{"id":142,"date":"2012-12-11T10:35:07","date_gmt":"2012-12-11T09:35:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.skeptic.de\/blog.multi\/kiwi4\/?p=142"},"modified":"2023-09-23T19:54:58","modified_gmt":"2023-09-23T19:54:58","slug":"choose-your-weapon-er-camera","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/leetraynor.com\/blog.multi\/kiwi4\/?p=142","title":{"rendered":"Choose your weapon, er, camera"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Cameras\"<\/a>

Canons A470, SX120 and SX110<\/p><\/div>\n

If there\u2019s one area where you would be spoiled for choice, it would be choosing a camera. I made my choice, and it turns out that I made a good one, but it is many a snapshot and many a line of programming later that I would be able to say that. But, rather than go into all that, I can give a couple of tips about choosing a camera, any camera, in any case. Have a look for: <\/p>\n

Zoom.<\/strong> A good zoom saves having to get up close. A moderate zoom of 3-4 is good for a start, and a zoom of 10 or more borders on the telescopic, if only at the Galilean level. However, take care to understand how the zoom is measured. I have seen a number of cameras with a claimed zoom of, say 14, but this is measured against a default focal length of 28 mm, instead of the usual 36 mm. This gives an effective focal length of 392 mm at zoom 14, which is not much more than a zoom of 10 would produce from a starting point of 36 mm (i.e. 360 mm). Keep in mind that a camera with a focal length of 28 mm is a wide angle device; the question is then whether you need a wide-angle camera. And only optical zoom counts here; the digital type is worthless.<\/p>\n

Macro.<\/strong> A feature that allows really, really close-up shots (cm range) is useful for the microscopic end of things.<\/p>\n

Batteries.<\/strong> My logic behind choosing cameras that run off ordinary batteries, is that there might come a time when the camera\u2019s custom battery pack would give up the ghost and that the only alternative to utter despair would be run-of-the-mill batteries. That has yet to happen, but a further advantage of batteries, especially rechargeable ones, is that you can choose a reliable brand, instead of having to rely on the camera manufacturer\u2019s choice. A battery meter is not essential; just an indication before the batteries expire.<\/p>\n

Memory card.<\/strong> Memory cards of the sort that require exact positioning of holes over pins generally result in the pins becoming bent; better look for cameras that use SD cards or similar, which have few contacts and can easily be slotted in and out.<\/p>\n

Having said that, cameras should allow manual control over ISO (80-1600), shutter speed (0.001-15 s), aperture (f2.8-8), focus (0-\u221e) and exposure bias (\u00b1 2), as well as having automatic options. Video in reasonable quality, with sound recording. Time-delay shooting. And forget all the face-detection, special modes, \u201cmy colours\u201d and print buttons. They won\u2019t be missed.<\/p>\n

As we shall see, such a camera in the price range under \u20ac150 would have a number of drawbacks that will have to be overcome, depending on the use the camera is put to. But I\u2019d much rather drop a camera of that price into a river than one costing ten or twenty times as much, wouldn\u2019t you?
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