"Hollywood-Love" ƃuıɹıdsuı Inspiring sɹǝuƃısǝp Designers; On-The-Line Rèsumé; ✈ ©¿® ♥ № ♐☮ζ☮∞♀♥¿♥♂™: Photo Research

How to use a Digital Camera

1. Why go digital?

2. What are some of the reasons to use digital photographs?

· Going digital saves you money in the long run since you don't have to buy rolls of film and pay for their development and printing.

· It saves you time because you don't have to make two trips to the store to drop off and then pick up your pictures (although you can do this with the memory card).

· Digital cameras instantly show you how your pictures look so you'll no longer have those disappointments a day or two later when your film is developed.

· You can view images before they are printed and if you don't like what you see, edit them to perfection or save money by deleting or not printing them.

· Digital photography doesn't use the toxic chemicals that often end up flowing down the drain and into our streams, rivers, and lakes.

· No more waiting to finish a roll before having it processed. (Or wasting unexposed film when you can't wait.)

· Many digital cameras are able to capture not only still photographs, but also sound and even video—they are as much multimedia recorders as they are cameras.

· You can use a photo-editing program to improve or alter digital images. For example, you can crop them, remove red-eye, change colours or contrast, and even add and delete elements. It's like having a darkroom with the lights on and without the chemicals.

http://www.shortcourses.com/guide/guide1-2.html

3. What is a digital photograph?

4. What are Pixels?

A digital photo is made up of a series of pixels (picture elements). Most of today’s digital photos use a “24 bit RGB” system to colour each pixel. This means that each pixel has a 256 colour gradation of red, green and blue. For instance the colour orange is 255 Red, 102 Green and 0 Blue and light pink is 255 Red, 153 Green and 204 Blue. This system can produce 16 million colours which approximates what the human eye can perceive. To confuse things, many modern computers will show a screen colour of “32 bit” – this is just 24 bit RGB plus an alpha (transparency) channel. Older computers will generally show their highest setting as 24 bit (Truecolor). Either way, to properly view your 24 bit RGB digital images, you should have your computer set to either 24 or 32 bit (whatever highest display setting is offered). For more information about different modes of colour see the page about Digital Colour Models.

The dimensions of a digital photo are expressed in terms of its pixels, for instance “800 x 600” or “1520 x 1280” where the first number is the width of the photo and the second number the height of the photo. The term pixel is also used for the image sensor elements on a digital camera.

http://www.rideau-info.com/photos/whatis.html

5. What is the relationship between the number of pixels and quality of the image?

Resolution of a Digital Image

As noted above, the "size" of a digital image is its total number of pixels, expressed as megapixels and this size is the resolution of the image. But why is the total number of pixels a measure of "resolution"? The reason is that more pixels over a fixed field of view equal higher resolution. For instance, if the field of view is 20 feet across, a 3 megapixel camera will be resolving that view at 102 pixels per foot. If that same shot was taken with an 18 MP camera it would be resolving that view at 259 pixels per foot, 2.5 times more resolution than a 3 MP camera.

Quality of a Digital Image

The resolution of a digital image is one of several factors that determine the quality of a digital photo. There are four main factors that work together to create digital photo quality:

The quality of the recording device (camera's optics & sensor, scanner's sensor).

The size (in pixels) of the digital image.

The digital format it is stored in (lossless vs. lossy compression).

The technical proficiency and the "eye" of the photographer.

These factors all work together and it's why we can't overly generalize. This is especially true when it comes to printing digital photos and why there is so much discussion about how many pixels per inch are required to achieve "photographic quality." An 8 MP photo taken with an inexpensive compact camera at high ISO and stored as a moderately compressed JPEG and then printed at 300 pixels per inch is going to look a lot worse than an 8 MP photo taken with a high quality digital SLR, stored as a TIF or low compressed JPEG and printed at 200 pixels per inch.

