Digital cameras 101

[Thumper]

Hey,
     I am about to take photojournalism and i need some help. I'm not really clear on what exactly i will be learning in the class but i do know there is a fully functional black room.... the thing is the teacher only told me i needed at least 5.0 megapixels and it would be to my benifit to have a zoom. Now there are some other features i think i'd like...
      Macro mode(liking close-ups), night mode(unsure about), adjustable shutter speed (obvious reasons) are just a few...but i'm like totally new to digi-photography .....i need help deciding which settings i need, want, and would benifit from and then choosing the best camera......PLZ HELP!!!!!! like i have to buy a camera this by monday too!!! SOrry i waited so long but plz help!!!

[Deb]

Hi there Thumper and welcome to the Digicamhelp Q&A Board!

I'm a little confused here ... you said the class has a fully functional black (dark) room. Black (dark) rooms are for film not digital. But the teacher recommended you get a least a 5 mp camera? That's a recommendation for a digital camera.  

[ShutterbugGail]

Yes, what your teacher asked for is a bit confusing but let's, for the sake of this conversation, assume that it's digital.

I don't know about the other mods, but I'll be around all weekend, so if you give us a little more info, at least I can promise a response before the end of the day tomorrow. If you provide the information by the morning, I'll respond early enough to give you some time to look at helpful online reviews.

Give us some info that will help us lead you in right direction. For example, before we can suggest some camera types, we need to know how much you want to spend.

Many digital cameras have all the features you mention. Tell us why you're taking the course, what type of photography you're interested in, level of your interest, and I'm sure we can come up with information that will lead you in the right direction.

Are you in the U.S.? Not every camera is available in every store, be it in the US or elsewhere.

If you're looking for a camera with a long telephoto zoom, you may want to begin looking for those with image stabilization. Here's some idea what is available and the prices:

http://www.digicamhelp.com/digital-cameras-with-image-stabilization/index.htm

[Mike54]

Hi Thumper and welcome. As Deb said the darkroom would be used for film development. Assuming that the instructor did indeed recommend a digital camera two places to go for review of the many cameras out there would be dpreview, the link goes to a page where you can input the specifics you're looking for, or stevesdigicams, the link will take you to a page where you can see reviews based on the megapixels you're looking for. Hopefully the links will help, generally we don't make direct camera recommendations. Good luck with your search and your class, let us know how it goes.

[Thumper]

well, that's why i was confused....i understand a dark room is for film but i was like OK! umm...i live in Spring,Tx a suburb of Houston and well i'm taking the class because i'm kind of interested in photography.....i mean it's not something i've done before so it's not like a HUGE passion but i see photographs and just think it would be something i would like to do....cature beauty and art! landscape,  :Pwildlife, things like that but i also want to be able to bring my camera to a party or club and just take a few snapshots.....i'm not in on all of the photography jargon but i could learn the basics of advanced settings kinda fast(does that make since?) I'm noticing the cameras with 5.0-6.0 megapixels and soom tend to run in the $350 and up price range but i think i can

[Thumper]

pretty much spend what is needed .....i mean $1000 is kinda extreme but i mean a fair price is a fair price.....

[Deb]

Hi, since this is a photojournalism class, I'd ask your instructor but I would guess that she/he wants you to be able to selectively adjust shutterspeed and aperture. So, getting a camera with shutter priority mode, aperture priority mode and maybe even manual mode might be helpful. Perhaps you can email or phone your instructor for some specifics?  

[Thumper]

hrm...trying

[Deb]

Say, have you checked around to see if any of your friends or family members have a camera you could borrow for that first class session? Then you could talk with your instructor in length about what she/he will be covering and what type of camera would best fit this class and your interests. I'd hate for you to dish out a bundle of cash only to find out you purchased the "wrong" camera for the class.

[Thumper]

yeah...i just found her email.....hopefully she will respnd tomorrow! but i just moved districts...all of my old friend who took photo-j have film cameras because that's what they taught! i'm like i wanted to learn the old way of processing photos and all the traditional way...nothing against digi though but the fact is i don't have any way of getting a loaner camera

[Deb]

Hmmmmm, only other thing I can think of is to check with your local camera dealers. They may have a loaner you could rent. A friend of mine (professional photographer) rents big glass (super telephoto lens) from his local dealer on occasion. Anyway, just a thought.

