Digital Cameras

General frequently asked questions about Digital Cameras

1. Does CCD size matter?
2. What is ISO speed?
3. What is JPEG and TIFF?
4. What about MPEG movie modes in digital cameras?
5. What are SLR digital cameras?
6. Will an airport X-Ray scanner erase my pictures on a digital camera card?
7. How many types of batteries are there for the Digital Camera?
8. Does it matter what kind of battery I use?
9. What digital camera accessories do I need?
10. Why my camera reports a low battery after only ten minutes of use?
11. What's the difference between optical zoom and digital zoom?
12. Will a high resolution camera make better prints than a lower resolution camera?
13. Are manual controls important?
14. What does megapixel mean?
15. What kind of camera do I need to print out a 4 x 6 inch image or a 8 x 10's?
16. What is the deal with the different "quality" settings on my camera?
17. What is red-eye reduction?
18. Why is there a delay after I push the shutter release button before I can take another picture?
19. I'm having trouble downloading photos to my computer with the software that came with my camera. What can I do?
20. What is the difference in performance between rechargeable and non-rechargeable batteries?
21. How do digital cameras work?
22. What sort of problems will I have with rechargeable batteries?
23. Why should keep extra batteries handy!
24. Why don't use Alkaline AA - use rechargeables?
25. What is the battery conservation tips?
26. Why should bring a battery charger on trips?
27. Why should keep playback to a minimum?
28. Why batteries won't stay charged forever?
29. What is mAh?
30. Why should buy a extra proprietary batteries?
31. Why don't mix and match brands and types?
32. Why should use an add-On NiMH power pack?
33. How to deal with the dead NiMH batteries?
34. Why should take battery out of the digital camera?
35. Why should never charge incompatible AA batteries?
36. How hold batteries in cold weather?
37. Why need a different charger or converters when you are travelling in oversea?
38. Why should never get batteries wet?

1. Q : Does CCD size matter?

A : In general, the larger CCD means a bigger light-collecting area and therefore better performance in low-light conditions with less noise. However, this rule is very inexact and it doesn't hold in many cases. The trend is to lower the CCD size because it also lowers the costs. (Return to Top)

2. Q : What is ISO speed?

A : This setting has been adopted from film cameras. It refers to the film's sensitivity to light. Higher ISO speeds are needed to take pictures in worse lighting conditions, however they also cause an increased amount of noise. 100 ISO is the default. At 400 ISO the noise is easily detectable on most cameras.(Return to Top)

3. Q : What is JPEG and TIFF?

A : Two most popular picture storage formats used by digital cameras are JPEG and TIFF. The JPEG format uses lossy compression (some data judged by the algorithm to be less important to the human viewer is discarded) to achieve small file sizes. The TIFF format uses lossless compression so no information is lost, however the pictures are typically much larger. High-quality JPEG setting is preferable for most uses. (Return to Top)

4. Q : What about MPEG movie modes in digital cameras?

A : Many digital cameras offer the ability to shoot short movies that are saved in the MPEG formats. Unfortunately, the quality of these movies doesn't come close to the movies shot with a camcorder. They are often severely limited in terms of length. Some cameras also don't record sound. (Return to Top)

5. Q : What are SLR digital cameras?

A : In an SLR (Single Lens Reflex) camera, the user is seeing exactly what the camera is seeing through a series of prisms and mirrors. This becomes important for more advanced photographers. In SLR cameras, it is also possible to interchange lenses and keep the lenses from other cameras. Many digital SLR cameras also offer higher resolution since they are aimed at the pros. The disadvantages of SLR digital cameras are the significantly higher costs, bigger size and weight, and a small delay before the photo is taken because the mirror has to move out of the way before a shot. (Return to Top)

6. Q : Will an airport X-Ray scanner erase my pictures on a digital camera card?

A : No, the chance of this happening is very remote. (Return to Top)

7. Q : How many types of batteries are there for the Digital Camera?

A : Two kinds of batteries are widely available: Ni-CD (Nickel Cadmium) and Ni-MH (Nickel-Metal Hydride). There is a third type of rechargeable battery, Lithium Ion, that is becoming increasingly popular.The advantage of a Lithium Ion battery is that it offers better performance than the other two types. The disadvantage is that they do not come in the standard AA battery size, so you can't use them with most cameras. (Return to Top)

8. Q : Does it matter what kind of battery I use?

A: Yes. It is better to have a rechargeable battery with your camera, instead of the regular AA batteries. In fact, many manufacturers are starting to include rechargeable batteries with their cameras because they know that it makes little sense to use regular batteries with their cameras. (Return to Top)

