Buying a new compact camera really cause an headache for a few of us. Many people will still base their buying decision on the look of the camera, size and megapixels. As people start to go get more involved and evolved in digital photography, they start understanding the key differences between one model and another and can buy a camera that really fits their needs.
As an enthusiast photographer I understand my needs, and I know what type of equipment I should purchase. That usually comes with experience. For those of you without experience, I am pretty sure that I can give you some useful tips that will help you make a better buying decision. First of all, I am aiming this article towards people who search for a compact point-and-shoot cameras. We have many types of models in the market that each one utilizing unique technologies. In 2009-2011 we've notices a large increase in demand for mega-zoom cameras, and many new ultra-zoom and super-zoom models that have been announced.
Megapixels - the megapixels, or as some referred it as 'MP' tells us the amount of the non-effective megapixels in the camera. That means that if the camera has 15MP, that means that the camera has 15 million pixels (1MP = million pixels). Most cameras only use part of those pixels (aka. effective pixels). The other pixels are used for the camera to correctly interpolate the data using the Bayer interpolation algorithm to correctly "guess" the colors in the frame's region. The "effective megapixels" is the actual output size of the camera's image. The Megapixels in the camera is also referred to as the resolution of the camera. The more resolution, the higher the image size is and, in most cases, the higher the amount of details in the image.
Keep in mind that higher MP doesn't necessarily mean better image quality. Many people mistaken by thinking that if they buy a camera with more megapixels, they will get a better camera overall. That of course no true at all. There are many other key elements and hardware components that have impact on the overall image quality, and I will mention them later in this buying guide.
Sensor Type - in the past, there was only a CCD (Charged Coupled Device) sensors, then CMOS sensors have been invented. The latest technologies include BSI (Back-Illuminated) sensors that have higher degree of light sensitivity, which leads to a big improvement of image quality, especially in low light. The Sensor is the heart of any camera. It's the recording device that capture the light photodiodes and output that data whether digitally (bits) or analogically (bits) to the image processor in the camera for interpolation.
CCD sensors are known to have higher dynamic range and better uniformity. CMOS sensors have better performance and they less power angry. I won't get into to many details about sensor types, but you should know that most cameras utilizes a CMOS sensor nowadays.
BSI sensors are new emerged sensor technology. BSI (Back-illuminated) sensors will vastly improve the sensor's light sensitivity and give the camera a marginal advantage over regular sensors when shooting in low light. Because of that, we can see new point-and-shoot compact cameras with higher ISO sensitivity.
If you are searching for a new camera, don't overlook this feature and try to find a camera with a BSI sensor. Most camera vendors have utilized that technology, including Panasonic, Sony, Olympus and others.
Sensor Size - Another key feature that shouldn't be overlooked is the sensor size. The bigger the sensor, the better the image quality and light sensitivity. One problem with compact cameras is that they utilize a very small sensor. The reason for that is that camera vendors want to keep the price of the camera low, and also use smaller lens optics to keep the camera smaller in size. BSI sensors emerged because of that particular reason.
Digital SLR cameras, for example, have much larger sensors. That what leads to higher image quality that you see in DSLR cameras. Furthermore, bigger sensors allow getting shallower depth of field (with the right lens and settings). When comparing the same type of camera side-by-side don't overlook the sensor size.
Mirrorless cameras sit in the middle between regular P&S cameras and DSLR cameras. They offer a larger (ie. Micro Four Thirds, APS-C, etc.) sensor, but at the same time the camera still maintains its compact size. The reason for that is that those cameras don't have a reflex mirror as in DSLR cameras. This allows camera vendors to make more compact cameras and still keep the same sensor size. Those cameras will cost you more than conventional P&S cameras, but their image quality is, in almost all cases, superior to conventional P&S cameras.
Furthermore, larger sensor cameras enjoy higher dynamic range, low noise and better color reproduction and accuracy. Having said that, BSI sensors have come a long way, and the image quality that P&S cameras produce has been greatly improved. That up to the point that they get very close to the image quality produced by mirrorless cameras, but still, there is a visual difference that can't be ignored.
So in short, the larger the sensor, the better.
