Digital Camera Master

Most digital camera owners don’t see the need for external flashes, filters, tripods, and other fancy attachments. But if you have a hardcore film photography background, you probably can’t imagine life without your beloved accessories. In general, digital cameras that look like full-size, traditional film cameras can accept all the traditional attachments. Most tiny, sliding-cover, subcompact pocket cameras can’t.

Filters and accessory lenses often mean fitting your camera with a tubular lens adapter (Figure below). Usually the smaller the adapter and the finer the threads, the more patience you’ll need. Nothing is more frustrating than stripping the threads on your camera body because you couldn’t screw in the adapter ring properly.

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Compared to other 21st century electronic devices, digital cameras are near the top of their game. They’re not like those cell phones that still drop calls, or wireless palmtops with their slow Internet connections. Digital cameras are reliable, high quality, and rewarding in almost every way.

Except for battery life.

Thanks to that LCD screen on the back, digital cameras go through batteries like Kleenex. The battery is likely to be the one limiting factor to your photo shoots. When the juice is gone, your session is over. Here’s a guide to the various battery types for digital cameras:

Proprietary, built-in rechargeable. Many smaller cameras come with a “brick” battery: a dark gray, lithium-ion rechargeable battery, as shown at top Figure. These subcompact cameras are simply too small to accommodate AA-style batteries.

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As the years go by, high-tech manufacturers figure out new and better ways to fit more pictures on smaller cards. If you were the first on your block to buy a digital camera, it probably used CompactFlash or SmartMedia cards, which now look gargantuan compared to, say, the xD-Picture Card. CompactFlash cards, on the other hand, have stayed the same size but greatly increased their capacity.

When comparing memory card formats, look at price per megabyte, availability, and what works with your other digital gear. The following list will help you compare the currently available card types.

• CompactFlash cards are rugged, inexpensive, and easy to handle. You can buy them in capacities all the way up to 8 GB (translation: hundreds upon hundreds of pictures). Pro: Readily available; inexpensive; wide selection. Con: They’re physically the largest of any memory card format, which dictates a bigger camera. A name brand 512 MB CompactFlash card costs less than $45.

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Just about every digital camera on earth saves photos as JPEG files. JPEG is the world’s most popular photo file format, because even though it’s compressed to occupy a lot less space, the visual quality is still very high.

But JPEGs aren’t the only format you’ll run across, especially once you start editing your photos. While there are a zillion graphical formats known to computer-kind, there are really only two, besides JPEG, that you, the digital photographer, need to know about.

TIFF.
Most digital cameras capture photos in the JPEG format. Some cameras, though, offer you the chance to leave your photos uncompressed on the camera, in what’s called TIFF format. These files are hugein fact, you’ll be lucky if you can fit one TIFF file on the memory card that came with the camera.

TIFF’s advantage is that these files retain 100 percent of the picture’s original quality. Note, however, that the instant you edit a TIFF-format photo, most image editing programs convert the file to the lesser quality JPEG format. That’s fine if you plan to order prints or a photo book. But if you took that once-in-a-lifetime, priceless shot as a TIFF file, don’t do any editingdon’t even rotate itif you hope to maintain its perfect, pristine quality. Instead, make a copy of the file and use that copy when it’s time to edit. Then hang onto the TIFF so you’ll always have a master version of your original shot.

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What type of photographer are you? Do you always have a camera in your pocket or purse so you can pull it out for quick shots at work or at the ball park? Or are you a photographer who loves toting around lots of gear and enjoys having the best tools for the job? Do tripods and macro-lenses sound like fun to you? Pro aspirations anyone? Answers to these questions point you toward the digital camera of your dreams. Your camera should become a natural extension of your vision. If you and your camera don’t have that bond, your pictures reflect thator, rather, your lack of pictures. Even if you do most of your researching and shopping on the Web, be sure to actually get your hands on your leading candidate, too.

Today’s digital cameras fall into three categories:

A. Point-and-shoot cameras are small and usually cost around $200 to $400.
With automatically retractable lens covers, they’re designed to travel in your pocket, purse, or backpack. These cameras usually have simplified and automatic settings, so you can quickly catch your shot without fumbling at the controls. Because point-and-shooters keep getting smaller, thinner, and more jewelry-like, it’s important nowadays to make sure the camera’s not too small for your fingers. When you get your hands on a model you like, try answering these questions: Is it too small to hold comfortably? Does your index finger naturally align with the shutter release? Are your non-trigger fingers constantly slipping over the lens?

