Characteristics of SLR cameras. Camera Specifications

Even when choosing an amateur digital camera, you can get confused in a huge number of important characteristics that will greatly affect the quality of the pictures.

In order not to get lost in this abundance of information and choose a device that will delight not only with high-quality photographs, but also with ease of use, let's try to figure out the most fundamental things.

Number of megapixels

Now there is a real “pixel race”, each manufacturer is trying to show off more and more pixels. But, if you understand this issue a little, it becomes clear that the number of pixels is far from the most important indicator of image quality. A pixel is just one dot of a particular color that makes up an image. Of course, when there are very few such points, then the picture will look bad. But for printing high-quality photos of 10x15 size, three megapixels will be enough. And already five megapixels will allow you to print A3 format without quality loss. So don't spend money chasing pixels, it's better to pay attention to other important things.

Photosensitive matrix

Thanks to the photosensitive elements of the matrix, an image is formed. The larger the matrix, the more light each pixel will get, the better the image will be. A 1/1.8 sensor will produce better pictures than a 1/2.5 sensor. It is also better to take a high ISO sensitivity - 400 is better than 100 and so on.

Lens

As one of the lens parameters, manufacturers indicate the presence of zoom. Here it is worth clarifying that there is a digital and optical zoom. Digital simply programmatically stretches the picture without adding new details to it. It does not make any sense for the quality of photographs, the same can be done on a computer. Optical zoom, on the other hand, enlarges the image due to the fact that the focal length of the lens changes. And it is this process that makes it possible to make a really high-quality photo. Therefore, it is worth clarifying which zoom is used in this particular camera model.

File formats

In order for the picture to take up less space, many cameras compress the picture in JPEG format. Because of this, some of the details are lost without the possibility of recovery. The RAW format does not compress the image, and as a result, it takes up more space. But this allows for subsequent processing to obtain a better image.

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Relevance: 2019

The topic of choosing a camera, probably, has always been and will be relevant. Time passes, technology changes, old materials written on this topic become hopelessly outdated. The general principles remain unchanged, but a huge number of nuances makes us look at the problem of choice differently. Purpose of the article What is the best camera- dot the i's in the matter of buying a digital camera, given the current market situation. The article is primarily aimed at beginner amateur photographers, but I'm sure the article will be useful for experienced users as well.

Where to start choosing the "best" camera?

First of all, you must determine the range of tasks for which the camera will be used. Tasks can be completely different and you need to come to terms with the fact that there is simply no absolutely universal camera. There are only cameras that are suitable for solving certain tasks or not suitable. For example, to go on a picnic with friends it is absolutely not necessary to bring a professional DSLR there (although there are enthusiasts), an inexpensive soap dish or even a smartphone is quite enough - after all, photos from such events, as a rule, do not go beyond social networks and home photo albums. In this case the best camera there will be one that is always at hand.

For professional purposes, the requirements for technique vary considerably depending on the genre of shooting. To shoot a reportage, you need a high burst speed and the ability to take pictures handheld in low light, for a landscape - maximum clarity and depth of colors, for a portrait - high-quality reproduction of skin color and the ability to get a beautiful blur of the background, for macro photography - the ability to focus on very close object, and so on. Naturally, all these possibilities cannot be realized in one camera with a single lens. Thus, choosing the best option for a camera is always a compromise between the capabilities of technology, its size, ease of use and price.

Classes of digital cameras

One of the main criteria by which cameras are divided into different classes is physical size of the matrix. It is not measured in megapixels, but in millimeters (or inches). It is this parameter that has a decisive influence on the quality of photographs - color reproduction, noise level, dynamic range. Traditionally, it was believed that for DSLRs and mirrorless cameras a large matrix is good, for soap dishes a small matrix is bad. Now this division is very conditional, since many compact cameras have matrices comparable in size to amateur DSLRs and mirrorless cameras.

Conventionally, digital cameras can be divided into several classes.

