Digital Camera FAQ

[anandasim]

This isn't a Digital Camera forum - Bleeding Edge is a general IT forum.
That having been said, many IT geeks also sling a digital cam, so sooner or later, talk gravitates towards this.

It's also pre-Christmas, so people are out there buying tech stuff for enjoyment. Here's the start of an FAQ - there will be some personal opinions but feel free to discuss pros and cons.

1. The digital cam technology is fairly mature compared to say year 2000. There are so many varieties, so many classes and so many target audiences. Despite this, there are people who dream - they want the lens of a Nikon, the full frame sensor of a Canon, the pocketability of a Point and Shoot, the focussing clarity of a DSLR, 22 MP in a el cheapo camera. Sure, you can dream and you could put on your "guru" hat and tell the camera firms what they are doing wrong. Yeah, right.

What camera shape / size / cost should you opt for? Well, most people want something easy to carry.

1a. Even though the technology is quite advanced, it is hard to give you massive zoom, high image quality and make the camera like a packet of cigarettes. So definitely a large DSLR with a brace of lenses will give you high image quality. Do you want to carry that? Do you want to spend that?

1b. There are several entry level, low cost DSLRs now. At the same time, there are several prosumer, intermediate level Point & Shoot cams (these have smaller sensors than the DSLRs). Whatever the advances, a DSLR with the same zoom span will cost higher than a high end Point and Shoot.

1c. The cost of digital cams depreciates fast, faster than film. Some traditional camera shops are not happy - you basically have stock that loses price every day. Hence, if you are price sensitive, what about buying a cam that is a model 6 months older or 1 year older? The value for money will be high. Note also, non tradtional shops are selling digital cams now at lower price margins. They don't offer extended warranties and photo knowledge - you want to buy this box, here it is.

1d. Many digicam warranties are not international. Unlike film of the old days.

[anandasim]

2. I prefer not to connect my digital still cam to my PCs. Some people do, I don't. I prefer to get an inexpensive card reader which makes the memory card appear like a drive letter. Easy. No whiz bang complicated software and configs to stuff up. Windows Explorer or whatever can do all operations on the memory card.

That means, it doesn't matter what OS you run as long as the OS can see your card reader. Some older card readers can't handle large capacity memory cards - anything you buy now should.

If you run Win98, you will need a driver for any USB device. This includes memory card readers.

[anandasim]

3. How many MP is "enough"? Is higher Megapixel better as the cam companies keep telling you? There's debates and debates on this. You ask the question because digital depends on the sensor in the cam. It's not like film cams - buy different film get different image quality. And as technology improves, higher MP will be more affordable at lower cost. Every year, every 6 months, especially in time for Photokina.

At this time, end of 2006, 4MP is adequate for 5R prints. Of course, nowadays, even little cams claim to do 7MP or even higher. The manufacturer will always sing about more MP - they have to sell their next cam.

3a. The more MP you cram on the same sensor size, the more grainy/noisy it becomes, all things being equal.

3b. Most consumer cams have small sensor sizes. The DSLRs have bigger sensors - the more expensive have 24mm x 36mm sensor. Therefore the DSLRs show less noise.

3c. If you shoot at ISO 100 (sensitivity to light), consumer photos with small sensor sizes are fine. If you want to shoot at ISO 400 and above, a larger sensor will show it's class by saving less noise.

[anandasim]

4. What are these memory cards? Should you avoid a digicam because you don't like a card shape?

There are several:

CF - is big in size and cheaper per Gb. Fits some older fatter point and shoot cams but mostly for higher end DSLR.

SD - the most common size, even for DSLRs. Higher capacity one is called SDHC but not often backwardly compatible to older cams.

xD - Olympus and Fuji effort for their consumer cams. Nothing wrong except that they license the manufacture, so more expensive relatively. Some card readers don't know how to read them.

Sony MemoryStick or whatever later shape - yes, well, Sony.

Once you buy into a shape, obviously you have an investment in $$$.

Many cams only write FAT16. Meaning 2Gb is the maximum limit of card they can handle.

