Used Digital Camera Buying Guide Part Two
The most basic digital cameras are known as point-and-shoot cameras. This means that all you have to do is focus them and press the button. These cameras are very simple to use and are appropriate for those who just want to take vacation and family pictures. The disadvantage of a point and shoot camera is that you won't have any control over adjusting the images or focusing. If you move up to a more expensive camera you'll get these kinds of features. As well, point and shoot cameras will usually have a low megapixel rating, such as two megapixels.
A higher quality camera, in the three to five megapixel levels, will have more control options for adjusting images and focusing your shots. A prosumer camera model is great for those people who are serious about taking pictures but who don't have a high budget for equipment that is professional and expensive. A professional digital camera will give you great digital pictures. However, these cameras cost a lot of money, often several thousands of dollars. Another good reason to look for a used digital camera!
You have many options when purchasing a digital camera. Some of these options include different kinds of storage cards, image sensors, battery types, and other features such as audio and video recording. As indicated in a previous article, the most important aspects of a digital camera are the lenses and image sensors. Lenses and sensors aren't the only things to consider when it comes to buying a camera.
Controls
The controls on your digital camera can be reached by using a menu system. A menu that is easy to use is an ideal benefit to you so you might want to think about this when buying a camera. The menu should be laid out simply so that you can access different settings including flash, exposure, and resolution. If there are too many buttons it can get confusing and hinder you from using all of the features.
Exposure Settings
You can adjust your camera for different light conditions by using the exposure settings. Most digital cameras will have an automatic setting that will adjust the exposure for you. Better quality cameras will allow you to have more control over the exposure times and aperture settings. This can give your pictures a much more professional image but not everyone will be interested in this feature.
Video and Audio
Some digital cameras will let you take videos as well as record sound files. Although these features can be useful you will be limited with the amount of video that your camera can store when compared to a camcorder.
LCD Display
The LCD display will let you view the photos that you've just taken. This is great for determining which pictures you want to keep and which ones you want to delete. The LCD display can also be used as a viewfinder so that you can see how the picture will look before you click the shutter. Keep in mind that many cheaper digital cameras don't have a display.
Software
Some digital cameras will come with software for image editing, such as Adobe Photoshop Elements or Ulead PhotoImpact. Having software is the perfect way to edit and alter your pictures before you print them. Some software bundles can cost as much as 0 if they are purchased separately from the camera so you might want to look for cameras that include the software.
Try Before You Buy
When at all possible try to take a few pictures with a camera before you decide to buy it. This way you can get a feel for the way the camera works. How does it feel in your hands? Does it seem too light or does it feel solid enough? Is the LCD display easy to see in different lighting conditions? Trying out the camera before hand will help you answer a lot of these questions.
Understanding How Images Are Stored
Traditional photography will use film to store the images. As one film is finished you just take it out of the camera and insert a fresh one. You will eventually develop the film and print the images. Digital photography uses a different kind of removable storage that is known as a "memory card". The great thing about memory cards is that they can be erased and used over and over again. Images that are stored on a memory card can be transferred to your computer where they can be further processed or permanently saved. The images can also be transferred to your printer. There are other mediums for image storage but the memory card is the most common. Other types of media for storage include optical disks and removable hard drives.
When it comes to image store you of course have the option of buying used or new. If you only need a small amount of storage you might want to buy new. However, if you require a large amount of memory space buying used can save you a great deal of money.
There are several different sizes of memory cards so you will need to determine how much storage space you need for your pictures. Storage size will vary on the megapixel rating of your digital camera as well as the type of format you are using for storage. Compression amount will also determine the size of your memory card.
JPEG is the most popular type of compression and is also known as "lossy" format. What this means is that not all of the data that makes up the photo image is saved. Extra data is deleted and can not be restored. For most photography tasks the loss of data isn't crucial to the image quality or the saving of the image when it comes to storage space. However, sometimes the JPEG format isn't acceptable so you may have to store the image without compressing it at all. This will use up more storage space.
CompactFlash
The most popular type of memory card for the digital camera is CompactFlash. This type of storage is fairly inexpensive and can be found almost anywhere. CompactFlash is used by many different manufacturers of digital cameras. This means that if you buy a new camera you'll still be able to use your memory card. CompactFlash cards come in two different kinds: Type I and Type II. Make sure you know which Type your camera uses as not all cameras can use both.
Secure Digital / MultiMedia Card (SD/MMC)
The smallest type of card available is the SD/MMC card. These cards are the same except the SD card has a switch called a write protect switch. This switch will prevent your images from being erased accidentally. You can use the SD card in personal entertainment devices (such as MP3 players) as well as with ultracompact cameras. The SD/MCC card will have less storage space than the CompactFlash card (which right now are 1 GB), however they still have enough memory space for most digital cameras.
xD Picture Cards
xD Picture Cards are very tiny as well, coming in at less than 1 square inch. These cards have been developed by Fuji and Olympus, and are used most often in these camera brand types. You can use these memory cards with other camera if you buy a CompactFlash adapter.
Memory Stick
The memory stick was created by Sony and is used in most digital cameras manufactured by Sony. You can also use the memory stick with other Sony devices such as PDAs and MP3 players. The memory stick is used with few other cameras other than the Sony camera. This means that when you buy a different brand camera you most likely won't be able to use your memory stick.
