D1, and D100. With the new D2H camera, the speedlight offers advanced i-TTL control. The D2H is also fully compatible with all DX-series speedlights, including the SB-80DX, SB-50DX and SB-28DX. The SB-800 speedlight will be available at authorized dealer locations in the fourth quarter of 2003.

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21 Sep 08 Terminology - Digital Cameras

Author: Sinta Makah

It helps when learning to use your new to also know what some of the more common terms mean. Below you will find many of these common terms defined..
— A setting that sets the focus, exposure and white-balance automatically.
Burst Mode or Continuous Capture Mode — a series of taken one after another at quickly timed intervals with one press of the shutter button.
Compression — The process of compacting digital data, and text by deleting selected information.
Digital — Cropping and magnifying the center part of an image.
JPEG — The predominant format used for in
Lag Time — The pause between the time the shutter button is pressed and when the camera actually captures the image

LCD — (Liquid-Crystal Display) is a small screen on a for viewing .

Lens — A circular and transparent glass or plastic piece that has the function of collecting light and focusing it on the sensor to capture the image.
Megabyte — (MB) Measures 1024 Kilobytes, and refers to the amount of information in a file, or how much information can
be contained on a Card, Hard Drive or Disk.
Pixels — Tiny units of color that make up digital . Pixels also measure digital . One million pixels
adds up to one mega-.
RGB — Refers to Red, Green, Blue colors used on computers to create all other colors.
— Camera describes the number of pixels used to create the image, which determines the amount of
detail a camera can capture. The more pixels a camera has, the more detail it can register and the larger the can be
printed.
Card — The removable device which holds taken with the camera, comparable to , but much smaller. Also called a card…
— The optical “window” to look through to compose the scene.
— White balancing adjusts the camera to compensate for the type of light (daylight, fluorescent, incandescent, etc.,) or lighting conditions in the scene so it will look normal to the human eye.

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20 Sep 08 Types and Models of Polaroid Digital Cameras

Author:

The type of camera with self-developing is known as . makes the famous .
Based on the type of used, can be classified. The older Polaroids used instant roll. Roll films were of two types: Positive or developing agent and negative. These rolls were available in three sizes. Pack was later used in cameras, in which the has to pull the from the camera for developing and subsequently the positive and the negative have to be peeled separately while developing. This Pack was available initially in a rectangular format and later in square format. Subsequent Polaroids such as the once famous SX-70 model utilized a square format integral , which had the developer, negative, fixer etc in the same . Development of each exposure was automatic once the shot is taken.
That’s the history of . Polaroid are now available in various types. You should be happy to know that there are certain models designed specially for a good cause. The m635P model from was designed solely for promotion of breast cancer research. along with actress Elizabeth Hurley initiated to offer a combined donation of $60,000 for the above Research foundation in the year 2006. Pink, light pink and magenta models of Polaroid were launched especially for the above good cause and awareness.
One more noted achievement from Polaroid is the launch of the ION which combines high-end features and is easy to use. This ION has an on-board of 8MB and is light and compact, suitable for traveling people. Other features of this ION include automatic with auto exposure, a 10-second electronic timer, the capacity to capture AVI video clips along with audio like a web cam, 640 x 460 , Arc Soft software on DVD, two AAA and a USB cable.
Another great model from Polaroid is PDC 4355, which has glass of high quality for and normal, 4.2 MP , 3x Optical and a fast sensor. This is a good camera for for point and shoot simplicity coupled with great . In the 3x optical and 4x digital modes, the glass lens system permits for exposures for distances of 15 centimeters to infinity and has three modes for and video clip functions.
This Polaroid has other features such as , , Inbuilt having the on, off and and auto modes. The PDC 4355 model has an Inbuilt of 16 MB to store your video clips and , later expandable up to 256MB with any available Secure Digital card. This camera also supports Print Image Matching feature that has the ability to have the camera and mode settings along with the recorded.
You can easily upload the to your computer through an USB cable by using the software ‘ Impression 5.0’. This software can launch your desktop automatically, detect any new in the camera and permit you to transfer them to your computer at the click of the OK button. This handy camera allows you to take within a few minutes of receiving and is powered by two AA .

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20 Sep 08 Digital Camera Basics - Want To Stop Being An Idiot And Learn How Digital Cameras Work?

