How Digital Works
So why Go Digital?
There are distinct advantages of digital photography:
Instant gratification.
See and share the photo you just took on the LCD screen on the back of the camera.
Shoot away.
Since you are able to delete photos that you do not want, you have the freedom to shoot as many photos of the same scene, and just keep the one or two that turned out the best. Once you discover this, you have another great way to capture memories.
Every print’s a winner.
Gone are the days of shooting a whole roll of film to get a few good pictures! With digital photography, you only print the best shots. And you can get prints made at your favourite photo store, just as you do with film.
Options.
Whether it’s 4-by-6-inch prints to put in your photo album, homemade greeting cards printed on your inkjet printer, or sharing your photos on line, digital photography opens up a whole new world of options for your memories. All Rabbit Photo stores can print real photos from your digital memory card, or you can even order your prints online – it’s that easy.
Where Do I Put the Film in my Digital Camera?
Digital cameras have a removable media (or memory cards), much like floppy disks, in lieu of film. This means when you take pictures, the digital camera creates a file and saves it to this media. You can then save these files to your computer or give the memory card to an Rabbit Photo photo lab to download and make photo prints or burn to a CD.
Whatever you do, it is wise to make a backup copy of your photos once processed - then simply delete the files from your memory card and take more pictures.
The number of images you store on your digital memory card depends upon the size (in megabytes) of your card, the resolution of your camera (in megapixels), and how the camera compresses the images. Your digital camera will come with a digital memory card, capable of holding a small amount of images, but you will want to purchase at least one more for additional storage capacity.
If you don't purchase an additional memory card at the time you purchase your digital camera - no worries. We can easily assist and advise you on the best type of card you require at a later date in when you need to add to and upgrade your accessories
The LCD Monitor and Viewfinders
Most digital cameras have a viewfinder, which you look through to take a picture (just like a regular camera). Most digital cameras also have a screen called a LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), which allows you to view the scene you are about to shoot, as well as see the picture just taken. If someone was to say, "Oops, my eyes were closed" you can view the image and retake it if necessary. The LCD also gives you access to the camera's menu system, which will allow you to change the setting on the camera easily.
The LCD will allow you to view all the images on your memory card. You can flip through the stored shots and delete the ones you don't want to keep, it's that easy! The LCD will draw a lot of power from the battery, so there may be a situation (when you don't have access to your battery charger) when using the viewfinder is a better option. It is also better to use the LCD rather than the viewfinder when shooting close up, due to the accuracy of the framing (what you see is what you'll get).
Digital Camera File Compression and File Size
Your camera will allow you to adjust your image quality, so your memory card can contain both high-resolution and low-resolution images. Use the high-resolution setting when you know you will want to make large prints, and you don't plan to take many photos. Use the lower resolution setting when you want to take a lot of pictures, and will probably only want 4-by-6-inch prints, or simply to e-mail the photos to friends.
Digital cameras will compress the pictures you take so more images can fit on your memory card. The higher the compression you use, the lower the picture quality of the image. You can change the level of compression depending upon how you are using the photos. If you're taking pictures to e-mail, you may want to use the highest level of compression, while you will probably want to use the lowest level of compression when shooting to make prints.
A good general rule of thumb when shooting pictures you plan to make into prints is to set your camera at the highest resolution setting and the medium compression setting.
This following table will give you a very general idea of what to expect in terms of megapixels, megabytes and media storage:
| Approximate Number of Images per Card* | ||||||
Camera Resolution |
File Size |
512M Card |
1GB Card |
2GB Card |
4GB Card |
8GB Card |
5 megapixel |
2.5MB |
204 |
409 |
818 |
1636 |
3272 |
6 megapixel |
3.2MB |
160 |
320 |
640 |
1280 |
2560 |
7 megapixel |
3.6MB |
142 |
284 |
571 |
1142 |
2284 |
8 megapixel |
3.9MB |
128 |
256 |
514 |
1028 |
2065 |
10 megapixel |
4.5MB |
113 |
228 |
456 |
913 |
1826 |
12 megapixel |
6.25MB |
80 |
160 |
320 |
640 |
1280 |
*Approximate calculations.
These ranges are only estimates of how many images will fit onto a given size memory card. This will vary depending on the compression setting of the camera, which is usually adjustable. The higher the compression used, the more pictures will fit on the memory card – at a sacrifice to picture quality.
Powering Your Digital Camera
One of the issues with digital cameras is the power supply. Digital cameras require a lot of battery power, especially when using the LCD screen on the back of the camera. When you buy a digital camera, ' rechargeable batteries are a must. Some cameras come standard with rechargeable batteries, while others do not. Either way, it helps to have at least two sets of rechargeable batteries.
There are several different rechargeable batteries on the market. NiMh (nickel metal hydride) will perform the best, allowing you to recharge the batteries at any time while still holding their capacity. Lithium-ion batteries also hold their capacity fairly well. Ni-Cad (nickel cadmium), are more temperamental, creating a "memory effect" if not discharged and charged properly. Ni-Cad batteries will lose their capacity over time, so if given the choice, choose NiMh or lithium-ion batteries.
An easy transfer to your computer
After filling your memory card, you may want to download the photos to your computer. Most digital cameras allow you to do this with a cable that connects your camera to your computer.
Another way to transfer photos from your camera to your computer is with a card reader. Card readers are like an external disk drive that allows you to access the images on your memory card, just as you would with a floppy disk. This is one of the easiest ways to get the images from your memory card to your computer, and helps save on battery power. While some cameras come with a card reader, most do not, and you may need to purchase one as an additional accessory when visiting your local Rabbit Photo store.
Using Your Digital Camera’s Software
Most digital cameras come with computer software to edit and to organise your images. These programs will assist you in correcting and manipulating the brightness, sharpness and colour of your photos. The possibilities for image editing and manipulation are limitless once you become acquainted with the program. In addition to the standard programs that come complete with your digital camera, there is lots of other software available to ensure you get the most from your pictures. Whether it's editing, virtual photo albums or online assistance - all of this can be found at your local Rabbit Photo store.
So What Do I Do With My Digital Photos?
1. Get real photo prints:
Depending on the resolution of your digital camera, you can get beautiful, real photographic prints from 4x6inches up to 16x20inches. The sharpness and quality rival that of film, so you don't have to give up your photo albums or scrapbooks!
Your local Rabbit Photo photo labs have the capability to make real photos from your digital camera memory card and usually within the hour! You can hand the salesperson your camera, memory card, CD, Zip disk, etc or you can e-mail the photos to your local Rabbit Photo store and then arrange to pick them up later. This is the most timely and convenient way to get pictures from your digital camera.
If you can wait a few days to get the prints in your hands, the web is a great option. Home Ordering offers you the ability to store and catalogue your digital photos on the website, as well as a variety of editing and printing options (see "Online photo sharing" below).
2. Online photo sharing:
After you purchase your digital camera, you may want an online service on which to upload your photos.
Online photo sharing is a great easy way to upload your photos to the internet via an online photo album. There you can add, delete or enhance your photos, then send your family and friends the link to your online photo album for them to view and even order prints from instantly. It's that easy!