The three steps of digital photography

Explain the three basic steps involved in creating and using digital photographs and briefly give examples.

Digital cameras are just one link in a long chain leading from the original scene through to the final image that you display or distribute. In fact, a digital camera isn't even an absolutely necessary link in the chain. The key element in digital photography is an image in a digital format made up pixels. Although a digital camera captures photos in this digital format, you can also scan slides, negatives, or prints to convert these traditional images into the same digital format.

To understand how the camera fits in with other parts of the digital photography system, it helps to understand the three basic steps involved in creating and using digital photographs-input, processing, and output.

http://www.chuckgroot.com/2WhatIsADigitalPhotograph.html

6. Step 1. Inputting photographs

Input devices get photographs or other data into a computer system. The input device you're probably most familiar with is the keyboard. However, there are hundreds of other input devices including mice, touch pads, voice recognition systems, scanners, and so on. Here are some of the input devices you can use to create digital photographs:

Digital still cameras capture photographs in a digital format.

Film cameras capture photographs on slides, negatives, or prints which you can then scan to convert them to digital photographs.

Video cameras capture images in a video format. You can then use a frame grabber to isolate out individual frames and save them as still images.

Digital video cameras sometimes are able to capture still images just like a digital still. You can also use a video-editing card to extract still images from the digital video.

7. Step 2. Processing photographs

Once a photograph is in digital form, you can store it on your system and then edit or manipulate it with a photo-editing program such as Photoshop. The things you can do to a digital image are almost endless. In some cases you improve an image by eliminating or reducing its flaws. In other cases, you adjust an image for other purposes, perhaps to make it smaller for e-mailing or posting on a Web site. Finally, you might take an image to a new place, making it something it never was. Here are just a few of the ways you can process images:

Crop the photograph to emphasize the key part.
Reduce the number of pixels in an image to make it smaller for posting on the Web or e-mailing.
Use filters to sharpen it or even make it look like a watercolour or oil painting.
Stitch together multiple frames to create panoramas.
Merge two images to create a 3D stereo effect, or an animated image for display on the Web.
Change brightness and contrast to improve the image.
Cut and paste parts of one image into another to create a photo montage.
Convert the photograph to another format.

http://www.chuckgroot.com/2WhatIsADigitalPhotograph.html

8. Step 3. Outputting photographs

Once an image is the way you want it, you can output it to share with others. There are lots of ways to display and distribute digital photographs. Here are some of the most popular ways:

1. Print the image on a colour printer or send it to an on-line service to print it on silver-based paper just like that used with film cameras.

2. Insert the photograph into a word processing or desktop publishing document.

3. Post the photograph on a Web site or a photo network.

4. E-mail the photograph to friends or family members.

5. Send the photo to a service on the Web for specialty printing onto T-shirts, posters, key rings, mouse pads, even cakes and cookies.

6. Store the photograph on your system for later use.

7. Use a film recorder to convert the photograph into a slide that you can project with a slide projector.

http://www.chuckgroot.com/2WhatIsADigitalPhotograph.html

9. How a digital camera works? How similar is a digital camera to a traditional camera?

Digital cameras are very much like all earlier cameras. Beginning with the very first camera all have been basically black boxes with a lens to gather the light, a wheel you turned to focus the image, an aperture that determines how bright the light is, and a shutter that determines how long the light enters.

The big difference between traditional film cameras and digital cameras is how they capture the image. Instead of film, digital cameras use a solid-state device called an image sensor. In some digital cameras the image sensor is a charge-coupled device (CCD), while in others it's a CMOS sensor. Both types can give very good results. On the surface of these fingernail-sized silicon chips are millions of photosensitive diodes, each of which captures a single pixel in the photograph to be.

When you take a picture the shutter opens briefly and each pixel on the image sensor records the brightness of the light that falls on it by accumulating an electrical charge. The more light that hits a pixel, the higher the charge it records. Pixels capturing light from highlights in the scene will have high charges. Those capturing light from shadows will have low charges.