Author: Mike Singh

With the advancement of the and the software that is made for them, most look professional from the first click of the camera. But like most things, it is important to understand the “how and why” for higher quality results.

The basics of a revolve around terms like , count, , sensor, sensitivity, optical , or digital . These improve your understanding of what digital is all about, and will help you become a more efficient .

For example, one important term is . A typical may have a digital that is as big as a small finger nail. Most 5MP use a sensor that is 7mm x 5mm in size. This is much smaller than the size of the negative of a camera. However, high-end have large sensors, and generate superior . These are important things to know, to see how can be better or worse.

also have sensitivity settings similar to ISO ratings on . Most will have settings for sensitivity equivalent to ISO 100 and . Many also have a setting for . A few expensive cameras with large sensors have settings for ISO 3200 or even for ISO 6400.

Most have an optical and a digital . An optical by changing the and magnification while the is being utilized - with the remaining high. Digital works by cropping the image to a smaller size. The cropped image is enlarged to fill the frame, causing a significant loss of quality.

The manufacturers of use the term “ count” to describe their camera’s . The word originates from “(PIC)ture (EL)ement”- with the use of phonics added for emphasis. It represents a single point in a - not a dot but an abstract sample that can be reproduced in any size, without a dot or square appearance.

A is important to understand because it is the basic unit of measurement, used to define a digital . The more the number of pixels per square inch, the higher the of a digital , increasing its clarity. Some examples would be 2,400 pixels per inch, 640 pixels per line, or spaced 10 pixels apart. Designers, artists, and sometimes interchange the terminology, such as dots per inch (dpi) with pixels per inch (ppi). The dpi is used when it refers to the printer’s for the printing density. Each is made up of three color channels - red, green and blue-and has a numerical value of between 0 and 255.

The count also decides the size of a print in case you want to print . A 3MP camera can provide excellent 4×6 inch prints, while a 4 or 5MP can deliver high quality 8×10 inch prints. With a you can pick the to suit the light source. This is meant to ensure that white looks white, and not yellow or blue. Normally, your will do this automatically. You can also set the yourself for better effects.

Since each generates three bytes of data, a using a 3MP camera will need a space of 9 million bytes or 9MB to store a single image. This is a huge amount of space. Camera companies therefore allow for a compression of image using a format called JPEG. This reduces the file size significantly but while doing so a lot of data is lost. To overcome this problem companies have come up with different formats. calls it RAW while calls it NEF. The data loss is less in these formats.

The low end cameras used by beginners can shoot whose count is one million is categorized as 1 MP or one million camera because the intensity of each is variable, with each having three or four dimensions of variability - such as red, green and blue, cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. The high-end cameras used by professionals, can range from 14MP to 22MP with a count as high as 14 million or 22 million per image.

The thing to remember is the higher the , the more realistic the image is, matching closest what the actual image is. So take your time, do some research, and talk to people who know cameras. Otherwise, a lot of money will be spent on something that is barely adequate for what you want.

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19 Sep 08 Mini Digital Camera: a Buyer’s Guide

Author:

A Mini can be a best travel companion if you love to travel and are constantly on the move. The mini is most preferred now for travelers and because of its small and unique size and easy to use features. To use this ultra , you don’t need to be a professional . But you can be a good with the enhanced offered by the small sized camera that improves the quality of ordinarily photographed items also.

The availability of the following features can be checked out before you buy a mini .

rating: Giving attention to this rating helps you to estimate the volume of information stored with each taken. of the depends on the rating. Mini have higher ratings for storing more information and for getting great quality enlargements. For most of the that fall under 4 x 6, a minimum of 3 will be good for your camera.

: usage is to be determined before you buy a mini . With a set of , most bad cameras produce around 50 shots. However ensure that your enhanced mini produces around 500 shots with a set of . Rechargeable AA can be used for a longer duration of time and is beneficial and economical in the long run.

Other Features:It is advisable to choose a mini that is fast. When the shutter is pressed, time is taken for processing an image and this time gap varies for different cameras. Some cameras have a time gap of 5 seconds and for taking a second snap, you have to wait for that time. Due to shutter lag also, time can be consumed. Shutter lag is the time taken for the feature to terminate and then trip the shutter to start. Therefore ensure that your mini is really fast. Also ensure that your mini is having an optical rate of 5X to 10X for getting better for having close-up shots.

