camera-talk.net

We’re taking more photos. You only have to take a look at your Facebook account and see the number of updates with photos. You’d see your friend Joe posting photos of him and his friends or your friend Tish posting a photo of her and her siblings eating cheesecake. Whatever the occasion, we know that we’d be taking snaps –it’s free anyway.

Photo via xaxor.com

Photography used to be something that was reserved for the rich because it took money to get a few photos taken. By 1985 this has improved but people still had to buy film. A 24-roll of film would be used for one occasion and often, there just weren’t enough photos. Today however we can take hundreds even thousands of photos just to cover one event and it is amazing!

Photo via photocritique.us

Digital cameras are amazing to be exact and since it is almost effortless to take photos, it makes things more amazing.

Why do we take snaps? We do this not only to document what we did last weekend or last night, we also take snaps because we would like to share these photos with friends and family.

According to a report, during the week of the Royal Wedding, there were over 300 million photos taken relating to the said event. These photos were of course taken by digital cameras and camera phones.

Photo via torontoist.com

If one talks about numbers, this is the era where there will be so many photos to choose from. If one is aiming for 5 good pictures for one event for example, one can take as much as 500 photos or even more and pick 5 good ones. The only predicament this brings is the choosing part.

Digital cameras brought about a revolution in photography. Thanks to Kodak of course but many won’t remember Kodak as the inventor of the digital camera. We should though because recognition must be given to where it is due.

In an era where what you are saying is considered untrue if there is no photo of you in that certain event, one can safely say that digital cameras has changed us.

People’s behavior towards taking photos has changed so much that in restaurants it is no longer uncommon for one to take a few excited clicks when the food has arrived. Whether one captures a bagel or a pizza for posterity’s sake or for one to have something to post in their social networks, it no longer matters as long as one can document one’s life.

Photo via Limos.com

The most pronounced changes, as observed by many, is of people taking photos of them in concerts or sporting events. The idea of “I was there” is truly alive in this decade and will always be as long as digital cameras exist.

At a football match for example, thousands will be clicking their digital cameras and if you go out with your friends you would have to pose for a lot of photos because everyone has a digital camera.

Photo via torontette.com

Decades ago, one can only tell someone of an event through memory but now, we can tell our stories through a range of photos. Those who are fond of taking photos say that their reason for taking photos is for them to remember where they were at a certain period of their lives. Since pictures paint a thousand words as the song goes, digital cameras are now the historians of our time –very accurate historians for that matter since they capture almost everything.

It’s not just photos really, video recording is also a part of this era. When we were kids, our parents would take videos of us –our first step, the first time we spoke or said Dada or Mama or whatever. Today, one can use a digital camera to record just about anything and then later on upload it to YouTube.

In 2001, Sony Ericsson showed off their new phone that had a clip-on camera. This kind of thing would sound ridiculous these days but back in 2001, it was something revolutionary. But like with everyone else, Financial Times technology writer Jonathan Margolis asked himself why anyone would want a cell phone with a camera.

A man who calls himself Zorro in the Philippines (Photo via Juice Kupo's Blog)

Standalone digital cameras became popular four years later but what really made digital photos more popular are camera phones. In fact, it was the camera phone that brought the wonders of digital photography to the masses.

A modern photo in sepia. Photography by Kaye de Castro

This impact has been quite dramatic not only to the masses but also to professional photographers. Before, the pros had to make sure that everything worked –the lighting, their equipment, etc but now, they can take as many shots as they like without having to worry about camera film.

Berlin, 1939 (Photo via philseed.com)

Margolis, in his interview with the BBC added the story of a photographer who was in Berlin in the year 1939. The said photographer had in his possession eight photographic plates and he had to make sure that he took photos in the right angles. In the end of course, as Margolis says, out of the said number of plates, the photographer got four award-winning photographs.

An old church in the northern part of the Philippines (Photography Wilfred Salucop)

Those were the good times, as an old person would say because people gave more importance to the shots they made due to the costs of taking photos. Today, with the digital cameras we have and with the camera phones we have, we can take photos at almost no cost or even consequence.

300-year old church in Paoay, Ilocos Norte (Photography Wilfred Salucop)

Armed with a digital camera, my father would take very nice photos but since his generation is that of an era where digital technology is something almost unbelievable, he makes every click count. This is something that many of us should take into consideration –that in every click, there should be a relevant photo that tells a story somehow but of course, not everyone is an artist.

Digital cameras are a wonderful invention- they take still photos and videos making it possible to record one’s life or the fun things you have done and the beautiful places you have been to.

What’s great about digital cameras is that they can display the photos you have taken on a screen once they have been recorded in the digicam’s system. This is something that film cameras cannot do.

Another great thing about digicams is that they can store thousands of images inside their systems that it is almost unbelievable that one can take so many photos. Some pretty nifty cameras can keep up to 500 photos at once and this enables you to be what they call a camwhore. There is nothing wrong with taking photos all the time though because it records one’s life and it makes it possible for you to look at these photos when you are already old.

Digital cameras are also incorporated in difference devices such as mobile phones or camera phones or PDAs. There are also cameras on laptops but they are not as good as your usual digital camera. The Hubble Space Telescope for example is a specialized digital camera. Other astronomical cameras are also called specialized digital cameras.

There are many different kinds of digital cameras available in the market. This includes compact digital cameras, bridge cameras, mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras, and digital single lens reflex cameras.

Compact digital cameras are rather popular because they are very portable. They are designed to be small and best for casual photos. They are also called point and shoot cameras. There are also ultra-compact cameras that are nearly as small and as thin as credit cards. Most of these cameras have built in flash and very high megapixels too. If you are a professional however, you should take a look at DSLRs.

Canon PowerShot G12

Price Range: $484-$641

Date of Release: September 2010

Specifications:

Standard Point and Shoot

5.0x Optical Zoom

10.4 Megapixel

LCD Screen Size of 2.8 inches

720p HDTV Recording


The Good

The great thing about Canon’s PowerShot G12 is that it takes good photos. All photos taken with this digital camera is of high quality. There are many ways for you to tweak your photos with this camera too. Its HDR is also a wonderful addition for those who like taking photos of still subjects.

The Bad

If the ISOs are elevated, this camera has too much noise. To top it off, there is no dedicated button for video recording. This Canon is quite expensive too.

Nikon D700 Digital Camera

Price Range: $1099-$2450

Date of Release: September 2010

Specifications:

SLR/Professional

5.8x Optical Zoom

16.9 Megapizel

CMOS Image Sensor

3.0 inches LCD Screen

1080p HDTV, 720p HDTV

The Good

The great thing about this SLR camera is that it takes terrific photos. At 6 fps, this camera is very responsive. It also focuses faster than other cameras.

The Bad

This camera is not the number 1 in the market because of its price tag but if you are serious about taking photos, this is definitely the camera to buy. Another technical issue that you need to take into consideration is its problematic HD video features.

Sony SLT-A55VL Digital Camera with 18-55mm Lens

Price Range: $698-$950

Date of Release: August 2010

Specifications:

SLR/Professional

3.0x Optical Zoom

16.7 Megapixel

Dust proof

CMOS Image Sensor

3.0   inches LCD Screen

The Good

This Sony digital camera takes very good photos. It is the company’s first digicam that uses translucent mirror. This makes it possible for it to autofocus continuously without interruption. It even has an amazing burst mode giving it a high capture speed as compared to other digital SLRs.

The Bad

This camera overheats easily especially if you are overworking it. If you are planning to use it with the 18-250 lens, it is going to be a bit heavier than your previous digital SLRs.