2Gb SD through computer shops (which again sell these things cheaper than traditional photo shops) currently November 2006 is easily below AUD 100. If you are buying a new card, why would you waste time or $$$ buying smaller than that and run out of space too easily?

Yes, I have heard about spreading your risk and buying two 1Gb instead of one 2Gb. Yeah, like don't use computer stuff because computer stuff fails.

Does buying a faster writing card make your camera react faster in a save? Yeah maybe. There are webpages that have tested that... Is it worth the extra price? You decide.

[anandasim]

5. Batteries. What's the deal?

Some people like rechargeable NiMh AA batteries. Because those cams that use them can also use Alkaline AA batteries which you can buy anywhere touristy. And the China made rechargeables cost little (but will they explode FUD?). You can buy more expensive, warrantied ones though.

The ultra slim cams can't fit in a AA. And the high consumption cams can't get enough shots on AA. So, they have proprietary LiOn. Which means you should have a second one in your bag (at least) when you are touring.

Check which one your new cam will use.

[anandasim]

6. Why can't I see to aim properly? What's with that?

There are several sighting devices:

a. EVF - Electronic View Finder

The bigger point and shoot cameras have EVF - that gives you something to look through and shows a control panel even in bright sunlight. Big complaints about EVF - they are not fine enough to focus by if you want to do manual focus. And they may be slow when you swing the camera - so following action might be a problem.

b. LCD panel - ranges in size from 1.5" to 3", the bigger and the more pixels the better.

Manufacturers love these - they are cheaper to make, don't need calibration, sighting and assembly like optical viewfinders. In the camera shop, they will look impressive. Two buts - the baby boomer generation have eyesight problems reading this (those with reading glasses). And in bright daylight outdoors, the sun will "wash" them so you can't see.

c. vestigial Optical View Finder
Some point and shoot cameras have a very small Optical View Finder. Saves the day especially outdoors in bright sun. But not very accurate in terms of framing. And no control panel symbols.

d. SLR through the lens Optical View Finder
Luxurious. Easy to aim through. Easy to carry out manual focus. One reason some people buy a DSLR.

[Blackwatch]

Thanks Anandasim, very helpful.

One aspect I have found very frustrating looking at prospective cameras is whether it has image stabilisation. Different makes use different terminology and its impossible to determine just exactly what they mean.

I have seen the following terms used.
Shake Reduction System.
Anti Blur Mode.
Blur Reduction Mode.
Image Stabilisation.

Do they all do the same thing? are some better than others? I guess its just a case of finding online reviews and seeing if the reviewers have comments to make.

[anandasim]

Thanks Anandasim, very helpful.

Not a problem.

One aspect I have found very frustrating looking at prospective cameras is whether it has image stabilisation. Different makes use different terminology and its impossible to determine just exactly what they mean.

I have seen the following terms used.
Shake Reduction System.
Anti Blur Mode.
Blur Reduction Mode.
Image Stabilisation.

Do they all do the same thing? are some better than others? I guess its just a case of finding online reviews and seeing if the reviewers have comments to make.

I think IS is pretty much an accepted term to refer to physical image stabilisation. Some IS is in the lens, others are at the sensor - but physical IS means that some thing is physically moving up and down to offset the camera shake.

Other terms are used to describe the camera calculating parameters by boosting ISO sensor sensitivity so that shutter speed is kept higher. Sometimes you can deduce by what is written on the box or a user manual on the maker's website. Other times, digital camera review websites or forums will clue you in.

I don't have a cam with IS and it's supposed to save you a couple of shutter speeds but won't work miracles.

[anandasim]

7. Product Differentiation and Choosing a Camera.

Each one approaches shopping differently. Here is what I do for myself and my friends:

a. Apply a price discriminant - how much money do you want to spend? Bear in mind, you will need to set aside money for the following:
i. memory card(s) - the ones that come with the cam are worth about a couple of shots and that's it.
ii. batteries and batter charger
iii. external flash if you want one
iv. tripod if you want one
v. extended warranty if you want
vi. camera case - cams don't come with them anymore

b. Choose what size you can live with. For me, it doesn't matter but female friends insist they want something about the size of two or three cigarette packs and no bigger.