Cameras in smartphones

In recent years, a steady trend has been observed on the market - smartphones are slowly but surely replacing compact cameras. And there are good reasons for this:

Smartphone always at hand
The photo quality of most smartphones is sufficient for printing in a small format (for those who are used to it) and posting photos on social networks
Built-in photo processing capabilities eliminate the need for a graphics editor on a PC
Photos do not have to be printed - they are quite convenient to view on a smartphone
The issue of saving photos is solved by connecting cloud storage
It is convenient to share photos - via the Internet and via bluetooth

If you are going to take photos "for home, for family, for friends", the best choice is a smartphone with a good camera, and this is no joke! The only drawback of the smartphone is the lack of zoom, although there are models with two lenses - one for wide shots, the other for close-ups. Such devices are more expensive, but they successfully solve 99% of the tasks of amateur photography.

Amateur compact entry-level cameras ("soap dishes")

Against the backdrop of the growth of smartphone capabilities, this class of cameras can be safely considered endangered. The demand for them is kept "by inertia", but, I think, within a couple of years it will completely disappear. Camera manufacturers are well aware of this and are gradually curtailing the production of compacts. The only subclass that is still afloat is "superzooms". These are compact cameras with 10-20 or more times optical zoom. The only advantage of such cameras over smartphones is the ability to shoot close-ups of distant objects.

The topic of choosing a superzoom has been moved out (at the moment it is a bit outdated and needs to be reworked, however, you can understand the general principles). If we talk about the best manufacturer of soap dishes, then in this niche there is not much difference between them. Choose from Sony, Nikon, Panasonic, Canon, Olympus. The quality of the photos will be the same, the difference is only in appearance.

Some entry-level compact cameras have a full range of manual settings. This is primarily aimed at those amateur photographers who want to learn how to photograph, however, the value of manual settings for such cameras is often greatly exaggerated. The presence of a programmable exposure mode (P), as a rule, covers 99% of the needs of an enthusiastic amateur photographer - verified from our own experience.

If you want to do artistic photography, I strongly recommend not to mess with "small" cameras. The picture quality will be acceptable only outdoors in daylight. When lighting conditions deteriorate, the quality of photographs deteriorates rapidly. Photos from these devices are difficult to process in Photoshop, because even with minor manipulations with brightness, contrast, saturation, artifacts begin to appear - color distortion, increased noise level, "steps" on smooth color transitions.

Cameras for advanced amateurs

This niche is the most diverse, it contains at least three subgroups, in varying degrees, competing with each other in terms of their capabilities.

"Top soap dishes"

These are compact devices with an oversized matrix and non-replaceable optics. According to their declared characteristics, they seem to be inferior to entry-level amateur devices (see above) - they have fewer megapixels, the zoom ratio rarely exceeds 3-5 times, sometimes they have worse video capabilities, but they do their job more honestly and with better quality - and namely, they provide better detail and color reproduction than entry-level devices. All this is due to a larger matrix and a better lens.

Among the top compacts, in my opinion, Sony, Panasonic, Canon are the most successful.

Another advantage of the "top" compacts (as well as all the groups listed below) is the ability to shoot in RAW format. What is RAW, we will briefly analyze a little later, but for now, just take my word for it - this is a very useful feature for which you can sacrifice the zoom ratio, rotary / touch screen, not to mention the "trendy chips" such as Wi-Fi, GPS, etc. .P.

"Top" compacts take excellent pictures during the day on the street, indoors with them you can also achieve acceptable photo quality. The merit of everything is a higher quality matrix of an increased size (from 2/3 "to 1") - the larger, the better, but also more expensive.

Almost all compacts of this class can shoot in RAW. The presence of the RAW format opens up great opportunities for stretching photos to an acceptable level of quality. The only limitation is that most devices in this niche are not able to provide beautiful and powerful background blur (bokeh) where it is needed (for example, in a portrait or when shooting close-ups). To "make bokeh" in photographs, you need a device with an even larger matrix and a fast lens. For more information on choosing an entry-level or advanced point-and-shoot camera, see the Best Compact Cameras article.

Mirrorless

Mirrorless - in fact, these are the same "top" compacts, only with interchangeable lenses. The main advantage of mirrorless cameras is their "consistency". This is a constructor in which the carcass acts as a base and you can hang a lot of interesting things on it - lenses, flash, video light, microphone, additional screen. Another question, this "interesting" costs extra money, and the cost of the kit can many times exceed the cost of the carcass :)

Modern mirrorless cameras have matrices ranging in size from 4/3 "(crop 2) to "full frame". Recently, even medium format system cameras have appeared. The cost of owning a system significantly correlates with the size of the sensor - the smaller the crop, the more expensive the optics. Sometimes noticeably more expensive!

