Obviously, professional photographers take control of the background and lighting, direct the pose of their subjects, and use a great deal of creativity with props and camera controls to assure the highest quality image. For the average person however, candid shots are more effective in capturing the true meaning or personality at a given moment. For these individuals, following just a few basic tips can go a long way in obtaining photographs that will become a treasure for many years to come.

• The subject should be the focus of the picture. Avoid a cluttered background so that it does not distract from the subject. Using the viewfinder allows the photographer to determine how the shot will look. If the background is too cluttered the subject can be moved, but in more candid shots of individuals, holding the digital camera in a vertical position sometimes helps to eliminate some of the background.

• Step in close to capture more detail. For an image that captures the true personality and emotions of the subject, a photographer must get facial detail. When taking a candid shot and stepping in closer would disrupt the moment, use of the digital camera’s optical zoom or telephoto can have the same effect.

• Some shots don’t require posing. Many of the most meaningful shots are taken as subjects interact or are engaged in an activity. From images of children at play, a spouse reading the morning paper, a parent and child talking, or grandma gardening these are the moments that reflect the true personality of subjects.

• Happy is good, but there are other emotions worth capturing. It adds depth to a subject when images reflect other feelings such as humor, concentration, relaxation, or even boredom.

• A relaxed subject makes for a better photograph. When posing subjects, many photographers suggest talking to them to get them to relax and reveal more of what they are feeling or thinking. A natural, relaxed posture will provide a better image than that of a person standing rigidly with their arms crossed. A subject may be seated with their head resting on their hands or standing with their head at an angle and hands in their pockets; posture varies in real life and should be varied in photographs as well as it reflects the subjects mood.

• It is sometimes acceptable for a subject to be looking away from the camera. Just as with expressions on the face and posture, variations in where a subject is looking can work well in capturing a more meaningful image. Whether it is a child daydreaming as they gaze out of a window or simply an attempt to catch the profile of an adult as they drink their morning coffee these images which most accurately capture a subjects personality don’t always require that they face the camera directly.

• Use the portrait setting on the digital camera for individual shots. The portrait setting will set the depth of field to focus on the subject.

• Focus on the subject can also be enhanced by framing them. For instance, a subject may pose in a window, an arbor, a doorway, sitting on a swing, or something similar to focus attention in the image on them.

• Lighting does matter. Although natural light outdoors is generally the best lighting for photographs, direct sunlight must be used carefully as it causes harsh shadows. Using the fill flash on a digital camera can help to reduce such shadows. Otherwise, taking shots in the shade, on an overcast day, or in the morning or evening when the sun is less harsh can help alleviate this problem.

For images that truly capture the personality of people that matter to us, photographs taken by family members can offer a dimension that is very difficult to capture in a studio. A willingness to experiment with more relaxed and natural poses or to avoid posing completely will provide a collection of photographs that reflect and record our lives more accurately.

Today an inexpensive digital camera can transform that light into electrical impulses with accuracy and brilliance that even film can’t match. It can store hundreds of images on a sliver of silicon no bigger than your thumbnail. Those images can easily be sent across the country in seconds, be shared with hundreds of people at once, and even be modified to create an utterly new reality. The tools and skills necessary to do all this are within the reach of nearly anyone. You hold in your hands the book that will unlock those skills for you.

It’s fitting that the author himself has traveled a similar path. Mikkel Aaland has worked as an itinerant photographer, making pictures much as his 19th-century counterparts must have, in a makeshift studio-on-wheels, capturing images of anyone with a few dollars to spare. After nine years on the road, the result was his 1981 book, County Fair Portraits. Shortly thereafter, another legend, Ansel Adams, told Mikkel that if he were beginning all over again he’d be shooting digital. Mikkel took the great man at his word and became one of the first to use, and write about, digital photography.

When Photoshop was first released in 1990, a Michel reviewed it. In 1992, he wrote Digital Photography, one of the earliest books published on the subject, and he has written many more since. He has worked as a professional photographer, using top-of-the-line digital equipment, and as a proud husband and father he has captured his own life with the same consumer-grade cameras the rest of us use. He’s also been teaching digital techniques for the past several years on my TV, radio, and online shows. There is no better guide to the magical transformation of light and dark into bits and bytes.