After the shutter closes to end the exposure, the charge from each pixel is measured and converted into a digital number. This series of numbers is then used to reconstruct the image by setting the colour and brightness of matching pixels on the screen or printed page.

http://www.shortcourses.com/guide/guide1-3.html

10.What is hand-colouring?
What is the history behind hand colouring? Why was it used?

Hand-colouring has been used to add colour since the invention of photography. Used primarily to add colour to black and white formal portraits, hand-colouring for this purpose went into a serious decline in the 1950's. This co-incited, not surprisingly, with the emergence of colour photography in the 1950's.

Still, the art form survived to re-emerge in the 1960's. It soon became part of the mainstream advertising and fashion photography of the time when it was rediscovered by a new generation of photographers, primarily in the United States.

The medium makes a serious statement against the use of "cold" computer manipulation. Those in the computer industry who makes a living doing this will probably differ from this standpoint, and I respect that. There's a market out there for computer manipulated stuff. Hell, I even manipulate the pics on these web pages so that they look the same on screen as in real life!

What hand-colouring offers is not so much the versatility of Photoshop of Paint Shop Pro in terms of the possible effects these programs can produce, but rather the ability to fine-tune colour and effects to a degree that I'm not sure is possible in the digital media.

As such, it is infinitely more satisfying to me to see a picture shape before my eyes. It is probably far more relaxing and less frustrating than working on screen, having to print an image later and only then being able to see whether your work of art is the same that on the screen.

The Technique

There are very few art forms that include so many disciplines as hand-tinting. Problem is, you unfortunately have to be pretty damn good at all of them to have satisfactory results. They are:

Creating an arresting photographic image
Stunning printing
Subtle toning
Selective oil application

Creating an arresting image Think through your lens. When you take a picture, think about the fact that you will add colour to it later. Decide whether there's anything in there worth colouring later before you take the shot. Hand-colouring doesn't fit any picture - you have to have the right surfaces in the shot to take colour. For instance, if the shot is dark, in other words having very few light sections, your colour simply won't show.

Stunning printing some books advocate dark, dramatic prints. I don't like them for the very reason described above. Lighter areas colour better, so don't overdo it on the contrast bit. I tend to go for a grade 2 filter as a standard for my shots. Make sure your hands are perfectly dry when handling unexposed paper, as the toning process later enhances any chemical smudges on the white edges.

Subtle toning Toning with an off-the-shelf toning kit works perfectly fine provided you use the right paper. RC (resin-coated) papers doesn't colour very easily. Use fibre-based (FB) paper as they tone better and offer more grip for your oils. Also don't overdo the toning, as the brown hue can be overpowering. Be prepared to experiment. Do more than one print of one frame, using one as a back-up, toning it less and also colouring it differently as a comparison.

Selective oil application this section is entirely up to you and your taste. The beauty of using colouring oils is that you can wipe the whole lot off and start again if you're not happy. But always "under-colour" - that is stop before you spoil the print with too much colour. But that's my preference. Play around. It's safe. But only as long as you restrict you’re playing to painting!

http://www.photosa.co.za/tips/hand_colour.php/

Types of digital cameras

9. Point and shoot cameras

A point-and-shoot camera, also called a compact camera, is a still camera designed primarily for simple operation. Most use focus free lenses or autofocus for focusing, automatic systems for setting the exposure options, and have flash units built in.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point-and-shoot_camera

10. Prosumer cameras

The term "prosumer" is a cross between professional and consumer. When a camera is dubbed a prosumer model, it usually refers to a point-and-shoot that has advanced features such as manual exposure control and RAW format image capture. Such cameras are usually targeted at enthusiasts.

http://asia.cnet.com/ask/whats-a-prosumer-camera-62062269.htm

11. Professional Cameras

Professional DSLR cameras are not for the casual photographer; they are designed for those who shoot photos for news stories, or of sports or wildlife for a living. They're not just for professionals, but also the hard rain-or-shine shutterbugs that refuse to leave the house without a camera. Although these advanced cameras are more expensive than most digital cameras, they are a great investment in the long run.

