Digital Camera Technology

It used to be that you could go out there, buy a camera and load it with all kinds of film.  Quality of that film was defined by brand like Kodak, Fuji, etc.  There was no real basis for telling which film was the best for your pictures.  Only through a trial and error method was it possible and this meant that you had to spend a lot of money for film.  This no longer holds true with digital cameras.  Through mega pixels alone you can tell what kind of quality you get.  It’s a simple process: the higher number of mega pixels, the better the quality.  Don’t know that your mega pixel choice is?  Here is a list of the recommended camera per mega pixel category.

5MP

For digital cameras at a cheaper price, it’s not the number of mega pixels that will help you.  It’s actually what other features the camera has.  You can actually get a really good camera with 5 mega pixels and a high price tag.  A good recommend for choosing a camera by mega pixel is to go with one that has other good features too like the Fuji FinePix S5200 Zoom.  For just under $250, you can have a 5.1 mega pixel camera with 10x optical zoom that allows you to choose between auto and manual focus.

6MP

An obvious choice for a good 6 mega pixel camera is the Canon PowerShot S3 IS.  It doesn’t break the $300 mark and it packs in a 12x optical zoom, 4x digital zoom, optional conversion lenses can be attached to its body, and it runs on AA batteries.  The build is probably what makes this camera stand out from the rest; it is painted with a dark, metallic gray and it doesn’t feel weak in the hands at all.  One of the most solid of digital cameras, this is definitely a winner when choosing a camera by mega pixel.

7MP

For a fairly price deal on a 7 mega pixel digital camera, you may want to look in the direction of Panasonic.  The Panasonic Lumix FZ8 is one of the best cameras out their in its price range.  A few bucks under $300, the camera lets you to reach almost professional standards without having to change the lenses when required.  The Lumix FZ8 is great casual camera and packs a whopping 12x optical zoom lens; yet it manages to retain a form factor that is small and portable.  This is definitely something for the creative individual choosing a camera by mega pixel.

For choices above the 7 mega pixel mark, you may want to look into the DSLR territory where professional photographers focus their attention.  Prices may be a little steeper than usual but if you do have the budget and the expertise, you may find good bargains with Nikon and Canon.  Sony DSLR’s tend to be over priced but over time, the prices do drop to acceptable levels.  Otherwise, your other option is to buy a digital camera off of someone who has no use for it; which is highly unlikely.

It was once believed that 5 mega pixels would be the lasting standard for all digital cameras in the world.  This is almost similar to Bill Gates saying that 64kb was all computers ever needed.  The fact is that digital camera manufacturers all over the world are pushing their own standards to their limits.  And this can’t be said more about the point and shoot variants that are available in the market today.  Let’s take a look at a few 10 mega pixel point and shoot cameras that are pushing the envelope for average photographers.

Sony Cybershot N2

It was only about a year a half ago that the 5 mega pixel craze hit the entire planet and Sony was there every inch of the way.  They promoted all sorts of products that were hopefully going to be the leaders and standard in mega pixel quality.  Today, Sony joins the race with others in making 10 mega pixel point and shoot cameras just as successful as the once famous 5 mega pixel variants.  With the Cybershot N2, Sony has proven that you can pack that much power into such a small package.  This little compact monster has an amazing touch screen interface in the form of its massive 3.0-inch LCD screen.  A free-spot focus feature is one of the gems of this product.  All one has to do is select a desired area to focus on and the camera will do as it’s told.  Stylish and powerful, this 10 mega pixel point and shoot camera is causing waves in every resellers shop.

Canon Powershot SD900

The first thing that you will notice about any Canon camera is the solid build.  It’s an unmistakable trademark that Canon is built with some kind of metal that gives off just how solid it is.  The PowerShot SD900’s body is titanium and if anything, it is nice and shiny.  A huge 10 mega pixel point and shoot sensor isn’t obvious from this tiny camera.  With the standard 3x optical zoom and movie mode that Canon offers, it’s obvious that they are playing it safe with innovation this time, providing their market with a toy that’s just like the older models, only a lot more powerful and precise.  With all the 10 mega pixel point and shoot offerings from Canon, the Powershot SD900 is not one that will be easily ignored.