If we talk about manufacturers, I would recommend first of all to look towards Sony, Panasonic, Olympus, Fujifilm. These manufacturers entered the "mirrorless" niche earlier than others and, in this regard, they have a wider choice of additional lenses and accessories than Canon and Nikon.

A modern mirrorless camera is a fast, reliable and functional device that is not inferior in image quality and speed to SLR cameras (and in some ways even surpasses them) and at the same time is much lighter and more compact. The main disadvantage of most mirrorless cameras is that in the pursuit of compactness, many physical controls (buttons, wheels) are often replaced with software ones (menu items). Since the functionality of mirrorless cameras is very high, the menu becomes multi-level and complex - this makes life difficult for the photographer if you need to photograph something in non-standard conditions, when the standard settings and presets cannot provide the correct result. But this is more the exception than the rule. In my opinion, if you need a device "for every day", a mirrorless camera will be the most practical solution.

Having at my disposal a reflex Canon EOS 5D ("full frame") and a mirrorless one (Micro 4/3), I prefer the latter on most trips and light walks, as well as for amateur home shooting, and I can say that the technical quality of photographs of a modern mirrorless camera no worse than a 13-year-old full-frame "dinosaur".

SLR Cameras

SLRs- devices in which a shutter with a movable or fixed mirror is used, through which the picture that the lens sees is projected into the viewfinder. This design has an advanced age, however, it has very successfully taken root in digital.

DSLRs have not had any objective significant advantages over system cameras for a long time, however, due to the large number of available optics, DSLRs are still in steady demand.

SLRs have taken root in the field of professional photography - for professional photographers, it is important not only the number of functions of the camera, but also the ease of access to them (it's easier to press a button than to climb the menu every time!). And the autofocus of advanced DSLRs in difficult conditions works faster and more accurately than mirrorless ones. The main disadvantage of a DSLR is its size and weight, although some models are very compact and comparable in size to top compacts (for example, Canon ESO 100D). If this drawback is not critical, the purchase of a DSLR is fully justified, otherwise it is better to look towards mirrorless cameras.

Among the manufacturers of DSLRs, Canon and Nikon traditionally share the palm, I recommend considering these manufacturers first of all. Not because Sony and Pentax DSLRs are bad - not at all! The question is that over time you will want to buy a new lens for your camera. If you have a Canon or Nikon, you can buy a lens at any photo store (after finding out where it is cheaper) or used on Avito. Sony has a worse situation - optics, in principle, are on sale, but the range is smaller and prices can be higher. Pentax - a separate song! The devices themselves are very interesting, but to find the right optics for them on sale, you need to try very hard.

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DSLRs hold the record for battery life, as the matrix "turns on" only at the moment the shutter is opened. For other classes of cameras, the matrix always works to transfer the picture to the screen. DSLRs also have a LiveView mode, in which the camera works like a "soap box" and shows the picture not in the viewfinder, but on the screen. At the same time, energy consumption increases accordingly.

If you try to look ahead, then in five years, if they do not disappear at all, then with 90% probability they will leave the amateur segment - they will be "taken out" by system cameras. The professional niche will also see a decline in the popularity of SLR cameras. It is no accident that the leading photo manufacturers have mobilized their forces to produce full-frame system cameras and optics for them!

In light of the above, I advise you to think carefully about the advisability of buying an advanced SLR camera for amateur use. In the secondary market, the demand for DSLRs has already noticeably decreased - used professional cameras are like new amateur ones, but no one buys them and is not even interested. And what will happen in a few years?

Cameras for enthusiastic amateurs and professionals

This niche is also very diverse. The main characteristic feature of these devices is the presence of some unique features for which people are willing to pay 2, 3 and even 10 times more than for middle-class equipment. Everyone has different requests - someone needs a full-frame sensor (mostly professional portraitists, landscape painters, wedding photographers), someone needs an image component (most often, wealthy people, for whom the main criterion in choosing is "so that the camera is pleasant to hold in hands" - it is for them that compact stylish "image" devices are created).

