Photography Beginner to Expert Guide-Step-by Step

How to get best deal for buying digital camera?

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MAKING THE DEAL

Because you’re going to be investing some money into your new camera, you will, of course, want to get the best deal you can. That means the type of camera you need and/or want for the least amount of money possible. How do you find that?

You may be best off looking for expert help when purchasing a digital camera, particularly if you’re a first time buyer. You may want to buy from a local camera shop. You can't beat the personalized service and help from someone who knows cameras like the back of his or her own hand.

Digital cameras may cost a bit more at a local camera shop but it is often worth it for the service you get in return. A merchant may even lower the price if you ask! There’s no waiting for your purchase to arrive as you would have to if you bought off the Internet. You pay your money and get your camera right away.

Buying online can be a risky venture especially when it comes to the credibility of the person you are buying from. With a local shop, it’s easier to check the reputation of the merchant along with the reliability of his or her service.

You can hold the camera in your hand before you buy it and ask questions on the spot from the personnel there are the shop. They are even often willing to continue answering your questions after you buy from them. In addition, many local camera shops handle warranty and repair work, so you have someplace you can turn to if something goes wrong with the camera.

You will probably have better luck returning the camera or exchanging it for another one if the one you pick doesn’t work out. Some online companies charge a restocking fee for returns. Local shops will most likely not do this.

There are some disadvantages to buying locally, however. The price for a camera and accessories can be higher than online store or mega-mart type places and there may not be much variety to what is available right there in the shop. Brands and camera selection may be limited. It takes more time and effort to comparison shop as opposed to finding the camera online. Finally, you have to pay local sales tax.

Of course, we do live in the electronic age where everything and anything is available to almost anyone anywhere via the Internet. Comparison shopping is only a mouse click away which makes it possible for consumers to get a great deal on everything from designer clothing to automobiles.

If you turn to the Internet to buy your digital camera, you will get a lower price, there’s no doubt about that. But before you plunk down your hard-earned cash, be sure to do your homework about the merchant’s reputation and reliability and weigh the good with the bad.

Advantages:

You can make purchases 24 hours a day – great for those with busy schedules!
Significantly lower prices exist on the Internet
You have the ability to compare cameras by category, price, resolution, features, etc.
They provide direct delivery to an address of your choice
There is sometimes no sales tax for online purchases
Some online merchants don't charge for delivery
You can find a wide selection of cameras and accessories
Toll-free numbers for ordering and other inquiries are usually provided.

Disadvantages:

You won’t be able to hold the camera prior to purchase to see if it’s what you want
You must wait for delivery of item
The camera may be gray market (see more on this in the next section)
The product may not be in stock, requiring back ordering
There may be some high shipping and insurance charges
The company’s customer service may be poor
If you want to return the camera, this can be a hassle
It can be difficult to verify the reliability of a merchant
There’s a greater risk of being cheated if you are not dealing with a well-established merchant

It’s up to you how you decide to buy your camera, of course! Just be safe when doing so. You don’t want to make a huge investment in a digital camera only to be taken for a ride in the long run.

There are gray market cameras out there that you need to be aware of. What is a gray market camera?

Rechargeable batteries for your camera?

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POWER FOR YOUR CAMERA

One of the issues with digital cameras is the issue of power. Digital cameras require a lot of battery power, especially when using the LCD screen on the back of the camera.

When you buy a digital camera, rechargeable batteries are a must. Some cameras come standard with rechargeable batteries, while others do not. Either way, you will want to make sure you have at least two sets of rechargeable batteries.

There are several different rechargeable batteries on the market. NiMH _ an abbreviation for nickel metal hydride will perform the best, allowing you to recharge the batteries at any time while still holding their capacity.

Lithium ion batteries also hold their capacity fairly well. NiCad - an abbreviation for nickel cadmium – batteries are more temperamental, creating a "memory effect" if not charged properly. NiCad batteries will lose their capacity over time, so if given the choice, choose NiMH or lithium ion batteries.

If your camera came with a proprietary lithium ion rechargeable battery, read and follow the manufacturer's instructions carefully, order an extra battery and a 12V car charger if you can afford it, and skip the rest of this section. If it came with AAs or AA-equivalents like CR-V3 lithium disposables, read on.

AA batteries turn out to be a lot more complicated than anyone would have wished, but they're easily managed with a little knowledge and the proper tools. When in doubt, buy and carry additional spare battery sets. Along with ample memory, ample spares and a smart, fast charger with a 12V car adapter are the keys to carefree digital photography.

If your camera takes AAs, don't even think of using alkaline batteries—even if you found alkalines in the camera box. That includes those pricey super-duper ultra titanium jobs! Your best bet for battery power is going to be the NiMH.