Here are some benefits to owning a professional DSLR camera:

More creative control: These cameras include a broad array of manual settings, allowing photographers to frame pictures exactly as they want to. Professional DSLR users love to have the option for full manual or auto focus and automated exposure settings. Although many point-and-shoot cameras have similar manual settings, these features are limited compared to those on a professional DSLR.
Faster shutter speed: All digital cameras have shutter lag, which is the time between pressing the button and the camera capturing the photograph. These image-capturing devices have a significantly shorter shutter lag than point-and-shoot cameras do.
Interchangeable lenses: Interchangeable lenses provide photographers with more versatility, and most professional DSLR manufacturers have a wide range of lens options available for their cameras.
Viewfinder for better framing: Looking through a viewfinder rather than an LCD screen provides better framing.

http://digital-cameras.toptenreviews.com/professional-dslr/

Speciality Cameras

12. These sorts of specialty cameras have recently come on the market. Describe some of their advantages and special features.

The 3D-Cam FPV uses two cameras to generate field-sequential 3D video which is compatible with most commercial 3D equipment. This video signal can be transmitted using standard NTSC video transmitters and can be recorded using a standard VCR or DVD recorder. Using 3D capable video glasses (like the EVG920 we are offering to our customers) or LCD shutter glasses and a CRT (or 120Hz LCD) allows viewers to experience the scene in life-like 3D. The depth perception provided by this 3D technology is a real asset when piloting aircraft remotely.

The 3D-Cam FPV comes with sophisticated software which allows the FPV flier to set certain parameters like Exposure and 3D convergence even in flight. Imagine that you are flying late in the evening when the sun is really low on orbit. Flying toward the sun is a real challenge because with most of the cameras the ground becomes very dark. With the 3D-Cam FPV you just turn toward the ground, the AGC will react and lit the ground up; you flip a switch to lock in the Exposure and from there on your ground are clearly lit.

3D viewing is not much help when you are very high above the ground, but when you are coming in for landing - or you are flying close to trees, bushes, objects - it can be a real bonus. The depth of the 3D viewing (convergence) can also be adjusted in flight - as well as you can switch between 2D and 3D modes in flight. All is required an empty channel on your receiver.

The 2 cameras are at a 65mm distance which corresponds to the standard distance of the human eye.

http://www.nghobbies.com/

PENTAX OPTIO WG-1 BLACK 14MPH2O/COLD/SHOCK/CRUSH P Waterproof (33), Shockproof (5), Coldproof (-10 degrees C), Crushproof (100 KGF) 5x zoom and 2.7 LCD display 720p HD video and HDMI connection 1/2.3 CCD Image Sensor Digital shake reduction Digital Microscope mode SD/SDHC/SDXC memory card slot Includes USB cable I-USB7, AV cable I-AVC7, rechargeable Li-Ion battery D-LI92, battery charger kit K-BC92U, strap O-ST118, macro stand O-MS1 and Software CD-ROM Includes USB and AV cables, Li-Ion battery D-LI92, battery charger kit, strap and macro stand.

https://nwtassales.biz/index.php/didgicam/spdc/black-optio-wg-1-14mp-water-dust-shock-cold-crush-proof-camera.html

