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Today there are quite a few options in a digital camera to choose from and it can get quite confusing. Whether you want something basic, something with a strong zoom, an interchageable lens camera or that pocket sized weatherproof digital camera with high resolution it is available.

This article is to to try and assist you in the overwhelming question..... What is the right digital camera for me?

Lets take a look at features you need to get a bit digital familiar.

This digital guide is designed to assist you in understanding terms of digital photography.

Resolution
The resolution of a digital camera refers to the sharpness of its pictures.
640 x 480 Pixels = Minimum Computer Resolution
1280 x 960 Pixels = Film Resolution of 4"x6" print
1600 x 1200 Pixels = Film Resolution of 8"x10" print
1920 x 1600 Pixels = High Resolution
2288 x 1712 Pixels = Very High Resolution
2592 x 1944 Pixels = Super High Resolution
3264 x 2448 Pixels = WOW Extremely Super High Resolution

Compression
Resolution is really only half of the equation. The other, and really more important side of the coin, is compression. Generally, cameras have 3 levels of compression....basic, normal and fine. Fine being the best. That translates to 16to1, 8to1 and 4to1 ratio. The higher the compression ratio the more images that you can fit on a memory card, however, the quality of the image drops the more it gets compressed. For best results you should shoot in fine, 4 to 1, and when you get that awesome picture you will love the quality of the print.

Maximum CCD Resolution
The CCD (charge-coupled device) is the light-sensing device inside a digital camera and is composed of an array of individual sensors, or pixels, that "see" the image coming in through the camera's lens. The maximum CCD resolution is the total number of pixels in a camera's sensor, so the higher the resolution the greater the detail in a picture.

Image Capacity (at hi-res)
This refers to the camera's memory capacity for images shot at high resolution, using the amount of memory which occasionally comes shipped with the camera (the cameras allow you to add memory cards, which in turn will increase the number of images which can be stored).

Optical Zoom
Sometimes known as "telephoto" or "true zoom," optical zoom works like the zoom on a traditional film camera. Elements within the lens move, reducing the field of view and making the object appear closer.

Digital Zoom
Also known as simulated zoom. With digital zoom, the camera takes a small portion of an image and uses interpolation to artificially restore the file to its original size. Unlike optical zoom, digital zoom does not require any moving parts, so it's much cheaper to manufacture. Unfortunately, digital zoom also reduces the resolution of an image. Anyone can "digitally zoom" images at home by cropping and enlarging a picture with photo-editing software, so this feature is virtually worthless.

ISO Film Speed Equivalency
A measurement, borrowed from traditional film cameras, of light sensitivity. The higher the ISO rating, the better the camera will perform in low-light conditions. Most digital cameras have ISO ratings of around 100.

Memory Type(s)
This refers to the type of storage medium a camera uses to store images. Most cameras accept only one type, and none of the types are interchangeable. Each format has its pros and cons, and the fact that none has yet become dominant suggests that there's no "best" format yet. examples of different types of memory cards are... Secure digital (SD), XD, Compact Flash (CF), etc.

Macro Focus Range
A separate setting for extreme close-up (or macro) shots. Without a macro setting, cameras may not be able to focus on objects that are close to the lens.

USB (universal serial bus) Output
An outgoing connector compatible with virtually all PCs made since 1998 and all "colorful" Macs. A USB port is much quicker and more user-friendly than a serial port, but it is also a more recent innovation not found on older computers.

Card Reader
Universal Card Reader is your all in one solution for transferring pictures, music and data from your memory card to your computer. With all of today's memory enabled devices, this one unit is capable of reading many different memory cards keeping you life simple and saving you money because one card reader will satisfy all of your needs. [color:"red"] Use of a card reader makes uploading your images a very simple experience and prolongs battery & camera life by eliminating the camera from the download process. [/color]

Video Output
Allows you to view your digital pictures on your TV or record them on a video cassette.

Flash Type
The flash makes a burst of light for shooting pictures inside or in low-light conditions.

Flash Options

Off/On/Auto : This refers to the basic flash functions, where the flash is always off, always on (i.e., for fill-ins), or set to fire automatically when needed.
Red-Eye Reduction : This refers to a mode of flash that helps prevent the appearance of people with red eyes in the picture.
Flash sync : allows you to use more powerful flashes, and/or place the flash strategically, by attaching an external flash unit to the camera. Typically, a camera with flash sync will also offer the more traditional forms of flash as well, such as auto flash.
Hot Shoe : This is a structure found on some digital cameras, to which an external flash unit is attached. Some cameras offering hot shoe capability also offer the more traditional forms of flash, such as automatic.