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There are three exciting areas where digital imaging is converging with other functionality: phones with cameras built into them, digital camcorders with still picture capability, and still cameras that can record high-quality video.

1. Cameraphones
The most notable of the hybrid devices is the cameraphone, like the one shown in Figure below. Manufacturers of these devices have already figured out how to add megapixel resolution, digital zoom lenses, and even electronic flashes to the devices that you’ve been using to make phone calls. Mobile phones have yet to evolve to the point where they can replace your compact camera, but they are becoming a more tempting alternative for the “camera you always have with you.”

One of the downsides to cameraphones compared to dedicated compact cameras is the learning curve for managing your pictures once you’ve captured them. Typically, you don’t simply connect the phone to your PC via a USB cable and let your computer take it from there (although some models do enable this). Here is an overview of the transfer options most often available with cameraphones:

Removable memory card
Devices such as the PalmOne Treo 650 enable you to write your pictures to a Secure Digital memory card, remove the card from the device, and then transfer the pictures via a card reader connected to your computer.

The picture-taking lens on a cameraphone

Bluetooth wireless
Some cameraphones have built-in Bluetooth wireless connectivity that allows you to “send” your pictures to another Bluetooth-enabled device. This could be your computer, another cameraphone, a PDA, or even a Bluetooth printer.

Infrared (IR) transfer
IR image transfer works similarly to Bluetooth, but it isn’t as fast. Again, both devices have to have an IR transceiver to move the pictures.

Email
Many cameraphones enable you to send and receive email. You can attach a picture to an email and send it to your computer.

Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)
MMS is an extension of the text-only Short Messaging Service (SMS) that allows you to send pictures, audio, and even video from your cameraphone. Typically you’d send these messages to another MMS-enabled phone or to an online service such as Textamerica, where others can log on to see your work.

True, there is a certain “geek factor” that comes with managing cameraphone images. But there’s no denying the portability of these devices, and handling the pictures they produce will only get easier with widespread adoption.

2. DV Camcorders That Capture Stills
The second area of convergence features digital camcorders that can capture megapixel still pictures. Many consumer models offer 2-megapixel or higher image sensors. The images are stored on a memory card, not on the DV tape cassette.

The memory card slot on a digital camcorder that has megapixel still picture capability

You can transfer the pictures to your PC via a supplied USB cable, similar to the one that comes with your digital camera. You can also remove the memory card and insert it into a card reader connected to your PC.

One of the coolest features of these hybrid camcorders is their ability to print your pictures via a direct connection to your home printer. (Of course, both the camcorder and the printer will need to have either PictBridge or Direct Print technology for this function to work.) If you want to capture your vacation snapshots and travel movies with the same device, this tandem is something to consider.

If you’re serious about shooting photos with your camcorder, look for a model that includes an electronic flash, accepts an external flash unit in its accessory shoe, and has a menu of useful still-photography functions, such as exposure compensation, white balance, panorama, and flash control options.

Many of the techniques explained in this guide work perfectly well with megapixel-equipped DV camcorders.

3. Still Cameras That Record High-Quality Movies
Another promising evolution in digital imaging features MPEG-4 movie capture abilities built right into digital still cameras. MPEG-4 provides high-quality video and audio in a very compressed format. Many of these hybrid still cameras can record 30–60 minutes of top-quality video to a 1-GB memory card.

Cameras with this capability often borrow many of our favorite features from DV camcorders, the most notable being a rotating LCD monitor (like the one shown in Figure 1-10). This allows you to capture video from just about any angle, high or low. Another feature that’s more often included is stereo audio recording via two microphones positioned on the body of the camera.

Of course, you don’t have the overall control for movie capture with these digicams that you’d enjoy with DV camcorders. They seldom have inputs for external microphones or accessory shoes for video lights. But if you like to make the occasional movie and don’t want to carry two devices, this new breed of digital still camera is worth a look.

Digital SLRs Professional Camera, like the one shown in figure below, provide tremendous flexibility for photographers who need to tackle a wide variety of photo assignments. The key feature is the removable lens. Major camera manufacturers such as Nikon and Canon provide you with dozens of lens choices for your DSLR.