Photography, from the Greek for “writing in light,” has rewritten our notion of time and history. Digital photography is reworking our notion of reality itself. One of the great technological innovations of the 19th century is once again leading the way in the 21st. Here is your chance to be a part of the revolution—to start Shooting Digital.

Understanding how the focal length of your lenses relates to the shutter speed you are shooting with.

If your shooting with a 50mm lenses the rule of thumb is that you can hand hold your camera with shutter speeds of 1/50th of a second and higher. With a 200mm lenses that it’s 1/200th of a second. With expensive image stabilization lenses you can hand hold a 200mmm at about 1/100th of a second maybe 1/60th of a second if you have steady hands. One trick I have used to squeeze an extra shutter speed stop while hand holding my camera is holding my breath and keeping my arm tight close to my chest. Knowing your lenses and remembering this simple tip should yield sharper results in your photos while hand holding your digital SLR camera.

Understanding the focus system in your camera

Practically every digital SLR camera focuses when you press the shutter button halfway down. Usually you will hear a beep and see a green or red square through the viewfinder. This is what the camera is focusing on. Then press the button the rest of the way down to take the picture. Understand that the computer inside the camera is looking at differences in image contrast and that difference is what is focusing the camera. Most digital SLR cameras also let you change the focus point manually to anywhere there is a predetermined point in the viewfinder. At a minimum you will get 9 points of focus up to 45 points of focus. It depends on the model and make of your digital SLR camera.

While executing my day-to-day shooting I always start with my focus point in the center of the viewfinder then I move it according to the subject I am shooting. It is easy to forget about where you set your focus point and then wonder why your photos are off focus or out of focus. So when you start a shoot the first place to check is where your focus point is and then center it, this should help you get more shots in focus.

Stability and when to use a tripod

If you are dealing with long exposures when shooting or if the shutter speed exceeds the focal length, then you need to use a tripod. All tripods are not the same. If in the studio a lightweight tripod can be used effectively if you weigh it down with sandbag or an alterative weighting device. When outdoors use a tripod on the heavier side is probably best, it also depending on weather condition. If there is a lot of wind you really need to secure the tripod with weight or some tripods even have a feature where you can spike them in the ground for more stability.

Any movement during a shot with a long exposure will almost always render that shot useless and that is why stability is so important. One of the newest advancements in camera technology is “image stabilization” in both lenses and camera bodies. This new technology is great and its best used if shooting with two hands on the camera and bracing your body against something. Still in some shooting situations there is still no replacement for a good weighted tripod.

How to handle strong backlighting

Backlighting subjects can be our enemy. Many people try to shoot a photo with a strong bright window light in the background, and then wonder why the shot didn’t come out. Why does this happen? The bright light from the window floods the lens, and your camera usually can’t compensate for it. One way to combat this is to use a fill flash on your subject or use a large white fill card. Another option is to diffuse the strong window light and fill the subject with a white fill card. Do not be afraid of backlighting use it to your advantage, just remember you need to counteract a strong backlight with a strong fill.

Understanding the effects of ISO in Digital SLR Cameras

Digital SLR cameras have some of the same characteristics as film SLR Cameras like interchangeable lenses, viewfinders, matrix metering, etc, but they do not handle ISO the same way. They are similar in that the relative ISO setting handles the light sensitivity that reaches the sensor or film. Where they differ is in the look they achieve in the final product. High ISO speeds on film have a certain film grain look to them that can be pleasing, but high ISO speeds on a digital SLR camera creates noise on the files and the look is not the same as film grain. In most situations noise is your enemy. If you want that film grain look, shoot your digital photos with the lowest possible ISO and then use Alien Skins Exposure® 2 plug in for Photoshop to achieve that film grain look.

In closing mastering these five tips will make your photography stronger, sharper, in focus and properly lit.