Oceanic Study Set Comes with Divers Camera and LCD Screen Monitor

Specifications: Image Device: 1/4 Inch CCD Horizontal Definition: 320 TV Lines Angular Field of View: 60 deg f=6mm Minimum Illumination: 0 Lux F/2.0 Synchronization System: Internal Backlight Compensation: Auto White Balance: Auto S/N Ratio: >48dB Max Depth: Approx. 20 meters Camera light source: Built in white LED light Bulbs camera viewing angle:83 degree(horizontal) / 60 degree (vertical) Waterproof Cable Length: 20 Meters Operation Temperature: -30~+50 deg C Power Source: DC 12V Connection: RCA Dimension: 95x150x40mm (LxWxD) Camera viewing depth: 400cm(approximate; in clear water) LCD Monitor Specifications: Screen: 7 Inch TFT LCD (16:9) LCD Screen Built into Aluminium Case Plastic Flip Guard over LCD Screen Included 20 Meter Wire Connected to Camera DC IN for Connecting to Outlet Mains for Direct Power DC OUT for Powering Camera LCD Video IN LCD Video OUT Remote Control of LCD Screen Resolution: 480(W)xRGBx234(H) Colour System: PAL/ NTSC Power Supply: DV 12V Monitor Dimension: 176x126x25.5mm (LxWxD) Approved: CE / FCC Accessories: Manual Camera Weight Power Adapter 20 Meter Wire Spool Heavy Duty Aluminium Carry Case Remote.

https://nwtassales.biz/index.php/didgicam/spdc/oceanic-study-set-comes-with-divers-camera-and-lcd-screen-monitor.html

Image Storage

13. Describe how digital cameras store their images.

How does my digital camera store the pictures I take?

Your digital camera stores the pictures you take on the memory card. So remember, the light comes through the lens, through the computer in the camera, and off to the memory card. The camera creates a folder in the memory card. So, when you take the memory card out of the camera, put it into your computer into the card reader, the first thing you'll see is the DCIM folder, and you'll click on that. Then, you'll click on the next folder which will be where the actual pictures are. You click on that, and then all the pictures will open up for you and you'll get to see them.

How does my digital camera compress my photos?

In your digital camera, when you take a picture, the file can be quite large and cumbersome. So, the digital cameras compress the file. What that means is that mathematically they eliminate some data, which it rebuilds again in the computer. That's image compression. The most popular way to do compression is with a JPEG file. It's a mathematical algorithm that preserves a great deal of the quality of your picture and makes a very popular file format for normal photographers to use.

What are the differences between photo formats?

In your digital camera you have the choice of three file formats that you're going to use. JPEG which is what I recommend for most people for most photographers. RAR which is what serious photographer and the computer friendly people. And finally TIF which use to be a big popular format but kind of fallen by the wayside today. Let's talk about why you would use one or the other. The advantage of a JPEG file is the image comes right out of the camera onto the memory card. You can put it in any computer anywhere and look at it. It's really cool, because JPEG's are universal between MAC and Windows. I can send a JPEG to China, Japan I don't care and everybody can look at it as a picture. If I shot a RAR picture, the RAR picture is specific to my camera. So if I have a Nikon D2, or a Canon 3D or whatever camera the RAR pictures I make are specific to that camera and I must use a piece of to convert that RAR data into a picture. So if I shoot with RAR, I can't send you my file unless I work at it in the computer first. That's the definition of RAR. Why is RAR better? Because in the computer I have the opportunity to correct the image, to make some changes to the image without any lose in picture quality. One of the difficult things today is to make the picture look on my screen like it does on your screen, when I send it to you, and I know for a fact that TIF is very difficult that way so that's why TIF is kind of going by the wayside. RAR and JPEG are the top file formats today.

How many pictures can a digital camera's memory card hold?