Rapid-fire Shots
This feature allows you to take multiple rapid-fire shots with one touch of the exposure button. This can be a very useful feature when shooting subjects in motion, such as during a sporting event. You want to get a camera that takes pictures anywhere between .5 and 1.2 seconds from the time you hit the button and preferably a model that has a burst capability of taking multiple pictures in sequence. There are a number of cameras that will take 4 to 6 pictures in a "burst."

Audio Recording
Allows you to record a short sound bite with each image, allowing you to makes notes for future reference.

DPOF
Digital Print Order Format, is a feature that allows you to send images directly to the printer while controlling the quantity and order of the images being printed.


[color:"blue"] OK, Now that you know a little bit more about the terms of digital cameras lets take a look what makes a digital camera tick. [/color]

It takes several steps for a digital camera to take a picture. Here's what happens in a digital camera, from beginning to end:

You aim the camera at the subject and adjust the optical zoom to get closer or farther away.

You press lightly on the shutter release.

The camera automatically focuses on the subject and takes a reading of the available light.

The camera sets the aperture and shutter speed for optimal exposure. (You can set this yourself on some cameras)

You press the shutter release all the way.

The camera resets the CCD and exposes it to the light, building up an electrical charge, until the shutter closes.

The ADC measures the charge and creates a digital signal that represents the values of the charge at each pixel.

A processor interpolates the data from the different pixels to create natural color. On many cameras, it is possible to see the output on the LCD at this stage.

A processor may perform a preset level of compression on the data.

The information is stored in some form of memory card (SD, XD, CF, etc.)

Digital cameras have one of four types of lenses:

Fixed-focus, fixed-focal length lenses - These are the kinds of lenses on disposable and inexpensive film cameras -- inexpensive and great for snapshots, but fairly limited.
Optical-zoom lenses with automatic focus - Similar to the lens on a video camcorder, these have "wide" and "telephoto" options and automatic focus. The camera may or may not support manual focus. These actually change the focal length of the lens rather than just magnifying the information that hits the sensor.
Digital-zoom lenses - With digital zoom, the camera takes pixels from the center of the image sensor and interpolates them to make a full-sized image. Depending on the resolution of the image and the sensor, this approach may create a grainy or fuzzy image. You can manually do the same thing with image processing software -- simply snap a picture, cut out the center and magnify it. [color:"red"] This is a fairly useless feature.
[/color]
Replaceable lens systems (SLR Cameras) - These are similar to the replaceable lenses on a 35mm camera. Some digital cameras can use 35mm camera lenses.

I hope this has cleared away some basic questions that I am sure some of you have wondered about.

Doug,thanks for this very informative write up.Now where would the Olympus 500 you have on special sale stand in this list of digital camera quality and features?.Would also like if possible,for you to list, a few of the digital cameras you have which are , "best bang for the buck", and easy to use for someone like me who is a novice when it comes to digital cameras.

The 500 that we are offering is:
Olympus SP-500
Promaster MIMH Rechargeable Batteries and Charger Kit
Olympus 256 XD Memory Card
XD Card Reader
Case
Photo Finale Software
Your cost is $399.99

The reason why this camera is a wonderful choice is multi fold:
1. 6 megapixel: Very high quality to make flawless images up to 16x20 without any problems.
2. 10x Optical zoom: The lens, in this simple to operate point & shoot, is equal to a 35-350mm zoom lens in film terms. This is a mighty powerful lens and should be all you ever need.
3. It has a 2.5" LCD screen on the back to make viewing the images easy on anyones eyes.
4. 27 manual and automatic shooting modes, including 21 different scene modes like Snow, Sports and Night Scene.

It is a full featured camera that you can use as simply as a disposable or as intricately as a manual camera.

Doug,
The SP500 has an electronic viewfinder. Have they upgraded it since they made the C750? Unless they have, count on never taking an action photo. My EVF has about 1/2 second lag time. What you see in the viewfinder is past tense. If you try to shoot a running dog, all you get is an empty yard because the dog has already gone around the house. That's in addition to a very slow autofocus time.
While I was deer hunting a couple years ago, I spend almost an hour sitting on a hillside trying to photograph a golden eagle that was circling me. I never did get a shot because of the lag times. Trying to follow him with a viewfinder that showed me where he was 1/2 second ago and waiting for the focus to adjust made an impossible situation.

Dick

Great info -- thks much!

Yes, the viewfinder has been upgraded since the C750. It is an all around better viewfinder and response time shutter.

