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Why Ive gone Digital And Still Keep My Old Camera
There has always been a debate about what is better. Traditional cameras using film, or the so called new technology, storing pictures in digital form on memory cards, in computers or on CD-Rom.
As being a photographer for more than half of my life, I stuck with traditional film for very long. About 7 years ago I started to supplement my work with photos taken the digital way. A point and shoot camera with just 640×480 pixel resolution was the most attractive gadget I had these days. Its lens was even capable of doing close-up work, using a macro switch.
That Fujifilm DX-7 was upgraded with a bigger Memory-Card and the camera served me well for several years.
Anyway, over time, I was still more satisfied with the possibilities my collection of Pentax SLR cameras gave me. It started with using the best lenses for each picture or just using a Zoom (which offers a range from wide angle to telephoto), changing the shutter speed to either stop or blur the motion of objects in the picture, use external flashlights, change the aperture openings to adjust the range of sharpness and lots more. Not forgetting the better picture quality I could get from a 35mm negative or slide. I was happy to use my heavy, solid metal camera.
The world changed for me when camera makers like Nikon and Canon introduced their Digital SLR Cameras. I went to my local camera shop every week and debated with the salesman about advantages and disadvantages of the models they had on sale. Also I checked with lots of users in online services to get first hand feedback on how these cameras performed. Finally, when Pentax introduced their Digital SLRs, I couldnt wait much longer. I needed to have one of those.
With the Pentax 1st DS have a whole list of advantages over smaller Digital Cameras:
I can use the same lenses that fit my traditional camera
Have full control over speed and aperture
I can see the picture immediately after it is taken
I can shoot a series of pictures and choose the best (at no extra cost for film or paper)
A good resolution of 6 Megapixel which allows quite big prints
It weights more than a compact digital camera, so you can hold it steady more easily
Make use of all the filters, flashlights, lenses and accessories I have collected over the years.
Storing the pictures on the PC via a fast USB connection
Up to 1 GB storage on a SD Memory Card (about 380 jpg photos)
Selecting only the best photos for printing
With all these advantages of digital SLR Cameras, you may wonder why I still keep my old 35mm film cameras with me. First, it is emotional, and second, photographing the old fashioned way keeps me calm. You just need more time to produce an excellent, satisfying photograph (because you cannot see the result right after the shot).
Known for producing quality electronics, Sony is also one of the pioneers and the best producers of digital camera. Truly using a Sony digital camera is embracing perfection with its many features exclusive to a Sony digital camera.
Indeed, one of the best ways to capture your memories forever is thru photos and what better to do it than with a Sony digital camera. Photos are used to remember or when we reminisce of the wonderful times of our lives. And only vivid and detailed photos can help us bring back all those memories. And quality photos are exactly what a Sony digital camera offers to its consumers.
Equipped with the best optics and imaging technology available, the Sony digital camera line ensures its consumers that a Sony digital camera will only capture more detail, more color and more brightness imaginable.
Every Sony digital camera has an exclusive Sony technology that enhances photo capturing experience. Armed with the Real Imaging Processor (RIMP), any Sony digital camera allows high digital processing that reduces picture noise and delivers smoother and more detailed images. The RIMP is an intelligent Sony digital camera technology that allows faster shooting time, swifter burst shooting and almost simultaneous processing of your images (enables immediate display of your image) for your Sony digital camera.
All Sony digital cameras are furnished with Carl Zeiss lens. Carl Zeiss lenses are world renowned for their quality brilliance, outstanding accuracy of colors and enhanced definition with almost zero distortion. With a Carl Zeiss lens, flawless imaging is truly embracing perfection with a Sony digital camera.
Sony has its own Cyber-shot line of digital camera for all photo fanatics out there. One of the lower ends of their Cyber-shot series of the Sony digital camera is the DSC-L1. The L1is a 4.1 mega pixel camera with a 3x optical zoom and plays MPEG Movie Vx. It is also supplied with a Vario Tessar lens from the Carl Zeiss line.
A higher version of the L1 is the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P200. Almost same in all respect with the L1 expect this baby is a 7.2 mega pixel Sony digital camera.
For those who are serious in their craft, the right Sony digital camera for you id the Cyber-shot DSC-F828. Designed for professional photographers, the F828 has a 28-200mm equivalent of a Carl Zeiss Vario Sonnar lens, which makes it excellent for action and low-light shots. An 6 mega pixel Sony digital camera, it is outfitted with 7x optical zoom and a 1.8 inch LCD screen where you can review the pictures that you just took. The DSC F828 has a four color system that includes RGB+emrald colors and enables night shot/night framing system. The F828 even allows manual exposure, zoom and manual focus controls for your customization needs.
For the younger and trendier generation, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M1 is the right Sony digital camera for you. The M1 is a digital camera and a camcorder in one. It can record either up to five seconds MPEG 4 playback or unlimited video recording, depending on your preferred setting. Shooting with 30 frames per second, it is 5.1 mega pixel camera with a 640 x 480 maximum pixel resolution. It has 3x optical zoom and 2x digital zoom.