It depends on a couple of things. Number one; how many mega pixels are the camera? Number two; how big is the memory card? And number three; what file format do you use? And if you use the best jpeg, which I'll call JPEG Fine, the image size on the memory card is roughly half the mega pixels of your camera. So if I'm in JPEG Fine, which is always where I recommend that you shoot, with an 8 mega pixel camera, that means the pictures are going to be approximately 4 megabytes on the card. If I shoot with a raw file format, the pictures are roughly two times the mega pixels of the camera. So if I have an 8 mega pixel camera, raw files are sixteen megabytes. If I shoot with a TIFF, the files are roughly three times the mega pixels, so a TIFF file would be 24 megabytes on the card. So let's say we have a 1 giga byte card, with our 8 mega pixel camera, so 1 giga byte means 1,000 megabytes, so with a Fine JPEG, those pictures are 4 megabytes a piece. On our 1 giga byte card we stored 25. If we use a raw file those pictures are 16 megabytes a piece. We're going to get about 125 pictures on a 1 giga byte card. If we're shooting TIFFs, they're 24 megabytes a piece; we're going to get roughly 400 pictures on a 1 giga byte card. That's how you figure out how many pictures you get on your memory card.

http://www.videojug.com/interview/digital-cameras-and-photo-storage

14. Name some of the popular makes of Flash cards on the market. What are their features?

Memory cards are a popular storage medium for many of today's consumer electronics devices, including digital cameras, cell phones, handheld devices and other small electronic devices. Flash memory is non-volatile, which is the memory card will not lose its data when removed from the device, and the cards can also be erased or reformatted and reused.

For most consumers, when buying a memory card you have to consider price, capacity and compatibility. Some devices will support up to a specific size of memory card, and a specific type of memory card as well. It’s important to read the information that came with your device to ensure you purchase a memory card that will work in your device.

Lifespan and Care Tips

Memory cards are quite sturdy and you can expect cards to be capable of working through more than one million data write/read/erase cycles. The card itself has its weakest point at its socket connectors, which are used when you remove and reinsert the memory card into a device. You can expect a memory card to be capable of withstanding around 10,000 insertions. These numbers, of course, will differ slightly between manufacturers.

Like with any consumer electronic or device, proper care is required by the users to meet the lifespan of the device. You should avoid applying too much pressure on your memory cards, and never drop or bend the card either. When the correct memory card is being used in a device, it will fit into the slot only in one direction and it will easily slide and click into place. You should never have to apply any amount of pressure to make the card fit. Memory cards should also be kept away from electrostatic sources and should never be introduced to direct sunlight or extreme ranges of temperatures.

Lastly, damaging the card or the data contained on it can happen if you try to eject the card from the device or card reader, or if you try and turn the device off while you are transferring the data to or from the memory card. So definitely avoid doing that to protect your data and card it.

http://www.webopedia.com/DidYouKnow/Computer_Science/2007/Memory_card_types.asp

Memory Cards - Info about Different Types

The different types of flash memory cards for use in digital cameras are: Secure Digital (SD), CompactFlash (CF), Memory Stick (MS), Multimedia Card (MMC) xD-Picture Card (XD) and Smart Media (SM).The type of memory card you use is dictated by which digital camera you buy. These cards are physically different and are -not- interchangeable. NOTE --- NOTE --- NOTE --- NOTE --- NOTE --- NOTE --- NOTE --- NOTE eBay has become notorious for "fake memory card" sales, thousands of people have been scammed by sellers who are selling inferior or lower capacity cards that have been relabelled and repackaged to look like the real thing. Buyers beware - I recommend that you purchase your cards only from reputable online vendors or brick and mortar stores. If you must buy on eBay then check out this page at Overclockers.com.au for ways to visually identify some (not all) of the most popular fake cards.

High-Capacity CF & SD Cards

Today's choices in flash memory storage devices for digital cameras and other devices are mind-boggling. It's no wonder the consumer is totally confused. Just figuring out which options your camera should have is tough enough. Then you discover that there are all kinds of memory storage options -- Smart Media (SM), CompactFlash (CF), Memory Stick (MS), Multimedia Card (MMC), Secure Digital (SD), eXtreme Digital (XD), Microdrive ... and none of them are compatible with the others. Only recently have Secure Digital, Memory Stick and XD cards gotten above the 1GB capacity mark --CompactFlash (CF) devices offer capacities of up to 12 Gigabytes, they're the main focus of this report. We are also expanding our SD card coverage - SD cards are now the most popular flash media type and getting bigger (up to 32GB) and faster (up to 150x speed and beyond) all the time!

http://www.steves-digicams.com/accessories/flash-cards-storage-devices/#b

Downloading images, what to plug in
15. Explain the process of downloading? What are some of ways of transferring images to the computer?

