Digital Cameras for aquarium photography
The market for digital cameras have virtually exploded during the last few years, and it can be quite overwhelming to step into a shop and try to understand how the different megapixel values will affect the actual picture, how a suitable zoom lens should be constructed or if you really need those complex user controls that the seller keeps talking about. Ordering online can be an even bigger adventure. Sure, you can to it from the comfort of you own home, but when you search for “buy digital camera” you will instants later be faced with the issue of selecting one website among more than 42,000,000 results. This guide aims to straighten out some of the question marks regarding digital cameras. As soon as you have a basic understanding of some of the most important features of a digital camera, it will be much easier for you to select a digital camera that is suitable for your particular needs and preferences. It will also be easier for you to find the best camera possible within your price range.
So, what’s all the fuzz about those megapixels? As mentioned earlier in this article, the megapixel rating will affect your pictures. The megapixels will determine the quality of you picture, but these differences in quality is usually only detectable if you want to print out your pictures, develop them, print them in newspapers or send them to a professional developer and have them enlarged. As of 2005, most digital cameras for personal use range from 2 megapixels and up to 8 megapixels. If you want to keep your pictures online and share them with friends and family via e-mail, publish them on your blog or post them on your homepage, than 2 megapixels is usually enough. If you want to be able to digitally manipulate your pictures it can however be advisable to choose a digital camera that offers you more than 2 megapixels. With a higher megapixel value it will for instance be possible for you to cut out parts of the picture digitally and enlarge them. You can for instance cut out faces from a landscape picture and turn them into portrait pictures. If you on the other hand wish to be able to print out your pictures using a printer or by sending them to a professional developer, you should ideally choose a much higher megapixel value – 5 megapixels or more.
The user controls are also important. If you want to be able to take quick snap shots and capture the moment with you digital camera, the user controls must be easy to handle and you should be able to take good pictures without working through six different menus. Fine adjustment possibilities are naturally also a benefit, but they will be more useful when you take planned pictures. Basic features such as flash, macro mode, set resolution and exposure should be easy to change. Today, you can purchase minute digital cameras that will fit easily into your pocket. If you choose a very small digital camera you should however make sure that the controls are not too small for your hands. You want to be able to hold your digital camera comfortably and maneuver the controls with a minimal amount of fuzz.
The most basic digital cameras will have hardly any user controls at all, since they will only allow you to take photos in automatic mode. You press the button and take a picture without changing any settings. Sooner or later most digital camera users do however begin to long for a somewhat more advanced camera where they can control exposure settings, e.g. the shutter speed or the lens opening. Being able to adjust the shutter speed is for instance important if you want to be able to photograph moving objects with your digital camera.
Another important factor when choosing a camera is the lens and its ability to zoom. You will typically be offered to choose between optical zoom and digital zoom when you purchase a digital camera. An optical zoom is the type of zoom where the camera lens will move physically when zooming in an object. A digital zoom will only digitally average and magnify the image within the microchip. An optical zoom is therefore a better choice than a digital zoom. Choose an optical zoom and make sure that the digital camera is equipped with at least a 3x optical zoom if you want to be able to take pictures with a reasonably high quality.
Last but not least you should check the battery life of the digital camera that you are interested in. One of the charming things with digital cameras is that since you do not have to pay for the development of the pictures, you can literary take hundreds and even thousands of pictures without digging a deep whole in your purse. Many digital camera owners make a habit out of bringing their camera along in every day life; not only during family holidays. The charm of your new toy will however be hampered if you choose a camera with short battery life. It is not funny when your camera dies on you after just a short time of use and need to be recharged. Purchasing an expensive digital camera will in no way guarantee a long battery life. Expensive digital cameras can be equipped with intricate features that quickly drain the battery and shorten the battery life.
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