MicroDrive
The MicroDrive is hard drive that is actually contained in the CompactFlash Type II housing. These drives have moving parts which makes them very delicate and more sensitive than flash memory cards. You need to handle these drives carefully since they are very breakable. MicroDrives have an access time that is slower than other flash cards but they do have one advantage: they have a larger storage memory at lower prices.
Notes on Transferring Images
When you have taken enough pictures to load up your memory cards you'll want to transfer them to your computer or your printer. There are a few ways that you can do this.
Most digital cameras will come with a USB port that lets the camera be connected right to the computer so that you can download your images. The USB comes in two varieties: the USB 1.1 and the USB 2.0. More expensive cameras will use the USB 2.0 because the rate of transfer is up to ten times faster than the USB 1.1. A cheaper camera will come with the USB 1.1 which is adequate enough, however there are some other options available.
Instead of reading the photo images right from your camera they can be read directly from the memory card. Most PCs and notebooks will be able to directly read memory cards. If not, you will want to consider buying an external card reader.
A card reader is a very efficient way to transfer the images from your camera to your computer. All you need to do is take the memory card out of the camera and put it into the card reader. Most card readers will have a few ports that you can use, each of which are meant for different types of memory cards. The card reader will come with a USB 2.0 or a FireWire, which is also a fast data transfer protocol and is reasonably priced.
A USB device has the advantage of being able to be connected to your computer while the computer is turned on. At this time your computer will acknowledge the card reader as being a storage device that is external and let you transfer the images from your camera to any where on the computer hard drive.
Other Options
Storing images on the hard drive of your computer is a good solution. When you store the images on your computer you can edit them, send them via e-mail, or post them to web pages.
There are, however, other ways that you can download stored images from your camera. Cameras that come with a PictBridge or USB Direct Print can be connected right to your printer so that you can directly print your pictures. This is a great and convenient way for you to download the images but at the same time you won't be able to edit them on your computer.
You can also transfer the images from your camera using the video output on the camera. All you have to do is connect the camera to your TV, DVD burner, or VCR. You can capture the images on videotape or burn them to a DVD. You can also just view the images on your TV as a slideshow. Some digital cameras come with a remote control that is infrared so that you can control the viewing of pictures from your chair.
Portable Storage
A portable storage device is great for holding lots of images until they can later be transferred to your computer. Portable storage is aimed primarily towards professional photographers who take huge amounts of pictures in one day. This device is also good if you are on vacation and are taking a lot of pictures but don't have access to a computer to transfer the images.
Portable storage devices have a hard drive that is internal and which is powered with batteries that are rechargeable. The device reads the memory card so that it can be erased and used over again. Often the device comes with an LDC viewing screen so that you can preview the images. You can transfer the images to your computer using a USB 2.0 or a FireWire.
Preview Screens and Viewfinders
Knowing what the preview screen and viewfinder are all about can help you narrow down your search for a used digital camera. With so many different types of digital cameras on the market it can sometimes be confusing to find the right one at the right price. How do you know you are getting a good used camera at a fair price if you dont understand the inner workings of the camera itself? The following information will help you understand what the preview and viewfinder are all about.
A traditional camera will use a viewfinder that lets you set up your picture. If you have a SLR (single lens reflex) camera you can also focus on the subject. Digital cameras also have viewfinders but as well they have an LDC preview screen.
You can use the preview screen for setting up your shots but you might be wondering why you need both. The easy answer is that the preview screen uses a lot of battery power so if you want to use the battery for as long as possible you can use the viewfinder instead when you're getting your shots ready.
Yet another reason for using the viewfinder is because the LCD screen can be hard to see when the sun is bright. For the most part the preview screen is used by digital photographers to preview their shots.
Preview Screens
Even if you don't use the preview screen for preparing your shots there are other things that you can do with it.
If you find that you have limited space on the memory card, and you want to take a few more pictures, you can preview any saved photos and choose which ones can be deleted. Some digital cameras come with a function known as a "thumbnail" function. This function will let you view more than one shot at a time. This allows you to find a particular picture.
If you want to print your pictures right from the camera the preview screen will let you choose which photos you want to print. Some digital cameras come with editing features that let you crop images and adjust the contrast and color before you print them. You can access these functions through the LCD preview screen.
Viewfinder
If you have the traditional viewfinder on your digital camera you can use it for taking most of your pictures. As mentioned previously, when you use the viewfinder instead of the LCD screen you can save some battery power. You can also use the viewfinder to keep the camera steady and move it smoothly when you are taking action shots. Some photographers who wear glasses will buy a camera that has a diopter adjustment. This will adjust the lens on the viewfinder so that you can take off your glasses when you're taking pictures.
There will be times, however, when you will want to use the preview screen instead of using the viewfinder.
The viewfinder will be offset slightly from the camera lens. Most times this won't be a problem, however for those close-up shots there may be a difference between what is seen by the lens and what is seen by the viewfinder. The preview screen will let you accurately create close-up shots because it will show you exactly what is seen by the lens.
Other times where it will be best to use the preview screen is when you are taking pictures of objects that are close to the ground. You won't have to get down in a weird position so that you can take the picture.
Through the Lens Viewfinder
Some of the more costly digital cameras will come with a viewfinder that is attached to the lens with the use of a prism. This will let you see the same thing that the lens sees. The EVF, or electronic viewfinder, is a variation on this. The EVF is a tiny LDC which gathers light from the lens. While you are setting up a shot you can also view all of the menus on the camera. You can then change the functions on the camera for feedback. When you use the EVF with a diopter adjustment you can save yourself from having to use reading glasses just to make camera adjustments.
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