9. Q : What digital camera accessories do I need?

A : One major upgrade needed by almost all digital cameras is a higher capacity memory card. You should buy as large a memory card as your camera can accept, as the memory cards that are included with the cameras are usually not nearly big enough to hold a good number of high quality pictures. Other accessories worth considering are a battery charger, rechargeable batteries, tripod, and a camera case. (Return to Top)

10. Q : Why my camera reports a low battery after only ten minutes of use?

A : Digital cameras are power high-drain devices. They will take the life out of your battery, particularly if you take a lot of pictures in rapid succession. It is not uncommon for some digital cameras to report a low battery after only ten minutes of use, if you are using the flash and the LCD display at the same time.(Return to Top)

11. Q : What's the difference between optical zoom and digital zoom?

A : It's important to understand this difference, as you could end up mighty disappointed with the results if you get one rather than the other.

* Optical zoom is similar to what you'll find in a regular 35mm camera: When you push the button to zoom in or out, physical lens elements move inside the camera, to achieve the desired effect.
* Digital zoom, on the other hand, has no moving parts. Using the "electronic brain" within the camera instead, the camera takes a look at what it's "looking at", and digitally zooms in, usually two to four times closer.

The problem with digital zoom is that you lose quality when you do this -- your images will tend to be more "pixelated" than the same image taken with an optical zoom camera. This is due to the "interpolation" the camera uses, which is a nice way of saying that it makes a guess about how the picture should look while zoomed in. Having optical AND digital zoom on a camera isn't bad, but we suggest try to avoid cameras with only digital zoom.

12. Q : Will a high resolution camera make better prints than a lower resolution camera?

A : To be more specific: will you get better 4 x 6 inch prints from a 3 or 4 Megapixel camera versus a 2 Megapixel camera? Possibly, but the average person won't notice. The real advantage of a higher resolution camera is that with the larger image size, there's more room to crop images. In terms of quality though, it's not a huge deal. At print sizes like 8 x 10 inch, you will notice a difference. (Return to Top)

13. Q : Are manual controls important?

A : Automatic settings can work for amateur photographers in a majority of cases. However, once a few pictures come out underexposed or blurred with auto settings, the manual controls become necessary. (Return to Top)

14. Q : What does megapixel mean?

A : A pixel is a little square that makes up the image on your computer screen. For example, your computer's 17" monitor has a resolution of 1280 pixels wide by 1024 pixels tall. A digital camera's CCD can only capture so many of these pixels, which are then stored in memory, and later transferred to your computer.

If a camera can capture at a resolution of 1280 x 1024 (just like the above monitor), which is a little over 1,300,000 pixels (finding out the total pixels by multiply 1280 x 1024). The word "mega" is taken from the Greek word meaning "great", and usually means "one million". Hence, a camera with 1,000,000 pixels is a 1 Megapixel camera. (Return to Top)

15. Q : What kind of camera do I need to print out a 4 x 6 inch image or a 8 x 10's?

A : Here's a simple way of answering this question:

Print Szie	Minimun Resolution Needed
4 x 6 inch, 5 x 7 inch	2 Megapixel
8 x 10 inch	3 Megapixel
Lager than 8 x 10 inch	4+ Megaoixel

A four Megapixel camera will not make better 4 x 6 inch prints than a 2 Megapixel camera. However, it does capture a lot more detail, allowing you to crop your image while still maintaining enough resolution for a high quality print. (Return to Top)

16. Q : What is the deal with the different "quality" settings on my camera?

A : Most, if not all, cameras have several image quality settings to choose from. They are first broken down by resolution (e.g. 2048 x 1536, 1600 x 1200, 1024 x 768, etc) and then by quality (e.g. SHQ, HQ, SQ). What's the right one to use?

The deal is this: quality is inversely proportional to the amount of JPEG compression the camera uses. Thus, a higher quality image will have less compression, and vice versa. (Return to Top)

17. Q : What is red-eye reduction?

A : Red-eye effect occurs when the pupils of people's eyes appear to be red in a picture. This effect can be prevented by using the camera's feature of shining the light before a picture is taken, asking the subjects not to look directly at the camera, or using the photo-editing software's red-eye removal feature.(Return to Top)

18. Q : Why is there a delay after I push the shutter release button before I can take another picture?

A : There are many reasons for this delay. The camera must:

* Set the focus, exposure time, white balance, etc.
* Charge up the CCD
- apparently it can't hold the charge for long, so it does it right before you shoot
* Copy the image out of the CCD into RAM.
* Compress the image after it's been taken
* Write the image to the flash memory. (Return to Top)

