Digital Camera Assignment

Learning Activity 03 – How to use a Digital Camera

§  Why go digital? What are some of the reasons to use digital photographs?

Digital photographs have many advantages over film photographs. While film photographs need to be developed and also scanned when you want to share them with other people, digital photographs are internet-ready as soon as the picture has been taken. It allows for quick sharing with friends and family who live miles away from you and digital cameras are also more handy, easier to use and cheaper to run than film cameras.

When using film cameras, you cannot see if you’ve taken a photo you don’t like, thus wasting time and money getting prints made of a photo that’s no good. However, when using a digital camera, you can easily cycle through photos you’ve taken and delete ones that you don’t like before getting them printed.

Digital photographs never deteriorate unlike film photographs that fade or can get damaged. This is because the photographs can be stored on a hard drive, but to store film photographs on a hard drive, you’ll have to spend hours upon hours scanning each single photo into the computer. The more you scan a film photograph, the more it looks less like the original. Although, no matter how many copies you make of a digital photograph, it will always look as good as the original with no loss of quality.

As you can see, there are a lot of reasons why you should use digital cameras to take digital photographs.

§  What is a digital photograph? What are pixels?

A digital photograph is made up of a series of pixels (also known as pel or picture elements). Pixels are extremely tiny parts of an image. The more there are, the more accurately portrayed the image is to the original. Pixels are commonly rendered as small squares, but can sometimes be seen rendered as dots, lines and even smooth filtering.

§  What is the relationship between the number of pixels and quality of the image?

The number of pixels determines the quality in a photograph. The greater amount of pixels, the higher the quality of the photograph will be.

§  The three steps of digital photography

Explain the three basic steps involved in creating and using digital photographs and briefly give examples.

o   Step 1: Inputting photographs – The first step of digital photography is taking a photo with a digital camera.

o   Step 2: Processing photographs – Once a photograph has been taken, it can be stored digitally on a computer or hard drive. From this point, you can manipulate and edit the image to your heart’s content by using image-editing software such as Photoshop. Some common or popular ways to edit a photograph include:

§  cropping the image to make it smaller

§  adding image effects, like black and white or sepia

§  changing the brightness and/or contrast

§  changing the image format

o   Step 3: Outputting photographs – After you’ve taken the photograph and edited it to your liking, there are numerous ways in which you can share with friends and family or display it for the world to see. Below are some of the ways you can do this:

§  upload the photograph to a photo-sharing website such as Flickr and Photobucket

§  upload the photograph to a blogging website such as Blogger and LiveJournal

§  add the photograph as an attachment to an e-mail and send it to family/friends

§  print the photographs out and frame them or put them into photo albums

§  create photo slideshows that can be put on to a DVD and show it to family/friends

§  How a digital camera works – How similar is a digital camera to a traditional camera?

Digital and traditional cameras are pretty similar by means of how they work and what parts they have. Both of these types of cameras for the following similarities:

o   Sizes and shapes

o   Lens and flash

o   Batteries

o   Viewfinders

o   Focus

o   Shutters

o   Apertures

Basically, there are only very few real differences with traditional and digital. Digital photographs are just that, digital. The photos can be transferred directly to a computer without needing to be scanned first like traditional photographs. Digital cameras are generally cheaper to run than traditional cameras as well because the prices of digital cameras have been decreasing over the years, and you don’t need to buy film or even batteries for some of them. You will be able to easily find a good camera brand for a reasonable price.

§  What is hand-colouring? What is the history behind hand colouring? Why was it used?

Hand-colouring is a method in which colour is manually added to black and white photographs. This method is generally used to intensify the realism in older photographs. The first known use of such a method was in 1839 and was known as the daguerreotype process and it was the first publicly announced photographic process.

§  Types of digital cameras

Digital cameras can be divided into three groups based on their image resolution, features and price. Find out some prices and briefly give an outline of each of the following –

Type of Camera	Name & Brand	Price Range	Specs
Point and Click	Sony Cyber-shot – Dscw830	$152-$179	§  20.1 megapixels §  8x optical zoom §  Image effects §  Face detection §  Supports SD memory cards
Prosumer	Canon EOS 600D	$555-$599	§  18.0 megapixels §  3.7 fps continuous shooting speed §  3” screen §  HDMI output §  Image effects §  Supports SD memory cards
Professional	Canon EOS 1200D	$422-$679	§  18.0 megapixels §  3 fps continuous shooting speed §  3” screen §  Mini HDMI output §  Supports SD memory cards

§  Speciality cameras

These sorts of specialty cameras have recently come on the market, eg: security cameras, helmet cameras. Describe some of their advantages and special features.

o   Car Dash Cameras – this specific type of camera is being used more frequently than ever before. It can be used to record road trips or to help provide evidence of traffic offences or crimes.

