By B. E. Conrad
Digital photography is steadily gaining in popularity, and more and more people are discovering the convenience and cost savings of taking pictures without film. While many of the same photographic concepts still apply to the world of digital photography, there are a few digital specific tips to keep in mind. Some of our favorite digital photography tips and tricks include:Be Aware of the Shutter Lag.
When you press the button to take a picture, there is a lag between the time the button is pressed and the time the image is actually captured. This means it is important to hold the camera still for a few seconds after the shutter release button has been pressed. If you notice that your images are blurry, you may be moving the camera too soon.
The amount of shutter lag varies from camera to camera, with the cheapest models tending to have the longest lag times. While the better cameras on the market generally have a faster response time, all cameras have some shutter lag.
Know Your Zoom.
In the world of non-digital photography, a zoom is a zoom, but digital cameras have two distinct, and very different, zoom ratings. The first zoom is the digital zoom. You may see cameras advertised with enormous digital zooms, often 100x or even more. While this can seem impressive, digital zoom is in essence a software trick, and the digital zoom should never be the deciding factor when buying a camera. Any good photo editing software will have a digital zoom feature built in, so having one on the camera is not necessary.
The true zoom is the optical zoom, and you want this number to be as high as possible. The optical zoom actually brings the image in the viewfinder closer, and it is important for getting those great close-ups and action shots.
Beginner's Guide to the Digital Camera >
. Questions of a Do It Yourself nature should be submitted to our "