[Thumper]

ok well i just emailed her i and i have to go for now...but as soon as i have more details i will be back so thanks much everybody and see you peeps in the A.M.

[ShutterbugGail]

Great. While you're waiting to hear from her you may want to call in a few photo places in your area. Most photo stores in the U.S., either local mom and pop shops and chains like Ritz Camera, let you return the camera within 14 days of purchase for a full refund. Other places, such as Circuit City amd Best Buy, let you exchange a camera within 14 days without a restocking charge. However, if you simply return it and don't get another camera, there can be a 15% restocking charge (unless the camera is broken when you buy it).

When you buy a camera, then after you start taking your class decide you want a different one, make sure you understand a stores exchange policy.

[ShutterbugGail]

i'm not in on all of the photography jargon but i could learn the basics of advanced settings kinda fast

Thumper, there are over 700 pages of information at the Digicamhelp website, so I've been trying to think what pages I could lead you to that will give you a "kinda fast" overview of digital cameras as well as some of the advanced settings available on many models. I think these two pages with links to others will provide you with a good overview:

Types of digital cameras:

http://www.digicamhelp.com/buying-digital-camera/types-of-digital-cameras.htm

Advanced digital camera settings:

http://www.digicamhelp.com/advanced-digital-camera-settings/index.htm

And here is a glossary, a non-technical listing of terms useful for those new to digital photography:

http://www.digicamhelp.com/digital-photography-terms-for-the-beginner/index.htm

Your homework has begun before you start your class.  

[ShutterbugGail]

Because you're pressed for time, here's what I recommend. Call local stores where they sell digital cameras, find out which ones they have in stock, then do a review of them using the links Mike recommended. While we do not recommend cameras, I am listing ones which fit into the perameters you mentioned, and are at least five megapixels.

Zoom

- most digital cameras have a 3X or 4X zoom though it doesn't give you that much telephoto reach

- make sure to get a camera with an Optical zoom. Most digital cameras have both optical and digital zooms.

-if you want a camera with a very long zoom (10x or 12x), consider a camera with image stabilization.


Macro mode

- most digital cameras have this


Night mode

- most digital cameras have scene modes, even advanced digital cameras.


Advanced settings including adjustable shutter speed. Some important advanced camera settings to consider are:

- adjustable and manual white balance

- exposure compensation (with possibly an automatic exposure bracketing feature)

- adjustable sensitivity, known as ISO

- 2-3 metering modes  

http://www.digicamhelp.com/digital-camera-features/metering-modes.htm

- 2-3 focusing modes  

http://www.digicamhelp.com/digital-camera-focus-modes/index.htm


You said you'd also like to take landscapes. Consider a camera with a 28mm (35mm equivalent lens). If telephoto is more important for you, make sure your camera has a panoramic mode so you can stitch photos together.

Here are some camera which fit into your categories. I've chosen ones which are most likely available in most camera stores. If you weren't pressed for time, you'd have more options and have more choices to get cameras in your price range, one's which are not usually available locally but by ordering online. These cameras are rated well by users and professional reviewers:

Cameras with wide angle to mid-telephoto range optical zoom (around $700)

Konica Minolta DiMAGE A200

Canon PowerShot Pro1

Olympus C-8080 Wide Zoom


Cameras with 35mm equivalent lens to long telephoto (with image stabilization and some have a panoramic mode) - Under $500


Canon PowerShot S2 IS

Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z5

Panasonic DMC-FZ5

Sony DSC-H1


Other cameras to consider:

Canon PowerShot G6 - has a 4X optical zoom


Please also determine if you'll want a camera with a hot shoe. And you WILL need to allocate funds for a larger memory card that comes in the box with a camera.

If you need to better understand some of the terms, here's how to find information quickly at Digicamhelp:

http://www.digicamhelp.com/how-to-find-information-at-digicamhelp/index.htm

[Thumper]

what exactly does it mean to "stitch" a phtot together

[Thumper]

does anyone think the Nikon Coolpix L1 would do me any good?

[Thumper]

Canon PowerShot S2 IS?

[ShutterbugGail]

what exactly does it mean to "stitch" a phtot together

Here's some information on Panorama photos and stitching (merging) them together into one:

http://www.digicamhelp.com/taking-panorama-photos-with-a-digital-camera/

[ShutterbugGail]

does anyone think the Nikon Coolpix L1 would do me any good?

The Coolpix L1 is a brand new camera and not available until the end of the month.