a1 Photo Tips

There are so many digital cameras to choose from on the market, and new camera models are released almost daily. Also, different people have very different needs and expectations. Are you for instance a first-time buyer, or a seasoned photographer? This article is intended to offer some basic advice to those of you who are either going to buy your first digicam, or have a bit of experience using one and looking to upgrade.

1. Ask yourself what you really need. Are you going to make some snapshots of family and friends, and some nice pictures from vacations? Or do you have ambitions to be a serious photographer and even make some money from your pictures? In the former case I advise you to buy a simple, lightweight, point-and-shoot digicam. If you are more of a photo-geek you should probably get a digital SLR.
    
2. How much money are you prepared to spend on buying that camera, including accessories? Most likely, the stronger you are into photography, the more money you are willing to pay. But don’t get caught in the illusion that “if I get a more expensive camera my pictures will be better“! The quality of your results are for the most part determined by your skill and not by the camera you’re using. Like: would you put a precious genuine Stradivarius violin in the hands of a beginner, and expect prettier tones because this newbie is handling a $100,000 instrument? Sure, if you are a really sophisticated user you may have “outgrown” the more simple point-and-shoot type of digicams and need to upgrade. But don’t fool yourself.
    
   

3. Get some idea of what technical specifications like “Megapixels” mean, but don’t rely too much on such things. For instance, lots of Megapixels doesn’t necessarily mean technically better pictures. There are other factors which determine the overall quality of the images a camera delivers - especially the quality of the lens. I recommend putting a high priority on lens quality. Also, a “fast” lens with large maximum aperture gives you more flexibility when taking pictures in low light.

   For digicams with a non-interchangeable lens, it is nice to have a large zoom factor, to enable you to shoot both wide-angle and real telephoto pictures. But beware of “digital zoom”! This simply means the image is enlarged inside the camera, meaning you loose quality in the process. You get exactly the same effect by cropping the picture using an image processing software like Adobe Photoshop - and the latter option also gives you a different flexibility in that it lets you decide exactly how to crop.
    
   

4. Once you have an idea of what type of digicam you need, and the approximate price range, look around and compare. Find reviews of those camera brands and models that interest you, by searching on the Web. There are sites that do a very thorough job with such comparisons, even obtaining pre-release specimens of new camera models for testing.
    
5. And now, very important: try before you buy. What I mean is that you should not make your final choice until you have actually held some digicam candidates in your own hands and tested the “feeling”. Are the controls placed in a way that you find logical and convenient? Does the camera feel OK to hold? Remember that if you don’t feel comfortable using the camera you will end up NOT using it! And even the world’s best camera won’t get you those great pictures if it is tucked away in a closet.
    
   
6. Also at this point, if you are now standing in a camera store - then don’t let the sales pitch from a salesperson intimidate you into buying something you don’t feel 100% happy with. A friend of mine fell into that trap, and came home with a nice little digicam she just did not like. It lay around unused for over a year before I finally got her into making friends with it!

These are some things I find important to remember when buying a digital camera. If you are bent on haggling over the price over the phone, even before entering the store, then by all means do so. On the subject of haggling you are on your own, however. Maybe you prefer to buy your digicam online. Then make sure you are dealing with a reputable seller and read the fine print regarding return policies etc. How easy is it to return the camera if you find you “just don’t like it”?

Photo credits: lens closeup by ssh; Nikon man by Martini Captures

How to best hold the camera! A photographic tip which may seem a bit simplistic - yet neglecting this can ruin many nice pictures. If you happen to move the camera at the instant you press the shutter, you are likely to get blurriness all over the image (except at very fast shutter speeds).

Back in the days when I used a large roll film SLR medium format camera I was good at this, since the thing was so heavy you simply had to hold it with both hands! Also, it was a relief for my arm muscles to rest the elbows against my chest as I held that camera.

So, I automatically did everything right. Yes, one more thing: I also got into the habit of holding my breath when I pressed the shutter, since otherwise the camera would move - remember, I was pressing my elbows against my chest!

Alas, gone are those days. I sold that fine camera many years ago and eagerly embraced the new digital camera technology. No more having to buy expensive roll film and no more exposing myself to toxic fumes in the darkroom…

The picture above shows how you are supposed to hold your digicam. To be totally honest, I probably don’t hold it like that in most cases. Since the camera is so small and light, I don’t automatically feel any need to use both hands when holding it. I now I should use both hands but I tend to forget.

But don’t do it like I do it - do it the way I tell YOU to do it!

Digital cameras tend to be designed for right-handed people. If you happen to be left-handed you are out of luck. Note how I am holding the camera steadily with my right hand (to the left in the picture), while pressing the shutter with the index finger. Meanwile, my left hand is playing a supporting role by steadying the other end of the camera body.

If I were using a more advanced camera I might put my left hand around the lens barrel instead, to adjust focus or zoom setting. The lens may also in this case be so heavy that it needs to be supported by resting in the left hand.

If you follow my advice to the letter, you may be surprised at how long exposure times (ie. slow shutter speeds) you can use without blur problems. Of course, this also depends on the zoom setting you use. At telephoto settings, ie. when zooming in, the camera will be more vulnerable to blur caused by camera movement and you will need to use shorter exposure times.

If possible, you can also steady your body by leaning against a wall or some other solid object. If even that is not enough, you will need to use something other than yourself to hold the camera - like a tripod. Personally, I hate using that thing because it is clumsy and awkward to carry around, and setting it up for a shot also is not my idea of convenience. But, in some situations you simply have to use one.

I find that I can often get away with improvising some support for the camera when needed, such as putting it on a table. The picture shown here was done this way; by placing my camera on the dining table, plus on top of a cookie jar to get it up to the height I wanted. The exposure time was 1/15 second - not much to brag about, since I’ve also been able to get decent shots while hand-holding the camera at that shutter speed.

In this case the table and cookie jar were convenient to use, and I had plenty of time to get things set up to my liking.

Summary: Remember to do everything I told you to do (not what I’m actually doing), such as…

1. Hold the camera with both hands

2. Rest your elbows against your chest

3. Hold your breath while pressing the shutter

4. Use a cookie jar as support if all else fails!