§  2.0 megapixels

§  Viewing angles of up to 120 degrees

§  Up to 30 fps

§  Supports SD memory cards

§  Emergency record button

§  Motion Sensors

§  Loop recording

§  Image storage

o   Describe how digital cameras store their images.

Early generations of digital cameras had fixed storage. Images were stored directly to this fixed storage, and from there you had to connect the camera to a computer. While there may still be some of those types of digital cameras around today, most of today’s cameras have the ability to use memory cards of varied sizes. Images will be stored on the memory card which can then be removed and put into a computer that has a card reader, or the camera itself can be plugged into the computer.

o   Name some of the popular makes of Flash cards on the market. What are their features?

The most common and popular makes of flash memory cards are:

§  Lexar – this brand is not one of the cheapest available, but comes with lifetime warranty and they focus solely on memory.

§  Kingston – most cards in this brand come with lifetime warranty, and their cards have been known to last a good decade (or more) if used correctly and responsibly.

§  SanDisk – a very versatile brand that has a card for almost anything. One of, if not, THE best supplier of memory cards available today.

§  Sony – one of the first manufacturers of memory cards, most commonly found at almost any retail shop and is reliable and high quality.

§  Downloading images, what to plug in.

Explain the process of downloading. What are some of the ways of transferring images to the computer?

There are a couple of different ways that you can transfer images from a camera to a computer. Below are two of the ways you can transfer photos to your computer:

1.       USB Cable – this is probably the most commonly used way of transferring photographs. Basically, all you have to do is plug the cable that came with the camera into the camera and then into the USB slot on the computer and then turn the camera on. From there, you can go to: My Computer > “Camera Name Here” > DCIM. Inside the DCIM (Digital Camera Images) folder, you’ll find all of your photographs which you can then copy/cut and paste on to your hard drive. This method can also be a little risky if the camera you’re using takes batteries. Files on the camera can become corrupt if the camera’s batteries run out of juice during a transfer. Make sure the batteries are fully charged before attempting this method. You’re safe if your camera doesn’t take batteries and charges via USB cable because it will remain charging while the transfer takes place.

2.       SD Card – another popular way of transferring photographs is by using the SD card (memory card) that is inside the camera itself. You do this by opening the SD card slot on the camera, removing it and putting it inside the card reader on your computer or by using an external card reader which can connect to the computer via USB. Once it’s in, you go to: My Computer > “Removable Disc” > DCIM. Inside the DCIM (Digital Camera Images) folder, you’ll find all of your photographs which you can then copy/cut and paste on to your hard drive. This method doesn’t hold any risk unlike the above method.

§  Image sensors

o   In your own words, what is resolution? Describe the importance of image quality.

The resolution of an image refers to the amount of quality that there is in an image. The higher the resolution, the better the quality. Resolution also involves the size of an image in relation to monitor resolutions as well. If the image’s resolution is too low for the monitor, the image will appear small and will be distorted or blurred when stretched to fit the screen. Likewise, if the image’s resolution is higher than that of the monitor’s, the image will be too big and cut off at the edges.

               

o   What is a megapixel? How does it relate to the quality of the photos?

A megapixel equals to one million pixels. The quality of an image is somewhat affected by the amount of megapixels that are in an image. Different amounts of megapixels are required depending on how the picture will be used or viewed.

When printing photographs; the bigger the print, the more megapixels you’ll need. If the amount of megapixels isn’t enough for the size of the print, the image won’t look as sharp as it could if it had more.

It’s a different story if you’re planning on solely using the photographs on the computer. For this situation, you only need the bare minimum of megapixels for the photographs to look any good. This is because computer monitors are usually only around one megapixel themselves.

§  Digital camera file formats

Summarise in your own words some of the basic formats your digital camera offers and why you would choose them.

Digital cameras provide many different types of file formats. The most commonly used ones are:

o   JPEG – a type of compressed file format that is best used to display photographs on websites.

o   RAW – a lossless compressed file format that contains more colour in each pixel of the photograph.

