Basics of a Digital Camera
The first thing you should understand before you buy a camera is megapixels. Why do megapixels matter? Megapixels matter because the number of megapixels determines the resolution and size of the image. The more megapixels, the larger a print of the image can be.
Most entry level digital cameras these days are at least 5 megapixels or higher. This is more than adequate for sending pictures via email and will print beautifully as large as 8 x10.
The next important thing when buying a camera is which type to get. An SLR (Single Lens Reflex) camera is expensive, but if you are looking for a high-resolution camera with excellent picture quality, SLR cameras are the way to go. This would be the digital equivalent of a 35 mm film camera.
If you are familiar with 35 mm film cameras, you will find many of the same features and then some. One of the most popular features of a digital SLR is the ability to change lenses.
If you are not as particular with your photography and want a simpler camera to use, you may want to consider a point and shoot camera which generally will cost much less. In addition, point and shoot cameras are smaller and easier to use. Another advantage of this type of camera is they usually have many automated features and preset shooting programs which allow you to shoot beautiful photographs even if you don't have much experience.
After you get a camera, you must choose a good memory card for your camera. The most popular types of memory cards for digital cameras are Multi Media Card (MMC), Memory Stick (MS), Smartmedia (SM), Secure Digital (SD), xD-Picture Card (xD), and CompactFlash (CF). Certain cameras require certain memory card types, so make sure you ask an expert which memory card is right for the camera you have.
After you purchase your camera make sure you get the proper memory card for your camera since there are various formats. If you plan to keep the pictures stored on your camera's memory instead of downloading them to your computer you want to get it's a memory card with a larger storage capacity to allow you to this save more pictures.
Once you take the pictures on your camera it's important to know how to transfer the pictures to your computer. You need to transfer them to your computer first or you can send them. You can either use a USB cable which generally comes with the camera or a card reader that plugs into your computer.
A memory card reader is nothing more than a piece of hardware that plugs into your computer into one of the USB ports and then you take the memory card out of your camera and insert it into the card reader. The benefit of a card reader is that it is usually faster to download the pictures and using the USB cable. Also by using the memory card reader, it allows you to save the batteries in your camera because you can have the camera powered down during the transfer.
It depends on what type of computer system you have but usually a message will pop up a telling you that your camera is connected. Depending on what type of software you have installed there would usually be some type of message where they would ask you if you wanted to transfer the pictures or edit them. If you're using a Mac computer especially a newer Mac, iPhoto would pop open and a help tab would instruct you on how to download the pictures.
After you have downloaded the pictures to your computer, you can delete the images off of your memory card which will free up the space and allow you to take more pictures. Is it a good practice to make a backup copy of the pictures are from your computer. You can either use an external hard drive or burn them to a CD or DVD. This whole lot you to have a backup copy in case your hard drive fails to give most likely spent a lot of time and effort in creating those beautiful pictures and you wouldn't want to lose them.
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About the Author
Barry Craft loves photography. For his latest tips to help you become a better photographer.Get FREE copy of his latest report entitled, "Top 10 Tips for Great Photo Composition" by visiting Easy Photo Tips.
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by: BarryCraft
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