Digital Photography: Things to Consider When Buying a Camera
People don’t always know what to look for when they buy a digital camera. Frankly, most of the time people really don’t get what it is they are shopping for. They look for something small or with a big zoom, or something with the highest megapixels they can find. While those aren’t bad factors to consider there really is a lot more to think about. Not knowing about those things could result in some dislikes towards the camera down the road.
If you are in the market for a digital camera now, think about the advice below. It should hopefully widen your perspective and help you ask more of the right questions when taking your next step in digital photography.
The sensor size
It’s one thing to think about a sensor’s size in terms of megapixels but it’s also important to think about a sensor’s physical size as well. A lot of smaller digital cameras tend to come with various megapixel levels for different prices. When you consider the way the technology works though, you’ll realize that in many cases the lower megapixel options are better. Those cameras have less sensors on the same-sized chip as the higher megapixel model, and that means less pixel interference, and that means a better image. The same can be said for choosing the larger camera over the smaller one, as the larger cameras tend to have physically bigger sensor chips as well.
Battery life
Much like when you buy a laptop or a cell phone, the battery life of a digital camera is a big deal. Before settling on a model do some research about how long the battery will take to recharge and long it will last in various situations such as video taking and flash photography. Again, larger cameras tend to perform better in this regards and that’s usually because the batteries are physically larger. Still, the little guys can certainly pull their weight, but just make sure you know what you’re getting into.
Flash refresh time
The great thing about digital photography is being able to see the image right away. When you don’t like a picture you can easily retake it. The problem is that some cameras can take five seconds or longer to refresh the flash, meaning you have to wait that long before retaking the picture. In a lot of situations five seconds can be a really long time. Ask about that when you are shopping for your camera, and remember that the more your camera is zoomed out, the longer it will usually take for the flash to recharge.
Pictures per second
With digital SLRs, the cameras can often shoot 3 or more frames a second. That’s because they have large buffers, which is the place the data is stored on its way to the flashcard. Smaller cameras aren’t known for their quick rapid fire ability but they are getting better and one camera can differ greatly from the next. Be wary of rapid fire claims though because this usually refers to pictures taken at incredibly low resolutions.
