There are more picture making posibilites than simply pointing the camera and asking some one to smile.The main benefit of photography is the way it enhances how you see the world. Photography is an excellent hobby for creative minded people.
Camera
Think carefully about the camera you intend to use. If you are buying a camera choose one with a viewfinder that is comfortable to see through (especially if you are wearing glasses)
Cameras are basically of two types
Film
Digital
Camera
Think carefully about the camera you intend to use. If you are buying a camera choose one with a viewfinder that is comfortable to see through (especially if you are wearing glasses)
Cameras are basically of two types
Film
Digital
SLR
The basic technology that makes all of this possible is fairly simple. A still film camera is made of three basic elements: an optical element (the lens), a chemical element (the film) and a mechanical element (the camera body itself). The only trick to photography is calibrating and combining these elements in such a way that they record a crisp, recognizable image.
The optical component of the camera is the lens. At its simplest, a lens is just a curved piece of glass or plastic. Its job is to take the beams of light bouncing off of an object and redirect them so they come together to form a real image -- an image that looks just like the scene in front of the lens. A single lens reflex (SLR) is a camera in which the same lens is used for viewing and taking pictures. A mirror in the body directs the light from the lens up into a prism for viewing, then flips up out of the way just before an exposure is made.
A cross-section (or 'side-view') of the optical components of a typical SLR camera shows how the light passes through the lens assembly , is reflected by the mirror and is projected on the matte focusing screen . Via a condensing lens and internal reflections in the roof pentaprism the image appears in the eyepiece . When an image is taken, the mirror moves upwards from its critical 45 degree angle in the direction of the arrow, the focal plane shutter opens, and the image is projected onto the film or sensor in exactly the same manner as on the focusing screen.
The optical component of the camera is the lens. At its simplest, a lens is just a curved piece of glass or plastic. Its job is to take the beams of light bouncing off of an object and redirect them so they come together to form a real image -- an image that looks just like the scene in front of the lens. A single lens reflex (SLR) is a camera in which the same lens is used for viewing and taking pictures. A mirror in the body directs the light from the lens up into a prism for viewing, then flips up out of the way just before an exposure is made.
A cross-section (or 'side-view') of the optical components of a typical SLR camera shows how the light passes through the lens assembly , is reflected by the mirror and is projected on the matte focusing screen . Via a condensing lens and internal reflections in the roof pentaprism the image appears in the eyepiece . When an image is taken, the mirror moves upwards from its critical 45 degree angle in the direction of the arrow, the focal plane shutter opens, and the image is projected onto the film or sensor in exactly the same manner as on the focusing screen.
There are a bunch of advantages of SLR cameras over the more compact point-and-shoots:
You can expand your system to match your interests. If you suddenly get interested in photographing tiny bugs, just get a macro lens, and you're in business.
Upgrading is easy. If a fantastic new camera body comes out, you can replace your old one, and all your old lenses will continue to work.
Backup is easy. If you're going on that once-in-a-lifetime safari to Africa, take two bodies. If one fails, you're still in business.
Almost every level of equipment quality is available -- you're limited only by your pocketbook. With a point-and-shoot, you get the lens and flash that comes with your camera, and that's it.
There are some disadvantages as well:
SLRs will be heavier and bulkier than the point-and-shoots.
SLRs will probably cost a bit more.
Most point-and-shoots are optimized so that any idiot can use them. This is not necessarily true for SLRs
The fact that the mirror has to flip out of the way just before each shot means that the actual photo is not exactly what you see through the viewfinder -- it's what's there a few hundredths of a second later. Usually this doesn't make any difference, but if you're photographing rapidly-moving objects, it can.
You can expand your system to match your interests. If you suddenly get interested in photographing tiny bugs, just get a macro lens, and you're in business.
Upgrading is easy. If a fantastic new camera body comes out, you can replace your old one, and all your old lenses will continue to work.
Backup is easy. If you're going on that once-in-a-lifetime safari to Africa, take two bodies. If one fails, you're still in business.
