Digital Cameras-What to Consider
Wednesday, September 15th, 2010Well, digital cameras, and Photography Equipment, are certainly available for sale and the selection is almost endless. This Grey Fox found that the easy part is deciding to purchase one, but then the hard work begins. It is like when purchasing many consumer products, the more you look the more confused you become. This article is not meant to lead you in any specific product, but instead to give you a few pointers and features to consider when shopping. If you can zoom in on some necessary features you can save yourself a lot of aggravation during the shopping process.
Megapixels are a much discussed feature when it comes to Digital Cameras. Most cameras today will have in excess of 10 megapixels and many are 12 or greater. For most Grey Fox photographers this is more than enough. Clarity on these digital cameras is stunning and it is not necessary to get into higher megapixels unless you intend to really enlarge your photos and I’m talking really large. With these quality cameras being the norm you can go with say 12 megapixels and save the money for other desired features.
Auto Focus is always handy to have especially if you are just beginning. Many will even allow this feature if your subject is within just a few inches. Also, it is a good idea to have included a manual focus feature. The weight and balance of the digital camera is important and well balanced cameras will allow for more consistent shot focus. Several models will have both of these features and again you do not have to spend a lot of money to get them. With digital photography it is easy to experiment since the touch of a button will erase the photo and “poof” not cost to you. Look to for auto on and off flash and red-eye reduction. Again, neat features, and most cameras are now including these features.
Sharing and Storage: All, but the most very basic now come equipped with a USB 2.0 port with AV output. (Be sure to get the cable if it is not included) This will allow you to easily download your digital pictures to you PC and save on your hard drive and/or remote storage devise. It is a good idea to also save your pictures to a portable disk, or DVD and store them in a safe area. Gaining popularity is the You Tube capture mode which allows you to easily share you pictures on the web. If sharing is important be sure to confirm that the digital camera you purchase has this feature.
Shot stabilization is being seen more and more in digital cameras. This allows you to take better shots even if you are moving a bit and is very handy to have if you are not able to use a tripod while taking your digital pictures. Again, if it is important be sure you confirm that your choice of digital cameras have this feature. Oh, look too for a good ZOOM feature. I don’t know how often I hear that this feature was over looked, or under sized. There will be many times, I promise, that if you don’t have a good zoom you will be upset by it. The stronger the zoom the better, don’t buy short in this area. As you progress in your Grey Fox digital experience you will be glad you made the larger investment in this area. To learn more about Grey Fox Photos read our article on Photography Equipment.