Very lightweight at only 6.5 oz. the M1 is very portable and is only 2×1.1×4.5 inches (dimensions). A USB 2.0 compatible and with PictBridge support, the M1 makes file transferring from your Sony digital camera to your computer as easy as taking pictures.
Available with accessories such as wrist strap, docking station and a 32MB memory Stick Duo, the M1 comes with an expansion slot that lets you upgrade up to 512MB of memory for further picture taking or video playback. It even has a built in features such as stereo surround, built-in mic and a 2.5inch TFT active matrix LCD display.
Check out Sonys website at www.sony.com to look for other available Sony digital camera models that will fit you and your lifestyle.
Nikon is a camera brand, best known for producing SLR camera. As with the boom of digital cameras all over the world, Nikon joined the bandwagon by producing what they make best, thus the new era of the Nikon digital camera was born – digital SLR.
One of the best in DSLR, the Nikon digital camera called Nikon D70 is 6-mega pixel Nikon digital camera. Coated with polycarbonate over its stainless steel chassis, this Nikon digital camera is furnished with a 50mm AF Nikkor lens that can combine with an 18-70mm kit lens and still be portable enough to be carried around. It has a 200-1600 ISO effective speed range, great for taking pictures both in the shade and under the sun. and why won’t it be?! With its three frames per second continuous shooting rate and its 1/8000 second shutter speed, taking pictures is as easy as clicking away and having fun. this Nikon digital camera is supported with a Flash card.
Another SLR from Nikon is the Nikon Coolpix 8800. An 8-mega pixel Nikon digital camera, the Coolpix 8800 has a compact body. Furnished with a 1.8 inch flip-out and swivel LCD, this baby is surely first rate SLR. This Nikon digital camera features an image stabilizer system to reduce camera shakes particularly on long shots since this gadget can zoom up to 10x (optical zoom) and can focus to up to 3cm in macro mode with its 35-350mm lens. Key controls are very user-friendly, with modes such as sensitivity, image size/quality and white balance – found directly with the mode dial. The image output quality is the middle name of this Nikon digital camera, with great detail rendition, color fidelity and saturation. a rather exceptional feature of the 8800 is the continuous shooting modes, where users can choose 1.2 or 2.3 frames per second. A bit bulky to carry around, the 8800 is perfect for shooting action and sports shots. The 8800 works with a Compact Flash card for storing up your images.
Another digital SLR from Nikon is the Nikon D50. A 6.1 mega pixel Nikon digital camera, this gadget has 7 varied modes to shoot from using its AF-S DX Zoom Nikkor 18-55mm lens. These modes are Auto, Portrait, Landscape, Close Up, Sports, Night Portrait and Child. To see the images that you took, this Nikon digital camera is furnished with a 2.0 inch LCD screen. How fast can this camera shoot? It has 2.5 frames per second and with uninterrupted shooting of up to 137 frames per second. This Nikon digital camera is not too bad, especially for novice photographers. This package also includes a software for touching up, editing and sharing your pictures. The software even enables you to burn your images to VCD or DVD format.
One of the first point and shoot Nikon digital cameras is the Nikon Coolpix 4800. A four mega pixel Nikon digital camera, the old school designed 4800 is equipped with a 1.8 inch LCD screen for viewing your pictures. The 4800 is an 8.3x zoom Nikon digital camera with 6-50mm Nikkor Ed lens that zooms quickly and has continuous auto focusing (a feature where your lens is always trying to keep your pictures sharp). It also allows users to shoot, record and playback short movie clips with its assist and excellent scene modes – meaning that includes providing outlines for portraits (for tweaking purposes), exposure and sensitivity settings. These features are very helpful especially for novice photographers that want to try their hands at photography. Along with that, it comes with a 13.5MB SD card and the Li-on battery pack.
Remember to check out Nikon’s website at www.nikon.com.sg or www.nikonusa.com to see the latest Nikon digital cameras.
Digital camera reviews are abundant not just online but also in the newspapers, magazines and even TV shows. We often wonder why most digital camera reviews always praise all the digital camera out in the market, thats why we end up getting confused on which product to buy or get our loved ones. ]
Heres one thing you should never trust regarding digital camera reviews – never trust press releases or reviews that are directly from the manufacturer or advertising office that is directly connected with producer of the digital camera. Why?! Well because these digital camera reviews are never too truthful, or they just give out the good points about their products. I mean, what would you expect, supposing you own your own line of digital cameras and to boost your sales, you release digital camera reviews about your products. Of course you wouldnt point out the bad things or the glitches of your product in your digital camera reviews, because that way you will never be able to shoot up your sales. Press releases or digital camera reviews from manufacturer are always half-truths. Havent you had any experience with that?! I mean, that just doesnt go for digital camera, remember that brush-blower thingy that you bought over the internet that says it would work tremendously for your hair, but ended not working for your hair after all. Press releases are press releases, meaning that they are aimed to get people to buy the product or to give the product a better name.
