August 2009 Archive

by Brian Trimmer

• Digital photography often allows you to shoot video as well as still frame images, depending upon the make and model of your camera.

• Digital photography often allows you to edit your images before downloading. Many models of digital cameras come with photo editing to deal with issues such as: cropping, red-eye elimination, varying contrast, etc…

• Digital photography allows you to post images online and/or print photos at your convenience. Digital images loaded onto your computer can be called up, posted, or emailed indefinitely. Likewise, a new copy of an old photo is just a click away.

• Digital photography allows you to have your images printed on the pages of a bound book, like those in a bookstore.

• Digital photography allows you to create slide shows that can be burned to a DVD for playback on a TV complete with background music or narration.

• Digital photography saves money on film and developing. If you take a number of pictures, you digital camera will pay for itself in a relatively short time period.

• Digital photography saves time with traveling to drop off film and pick up developed pictures. You still have this option to drop off a CD of digital images, but you are not bound to the photo developer. You may develop/print your own images.

• Digital photography instantly shows your images. Best of all, you have the luxury of deleting less than flattering or poor pictures.

• Digital photography also saves money by not requiring all images be printed. Originally, all images – regardless of quality – were process. Many a disappointment can be averted and money saved but deleting terrible pictures.

• Digital photography uses no toxic chemicals that can harm the environment; old fashion photo labs do.

• Digital photography does not require you to finish a roll of film before developing. You can download images at anytime; even selecting certain images to transfer while leaving others on your digital camera. Your photographs are yours to view and develop at your convenience.

Now for the final blog in the megapixels series…

5 megapixels

• This will produce beautiful 8x10s, and even a nice 11×14. You may even be able to get even larger to a 16 x 20.
• With this camera, you are getting closer to professional photographer levels, and the quality shows it.
• And you’ll pay the price, around $250 to $300 (approximately).

6 megapixels and up

• Wonderful image quality, but high price tags. You can print large photos, even 11×14 or perhaps more, with satisfying results.
• There are some high-megapixel cameras coming out with lower price tags than most, but they usually have very few features.
• Unless megapixels are the only thing you care about (it shouldn’t be), don’t get a camera that sounds outrageously inexpensive for its megapixel range.
• In this category, expect to pay $350 and up, up, up.

People get nuts about megapixels, but more isn’t always better. Higher megapixels means larger image sizes, which in turn means more expensive memory cards and more space devoured on your computer’s hard drive. It all really depends on what you want and what you can afford.

Lets look at what you get for the number of megapixels.  Generally speaking, you can’t even find a newer camera with less than 3.

3 megapixels

• This is actually a good compromise between picture quality and low price for most casual photographers.
• You can print lovely 4×6 images, decent 5x7s and, depending on the camera, might even knock out a good 6×9 or 8×10.
• You will pay around $100 to $150.

4 megapixels

• You’re getting nicer. These images make practically photo-lab quality 4x6s, and great 5x7s and 6x9s.
• You can print a nice 8×10 and even an 11 x 14.
• You’ll typically pay about $150 to $200.

One big part of the digital camera will be the number of megapixels it has and whether or not it will be enough for the type of photos you want to print.

Basically, If you choose too few, your pictures won’t be what you want them to be. If you choose too many, you’re probably going to spending more money than you need to.