How to Choose a Digital Camera: The comparison of models and characteristics

How to choose a digital camera that is right for you?

You can rely on the qualification of digital cameras and reinforce the choice of expert calculations.

But before that, it would not be too much to know the basic specifications and functions and to evaluate which of them are necessary, and can be dispensed with.

We do not consider professional cameras - simply ordinary consumer camera.

Lens

Lens - this "alpha and omega" from each camera. Glass lenses provide a sharp, undistorted image such as chromatic aberrations (fuzzy color contours, smudges, etc.).

Cells used for the cheapest lens of polymer materials. However, many models cost 3-4 thousand rubles and above the installed glass lenses. Such popular manufacturers as Canon, Nikon, Sony, Samsung, Olympus, Fujifilm cameras equipped with conventional lens of the same glass as the SLR.

Panasonic cameras usually use older Leica company lenses, Sony compact cameras often found German optical manufacturer Carl Zeiss.

Resolution

The resolution, ie the number of megapixels - a moot point. When there is not enough resolution, you will not get high-quality images of the print.

The new cameras offer more than 10 megapixels, which is sufficient for the printing of small and medium sized photos.

If most cameras provide good print quality, how do you choose between 10 and 12-14 megapixels?

Overall, a comparison of the models shows that if you are not a professional, able to see the smaller details, and you are not going to print large format images, it is difficult to detect the difference in the photos. And voting until the latest digital camera models show that the higher the number of pixels does not give a good picture.

Optical zoom

The optical zoom of cheap cameras usually up to 3, the most expensive models - 5-8.

Even a 3-fold increase in most cases is enough if you are not going to take a lot of distant objects.

If large zoom is needed - there are 12x, 20x or even 30x. This is convenient, but the size of these cameras is much larger.

Digital Zoom

Digital zoom - 4x normally. This is not the most necessary feature because increase is approximately as by increasing the small images in the computer. Try to take a photo of a width of 300 pixels, and increase in, say, 3 times - up to 900 pixels. It is unlikely that you will enjoy the quality of the new image.

Digital zoom becomes completely unnecessary with the high resolution of modern cameras.

Shutter speed

Shutter speed - the time between pressing the shutter button and the camera. In good speed cameras it should be combined with a slow shutter speed.

If you want to get a soccer ball in flight, you need speed, at least 1/1000 sec. If you want to see the moon (with a tripod, of course), the camera should have the possibility of 2-5 second exposure. It can provide a good shutter interval of 1/2000 to 15 seconds.

ISO - sensitivity

ISO is set automatically or manually. For example, if you are shooting in cloudy weather moving car with the ISO 200 standard, it will come out blurry. But at ISO 800 you can get a normal picture. Of course, if you get enough shutter speed.

Although the new cameras have the ISO 3200, do not pay attention to it - a value of more than 800 images will be so accurate that even after the treatment will not save them.

Default Mode

Preset modes (sport, night, etc.) - Is it a good thing. Especially for beginners as it can help prevent mistakes.

Video recording

More recently, the function of video cameras in the lower chambers.

Now the technology reaches the point where there is the possibility of video from all cameras - from the cheapest to the most expensive. At the same time, in most models there is the possibility of shooting in HD (high definition video). And Fujifilm HD video company has all the models, even those that are cheap.

The most expensive cameras have features that provide Full HD format.

Power supply

Most cameras are powered by special lithium ion batteries, supplied to these cameras there is a charger. In addition, there are models that run on AA standard penlight batteries (which can replace batteries).

There are advantages and disadvantages.

Lithium batteries are light weight and small in size, making it possible for the camera to be more compact. But if you want to extend the life of the camera, you need to buy replacement batteries.

AA battery chambers - large and bulky. But if you go away from the centers of civilization, for example, to the city, it is possible to fill the pockets of batteries, as they are very cheap. Another point: AA batteries sold in any supermarket, but with the purchase of lithium-ion batteries can be a problem.

Now, with an action even if only the most basic knowledge, and you can see the ranking of digital cameras and look out for something appropriate.