Lens - I will probably won't be the first person to tell you how important the lens is. This is probably one of the most important factors that influence the image quality. In many of today's latest point-and-shoot cameras, we can find very high quality optics.
Let's start with the focal length of the lens. The focal length represents the magnification of the lens. You can see this as the 'Zoom' of the lens, although a fixed focal length (prime) lens doesn't have a zooming capability. The larger the focal length, the larger the magnification, and the better you can zoom closer to your subject. That works the other way around. The shorter the focal length, the wider the angle-of-view is. That means that with shorter focal lengths you can get more of the surroundings into the frame of the image.
For example: a 800mm focal length will get you very close to a far away subject. A 24mm , also referred to as 'wide angle', will capture a wider area, which is great for landscape and group shots of people.
A zoom lens is a lens that can change the focal length from one value to another (ie. 55-200mm). A fixed (prime) lens is a lens that is fixed to only one focal length, and that means that it doesn't allow you to zoom in or out (ie. 50mm).
When you look at those focal length numbers, you'll notice that in zoom camera lenses, you have two numbers with a dash between them (ie. 25-400mm). The first number represents the widest angle of the lens, and the second number represents the narrowest angle. If you divide that second number with the first number (400 / 25), you will get the actual ZOOM factor of the lens itself (ie. 400 / 25 = 16x zoom).
So next time you go online shopping for a new camera, look at the lens specs. It's important to note that the zoom factor alone doesn't tell us the whole truth about how one camera is compared to the other in terms of its magnification capabilities. Let me give you an example..
For example:
Camera 1 - 25-500 mm* = 500 / 25 = 20x Zoom
Camera 2 - 30-600 mm* = 600 / 30 = 20x Zoom
* 35mm equivalent.
As you can see from the above example, both camera 1 and two have the same 20x Zoom magnification. However, you can clearly see that 'Camera 1' has a wider angle (25mm) compared to 30mm in 'Camera 2'. Second, 'Camera 2' supports higher magnification of 600mm compared to 500mm as in 'Camera 2'. So although both cameras have the same zoom, one camera offers a wider angle field-of-view and the second camera offers better magnification / telephoto capability. When you see a camera with a variablefocal length, that means that means that you can change the focal length from the smallest number, up to the largest number. So you might take a shot with a focal length of 80mm in camera 1 for example.
You should also note that you might find much smaller focal length numbers when reading the camera's specs or reading it on the lens itself. In order to standardize the measurement, we usually refer to those focal length numbers as in 35mm camera's representation. Because the focal length actually represents the distance between the sensor and the back element of the lens, it changes because of various sensor sizes and the existence or non-existence of a reflex mirror inside the camera.
So when you look at the lens focal length numbers, make sure that they represent the 35mm equivalent measurement. It should be written in the specs, and most camera vendors do supply this information with the camera's manual or on the box itself. This information can also be found on many camera review's websites and product comparison spec sheets
Aperture - The aperture represents the lens opening that control the amount of light that passes through the lens towards the sensor. The LARGER the hole (diaphragm size) is, the HIGHER the amount of light that reaches the sensor. It works on the other way around: the SMALLER the hole is, the LESS the amount of light that reaches the sensor. Important thing to notice here is that the LARGER the hole is, the SMALLER the aperture number is, and the SMALLER the hole is, the HIGHER the aperture number is. The aperture is also referred to as F-Number. You can find it the lens specifications written like this: F/[number].
Confused? - Let's see some examples:
F/22 - a LARGE number = SMALL opening = LESS light
F/4 - a SMALL number = LARGE opening = MORE light
I hope you got it, if not, just read it again and again until it gets through - took me some time too at first.
Let's look at an example of how the aperture is represented in the camera's specs:
The first two numbers in the above example are focal length as described above. The second (highlighted in yellow and bold) are the aperture range values.
As in focal length numbers, the first F-number (ie. F2.8) represent the hole size opening when shooting with the widest angle. The second F-number (ie. F5.9), represents the hole's opening of the diaphragm at the highest focal length. In the above example, the lens support shooting at a 28mm focal length at a MAXIMUM F2.8 aperture and 140mm at a MAXIMUM aperture of F5.9. By writing 'Maximum', I referred to the largest diaphragm opening available for that lens. That also mean that you can shoot with 28mm in smaller opening, like F22 for example. Those numbers represents the largest opening possible with that lens at a given lowest and largest focal length numbers.