Full-frame cameras provide the best image quality, which is why they are very popular among professional photographers and photo-advanced amateurs. If earlier this niche was dominated by Canon and Nikon DSLRs, now mirrorless devices are beginning to penetrate it. Sony Alpha A7 is the first swallow, a full-frame mirrorless camera for a sane cost for a full frame. The "vintage" Leica is a fashion device "for the rich", however, it has a full-frame sensor and quite good photographic capabilities.

The screenshot was taken when the dollar cost 33 rubles :) Now the cost of such a Leica is from 600 thousand rubles. I will modestly keep silent about the practicality of such an acquisition, for the price of one Leica M carcass you can buy a professional Canon or Nikon DSLR with a professional lens (or even several).

If you aim for a full frame, keep in mind that its capabilities are fully realized only with high-quality optics, which can cost comparable to the camera, and sometimes much more. Buying a full frame for amateur home shooting is not the most practical investment. If you are a beginner, it is better to buy simpler equipment, and invest the difference in price in photography training. If you have photographic experience and the desire to improve yourself, a full-frame camera will be a great tool in your hands!

Added on 05/15/2018

Recently, one of the readers made a remark to me that I did not consider in this article another category of professional equipment - medium format cameras. I must say right away that I am a little far from this topic and have only superficial knowledge about this technique. Medium format cameras have an average matrix 1.5 times larger than a "full frame", their own fleet of optics and additional equipment. The cost of a full-fledged set for shooting on a "medium format" can exceed the cost of a new foreign car, so it is no wonder that the demand for this equipment, even in the professional niche, is small compared to the same full-frame DSLRs.

Shooting on a "medium format" is characterized by slowness, the use of slow shutter speeds and strongly (by "cropped" standards) clamped apertures. The reward for this will be images with tremendous detail (40-50 megapixels or more), perfect perspective transmission (since 50 mm on a medium format is a very wide-angle lens), and if you want to blur the background, then you can do wonders.

How not to go crazy when choosing a camera?

It's time to draw some conclusions from everything that is written above.

If you need a camera

Entry-level digital cameras are a dying class of photographic equipment. For use as a "photo recorder", the best choice would be a smartphone - Apple, Samsung, not the cheapest "Chinese phone" - Xiaomi, Meizu. These devices are always at hand and you will be much less likely to miss an interesting moment than with a soap dish that you can "forget at home" or "too lazy to pull out of the case."

If you want a full camera

If you want a higher quality picture, but you are sure that you do not need interchangeable lenses, pay attention to premium compacts - cameras with non-interchangeable lenses and a 1" matrix from Sony, Canon, Panasonic. Their technical characteristics are very similar. Price difference usually due to the capabilities of optics - the better the lens, the more expensive the camera.If you can buy an expensive camera, it's better to do it than save money and then bite your elbows.Such cameras are very convenient for travel and business trips - when "folded" they take up little The quality of the photos is comparable to the low-end DSLRs The quality of the video is at the level of very good camcorders The only negative is that due to the small dimensions the battery capacity can be small.

If you want to grow and develop, it is better to take a camera with interchangeable lenses. Any - mirror, mirrorless. Before settling on one or another platform, estimate how much additional optics will cost, which will be required sooner or later - a fast fix, a telephoto lens. From SLR cameras in terms of ownership price, Canon is preferable, from mirrorless cameras - the Micro 4/3 system (Olympus, Panasonic). Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm are technically just as good (and in some ways even better), but these systems are more expensive.

Mirror or mirrorless?

Amateur DSLRs are also practically living dinosaurs. The demand for them has been kept by inertia since the times when cameras were divided into "soap dishes" and "reflex cameras". The stereotype "soap box - bad, SLR - good" at one time firmly sat down in the minds of buyers. When the first mirrorless cameras appeared, they were perceived more like soap dishes, so at first they were not in great demand, and there weren’t really any optics for them. Now, in terms of the number of available optics and accessories, mirrorless cameras, if not surpassed SLR cameras, are at least equal to them. The same goes for functionality and technical specifications.

In my opinion, an objective need to buy an amateur DSLR arises only if the amateur photographer already has a sufficient set of lenses, a flash, some other accessories from an old device of the same brand that is broken / lost / tired / wants to upgrade. In other cases, I recommend looking first of all towards the system cameras.