Casio Exilim Z1050

Casio was one of the first companies to put out some of the highest quality slim digital cameras in the market.  The Casio Exilim Z1050 is no exception.  Still retaining many of the physical features of its predecessors, the Exilim Z1050 is probably one of the thinnesr cameras in the 10 mega pixel point and shoot category.  With 10.1 effective mega pixels, it’s a camera that will fit in any small space like pockets in bags or shirts.  It’s stylish and commands its own kind of respect; the kind that will attract the market to its fair price as well.  Expect more models of this kind from Casio and the Exilim series.

A Japanese company that specializes in all sorts of optical products, Canon has also established its reputation in photocopiers and computer printers.  It’s no surprise that they also sell specialized printers for some of their cameras.  But in professional photography, the Canon is well respected for the Canon Digital Rebel products: DSLR juggernauts that sell for a price that is shockingly fair.

DSLR

A DSLR camera (or Digital Single-lens Reflex Camera) works much in the same way in optical and mechanical standards as a modern SLR.  The difference, of course, is that this kind of camera does not use film.  It is replaced with a CCD or an image sensor (a measure in mega pixels).  This dismisses the need for any chemical developing and yet you can get the same quality as you would from a camera using film, which is said to be much better than a digital camera reproduction.  The Canon Digital Rebel products have stood against the notion that only film can produce great pictures.  Truly, the product stands for the word it is named after.

The Canon Digital Rebel 400D

The Canon Digital Rebel is only fondly called that by most North American manufacturers and resellers but its real name is the Canon EOS.  The latest offering from Canon comes in the form of the Canon EOS 400D.  In North America it is referred to as the Digital Rebel XTi and in Japan the EOS Kiss Digital X.  But beyond all the names, the EOS 400D stands to be one of the most powerful DSLR’s in the market; and easily the most popular with a price tag of only approximately $800.  A successor to the ever-popular 350D, the 400D packs a 10.1 mega pixel sensor, a larger buffer for continuous shooting, an image sensor vibrating cleaning system, a 9-point auto focus system that is much more improved in this model, and a larger viewing angle screen.  The cameras also has a bigger grip for better handling.  About the only problem that can be fixed with simple solutions (like covering or exposing the viewfinder to light) is that the 400D will tend to underexpose depending on light availability.  The 350D, on the other hand, had the tendency to overexpose.

Upgrading

The Canon Digital Rebel 400D is not a camera that can be messed around with.  It isn’t the typical point and shoot camera and there are different settings that you have to adhere to so that you can get the best possible results from the pictures you take.  Put simply, if you are ready to go professional, then this is the camera that you can drop your point and shoot camera for.  The 400D is compatible with many of the lenses that Canon also manufacturers and sells.

You will most probably end up buying the body only so you may have to save more money for all sorts of lenses.  This, of course, is the drawback that any professional photographer has to experience.  But the results are worth every penny and you can make all the money back if you choose photography to be a profession.

Some of the most popular cameras are not as popular as you may think.  Perhaps you’ve seen people walking by with DSLR’s in tow, some of them flashing brands like Sony or Nikon.  But it’s not the kind of camera or the brand that makes the camera.  Take Canon, for example; they are a known camera brand but it’s not always their high-end cameras that take the limelight.  In fact, it’s their simpler and more functional products that take center stage.  In this case: the Canon A640.

Features

The Canon A640 is the one of the latest offerings from Canon’s PowerShot series and is one that is likely to stay for about a year longer.  Sales of the product have determined its popularity.  Maybe the answer lies in some of the features that the Canon A640 has.  The Canon A640 sports a high resolution, 10.0 mega pixel CCD.  It has a high quality 4x Optical Zoom lens, an optical viewfinder and a 2.5 inch various-angle (Vari Angle) LCD screen.