Of course the aperture varies when shooting in different focal length numbers in-between 28 and 140mm, but those focal length / aperture steps aren't given by the specs, and in many cases you shouldn't be bothered with that.
Image Stabilization - the image stabilization refers to the mechanical parts that optically stabilizes the camera's movement in order to prevent blur that mostly caused by handshake. That means that when you hold the camera, the camera slightly moves in different directions. When you click the shutter button, the movement can cause the image to be captured in various positions on the sensor. This will result in a blurry image.
Of course it depends on the amount of time you expose the sensor to light. That exposure is also referred to as 'Shutter speed'. The shutter speed rule of thumbs states that you should shoot at a shutter speed that is at least equal to the focal length that you setup for the lens.
For example:
If you shoot at 500mm focal length/magnification, you should set the shutter speed for at least 1/500s in your camera.
In point-and-shoot camera, you have an automatic mode that does that automatically for you, but in some cases it won't work in your favor because that camera does its best to get the correct exposure.
You might find that in low-light for example, the camera will set the shutter speed to be lower than the recommended one for a blur-free image as stated in the shutter speed rule of thumb. Because you use a slower shutter speed, there is a possibility that you will find yourself viewing a very blurred image later on your computer.
Image stabilization comes to help stabilizing the lens elements correctly compensate camera movement, especially useful when shooting in low-light and with slow shutter speed. It's also extremely useful when shooting image at larger focal length (higher magnification), where every light movement can cause a blurry image, and of course, you'll need a very fast shutter speed which not always possible to achieve in available light.
Recent image stabilization mechanism will give you 2 to 4 stops advantage. A 'stop advantage' means that you can shoot an image one stop slower, but still get the same results as if you shot the image at a shutter speed or aperture setting one stop higher.
If you plan to purchase a super-zoom camera, make sure that it comes with an image stabilization. You will find that there are two types of image stabilization mechanisms, a lens or sensor image stabilization. The first one is built-in the lens, and the other one moves the sensor to compensate camera movements. The lens image stabilization is usually better, but I recommend just making sure that an image stabilization exists prior to purchasing a super-zoom camera.
Electronic Viewfinder (EVF) - because point-and-shoot cameras don't have a reflex mirror, the utilizes an electronic viewfinder to help the photographer make a composition. The electronic viewfinder can be the LCD itself, but when you hear the term 'Electronic Viewfinder', it in almost all cases referred to a conventional viewfinder, a small hole where you put your eye and see the scene to compose your photo.
It's worth mentioning that many point-and-shoot cameras don't come with an EVF. Some of them will only allow you to compose the shot via the rear LCD screen. An EVF takes quite amount of space, and in order to keep the camera as small as possible, many vendors decide not to use it.
There are advantages o using an EVF over LCD. The first most obvious one is that you can get a clear view of the scene even when shooting in very bright lighting conditions. Just try to shoot with your camera at a very bright summer day at noon and you'll see what I'm talking about.
Camera vendors have greatly improved the LCD brightness and utilize anti-glare and anti-reflection layers to help you get a good view of the scene using the back LCD. Without it, composing your photos would be very hard. Sony for example using a TruBlack LCD, which greatly enhance the visibility of the scene via the back LCD. Other vendors have their own techniques too.
I personally prefer having an EVF, but in many ultra-compact cameras you won't find it, so make sure that you have the chance to at least see a video that demonstrates how good the LCD really is. You can read reviews about it and see how the editor criticize the rear LCD visibility in bright light.
LCD - The LCD (not a TV LCD, the camera's one :) ) is also a very important factor for people when first buying a digital camera. In many cases, the only way to compose your image will be through the LCD. The above remarks in the EVF section are relevant here too.
The LCD specs will reveal a few things: LCD size, screen resolution, Vari-angle or Fixed and whether the LCD is a touch-sensitive screen or not. Pay close attention to those details, because the LCD will greatly enhance the fun part, usability and image/video viewing ability of your camera.