In second place would be disposable lithium batteries. Lots of chain retailers carry disposable lithium AAs and NiMH AAs at reasonable prices nowadays.

Since NiMH batteries have no appreciable voltage depression or "memory" effect, feel free to charge them at your convenience. Be aware, however, that brand new NiMH AAs will need to complete 3-4 charge-discharge cycles to hit full stride. Only rarely will they need conditioning after that.

Speaking of conditioning, never discharge an NiMH AA below 1 volt. Actually, your camera will probably die and stop drawing your AAs down long before that happens, but in the event you want to recharge before the batteries are fully spent, you should wait until you reach that 1 volt minimum

If your camera came with disposable lithium CR-V3 batteries, and your NiMH AAs aren't yet ready for prime time, resist the urge to shoot up the CR-V3s as they make ideal emergency and cold weather back-ups for your camera bag.

OK, so now you know what kind of camera you want. How do you go about getting the best deal you can? Let’s go shopping!

How to choose digital cameras?

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SUGGESTED CAMERAS

Choosing a digital camera can be confusing to be sure! So we’ve put together a few suggestions based upon your level of expertise.

Beginners

Your photography style is simple and straightforward. You just want to take a picture and put it on your computer. You will want a point and shoot type camera in the under $400 range.

Find a camera with the following features:

Three to five megapixels
3X optical zoom
Automatic exposure
Scene modes
Optional camera dock to transfer, save & print
photos at a touch of a button and also charges the

camera batteries.

This type of camera will be lightweight, compact, and easy to use. It is best used in bright light and may do poorly in low light, so keep that in mind.

You may want to get a 128MB+ memory card for extra picture storage along with a memory card reader. Rechargeable batteries are almost a must. A camera case is also another accessory that will make it more convenient for you to carry your camera wherever you go.

Intermediate Users

You are an intermediate user if you enjoy taking your pictures and then using photo editing software to “tweak” the images. You also know how to make fun crafts from your pictures as well as uploading them to the internet to share with others.

Your camera is a compact style in the $400 to $700 range. It should have the following features

5 -7 megapixels
4X optical zoom or higher
Semi-automatic controls
Scene modes
Adjustable settings such as ISO (light sensitivity sensor),
white balance, and exposure compensation

With its more advanced features, you will have a camera that can do just about anything you want it to. In fact, it will have some of the performance aspects of digital SLR cameras which are the ones the professionals use.

For extra storage, look at a 256MB+ memory card and memory card reader. Of course, you’ll need extra batteries along with a battery charger. A good quality photo printer is a must. You’ll be much happier as well with a mid-sized camera bag to hold not only your camera, but your extras as well.

The Professional

You are absolutely passionate about photography and everything that it encompasses. You always have your camera with you and people are often asking you to take pictures of special events for them.

You probably don’t really need our suggestions at this level, but we’ll give it out anyway.

A digital SLR camera is best for you. Because you are so into your photography, you’ll want a camera that can give you the results you imagine in your mind. A camera like this, however, doesn’t come cheap. Be prepared to spend upwards of $800 to $1,000.

Include the following as well:

Six megapixels and up
JPEG, TIFF, and RAW formatting
Zoom width and length to meet your shooting style
Semi-automatic and full manual control
A variety of metering and focus modes including manual focus
Flash compensation
Save custom setting option
A hot shoe allowing for an external flash to be used.

A dSLR is a high quality camera with a high quality lens and mechanics. There is little or no noise when shooting and it can accept a variety of accessories and interchangeable lenses. It can, however, be quite bulky to carry.

The professional user will also want several high capacity, high speed memory cards and a card reader. As usual, we suggest extra rechargeable batteries and a charger. An external flash is good to have in several situations.

You may want to get some different lenses or converter lens kits. Filters make your pictures better, and a tripod is always nice to have around. A portable backup drive for your photos can save time and money when it comes to electronic equipment. Things can always happen with computers, but you certainly don’t want those things to happen to your pictures.

A large camera bag will make it nice to be able to carry around your supplies and tools.

We’ve already touched on batteries for your digital camera. We think this issue warrants a section of its own.

MEGAPIXELS: What really matters and what not? Let me tell you step by step

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THE IMPORTANCE OF MEGAPIXELS

One big part of the digital camera will be the number of megapixels it has and whether or not it will be enough for the type of photos you want to print.

Basically, megapixels are a unit of measurement in an image. If you think of your picture as a series of dots – which it is - the more densely the dots are put together, the better your picture will look.

The number of megapixels will determine the quality of your final photo. If you choose too few, your pictures won’t be what you want them to be. If you choose too many, you’re probably going to spending more money than you need to.