About the size of the matrix

When choosing a camera, we come across the sensor format - Micro4/3, APS-C, FullFrame. Everything is simple here - the larger the matrix, the better the quality of the photos, but the cost of the system increases proportionally (and sometimes disproportionately!).

For amateur photography, cameras with Micro 4/3 and APS-C sensors are enough. Cameras with Micro 4/3 are slightly more compact, APS-C - has a slightly lower noise level. In 99% of cases, the difference in image quality with a blind comparison cannot be identified.

Full-frame cameras in daylight shooting have practically no advantages over crop, but in difficult lighting conditions they win due to a larger dynamic range and higher operating ISO sensitivity (1.5-2 times on average). However, the cost of such cameras and optics for them is noticeably higher than for cropped ones.

Even if you ignore the cost, full-frame cameras are not always the best choice. The crop factor plays into the hands of macro photography (it allows you to shoot at a large scale from the same distance). Telephoto lenses also "lengthen" in proportion to the crop factor. As for wide-angle lenses, it used to be difficult to choose a wide-angle for crop - they were few and expensive. Now there are no such problems - you can find a large number of "cropped" non-autofocus wide-angle lenses, incl. on AliExpress, for example, (fisheye). For amateur photography, their capabilities are quite enough.

Which company to buy a camera?

Buy the one you like! If you want a DSLR - choose between Canon and Nikon. If mirrorless - Sony, Panasonic, Olympus. Each camera of any manufacturer has its pros and cons, which you can talk about endlessly, but absolutely all cameras now have all the possibilities for getting good photos and videos. The result largely depends on how well you have adapted to your camera and learned how to use its strengths.

About my help in choosing a camera

Until recently, I provided a consultation service on choosing a camera according to your criteria. Now I am her do not provide. In view of my busy schedule, I no longer have the opportunity to regularly get acquainted with the latest in the photo industry, attend presentations and exhibitions of new products. Therefore, the maximum that I can do is to send a link to Yandex.Market with a selection of cameras with characteristics suitable for your tasks, the final choice is yours.

Key Features of Digital Cameras

The quality of the resulting images directly depends on the technical characteristics of the digital camera. What should you pay attention to first of all? Let's talk about it in our article.

First, let's dwell on the matrix, as they call a lot of light-sensitive elements - pixels. One of the important matrix parameters that directly affect image quality is resolution, measured in megapixels. The rule applies to this parameter: the higher the resolution, the more fine details will be displayed in the picture.

But you should not get carried away with the number of megapixels either. So, if you are not going to print photos larger than 10x15 cm, then you may well limit yourself to buying a device with a resolution of 2.2 megapixels, and for printing pictures of 13x18 cm - 3.6 megapixels.

Another important parameter of the matrix is its size, measured in inches. Popular camera models usually use matrices ranging in size from 1/1.8 to 1/3.2 inches. At the same time, it is recommended to give preference to matrices with a large size, since they have certain advantages - they allow you to convey more shades and make less noise.

You also need to pay attention to the sensitivity of the matrix, which can be changed in the range from 50 to 3200. Owning a camera with a high sensitivity of the matrix, you can take clear pictures at dusk and even at night, but you will have to put up with the inevitable digital noise.

The next component of a digital camera is the lens, thanks to which light enters the camera and an image is formed on the matrix. The lens consists of lenses responsible for the nature of light, and a diaphragm that allows you to control the amount of light.

The main characteristics of the lens include aperture and focal length. The first is the value of the maximum open aperture. The higher the aperture, the better the lens, and hence the camera. Under equal lighting conditions, a lens with a large aperture value makes it possible to take pictures at faster shutter speeds. Another characteristic of the lens, the focal length is responsible for the angle of view of the lens and for how far it "sees". Lenses with a focal length of 24 (or less) by 85 (or more) are considered the best.

Almost all digital cameras are equipped with a zoom function - increase (change the focal length). This function allows you to conveniently frame the image, when everything unnecessary is removed from the frame even at the shooting stage. Zoom is optical and digital. Cameras with magnification produced by means of optics (i.e. by changing the focal length of the lens) are considered the best. Keep in mind that ultra zooms tend to produce worse images than moderate zooms.