The first and probably most important thing is the LCD size. Most of the point-and-shoot cameras today comes with a 3-inch LCD (the diagonal measurement in inches). Some will come with less then 3-inch due to restrictions and some will enjoy a 3.5" LCD, which greatly enhance the usability of the camera.
A larger LCD also means better visibility of the menu text and navigation. Although the resolution also plays an important role here.
You'll notice that the resolution is represented in dots (ie. 230K-dots, or 230,000). The higher the number the higher the LCD resolution. More resolution means that you will see a better looking image, and more text and visual UI elements can appear on the screen. You probably know the differences as you can see them on mobile phone these days. The iPhone 4 for example have a very high 800x480 resolution, which means that when browsing the web, you can see more of the page and scroll down less.
The same works for digital cameras. Try to search for a screen with 920K-dots (ie. 920,000). This seems to become a standard nowadays and many camera vendors use those type of high resolution screens. LCD screens also have their own types: OLED, AMOLED, etc. AMOLED is well known for its high contrast and rich color display, and I would certainly look into a camera that have such screen.
Two other important factors are whether the screen is an articulating screen or fixed, and whether it's such sensitive or not. A swivel/tilting screen can help you get those type of shots that are very hard to get without it. For example, if you want to capture a shot when shooting above your head. If you love shooting videos, you will enjoy this feature very much.
Touch-sensitive screen are also becoming very popular nowadays. The user friendly interface and the fact that you can control the camera with your fingertips, greatly enhance the usability. Not all cameras have a touch-screen, although it's a nice-to-have feature, I won't base my buying decision based on this feature alone, not at all.
Video - The video became a part of many of us. We all love capturing high quality videos and sharing them with friends and family, and even upload them online to YouTube or Facebook and share them with the world.
When you look at the camera's box or the key features, you'll notice that vendors usually provide the maximum video resolution specs only. For example, the camera can shoot Full HD (1080p) videos, and another can shoot only HD (720p) videos. Of course that doesn't mean that when buying a camera that can shoot Full HD, that it can't shoot HD (720p) videos too.
The complete specs will reveal all the available video resolution and frame rates available for every mode.
Full HD offers the highest resolution possible right now, equals to 1920x1080 pixel resolution. That compared to HD, which offers 1280x720 pixel resolution. Lower resolutions are also possible.
You probably want to get a FULL HD video recording camera, which will help you get high quality videos, which you can later on watch on your HDTV screen or your high resolution computer display at home.
Some cameras have some unique features, including slow motion mode that enables you to shoot videos at very high frame rates. In almost all cases those types of videos will be only available in lower resolution, no in HD nor Full HD.
Furthermore, take a look at the frame rates. Some cameras support a variable frame-rates for a given resolution (ie. 1080p/30,60 fps), others only a single frame rate speed (ie. 720p/24 fps). 24 fps is very popular because it was marketed as a cinematic frame rate, which 24fps is used widely in Hollywood movies. I personally don't buy it, because there are so many other factors that cause a video to look like a movie than just a framerate.
You should also know that Full HD videos will take more space on your memory card compared to HD movies. So do your math and ask yourself whether it's a problem or not.
Another thing to check out is the sound options. Some cameras support stereo sound, others only manorial sound for videos. Some cameras support external microphones, other don't. If you are a video fanatic, make sure you check those specs out.
Battery Life - I just can tell you how important it is. You'll probably realize it sooner or later. If you intend to take your camera to a trip, you don't want to be bothered with taking an extra batteries or carrying a bag full of AA batteries with you. A standard point-and-shoot camera can take around 200-400 images on a single battery charge. Try to look for a camera that can take at least above 330 shots on a single charge, which is a good battery life overall.
Second, some cameras comes with a rechargeable li-ion battery, others work on AA batteries. The advantage of AA batteries is that you can buy them anywhere you go. So if your battery power gets very low, you can just go to a close by supermarket and purchase a pack of AA batteries. Furthermore, you can buy a AA rechargeable batteries and a recharger and charge up as many batteries as you want.
Of course there is always an option that if your camera only works on li-ion batteries and those the only type of batteries you can use, you can buy a second battery and charge them both before going out traveling outdoors.
Start shopping Amazon for Digital Cameras Now!
