Digital Cameras

Are You Still Using A Film Camera & Paper Prints?

Are you still using a film camera? If so, why? Perhaps you just like to throw money away. Today a digital camera can hold 5,000 images and there is no cost to purchase film and no cost to show pictures to friends and relatives. You can purchase a decent digital camera for about the same cost as developing 5 to 10 rolls of film. Here are some of the benefits and business uses of digital images over paper images:

• No cost for film, no cost for processing negatives.
• Ability to hold 5000 pictures on your camera (assuming 512MB card and 100k images).
• Share with anyone, anywhere.
• Make backups on CDs, store them in a family member’s closet.
• Print any picture you want, in any size you want.
• Print on regular paper with black and white printer, or on high quality paper with a color printer.
• Upload images online and your pictures are mailed to you for about 20 cents each.
  • (Ophoto.com, Fotki.com, etc.)
• Edit the picture (adjust brightness, add hair, make yourself look skinnier, wipe away wrinkles).
• See pictures immediately and retake poor images immediately.
• Post your pictures to websites or as wallpaper on your computer.
• Create product photo databases for easy integration to catalogs and websites.
• Take personnel photos for security badges/ID tags.
• Record crash/accident site characteristics for insurance and loss prevention purposes, particularly useful for field agents/mobile sales force.
• Relate physical production obstacles or workplace problems to maintenance/administration, any relevant department with email.
• Eliminate the nuisance of photo-lab business accounts and time consuming travel and other tasks when photos can be printed from the office printer then saved to a hard drive, CD, or other media without the need for scanning.
• Produce presentation slide shows of properties, inventory items, personnel, etc.
• Pictures of your employees can be published to the Internet, organization charts, new employee hires, security identification.
• E-mail attachments.
• Pictures of items in Word, Excel, PowerPoint or databases to share with sales reps, customers, web site.
• Document assets for insurance purposes.
• Pictures of business events such as parties, conferences.
• I use them to take pictures of every PowerPoint slide at a conference, great way to capture information.
• Take pictures of letters instead of scanning them in if you don’t have a scanner, though document and general purpose flatbed scanners can be found for $30-40.
• Miscellaneous use - Travel with a camera in case you need to take pictures of a wreck, or other event.

If you are using a film camera, perhaps it’s time to change. Consider that 50 million digital cameras were sold worldwide in 2003. There are nearly 200 image editing and archiving software packages for the Microsoft Windows family of operating systems alone. A Google search for “jpg” and “gif” shows that there are more than 143 million gif and jpg pictures indexed on the Internet.

In 2003, digital camera sales in the United States surpassed sales of traditional film cameras for the first time ever. Research studies estimate that roughly 30% percent of American homes now own a digital camera. This increase from 20% the year before indicates a growing trend in consumer preference for digital photography. Demand for digital photography grows so steadily that other consumer devices like cell phones and PDA’s now integrate the technology on a regular basis. Current printing quality standards allow the majority of users to make satisfactory prints conveniently in their own home. However, digital mini-labs and in-store digital printing kiosks are quickly gaining popularity. Here are two examples – a small digital camera as well as a killer digital camera.

Canon Powershot A75 3.2 Megapixels $199	Nikon D70 Digital SLR 6 Megapixels $1199.00

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CCD Technology

Most digital cameras utilize a sensor called a Charged Coupled Device or CCD to capture light transmitted through the camera lens to form an image. The sensor consists of millions of dots, or pixels, which when taken together make up an image. Therefore, the more pixels your camera uses the more detailed the picture it produces. For the first few years after digital cameras entered the market, resolution formed the basic standard of measurement for all camera models. Only the megapixel (million pixels) value mattered. Some cameras came with high quality glass lenses rather than plastic. Others claimed to achieve the most accurate color reproduction. However, none of these features meant as much as the image resolution.

In order to create a particular size photographic quality print from a digital camera the resolution of the camera itself must meet a certain standard:

Now some consumer grade cameras are capable of 7 or more megapixels. However, due to advances in technology, resolution no longer serves as the single deciding feature in a digital camera purchase. Now consumers can compare color reproduction, image enhancement abilities, and most importantly, the optical quality of digital cameras.  Now that CCD technology is relatively uniform across many consumer oriented camera brands, the lens like in traditional 35mm photography remains a critical component in digital photography. Now purchase decisions must consider factors like the manufacturer of a given lens or the focal length of the camera’s zoom lens. Companies like Nikon, Canon, and Minolta who crafted lenses for years before the digital era rightfully implement high quality glass in their digital camera offerings from professional models to the simplest point and shoot. Other camera manufacturers also choose to employ high quality glass elements in their cameras to stay competitive in the market as optical quality increasingly becomes a figure for distinguishing camera quality.

