Electronics

Digital cameras have completely changed the market for recreational photographers and hobbyists. Improvements in digital camera technology have even lured many professional photographers to move into the digital realm. Digital photographs are still not able to compete with larger format, high-end, professional film cameras but they are closing in.

When compared with 35mm film cameras, however, high-end digital versions produce images of even higher quality. A six megapixel camera is approximately equal to a good 35mm film camera; whereas new 12-megapixel cameras mostly blow them away. Eventually, digital pictures may be able to compete with film formats larger than 35mm.

The major distinction between similar digital cameras is their megapixel capability. The megapixel is the number of pixels (picture elements) contained in a picture taken with that particular camera. One megapixel contains approximately 1,000,000 pixels and 12 megapixels contain approximately 12,000,000 pixels–though these numbers can be misleading.

Digital Cameras and Megapixel Confusion
The megapixel ratings of digital cameras are misleading because individual photosites are made up of several pixels to capture different colors. Thus some cameras marketed as 12Mp may only have 6Mp-worth of actual resolution. Companies almost always use the higher number, so do not take the Mp number at face value.

Additionally, pixels are not all the same size. Therefore sensors of the same size may have widely divergent pixel counts and cameras with the same pixel counts may have widely divergent sensor sizes. (Imagine the sensor as a wafer containing all the pixels.) In general, a 6Mp camera with larger pixels will take better pictures than a 6Mp camera with smaller pixels.

There are still more considerations for judging digital cameras. Larger sensors and higher pixel counts make for better blown-up images (8×10 and larger). These considerations are less important for small, snapshot photography. True 3Mp images are usually enough for small photos (less than 3×5), even for professionals.

The Most Important Factors of Digital Cameras
Digital cameras must be judged on more than just the megapixel rating. A cameras performance is based on its pixel count, sensor size, lens quality, apertures, and shutter speeds. Every link in this chain is important to the final result. A true 12Mp camera with a crummy lens will deliver crummy pictures.

With digital cameras, if you do a little bit of homework and keep your intended usage in mind, you mostly get what you pay for. A low-end camera with a good lens and larger sensor can perform as well as a mid-range camera. In the consumer market, Canon cameras sell the best; followed–in order–by Nikon and Sony cameras. These three companies dominate the consumer market.

Canon cameras are available for photography enthusiasts and professionals alike. Canon Powershot cameras are available for minimal cost–with minimal features, and in more advanced models for those with more photographic requirements. The Canon EOS digital cameras are available from mid-range models through professional models.

The Canon companys roots stretch back to the 1930s when their only concerns were cameras and optics. Todays Canon is a $30 billion company with products for computing, imaging, business machines, and photography. Their camera divisions alone account for billions of dollars in business revenues–minus the billions spent on R&D.

Canon cameras are some of the best-selling, if not the best selling, cameras in both the film and the digital camera markets. Their cameras range in price from $150 (for a Canon A60) to several thousands of dollars (for a Canon EOS 1D). For $1,000 you can get a great quality digital camera from the Powershot Pro line or the EOS line.

Benefits of Using Canon Cameras
Most Canon cameras use CompactFlash memory cards for picture storage. CF cards are the least expensive of the flash memory cards. Plus, when you buy Canon digital cameras, you can be assured Canon will be around in the future to support your purchase. To get the best camera, pay attention to the lens used, the megapixel rating and the sensor size.

Nikon cameras achieved such success through the years that the company adopted the brand name as the name for the entire company. Nippon Kogaku K.K., formed in Japan in 1917, started by making optical equipment, binoculars and microscopes; their camera lenses came about in the 1930s. The first Nikon camera was marketed in 1946.

They marketed their first SLR (single lens reflex) camera, now the professional standard, in 1959. Their optical equipment is in telescopes around the world and in 1980 NASA put them on the space shuttle. In 1988 the entire company became Nikon. With the introduction of the Nikon Coolpix cameras in 1997, Nikon joined the market for digital cameras.

Nikon cameras run the entire range of cameras, from inexpensive point-and-shoot cameras to highly capable digital SLRs. The advantage of the SLR is that the image you see in the viewfinder is the image taken on the sensor–rather than having the viewfinder off to the side. The Nikon D70 digital cameras are Nikons most affordable D-SLRs.

Choosing between Nikon Cameras
You should judge Nikon cameras on their lenses, sensor sizes, and pixel counts. These are the basic elements that determine performance. There are other factors involved but for the average user these are the most important. Nikon also uses the inexpensive CompactFlash memory cards for their picture storage medium.

Sony cameras round out the top three manufacturers in the digital camera market, following Canon and Nikon. Sony also shares the advantage of being a company with incredible staying power and a reputation for innovation. They offer professional, prosumer, and point-and-shoot digital cameras, with ample customer support.

Most Sony digital cameras use the Sony Memory Stick flash memory storage medium. The exceptions to the flash memory rule are the Sony Mavica cameras which use mini-CDs for picture storage. The flash memory market is advancing at a quicker pace in increased storage capacity and lowered price points than is the mini-CD market.

Sony cameras are only a small part of Sonys massive enterprise. The company is younger than competitors like Canon and Nikon but Sonys total revenues are about equal to their combined totals. This gives Sony the R&D and marketing muscle to compete at the highest levels in whatever ventures they choose.

Specifics on Sony Cameras
Sony cameras come in three tiers; Cybershot Pro (professional), Cybershot point-and-shoot (amateur to prosumer), and Cybershot U (personal). The Cybershot Us are compact, lightweight and designed for ease of use. The Pro models use superior processing and materials, and allow for more manual control. The point-and-shoots run the length of the large middle-ground.

Kyocera digital cameras have begun being introduced to the market under the Contax brand–a name known to many in the photography world. Kyocera has been in the camera business for quite some time but since they release them under different brand names, many people still think of Kyocera only in terms of ceramics and semiconductors.

Kyocera started out in the late 1950s making ceramics and as the electronic age dawned found ways to incorporate ceramics into integrated circuits. In the 1980s, Kyocera absorbed Yashica Inc. and began releasing cameras under that name. The Contax brand made a name for itself in film photography but only those in the know knew Kyocera was behind it.

Kyocera digital cameras have for the most part been limited to the photography novice for everyday use and portability. Their capabilities were not such that they would outpace the competition. Their suggested retail price points are a little high for their performance but if you find one at a good discount, they are good cameras for the not-too-demanding user.

The Next Step for Kyocera Digital Cameras
Kyocera digital cameras are poised to start competing with higher-end Sony digital cameras and Nikon digital cameras with their introduction of the Contax N series. The N series is a digital SLR with 6Mp and costing several thousand dollars. One nit-picky detail is that Kyocera uses different types of flash memory cards for different cameras rather than maintains uniformity.