As an enthusiast photographer I understand my needs, and I know what type of equipment I should purchase. That usually comes with experience. For those of you without experience, I am pretty sure that I can give you some useful tips that will help you make a better buying decision. First of all, I am aiming this article towards people who search for a compact point-and-shoot cameras. We have many types of models in the market that each one utilizing unique technologies. In 2009-2011 we've notices a large increase in demand for mega-zoom cameras, and many new ultra-zoom and super-zoom models that have been announced.
Key Features
Buying a brand new P&S camera should be done when you at least know how to understand the differences between the key specs of each camera.Megapixels - the megapixels, or as some referred it as 'MP' tells us the amount of the non-effective megapixels in the camera. That means that if the camera has 15MP, that means that the camera has 15 million pixels (1MP = million pixels). Most cameras only use part of those pixels (aka. effective pixels). The other pixels are used for the camera to correctly interpolate the data using the Bayer interpolation algorithm to correctly "guess" the colors in the frame's region. The "effective megapixels" is the actual output size of the camera's image. The Megapixels in the camera is also referred to as the resolution of the camera. The more resolution, the higher the image size is and, in most cases, the higher the amount of details in the image.
Keep in mind that higher MP doesn't necessarily mean better image quality. Many people mistaken by thinking that if they buy a camera with more megapixels, they will get a better camera overall. That of course no true at all. There are many other key elements and hardware components that have impact on the overall image quality, and I will mention them later in this buying guide.
Sensor Type - in the past, there was only a CCD (Charged Coupled Device) sensors, then CMOS sensors have been invented. The latest technologies include BSI (Back-Illuminated) sensors that have higher degree of light sensitivity, which leads to a big improvement of image quality, especially in low light. The Sensor is the heart of any camera. It's the recording device that capture the light photodiodes and output that data whether digitally (bits) or analogically (bits) to the image processor in the camera for interpolation.
CCD sensors are known to have higher dynamic range and better uniformity. CMOS sensors have better performance and they less power angry. I won't get into to many details about sensor types, but you should know that most cameras utilizes a CMOS sensor nowadays.
BSI sensors are new emerged sensor technology. BSI (Back-illuminated) sensors will vastly improve the sensor's light sensitivity and give the camera a marginal advantage over regular sensors when shooting in low light. Because of that, we can see new point-and-shoot compact cameras with higher ISO sensitivity.
If you are searching for a new camera, don't overlook this feature and try to find a camera with a BSI sensor. Most camera vendors have utilized that technology, including Panasonic, Sony, Olympus and others.
Sensor Size - Another key feature that shouldn't be overlooked is the sensor size. The bigger the sensor, the better the image quality and light sensitivity. One problem with compact cameras is that they utilize a very small sensor. The reason for that is that camera vendors want to keep the price of the camera low, and also use smaller lens optics to keep the camera smaller in size. BSI sensors emerged because of that particular reason.
Digital SLR cameras, for example, have much larger sensors. That what leads to higher image quality that you see in DSLR cameras. Furthermore, bigger sensors allow getting shallower depth of field (with the right lens and settings). When comparing the same type of camera side-by-side don't overlook the sensor size.
Mirrorless cameras sit in the middle between regular P&S cameras and DSLR cameras. They offer a larger (ie. Micro Four Thirds, APS-C, etc.) sensor, but at the same time the camera still maintains its compact size. The reason for that is that those cameras don't have a reflex mirror as in DSLR cameras. This allows camera vendors to make more compact cameras and still keep the same sensor size. Those cameras will cost you more than conventional P&S cameras, but their image quality is, in almost all cases, superior to conventional P&S cameras.
Furthermore, larger sensor cameras enjoy higher dynamic range, low noise and better color reproduction and accuracy. Having said that, BSI sensors have come a long way, and the image quality that P&S cameras produce has been greatly improved. That up to the point that they get very close to the image quality produced by mirrorless cameras, but still, there is a visual difference that can't be ignored.
So in short, the larger the sensor, the better.
Lens - I will probably won't be the first person to tell you how important the lens is. This is probably one of the most important factors that influence the image quality. In many of today's latest point-and-shoot cameras, we can find very high quality optics.