[Edit by Paul]
c. Do you want an optical viewfinder?
You definitely want an optical viewfinder. LCDs do not work in bright sunlight.

d. what amount of tele and wide do you need. Don't use zoom ratio like 3x, 5x, 10x - this blurs the issue. Use instead the 35mm film equivalent focal length. Do you want to start (wide) from 24, 28, 35mm? And where do you want to end? 100mm, 135mm, 200mm, 380mm?

e. Do you want the features (pros and cons) of a DSLR?

f. Do you want movie capture?

g. Picture quality

h. Personal preferences:
i. type of memory card
ii. whether optical viewfinder is mandatory
iii. what type of battery the cam uses
iv. IS or not
v. look and feel of the cam
vi. brand preference
vii. hotshoe for external flash (some digicams only allow 6 volt triggers and will be damaged when connected to your 1980s flash unit)
viii. how many MP?
ix. manual exposure control
x. manual zoom ring
xi. manual focus option (is it really workable in a non DSLR?)

h. Next, do price level and model availability shopping.

Try http://www.camerastore.com.au for a range of models from low price to expensive.

Compare prices using http://shopbot.com.au and if you want to check out whether computer shops sell them cheaper, www.staticice.com.au

Try http://www.dpreview.com for camera model reviews - there are other sites as well.

Go to the bricks and mortar shops last - to check the feel in the hand, on the spot promotions.

[anandasim]

Just saw Paul's edit about optical viewfinder. Yes, optical viewfinder is nice to have but the way the industry goes, for non DSLRs and for compact cameras, you really don't have much choice.

1. The very slim cams don't have optical viewfinder (OVF). They don't even have EVF (Electronic View Finder).

2. Some cams have an EVF as well as an LCD screen. So you can look through the EVF if you are in bright sunlight. However, the EVF is not fine enough to do manual focussing and can "blow out" if you pan the camera in high contrast lighting.

3. Sometimes an OVF is so vestigial, it's painful - my friend showed me his Canon G5 has an OVF that is cut off at one corner by the lens barrel and also doesn't offer the same view as what the camera sees.

[Paul]

You have time to read posts that old?

cheers, Paul

[anandasim]

I was searching for a link to prime Rhonda on. The electronic bookshelf section is meant to be ageless

[RDee]

If you want a good compact camera with an optical viewfinder try the Canon IXUS 800iS, considered one of the best compacts for 2006. So easy to use in bright sunlight.
http://www.dpexpert.com.au/archives/200 ... r_tha.html

RDee

[bazcaz]

Hi guys, I am in the market for a new DSLR camera $1000.00 max, I used to have a Canon SLR camera (film) and about 5yrs ago switch to a Kodak digital camera, the Kodak is ok for general use , but I really miss the WYSIWYG, especially for portrait expression photos etc.

I have browsed this forum and many links looking at reviews, but to be honest am more confused than ever over which is the best, yep I know is down to personal preferences, Size/Zoom/Make/Lens quality. the list goes on, what I am asking I suppose is a recommendation from a personal experience, of any of you that own a DSLR camera that would the general entry level DSLR, from all the reviews I have at this stage thought the Olympus E-520 might be a good choice, any thoughts.

Thanks

Barry C

[anandasim]

Hi guys, I am in the market for a new DSLR camera $1000.00 max, I used to have a Canon SLR camera (film) and about 5yrs ago switch to a Kodak digital camera, the Kodak is ok for general use , but I really miss the WYSIWYG, especially for portrait expression photos etc.

I have browsed this forum and many links looking at reviews, but to be honest am more confused than ever over which is the best, yep I know is down to personal preferences, Size/Zoom/Make/Lens quality. the list goes on, what I am asking I suppose is a recommendation from a personal experience, of any of you that own a DSLR camera that would the general entry level DSLR, from all the reviews I have at this stage thought the Olympus E-520 might be a good choice, any thoughts.

Barry, we should get together, I love spending other people's money! I try to help people at another forum on beginner angles to DSLRs, sometimes with success and thanks but often the barrage of fanboi and over the top reactions from fellow forum members (everyone's an expert on the internet) dilutes the benefit to newcomers.