Copying Pictures from your digital camera to your computer

STOP: Before you go any further, you need to know the basics of how your computer stores and organizes files. This topic is not a “camera” topic; it’s a really important part of understanding your computer. There are several excellent explanations in your computer’s Windows HELP files, and the Windows for Dummies book series explains files very well.

To your computer, that beautiful picture you took is a file made up of 0s and 1s. Before you can do anything with that picture, you want to get that file onto the hard drive.

The process can be called “uploading” or “downloading” but it’s really just a process of copying the computer file(s) from your camera to your computer.

Copying pictures from camera to computer using Windows XP

DO NOT USE THE SOFTWARE PACKAGED WITH YOUR CAMERA.
The easiest program to copy picture files from one place to another came with your computer. It’s called “My Computer”
Turn off your camera and remove the memory card.
Insert the memory card in a card reader, either one that’s built into the computer or a separate one.
To open My Computer, click Start, and then click My Computer
The memory card shows up as a removable disk in “My Computer”
Left click on that removable disk to find a folder called DCIM (Digital Camera Images)
The files in that folder are your pictures, and their names end in “jpg”
Copy those files by selecting them and copying them. The keyboard shortcut (control-A) marks all the photos in a folder and the keyboard shortcut (control-C) copies them to the computer’s clipboard.
Navigate to the folder within “My Documents” named “My Pictures” and paste (control-V) your photos into place.
Learn how to make new subfolders within the master folder “My Pictures” so that it’s easier to find a photo you want. I make up folders with names like “2007March” and divide my photos by the month taken.
After you copy files or folders to the hard drive, it is useful to view the hard drive to confirm that the files are copied.
Do not erase photos from your memory card until you are positive you’ve saved them on the hard drive!

Using the camera as a source, instead of a card reader (but we really, really suggest using a card reader)

You can copy photo files directly from your camera to the computer. Use the USB cable that came with the camera.
Very important: make sure that your batteries have a full charge before you start this procedure.
If the power fails during the transfer, data will be corrupted.
Be very careful when inserting the USB cable connector into the socket of the camera. This is one of the most fragile components of the camera and we have seen cameras damaged by carelessness.
After you copy files or folders to the hard drive, it is useful to view the hard drive to confirm that the files are copied.
For the greatest safety of your irreplaceable images, make a second copy on CD, DVD or detachable hard drive.

http://www.chriscamera.com/downloadingphotos.htm

Image Sensors

16. In your own words, what is resolution? Describe the importance of image quality.

Resolution is the number of pixels used to display an image. The higher the resolution is the more pixels it will have making it a clearer and better picture.

17. What is a megapixel? How does it relate to the quality of the photo?

A megapixel is equal to one million pixels. The higher the megapixel would result in a better image resolution.

Digital camera file formats

18. Summarise in your own words some of the basic formats your digital camera offers and why would you choose them.

Some of the basic formats that my digital camera offers include:

· Setting the still image size

· Image size and quality

· Deleting images

· Viewing images on the screen of the camera

· Viewing images on a TV screen

· Exposure, Focus, Flash, Color, Burst, Zoom, Shutter speed and aperture

· Video recording

· Date, Time, Self-Timer

· Twilight, Portrait and Landscape modes

· Connecting the camera to a printer

I would choose all different formats for different photo shots and once I work out my camera I will be able to elaborate more.

Preview screens & viewfinders

19. What is the difference between a preview screen and a viewfinder? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

Traditional cameras use viewfinders which allow you to set up your shot and, in the case of Single Lens Reflex (SLR) cameras, focus your subject.

