Pet Portrait Photography - All About Your Camera
I am asked frequently about digital cameras and some of the technical terms that are used regarding them. So if you don’t know a mega pixel from a megabyte read on!
What is resolution?
When people talk about resolution (high res) they are referring to the number of pixels in an image. The more pixels, the higher the resolution. The higher the resolution, the better the picture for me because it will show detail. If you are emaling photos I usually like to see the original resolotuion that your camera used when taking the photo – ie email it to me exactly how it came form the camera without using any compression
What is compression?
Digital cameras use a range of compression modes to store images. If you can use the highest practical setting from your cameras menu many digital cameras have a setting which avoids compression altogether sometimes called ‘Tiff’. Using such a setting would possibly mean you could only take one or two pictures before your card is full, which isn’t very practical. High settings are often called ‘fine’, ‘superfine’ etc. These are a better choice.
Picture Size
Most digital cameras will allow you to set the size at which pictures are taken. This setting can be found in the cameras menu. Generally set it to the highest number or option available.
What are megapixels?
Digital cameras are measured in mega pixels, the theory is that high mega pixel cameras show greater detail in the images and the images are larger. Our current digital camera is 5 mega pixels and for taking photos for dogs, family and every day use this is perfect. A good quality 4 or 5 mega pixel camera should produce great quality photos.
What is a memory card?
Current day digital cameras store the images on memory cards. Think of the memory card as a roll of film with the added benefit that the card can be used over and over again. There are many different types of memory card available and normally a digital camera is compatible with just one type of card but sometimes a digital camera can use a variety of different types of cards. The important point is to make sure that the card you buy is the right type for your camera. A memory card will come with a new digital camera as standard but you may like to buy a second higher capacity card to enable you to store more photos. The capacity of memory cards are measured in megabytes, common capacities are 64mb, 128mb, 256mb, 512mb. The more megabytes, the more pictures you can store before downloading them to your computer.
What are the differences between Digital Zoom and Optical Zoom?
Digital zoom is a feature that enlarges the subject within an image to fill more of the frame. Using a digital zoom reduces the resolution and quality of an image. It is preferable to use optical zoom.
Optical zoom magnifies the size of an image by adjusting the lens. Using optical zoom means you can get closer to your subject without sacrificing quality. |
