Geek Speak…Digital Pictures And Cameras

A very few years ago,if you were reading about photographs and cameras,it wouldn’t be as part of a computer article.  Now,unless you have a reasonably good computer,you probably aren’t taking many pictures.  This is because digital cameras have come into their own,and most conventional cameras and film-processing places have disappeared.  You can still buy disposable cameras almost anywhere,and there are still nice 35mm cameras for the hobbyist,but getting film developed and printed is tricky.  I am aware of Smith’s,Walmart and Walgreens that do it locally and there are probably a few others as well.

Even professional photographers have made the switch to digital cameras.  Most of the pros I know still have a nice portrait camera in the back room,but they have 2 or 3 digital cameras that they use for most work and they have had to learn how to use the computer and invest in professional photo printers to keep up with advances in the industry.

For most of us,a good consumer-model digital camera and photo printer (along with our computer) is all we need to capture and share memories of family,friends,travel,etc.  You can take hundreds of shots and review them immediately,keeping the good ones and deleting the rest.  There is no additional cost for film and developing,unless you print them.  They can be displayed on the computer or TV,sent in emails,shared on the internet,made into calendars,etc.  Your imagination is the only limit.

There are two things that are the main determinants of picture quality:resolution and picture accuracy.  The accuracy is determined by the optics (the lens and type of body the camera uses).  Things like color depth and saturation,lighting and flash capability,speed of capture and software both in the camera and on your computer can transform an average picture into a high-quality picture,or even a work of art.

Bear in mind that small lenses are usually less accurate than larger ones (such as the 35mm) and allow less light in the aperture.  Mechanical zoom (how close the subject looks in the picture) is nice to have and is more accurate than software based zooming.

Resolution will affect how large you can print or display the picture without it looking fuzzy or pixilated (looking like it is made up of squares blocks of color instead of a smooth,connected appearance)  Here is a rule of thumb for the resolution in megapixels you need to print various sizes of pictures.

Small photo printers that do a good job on 4X6 or 5X7 pictures are available under $100,but the professional units that print top quality large prints will run from $2000 to $4000 and the ink is not cheap.  Better to take the occasional special picture to a professional with the type of equipment to do the job right.

As always,keep backups of anything important,stay safe and happy computing.

Shaun McCausland has been in the computer industry for 27 years (locally with Musicomp &Bits ‘N’Bytes) and currently does in-home and on-site computer consultation,service,training and repair. If you have questions,you can reach him at 668-7118