Viewfinders can also be found on digital cameras, but in addition, almost every digital camera is equipped with a LCD preview screen.

The preview screen can also be used to set up shots, so you may be wondering why both are needed. The simple reason is that the preview screen consumes battery power, so if you want to extend your battery life use the viewfinder instead of the preview screen for composing shots.

Another reason for using the viewfinder is that LCD screens can be difficult to see in bright sunlight. There are many other uses for preview screens, however, and they are essential for most digital photographers.

Preview Screens

If you are running out of space on your memory card and wish to take a few shots more, previewing saved images allows you to pick out pictures which can be deleted. Some cameras have a thumbnail function which allows you to view many shots at once. This makes it easy to zero in on one particular photograph.

For those who print pictures directly from the camera, the preview screen allows you to select which picture should be printed. Some cameras even have basic editing functions which allow you to crop images and adjust colour and brightness before printing them. These functions can be accessed with the LCD preview screen.

Viewfinder

If your digital camera has a traditional style viewfinder, it should be used for most of your picture taking. As we mentioned above, using the viewfinder instead of the LCD preview screen will save on battery power. It will also allow you to hold the camera steadier and move the camera smoothly for action shots. Photographers who wear glasses can get a camera with a dioptre adjustment -- this adjusts the lens of the viewfinder so that you don't have to wear glasses when shooting pictures.

There are some situations, however, when using the preview screen instead of the viewfinder is recommended.

The viewfinder is slightly offset from the lens. In most situations this is not a problem, but for close-up shots there can be a noticeable difference between what the lens sees and what the viewfinder sees. The preview screen allows you to precisely compose close-up shots because it shows exactly what the lens sees.

Another time it is better to use the preview screen is when shooting objects close to the ground. This saves you from having to get into an awkward position in order to set up the shot.

Through the Lens Viewfinder

Some of the more expensive digital cameras have a viewfinder which is connected to the lens with a prism. This allows you to see exactly what the lens sees. A variation on this type of viewfinder is the electronic viewfinder (EVF). This is a miniature LCD display which collects light from the lens area. As you are setting up a shot you can also see all of the camera's menus. This lets you change camera settings as you are viewing a scene for immediate feedback. Used in conjunction with a dioptre adjustment, this saves the photographer using reading glasses in order to adjust the camera.

http://www.learn-digital-cameras.com/digital-camera-preview-screens-viewfinders.shtml

"LIVE VIEW" means you can see the scene as it happens through the liquid crystal screen of the digital camera.

In some point and shoot cameras there is no optical viewfinder to see through, so your only view is the LCD screen. In this case live view is necessary.

In cameras with an optical viewfinder, such as a DSLR - digital single lens reflex camera, live view is not absolutely necessary.

As for the Advantages:

~ For macro shots - close up actual or larger size photos- live view shows exactly what will be in the photo.

~ When the camera is mounted on a tripod, you can watch the led screen without putting an eye up to the camera and more easily use a remote shutter release.

~ By watching the led screen, it is not necessary to put the camera up to your eye, and children usually do not know you are taking their picture. This can give more spontaneous results.

~ When focusing without actually shooting, you can be sure of the focus by watching live view. If there is a failure to focus, it will show up.

~ With live view you can see the scene the way the camera sensor sees it.

As for the Disadvantages;

If live view shows on the led screen, battery life will be shorter as the led screen will draw more power when lit.

If you are presbyopia or have a full correction for myopia with glasses or contact lenses, you may not be able to see the led screen close up.

The led screen may not be visible in full sunlight.

Some but not all cameras have problems with the picture sensor overheating while using live view.

Finally, many aspiring photographers consider using live view less skilful or "less professional" than using the optical viewfinder. This could be considered a matter of preference.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_advantages_and_disadvantages_of_live_view_with_a_digital_camera