Historically, the earliest cameras were first developed in the tenth century by a Persian mathematician, but photographic processing and chemical photography didn’t actually come to light until the nineteenth century, when a French inventor came up with the first permanent photograph in 1826. This first photographic print took a whole eight hours to expose and, while traditional photography made long strides in order to reduce the time it took to process photos, it wasn’t until the birth of digital photography that photographers were truly freed of the need to be within close access to processing facilities.

Commercial digital photography is often said to have begun with the unveiling of the Kodak DCS 100 in 1990, but the high cost of digital cameras meant that its uses didn’t stray much away from professional photographers and photo journalists. It was only in the late 1990s and early 2000s that digital photography began to find its way into the home. The take-up of digital cameras became so widespread that in 2004, Kodak announced it would no longer be producing re-loadable film cameras, with both Nikon and Canon following suit in 2006.

It’s clear that digital cameras offer both the professional and amateur photographer a range of benefits. With a traditional re-loadable camera, printed photos that turned out blurry or were unwanted would simply have to be thrown away, with the processing fee already paid for. However, with digital cameras, it’s easy to delete photos that you don’t want – making more room for photos that you do.

Additionally, digital photo printing has become much more widely available today. In the early days of home digital cameras, printing out digital photos was largely confined to in-home printers, with only the best quality colour ink cartridges being able to cope with such high resolution images. But now, it’s possible to find affordable digital photo printing from online photo processing services and on the high street.

Moreover, digital photos give you the option of having your photos printed on personalised items, like a mug or family Christmas cards. Many people even choose to get digital photos of special occasions, like a landmark birthday or a wedding, printed in book form, so there’s less likelihood of special photos being lost or becoming faded. And while the traditional medium of printed photographs can hold nostalgic value, it’s becoming increasingly clear to many that digital photography is the only way to go!

The cumbersome ways of reloading rolls of film are over. Nowadays you will find that camera’s do not need film and are instead full of memory that stores the images taken. The camera has two ways of storing the images. The first being in itself and the other in the memory card which usually ranges from 24mb upto 1or 2bg, depending on how you big you want it. When you are tired of storing the film in your digital camera, you can move them into your personal computer or laptop. After storing it in the PC, you can either burn them onto CD’s or DVD’s depending on how many images you have.

You can also print out your photo’s or take them in a CD or DVD to your nearest photo studio who have the equipment of developing the image from the CD into a photograph like the old film kind. Only this way the clarity of the photo will be better than it was with the old cameras and you find that the photo doesn’t look over exposed or ruined because of the sunlight.

Digital photography at its best

 

We have arrived at an era when digital media is more commonplace.  It has become more cost effective, the results are pleasing, and the ease of sharing, viewing and archiving make it convenient for many users.  History has shown that multimedia has gone through a continual  evolution in regard to the use of formats and storage media.  Many of us may confront issues regarding how we want to deal with photography.  Should we consider the use of our own digital camera?  The answer will depend on your views about how such a change would impact your life.  Surely the consideration of owning a digital camera represents a collection of new challenges.  This article will present an overview of some of the issues that are involved.

 

What is required?

 

The camera itself represents a substantial outlay of money, however it is not the only outlay that will be required.  Fortunately, digital cameras are cost competitive with film cameras that may be used for most general purposes.  The collection of features in a given camera will affect its price.  A simple way of comparing digital cameras is by the number of Megapixels that show in an image frame.  If you choose a one Megapixel camera, you will find that full-frame images will be slightly larger than the viewing area of a monitor screen that is set for a resolution (or screen area) of 800 X 600 pixels.

 

Another major determinant of adaptability is the zoom capability.  The zoom range that is most significant to the user is the range of “optical zoom.”  Digital zoom range is generally of less significance, as the user can deal with these settings while using an image modifying program after the image file is in the computer.  Other features that may be of importance is whether you have viewing capability on the camera for seeing the image in a digital screen viewer before taking a picture as well as a digital screen that can show a selected image frame after the picture is taken.  Provision for taking flash pictures may be an important consideration.  Also, it is beneficial to have a display screen that shows how many pictures can be taken before the flash card is full.