19. Q : I'm having trouble downloading photos to my computer with the software that came with my camera. What can I do?

A : Buy a card reader will be a good idea. When you insert the memory card, it will mount to your desktop just like another disc, and you can copy the photos directly to your hard disk. You can then use your favorite photo editing software to retouch your photos. (Return to Top)

20. Q : What is the difference in performance between rechargeable and non-rechargeable batteries?

A : Rechargeable batteries perform a little differently than non-rechargeable batteries. The voltage coming from an Alkaline (non-rechargeable) battery decreases steadily as the battery is discharged. Ni-MH and Li-ion batteries have a lower starting voltage than Alkaline (typically 1.2-1.3V vs. 1.5V for Alkaline), but rechargeables maintain this level until they are almost discharged. One potential problem: the battery life indicator of the camera may be calibrated for alkaline batteries, which could make it somewhat inaccurate. (Return to Top)

21. Q : How do digital cameras work?

A : In contrast to a conventional film camera, in a digital camera the light is focused onto an image sensor called a CCD (charge coupled device). The CCD is a collection of light-sensitive photosites that produce an electric charge when struck by light. These charges are converted into numbers that are stored in the memory (usually on a memory chip). From there, the whole image can be displayed, sent to a computer, or even printed directly on a printer. (Return to Top)

22. Q : What sort of problems will I have with rechargeable batteries?

A : Rechargeable batteries lose their charge sitting in the camera. Ni-MH batteries lose between 1% - 4% of their charge a day. Since many cameras start reporting a low battery at 80% of full charge, the batteries could be reported low in as little as ten days. This number will vary greatly depending upon the age of the battery, temperature, and camera.

Memory effect was a problem with older Ni-Cd batteries. This problem has been reduced with newer batteries and chargers, though how you use your batteries may also impact performance. Ni-MH batteries do not have this problem, nor do the Li-ion batteries. (Return to Top)

23. Q : Why should keep extra batteries handy!

A : SUMMARY: Got a digital camera? Always keep extra batteries handy!

Alright, this is a simple tip and it should be a no-brainer. However, I will mention it anyway, because, as the maxim goes, "common sense is not so common".

Whatever you do, wherever you go, always, ALWAYS bring extra batteries when shooting photos! Cameras suck the power out of batteries quickly, even rechargable ones, so you should always carry extra batteries in your camera bag (you did buy a camera bag to protect your camera from the elements, didn't you?)(Return to Top)

24. Q : Why don't use alkaline AA - use rechargeables.

A : SUMMARY: Why you should use rechargeable batteries with your digital camera.

If your digital camera supports AA batteries, read the camera manual and check to see if it also supports a kind of battery called NiMH. These batteries tend to last much longer than most standard alkaline AA batteries - plus, they are rechargeable, so they can be re-used for quite a long time. Granted, the cost of four NiMH batteries plus a charger is more expensive than four alkaline batteries, but you'll more than make up the difference in costs once you recharge and use the batteries a few times.(Return to Top)

25. Q : What is the battery conservation tips

A : SUMMARY: Make your digital camera batteries last longer. Here's how.

Are you always running out of battery power just before you take that perfect picture with your digital camera? Here are some tips to conserve your batteries when you are out "snapping away".

1) Turn off your digital camera when not in use. If you are in a situation where you must snap pictures quickly, this may not apply as turning digital cameras on and off take a few seconds, and may cause you to miss a picture-taking opportunity. However, if you are taking a leisurely stroll and can afford a couple of seconds before snapping a still subject, by all means, conserve your digital camera's energy!

2) Many digital cameras have a regular viewfinder and an LCD viewfinder. While the digital LCD viewfinder has its benefits, it can drain battery power. Turn it off when applicable and use your regular viewfinder for taking pictures.

3) Don't stop after taking every photo and look at the picture in your digital camera's playback mode. Granted, you sometimes need to look at photos immediately after shooting them in order to make sure your exposure is correct, the lighting is ok, etc., but doing this does use up your digital camera's battery power.

4) If you are using MicroDrive media, be forewarned that these miniature hard drives may take up quite more power than Compact Flash cards.

Use these tips and you'll save some digital camera battery power for when you want to take that perfect picture. But, of course, the best tip to make sure that you don't run out of power is . . . take some extra charged batteries with you on trips! (Return to Top)

26. Q : Why should bring a battery charger on trips.

A : SUMMARY: Even if you have lots of rechargeable AA batteries, you should still bring a charger with you on trips.

