Tips on Choosing a Camera

Snap ~ Snap ~ what do you get; picture perfect is what you get. After searching high & low for a modern camera I finally bought myself a flashy top of the range Toshiba digital. It was time for my old & out-dated conventional camera to make way for my new digital Toshiba M81. Since the launch of digital cameras, dedicated photographers, amateur snappers and experienced professionals have been able to take photography to another level ~ a level that opens up a whole new world of creative freedom.

So what’s the difference between a conventional camera & digital camera?

• ~ Firstly, the most striking feature of a digital camera is that it doesn’t need any film. All pictures taken are stored digitally on a Smart Media storage card ~ as soon as you’ve taken a picture you can view it on the built in LCD screen and if by any chance you are not happy with the snap then you can simply delete and shoot again. Unlike your conventional cameras where you will need to send the film off to be developed & processed ~ there is no way of knowing how good the pictures have come out until they are ready for collection & by then there is nothing you can do if the snaps taken are not what you expected.

• ~ Secondly, digital cameras come with a USB connection (Universal Serial Bus) ~ the fastest way to transfer images from camera to PC. So once you are ready to process your pictures all you have to do is plug the USB connection directly into your computer so that you can download the images. ~ Conventional cameras do not have this option.

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• ~ Thirdly, let your imagination run wild ~ digital cameras allow you to explore photography from a different angle. The downloaded images can be re-touched, altered or even changed altogether ~ Basically, that’s what I mean when I say digital cameras “opens up a whole new world of creative freedom” ~ there is no limit to the flexibility of digital photography. Once you have created the perfect picture you can then e-mail the finished photo to family & friends, print them or use them in presentations etc. On the other hand conventional cameras cannot compete with this type of technology & the only creative freedom you will experience with the conventional camera is your straight forward black/white & colour pictures ~ Pictures that end up coming out all blurred & everybody in the photo has red-eye, well almost everybody.

Are digital cameras worth buying? ~ Yes, most definitely

The sheer flexibility of digital cameras gives photography enthusiasts something to work with ~ to be able to take a photograph of someone or something & delete straight away because it wasn’t quite right speaks volumes of how good these cameras are. To be able to view an image & then re-create into something new makes digital photography fresh and exciting, even for a keen amateur snapper like myself. There is no need to worry about running out of film & you won’t need to ask that dreaded question when on holiday – How many exposures do you have left? ~ Digital cameras can store several hundred images at a time, the exact amount will depend on the size of the Smart Media storage card in use.

The more conventional & automatic cameras restrict you from manipulating the picture when taking snaps, especially in unfavourable conditions ~ the possibility of red-eye & bad lighting in photographs caused by the flash ~ this is often seen in portrait photographs in automatic photography. Digital cameras eliminates all of these flaws ~ not only are they easy to use but with features such as automatic flash, auto focus, & red-eye reduction gives images & photography a whole different look.

¤¤ Toshiba PDR- M81 ¤¤
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Like most sophisticated equipment out there, in order to understand how things work then you need to get familiar with the terminology used. No matter which digital camera you plan to buy, most if not all contain the same terminology words ~ it is the only way you will be able to distinguish one good camera from another ~ a bit like a PC, knowing its specifications will give you a better insight when making a worthwhile purchase.

The Toshiba PDR-M81 is equipped with the following features:

• ~ 4.2 Mega pixel ~ Pixels are individual dots of colour used to create an image. The greater the number of pixels in an image, the higher the resolution & better the quality.

• ~ 2.8 Optical Zoom ~ the lens achieves magnification by moving forwards & backwards.

• ~ 2.2 Digital Zoom ~ this magnifies the centre part of the image digitally.

• ~ 8MB Smart Media ~ this is where all photo snaps are stored ~ these removable storage cards can be up-graded when you want. When changing these storage cards makes sure it is compatible with your camera.

• ~ USB Connection ~ the fastest way to transfer images from camera to PC

• ~ 3 Second Boot-Up ~ Time taken in seconds for the camera to be ready for use once switched on.

¤¤ Additional features ¤¤
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The Toshiba M81 digital camera also comes with the following additional features:

• ~ 5 mode flash system
• ~ 1.5 LCD Screen
• ~ Storage available up to 128MB
• ~ Image software applied
• ~ Self-timer
• ~ Stores up to 128 jpeg images on 8MB Smart Media.

When buying a digital camera you should always be on the look out for:

1)~ Resolution ~ the resolution is the amount of detail in an image & it is described as pixels. The higher the number of pixels the higher the resolution, & ultimately the better the picture.

2)~ Speed ~ this one of the main benefits of using a digital camera ~ the speed at which pictures can be taken & downloaded. Ideal when taking shots in rapid succession & even taking pictures of the fastest moving environments.

3)~ Settings ~ in automatic mode, the camera will decide on the most appropriate settings to suit the conditions. The Toshiba M81 comes with the added flexibility of letting you choose between manual/automatic modes.

The options include:

•Exposure shots ~ Ideal for taking images in low-light.
•Macro-Mode ~ this mode is used for close up photography.
•Burst Shot ~ Up to eight images taken continuously.
•Exposure compensation ~ lightens or darkens the entire screen.

BTW ~ There are still a few technical terms I have decided to leave out. I’ve yet to discover what they do & so I didn’t want to complicate things by adding more technical stuff that I cannot explain in full.

¤¤ Price ¤¤
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Prices will vary from make to make as well depending on the camera’s specifications & features. But in order to give you a rough idea of the price range, you will be looking at between £100 to say £1000 ~ My Toshiba M81 set be back £450, very expensive I know but when you compare the cost of the films & what it costs to develop & process the pictures, you will in the long run benefit and save yourself a lot of money. If you frequently use a conventional camera then you will know that the cost of films & processing them can come up to an annual region of £1,000 plus. So when analyzing it in that perspective, it is worth investing in a good digital camera. No need to splash out any more money on films or developing you simply just download your images from camera to computer.

¤¤ Essential ¤¤
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AA batteries are essential for the digital camera to work properly ~ If the camera is flat or has low battery life it will not work. I say essential because the LCD display screen on the back of the camera, which can be used instead of the viewfinder, drains your batteries really quick. ~ When using digital cameras the LCD takes pictures or the LCD display can be used to view the recorded images all of which are quite draining on the batteries.

TIP: Buy yourself a battery charger ~ cheaper in the long run & that will solve the problem of low-battery life.

¤¤ Bottom line ¤¤
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The Toshiba M81 is what I would class as a quality & impressive digital camera. Its stylish silver look fits nicely in the palm of your hand ~ its light, compact & comfortable when carrying. The quality of the picture is superb & loading up the software is a piece of cake ~ its quick, simple and easy to follow instructions ~ before you know it you are clicking away and getting really involved. You will get better and better as you experiment with the downloaded images & you will soon discover the flexibility, speed and potential this versatile machine can bring. So whether you’re a professional photographer or just a devoted snapper the Toshiba M81 digital camera will offer you all of this and more.

Highly Recommend !! ~ Go digital

Thanks for reading … © Versatile 2002