 

Note that the flash card can be removed from the camera and replaced with a spare flash card, just as you would do with film cartridges.  One difference is that the flash card is not light sensitive and its location in the camera is not in the light path that is used for taking pictures, so no precautions are needed before opening the slot where the flash card is installed.  Closing the slot involves a mechanism that slides the card into position and makes contact to the “pads.”  Opening the slot works in the opposite fashion and ejects the card just far enough that it can be grasped with fingers for removal.

 

You will find that savings will accrue when you don’t have to pay for film or standard film photo processing.

 

Camera accessories that are often selected at the time of purchase can include things like a spare “flash (memory) card,” batteries, battery charger, carrying case, etc.  Recognize that your total outlay will be dependent on whether a given accessory is included in the camera’s price.  A flash card has a thin substrate that contains a bunch of memory elements.  It is slightly more than an inch on each side, and less than an eighth of an inch thick.  It has a few plated copper “pads” on the substrate that provide connection points for applying power to it and for transferring signal data in and out of it.  It is convenient to make these accessory selections at this time, as you are already at the location where they have the items and know which ones will fit your camera.  However, accessories can be bought at any time from a reputable camera store.

 

You must consider the means for copying image frames from the flash card in the camera.  If you copy these files to your own computer, there should be enough accessories and software bundled with the camera to provide for these needs.

 

The most common type of interfacing connection between camera and computer is a USB cable that mates with the camera at one end and with the computer at the other end.  If your computer does not have a USB port available, perhaps the easiest way to add one or two of them is to use a USB card that gets installed in a PCI slot within your computer.  This requires that your computer have and available PCI slot.  If your operating system is Windows 98 or newer, chances are that Windows will “see” the new hardware and install the required driver for it when the computer boots after the USB card is installed.

 

The software for transferring image frames from the camera’s flash card to your computer must be installed and the user must learn how to operate it.

 

There are so-called flash card readers which can be used to transfer data in or out of a flash card.  The reader has the ability to accept dowloads from the flash card by removing it from a camera and placing it in the card reader.  A reader will often serve as a writer if you have need for that, and a media device that can “read” from a flash card.

 

Another form of media used with some digital cameras is a floppy disk that inserts into the camera and is removed with images in JPG format.  If this is the media used in a one Mpixel camera, you could get five shots on one disk, and may find that an indicator of how many remaining frames may be taken on a partially filled disk may not be important.  This represents a very easy way to transfer image data to a computer.

 

Minimum system requirements for all new devices and software must be considered if everything is to work properly.

 

Other means of transferring image frames exist.  To do so in conjunction with your computer, an external device can be purchased that will accept the flash card and will provide the ability to gather and retain the image files that can be copied to any available computer.

 

Another option is to take the flash card to a photo processor and have them provide the image files on a disk.  Of course, this involves processing cost, but may not be as expensive as you expect.

 

Recent trends in battery selection for devices like digital cameras favor the NiMH, or Nickel-Metal Hydride type.  They are more tolerant to many kinds discharge-recharge cycles, and will last for more recharge cycles than the Nickel-Cadmium types.  They may give better service if a special charger is used with them.  Some digital cameras use a custom battery and others use a few cells of standard size, like AA or AAA.   Some users prefer to have two sets of them that are never mixed with members from the other set.  One caution – don’t expect them to retain their charge as long as Alkaline or NiCad batteries.  You may prefer that the batteries be of the standard AA or AAA configuration for a few reasons, one of which is that they are less expensive when buying as a spare or as a replacement than a custom battery.  Also, you may be able to put in standard alkaline cells in an emergency.

 

Two forms of batery chargers are available, one for restoring charge when the batter(y) (ies) (is) (are) out of the camera, and one for replenishing charge when the batteries are in the camera, as the drain can be substantial when using the LCD viewer or when downloading pictures.

 

Taking pictures with a digital camera

 

Some differences in technique are required, as the digital image data is captured in a manner that is different from a film camera.  Most digital cameras have a shutter that will make settings of focus and contrast when the shutter button is half-way down, and this process may add a delay to the time before the shutter operates.