First off, if your battery takes AA batteries and you are not using rechargeable batteries, read the other digital camera tips on MalekTips on why you should.

Now, assuming you use rechargeables, and that you take several sets of charged batteries with you on a vacation or photo-shoot, realize that it just makes sense to also bring a battery charger or two with you. When you return to your hotel room, condo, etc. for the evening, after backing up your photos to your laptop or external digital media storage (hint, hint!), take your used-up batteries and give them a recharge. If you are new to digital photography, you might think three or four sets of batteries are enough for a multi-day trip, but you'll be surprised when you start using up a set or two of batteries each day!(Return to Top)

27. Q : Why should keep playback to a minimum.

A : SUMMARY: Using the playback mode of your digital camera may wear out your batteries.

I know it can be tempting to show your friends and family pictures you take with a digital camera immediately afterwards, but try to keep image playback to a minimum while you are still out taking pictures. Picture playback can drain batteries, and nothing is worse than seeing something great to photograph and watching your camera's battery meter flash empty. Just politely tell your friends and family that as soon as you are done shooting, you'll be happy to run a slideshow of the photos.

Of course, feel free to play back one or two photos while you are out having fun; just don't take 100 photos and show people the results of every single image capture.(Return to Top)

28. Q : Why batteries won't stay charged forever.

A : SUMMARY: Digital camera batteries may lose their charge over time. Don't let under-charged batteries keep you from taking great photos!

If you infrequently use your digital camera, you may think that you after you use your digital camera, recharge your NiMH batteries, wait a few weeks or months, then use your digital camera again, that your batteries will be charged and you'll be ready to snap photos, right?

Do that and you'll be stuck with a non-functioning digital camera or one that just blinks a picture showing a dead battery.

Rechargeable batteries don't stay charged forever. They tend to lose a little bit of their power every day. If you charge your batteries and frequently use your digital camera, you will probably never notice this loss of power. However, after a couple of weeks, the power loss may be noticeable, and after a couple of months or longer of non-use, those once ready-to-go batteries may have lost enough power to make them unusable.

Don't get caught in this trap. Always charge your batteries before every trip, and make sure to use a battery charger with a sensor that prevents over-charge.(Return to Top)

29. Q : What is mAh?

A : SUMMARY: What does mAh mean when it comes to digital camera batteries?

mAh stands for Milliamp Hour, a technical term for how much power a particular battery will hold. Digital camera batteries with higher mAh values theoretically last longer without requiring a recharge, allowing you to take more photographs before you have to replace your batteries.

It is recommended when placing batteries in a digital camera that their mAh values match. Otherwise, it is possible that one lesser mAh battery will drain before the others, causing extra strain on the remaining batteries or causing your digital camera to not work until all batteries are replaced.(Return to Top)

30. Q : Why should buy a extra proprietary batteries?

A : SUMMARY: Ensure you have a backup digital camera battery for long photo shoots.

Many digital cameras support rechargeable AA NiMH batteries. The plus side is these batteries are cheap, available at many places, and non-proprietary. This means that a set of AA NiMH batteries used in one camera should work in another. However, the downside of these batteries is that digital cameras drain them relatively quickly when taking photographs.

To combat this problem, many camera manufacturers, especially in their high-end models, require use of proprietary rechargeable batteries. This way, you may get more than a dozen or hundred shots before having to recharge. While this can be of help when on long photo-taking trips, consider the following:

1. When your proprietary battery runs out of power, that's it. You can't run to the local drugstore and buy some AA batteries to take a few extra photos. It must be recharged before reused.

2. Rechargeable batteries eventually lose their ability to hold power after many charges. When this happens, you're out of luck. Remember the iPod fiasco a while back? These batteries can cost a great deal of money and can usually only be purchased from the digital camera manufacturer or a small number of resellers.

3. If your digital camera becomes obsolete (which can happen sooner than you think!), no one may continue producing the needed battery for your camera. This can mean that a couple of years after your original purchase, a perfectly good camera will be of no more use to you than a doorstop.

So, to prevent running out of power while taking great photos, as you buy your digital camera, go ahead and buy a second battery. While this may increase the cost of your original investment, it will more than make up for itself when you need the extra power to finish your photo shoots.(Return to Top)

31. Q : Why don't mix and match brands and types?

A : SUMMARY: To prevent possible damage, only insert similar digital camera batteries.

To prevent possible damage, only insert similar digital camera batteries.

