Digital Cameras (Re: Juanalberto's question)

Okay, some quick tips on upgrading to a new digital camera...

1. Puting it to print. No A4 printer (that you can afford) can print on a single sheet of paper (due to dithering concerns) an image that improves noticably beyond 3.00 megapixels. (Yes, the printer has more pixels, but to do tones, it has to use up to 100 pixels, dithered as dots, to make a tone.) Only way to get a printer that can do more, is to get a dye sublimation printer, like a Xerox/Tektronics wax block Phaser.

2. More important than Megapixels are...

a. Lens size. A bigger lens like on the Kodak Z series passes more light, so images are sharper (takes less time to expose the CCD for a dim image, and also less time to expose for an action image (sports, shots done while in motion in a car, etc.) thus less blurring. Also, a small scratch means allot less on a big lens than a small one.

b. Optical Zoom over Digital Zoom. Once again here I like the Kodak Z650 I have, because it has a true 10X (newer ones 12X) Optical zoom. When you use digital zoom, to go up 2X digitally essentially quarters your megapixels. Oh, the picture will be the same size, but it's all bull puckey, and faked pixels. The data is really gone.

Let's use an 8 megapixel camera as a test case.

First column is digital zoom, second megapixels, third pixels, fourth is final resolution due to zoom.

1X (no Zoom) = 8 Megapixels = 8,000,000 pixels = Modern camera
2X (digital) = 2 Megapixels = 2,000,000 pixels = Camera about 6 years ago
4X (digital) = .5 Megapixels = 500,000 pixels = Camera around 1998
8X (digital) = .125 Megapixels = 125,000 pixels = Cheap ass $10 Targus camera/webcamera yuck.

Now with an optical zoom camera, 1X is 8 megapixels, so is 2, 4, 8, whatever, as long as it stays in optical... and here's the kicker! Once the optical zoom has ended, on a Kodak at least, it goes into digital zoom. My Kodak can do 8X digital, so, 10X real times 8X digital, comes out to a whopping 80X magnification, great for a distance shot!

c. Image sensor technology. Once again I am going to be a Kodak Nazi, and simply say, all cameras except Kodak, and cameras using Kodak sensors, are derivatives of Sony CCD technolgy. It is known that Sony CCDs tend to die over time due to some sort of substrate decoupling (this MAY have been fixed by now). So if you want a camera for the long haul, I still recommend Kodak. To me, the Kodak CCD is much more vibrant with a realistic color pallette, and better light response curves. Kodak invested millions early off (Starting in the late 1980s) on making a great sensor, and their classical photography background I think really "firmed up" the tech.

3. Viewfinder. 5 cases...

a. SLR cameras used to only have an optical viewfinder, but recently they have put in a second CCD to give a "live view" on the display screen, the display screen can be washed out in strong light, so having an optical viewfinder is a must also.

b. Cheap digital with only an optical viewfinder. You can never be sure if you got your shot right till it is dumped to your computer. Avoid.

c. Normal digital without an optical viewfinder. Good, but still gets washed out in bright light.

d. Normal digital with optical view finder. Better, you can still get the bright light shot, and use the screen for sure shots when it's not being washed out by bright light.

e. Kodak nazi again here. My Kodak Z series has a screen which can get washed out in bright light, but, also has a EVF (Electro-Vacuum Flourescent) optical "style" viewfinder. When you switch on the EVF, you see what you normally would on the screen, but it is shaded and sunlight proof. So you still get all your camera icons, and the live view the CCD is seeing, plus if you swing by the sun, you don't burn your retina!

4. Macro Zoom. In line with your original message, the Kodak also has a great macro zoom mode. If I take a picture of my 1280X1024 monitor from 8 inches away, at 2X optical zoom, each color streak of the Aperture Grille CRT screen, takes up a few pixels.

So, in otherwords, I recommend any high megapixel Kodak, with a big lens, and a EVF viewfinder.

Good luck! Very Happy

At 09-26-2008, 23:34 juanalberto49 said:
> anyone into digital photography? mainly about digital cameras, I had a nikon d70s, which is only 6.24mg/px, I had taken wonderful photos and also I like close-up photography or macrophotography, now if i buy a camera with 10+mg/px will improve the qlty,?