 

When looking through a viewer, it is desirable to have a digital screen in the eyepiece viewer.  One reason this is important is to ensure that certain types of scenes will retain the color elements correctly.  A user should be aware that many digital cameras can do poorly with scenes such as sunrises if they point the camera at the foreground slightly below the horizon and in line with the sun before pressing the shutter.  This may result in an image that shows none of the color or brightness of the sky.  However, if you use the shutter button to pre-focus (and pre-contrast) on the sky, and hold the shutter button half-way down as your re-direct the camera toward the preferred framing direction, you will see if the colorful features in the sky will be retained in the picture.  If you have a 2 Mpixel or 4 Mpixel camera, you don’t need to point the camera in the preferred framing direction, as you can obtain a reasonably wide-angle result and unnecessary piture content can be removed later by cropping.

 

Generally speaking, a digital camera will use a shutter speed that is faster than a film camera, which relieves the user from having to steady the digital camera as much to avoid blurred pictures.  The implications are that telephoto work can be done with a digital camera without a tripod if the user is steady, the camera has considerable zoom capability, and the scene is well lit.  This is an interesting result that can be obtained without an expensive and heavy detachable lens, which would be required on a film camera.  Also, many digital cameras have an autoexposure feature that tends to make a setting of fast shutter and fast f-stop.  Thus, an amateur photographer can do a respectable job with telephoto photography, where the narrow-angle view may be the only manual adjustment needed for point-and-shoot pictures.  Because the fast shutter speed makes the camera more tolerant of slight motion while taking a picture, some have come to regard this effect as a virtual “stabilizer.”  In more expensive cameras, many will have a feature called “image blur reduction.”  This is especially useful when taking telephoto pictures.  Read the instruction manual for the camera to set up this feature.  It may require that you press the shutter button halfway and hold it for a second or longer for this feature to become operational prior to operating the shutter.

 

Some of the better digital cameras do can an excellent job of taking close-ups, as their focus range may include four inches to infinity.

 

With the digital viewer on the back of the camera, you can have some assurance that a satisfactory photo has been obtained.  However, it has limited resolution and limited ability to show a good display in sunlight.  You can delete images from the flash card that you don’t want and free up memory for additional frames to be shot on the same flash card.

 

For most purposes, a user will be satisfied with images in the JPG format.  With a 2 Mpixel camera, each frame will require about 0.5 MB of file space.  Thus a 32 MB flash card will serve to retain up to 64 image frames.

1. How many “megapixels” /resolution?

Once and for all, at least to me, you have to get the highest resolution your money can buy at the time you buy. Period.

2. Who made the lens?

Most cameras will give you an idea where the lens was made just by looking at the front of the lens. Know if the lens of your camera came from a reputable company like Leica, Zeiss, Canon, Etc… Lens quality is one of the most important factors you should consider especially if you’re going to use it for commercial, technical or scientific purposes.

3. Will I need interchangeable lenses? How many are available for my specific camera in mind?

Having the option of interchangeable lenses gives you the freedom to experiment with different kinds of focal lengths. Although some P&S (point and shoot) cameras can rival DSLR’s with a generous zoom range for a non interchangeable lens system.

Also note the number of lenses available for use with your specific camera because of flexibility reasons. You can practically cover the entire “zoom range” with interchangeable lenses versus modest zoom ranges on non interchangeable lens systems or P&S cameras.

4. Does it have a zoom capability? What’s the range?

Almost all applications that I listed above will need some form of zooming in (telephoto) or out (wide angle), especially if you don’t have the space to move around the object you are shooting.

For Landscape shots, wide angle shots are very common and appealing while zooming in on the details serves as a break and complements the wide angle shots.

For weddings and events, you need a zoom because there will be times where you are limited by the shooting space and you will have a difficult time moving around. Its a good thing to know that you can do all sorts of framing without even moving from your position.

A nice zoom will give you the efficiency and versatility in your photography, so my suggestion is to go for the longest range you can get (usually from a 7X to a 10X for Point and Shoots).

Also note the speed of zooming in or out as this will be a factor if you’re shooting events like weddings. You will fail to capture that “decisive moment” on a mediocre zoom speed.

5. Does it have the provision to capture raw images?

Many photographers will say you’ll need this digital camera feature if you want to have big prints from your pictures. Although this is correct, the main reason why you will want this is because of the benefit it will give you…pure total control of your pictures… from exposure, color, metadata, hdr and a lot more.