Another indispensable feature of modern digital cameras is the viewfinder, which allows you to see the future image before pressing the shutter. In digital SLR cameras, the display acts as a viewfinder, on which the image is formed in real time. Viewfinders are optical, mirror and electronic, while the mirror varieties are considered the best.

As for the flash, amateur digital cameras, as a rule, are equipped with built-in low-power flashes to illuminate the foreground. Semi-professional and professional cameras are equipped with a contact for connecting an external flash, which allows you to achieve much better results.

Finally, in a good camera there is always the possibility of manual settings. This applies to the ability to adjust the aperture and shutter speed, change the sensitivity of the matrix, set the white balance and other settings.

Camera device

This part of the article will describe the principle of operation of digital cameras, as well as the device of digital cameras.

Simplified, the scheme of the camera is as follows:

Rectangular case, which houses the matrix, control electronics, memory card and batteries.
The display is attached to the back of the camera body.
The lens is attached to the front of the body. The lens can be fixed on the body rigidly (non-removable). Or it can be attached through a special mechanical connector - a mount, in which case the lens can be removed and replaced with another one.

The image, in the form of light radiation, enters the matrix through the lens. When light hits the photocells, an electric current is generated in these photocells.

The control electronics reads the electrical signals from the photocells and forms an electronic image based on them. If the display is used as a viewfinder, then this image is transmitted to the display. And the same electronic image is recorded on the memory card when the photographer presses the shutter button.

Types of digital cameras

This part of the article will describe how different types of cameras differ from each other.

The most accurate and widely used types of cameras imply a division by design features. By design, the types of cameras are divided into three main groups - compact cameras (compacts), SLR cameras (DSLRs) and mirrorless cameras (hybrids).

Compact camera (Compact)

Often they are called "soap dishes", but this is not entirely correct. Soap dishes are a subspecies inside the compacts. Design features of compact cameras:

Fixed lenses.
The priority of automatic setting of shooting parameters, and on cheap models there are no manual settings at all.

Compacts are divided into two large subgroups according to the method of mounting the lens:

Soap dishes - they have a telescopic lens and, when turned off, “leaves” inside the case. When the camera is turned off, it looks like a bar (or a soap dish).
Just a digital camera (compact, “not a soap dish”) - the lens is fixedly fixed on the body and can even be integral with the body.

As a rule, these two subcategories also differ in functionality. "Soap dishes" are inexpensive cameras, simple and automated. And compacts, as such, are more complicated, have more options for manually adjusting photographic parameters. Among the compacts there are models that can be used even in professional photography.

SLR camera (DSLR)

DSLR is an abbreviation for Digital single-lens reflex camera, which translated into Russian means: digital single-lens reflex camera. In common parlance "reflex mirror". This type of camera is used by professional photographers. That is, a SLR camera is almost synonymous with the concept of a professional camera.

SLR camera has the following design features:

Removable lens.
Mirror optical viewfinder (in addition to it, a display viewfinder can be added)

The cheapest models of SLR cameras have sensors smaller than 2 crop factors. And many mid-priced models have a full-size matrix.

In relation to this type of camera, the concept of kit camera (whale) is used. This is a set of the actual camera (body, and professionals call it a carcass) and a lens. Usually a kit lens is a zoom lens with some average characteristics.

Mirrorless Camera (Hybrid)

This is an interchangeable lens camera. We can say that these are "reflex cameras", but without mirrors. In fact, one of the designations for this category of cameras is MILC (Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Compact Camera), that is, a mirrorless digital camera with interchangeable lenses. They are also called system cameras (CSC - compact system camera).

Design features of these cameras:

Removable lens.
Display viewfinder (on some models, there may also be an optical parallax viewfinder).
Priority of manual photo settings.

Due to the rejection of the reflex viewfinder, the dimensions of the device, the shutter speed (not in all models) and the price of the camera are reduced.

With regard to this type of cameras, the concept of a camera kit (whale) is also used. This is a set of the actual camera (body, and professionals call it a carcass) and a lens. Just like DSLRs, some models of mirrorless cameras are sold without a lens.

Characteristics of cameras affecting the quality of photography

This part of the article will list the technical properties of cameras that affect the quality of photographs.