The higher the number of pixels, the better the resolution. The higher the resolution, the larger and higher quality prints you can make. Higher quality photos take up more space on your media card, but they will give you the best prints.

For many people, this is the most difficult part of buying a digital camera. How much is enough and how much is too much? Here are a few pointers to help you along the way.

2 megapixels or less

This is typically found on smaller, inexpensive cameras or cameras in combination with other devices (such as cell phones or PDAs).
It will be hard to make a high-quality print of any size, but these are just fine for e-mailing photos or posting photos for a personal web site.
Cameras with this range are not recommend for family portraits or if you really need a nice-looking print.
You can make some nice 4 x 6 prints and as large as 5 x 7 with good quality. Anything larger than that will appear blurry or distorted.
Expect to pay $100 to $150 for the camera alone, more for a combo unit.

3 megapixels

This is actually a good compromise between picture quality and low price for most casual photographers.
You can print lovely 4x6 images, decent 5x7s and, depending on the camera, might even knock out a good 6x9 or 8x10.
You will pay around $150 to $250.

4 megapixels

You're getting nicer. These images make practically photo-lab quality 4x6s, and great 5x7s and 6x9s.
You can print a nice 8x10 and even an 11 x 14.
You'll typically pay about $250 to $350.

5 megapixels

This will produce beautiful 8x10s, and even a nice 11x14. You may even be able to get even larger to a 16 x 20.
With this camera, you are getting closer to professional photographer levels, and the quality shows it.
And you'll pay the price, around $350 to $450.

6 megapixels and up

Wonderful image quality, but high price tags. You can print large photos, even 11x14 or perhaps more, with satisfying results.
There are some high-megapixel cameras coming out with lower price tags than most, but they usually have very few features.
Unless megapixels are the only thing you care about (it shouldn't be), don't get a camera that sounds outrageously inexpensive for its megapixel range.
In this category, expect to pay $450 and up, up, up.

Yes, I know it would be really cool to get that hot new 6 megapixel camera. If you have unlimited funds, that’s great. If you're like the rest of us working stiffs, you don't want to waste money on extras you don't need. And I can tell you right now, if you're just e-mailing pictures to your buddies, you don't need it.

There are a couple of other things to keep in mind. People get nuts about megapixels, but more isn't always better. Higher megapixels means larger image sizes, which in turn means more expensive memory cards and more space devoured on your computer's hard drive.

So now that I’ve got you completely confused, let’s make a few suggestions. Please keep in mind that these are just suggestions and not written in stone. You have to make your own decision; we’re just trying to guide you a little bit!

Finding the right DIGITAL CAMERA

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FINDING THE RIGHT CAMERA

There are tons and tons of digital cameras available for sale these days. The differences can be quite confusing. Many people just look at price, but that may not be the best way to find the right camera for you.

If you’re just the casual picture taker, you won’t need all the bells and whistles that come with a professional type camera, but you also want to make sure you are getting a product that will make your pictures look great at your inexperienced hands.

Even if you are a photography enthusiast, you can benefit from this information too. There are things in this book that you may not have thought about before. Things like shutter speed, pixel size, memory storage, etc. All of these things can make a difference in the type of pictures that you take.

So what should you consider when buying your first digital camera? Believe it or not, there are some very important things you should be thinking about.

First is money. Determine how much money you want to spend on your new camera. Setting a price range will allow you to target models that are affordable for you and keep you away from buying something you really don’t need anyway.

What will you be photographing? Do you expect your pictures to be mostly of the family or will it be of scenic views during your travels? You need to have a camera that best meets your needs. For example, if you are going to be shooting a lot of sports or action pictures, you’ll probably want a camera that can shoot at high speeds.

Will you be shooting a lot of close-ups or frequently taking photos from a distance? You’ll need a camera with zoom capabilities – at least 3 times zoom. Let’s say you’re at your son’s high school graduation, and you’re in the very last row of bleachers because you were running late getting to the school. You can still get a great picture of Junior getting his diploma – if you have zoom capabilities. I’ve owned a digital camera without zoom and will never again go that route, believe me!

Do you know what you’re doing when it comes to cameras and picture taking? If you’re a beginner, you’re going to be better off picking a camera that’s easy to use. You’ll probably also want most of your features automated such as flash, exposure, etc. If you’re more experienced, you’ll most likely want a little more control over your photos, so by all means go a different route!

Figure out what your photo printing needs are. For casual use, a basic 2-megapixel model will be fine. If, however, you’re planning on making prints larger than 4 x 6, you’ll want a camera with more megapixels. We’ll get into that in the next chapter!

Digital cameras are great because you can store lots of images on your computer and share them through e-mail, etc. But think about where you will be storing your images. If you have a computer with not much memory and no CD burner, you should probably stay away from the high-end cameras. Your images will be too large to store and you’ll have no way to save them.

