Welcome to Course One of Photography Basics and Beyond: From Smartphone to DSLR! In these first 4 Modules you will gain the knowledge and the confidence that will help you make good choices as you consider qualities of the camera you own, and the qualities of the other types of digital cameras you might be considering. You will learn about the basic functions that most digital cameras have in common. You will also go beyond the "technical" matters and learn about how you can make exciting pictures by emphasizing the aspects of Frame and Vantage Point to interpret old subjects in new ways. Discovering accessories that photographers find useful, and the types of camera bags from mini to carry-on sized, is also in store for you. You will also make your first photographs and, if you are a subscriber to the specialization, upload pictures to the web gallery and start interacting with your fellow learners in our "Gallery." Let's get started with Module One!
Capabilities of Point & Shoot and Compact Cameras
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From the course by Michigan State University
Cameras, Exposure, and Photography
1785 ratings
Michigan State University
1785 ratings
Course 1 of 5 in the Specialization Photography Basics and Beyond: From Smartphone to DSLR
From the lesson
Camera capabilities: differences and similarities
In Module Two we will survey different types of digital cameras that are in widespread use today, discuss their different capabilities and characteristics, and help you determine which might be most appropriate for the uses you plan to make of your photographs. Whether you need to make photographs to capture the important moments of personal experience with friends and family, or need to make photographs for purposes related to your employment or small business, you will find an overview of information to help you here. Along with the time you spend learning about cameras, you should continue to experiment with your own camera and your own interest in photography!
Meet the Instructors
Peter GlendinningProfessor
Art, Art History, & Design
Mark Valentine SullivanAssociate Professor
Music / Innovation Hub
[MUSIC]
Welcome back, we're going to be talking about cameras and capabilities.
In this first segment, we'll talk about point & shoot and compact cameras.
So let's get going.
I'm holding in my hand a camera that's very similar to the first point &
shoot camera.
I'm holding a Kodak Number 2 Brownie camera, made in 1924.
Very similar to the original Kodak camera introduced in 1888.
I want you to notice my body position when I hold the camera to make a photograph,
ready?
Here I go.
I'm looking down.
If I'm holding the camera this way, I'm making a horizontal picture.
If I'm holding the camera this way, I'm making a vertical.
In either one, I'm not looking towards my subject.
I'm looking down.
And we're going to be going through a number of different types of cameras, and
thinking about their capabilities.
But right at the beginning, I want you to think about how the holding of the camera,
the size of the camera, where you place it, how you have to address it,
can effect the way that you make photographs.
It's a simple act, this holding of the camera.
But it can have a dramatic effect on how you relate to the subject, and
if it's a person, or a pet, or something else that might respond to you,
how they respond to you as the photographer.
What's somebody's response when they see the top of your head?
Well, maybe a little bit different than when you appear to be addressing them.
On the other hand, you might appear to be more serious about your photography if
you're looking down this way.
And that attitude of body language can affect the way that you
think about making your photographs as well.
So choosing a camera type has an impact on your photography,
that goes far beyond its technical capabilities.
Here's a Kodak Instamatic, introduced in 1963.
It's another point & shoot camera.
With this one, you would hold the camera up to your eye and
take a look through, and click the shutter.
And let Kodak do the rest, just like they did with the first camera.
With an Instamatic camera, such as this one, we're looking through a viewfinder
that allows us to address the subject straight on.
And that little window is characteristic of many point & shoot cameras.
Rather than looking through the lens itself, with a point & shoot camera you’re
very often looking through a little window we call a viewfinder.
Well, what are some of the reasons that people choose
to use a simple point & shoot camera?
With the point & shoot camera of today, such as my Canon G1x camera,
really not so much a point & shoot camera, more of a compact camera,
but it has a capability as most point & shoot and compacts have today
of allowing us to look at the scene using a viewfinder on the rear.
And in holding this camera,
we adopt very often something we call the praying mantis pose.
You can see on the slide something that looks very much like a photographer today.
Let's think about some of the reasons that people choose simple point & shoot
cameras.
Well, some of those reasons are family snapshots,
vacations, maybe work related records, hobbies, pets.
It might be their first serious camera beyond a smartphone.
It's a good choice also for children to teach photo basics and digital workflow.
You might use one of these point & shoot cameras also to test your
photo skills before you make a choice to upgrade your camera style.
What characteristics do we associate with a point & shoot camera?
Well, first of all they're very low in price as a general rule.
They're very light weight.
They're compact in size, easy to put in your pocket and carry around.
They usually have just a single focus capability.
Usually have automatic exposure, so
you really don't fiddle around too much with any dials or adjustments.
There's very little, if any, training required.
Basically pick the camera up, aim it, and shoot.
They're not threatening to other people.
And sometimes I'll take a point & shoot camera with me in a place where I don't
really want people to think I'm a serious photographer.
And I'll be shooting with this, and they'll think I'm just a tourist, or
just some person in the neighborhood.
They're more serious than a phone camera and they can help you adjust your mindset.
In fact, many people carry a smartphone with them along with a point & shoot.
And they kind of switch into the photographer mode when they change to
their point & shoot camera.
ViviCam 8118, this basic point & shoot camera from Vivitar
is a pretty good example of point & shoot cameras in the lower price point area.