On more thing that you can never fully trust are home shopping networks and advertisements. As much as press releases, they pretty much pose the same claims about their products. But hey, dont trust me, you can always get them and return them after proving to yourself that it doesnt work. Never mind the time and effort that youve wasted, you chose to listen to a half-truth digital camera review, thats what you get for that.
The best digital camera reviews available are those found in specialty magazines (computer based and technical magazines), special websites catering to techie stuff and unofficial digital camera reviews. Why?! Well because! Because these digital camera reviews are always truthful. These reviewers and critics are never afraid to list down the good as much as the bad points of digital cameras. These digital camera reviews usually points out the difference between the products that a certain manufacturer has released and how it is worse or better than the previous one. These reviewers and critics are also knowledgeable in their craft, so its say to safe to say that they know what they are talking about when it comes to digital camera reviews. One more thing, most of the time, these digital camera reviews are actual first hand experience with the product itself and not just some advertising agent asked to come up with flowery words to capture you and your wallet.
Another best source for a digital camera review is one that you can write yourself. And how can you do that?! Of course, you first need to buy your own digital camera, try it out and compare everything that you do with it to the things that it claims to be. (be careful to read the specs, options and features that you need to try out, be on the lookout for words such as weatherproof, meaning that they are splash resistant as to waterproof that are water resistant. You dont want to get your newly bought weatherproof camera wet, just to prove to yourself that the things they claim are not true). After doing so, then you can write your own digital camera review or reviews, depending on how many things youve learned from your digital camera. Be sure to indicate that your review is an on-hand experience with the product and not just some wild guess.
The most honest digital camera reviews are the best reviews you can look for and trust. Anyway, you can always call customer center or return your digital camera if they dont live up to their claims.
Canon is well known across the country as an imaging equipment and information systems. Their many products include copiers, printers, lenses, camcorders, semiconductors among others, and of course Canon digital cameras.
The latest high end canon digital camera is the PowerShot S2 IS. This is a 5.0 mega pixel Canon digital camera that features a 12x optical zoom and a 4x digital zoom. This baby is furnished with Optical Image Stabilizer (that is what the IS in S2 IS stands for) that eliminates camera shakes for people who have shaky hands or for taking camera shots. The UD lens found in this canon digital camera provide amazing color accuracy throughout the whole zoom area.
As with many digital cameras nowadays, this certain canon digital camera can record moving pictures. Now with another first, the S2 allows you to record moving pictures, and there no use for missing a perfect image incorporated with that moving picture. With the Movie Snap feature, just snap away when you see that perfect image, and it will be saved in your canon digital camera along with the recorded video.
This canon digital camera is also equipped with the DIGIC II Image processor that is designed to increase processing speed and image quality. It instantly says that with the DIGIC II, your canon digital camera has faster start-up time, playback and auto focus while giving your images the absolute brilliance.
The S2 also support USB 2.0 Hi-speed standard, so you will always have the easiest time transferring your files to and from your computer. With the USB 2.0, you can take advantage of your super hi-speed SD card.
This canon digital camera is also supplied with a 1.8 inch LCD power saving and fold out screen thats 115,000 pixel resolution. S2 shoots at 30 frames per second; this shooting rate can be reduced when taking pictures in night display, to give you the brightness that you need when taking pictures.
On the other hand, the latest point and shoot canon digital camera is the PowerShot SD500 and the PowerShot SD400.
The SD500 is the first 7.1 mega pixel canon digital camera that gives amazing images and absolutely to die for details. It has a 3x optical zoom that enables close up shooting with a 37-111mm equivalent with a 35mm film camera. This is one of the new perpetual curve design for a canon digital camera that fits the hands perfectly.
Sporting a very slim design, you would marvel at its 2.0 inch LCD that gives easier frame and play back use.
This baby is also equipped with the same DIGIC II Image Processor found in canon digital cameras that gives you amazing features. Also USB 2.0 compatible and works with the same high-speed SD card.
Even better than most digital cameras out there, this gadget can shoot moving images to up to 60 frames per second- perfect for moving objects (especially in sports) and a 30 frames per second for shooting still images. Furnished with scene modes like portrait (blurs the background and focuses on your subject), foliage (perfect for foliage, greenery or blossoms), beach (sunny shots without the dark faces), underwater (reduced background scatter. Tip: you can always buy waterproof case for shooting underwater images), fireworks, night snapshot, kids and pets, indoor, snow and digital macro (larger than life images).
This canon digital camera even enables you to customize and correct as you shoot. With modes like lightening skin tones, positive film, darker skin tones and others, you can never go wrong with using a canon digital camera.
These are just some of the many features of the SD500. There are more to the SD500 that has yet to be discussed. Check canons website at www.usa.canon.com for a full profile of the SD500 and to other latest releases and products.