For instance, Kodak incorporates Schneider Variogon lenses into its top tier models while Sony integrates Carl Zeiss expert craftsmanship with their own advanced features and digital technology to produce many high quality cameras. Following are two examples of digital cameras from Kodak and Sony that incorporate superior lens technology. If you are shopping in the $400 to $900 price range, these two models are among our top recommendations:

Kodak EasyShare DX7590 Digital Camera Schneider Vario Sonnar 10x Optical zoom 5.2 megapixel $449.00	Cyber-shot DSC-F828 SLR Digital Camera Carl Zeiss 7x Optical zoom 8.0 megapixel $799.99
(4.5 / 5.00) pricegrabber.com	(4.00 / 5.00) pricegrabber.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Additionally, a camera’s zoom lens makes a big difference in terms of practicality, ease of use, and photographic quality. Many digital cameras today come with two zoom options: digital and optical. Seeing as how a digital zoom merely crops and enlarges an existing image roughly the same way any image editing program would, the quality and range of the optical zoom is the more relevant feature. While a seemingly infinite number of 2.0 and 3.0 megapixel cameras with 3x optical zooms are available on the market, a zoom of greater length may prove far more useful. The multiplication factor of optical zooms relies on the standard set by 35mm film photography. A 3x optical zoom therefore produces photos equivalent to a 105mm lens when zoomed all the way out. Such zooms provide more than adequate range for casual picture taking and even general business and workplace applications. However, a larger zoom allows for closer, frame-filling photos from a greater distance like in sports or wildlife photography.

Furthermore, several cameras offer advanced features such as exposure compensation and varying degrees of manual control similar to professional 35mm cameras without a drastic increase in price. As with any purchase the optimum feature set of a digital camera depends predominantly on its intended use.

Problems with digital cameras

Actually digital cameras aren’t without problems. Presented below are some negative aspects of digital cameras that you should consider:

• Lens Quality - In the past, Lens quality was generally not as good as lenses found in comparably priced film cameras. However, many manufacturers now incorporate high-quality lenses into their offerings. Sony cameras use Carl Zeiss optics, Kodak uses Schneider lenses, even HP cameras contain lenses supplied by experienced camera maker Pentax.
   
• Picture Speed – Digital cameras generally don’t take pictures as quickly as film based cameras. This is usually because these cameras auto focus before snapping the shot. For this reason it is more difficult to capture fast action shots with a digital camera. For example, taking a picture of your child’s tennis serve or swing of the baseball bat may miss the shot. To compensate for this problem, you can press the button halfway down to auto focus, and then your camera will respond much faster when you press the button.
   
• Grainy Pictures – While all digital cameras take outstanding pictures in bright daylight, less expensive digital cameras often produce grainy results in dark situations.
   
• Flash Timing – I have found that digital cameras and the corresponding flash are not always in sync, and pictures turn out dark or black even when using a flash. Watch out.
   
• Transferring Images - Older digital cameras typically used 12Mbps USB 1.1 cables to transfer pictures from the camera to the computer. Now the USB 2.0 standard offers 480 Mbps transfer speed. Now consumers can even purchase an 8-in-1 card reader for about $10 that connects to their computers and accepts several digital camera cards, many PCs now have these built-in.
   
• Professional Prints – Professional processing/printing facilities are not as abundant as traditional photo-labs. Film shops are on every corner whereas digital image shops are not.
   
• Home Prints - Print quality with average home printer is “average”.
   
• Advanced photographers should consider that wide angle and fast action shots are more difficult to produce due to the narrower angle of view and slower response time found in digital cameras.
   

Low Cost Options

Many manufacturers now provide high quality digital cameras capable of replacing traditional film cameras. Even simple point and shoot models offer several improvements over digital products from only a few years ago. At the time this article was written, Circuit City offers 32 different digital camera models for less than $200, all capable of business photographic duty.              

Polaroid 5 MP 5.1 Megapixel 4x digital zoom $99.99	Kodak EasyShare E300 3x Optical 3.2 Megapixel 5.2x Digital Zoom $99.99	Fujifilm FinePix A345 4.1 Megapixel 3x optical zoom $161.99
Nikon Coolpix 4600 4 Megapixel, 3x Optical Zoom $189.99	Sony Cybershot DSC S40 4.1 Megapixel, 3x optical zoom $199.99	Olympus Verve 4 Megapixel, 2x Optical zoom $199.99

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately, all of these cameras use standard AA batteries, and these cameras will eat batteries alive. It’s a good idea to look for a camera that accepts a rechargeable Lithium battery. Beyond casual picture taking, digital cameras can offer businesses and professionals a wealth of features and options without an excessive investment. The practicality and quality of modern digital cameras renders them a necessity where imaging is concerned. They substitute digital file transfer for developing/printing film making them both efficient and cost effective.

Digital Camera Software – Photo Editing Software

There are nearly 200 different photo editing tools on the market today. There are photo album products, editing products, and design products. Of all of them, PhotoShop is widely believed to be the most powerful of these tools, but at $649 this product may be priced out of range for the average user. A sample screen shot from Photoshop is shown below:

For less money, one good photo editing package is Microsoft Picture It! (Digital Image Suite) for $120.

 

With these tools, users can now adjust, alter, and improve their digital images to a greater extent than possible with traditional 35mm film processing.

