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Argos Digital Camera buying guide
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Digital cameras have
completely changed the
possibilities of the
photography process. How we
take photos, how they are
processed, how we view them
and even how we share
them. |
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- What is a
digital camera?
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Essentially a digital camera is the
same as a standard camera. You use it in a
similar way (point and click) to take
pictures, which you then process and keep. It
is just the how that is different.
Digital cameras let you take a picture and view it
immediately (on the LCD screen on the back of the
camera). If you are happy with the image – save it
to memory card. If you aren’t happy with it, delete
the image and try again till you are.
Once you have your collection of images, connect
your digital camera to your PC (via the provided
USB cable) and they are uploaded. From here – print
your images yourself, send them to an online image
service for printing, edit them, email them, post
them on your web site, or store them on
CD-ROM.
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- What can I do
with a digital
camera
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| Digital cameras still let you do all
the things you can do with your regular
camera – zoom, self-timers, personalised
settings and so on. But they can also give
you many more features – short movie
recording, voice capture, choice of colour,
sepia or black & white (at a push of a
button), panoramic and more. And they are
still portable. Like regular cameras, the
trend is to small so you can easily carry it
in your pocket or bag. |
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Quality of the image depends on the
specifications of the camera. The quality of
the image is determined by the pixel
resolution. The higher the count, the better
the image.
However, you can also determine what quality your
images are (up to the spec of your camera). If it’s
for work (just taking a picture to remind yourself
what something looks like and you won’t be printing
them), quality of image may not be as important so
set the resolution to lower. But if it’s family
(and you will want to print and frame them) set the
resolution to it’s highest.
This is important when it comes to storing your
images on the memory card. The higher quality the
image, the bigger it’s file size. This means you
fit more, lower quality images on a memory card
than higher quality images. The bigger the card in
your camera, the more images you can store on the
camera, before downloading to your PC.
Most cameras are supplied with a low capacity
memory card. Additional memory cards can be
purchased separately. Which is highly recommended!
This is your film. If you are travelling with a
laptop, or have constant access to a PC, you can
upload your images often. But if you are on the
road, there is nothing worse than not been able to
get that great shot because you don’t have any film
left! We do recommend you purchase the largest
memory card you can afford. Cards are available
from 8Mb to 128Mb.
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- Then what do
I do with the
images
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| By uploading the images to a
computer means you can edit them using one of
the many pieces of editing software available
e:g Adobe Photoshop. Once you are happy with
your pictures, you can print them off using
glossy paper – just like a standard 35mm
photo. They can be printed any size from a
standard 6x4 to 10x8 – its up to you. Just
remember that the higher the resolution, the
better the quality when you
print. |
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- Cost – you don’t have to
wait for the photos to be developed
to realise everyone’s eyes were shut!
You only save and print the pictures
you want. No wasted developments.
- Don’t miss the great shot. If you
didn’t get the shot the first time, you
know straight away and get another
opportunity to take it.
- Share with your family and friends.
Images can be shared easily – either via
email, on-line photo albums or on your own
web site.
- Edit or personalise your images. With
the right software, you can either get rid
of the red-eye, or turn everyone’s eyes
red! Adapt, fix, personalise pictures. Turn
them into calendars, greeting cards,
T-shirts or screen-savers.
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- Key features
to look out for
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- Pixel resolution – quality
of images
- Zoom – optical being of more benefit
than digital
- LCD screen – size of the viewing screen
may be important to you
- Memory – size, and whether internal or
removable (memory card)
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- Key features
to look out for
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- Memory cards – to increase
your storage capacity.
- Software – to be able to
edit and manipulate your
images.
- Printers – fantastic photo
quality printers are now available
from the big printer names via
Argos.
- Speciality papers – having
invested in both your camera and
photo quality printer, get the best
prints possible by using special
photo paper. Depending on the
combination, you really won’t be able
to tell the difference from what you
get from your local photo development
outlet.
- Digital camera bags –
protection from any unwanted bumps or
knocks.
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| Jargon
Buster |
| Sony Memory
Stick To expand your
camera image storage
capability. Available in
64Mb, only. Check
compatibility with your
chosen camera. |
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Fuji Compact Flash
and Smart Media Memory
Cards
To expand your
camera image storage
capability. Available in
32Mb, 64Mb, and 128Mb. Check
compatibility with your
chosen camera. |
| Digital
Zoom Enlarges an
image with digital
technology. As this involves
enlarging the pixel size,
there is a degree of quality
being sacrificed (the
sharpness of the image may be
lost). Also see Optical Zoom.
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| LCD
Screen The camera’s
screen allows you to review
your image. It can also be
used as a
viewfinder.. |
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Memory
Rather than a film,
digital cameras store the
image in its memory (much
like a computer). This can be
internally, although is
normally in the form of a
memory card. Memory is
measured in Mb. The bigger
the memory, the more images
you can store. |
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Optical
Zoom
The zoom you are
used to with your regular
camera. Optical zoom
magnifies your image without
loss of quality. It
essentially magnifies before
the image is
taken. |
| Pixels
The many, many coloured dots
making up an
image. |
Pixel Resolution
Image quality is determined
by the pixel resolution
(pixels being the many,
many dots that make up a
picture). The higher the
pixel count/resolution, the
better the image quality.
They are measured in
millions.
The following gives you an idea
of what pixel resolution you
should be looking for based on
your needs:
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Below 1
million |
Ideal for
email |
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1-2
million |
6” x
4”
printing |
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2-3
million |
7” x
5”
printing |
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3
million
+ |
10”
x 8”
printing |
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| Kodak Memory
Card To expand your
camera image storage
capability. Available in
32Mb, 64Mb, and 128Mb. Check
compatibility with your
chosen camera. |
| Smart Media
Memory Card To
expand your camera image
storage capability. Available
in 32Mb, 64Mb, and 128Mb.
Check compatibility with your
chosen camera. |
| USB
Connection/Cable The
link between your digital
camera and PC, it provides
fast ‘plug and play’ download
between the two. |
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