Datasheet

CHAPTER 1 : BEFORE YOU SHOOT ■

Matching Your Needs to a Camera

The following section matches the desirable features and specifications of a digital cam-

era with several general photographic shooting categories. (These categories are the

subject matter of Chapters 3 through 10 of this book.)

I hope—in lieu of recommending actual camera models and manufacturers—this

summary will give you a start toward learning what to look for in a digital camera and

ultimately you won’t buy more or less camera than you need. For readers with needs

not met by a single digital camera, I suggest considering acquiring multiple cameras. As

digital cameras continue to drop in price, this becomes an increasingly realistic option.

With the exception of the landscape/architecture category, I don’t get into pixel

resolution. Sure, pixel resolution is an important criterion in choosing a digital cam-

era—and for that reason I address it elsewhere in the book—but the amount of pixels

you need depends on what you are doing with the final image, and not so much on the

subject of what you are shooting.

Shooting RAW—Chapter 2

For maximum quality and flexibility you will want a digital camera capable of saving

the RAW data that comes off the sensor. Most, if not all, prosumer and professional

cameras offer this option. Increasingly more consumer-level digital cameras, such as the

Kodak EasyShare series cameras, offer RAW capabilities as well. In Chapter 2 I’ll dis-

cuss when and when not to shoot RAW, and how to work with the RAW data once

you have saved it.

Important Features for Shooting Portraits—Chapter 3

Portraits generally benefit from using longer-than-normal focal lengths. The focal

length need not be too long: a typical portrait lens is anywhere from 85mm to 135mm

(35mm equivalent), well within the capability of most zoom lenses included with most

digital cameras. Accessory add-on lenses can extend less-than-optimal lens capability

but with a trade-off in quality. Another important feature to look for in a digital cam-

era is aperture priority metering. With the choice of f-stops comes the ability to control

depth of focus, which, as you will see in Chapter 3, is useful. (Some consumer digital

cameras lack this option but include a so-called portrait-shooting mode, which essen-

tially selects the widest possible aperture to diminish the sharpness of the background.)

LCD preview capability is absolutely a must when shooting portraits. Most digital cam-

eras come with this feature, but some LCDs are bigger and more easily viewed than

others. If you choose to use external electronic strobes for your portraits, and you need

to trigger the strobe from the camera, a digital camera with a PC synch outlet is con-

venient. (There are ways around this, which you’ll see in the appropriate chapters.)

Important Features for Photographing Children and Events—Chapter 4

Children move constantly, and so do guests at weddings, birthday parties, and other

events. Many times they move very quickly. Some digital cameras are more responsive

and better equipped than others to shoot subjects that move. Anyone who has digital

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