A few members have purchased this camera.
Any opinions???? Please chime in

Doug..what is your opinion on the new Panasonic FZ7 digital camera??...thanks

Overall my feeling is that it is best to stick with camera brands when getting into digital cameras. When/if any service is needed the camera companies are much more responsive. Generally speaking, the electronic company cameras are some camera companies design with their name on it.
The only difference to this will be Sony after they officially take over Minolta later this year. When that happens we will have to see if they are continuing with the Minolta line in their name or not.

Doug,

How does the Mega pixel count figure into the above?? If I have a 7.1 MP Cannon, is it just a matter of taking the square root to determine the resolution?? Therefore, a 7.1 MP camera is roughly, 2660 x 2660???

My wife wants to go with one of the SLR's in the future for taking pictures of the dogs .... she's very serious when it come to taking pics of the puppies! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Thanx,

It's not that simple. The sensors aren't square. Look at that chart of resolutions. In every case, if you divide the 1st number by the 2d, you get 1.333. It a ratio of width to height.
Now, multiply the bottom numbers and you get 8 million. That's the highest resolution this camera will provide so it's an 8 mp sensor. When it's recording at lower resolutions, some of the pixels are deleted instead of being saved on the memory card. That saves a considerable amount of memory, but the photos won't be as clear. For most snapshots, the lower settings will still provide excellent prints, but they won't enlarge well.

Now, to complicate it further...many cameras, like my old Olympus C-750, use what's called interpolation. My camera is 4 mp actual sensor size. They say it will record at an effective 8 mp. What it's doing is taking the photo at 4 mp, then duplicating each pixel to fill in the gaps between them. So, if a pixel is red, the camera will add another red pixel in the gap next to it. With anything you're apt to print on your home printer, you'll never tell the difference. But, if you want your favorite shot enlarged to, say 16x24", those interpolated pixels are going to show up as a fuzzy shot. It's better than a non-interpolated photo, but it's a far cry from taking the same thing with a real 8mp camera.

Dick

I've saved and spent a lot of money on toys for worse reasons. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

You need to determine your needs. An SLR will give you many options that you don't have on a point&shoot, but you'll pay for them. Interchangable lenses are probably the #1 issue. However, there are some very good p&s cameras now with zoom lenses that will reach out as far as most SLR's with stock lenses. I have an Olympus C750 4mp with a 10X optical zoom that takes some very good photos at longer ranges...if my target sits still long enough.
Which brings up another major issue, trigger time. This C750 has a horrible shutter lag. Between the slow autofocus and a generally slow shutter response, it's totally useless for action shots. With pups, you need something MUCH faster. I have a new Olympus E500 SLR that will focus and shoot almost as fast as I can pull the trigger. It takes excellent action shots.

According to my resident digital guru a 7.1 should be approx. 3072x2304, which is more than adequet to make a wonderful 16x20 and not tell it from film.

Thanx guys (& gals) .... the shutter lag on our old HP was horrible and not good for puppy pics. We went looking for a new camera back in Sept. for our honeymoon and were close to pulling the plug on a D70 outfit (looks like the D50 is what we would get now .... if/when), but cost precluded that purchase ... not that the Cannon was exactly cheap!!

We went with the little Cannon SD (some number here). It has 7.1 MP and takes nice photog's. We chose this one because of the lack of shutter lag (assuming its already focused <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />). It is almost instantaneous! or at least much better than the others and almost as fast as the Nikon D70 .... I'm sure the D70 was faster by some fraction of a second .... but still a grande improvement over our HP.

Thanx again!!!

Doug,

How come after I take a picture with my camera (digital) it takes a long time for me to be able to take another. When I first bought it I could snap picture after picture. Now I take one and have to wait a few seconds then I can take another. I don't get it.
Can you enlighten me with some info/advice?

Thanks a ton,
Enrique

How's the battery power?

Fully charged and they are the Nihn (sp) rechargeable. I have also tried the regular camera batteries with the same result.

Kique

Enrique,

Sometimes the camera has to wait for the image to be saved to the memory card. Some memory cards are slower than others. Try the following and see how it goes:

1. Download all the photos to your computer
2. Set the software to download the photos and delete the originals (the originals are in the camera's memory card)
3. Reformat the memory card

Ray,

Thanks a bunch. I will try that. I have reformated the memory card in the cameras internal. Maybe thats it. I will give that a try and I'll get back to you guys.
Again thanks for the info.

Enrique

Look at this huge center step of an Italian Parsely plant?

Enrique, have you changed the photo quality setting? If you've changed it from, say, a standard setting to some kind of extra high quality, or may to a TIF format, the file will be MUCH larger. Therefore, they take MUCH longer to record.

Dick