• Remove/reduce red-eye, glare, or other abnormalities
• Repair tears, heat, and water damage to photos
• Adjust brightness, color, and contrast for vibrancy and accuracy
• Eliminate eye sores, distracting picture elements, and even people
• Insert captions and file descriptions

Below we see an old torn picture of my father, grandmother and aunt before and after I restored it using simple clone commands in a basic product such as Picture it, PhotoDeluxe, or Photoshop.

 

Additionally, the resolution and image quality possible with a digital camera has steadily increased each year. No longer relegated to simple recording duties, current consumer grade digital cameras support resolution high enough to rival and replace 35mm offerings for both casual and business photography. The following two pictures were taken approximately four years apart using current digital cameras each time. The first was taken with a Minolta Dimage (resolution of 640 x 480 - translates to .3 megapixels).

This second shot was taken with a Kodak DC4800 which produced a four megapixel image. Of course every year digital camera quality improves and the attainable image resolution increases exponentially.

What is a JPG?

A JPEG or JPG is a compressed bitmap format developed specifically for photographic images by the Joint Photographic Experts Group. It is best used for on-screen display or email exchange of large low-resolution photographs and other images with millions of colors and for temporary storage, such as on digital camera memory cards. JPEGs typically look good on-screen and may produce nice inkjet prints.

Due to the nature of its adjustable compression, jpg files are the most popular picture format found on consumer digital cameras. Many users do not realize that the quality settings on their camera are actually algorithm based compression ratios. Selecting the high quality setting on a camera reduces the number of available pictures because the lesser compressed or uncompressed files require more storage space.

The same principles dictate the formats used by online photo archives and services, digital photo finishing labs, and personal computer photo albums. When you take 35mm film to a conventional photo lab to put the pictures on CD or have them posted online or emailed to you, the file format the pictures are converted to is typically a jpg. Digital printing kiosks and online printer services generally require pictures to be submitted in jpg format. Even most consumer photo album and archive programs store files as jpgs or some proprietary image format based on the characteristics of a jpg.

Based on total cost over time, image organization, functionality, and quality - digital images and cameras can now compete with their film equivalents. While film may prove more convenient in some instances, an extra digital camera can be used as backup or simply a portable and potent alternative to 35mm.

File Formats

Clearly digital images, the Internet, and technology are flourishing but how can you make sense of it? Digital images and photos can generally be judged according to a few basic criteria:

File type	Compression	Color bit depth	No. of Colors	Color Mode	Palette
GIF	No	8 bit color	256	Indexed Color	Yes
BMP	No	8-32 bit color	2 - 16.7 million	Indexed/ True Color	Yes
JPEG	Yes, lossy	24 bit color	16,777,216	True Color	No
PNG	Yes, lossless	48 bit color	N/A	True Color	No

There are several popular digital image formats each with different characteristics and different responses to manipulation:

JPEG
-          most common image format
-          primarily used for photographs
-          “lossy” type of format
-          adjustable compression when saving
-          small file size retains excellent image quality

 

BMP
-          former standard Windows image format
-          lossless and works well for pictures or graphics
-          uncompressed file format
-          takes up lots of disk space
 

 

 

 

 

 

GIF
-          most of the time GIFs are logos, icons, buttons, borders, etc.
-          simple images, 256 colors, often shapes or lines
-          lossless format ideal for graphics
-          can be either static or animated
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PNG
-          lossless format
-          smaller files than gifs
-          not supported by many
-          imaging or editing programs

 

 
 

 

Less used formats:

ART- former AOL proprietary file type, no longer common

JPEG2000- This new format easily compresses very large images so that they may be sent by e-mail without any loss in quality. Few software or online solutions use this format yet, but it has great potential.

TIFF- TIFFs exhibit no quality loss as a result of their lack of compression. These file formats are generally better suited to professional printing and publishing than the more common JPEG/jpg.

Vector Graphics- Lastly, scalable vector graphics are widely used in graphic design and printing due to their lossless quality and high capacity for manipulation. Unlike bitmap based images like gifs and jpgs which define a color for each pixel in an image, vector graphics specify coordinates and color and thus can be expanded or reduced in size without pixilation or distortion.

Image Compression
·         Digital storage space costs less than ever before
·         Pictures and images accumulating over a brief period can conceivably fill a large amount of space
·         Many archive and photo album programs exist simply to organize the vast amount of pictures and
          images consumers retain
·         Compression or compressed images can increase the amount of available storage without significantly reducing
          image quality
 

Recommendations:

q     It’s time for you to purchase a digital camera

q     Purchase a digital camera with a resolution of at least 4-5 megapixels

q     Purchase an additional memory card 256-512MB (included cards typically hold 16-32MB)

q     Make sure your digital camera has a rechargeable battery

q     Acquire and learn to use a photo editing tool such as Microsoft’s Picture It! (Digital Imaging Suite)
 

Links

Digital Cameras and Imaging - http://www.imaging-resource.com
Digital news - http://www.dpreview.com/

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