I have several perspectives with regard the brands in my photo blog but here are some for you.

1. Every one of the entry level models in the established brands can do a fair job. They are not vanilla or generic though, each one has strong points and some weak points. But the ability outshines the inability.

2. A DSLR can be and is a fairly personal choice - however, the newbie does not know what to look for and sometimes has the wrong criteria or asks the wrong questions. Also, cameras are not computers. Computers can be measured in cpu speed, hard disk capacity etc... and there are no hidden features. DSLRs are artistic tools - their perception and fit to personality inspires the shooter. And there is a balance of gross features which outweighs clinical measurements of MTF, CA and curvilinear distortion.

3. If you already have had a film SLR, then this is not you but for newbies who started with Point and Shoot and never went through manual settings and the Zone System, I say that the photo is 80% shooter's skill, inspiration, commitment and 20% equipment. You can prove one camera has technically X amount of sharpness or noise worse than another camera, but I say that the difference is X multiply the 20%.

Disclosure: I shoot an Oly 510, since this time last year.
Disclosure: I don't print.

Brand Perceptions: http://anandasim.blogspot.com/2008/08/b ... tives.html

Most beginners buy a kit - that is a body and one or two kit lenses - then they may buy a couple more lenses and stop.
Most beginners buy at the entry level price range. Some people with money bags buy mid range DSLR or semi pro DSLR.

Current Aussie deals:

All brands are hitting the entry level price range hard.
Olympus 420, 520
Nikon D40, D60
Pentax K200D, KM
Canon 1000D or higher
Sony A200, A300

A sweet price range is say below AUD 900 at this time. With TWO kit lenses. If you hunt and peck, you might go AUD 1100 for slightly better cams and slightly better lenses.

Oly 420 is pretty small but no IS. Oly 520 is sweet spot priced with two kit lens, has IS in body. The Olys are small, light and there are 5 Oly lenses that are sharp, light, small, affordable but not f/2.8. There are excellent pro lenses but they are big, heavy and expensive. Oly JPEG look straight out of the camera is very nice. Each lens has to perform because except for a few Sigma and a few Leica/Panasonic AF lenses, that's the catalogue. Grainy image noise above ISO 400. Can take a lot of second hand manual focus lenses via eBay adapters but viewfinder is small, not easy to focus. LiveView LCD. Kit lens are said to be the best for that price range. The Oly is a FourThirds design. The sensor is 4:3 unlike the others which are slightly larger APS-C 3:2 ratio. This means that independent lens makers like Sigma, Tokina, Tamron make one lens with different fixed mount for the other brands easily but not for Olympus. The smaller sensor also gives the Oly deeper DOF by a stop compared to APS-C

Pentax K200D (I like the grip) and Pentax KM (I feel not as nice to hold). Big and clear viewfinder for manual focussing and has AF confirmation for manual focus K mount and screw mount old lenses. Body is weathersealed (K200) but few lenses are. Pentax famous for primes. Pentax and Sigma work a lot together so many of the lenses appear to be Sigma. No LiveView LCD. IS in body.

Nikon D40 (only 6.1MP) and D60 are the smallest Nikon bodies. No LiveView LCD. No in-body IS. The D60 has a newer, sharper kit lens. Not sure but retailers may be selling the second kit lens tele which does not have IS in lens to hit the price range. The D40 said to have low noise at high ISO because it is 6MP. Out of camera JPEGs supposed to be good. Certain modern Nikon lenses won't autofocus because both of these lack in-body autofocus motor. No auto bracketing of eposure. No DOF button (I think). Nikon have a large catalogue of lenses. Nikon is the second in market share and regaining the Pro world.

Canon 1000D - cheaper than the Canon 450D. Canon usually have good image quality and low noise at high ISO. The Canon kit lens has improved from allegedly being one of the worst in that range. Canon are the largest in market share and have the Pro market. They are famous for their "L" lenses to satisfy the Pros but may not be the typical beginner price range or weight.