6. Can I attach an external flash?

Having an external flash capability will give you the power and creative freedom to light your subjects any which way you like.

You can connect your digital camera to all sorts of lighting equipment thus giving you more options and versatility. This comes in the form of a hotshoe or a PC-Sync socket.

If your digital camera doesn’t have this feature, there is still hope because accessories called flash slaves are being sold by third party companies in different flavors that will also do the same job more or less.

7. Does it have a tripod socket?

Some of the most beautiful landscape pictures that I’ve seen are undoubtedly made with a tripod, so this is a must have if you are planning to do this kind of photography.

The “available light shots” in a wedding, still life and product shots, studio and fine art shots … all need a tripod for successful execution… so guess what happens if you don’t have a tripod socket?… You cannot effectively use a tripod!

8. Does it have automatic and manual focusing?

It will not be evident at first why you’ll need this especially if you’re just starting out in photography. But if you’re like me… A total control freak when it comes to cameras… and you really want to express your creative side, this is definitely a must have.

9. Can you attach filters to it? and what filter size?

Creative expression through special effects is just one of the many reasons that makes photography fun and interesting, and experimenting with filters is one creative pursuit you should try with your photography especially if you’re a beginner.

Always remember to ask if the particular digital camera you are eyeing for can handle filters and ask for the filter size. (To save you from buying the right filter with the wrong filter size) Please note that most Digital SLRs should be able to to handle filters as most lenses that come with it have a filter thread built into the lens.

Most P&S (point and shoot) digital cameras normally doesn’t have a filter thread built-in and might need special accessories to accomplish this so you should check to know for sure.

Again, there are many third party accessories that you could buy to adapt filters to your P&S digital cameras that don’t have this provisions. I’ll discuss all about this in a future post so watch for it. (Or subscribe to my announcement list (feed via email) so you’ll know when it’s up.

10. Can I upgrade the firmware?

The good thing about some digital camera manufacturers is that they keep on improving their digital cameras even after they sold it to you… this comes in the form of a firmware upgrade.

Usually this involves an improvement on one or many features of a camera. Be sure that the digital camera you’re planning to buy has an easy way of upgrading its firmware. This comes in the form of either an easy download via the manufacturer’s website (find it and bookmark it now) or a FREE CDROM.

Another caveat – be sure to consider if a downgrade is also possible or available with your digital camera… Why is there a need a downgrade you ask?… Because, you may want to reinstall an earlier firmware… just in case you don’t like the results from a firmware upgrade.

Occasionally there’s a feature that will be removed by the upgrade that you failed to read about and you decided that you just want to keep that feature instead of a bunch of trivial upgrades from the new firmware. (Yes, I personally experienced this.)

11. Are there extra goodies or software that come with it?

Some people ignore the fact that you can save a lot of money just by doing a simple arithmetic. Did you know that you could actually get your digital camera for a lot less if you study the deals and offers on the marketplace?

If you buy a digital camera and it comes with software that you can really use… like photoshop, elements, or any other image editing software for that matter, then you already saved some money you would otherwise spend. Some dealers will throw in lots of extras… If you just simply ask.

Always try to ask for these things that you’ll end up buying anyway if you don’t – like camera bags, extra lenses, extra batteries, memory cards, tripod, lens cleaners etc. Trust me… you will end up buying these things if you don’t ask for it on the deal. What have you got to lose? Simply ASK. Would you believe that I effectively lowered one of my camera purchase cost by as much as 30%? Ask away.

12. Is there Local Support in your area?

Finding the answer to this one will give you a great benefit in the long run. Wouldn’t you sleep better at night because you feel that extra security – that in case there is something wrong with your digital camera, you can bring it in for repair at a moments notice?

Not knowing when your camera will be repaired (or if it even arrived at a distant repair facility) is one of the worst feelings a photographer can have especially if you’re in the middle of a photoshoot or project.

13. What type of warranty does it have? Worldwide / Countrywide?

If you travel a lot its good to know that a countrywide or even better – a worldwide warranty can get your camera fixed wherever you are. Always bring the warranty card and glue it on your camera bag.

