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Digital cameras: Look for detail
Digital photography allows you to be
more involved in the creation of the
print than film photography.
Digital cameras, which employ reusable
memory cards instead of film, give you far
more creative control than film cameras
can. With a digital camera, you can transfer
shots to your computer, then crop,
adjust color and contrast, and add textures
and other special effects. Final
results can be made into cards or T-shirts,
or sent via e-mail, all using the software
that usually comes with the camera. You
can make prints on a color inkjet printer,
drop off the memory card at one of
a growing number of photofinishers, or
upload the file to a photo-sharing Web
site for storage, viewing, or reprinting.
Digital cameras share many features
with digital camcorders, such as an electronic
image sensor, LCD viewer, and a
zoom lens. They also share many features
with film cameras, such as focus, exposure,
and flash options. Some camcorders
can be used to take still pictures, but a
typical camcorder's resolution is no match
for a good still camera's.
WHAT'S AVAILABLE
Digital cameras are categorized by how
many pixels, or picture elements, the
image sensor contains. One megapixel
equals 1 million picture elements. The
more pixels, the more detail the image
will contain. More detail gives you more
options for producing finished prints.
A 2- or 3-megapixel camera can make
excellent 8x10s and pleasing 11x14s.
There are also 4- to 7-megapixel models
for the amateur photo market; these are
well suited for making larger prints or for
maintaining sharpness if you want to
use only a portion of the original image.
Professional digital cameras use as many
as 11 megapixels.
How to Choose
Performance differences.
In Consumer Reports' most recent tests,
image colors looked fine. Digital cameras
dealt much better with fluorescent lighting
than regular film-processing labs have
done. (Fluorescent lighting can give film
photos a greenish cast.) Tests have also
shown that a higher pixel count alone
doesn't necessarily produce better picture
quality.
The image-handling software provided
with a digital camera is generally easy to
use. The results are usually pleasing-or
readily altered if you are not satisfied.
The software does have its limits, though.
It can't fix an out-of-focus image, for
example.
Recommendations.
A 3-megapixel model is likely to offer
you the best overall value: good quality
at a relatively moderate price. Look for a
camera with at least a 3x optical zoom
lens and good image-handling software.
A 3-megapixel camera provides some
breathing room-files large enough for
enlargements, yet not so gargantuan
that you'll have difficulty saving, storing,
or e-mailing them. If you aren't sure
whether to buy a 2-, 3- or 4-megapixel
camera, choose the 3-megapixel.
The current high-end consumer
cameras-those in the 5- to 7-megapixel
range-are for people with a large budget
who want a very versatile camera.
When comparing cameras, be sure you
compare the so-called native pixel count.
Some cameras employ software that lets
them share pixels which raises the apparent
pixel count.
Try before you buy.
Quite a few digital cameras offer a
shallow grip or no grip at all. Some
LCD viewers are awkwardly situated and
could easily be soiled with nose or
thumbprints. If you wear glasses, you
might look for a camera viewfinder with
a diopter adjustment that may allow
you to see the image without your glasses
while using the camera.
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