Showing posts with label Digital Camera. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Digital Camera. Show all posts

Digital Zoom Versus Optical Zoom

  • Nov 2, 2010
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  • Many digital cameras offer both digital and optical zoom. These two often confuse the average camera buyer, until you know what you’re looking at.

    Optical zoom works much like the zoom lens on a 35 mm film camera. It changes the length of your camera’s lens and draws the subject closer to you. The optical zoom keeps the quality of the picture. Digital zoom works differently. It simply takes the picture and crops it then enlarges the part that is left. It causes the quality of the photo to be reduced, sometimes greatly.What this means in terms of output is you may have a larger view of an object with the digital zoom, but chances are your image will become unfocused. Details will become lost. It is actually best to turn off the digital zoom feature of your camera if possible. This will prevent you automatically zooming in too close as the digital zoom is often an extension of the optical.

    There are a couple of things you can do if you want a closer view of a subject but want the quality of your picture to still be good. Try moving in closer when you take the picture. Often only a foot or two will do the trick. If this isn’t possible, you can set your camera to take a picture at its highest file size. This will result in a photo that can be cropped to include only your desired subject, yet allow for an image that is still clear.

    Digital zoom has its place. It can be used if the only destiny of your photo is the internet. Photos online can be a much lower quality in the camera and still appear acceptable when sent through e-mail or posted on a web gallery. If your goal is printing, however, seek a camera that has a greater optical zoom and turn off the digital zoom. Your pictures will be better in the end, even if they are not as close up.

    Digital Photography Tip #1: Don’t Assume that DigiCams Do All The Work!

  • Oct 21, 2010
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  • Maybe you have heard something like this before: “The better the cameras, the better the photos.” In this effect, you might have thought of digital cameras. Many believe that these models are just a one-click away for great photos. Do you also believe on this?

    Ponder on the following article and the appropriate answer will be revealed to you.

    The rivalry between film cameras and digital cameras is relatively fresh. How come? Three mega pixels digital cameras have an array of choices for consumers, which is already comparable to a high quality point and shoot models. Nowadays, the same thing goes with five mega pixels digital models for excellent quality photographs. The thing is, quality photographs can be taken with ease using digital cameras.

    Some of the main advantages to digital photography are:

    • pictures can be previewed immediately on the built-in LCD screen
    • costs of installing films are replaced with memory sticks or cards that are primarily reusable and can store thousands of pictures
    • the stored photographs can easily be shared by copying off the images and/or sharing the memory stick or card
    • images can easily be transformed into black and white and/or sepia and can also be cropped after the picture has been taken

    However, photos under low light and taken using film and digital models are both susceptible to artifacts or granularity. Images taken by both cameras appear to be very similar can be further improved with the advent of software that can improve and manipulate the quality and details of images.
    Furthermore, you can take lousy shots with the most expensive Nikon models and make great photos with the passé point and shoot cameras. It suffices to say that it is not the camera that solely makes great and even picture-perfect images. The man behind the camera can squeeze or miss a big time out of the gadget that he has.

    The following presents a ten-point aid that will enable you to take photos like a pro using your digital cameras. Practice on these tips so you can maximize the expense of your gadget.

    1. Those Tones Should Warm Up

    Change your white balance setting from auto to cloudy when shooting sunny landscapes and outdoor portraits. This increases the yellow and red tones, thus resulting in warmer and richer pictures.

    2. Use a [Sunglass] Polarizer

    A polarizer should always come in handy when taking those general outdoor shooting. Polarized shots have more saturated and richer colors because unwanted reflections and glare are minimized or even removed.

    If your digital camera can not accommodate a polarizer, simply place a sunglass as close to the camera lens as possible making sure that the rims of the glass will not be taken along with the image. The effect of a polarizer can be maximized when the light source is perpendicular to the object.

    3. Shining Outdoor Portraits

    One of the most useful and amazing features of digital cameras is the flash on or fill flash mode. This feature allows you to take control when to use the flash. It simply goes on whenever you want it available. This helps in capturing great outdoor photographs.

    The camera exposes for the background first then adds enough flash to illuminate the subject when you are using the flash on option. Wedding photographers have been using this technique for many years to create professional looking portraits where everything in the composition is simply excellent.

    To come up with a more relaxed photograph, try putting the subject under the shade and use the flash to add illumination.

    You can also practice on using rim lighting where the sun illuminates the hair of the subject from the side or the back.

    However, you should not stand that far away when using the fill flash since most built-in models have a range of 10 feet or even less.

    4. Macro Mode Frenzy

    I am quite sure that you would want to look at the fine details of your surroundings but would not be willing to crouch down and lie on the ground with your belly.

    In that case, you just have to look for the macro made or close up symbol, usually a flower icon, and get as close to an object as possible. Once the confirmation light signals you to shoot, just press the shutter down to record the portrait.