The mini have an Inbuilt , which helps you to frame the shot before clicking. You can immediately view the after clicking. Most mini have autofocus feature and you have to ensure that this feature is fast. For a mini having a factor of 10X and above, ensure that it has to remove the shaking effect caused while taking . Mini beautifully capture your moments of joy with least effort.
As an example, we will now look at the features of a Key chain Mini , MiniDIG. Some key features are ; Auto Formats; JPEG; ; Auto Shutter; Auto ; 640×480, 320×240; Pop-up ; EV compensation; Auto System compatibility and Windows 98/SE/2000/XP.
The key chain mini is tiny and small enough to fit onto a keychain and however has an internal of 16MB SDRAM and 300K sensor. This inexpensive, cute looking is a great little device to take along for spot for insurance claims or during vacation holidays and serves as an exciting addition to your keychain. This can also be a wonderful gift for children looking to have their first camera.

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18 Sep 08 Buying a Digital Camera? Read This Buying Guide!

Author: Bob Shanty

Many with upgraded technology are being introduced every day. This makes it more difficult to select a camera, as you are left with a wide range of models to choose from. However, most buyers have specific features and needs in mind. Rather than going for the latest model, buy that best suit your requirements.

What should I look for when buying a ?

The , , , performance and life should all play a significant role in your buying decision. Here are some features to keep in mind while picking the for yourself.

:

is typically defined as the number of pixels that make up a . A is closely related to . You need a high camera to shoot and print highly detailed . If you want to enlarge and crop any of your without loss of clarity, go for cameras that offer a higher . If you do not intend on printing your and would rather email them to friends, a lower camera would be a better choice. They are more affordable and still produce fairly good .

and Connectivity:

Generally, have a removable option, such as a card slot. support a wide range of formats like , sticks, cards, SmartMedia cards and xD cards. Many TVs, laptops, digital frames and some gaming consoles have card readers, so you can easily view that are stored on cards. If you want to save money, store on the cameras internal rather than on a card and transfer them to a PC or Mac using a USB cable. Digital is a huge time and money saver!

:

Rechargeable are highly recommended because they can be charged and reused again. Recent cameras are compatible with NiCad, NiMH and lithium-ion . Though NiCad and NiMH are inexpensive, lithium-ion is worth the extra money. They are long-lasting with low self-discharge rates. You should opt for cameras that are compatible with lithium-ion . A few cameras come with an AC power adapter that can be used to charge the as well.

:

come with two types of , optical and digital. Both of these allow you to take close-ups of a distant subject, although they accomplish this task through different means. The optical magnifies the image before the shot is taken, whereas the digital artificially magnifies the image by enlarging the area but this leads to a loss of . You should pay more attention to the optical rather than the digital when comparing models.

Modes:

Most cameras available today have preset modes for shooting under different conditions. Factors such as exposure, aperture, focussing, light metering, and sensitivity can all be adjusted. Many also include video capture modes, enabling you to take short videos at different frame rate speeds.

ViewFinders and LCD Displays:

The optical is the window you look through when taking a picutre. Although there are with viewfinders, several of the latest models have only an . The lets you view an image as you take it and also plays back and videos saved on your camera. Anti-glare screens are best for buyers who plan on shooting a lot of outdoors. If you need a durable camera for rough use, opt for a scratch resistant screen.

Technology:

also come with innovative technologies that make fun and easy. Do u want to avoid overexposed or darkened faces, recognise multiple faces or optimize the color and tonal qualities of your ? Not a problem. Todays cameras are well equipped with automatic red-eye and camera shake detection and correction as well as multiple face recognition. Not no meantion tons of

What are the different types of cameras and camera accessories online or available through conventional stores?

Point-and-Shoot Models:

Point-and-shoot cameras are a dime a dozen. These entry level models provide low with little magnification. If you do not want to spend time on focusing and figuring out the settings and controls, a point-and-shoot camera is just the ticket. You will find plenty of these models that are low in cost and easy to use.

Intermediate Models:

These models are especially designed for beginners. Equipped with a range of automatic settings, these consumer-level produce flawless . They usually have a of 3.2 to 5 and a 3:1 to 4:1 lens.