14. Does it have the ability to take video and audio?

I know, most DSLRs don’t have this function. But some non interchangeable lens DSLRs have it. This is a very useful feature to have if you’re on a project or photoshoot and want to document or record a procedure, a moment, or an idea that you would otherwise have trouble remembering or even writing. It’s always a good idea to bring a P&S camera backup that have this function.

The things that you could do with audio and videoclips on a photoshoot are only limited by your imagination… interviews, documentation, funny quips, training procedures, bloopers, etc..

15. Does it have a manual white balance?

White balance is one of the most interesting aspects of digital cameras. Its fun and fascinating to work with. Having this option puts the photography fun-o-meter way way up. In future posts, I will be discussing white balance in detail so be sure to stay tuned.

16. How sensitive is it to infrared?

If you’re planning to make infrared pictures or enter the exciting world of Infrared fine art photography then you’ll want to know if your digital camera can do it.

TIP: There is a simple way to test how sensitive your digital camera is to infrared using a very common device – a TV remote control. For P&S, you can aim the remote control towards the lens and gauge how bright the LED from remote is. This should give you an idea how sensitive your digital camera is to infrared. For DSLRs you will need to take shots of the LED and experiment a little or you can simply research or google the particular camera model you have in mind for other people’s experiences and thoughts about it.

17. How high is the ISO sensitivity? Is it manually adjustable?

ISO sensitivity is a term referring to the sensitivity of film to light. In the digital camera world, it refers to the sensitivity of the electronic sensor in your digital camera in relation to the ISO standard used for film.

The higher the ISO sensitivity of your camera the faster or better it can record a specific amount of light.

High ISO sensitivity is useful for taking better pictures in dark settings… such as inside a church or at night. The higher the ISO setting, the more details you can capture of a dark scene.

One caveat – take note of the amount of noise a particular camera exhibits at higher ISOs. Some people like it and some don’t. Again, don’t be afraid to ask or do research on the noise characteristics of your camera model in mind to see if this is the right choice for you.

18. How high or low can you set the shutterspeed? What are the minimum and maximum aperture settings?

Shutterspeed and aperture settings are the basic mechanisms that drive your camera and controls the amount of light that is exposed by the film or image sensor.

You use high shutterspeeds in action shots and to prevent camera shake, and you use low shutterspeeds for movement effects and bulb or long exposures. You can check for these figures on the websites that I gave you in part 1. You can see it in the technical specifications for a particular camera.

A bulb or “T” function is a nice feature to have because you can take exposures for virtually very long periods of time. Another feature to have is if your camera has a remote control to use this bulb or “T” mode. This gives you the capability to take pictures without holding your camera and adding to the “camera shake”.

With the subject of apertures, a small one (small aperture opening) lets you have a wider depth of field so your shots are sharp from near to far versus a large aperture (big aperture opening) where your shots have a narrow depth of field and appear “selectively focused”.

19. Does it have some form of an image stabilizer?

New cameras coming out as we speak often have this feature. Simply put, an image stabilizer is some form of a mechanism built into the lens or the camera body (depending on the manufacturer and their implementation) that basically prevents you from getting blurred pictures when taking pictures in low light or you are using a long or telephoto lens. Having this feature can mean the difference between a blurry picture (aka no picture!) to a usable one.

20. How close can it focus? Macro abilities?

The closer your camera can focus… the bigger the picture of an object you can take in relation to the image dimensions of the final photo… and the bigger the picture of the object… the more detail you can get. If you want to take pictures of small objects such as flowers and fine details then this is a must-have.

That’s it. Whew.

Do you really have to go over all these questions?… Of course not, but even if you only study and ponder on half of them…and take the time… I promise you that one thing will surely happen…

You’ll be…

a lot smarter!

than when you first started asking these questions… ergo you’ll be in a better position to decide what digital camera to buy… Because you are now armed with the most powerful tool anybody can have

the power of information!

In any case, I hope you find as much value in these questions as many of my friends have and be able to get the camera of your dreams.

Enjoy!