5 Basic Digital Camera Terms You Need To Know

Being familiar with the terminology used in any subject of interest in is always useful, and digital cameras are no exception. Although most digital cameras available on the market allow you to simply point your camera and quickly snap a picture with the touch of a button, there is often a lot more going on behind the scenes than you may have realized.

Put simply, understanding the most important terms about digital cameras will allow you to make a better-informed purchase of a new digital camera, let you have more control over your digital camera's features, and help you to take the best quality photos possible.

1. Megapixel

When we use the term megapixel, we are referring to the maximum resolution at which a digital camera can take photos in millions of pixels. This means that a camera with a range of 4 megapixels can take photos which each contain a maximum of 4 million pixels.

But what does this mean to the consumer? One word: quality. A higher megapixel count means better quality photos, and considering the price of digital camera getting lower all the time; you should try to stick with a digital camera that has a 3 megapixel range or above, especially if you intend of making prints of your photos.

2. Focal Length

Focal length is a term overlooked far too often in amateur photography, and refers to how much the lens of a camera can magnify a shot. Focal lengths are generally split into two categories, these being wide-angle and telephoto, which are better for spacious and narrow fields of view respectively.

Due to the ease of manufacturing telephoto lenses, digital camera manufacturers seem to provide wide-angle lenses in a lot less cameras, even though these lenses are better suited towards the type of photos that most people commonly take, including groups of friends and wide landscapes. To sum up, a wide-angle focal length is the better choice in most cases, with the 20mm and 35mm varieties catering to most people's needs.

3. Digital Zoom

Unlike the focal length, digital zoom is a term that seems to be given a lot more attention than it deserves. Unlike optical zoom, which uses the physical lenses inside the camera to enlarge a scene, digital zoom electronically enlarges the pixels in the center area of a photo, meaning that any time you use the digital zoom function on your camera you are actually sacrificing the quality of your photos. It is a good idea to disable the digital zoom function all together to stop this from happening.

4. ISO

The term ISO stands for the International Standards Organization, but what does this have to do with your digital camera? The organization sets standards for photography, and the ISO range of a camera refers to how sensitive the camera is to light.

For instance, a low ISO number (100 or under) is not very sensitive to light, and is best for shots in good lighting conditions. A higher ISO range means that the camera will be suitable for photography in darker conditions, so it is best to look for a camera that has an adjustable range; ISO 100 to 400 should be adequate for most people's needs.

5. Shutter Lag

Shutter lag refers to the time between pressing the button to take a photograph and the time when the picture actually gets taken. This may not seem a very important factor when buying a camera, but think of it this way: if you have to wait a second or longer for a photo to be taken, like with many older and inexpensive digital cameras, then chances are that you won't end up with the photo you desired. Many camera manufacturers do not list the shutter lag time for their cameras, so the best way to find this out is by testing a camera before you buy.

Conclusion

Hopefully this article has helped you to better understand some of the most important terms used when referring to digital cameras, and in turn will help you to choose the digital camera that best suits your needs. I think that testing a digital camera before you make a purchase can help greatly when it comes to making a final decision, and it makes sense to do so; you may be using the camera you choose to capture your memories for years to come!

5 Basic Digital Camera Terms You Need To Know

Basic Photography Lessons

5 Basic Digital Camera Terms You Need To Know

5 Basic Digital Camera Terms You Need To Know
5 Basic Digital Camera Terms You Need To Know

Basic Photography Lessons

Digital Photography For Beginners - Fundamental Pointers

The basics you need to comprehend when learning digital photography is what all the pros know concerning the art of photography. Digital photography for beginners may be a baffling time. Starting with the basics in addition to taking a few digital photography lessons can be the best way to go as well as it being the most natural position to begin from. It is in addition a good thought from time to time for photographers having some experience to go back to the fundamentals and further increase their talents.