Advanced Consumer Models:

If you have taken a class or is one of your hobbies, then you will probably want some additional features. Choose from the many advanced consumer models with higher , quality and morer . These models let you add features based on your needs and give you the freedom to personalize the settings.

Prosumer Models:

When you buy , if consumer models are too basic for you and professional models are too complex, you will love a prosumer model. These have the best of both worlds. They have a vast number of options to work with, like switching between automatic and manual focus, selecting the and adjusting the aperture settings. You will also have the opportunity to express your creative side by manipulating . You can adjust the brightness and contrast levels for truly unique snaps. You can expect a minimum of 5 to 6 in this category. These can take 2 to 3 per second, but tend to be more fragile than other models.

Professional Models:

You will need a top of the line model that sports the latest features to meet your high demands, if you are a professional . Professional models are capable of producing high with magnificent colors and clarity. They have interchangeable and a of up to 14 . These models are the fastest on the market, allowing you to take 5 per second. Professional have a whopping option of at least a 1 GB mini hard disk drive, on an average.

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18 Sep 08 Cheap Digital Camera Varieties

Author:

Major manufacturers such as HP, , and offer cheap too. Cheap generally have lesser advanced features such as multiple file settings, optical , optional image file type settings, advanced automatic exposure meters, large capacity cards, replaceable and waterproofing. Most of the cheap are of point and shoot type.

is related to rating directly and the handling of by the camera. If you want to post on a web site, email or store them on hard drives, cheap with a 1.3 rating are more than satisfactory. If you want to have of portrait quality, then you have to look for cameras with 3 or higher ratings.

Due to the rating, many cameras are expensive. The higher the rating of the , the larger the . However, cheap will not come with a lot of but still may not be necessary at all times. You don’t require a lot of if you don’t need very large . Most cheap will print eight by ten inches and this is what many people may need.

However, cheap can be an excellent gift for young children. If you want to get started in digital and if you are not sure how to take it forward, cheap is an excellent choice. It can also be a spare or a good second camera for keeping in your boat or car for taking advantage of capturing some unexpected opportunities. You need not spend a large amount of money for buying a brand new just for opening up the box and reading the instruction manuals once but not interested to learn all the features of the camera. Still, most people often get discouraged from buying a used as they feel that they can get great by getting the most expensive camera available. There are many cheap available for sale and you may not require all of the fancy features and thus can save money.

You have to think about the overall quality you get from a cheap . It can take amazing outside and if you try to take some inside the house, the quality can be poor. Though you can repair them with some editing software, you will not get professional . But you can have it for your basic taking needs.

You can look for cheap available on a number of websites and can read reviews and blogs from some people who have tried with such cameras. This is the best way for deciding the type of cheap suitable for your needs. Many sites have listings of sales, coupons, bargains and cheap deals. You can select a specific deal offered on a cheap sent to you via palm text message, email, RSS feed or mobile phone amongst others. Such alerts on deals can be customized to enable you to select for receiving only cheap offers from a particular brand or vendor in an area. You can also customize such that cheap can be classified based on the price as everyone has a different budget.

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18 Sep 08 Top 20 Questions to Consider When Buying a Digital Camera

Author: aldrin garcia

My top 20 key questions to ask yourself when buying a .

1. How many “” /?

Once and for all, at least to me, you have to get the highest your money can buy at the time you buy. Period.

2. Who made the lens?

Most cameras will give you an idea where the lens was made just by looking at the front of the lens. Know if the lens of your camera came from a reputable company like , Zeiss, , Etc… Lens quality is one of the most important factors you should consider especially if you’re going to use it for commercial, technical or scientific purposes.

3. Will I need interchangeable ? How many are available for my specific camera in mind?

Having the option of interchangeable gives you the freedom to experiment with different kinds of focal lengths. Although some P&S (point and shoot) cameras can rival ’s with a generous range for a non interchangeable lens system.

Also note the number of available for use with your specific camera because of flexibility reasons. You can practically cover the entire “ range” with interchangeable versus modest ranges on non interchangeable lens systems or P&S cameras.

4. Does it have a capability? What’s the range?

Almost all applications that I listed above will need some form of zooming in (telephoto) or out (wide angle), especially if you don’t have the space to move around the object you are shooting.

