5 Basic Digital Camera Terms You Need To Know
Being familiar with the terminology used in any subject of
interest in is always useful, and digital cameras are no
exception. Although most digital cameras available on the market
allow you to simply point your camera and quickly snap a picture
with the touch of a button, there is often a lot more going on
behind the scenes than you may have realized.
Put simply, understanding the most important terms about digital
cameras will allow you to make a better-informed purchase of a
new digital camera, let you have more control over your digital
camera's features, and help you to take the best quality photos
possible.
1. Megapixel
When we use the term megapixel, we are referring to the maximum
resolution at which a digital camera can take photos in millions
of pixels. This means that a camera with a range of 4 megapixels
can take photos which each contain a maximum of 4 million pixels.
But what does this mean to the consumer? One word: quality. A
higher megapixel count means better quality photos, and
considering the price of digital camera getting lower all the
time; you should try to stick with a digital camera that has a 3
megapixel range or above, especially if you intend of making
prints of your photos.
2. Focal Length
Focal length is a term overlooked far too often in amateur
photography, and refers to how much the lens of a camera can
magnify a shot. Focal lengths are generally split into two
categories, these being wide-angle and telephoto, which are
better for spacious and narrow fields of view respectively.
Due to the ease of manufacturing telephoto lenses, digital
camera manufacturers seem to provide wide-angle lenses in a lot
less cameras, even though these lenses are better suited towards
the type of photos that most people commonly take, including
groups of friends and wide landscapes. To sum up, a wide-angle
focal length is the better choice in most cases, with the 20mm
and 35mm varieties catering to most people's needs.
3. Digital Zoom
Unlike the focal length, digital zoom is a term that seems to be
given a lot more attention than it deserves. Unlike optical
zoom, which uses the physical lenses inside the camera to
enlarge a scene, digital zoom electronically enlarges the pixels
in the center area of a photo, meaning that any time you use the
digital zoom function on your camera you are actually
sacrificing the quality of your photos. It is a good idea to
disable the digital zoom function all together to stop this from
happening.
4. ISO
The term ISO stands for the International Standards
Organization, but what does this have to do with your digital
camera? The organization sets standards for photography, and the
ISO range of a camera refers to how sensitive the camera is to
light.
For instance, a low ISO number (100 or under) is not very
sensitive to light, and is best for shots in good lighting
conditions. A higher ISO range means that the camera will be
suitable for photography in darker conditions, so it is best to
look for a camera that has an adjustable range; ISO 100 to 400
should be adequate for most people's needs.
5. Shutter Lag
Shutter lag refers to the time between pressing the button to
take a photograph and the time when the picture actually gets
taken. This may not seem a very important factor when buying a
camera, but think of it this way: if you have to wait a second
or longer for a photo to be taken, like with many older and
inexpensive digital cameras, then chances are that you won't end
up with the photo you desired. Many camera manufacturers do not
list the shutter lag time for their cameras, so the best way to
find this out is by testing a camera before you buy.
Conclusion
Hopefully this article has helped you to better understand some
of the most important terms used when referring to digital
cameras, and in turn will help you to choose the digital camera
that best suits your needs. I think that testing a digital
camera before you make a purchase can help greatly when it comes
to making a final decision, and it makes sense to do so; you may
be using the camera you choose to capture your memories for
years to come!