Digital cameras
01. Introduction
02. Transferring data
03. Video
04. Zoom facilities

01. Introduction

There are many kinds of digital camera available. They all allow you to take pictures in digital form which you can then either print or use on your computer.

Some are ‘point and click’, and some offer a great many options and features, such as changing the brightness and contrast, adding filters, etc.

02. Transferring data

There are four basic methods for transferring pictures, once you’ve taken them, from a digital camera to a computer. The method used depends on the type of digital camera you are using.

1 Using a cable
This is the most common method and usually requires special software to be installed on your computer.

2 Using a floppy disk
With this method you should keep plenty of floppy disks with your camera. You will usually be able to access your photos through a standard graphics program.

3 Using a memory stick
You will need a special piece of hardware to transfer your pictures to your computer.

4 Using a PCMIA hard card
You will need a PCMIA slot on your computer. You will be able to access your photos through a standard graphics program.

03. Video

Some of the newer digital cameras also allow you to take video and sometimes sound files.

There are also many dedicated digital video cameras available now, most of which can also act as still cameras as well.

Video files tend to take up a lot of disk space, so you may well need a large hard drive if you are going to be doing a lot of work with digital video.

04. Zoom facilities

Some digital cameras are equipped with optical zoom (rather than digital zoom). This means that pictures you have taken using the zoom facility will look much sharper and more like traditional film. Optical zoom produces better quality images than digital zoom.