For Landscape shots, wide angle shots are very common and appealing while zooming in on the details serves as a break and complements the wide angle shots.

For weddings and events, you need a because there will be times where you are limited by the shooting space and you will have a difficult time moving around. Its a good thing to know that you can do all sorts of framing without even moving from your position.

A nice will give you the efficiency and versatility in your , so my suggestion is to go for the longest range you can get (usually from a 7X to a 10X for Point and Shoots).

Also note the speed of zooming in or out as this will be a factor if you’re shooting events like weddings. You will fail to capture that “decisive moment” on a mediocre speed.

5. Does it have the provision to capture raw ?

Many will say you’ll need this feature if you want to have big prints from your . Although this is correct, the main reason why you will want this is because of the benefit it will give you…pure total control of your … from exposure, color, metadata, hdr and a lot more.

6. Can I attach an external ?

Having an external capability will give you the power and creative freedom to light your subjects any which way you like.

You can connect your to all sorts of lighting equipment thus giving you more options and versatility. This comes in the form of a hotshoe or a PC-Sync socket.

If your doesn’t have this feature, there is still hope because accessories called slaves are being sold by third party companies in different flavors that will also do the same job more or less.

7. Does it have a tripod socket?

Some of the most beautiful landscape that I’ve seen are undoubtedly made with a tripod, so this is a must have if you are planning to do this kind of .

The “ shots” in a wedding, still life and product shots, studio and fine art shots … all need a tripod for successful execution… so guess what happens if you don’t have a tripod socket?… You cannot effectively use a tripod!

8. Does it have automatic and manual focusing?

It will not be evident at first why you’ll need this especially if you’re just starting out in . But if you’re like me… A total control freak when it comes to cameras… and you really want to express your creative side, this is definitely a must have.

9. Can you attach filters to it? and what filter size?

Creative expression through special effects is just one of the many reasons that makes fun and interesting, and experimenting with filters is one creative pursuit you should try with your especially if you’re a beginner.

Always remember to ask if the particular you are eyeing for can handle filters and ask for the filter size. (To save you from buying the right filter with the wrong filter size) Please note that most should be able to to handle filters as most that come with it have a filter thread built into the lens.

Most P&S (point and shoot) normally doesn’t have a filter thread built-in and might need special accessories to accomplish this so you should check to know for sure.

Again, there are many third party accessories that you could buy to adapt filters to your P&S that don’t have this provisions. I’ll discuss all about this in a future post so watch for it. (Or subscribe to my announcement list (feed via email) so you’ll know when it’s up.

10. Can I upgrade the firmware?

The good thing about some manufacturers is that they keep on improving their even after they sold it to you… this comes in the form of a firmware upgrade.

Usually this involves an improvement on one or many features of a camera. Be sure that the you’re planning to buy has an easy way of upgrading its firmware. This comes in the form of either an easy download via the manufacturer’s website (find it and bookmark it now) or a FREE CDROM.

Another caveat - be sure to consider if a downgrade is also possible or available with your … Why is there a need a downgrade you ask?… Because, you may want to reinstall an earlier firmware… just in case you don’t like the results from a firmware upgrade.

Occasionally there’s a feature that will be removed by the upgrade that you failed to read about and you decided that you just want to keep that feature instead of a bunch of trivial upgrades from the new firmware. (Yes, I personally experienced this.)

11. Are there extra goodies or software that come with it?

Some people ignore the fact that you can save a lot of money just by doing a simple arithmetic. Did you know that you could actually get your for a lot less if you study the deals and offers on the marketplace?

If you buy a and it comes with software that you can really use… like photoshop, elements, or any other software for that matter, then you already saved some money you would otherwise spend. Some dealers will throw in lots of extras… If you just simply ask.

Always try to ask for these things that you’ll end up buying anyway if you don’t - like camera bags, extra , extra , cards, tripod, etc. Trust me… you will end up buying these things if you don’t ask for it on the deal. What have you got to lose? Simply ASK. Would you believe that I effectively lowered one of my cost by as much as 30%? Ask away.