Small optical zoom- 2, 3 or 4. The more steps of changing the focal length, the more optical distortion and the greater the loss of aperture - both of which lead to a deterioration in the photo.

Aperture number (aperture) of the lens– the lower the value, the better - f/2 is better than f/2.8. A lower number means the lens is letting more light into the sensor, which can be useful when shooting in low light conditions. For a zoom lens, the aperture number is specified as a range - a smaller number for a smaller (short) focus, a larger number for the "longest" focus. Lenses with a small number, 2 or less than two, are often called fast lenses. The general rule is that the aperture ratio of a lens decreases with increasing focal length.

Sensor sensitivity (ISO). No noise or minimal noise for high values - ISO 800 and above. For cheap matrices, noise starts already at 400 ISO, and at 800 it may be impossible to photograph. The absence of noise can be useful when shooting in low light conditions.

Shutter speed (lag). The shorter the time interval from pressing the shutter button to taking a photo, the more accurate the resulting photo, in the event that a dynamic object or process is being shot.

Recording a photo in raw format(without compression). In digital cameras, when a photo is stored in memory, it is compressed into JPEG format. Its size decreases, but the quality deteriorates. There are models that record photos without compression, in RAW format. Such a photo can be processed in a special program on a computer and get a picture of a higher quality than jpeg taken in the camera itself.

Camera sensor size. The larger the matrix, the higher the quality of the photo you can get from it. In the description of the camera, the size of the sensor is indicated in proportion to the full size of 36 x 24 mm. This proportion is called the crop factor and is a decimal. The rule is simple - the closer the crop factor is to one, the larger the matrix size and the higher the quality of the matrix.

Manual photography settings. Ability to manually specify settings:

focus
diaphragm
excerpts
white balance
matrix sensitivity.

This allows you to take a good photo in conditions where automatic programs are not suitable for shooting conditions. However, in order to use manual settings, you need to understand well what they mean, their mutual influence.

Stabilization. Camera micro-movement compensation system. It compensates for the shake of the photographer's hands. Designed to reduce the negative effect of "shake", "blur" when shooting at slow shutter speeds. There are two types - built into the lens (lens stabilization) and built into the body (matrix stabilization).

An example of the noisiness of the matrix (more pixels does not mean a better photo).

Below are shots of two cameras from the same price range (100 - 150 dollars). Kodak M340 and Nikon Coolpix S3300. The main difference between these cameras is that the Nikon Coolpix S3300 has 16 megapixels while the Kodak M340 has 10 megapixels. At the same time, the physical size of the matrix is the same for them - the crop factor is 5.62. The pictures were taken under the same conditions - at the same time (the difference is no more than one minute), from the same point. Both shots were taken in the automatic mode "Scene - Landscape".

Kodak M340 (100% scale fragment - 19 x 14 centimeters):

Nikon Coolpix S3300 (100% scale image fragment - 39 x 29 centimeters):

The Nikon Coolpix S3300 has 60% more pixels than the Kodak M340, but this not only did not improve the quality of the photo, but, on the contrary, worsened it a little.

Characteristics of cameras affecting usability

This part of the article will list the technical properties of cameras that do not directly affect the quality of photographs, but make the process of photographing easier and faster.

autofocus. Autofocus is the ability of the camera to independently focus on the subject.

Auto camera modes- settings for shooting parameters (focus, aperture, shutter speed, sensitivity).

Electronic viewfinder. It is worse in that it gives a picture "for one eye", since it is made in the form of an eyepiece, but its important advantage over the display is that it can be used in bright sunny weather. When the display viewfinder simply "blinds" (nothing is visible on it).

Bracketing. Automatic shooting of several photos instead of one. In this case, for each picture, an individual value of one of the exposure parameters is set. For example, shutter speed bracketing - a picture is taken with the shutter speed set by the photographer (or camera automation), and in addition, pictures are taken in which the shutter speed is greater and less than this value. The same principle with other types of bracketing - by focal length, aperture. Of course, such pictures can be taken manually. But automatic bracketing saves a lot of time.

USB connector allows you to quickly and easily copy photos to your computer.

AA battery– it can be replaced with conventional batteries and thus less dependent on the ability to charge the battery.