Sports and nature photographers may lean toward powerful zooms that bring the action in close. Special event shooters will want a high-quality wide-angle lens for working in tight quarters. Portrait photographers need moderate telephotos with wide apertures so they can soften the background. Regardless of how you want to use your DSLR, there’s a perfect lens for you.

In this post I’ll focus on a few of the key features that distinguish these types of professional cameras from compact and advanced amateur models.

1. Electronic flashes
Most compact camera shooters, and even many advanced amateurs, live and die by the flashes that are built into their cameras. As you get more serious about your photography, you should consider using at least one external flash unit.

The most basic application is mounting a single flash in the hotshoe of your DSLR or advanced amateur camera. This alone will improve your shots, because you’ll have moved the light source (the flash) farther away from the picture-taking lens. By doing so, you’ll reduce the effect of red eye and move unsightly shadows lower behind the subject.
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Today’s advanced amateur digital cameras are reminiscent of film rangefinder classics such as the Leica M6. Whether classic or modern, these cameras appeal to serious photographers who want to pack as much quality and control as possible into a camera that hangs lightly around the neck.

Advanced amateur cameras feature high-quality zoom lenses, 6-megapixel or higher image sensors, and an array of controls that will help you meet just about any photographic challenge. You can usually build an entire outfit, including flash and accessories, for less than $1,000.

These tools are for photographers who like the art and science of photography, so in this section I’ll spend a little more time talking about various aspects of these cameras, to help you understand their capabilities.

1. Battery types
If your camera came with alkaline AA batteries, use them for testing, then replace them as soon as possible with rechargeable nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries, which last much longer than alkalines and will save you lots of money over time. It’s always good, however, to keep a fresh set of alkalines handy in case your NiMHs run out of juice while you’re away from the charger. Another good practice is to have two sets of the rechargeables, so one’s always ready to use—they’re a little expensive at first, but much cheaper than buying new alkalines over and over.

Lithium-ions are very popular with major camera makers such as Sony, Nikon, and Canon. Most of these cameras come with their own proprietary battery and its matching charger. Lithium-ions typically have great capacity and hold their charge for a long time, but you might want to buy an extra battery—you can’t use readily available alkalines as a backup.

Another thing to keep an eye out for with lithiums is how you charge the battery. I recommend using a separate charger (the more compact the better), instead of having to recharge the battery by plugging a power adapter into the camera. Obviously, you can’t pop in a spare battery and go out and take pictures if you need to plug your camera into a wall socket to recharge.
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Form factor is a primary consideration when shopping for a compact camera. Is it small enough to accompany you during your daily life? You’ve wasted your money if your point-and-shoot is at home on the dresser when your child takes his first steps at grandma’s house. These devices are intended to fit in our purses, backpacks, briefcases, jacket pockets, and bike bags—make sure the camera you want fits in your typical carryall.

Next, consider how you’re going to view your pictures. If your primary method of sharing is via the computer—email attachments, slide shows, and web pages—your camera of choice should be compatible with the computer you already have. Ideally, you should be able to connect your camera and let the software you use recognize the camera and offer to upload the pictures.

Many photographers prefer prints and aren’t as interested in digital manipulation. If you feel the same way, look for a compact camera that makes it easy to connect directly to a printer and produce 4″ x 6″ prints (or larger, if you prefer). You don’t need a computer to enjoy digital photography, and there are some great compact printers out there.

Pocket cameras have also become quite adept at capturing video. You may not be using this function right now, but I hope to inspire you to capture movies as well as still photographs. Sometimes a video clip is worth a thousand pictures— isn’t that how the saying goes? When the best man gives that perfect toast, you want to have your digicam in movie mode. But video capabilities vary greatly from model to model, so this is something to add to your checklist of features to compare.
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Camera makers have packed amazing capability into today’s digital picture takers. The camera that you have in your hands, or the one that you’re considering buying, probably has more ability than you realize. The trick is, how do you discover that hidden potential?

The first steps are to become familiar with your camera’s components, and then to learn exactly what they do. This chapter helps you do just that. It explains the important components and features that will set you on the path to mastering your digital camera.

If you’re just getting started with digital photography, this information can also help you pick the right model. I like to divide digital cameras into four broad categories: compact, advanced amateur, professional, and hybrid. As you progress through the first three categories, you’ll find that the tools become more sophisticated. The fourth category, hybrid, is an example of how digital imaging is converging with other technologies. These devices can be quite useful, but they won’t usually serve as your primary camera.
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