Anyone is able to take a photo, it happens to be knowing a secret or two that can transform your picture from everyday to an eye catching masterpiece. First and foremost you need your digital camera. Don't take too much notice of the intensity that a few people may make photography look. It, if truth be told, all comes down to the aperture and shutter speed. As digital technology advances keep an eye on the trained photographers then take note that they commonly work with portable and typically straightforward to work cameras. There are loads of digital photography books accessible that are able to teach you the common points of working a digital camera along with the definitions of aperture and shutter speed.

The bottom line is that aperture is simply a word for the width of your camera lens opening whilst it is permitting in light and the shutter speed is the length of time you allow the light to come in to affect the image. For instance if you would like to get a picture of a racing car traveling at a high speed, you require a wide aperture to let in plenty of light however an extremely short shutter speed so that you can capture the picture quickly and close the window to make certain the picture is captured prior to the light damaging the quality. Consequently an additional digital photo tip for today is that photography is in fact just about light.

You will discover that your camera will include automatic settings as well as manual options regarding aperture and shutter speed. During your digital photography lessons you should learn how to swap from automated to manual furthermore, you will understand the settings that suit various situations. When you come right down to it digital cameras will have automatic settings to facilitate the everyday photographer who is not concerned in learning anything other than just "point and shoot".

Over the course of your digital photography lessons you will grasp a better perception of lenses and flash photography together with added ways you can control the lighting of several conditions. Right through your experience of learning, make a promise to yourself to never stop learning about this beautiful art. The better and more sophisticated you get in your skill to work with the equipment, the more you will learn and the more you will want to continue learning.

This now brings us back to the point that digital photography for beginners definitely should not be a baffling time. It ought to be enjoyable and fun as that is what photography is all about. Take the time and practice, having fun, taking photos at any occasion. Play around with your equipment and take advantage of several situations, inside and out, using various aperture and shutter speed options. Don't fuss if your photo's don't work out, it is actually all part of learning digital photography.

Digital Photography For Beginners - Fundamental Pointers

Basic Photography Lessons

Digital Photography For Beginners - Fundamental Pointers

Digital Photography For Beginners - Fundamental Pointers
Digital Photography For Beginners - Fundamental Pointers

Basic Photography Lessons

Digital Photography Lessons - 10 Reasons You Should Take Digital Photography Lessons

Everyone should take digital photography lessons. And I'll give you ten great reasons why.

1. Taking digital photography lessons is not just about learning digital photography, it's also learning about PHOTOGRAPHY and how to take great photos.

2. You'll be able to take gorgeous photos of your family, friends and pets, as well as taking poster quality photos of your vacations and trips. And those beautiful professional images will be cherished and handed down to future generations.

3. Learning photography will save you lots of money. Why hire a professional photographer when you can take beautiful photographs yourself.

4. Own the rights to your family portraits and wedding photos. When you hire a professional photographer guess who owns the negatives and the rights to those images? It isn't you!

5. Many people make a career in photographer and there are so many different fields of photography to choose from. Some specialized photography careers include: wedding, portraiture, pet portraiture, industrial, stock, photojournalism, travel, fashion, sports, and food photography, among others.

6. There are lots of opportunities to earn money part-time with photography; like entering into photography competitions, selling photos to newspapers and magazines, making money online with stock photography websites, teaching photography classes, and more.

7. Digital photography lessons will unleash your creative side (even if you think you don't have one). You'll begin to look at the world through a trained eye. You'll notice and understand shading, lighting, composition, form, and colors in a way you probably had not before.

8. It's much less expensive to be a photographer now. No more spending tons of money on film, negative development, and prints. The digital camera has taken all those high costs away.

9. Everyone has a digital camera now and yet, many people don't know how to use them. Digital photography lessons will make you the expert at gatherings when others are stumped on how to operate a camera.

10. Get into places others can't go, like backstage at concerts, sidelines during sports events, and special events for celebrities.

Digital Photography Lessons - 10 Reasons You Should Take Digital Photography Lessons

Basic Photography Lessons

Digital Photography Lessons - 10 Reasons You Should Take Digital Photography Lessons

Digital Photography Lessons - 10 Reasons You Should Take Digital Photography Lessons
Digital Photography Lessons - 10 Reasons You Should Take Digital Photography Lessons

Basic Photography Lessons