Subscribe to RSSCompact Digital Cameras - Sorting Out the Technology
If you are a new compact digital camera user you may be confused by a number of aspects of digital camera technology and terms. We have put together this guide to help you find a way through the confusion so that you can begin to understand this subject much better. In addition we also would like to make it easier when deciding on your next digital camera. A number of the important terms you will need to comprehend include ppi, pixel, sensitivity and white balance and we will try to explain each of them here.
What are Pixels?
This term is derived from picture element and each digital photograph is composed of several million of these square pixels. When seen together the result is of a smooth continuous image. One method to describe digital camers is by the pixel count, the no of pixels in a photo. ppi refers to the number of pixels per inch. The more pixels the smoother the photograph will appear and the larger the image can be blown up. The pixel count in modern digital cameras is typically between between 1 and 14 million. Digital cameras are designated as 1Mp ( one million pixels) or 3Mp (3 million pixels) for instance. Nearly all of the popular digital cameras will have between 2 and 5 million pixels for every photo.
Very good four by six inch prints could be made from a three million pixel camera while 5×7″ prints would be a little poorer in quality. For larger 8″ by 10″ prints a 4 or 5 Mp digital camera would be a better choice. For even larger prints a camera with more pixels would be needed. Sometimes total pixels and effective pixels are quoted for a camera. The number of pixels actually used in the image is, of course, the effective pixels so this is the number to take notice of.
Sensitivity Settings
The sensitivity settings on a digital camera are similar to the ISO ratings for film. Most cameras have settings that are the equivalent of the ISO 100 or 200 ratings seen on film. Some have ISO 400 equivalant setting. More expensive SLR digital cameras have settings above this, even up to ISO 6400. Most cameras can automatically choose the sensitivity setting most suitable for the lighting and the mode.
Digital or Optical Zooms
Nearly all digital cameras have optical and digital zoom. Digital zoom results in loss of picture quality since it works by cropping the image and enlarging the picture to the the size needed. This is the same method an image editing program uses. Optical zooms work in a similar way to a film camera’s zoom by altering the focal length and magnification. The image quality is not affected by this so it is always a better option than using a digital zoom.
White Balance
For a digital camera the white balance can be changed for different light sources. This means that you can ensure, under various lights, that white really looks white, not blue or yellow. The majority cameras adjust to the light source automatically but you can generally change this by hand if you wish. The white balance can be set for sunlight, shade, fluorescent or tungsten lighting.
For more information and lots more articles on photography and compact digital cameras please visit Best Canon Compact Digital Cameras