    However, using the close up mode allows you to have a shallow depth so you can concentrate on the part of the subject that you want to emphasize and let the rest go soft.

    5. Chaos of the Horizon Line

    There are still photographers who become disoriented when lining up their shoots. In other words, once they look at their cameras monitor, images that are erect seem to be a little tilted or bowed inward.

    The most appropriate way to take care of this matter is to take your best shot at a straight picture, then take another picture after repositioning the camera. Afterwards, you can delete the others once you feel you captured a perfectly aligned image.

    Also, just practice level framing your shots until you become acquainted with the process.

    6. Massive Media Card

    You have to have an extra memory card especially when you want more moments to preserve. The following suggestions should be considered before buying a memory card:
    a. for 3 mega pixels – a 256 MB memory card
    b. for 4 mega pixels – a 512 MB memory card
    c. for 6 mega pixels – 1 gigabyte memory card

    Then you do not have to miss another shot because your card is full.

    7. Not High Resolution All the Time

    It is more advisable to squeeze more images by shooting a low quality and resolution settings than taking shots with a high resolution all the time. This way you can reserve a space and a 2272 x 1704 resolution on the next great image of the century and enough for the portrait to be printed on a 8” x 10” inch paper suitable for framing.

    However, if you have enough memory (and you should), there is no reason to shoot at a lower resolution and risk missing the chance to display your work the big way.

    8. Tolerate that Tripod

    Tripods are “unnecessarily bulky” for some so seldom do people like to bring them around.

    Nowadays, there is an ingenious way to settle the dilemma whether to bring a tripod around or to do without it. The UltraPod II™ developed by Pedco fits in your back pocket and holds your camera steady in various situations.

    You can use the Velcro™ strap to attach your camera on a tree limb or an available pole. Its legs can be opened on any flat surface or even on a boulder.

    Now, you can be a real photographer without carrying a heavy burden.

    9. The Fun with Self Timer

    Another under-used feature on almost every digital camera is the self timer. This function can be used to save the photographer for missing the picture by delaying the firing of the shutter up to 10 seconds.

    You can attach your UltraPod™ to ensure that your camera will not be taken away that easily by some strangers. Of course, you need to aim at the subject and not at a distant background before setting up the timer. Also the depth of the subject should be checked too.

    By using self timers, you can also avoid accidentally jarring the camera when you are interested in making long exposures of cars driving at dusk as you initiate the focus.

    10. Slow Motions

    Normally, you will use an exposure of one second or a bit longer to create the flowing effect of water. In this case, you have to look for waterfalls or streams that are under the shade.

    One trick is to use a polarizer or your sunglasses to darken the scene and create a longer exposure. More so, this technique can also eliminate distractions from your portrait.

    For a really good photographer, which implies using creativity and ingenuity, viewers often get curious and ask, “What sort of camera model do you have there?”

    Would it be more humbling for them to hear that you are using a normal aim and shoot model?

    Or you can simply say, “Model ME.”

    Nikon Coolpix L20 10MP Digital Camera with 3.6 Optical Zoom and 3 inch LCD (Deep Red) by Nikon

  • Aug 23, 2010
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  • Product Description
    From the Manufacturer

    Capture and share your favorite memories with Nikon’s new Coolpix L20 and its 10.0 effective megapixels, 3.6x zoom and a bright, high-resolution 3.0-inch LCD screen. Motion Detection automatically detects subject movement and adjusts the shutter speed and ISO to compensate for camera shake and minimize image blur. The camera’s Easy Auto Mode with Scene Auto Selector simplifies your picture-taking experience by letting camera automatically select the best setting to get great pictures. Nikon’s Smart Portrait System combines four different technologies that will fix red-eye, detect faces, fire the shutter when your subject smiles and warn you if they blink, to get you great portraits. Coolpix L20 Highlights

    10.0-megapixel resolution for stunning prints as large as 16 x 20 inches

    3.6x optical Zoom-Nikkor glass lens gets you close to the action

    Huge, bright 3.0-inch high-resolution LCD makes it easy to view and share pictures

    Motion Detection automatically controls shutter speed and ISO settings to compensate for camera shake and subject movement

    Adjusts up to ISO 1600 to keep shooting even in lower light

    Easy Auto Mode with Scene Auto Selector simplifies your picture-taking experience by letting the camera automatically select the best setting to get great pictures

    Nikon’s Smart Portrait System:

    * In-Camera Red-Eye Fix automatically fixes most instances of red-eye in the camera. You may never see red-eye again
    * Enhanced Face-Priority AF - Nikon’s face-finding technology that automatically focuses on up to 12 faces
    * Smile Mode automatically releases the shutter when your subject smiles
    * Blink Warning displays a warning message, should the camera detect your subject has blinked
    * D-Lighting rescues dark or backlit images by improving brightness and detail where needed
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