Digital Photography 101

Chapter 1: Introduction to Film and Digital Cameras

1.2 Camera Types

There's a camera made for every person and budget. It depends on what you want out of a camera and the purpose of its use. It is far less likely that a professional photographer would want to use a cheap little camera, which Dad might use to snap a few photos on the family holiday. They are more likely go for the professional models more suited to the demands of reliability and performance.

There are four levels of cameras on the market today. By describing each level I will attempt to enlighten you on the pro's and con's of each.

The consumer brands

These cameras usually have a plastic body and a plastic lens. Some may have limited focal length such as an optical zoom feature. The resolution and features are increasing all the time but resolution is not everything because the lens systems must be able to keep up and resolve the higher resolution. These are consumer brands and not professional units. Cost $150-$500.

Advantages:

· Cheap and easy to use for snap shots
· Light and small
· Fully automatic

Disadvantages:

· In digital the small resolution means smaller prints
· They may require lots of batteries and run out of power just when you need it. It pays to carry spare batteries.
· Some will have memory cards but most have a limited storage
· They are slow to start up and there is a shutter release delay in taking the photo with the digital brands, which can be very annoying
· Because of the small apertures there is little depth of field control, which we will look at more closely later

The Prosumer Brands

High resolution and highly featured digital cameras are all the rage at the moment in the NZ$500 to NZ$1500 price range, and so they should be. They offer the photographer compact and dependable photography with increasing resolutions, features and smaller sizes.

Advantages:

· Higher resolution means larger prints and enlargements
· The batteries are advanced and rechargeable and will keep it going for many shots
· Presets take the guesswork out of photos for all situations
· Many have a short movie mode which is of interest
· Getting smaller all the time. I prefer larger cameras as they are easy to hold on to
· These are not professional cameras but any photographer can take excellent photos on these cameras

Disadvantages:

· Some brands can be slow to start
· Selecting shooting modes can sometimes be more involved then the next level of SLR cameras which have dials as well as LCD menus
· Some brands can have a shutter release delay in shooting, find out when you purchase, as this is an issue
· You cannot interchange the lenses but you do have an excellent zoom range on many brands

Consumer branded SLR (Single Lens Reflex)

Definition of SLR is a type of camera that uses a prism and mirror system allowing viewing of the subject through the taking lens of the camera. The photographer looks through the rear of the camera and sees the subject (and focuses) through the lens. When the picture is taken, the mirror swings out of the way and the film or the digital sensor of CCD is exposed.

These are cameras where you can interchange lenses to the body. Entry-level consumer SLR cameras have a huge market as the amateur photographer strives for greater opportunities for creative pictures and better images. In many cases excellent results can be obtained but with less reliability and function than the more expensive professional models of SLR cameras. Costing NZ$1,200 to NZ$2,000 These cameras usually come with a consumer branded kit lens, which has an inexpensive wide angle to midrange zoom.
In film the format or film size will be 35mm. Many professional photographers will be happily using the consumer digital SLR bodies in many situations but it is regarded in general, that these are not professional branded cameras.

Advantages:

· Good acceptable images can be achieved for most applications
· In digital the high resolution, over six million pixels, means larger prints
· Fast start up and fast shutter release for shooting
· Fit a better lens on them to really open up the possibilities
· Reliable and dependable with long life rechargeable batteries and lots of storage on detachable memory cards
· A lot more affordable then the pro bodies

Disadvantages:

· Less compact then the prosumer brands
· Less reliable then the professional brands

Professional Brands

How much do you want to spend on a camera? If photography is your work and you demand reliability, superb handling and performance you may want to extend your bank overdraft and invest in the top level of professional camera bodies.

Professional technology was until recently the domain of medium format and large format film cameras. This came from an understanding that the larger the negative the better and sharper will be the print enlargement. Some photographers still regard these film formats as being superior to any other media. The cost however of shooting large format film is a disadvantage to shooting lots of images in high resolution digital in a superbly built camera.
A camera such as this will most likely be the main body in a professional photographer's kit today together with some impressive lenses.

Advantages:

· Excellent handling and performance
· High resolution up sixteen million pixels means large quality prints
· Excellent image results
· Fast, reliable and long battery life between charges. 300 to 500 are expected

Disadvantages:

· These cameras are not for the lighthearted traveller. They are large and heavy
· They are priced for people who make a living out of photography
· Excellent bodies demand excellent lens adding to the cost but also to the quality of the images

Higher level professional brands

The next level of cameras beyond the digital SLR's in the professional models are the super high resolution digital back systems now offering resolutions up to fifty million pixels, coupled with high quality lens systems. The European cameras, such as the Hasselblad brand, can be found in major fashion photography studios all over the world. A camera system like this will cost you many thousands of dollars.

So what camera for you?

As there will always be better brands and features being introduced all the time, each aimed at a particular market, it all amounts to what you want from your photography and how much you can afford to spend.

Let's now look at the technology of camera equipment.

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