With their combination of the greatest picture quality, speed, intuitive design, and flexible possibilities to fit virtually every form of photography imaginable, DSLR cameras are frequently regarded as the preeminent digital capture technology available today. Check out the information below to learn more about things to look for when purchasing cameras online to ensure that you choose the right option for yourself and your family.
Table of Contents
AUTOFOCUS
Shutter lag is a common misconception that has nothing to do with the shutter. But, unfortunately, it is; certainly, there’s a tiny delay between shutter order being sent and its opening, but the great bulk of the lag is due to automatic focusing algorithms and automatic metering.
Measuring is the process by which the camera calculates how long the picture should be exposed for, whereas focusing is self-ex 41 of the 61 AF points of the Canon EOS 1D-X are cross-type. Therefore, you can eliminate shutter lag by utilizing a fast-focusing lens on that camera.
SIZE OF THE SENSOR
If there’s one rule to remember when it comes to photography, it’s those bigger sensors equal better images. Full-frame cameras get their name from the size of their sensors, which correspond to the “full-frame” of 35mm film, and are unsurprisingly the professional’s choice.
Finally, because price and sensor size scale roughly in proportion, most fans cannot afford medium format or full-frame cameras, which is why today’s most popular digital SLRs, such as the Canon Rebel T4i, use the APS-C format. It’s a win-win situation.
MEGAPIXELS
Technically, a megapixel comprises one million pixels; however, knowing that your camera shoots 10 million pixels at a time is relatively useless. So instead, what you want to know, and what the megapixel count signifies, is how large you can take your picture without attempting to enlarge it and risk losing image quality digitally.
At the US standard 6-by-4-inch size, a 3-megapixel photo has enough density to be reproduced at 300ppi, but 9 megapixels is closer to a regular sheet of paper at the same density. So while there’s no assurance that the image will turn out good (the camera’s megapixels just show the number of data points gathered), at the very least, you’ll be able to pull it off if you’re looking for an opportunity.
OPTICAL VIEWFINDER / LCD
Optical viewfinders are amusing. You may question why everyone bothers with the effort until you use one, but then you acquire your first DSLR and realize you can’t live without it. Through a sort of porthole above the camera, mirrors in SLR cameras reflect the precise picture that will be recorded onto the sensor: there’s your viewfinder.
Touchscreens are finally starting to get decent, too, with features like tap-to-focus on the Olympus PEN E-P5 and the touch-friendly Canon T4i — they’re not needed yet, but they’re becoming increasingly useful.
CAPABILITIES IN VIDEO
Video recording with still cameras was formerly considered a curiosity, but now HD video is a common and anticipated feature. However, there are certain risks to be aware of, such as cameras that lock the focus and zoom when video recording begins (for example, the otherwise excellent Canon S95), drastically limiting your options.
They do, however, provide you access to a variety of dramatic effects that smaller cameras can’t match. Want to open your film with a beautifully circular bokeh that gradually brings your main guy into focus? You’ll need a camera in the Canon 60D class with a wide-aperture lens to match.
ZOOM
The concept of zoom is simple: it’s how close you can get to whatever you’re capturing without physically getting closer — but the results aren’t always apparent. The efficient mechanism at the widest and closest ranges, which indicate how well you can fit into your shot, is far more significant than the exact x-multiple of your zoom.
Worth noting that lenses with a lot of camera pans are difficult to hold steady when zoomed in, so even with the best image stabilization, getting clean photos may be challenging.
Buying a camera has never been simpler — it’s difficult to find the best Tech Deals on the best camera that doesn’t capture good photos without a lot of work — but finding the ideal camera still requires some effort. In the end, there are a lot of factors to consider and a lot of data to disregard, but the most important thing is to figure out what type of photographer you are.