Inside

The Canon A640 is equipped with a 9-point AiAF Smart auto focus system that includes 21 shooting modes.  For those who aren’t sure what this means, standard shooting modes include Full Auto, Program, Shutter-priority, Manual, Custom, etc.  And then there are the additional modes like Portrait, Night Scene, Landscape, etc.  The Canon A640 is also capable of recording in movie mode with sound that is capture by a built in microphone.  If you use a 4GB SD memory card (sold separately), you can record up to 36 minutes of high quality movies.  In terms of zoom technology, the camera also boasts a Safety zoom feature that allows you to explore zoom levels even on digital zoom without losing quality of the image that you capture.  Canon has also made sure to install a DIGIC II (Digital Imaging Integrated Circuit) image processor.  Consumers who buy the Canon A640 are assured longer battery life, smooth operation, accurate reproduction, and high image quality because of the presence of the DIGIC chip.

Vari Angle

The LCD display is one of the best features of the Canon A640.  The Vari Angle (or various angle) feature allows you to see what you are capturing on the screen whether you are raising the camera high above your head or taking shots from below your knee.  The color 2.5 inch LCD screen is designed in such a way that you will still see images very clearly even at these extreme angles.  With the LCD screen on when taking shots, a consumer will probably be able to take about 500 shots before the batteries die out.  Of course, this is all thanks again to the DIGIC chip that allows for less power consumption.

The Canon A640 is sold with a USB cable, audio and video cable (which you probably won’t use much since it also has a built in speaker so you can review videos on the spot), a wrist strap, 16MB MMC card, AA size batteries (it’s recommended that you buy NiMH rechargeable batteries for longer usage), and Canon’s own software that you can use for transferring and editing your pictures with on your computer.

Once known as the Asahi Optical Company, Pentax Corporation is known for its lens products and they used to supply optical products for camera companies like Konica and Minolta.  Today, Pentax Corporation is keen on regaining a market that they seemed to have lost to competitors like Nikon and Canon.  One of their major products right now is the production of DSLR lenses and consumers are starting to take notice.  In 2007, Pentax aims to release more lenses that will be compatible with their own brand of DSLR cameras.

The Exhibition

Pentax Corporation just recently held an exhibition in the United States and Japan in March.  The company showcased their photographic merchandise and an overview of some of the upcoming Pentax products that consumers can expect to be released later this year.  Included are a couple of lens options and a couple of DSLR cameras that the company is excited to release very soon.

Lenses

Pentax is scheduled to release three interchangeable lenses in September of 2007.  These upcoming Pentx products are for exclusive use with Pentax DSLR cameras.  The lenses are to be developed as Star-series lenses, providing superior performance and an advanced system that will provide smooth and quiet auto focusing.  The lenses have a built in motor in the body making this possible.  Two of the uni-focal lenses (one with an angle view of 306mm, the other 460mm) are due out in September.  The third lens is a 92mm to 384mm zoom lens that is scheduled for release in December of 2007.  A compact macro, high quality lens is also scheduled for release but there has been no date announced yet; there are hints of its release in 2008.  It will also be ideal for use as a standard lens.  Lastly, one lens that will probably steal the spotlight by SLR and DSLR users us the tentative Pentax-D FA645 55mm F2.8, which can be used with existing Pentax-645 SLR film cameras as well as their digital equivalents.  There is no clue as to when this will be released but its expected to be marketed simultaneously with the new Pentax camera.

Cameras

Pentax Corporation will also be releasing a new camera and have teamed up with Kodak to improve on their DSLR units.  A tentative name the camera is the PENTAX 645 Digital.  As one of the upcoming Pentax products, it will feature a large Kodak CCD image sensor with a tentative total of a whopping 31.6 mega pixels.  It will still be compatible with existing Pentax lenses and will have two storage slots: one for SD memory cards and one for Compact Flash cards.  No date has been set for this monster of a DSLR but it is expected to hit the market by 2008.

There may be some specifications that will change with the coming release of these products but one thing is clear: Pentax is back in the marker and is willing to compete with any brand of camera out there.  If you are looking for something new and powerful for your DSLR or if you are waiting for the right DSLR unit to appear in the market, chances are that some of the upcoming Pentax products will end up on your shopping list.