Understanding Digital Camera Terms

It is important to get yourself acquainted with the most common terms when it comes to using your new digital camera and also know what some of the more common terms mean. Below you will find many of these common terms defined.

Automatic Mode - This is a setting that sets the focus, exposure and white-balance automatically.
Burst Mode or Continuous Capture Mode - a series of pictures taken one after another at quickly timed intervals with one press of the shutter button.

Compression - The process of compacting digital data, images and text by deleting selected information.

Digital Zoom - Cropping and magnifying the center part of an image.

JPEG - The predominant format used for image compression in digital cameras

Lag Time - The pause between the time the shutter button is pressed and when the camera actually captures the image

LCD - (Liquid-Crystal Display) is a small screen on a digital camera for viewing images.

Lens - A circular and transparent glass or plastic piece that has the function of collecting light and focusing it on the sensor to capture the image.

Megabyte - (MB) Measures 1024 Kilobytes, and refers to the amount of information in a file, or how much information can

be contained on a Memory Card, Hard Drive or Disk.

Pixels - Tiny units of color that make up digital pictures. Pixels also measure digital resolution. One million pixels adds up to one mega-pixel.

RGB - Refers to Red, Green, Blue colors used on computers to create all other colors.
Resolution - Camera resolution describes the number of pixels used to create the image, which determines the amount of detail a camera can capture. The more pixels a camera has, the more detail it can register and the larger the picture can be printed.

Storage Card - The removable storage device which holds images taken with the camera, comparable to film, but much smaller. Also called a digital camera memory card...

Viewfinder - The optical "window" to look through to compose the scene.

White Balance - White balancing adjusts the camera to makeup for the type of light (daylight, fluorescent, incandescent, etc.,) or lighting conditions in the scene so it will look normal to the human eye rather than the the actual way it looks.

Digital Camera Accessories Cover the Bases

by ilaviny
With many professional portrait studios opting for them as the shooting weapon of choice and more and more homes going completely electronic, there`s no denying that digital cameras are here to stay. As technology continues to advance and pictures taken on them prove incredible, the amount of digital camera accessories to make shots even better is really on the rise. Where only a few extras used to be available, digital camera fans are finding a whole host of choices these day.

There are two major categories of digital camera accessories on the market the must haves and the would love to haves. Let`s look at both.

Must Haves

. Extra memory. With digital cameras offering such ease in shooting, those who want to take high-quality pictures find themselves tearing through memory cards rather quickly. These digital camera accessories are generally pretty affordable and are more than easy to carry. Typically the size of postage stamp or just slightly larger, extra memory cards can be used by anyone from the professional shooter to the amateur on vacation.

. Spare batteries. It might be hard to consider these as an accessory, but the fact is many who own these cameras do. While most digital camera batteries can last a long time, when they run out in the middle of a vacation or a particularly fun shoot, it can be really irritating. Having a spare set can really come in handy. It`s best to consider rechargeable spares to save on replacement costs down the road.

. Weatherproof camera bag. When it comes to digital camera accessories, this one is a must have for anyone that intends to take their camera outside, ever. Providing protection from bad weather and drops alike, these accessories aren`t very expensive either and they can help store those extra batteries and memory cards, too.

Love To Haves

. Lighting mechanisms. This particular class of digital camera accessory might almost fit into the must have list. While most digital cameras take very good pictures, there onboard flashes tend to leave a lot to be desired. There are all kind of lighting mechanisms that are available that can remedy this. Some are designed to work with specific cameras and others are standalones that can assist in any photography setting. These are great for anyone who wants to take spectacular shots to consider.

. Tripods. When it comes to digital camera accessories, this is one any serious shooter might want to consider. These help take away the shake that`s involved in some settings and can really help create spectacular images.

. Extra lenses. Not all cameras will accept these digital camera accessories, but those that do can really benefit from them. Providing a way to really turn a digital into an all-purpose camera, these add ons should be considered by those who can use them.

When it comes to digital camera accessories, the options are becoming amazing. The above is just a small list of those available. While not everyone will need many digital camera accessories to take the pictures they want, it`s nice to know options are out there

About the Author

To learn more about digital cameras, accessories and shooting tricks, visit http://www.digitalcamerawiz.com

Choosing A Camera Battery Is More Important Than You Think

by mg07
Finding the right replacement battery to match your digital camera or equipment can be difficult, so no matter what kind of camera you need; a traditional film camera, an automatic 35 mm camera or a digital camera you need to know not only about the camera, but the camera battery as well.

You want to choose a camera that has a battery that is easy to find and cheap to buy. This is especially important before you buy any camera, whether it is for you or it is a gift.

What Kind Of Batteries Does The Camera Take?

You need to know what kind of camera batteries any camera takes. Does the camera take a brand-specific camera battery or does it take a general size of battery?

For example, a lot of traditional automatic cameras run on AA or AAA batteries. They only need that size. They don't need a specific brand.

These kinds also can be disposable or rechargeable. These batteries are also incredibly common and are sold just about everywhere.