Be sure to select a model with a good LCD screen, even if you don't think you need one at all. At the store, examine the screen in the light and be sure you can see the images well. Almost every camera has an LCD screen, so you shouldn't pay more to get it. But it's a good idea to be sure it's large, easy to see and shows good detail.

One of the best parts of having an LCD screen is if someone says "Oops, my eyes were closed," you can view the image and retake it if necessary. The LCD also gives you access to the camera's menu system, which will allow you to change the settings of the camera fairly easily.

The LCD will allow you to view all the images on your memory card. You can flip through the stored shots and delete the ones you don't want to keep. The LCD will draw a lot of power from the battery, so there may be situations when you don't have access to your battery charger when using the viewfinder is a better option. It is also better to use the LCD rather than the viewfinder when shooting close up; due to the accuracy of the framing. Basically, what you see is what you'll get.

Also, consider what type of battery your camera will use. It’s best to get one that operates off of standard AA or AAA batteries instead of proprietary ones (those made only by the manufacturer). And don’t bother buying regular batteries for your digital camera. You’ll go broke! Invest money instead into rechargeable batteries and a charger. In the long run, it’s the very best route to go.

The type of warranty offered can also be a hard decision. Most will come with a standard manufacturer’s warranty, but you can often purchase an extended warranty as well for things like parts and labor.

You’ll also want to look into how to get your camera repaired if something goes wrong with it. Will you have to send it somewhere or can it be done locally? If you’re sending it away, will it be fixed by an authorized service center and what is the turn around time? You may find that being without your camera is more difficult than you think!

Choose two or three of the above features and determine which of those is most important to you. When you do that, you can quickly narrow down your choices. If your budget only allow you to spend $250 but you want quality prints, look for the camera in your price range with the most megapixels.

Speaking of megapixels, what exactly are we talking about?

Introduction to Photography

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INTRODUCTION

I got my first camera when I was ten years old. It was one of those slim little Kodak models that took 110 film and required a separate flash that clicked onto the top. Sometimes the flash wouldn’t work and you’d waste a picture, or when you finally got your pictures developed, you’d find a lot of them out of focus or completely not what you wanted.

My grandson will be getting his first camera for Christmas this year. It’s a digital camera in bright colors with a nice, big preview screen where he can look at the pictures he’s taken and delete them if he wants to. He’s three years old.

The business and pleasure of photography has come a long way since the first patent was issued for a camera in 1840. Over the years, we’ve seen cameras get smaller and smaller, move from separate flashes to built-in flashes, and finally to the absence of film with the digital camera.

Photography is a pastime that is growing in popularity with the rise in digital cameras and the ease with which an everyday person can obtain a beautiful photograph. No longer is it necessary to haphazardly take pictures and hope you got the shots you really wanted.

No longer will you have to make a special trip to get film processed. No longer will you have to wait three or four days just for your prints. Now, there are so many options including simply printing out your pictures on your home printer.

Touching up and manipulating pictures has also been made easier, no longer required to be performed by a photography expert. Software programs are now available that let the everyday camera owner play with their pictures and use them to make all sorts of creative projects.

The advantages of digital photography are great. You have instant gratification with your pictures. You can immediately see the picture you’ve taken on the LCD screen and retake it if you’re not happy.

Since you are able to delete photos that you do not want, you have the freedom to shoot many photos of the same scene, and just keep the one or two that turned out the best. Once you discover this, you have another great way to capture memories.

You no longer have to shoot a whole roll of film just to get a few good pictures. With digital photography, you only print the best shots. You can use your home printer or get professionally done prints at sites like snapfish.com and other.

You also have many, many options with digital images. Whether it's 4-by-6-inch prints to put in your photo album, homemade greeting cards printed on your inkjet printer, or sharing your photos online, digital photography opens up a whole new world of options for your memories.

You’d think photography was made ultimately easy and a no-brainer with these digital miracles and it really is easier than it ever has been. However, the truth is that there are still fine points, tips, and tricks to learn so you can be sure the pictures you are taking will be everything you want and more.

Professional photographers know about this, it’s time you should too! What better satisfaction than being able to take your own family photos and not have to worry about going to a studio to have them taken.

We’re not saying that photography studios aren’t capable – oh to the contrary. There will be moments you’ll want captured by the professional, but in general, digital photography has made those kinds of trips and events drastically reduced!

We have done extensive research into the world of digital photography and photography in general so that we can bring you this amazing book. This author has already learned so much – and I’m just beginning to write this book! I’m surprised at how much I didn’t know about taking pictures!

We’ll start by looking at what kind of digital camera you’ll want that will meet your needs and go from there! Read on for digital photography basics – being your own photographer!