12. Is there Local Support in your area?

Finding the answer to this one will give you a great benefit in the long run. Wouldn’t you sleep better at night because you feel that extra security - that in case there is something wrong with your , you can bring it in for repair at a moments notice?

Not knowing when your camera will be repaired (or if it even arrived at a distant repair facility) is one of the worst feelings a can have especially if you’re in the middle of a photoshoot or project.

13. What type of warranty does it have? Worldwide / Countrywide?

If you travel a lot its good to know that a countrywide or even better - a worldwide warranty can get your camera fixed wherever you are. Always bring the warranty card and glue it on your camera bag.

14. Does it have the ability to take video and audio?

I know, most DSLRs don’t have this function. But some non interchangeable lens DSLRs have it. This is a very useful feature to have if you’re on a project or photoshoot and want to document or record a procedure, a moment, or an idea that you would otherwise have trouble remembering or even writing. It’s always a good idea to bring a P&S camera backup that have this function.

The things that you could do with audio and videoclips on a photoshoot are only limited by your imagination… interviews, documentation, funny quips, training procedures, bloopers, etc..

15. Does it have a manual ?

is one of the most interesting aspects of . Its fun and fascinating to work with. Having this option puts the fun-o-meter way way up. In future posts, I will be discussing in detail so be sure to stay tuned.

16. How sensitive is it to infrared?

If you’re planning to make infrared or enter the exciting world of Infrared fine art then you’ll want to know if your can do it.

TIP: There is a simple way to test how sensitive your is to infrared using a very common device - a TV remote control. For P&S, you can aim the remote control towards the lens and gauge how bright the LED from remote is. This should give you an idea how sensitive your is to infrared. For DSLRs you will need to take shots of the LED and experiment a little or you can simply research or the particular you have in mind for other people’s experiences and thoughts about it.

17. How high is the ISO sensitivity? Is it manually adjustable?

ISO sensitivity is a term referring to the sensitivity of to light. In the world, it refers to the sensitivity of the in your in relation to the ISO standard used for .

The higher the ISO sensitivity of your camera the faster or better it can record a specific amount of light.

High ISO sensitivity is useful for taking better in dark settings… such as inside a church or at night. The higher the ISO setting, the more details you can capture of a dark scene.

One caveat - take note of the amount of noise a particular camera exhibits at higher ISOs. Some people like it and some don’t. Again, don’t be afraid to ask or do research on the noise characteristics of your in mind to see if this is the right choice for you.

18. How high or low can you set the shutterspeed? What are the minimum and maximum aperture settings?

Shutterspeed and aperture settings are the basic mechanisms that drive your camera and controls the amount of light that is exposed by the or .

You use high shutterspeeds in action shots and to prevent camera shake, and you use low shutterspeeds for movement effects and bulb or long exposures. You can check for these figures on the websites that I gave you in part 1. You can see it in the technical specifications for a particular camera.

A bulb or “T” function is a nice feature to have because you can take exposures for virtually very long periods of time. Another feature to have is if your camera has a remote control to use this bulb or “T” mode. This gives you the capability to take without holding your camera and adding to the “camera shake”.

With the subject of apertures, a small one (small aperture opening) lets you have a wider depth of field so your shots are sharp from near to far versus a large aperture (big aperture opening) where your shots have a narrow depth of field and appear “selectively focused”.

19. Does it have some form of an ?

New cameras coming out as we speak often have this feature. Simply put, an is some form of a mechanism built into the lens or the (depending on the manufacturer and their implementation) that basically prevents you from getting blurred when taking in low light or you are using a long or . Having this feature can mean the difference between a blurry (aka no !) to a usable one.

20. How close can it focus? Macro abilities?

The closer your camera can focus… the bigger the of an object you can take in relation to the image dimensions of the final … and the bigger the of the object… the more detail you can get. If you want to take of small objects such as flowers and fine details then this is a must-have.

That’s it. Whew.

Do you really have to go over all these questions?… Of course not, but even if you only study and ponder on half of them…and take the time… I promise you that one thing will surely happen…

You’ll be…

a lot smarter!

than when you first started asking these questions… ergo you’ll be in a better position to decide what to buy… Because you are now armed with the most powerful tool anybody can have

the power of information!

In any case, I hope you find as much value in these questions as many of my friends have and be able to get the camera of your dreams.

Enjoy!

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