Memory card type. Photos in a digital camera are recorded on a memory card. The speed of photographing depends on the speed of writing to the card. Especially if the photo is recorded in raw format. If the camera has a card with a speed of 2 Mb / s, and the size of the photo is 2.5 Mb (and this size is possible even in soap dishes), then you will not be able to take more than one photo per second.

Camera position sensor. The standard position of the camera when photographing is horizontal. In this case, the picture has an aspect ratio of 4:3 (the width is greater than the height). However, it is often more advantageous to take pictures with the camera turned vertically to get a 3:4 aspect ratio (width less than height).

Some cameras have an orientation sensor and automatically rotate the photo after shooting. But if the camera does not have such a sensor, then the vertical one turns out to be littered on its side (photo taken on Nikon Coolpix S3300):

Of course, it is not difficult to deploy it in any graphics program. But why do the extra work? If there are cameras that themselves monitor such trifles (Kodak M340):

Camera Features You Can Ignore

This part of the article will list the technical properties of cameras that do not affect the quality of photos, moreover, they can even degrade the quality of the photo.

Pixels. More doesn't mean better. Size really doesn't matter here. 5 megapixels is enough for good everyday (non-professional) photography.

Large optical zoom. If a lens with a 10x, 20x or even 30x zoom is on a compact, this means that there will be severe optical distortions at such a zoom, maybe even monstrous ones.

digital zoom. This is a programmatic increase in the picture taken from the matrix. The quality deteriorates at this magnification. And you can make such an increase in a graphic editor on a computer.

panoramic shooting. A panorama is when you take several photos by sequentially moving the viewfinder from left to right, or from right to left, and then glue the finished photos into one along their vertical borders. This can be done on a computer - more conveniently and with better quality.

Red-eye reduction. First, you need to understand that red eyes only appear when photographing with a flash. If your camera allows you to take pictures without a flash in low light conditions, then you will not have a red-eye problem. Secondly, red eyes can be removed on a computer, in a graphics editor.

Choosing a camera according to these capabilities is a losing business. If a good camera does not have them, then to hell with them.

Pros and cons of compact cameras

This part of the article will list the advantages and disadvantages of compact cameras.

Compared to SLR and hybrid digital cameras, compact cameras have the following pros and cons.

Benefits of a digital compact

Small size and weight (this is true mainly for soap dishes). The soap dish can be carried even in a pocket or in a woman's handbag.

The compacts are designed for automatic use - point-and-click photography.

Low price and even low price - compacts are the most inexpensive cameras.

Cons of a digital compact

The main disadvantage of compacts is that they cannot take very good quality photos, and some types of photography are impossible at all. This disadvantage is due to two factors:

Automatic adjustment of shooting parameters. This is convenient, but automation does not work well in all real situations.
Low quality matrix and lens.

Top compacts:

Fuji HS and X series (eg Finepix X10, X20).
Nikon P series (for example, Nikon Coolpix P7700, P7800).
Canon SX, S and G series (eg PowerShot G1X).
Panasonic LX and older FZ models with Leica lenses.
Sony RX series.

inferior to cheap DSLRs and hybrids only by the inability to change the lens.

Pros and cons of SLR cameras

This part of the article will list the advantages and disadvantages of SLR cameras. As well as the advantages and disadvantages of cameras with interchangeable lenses in comparison with compact digital cameras

Pros of SLR cameras

The ability to take a good photo, in almost any conditions. And almost any type of photo - landscapes, portraits, interiors, etc.

Good quality matrices, manual settings, interchangeable lenses. With this, you can achieve very good results.

Cons SLR cameras and hybrids

Weight and dimensions. The weight of the DSLR is at least a kilogram, and if the lens is large, then more than a kilogram. Mirrorless will be lighter, but not by much.

Higher price compared to compacts. Cheap cameras with interchangeable lenses start at around $400. Cheap DSLRs start at around $500. A good DSLR will cost closer to $1,000.

The need to learn photography. And such training will take a lot of time.

Summary

More information in the full version of this article - How to choose a camera.

And you can buy a camera, for example, in this store:

The federal network of stores Yulmart is a good place to buy computer and home appliances. Low prices, easy shopping process.
Registration in Walmart
If you enter a promo code when registering 6023036 , then for purchases it will be possible to receive bonus points that you can spend in Walmart.

Ivan Sukhov, 2012, 2014

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