Don't mix different rechargeable AA NiMH batteries together in the same digital camera. For example, don't put in two Rayovacs, one Energizer, and one Duracell. This may damage the batteries or digital camera.

Batteries may have different amounts of power. For example, I have batteries containing the following amounts:

• 1400 mAh
• 1600 mAh
• 1700 mAh
• 1850 mAh

If you put different types of batteries in your digital camera, assuming the camera even works (which it may not), one battery may run out before others do, rendering the camera useless until you recharge all the batteries or insert a new set.

Either make sure you use same brand and type of batteries when inserting batteries into a digital camera, or commit to buying just one type and brand of battery. Even if you do the latter, make sure the mAh powers match.(Return to Top)

32. Q : Why should use an add-On NiMH power pack?

A : SUMMARY: Get more use out of your old AA NiMH batteries.

If your digital camera only supports proprietary batteries, see if it also supports an add-on power pack that uses AA NiMH batteries.

If you have many extra AA NiMH batteries from previous digital cameras or other digital technology purchases, a battery pack may be a wise investment. Though a power pack may add a little weight to the camera and cost more than a couple of proprietary batteries, it may save money in the long run if you have plenty of NiMH's that would otherwise no longer be useful in your new digital camera.(Return to Top)

33. Q : How to deal with the dead NiMH batteries?

A : SUMMARY: Don't throw away your old rechargeable AA batteries - they are recyclable.

Have your AA NiMH batteries stopped accepting a charge? If so, you may be tempted to throw them away. Instead of doing this, consider contacting your battery manufacturer, local recycling agency, or waste management center to see if they can recycle your dead battery.

For a location of places you can drop off your rechargeable batteries, you may also wish to visit the following website (provided for informational purposes only). The RBRC has a simple form you can fill out to find recycling points across the USA and Canada.

The Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation - http://www.rbrc.org (Return to Top)

34. Q : Why should take battery out of the digital camera?

A : SUMMARY: Remove batteries from your digital camera when not in use.

If you are not planning on using your digital camera for a while (months?), it may be wise to take your batteries out of your digital camera for storage. This reduces the chance of battery leakage and corrosion, which can seriously damage your digital camera's internals.(Return to Top)

35. Q : Why should never charge incompatible AA batteries?

A : SUMMARY: To prevent fire, only insert similar batteries into your battery charger.

Never charge incompatible AA batteries in your AA battery charger! Do not try charging non-rechargeable batteries in a battery charger, or NiCad batteries in a NiMH charger or vice-versa. Also, if you purchase special 'fast-charging' AA NiMH batteries, only insert those in the charger they were made for. Doing otherwise could result in damage to the batteries or the charger, and in some extreme cases, a fire could ensue.(Return to Top)

36. Q: How hold batteries in cold weather?

A : SUMMARY: Bring along extra batteries if you plan on taking photos in the cold winter months.

If you plan on taking digital photos in colder weather, such as right after a snowstorm, note that batteries may hold their power for shorter periods of time than in warmer weather. You may either want to bring extra batteries during your photo shoot or look for digital camera batteries specially rated to handle colder temperatures.

Why does this occur? Check out the following website:

Why do Batteries Discharge More Quickly in Cold Weather? - http://chemistry.about.com/library/weekly/blbattery.htm.(Return to Top)

37. Q: Why need a different charger or converters when you are travelling in oversea?

A : SUMMARY: To charge digital camera batteries outside of your native country may require a small added investment.

If your digital photography takes you overseas, realize that your battery chargers may not work due to varying plug types and voltage levels depending on the country. For example, in the United States the voltage is usually 120V and two plug types are used, but the United Kingdom uses different plug types and voltages ranging from 220-240V. For more information, one resource you can read is Steve Kropla's Help for World Travelers at http://kropla.com/electric.htm

Proprietary batteries may require special chargers made by the manufacturer or international adapters and voltage converters.

For rechargeable AA NiMH batteries you can purchase battery chargers at most digital camera stores and online shops that support a variety of plug and voltage specifications (these may be called "international battery chargers" or "travel battery chargers"). Note that these will cost more than your garden-variety chargers but can be well worth the price.(Return to Top)

38. Q : Why should never get batteries wet?

A : SUMMARY: Water can corrode batteries, damaging them and possibly your digital camera.

If it is raining, or if you are near an area of running water such as a waterfall, be extremely careful when changing out your digital camera battery or batteries. Get a safe distance away from the water or water vapor before you do so. Water can corrode your battery or batteries, possibly causing leakage, and this can damage your digital camera as well if you insert the wet batteries.(Return to Top)