Because they're quick, convenient, and don't require film, digital cameras are becoming the tool of choice for many photographers. Camera manufacturers come out with dozens of new models every year, and many models offer advanced features and increased resolution for better image quality. If you're ready to move beyond the world of "point-and-shoot," these high-end features can result in better-looking digital pictures.
Ronald Hobbs is an avid photographer and the creative director of Samy's Camera, the largest camera sales and rental facility in Los Angeles. He offers these suggestions for making the most of digital camera technology:
- White balance for exposure and color. A white balance setting allows you to get better exposure of all the areas of your image as well as the truest possible colors.
- Optical quality lens. As with 35mm cameras, a high-quality lens is essential for good pictures. Many digital cameras use plastic lenses, but Hobbs recommends lenses made of optical quality glass.
- Optical zoom. Digital cameras offer two kinds of zoom: optical and digital. An optical zoom uses the glass of the lens to magnify the subject—just like a film camera does. A digital zoom artificially increases the size of an image—much like zooming in on a picture on your computer screen—with a resulting loss of overall image resolution.
- Save as JPEGs. Hobbs suggests saving your images as JPEG files (this is the default format for many newer digital cameras) at the highest setting your camera will allow. JPEG files are typically as little as one fifth of the size of uncompressed files or TIFF files, with very little loss in quality.
For more information on digital cameras and photography, contact a camera store in your area or check out the following organizations and websites:
Digital Photography Review
www.dpreview.com
Imaging Resource
www.imaging-resource.com
Digital Camera Resource Page
www.dcresource.com
The Amateur Photographers Association
www.photoassociation.com/index.html
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