Let's start with the focal length of the lens. The focal length represents the magnification of the lens. You can see this as the 'Zoom' of the lens, although a fixed focal length (prime) lens doesn't have a zooming capability. The larger the focal length, the larger the magnification, and the better you can zoom closer to your subject. That works the other way around. The shorter the focal length, the wider the angle-of-view is. That means that with shorter focal lengths you can get more of the surroundings into the frame of the image.
For example: a 800mm focal length will get you very close to a far away subject. A 24mm , also referred to as 'wide angle', will capture a wider area, which is great for landscape and group shots of people.
A zoom lens is a lens that can change the focal length from one value to another (ie. 55-200mm). A fixed (prime) lens is a lens that is fixed to only one focal length, and that means that it doesn't allow you to zoom in or out (ie. 50mm).
When you look at those focal length numbers, you'll notice that in zoom camera lenses, you have two numbers with a dash between them (ie. 25-400mm). The first number represents the widest angle of the lens, and the second number represents the narrowest angle. If you divide that second number with the first number (400 / 25), you will get the actual ZOOM factor of the lens itself (ie. 400 / 25 = 16x zoom).
So next time you go online shopping for a new camera, look at the lens specs. It's important to note that the zoom factor alone doesn't tell us the whole truth about how one camera is compared to the other in terms of its magnification capabilities. Let me give you an example..
For example:
Camera 1 - 25-500 mm* = 500 / 25 = 20x Zoom
Camera 2 - 30-600 mm* = 600 / 30 = 20x Zoom
* 35mm equivalent.
As you can see from the above example, both camera 1 and two have the same 20x Zoom magnification. However, you can clearly see that 'Camera 1' has a wider angle (25mm) compared to 30mm in 'Camera 2'. Second, 'Camera 2' supports higher magnification of 600mm compared to 500mm as in 'Camera 2'. So although both cameras have the same zoom, one camera offers a wider angle field-of-view and the second camera offers better magnification / telephoto capability. When you see a camera with a variablefocal length, that means that means that you can change the focal length from the smallest number, up to the largest number. So you might take a shot with a focal length of 80mm in camera 1 for example.
You should also note that you might find much smaller focal length numbers when reading the camera's specs or reading it on the lens itself. In order to standardize the measurement, we usually refer to those focal length numbers as in 35mm camera's representation. Because the focal length actually represents the distance between the sensor and the back element of the lens, it changes because of various sensor sizes and the existence or non-existence of a reflex mirror inside the camera.
So when you look at the lens focal length numbers, make sure that they represent the 35mm equivalent measurement. It should be written in the specs, and most camera vendors do supply this information with the camera's manual or on the box itself. This information can also be found on many camera review's websites and product comparison spec sheets
Aperture - The aperture represents the lens opening that control the amount of light that passes through the lens towards the sensor. The LARGER the hole (diaphragm size) is, the HIGHER the amount of light that reaches the sensor. It works on the other way around: the SMALLER the hole is, the LESS the amount of light that reaches the sensor. Important thing to notice here is that the LARGER the hole is, the SMALLER the aperture number is, and the SMALLER the hole is, the HIGHER the aperture number is. The aperture is also referred to as F-Number. You can find it the lens specifications written like this: F/[number].
Confused? - Let's see some examples:
F/22 - a LARGE number = SMALL opening = LESS light
F/4 - a SMALL number = LARGE opening = MORE light
I hope you got it, if not, just read it again and again until it gets through - took me some time too at first.
Let's look at an example of how the aperture is represented in the camera's specs:
28 – 140 mm F2.8 - 5.9
The first two numbers in the above example are focal length as described above. The second (highlighted in yellow and bold) are the aperture range values.
As in focal length numbers, the first F-number (ie. F2.8) represent the hole size opening when shooting with the widest angle. The second F-number (ie. F5.9), represents the hole's opening of the diaphragm at the highest focal length. In the above example, the lens support shooting at a 28mm focal length at a MAXIMUM F2.8 aperture and 140mm at a MAXIMUM aperture of F5.9. By writing 'Maximum', I referred to the largest diaphragm opening available for that lens. That also mean that you can shoot with 28mm in smaller opening, like F22 for example. Those numbers represents the largest opening possible with that lens at a given lowest and largest focal length numbers.