Almost every level of equipment quality is available -- you're limited only by your pocketbook. With a point-and-shoot, you get the lens and flash that comes with your camera, and that's it.
There are some disadvantages as well:
SLRs will be heavier and bulkier than the point-and-shoots.
SLRs will probably cost a bit more.
Most point-and-shoots are optimized so that any idiot can use them. This is not necessarily true for SLRs
The fact that the mirror has to flip out of the way just before each shot means that the actual photo is not exactly what you see through the viewfinder -- it's what's there a few hundredths of a second later. Usually this doesn't make any difference, but if you're photographing rapidly-moving objects, it can.
Digital
The operation of a digital camera, from the standpoint of the user, is virtually the same as the operation of a 35mm camera. The biggest difference in the operation of the camera is in the storage medium, and number of images made between changes. For instance, with a 35mm camera, you can have a maximum of about 36 exposures before you have to rewind the film, open the back, and insert another film roll. With digital you might be able to shoot hundreds of images before changing your "digital film". When you take a picture with a digital camera the light strikes a digital sensor array, instead of a piece of film. These digital sensors are computer "chips" with names like CCD, CMOS, Foveon, or others. They take the place of a piece of film that must be moved across the focal plane of the camera. The digital sensor is made of millions of tiny sensor points called "pixels," which is short for "picture elements." They are laid out in an array with rows and columns, like in a computer spreadsheet or wall calendar. For instance, my camera has an array of sensors in its CCD that is 3008 horizontally, and 2000 pixels vertically (3008x2000).
When the image strikes the sensor, it gets all those megapixels excited. First the image goes through color filters above the individual sensors. The sensor converts the image from light waves into an analog electrical signal. The analog signal is then run through an analog to digital converter (A-D Converter), where it becomes a pure digital signal. Then it is again put through a series of electronic filters that adjust the white balance, color, and aliasing of the image. Next a compression cycle makes the image as small as possible by dumping unnecessary pixels, for more efficient storage. Now the camera has a nice compressed, filtered, digital signal representing your image.
The image is then transferred into a temporary storage area inside the camera called "buffer memory," or simply the "buffer." When the buffer is full, the image is written out to your storage media, such as a memory card. The buffer size in the camera is an important thing. It tells how many images you can take in quick succession. If you have a tiny buffer in your camera, you will have to wait a bit after you take several images.
The operation of a digital camera, from the standpoint of the user, is virtually the same as the operation of a 35mm camera. The biggest difference in the operation of the camera is in the storage medium, and number of images made between changes. For instance, with a 35mm camera, you can have a maximum of about 36 exposures before you have to rewind the film, open the back, and insert another film roll. With digital you might be able to shoot hundreds of images before changing your "digital film". When you take a picture with a digital camera the light strikes a digital sensor array, instead of a piece of film. These digital sensors are computer "chips" with names like CCD, CMOS, Foveon, or others. They take the place of a piece of film that must be moved across the focal plane of the camera. The digital sensor is made of millions of tiny sensor points called "pixels," which is short for "picture elements." They are laid out in an array with rows and columns, like in a computer spreadsheet or wall calendar. For instance, my camera has an array of sensors in its CCD that is 3008 horizontally, and 2000 pixels vertically (3008x2000).
When the image strikes the sensor, it gets all those megapixels excited. First the image goes through color filters above the individual sensors. The sensor converts the image from light waves into an analog electrical signal. The analog signal is then run through an analog to digital converter (A-D Converter), where it becomes a pure digital signal. Then it is again put through a series of electronic filters that adjust the white balance, color, and aliasing of the image. Next a compression cycle makes the image as small as possible by dumping unnecessary pixels, for more efficient storage. Now the camera has a nice compressed, filtered, digital signal representing your image.
The image is then transferred into a temporary storage area inside the camera called "buffer memory," or simply the "buffer." When the buffer is full, the image is written out to your storage media, such as a memory card. The buffer size in the camera is an important thing. It tells how many images you can take in quick succession. If you have a tiny buffer in your camera, you will have to wait a bit after you take several images.
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