How Easy Is It To Find More Batteries?

Even though your camera might not be brand specific, you still need to know how easy it will be to get replacement camera batteries. You might have to go to specific electronic stores if the camera battery size is rare, or unusual. If this doesn't bother you, then keep in mind whenever you go on a vacation, you need to bring spare camera batteries in case the stores where you are don't carry your camera 's size.

How Expensive Are The Batteries?

Sometimes the camera battery costs more than a camera is worth. Keep in mind how often you are going to use this camera. The more you use your camera, the more you will have to change the battery.

You could opt for rechargeable batteries, but not all sizes of camera batteries will recharge. Most li-ion (lithium-ion) will, though.

If you don't use your camera all that much, then perhaps the camera battery cost will be a moot issue. One good trick to keep you up to date with your camera battery needs, without spending a penny, is to ask for them as a gift on your birthday or gift giving occasions.

Another Good Question To Ask: How Heavy Are the Batteries?

If you plan on doing a lot of travel or on location shooting, a heavy camera battery is a nuisance. You need as light a battery as possible. If you only plan on using the camera around your home or on special occasions and don't need to pack and unpack it, then you do not need to worry about how heavy the battery is.

How Long Can The Camera Go On One Set Of Batteries?

You never really seem to get an answer as to how long a camera lasts on one battery until you actually use it. For this reason, always see if you can get a warranty on your camera.

A lot of the battery 's use depends on what camera functions you use and how often. Most batteries will tell you an estimated time of use, and try to find the maximum time for your buck.

I hope that I helped clear some of the confusion surrounding cameras and batteries. As you can see it is important to also consider the battery within the camera when you are purchasing a camera. If you don't pay attention you could end up with a battery that is very hard to find, is too expensive, or too heavy.

About the Author

Madison Greene 's favorite hobby is photography. But, to her, there is nothing more annoying than when the batteries in her laptop or camera lose power and she can't find a store that carries them. Madison has made it easy to find accessories for your digital equipment. To view a large selection of replacement chargers and batteries visit: BestDealElectronicStore.

How To Find The Best Digital Camera

by sas_radzi123
After spending sizeable amount of time at the mall figuring out which is the best digital camera for us, we finally have enough money to buy for that eye-popping, 7 mega pixel, 10x digital zoom, potable, candy colored, up to 512MB expandable memory of super hi-speed SD memory card and not to mention very portable, (that will be the envy of almost everyone we know). We march to the mall armed with our life savings and lotsa pride in ourselves, when we pass by a new display - an eight mega pixel, up to 1G expandable memory, with built it mic and stereo surround, video playback capable, with 22 scenic modes kind-of-camera. And we sigh because the producer of this amazing gadget claims that this is the best digital camera yet out in the market. And so as we always want to have the best, armed with our life savings and a few credit cards, we buy the "best digital camera." But then again, that doesn't last too long, after two months or so, there 's another "best digital camera."

And so it confuses us. What makes a digital camera, the best digital camera?

Well, there are certain factors to consider when looking for the "best digital camera" for us.

MEGAPIXELS.*** One of the most important features of digital camera to make it into the best digital camera category is its mega pixel property. The higher the mega pixels the better the actual photograph will come out. A mega pixel is equivalent to one million pixels. The resolution of your image is based upon the mega pixel property of your camera. This means that as you enlarge the picture, you would get more detail and less blurry colors.

LCD SIZE. The best digital camera will always have a large LCD to help you frame your subject without having to squint to the viewfinder. This is also helpful when reviewing your images, some cameras enable touch up and editing features with its LCD. A 1.5-inch display is average, a 2-inch LCD display is good, but the best LCD size would be 2.5 inches or higher.

ZOOM. Most digital cameras have both digital and optical zoom. A higher optical zoom is always better than a higher digital zoom. Digital cameras are usually furnished with optical of between 3x to 10x. The better the optical zoom, the higher it climbs up to the best digital camera category.

MEMORY CARD. Always make sure that your memory card is the right one for your digital camera. There are different types of memory card like the xD, SD, Flash card and the likes. And these types of memory cards go with certain types of digital cameras. of course memory storage is also up there in choosing the best digital cameras. Choose the size of memory that you need, if you're a photo junkie, you might need more than 32MB. Memory cards can go up to 1G.

The key point to find the best digital camera is to find one that will best fit you and your lifestyle. Don't just buy the latest or the one that claims they are the best digital cameras out in the market. You wouldn't want to buy a DSLR and use it with your home activities or family outing and have to lug it around?! Or you don't want to buy the latest point and shoot camera when you're serious about being a professional photographer. (Of course, you can use this for starters, but if you're not a novice photographer anymore, you wouldn't want to get this kind of camera.)

Actually, the best digital camera is the one that you will enjoy and use. Not the type that you'll just leave rotting in its box or after a few weeks of usage or so, up there in the attic. ..... don't buy any things when you never compare!!!

About the Author

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