Of course the aperture varies when shooting in different focal length numbers in-between 28 and 140mm, but those focal length / aperture steps aren't given by the specs, and in many cases you shouldn't be bothered with that.
Image Stabilization - the image stabilization refers to the mechanical parts that optically stabilizes the camera's movement in order to prevent blur that mostly caused by handshake. That means that when you hold the camera, the camera slightly moves in different directions. When you click the shutter button, the movement can cause the image to be captured in various positions on the sensor. This will result in a blurry image.
Of course it depends on the amount of time you expose the sensor to light. That exposure is also referred to as 'Shutter speed'. The shutter speed rule of thumbs states that you should shoot at a shutter speed that is at least equal to the focal length that you setup for the lens.
For example:
If you shoot at 500mm focal length/magnification, you should set the shutter speed for at least 1/500s in your camera.
In point-and-shoot camera, you have an automatic mode that does that automatically for you, but in some cases it won't work in your favor because that camera does its best to get the correct exposure.
You might find that in low-light for example, the camera will set the shutter speed to be lower than the recommended one for a blur-free image as stated in the shutter speed rule of thumb. Because you use a slower shutter speed, there is a possibility that you will find yourself viewing a very blurred image later on your computer.
Image stabilization comes to help stabilizing the lens elements correctly compensate camera movement, especially useful when shooting in low-light and with slow shutter speed. It's also extremely useful when shooting image at larger focal length (higher magnification), where every light movement can cause a blurry image, and of course, you'll need a very fast shutter speed which not always possible to achieve in available light.
Recent image stabilization mechanism will give you 2 to 4 stops advantage. A 'stop advantage' means that you can shoot an image one stop slower, but still get the same results as if you shot the image at a shutter speed or aperture setting one stop higher.
If you plan to purchase a super-zoom camera, make sure that it comes with an image stabilization. You will find that there are two types of image stabilization mechanisms, a lens or sensor image stabilization. The first one is built-in the lens, and the other one moves the sensor to compensate camera movements. The lens image stabilization is usually better, but I recommend just making sure that an image stabilization exists prior to purchasing a super-zoom camera.
Electronic Viewfinder (EVF) - because point-and-shoot cameras don't have a reflex mirror, the utilizes an electronic viewfinder to help the photographer make a composition. The electronic viewfinder can be the LCD itself, but when you hear the term 'Electronic Viewfinder', it in almost all cases referred to a conventional viewfinder, a small hole where you put your eye and see the scene to compose your photo.
It's worth mentioning that many point-and-shoot cameras don't come with an EVF. Some of them will only allow you to compose the shot via the rear LCD screen. An EVF takes quite amount of space, and in order to keep the camera as small as possible, many vendors decide not to use it.
There are advantages o using an EVF over LCD. The first most obvious one is that you can get a clear view of the scene even when shooting in very bright lighting conditions. Just try to shoot with your camera at a very bright summer day at noon and you'll see what I'm talking about.
Camera vendors have greatly improved the LCD brightness and utilize anti-glare and anti-reflection layers to help you get a good view of the scene using the back LCD. Without it, composing your photos would be very hard. Sony for example using a TruBlack LCD, which greatly enhance the visibility of the scene via the back LCD. Other vendors have their own techniques too.
I personally prefer having an EVF, but in many ultra-compact cameras you won't find it, so make sure that you have the chance to at least see a video that demonstrates how good the LCD really is. You can read reviews about it and see how the editor criticize the rear LCD visibility in bright light.
LCD - The LCD (not a TV LCD, the camera's one :) ) is also a very important factor for people when first buying a digital camera. In many cases, the only way to compose your image will be through the LCD. The above remarks in the EVF section are relevant here too.
The LCD specs will reveal a few things: LCD size, screen resolution, Vari-angle or Fixed and whether the LCD is a touch-sensitive screen or not. Pay close attention to those details, because the LCD will greatly enhance the fun part, usability and image/video viewing ability of your camera.
