How to Buy a Digital Camera - Coursework Example

Your full full March 28, Digital Camera Before going into the details of how to buy a digitalcamera, let’s get a better understanding of what a digital camera actually is. A digital camera is an electronic device which is used to capture the special moments of our life and various images on a memory card which are downloadable to any computer system. Pepper asserts that having a collection of photographs is the best way to capture one’s memories and this purpose is best served by a digital camera. The basic difference between a camera and a digital camera is that camera stores images on a film but digital camera is made in such a way that images get stored on a memory card instead of getting stored on a film. Another difference is that when we use a normal camera, images get stored on a film which is needed if we want to redevelop the images in future. Once that film is lost, images can never be redeveloped ever again. But when we use a digital camera, images are downloadable to any computer system from the memory card of the digital camera. In this case, we do not need films to redevelop the images, rather we can take a print out of any computer system in which the images are stored. Another advantage of using a digital camera is that of fast processing. Unlike film photographs, photos developed from digital cameras get less processing time than it takes for film processing. We can say that digital cameras are a recent invention from the camera development industry which is not only attracting many photographers but also the public because of several advantages which include more space to store images, easy and fast image processing, facility of downloading the images to any computer system and many other attractive features. How to Buy a Digital Camera While talking about digital camera, let’s get to know the way to buy a perfect digital camera for our personal or professional use. Before going on to buy a desired digital camera, an individual must know what actually he wants to buy. One should not go to the market before doing enough homework regarding specifications of the camera that he wants to buy. Knowing the specifications of the camera is of extreme importance because it makes our search for the desired camera a lot easier. Some of the basic specifications of a digital camera include battery life, number of mega pixels, exposure control, zoom lens and various user controls. It is very important to have a complete know how regarding these specifications of a digital camera. Amount of Mega Pixels An important feature of a digital camera is number of mega pixels that it contains. Mega pixels determine the quality of a picture which is to be taken by a camera. If a camera has large number of mega pixels, its picture quality will be greater than the camera which contains less number of mega pixels. 2 to 3 mega pixels camera is enough for capturing small sized images but if a person wants to take out large prints, he should buy a digital camera with a range of 4 to 6 mega pixels. It is because lower number of mega pixels is suitable for small prints but for large prints, a camera with large number of mega pixels is a more suitable option. But it should not be too large in number because the cameras with higher number of mega pixels take up a very large space on memory cards. Battery Life One of the most important aspects of a digital camera is its battery life. There a lot of people who just want latest and high priced models of digital camera and when they buy those cameras, they complain about the battery life of their cameras. It is not necessary that a camera of latest model always have a long battery life. Many cheaper cameras do have a long battery life than that of a latest and high priced camera. If a camera has more variety of functions than any previous model, it will also use more battery which results in short battery life. So such a camera should be bought which should have long battery life in order to avoid battery charging headache. Importance of Control of Exposure Control of exposure is also a very important feature of a digital camera. One should always buy a camera with high camera exposure control. As we discussed earlier, battery life has nothing to do much with the price of a camera, but in case of control of exposure price of a camera really matters. Cheaper cameras restrict us to only automatic mode but if we buy a newer model, we can tweak the shutter speed and aperture which allow us to capture fast moving images. Digital Zoom and Optical Zoom Zoom lens is either digital zoom or optical zoom. One should always check the quality of the lens if the camera is to be bought for a scientific or a technical purpose. “Lens quality is one of the most important factors you should consider especially if youre going to use it for commercial, technical or scientific purposes” (Garcia). Talking about zoom lens, it can be said that people prefer optical zoom over digital zoom. Johnson states that “optical zooms move the lenses around to actually magnify the image; a digital zoom simply grabs a block of pixels in the middle of the scene and processes them to make the image look bigger” (12). “Digital zooms simply enlarge the pixels in your shot which does make your subject look bigger, but it also makes it look more pixilated and your picture ‘noisier’” (Rowse). One should always buy an optical zoom camera with the minimum length of 3x optical zoom. Few Important Steps to Buy a Good Digital Camera Before going to the shop to buy a digital camera, an individual must gain sufficient knowledge about different models of a camera. Any individual, who wants to buy a camera, should talk to the people who own digital camera in order to gain some knowledge. It is very beneficial because people can tell from their personal experiences about any specific model of a digital camera. They can not only tell the qualities of the model that they own but also the drawbacks regarding the model. Another important factor to be considered is the size of the camera. It is upon the choice of the user of the camera that what size and shape of the camera he likes. If he likes small sized camera, then a lot of shapes are available in the market. Some very attractive and eye-catching cameras are also available in the market but one should never just go for the shape because it is not necessary that a camera with attractive shape will contain exceptional features also. Next step is to figure out the basic use of the camera. If an individual wants to take small prints, he should go for small number of mega pixels. But in case larger prints are needed, then a camera with large number of mega pixels should be bought. Similarly, if an individual wants to capture fast moving images, he should focus his research on the quality of exposure control. Zoom lens also plays an important role in the quality of pictures. A camera with larger zoom lens can be a better option if nature images are to be taken. After selecting a camera, the user must take it in hands in order to know whether the camera is easy to handle or not. Once an individual has narrowed down the search to a handful of cameras, he should head into the local digital camera shop and ask the shopkeeper to let him check the camera (Rowse). Budget also plays an important role in buying a digital camera. Any individual, who wants to buy a camera, must complete a detailed survey regarding the prices of the models in order to know which model lies in the range of budget. Prices of the cameras depend upon the features of the camera. If a camera has variety of features in it, then the price of that model will also be higher than the model containing fewer features. One should also keep in mind that the prices which are quoted may not be the final price of the camera that he wants to buy. This is because most of the shopkeepers bundle various extra accessories with the camera in order to increase the price. Quite a few retailers bundle cameras and other items together or offer a discount if the customer buys more than one items at the same time. These accessories include memory cards, camera case, extra batteries, external flashes and reflectors. It should always be kept in mind that price of memory cards is never included in the price of the camera. Last important step before buying a digital camera is checking out the warranty and the return policies of the camera. It is because warranty helps in returning the camera to the company if any fault is found in it. So, these were some of the basic steps which should be properly considered by any individual while planning to buy a new digital camera because planning always leads towards perfection and success in every matter of life. Work Cited Pepper, Michael "Who to Trust When Buying a Digital Camera." Who to Trust When Buying a Digital Camera. 21 Mar. 2010 EzineArticles.com. 28 Mar. 2010 . Garcia, Aldrin “Top 20 Questions to Consider When Buying a Digital Camera.” Top 20 Questions to Consider When Buying a Digital Camera. 31 Aug. 2008 Articlesbase.com. 28 Mar. 2010 Johnson, Dave. How to Do Everything with Your Digital Camera. 4th ed. California: McGraw-Hill, 2005. Print. Rowse, Darren “How to Buy a Digital Camera – A 9 Step Guide.” How to Buy a Digital Camera – A 9 Step Guide. n.d. Digital-photography-school.com. 28 Mar. 2010 . Read More