Sony bought over the Minolta DSLR business. They have bought market share by aggressive pricing, marketing. Their A200 often leads the price attack. The kit lenses are alleged not to be the best but they have a large catalogue of second hand Minolta AF film lenses, current Sony branded lenses and Carl Zeiss top quality lenses. The A200 does not have LiveView. The A300 has LV and that screen can be tilted, the trigger pause is low because of an additional sensor to focus during LV. However, the A300 viewfinder (A200 as well?) is relatively darker. From nowhere, they are number 3 in market share but a distant third. The Sonys have IS in body.

[bazcaz]

Wow Ananda, thanks for all your trouble with such a comprehensive reply, really appreciated......keep going over all of your post and am gradually getting more of an understanding what to purchase, and as you rightly point out each has it`s pros and cons.

Very impressed also with your site also , spent a couple of hours browsing around there, great photos and information, a real treasure trove so thanks for that too...not that I have given up on the DSLR, but any idea where to buy a Box Brownie

Cheers for now

Happy new year!!

[anandasim]

Wow Ananda, thanks for all your trouble with such a comprehensive reply, really appreciated

Thanks. It's so much more rewarding in social interaction in 2008 compared to 1988. In the years after I graduated from Uni, it was very lonely as a keen amateur shooter. Sure, there are photo clubs, but the internet is a much wider world and not only do you see other people's results from the other lands, cultures and interests.

keep going over all of your post and am gradually getting more of an understanding what to purchase, and as you rightly point out each has it`s pros and cons.

Good to know. There are problems at either extreme - not knowing what criteria to assess vs becoming obsessive compulsive on pixel peeping, MTF, CA, % distortion, image noise thresholds, noise reduction smearing.

Very impressed also with your site also , spent a couple of hours browsing around there, great photos and information, a real treasure trove so thanks for that too

Thanks again. The stuff I think about and write is influenced by my interactions on the other forum.

...not that I have given up on the DSLR, but any idea where to buy a Box Brownie

Don't let the comparison shopping and the technology overcome your joy in photography - at the end of the day, the it's the photo and your enjoyment that counts, not how near to perfection the camera is.

I have been told that some of my earlier shots with lower MP, cheaper cameras have been more effective in the human appreciation angle of the pic. And I agree with that. I have been handling my big birthday pressie lens, the 7-14mm and it is a real wow lens but I sometimes succumb to letting the wow of the lens take over the photo composition.

The traditional shops are Teds, Micheal's and Camera House. But you don't have to buy from them if you are self empowered and decided what you want. The non photo retailers like Harvey Norman, Dick Smith, JBHifi, Good Guys even Officeworks now have strong price discounting - they may not often know as much, what they are selling you so one would not buy stuff that requires specialist knowledge from them.....

DSLR bodies have a high depreciation rate unlike film SLRs. Every year, there is Photokina and evolutions in electronics and sensors and software changes the equation. Sure, the DSLR you bought last year is no worse this year but new models always have more features - although not all the features translate into a good photo tool. Hopefully the lenses retain value for longer but they are also electronics and motors nowadays.

I just got back from Dick Smith Powerhouse store in Nunawading. They are having good discounts on Sandisk Exteme III high speed CF cards (used by the Oly 520). The high price of that high speed, formerly large capacity card in a "pro" form factor would have made that stock difficult to convert into cashflow, so hey, a former price of AUD 199.99 for 8Gb Sandisk Extreme III is now AUD 79.99 today.

[anandasim]

Most important in the bonding between you and the camera is the grip and handling. After you have done your tech comparisons, you really have to hold the cameras, with battery loaded, with relevant lenses mounted. Then it really gets personal.

For me, I am conscious of the left to right weight balance rather than the weight. I like the Oly 520 grip. I like the E-3 grip. I like the Pentax K200D grip. I like the Nikon D300 and higher grip. I don't like the Canon grips (mostly), the Nikon D60, the Sony A300 grip, the Pentax K-M grip.

Oh and flash is significant - the internal flash are low in height and if you mount a long lens, that lens may cause a shadow because the flash is not high enough to clear it. Some cameras pulse the internal flash to focus. One or two have a infra red focus LED which illuminates the subject in low light. The Olympus 520 pulses the internal flash - so you need to find an external electronic flash suited to do the focus LED job and avoid the pulsing (the Oly electronic flash are fine but not cheap).