The first and probably most important thing is the LCD size. Most of the point-and-shoot cameras today comes with a 3-inch LCD (the diagonal measurement in inches). Some will come with less then 3-inch due to restrictions and some will enjoy a 3.5" LCD, which greatly enhance the usability of the camera.
A larger LCD also means better visibility of the menu text and navigation. Although the resolution also plays an important role here.
You'll notice that the resolution is represented in dots (ie. 230K-dots, or 230,000). The higher the number the higher the LCD resolution. More resolution means that you will see a better looking image, and more text and visual UI elements can appear on the screen. You probably know the differences as you can see them on mobile phone these days. The iPhone 4 for example have a very high 800x480 resolution, which means that when browsing the web, you can see more of the page and scroll down less.
The same works for digital cameras. Try to search for a screen with 920K-dots (ie. 920,000). This seems to become a standard nowadays and many camera vendors use those type of high resolution screens. LCD screens also have their own types: OLED, AMOLED, etc. AMOLED is well known for its high contrast and rich color display, and I would certainly look into a camera that have such screen.
Two other important factors are whether the screen is an articulating screen or fixed, and whether it's such sensitive or not. A swivel/tilting screen can help you get those type of shots that are very hard to get without it. For example, if you want to capture a shot when shooting above your head. If you love shooting videos, you will enjoy this feature very much.
Touch-sensitive screen are also becoming very popular nowadays. The user friendly interface and the fact that you can control the camera with your fingertips, greatly enhance the usability. Not all cameras have a touch-screen, although it's a nice-to-have feature, I won't base my buying decision based on this feature alone, not at all.
Video - The video became a part of many of us. We all love capturing high quality videos and sharing them with friends and family, and even upload them online to YouTube or Facebook and share them with the world.
When you look at the camera's box or the key features, you'll notice that vendors usually provide the maximum video resolution specs only. For example, the camera can shoot Full HD (1080p) videos, and another can shoot only HD (720p) videos. Of course that doesn't mean that when buying a camera that can shoot Full HD, that it can't shoot HD (720p) videos too.
The complete specs will reveal all the available video resolution and frame rates available for every mode.
Full HD offers the highest resolution possible right now, equals to 1920x1080 pixel resolution. That compared to HD, which offers 1280x720 pixel resolution. Lower resolutions are also possible.
You probably want to get a FULL HD video recording camera, which will help you get high quality videos, which you can later on watch on your HDTV screen or your high resolution computer display at home.
Some cameras have some unique features, including slow motion mode that enables you to shoot videos at very high frame rates. In almost all cases those types of videos will be only available in lower resolution, no in HD nor Full HD.
Furthermore, take a look at the frame rates. Some cameras support a variable frame-rates for a given resolution (ie. 1080p/30,60 fps), others only a single frame rate speed (ie. 720p/24 fps). 24 fps is very popular because it was marketed as a cinematic frame rate, which 24fps is used widely in Hollywood movies. I personally don't buy it, because there are so many other factors that cause a video to look like a movie than just a framerate.
You should also know that Full HD videos will take more space on your memory card compared to HD movies. So do your math and ask yourself whether it's a problem or not.
Another thing to check out is the sound options. Some cameras support stereo sound, others only manorial sound for videos. Some cameras support external microphones, other don't. If you are a video fanatic, make sure you check those specs out.
Second, some cameras comes with a rechargeable li-ion battery, others work on AA batteries. The advantage of AA batteries is that you can buy them anywhere you go. So if your battery power gets very low, you can just go to a close by supermarket and purchase a pack of AA batteries. Furthermore, you can buy a AA rechargeable batteries and a recharger and charge up as many batteries as you want.
Of course there is always an option that if your camera only works on li-ion batteries and those the only type of batteries you can use, you can buy a second battery and charge them both before going out traveling outdoors.
That's It!
I hope that this article will give you a good kick-start when starting to shop for a new point and shoot digital camera. There are other factors that I haven't mentioned here, but in my opinion, these are the most important ones. I hope that after reading this digital camera buying guide, you'll know what camera you should be looking for, and have better understanding about how to read the camera's specs.Start shopping Amazon for Digital Cameras Now!
This is great article which much details of camera termonology
ReplyDeleteThanks Guna! I'm very happy that you find that useful. Idan.
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