JPEG is the file format I choose to take my photographs because it’s the most commonly used throughout the worldwide web and easy for me to edit.

§  Preview screens & viewfinders

What is the difference between a preview screen and a viewfinder? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

A preview screen is an LCD screen on the back of the camera that can be used to see a preview of what you’re about to take a photo of so you can adjust your position and settings prior to taking the photo. A viewfinder is a traditional part of the camera that can be used instead of the preview screen but you can’t adjust the camera as easily as you can when using the screen itself.

	Advantages	Disadvantages
Preview Screen	§  The most common reason people use the preview screen is convenience. §  Using the preview screen adds flexibility and creativity to photography since you don’t have to have the camera close to you. §  You are immediately able to preview the photograph you’ve taken after taking it.	§  Photos can commonly be shot blurry because you’re holding the camera away from your body which will in turn cause the camera to shake. §  Depending on the types of batteries you use, using the preview screen can eat up battery power more quickly than using the viewfinder. §  Using cameras in situation of high light can cause the LCD image to become extremely bright and very difficult to see if the photo will turn out.
Viewfinder	§  A traditional method of photography that a lot of older generations have become accustomed to. §  Blurry photos are less likely to occur due to holding the camera closer to your body which in turn causes less shakiness. §  Saves a lot of battery power.	§  People who wear glasses may find it difficult to use the viewfinders. §  Most digital cameras have a very small viewfinder which makes them fiddly and difficult to use. §  A fully extended zoom can often obstruct the view through the viewfinder.

§  Automatic Flash

Explain the different flash modes on the digital camera.

o   Automatic – In this mode, the camera chooses how to use the flash depending on the situation of the photo. Variables such as how dark it is, or how close or far away the subject is will determine the use of the flash.

o   Red-eye reduction – This mode is fundamentally the same as automatic, with the addition of a feature that helps reduce the red-eye effect that happens in a lot of photos, causing people’s eyes to appear red.

o   Flash off – A mode that often causes photos to become blurry. The flash doesn’t fire; therefore the photos come out appearing very dark. Sometimes using this mode is unavoidable because some places such as museums forbid flash photography.

               

§  Batteries

Explain the different types of batteries available for digital cameras.

                There are four different types of batteries that digital cameras can use.

o   Alkaline – The most commonly used type of battery. These standard batteries have a very short life span, especially when used in a digital camera. They are also used in almost anything else that uses batteries, such as MP3 players, remote controls and toys.

o   Lithium – This type of battery has a longer life span than alkaline and is most commonly used in small, portable electronic, such as watches and some digital cameras.

o   Rechargeable – There are two commonly used types of rechargeable batteries:

§  Nickel metal-hydride (NiMH)

§  Lithium-ion (Li-Ion)

Rechargeable batteries are much more practical to use in digital cameras than alkaline or lithium since they can be recharged over and over instead of being replaced. As long as they are looked after and used properly, they will last a long time.

o   Battery Packs – There are some digital cameras in which an additional battery pack can be fitted that can hold an extra two batteries to help increase the life span of the batteries.

§  What do these icons mean?

1.       The first icon indicates that the battery in the camera is fully charged.

2.       The second icon indicates that the battery in the camera is almost empty and needs to be charged.

§  Software

Describe some of the software that comes with the digital camera.

Most digital cameras are provided with free image-editing software. A lot of the software is pretty basic, if anything. It has been suggested by a number of different people that none of the software is worth using, and instead it is a better idea to use other types of software such as Adobe Photoshop Elements.

§  Meta Data

Information is recorded in a photo. Explain the advantages of this and describe how you would insert this into a Photoshop file. What are tags? How can tags help the user?

Metadata is a basically data about other data. A simple example of metadata is tags. Tags hold information about the photograph or image such as a description, location or time and day. This is helpful because it enables the user and other people to find images much easier.

§  Kodak has now folded and no longer exists.

How does this impact the digital camera market?

Although Kodak was pretty much the number one brand when it came to cameras, today’s technological advancements means that there will be a forever growing number of different brands available which is not at all affected by Kodak folding. Where there was something good, something better will always come along to replace it.

§  HDR

What is HDR and how can you use it in your photography or your images?

High Dynamic Range imaging, or HDR, is a method that is used to make photographs. It makes them look more dynamic by taking a few photographs of the same image, each at a different exposure and then when put together in the right way; they highlight parts of the image.