It's limited to JPEG files.
And a JPEG file is an image that's been processed by the camera.
It also actually does a fairly good low resolution VGA quality video.
One of the nice things is it takes AAA batteries, which are available everywhere.
And at this price point, it'll give somebody some experience in
digital imaging without investing a tremendous amount of money.
Certainly, you won't be seen as a professional with a camera like this,
especially if you've got one in red.
But in some situations, again, that can be a plus.
We're going to move up in capabilities here from the simple point & shoot to
something we're going to call a compact camera.
Now a compact camera has some things that are in common with the point & shoot.
First of all, the lens is fixed to the camera.
It can't be removed.
You can't get a fancier lens, or wide angle, or more telephoto.
The camera body is also generally pocket-sized and it's light weight.
The flash is often, although not always, in a fixed position
close to the lens, so sometimes red eye effect is a factor.
There may be some accessories you can get from cameras like this, but
generally, they're not too lengthy.
Some of them have a waterproof housing available, for example.
This is a Nikon Coolpix S7000.
It's a good example of a mid-price compact camera with features that
definitely set it apart from a point & shoot.
We're using this camera as an example, like we did with the Vivitar and
with others as well, not to say this is the camera you ought to go out and buy,
but to say here's a camera that has capabilities that within this price
range you ought to be looking for.
So let's go through our checklist and see what some of the things are that we'd like
to look at some of the capabilities in these compact cameras.
What's the zoom range?
How wide angle and how telephoto can that lens be adjusted?
What are the focus options?
Can you select the focus or does the camera select the focus for you?
What's the largest file size?
In the case of this camera, it's 16 megapixels, but
they're JPEG files already processed by the camera.
You can't shoot in raw.
What's the exposure?
What's the ISO?
In this camera, the ISO is up to 6,400.
And as an example, the point & shoot Vivitar, the maximum ISO was 800.
Are there a variety of scene modes?
In other words, can the camera have presets that will be accommodating
to say a beach scene or a snow, maybe a night portrait, or a sunset.
This camera has a very nice three inch LCD viewing screen that's bright
enough to see even on a sunny day.
And the ergonomically placed controls make it easy for
you to make changes while you're composing the picture.
It also does video, 1080p HD at 30 frames per second and
there are nine more video options.
The camera also has vibration reduction, which is a system for
accommodating for your shaky hand, especially at long focal lengths.
This camera also can communicate with nearby computers or
even smartphones or tablets using Wi-Fi and near-field communications.
Third level of camera in the series that we're working on here.
We start with point & shoot, moved up to a mid-level compact.
Now we're going to look at a pro-level compact camera.
And there are starting to be more and more of these from the major manufacturers.
This one happens to be a Canon.
It's a G1x.
It's a camera that I carry with me everyday.
It shares some traits with the point & shoot cameras, but
has a lot more features.
First of all, it does have a fixed lens.
You can't change it.
The capabilities of the camera are set.
There's not a lot of other accessories in terms of
adjustments to the exposures, and to ISOs, and so forth.
It does have a very solidly built body.
And you're going to find that this is a heavier camera at 20 ounces,
certainly than the Vivitar.
But it's not too heavy to carry with you.
It's got a hot shoe, also known as an accessory shoe,
on top of the camera that allows you to place a flash or a radio transmitter for
professional strobes, even an electronic viewfinder.
You can use a remote control unit with a camera such as this, HDMI, so
that you can communicate between the camera and a television set.
Just plug them together and watch your pictures on the TV screen.
And it's also got an AV connection for direct viewing on other devices.
In a camera at the pro-level, you're going to want to look for
a range of exposure modes.
After all, in that pro-level area of photography,
you're going to face a lot of different lighting and other situations.
So this camera has not only manual aperture priority program, and
shutter priority, but it also has 30 custom settings.
You'll want to look, does the camera have a variety of image sizes available to me?
Not only want to shoot JPEGs, of course, this one has eight different JPEG options,
but you'll also want a camera that can shoot in the raw mode.
What's the range of shutter speeds?
Well, for this particular camera, you can go from a 60th of a second
to one-four-thousandth and use ISOs from 100 to 12,800.
Look for different metering capabilities as well.
Does your camera that you're looking at at the pro-level have spot meter,
center weighted, evaluative meter reading capabilities?
This one does.
It's also got lens optical zoom that's 5 times, 35 millimeter language,
it would be 24 millimeter to 120 millimeter focal lengths,
and you can multiply that times 4 with the digital zoom.
Take a look at the screen.
That viewing screen can be a real key factor in allowing you to make
photographs in different and unusual vantage points.
With this camera, as with others at this level,
the screen will flip in various directions.
It'll go up.
It'll go out.
It'll even go in reverse, so that you can make a selfie and
see yourself on the screen.
Another thing you want to look at is the flash.
And as you get up into the price point into the pro-level cameras,
you'll find the flash extends up away from the lens to diminish that red eye effect.
You'll also have a variety of flash modes to accommodate for
different lighting situations and different effects of the flash.
Finally, take a look at that screen again.
Is it a touchscreen?
In the case of this camera, it is.
And how many megapixels are there?
In this case, it's over a million pixels.
So you get not only a bright image, but one that's very high resolution.
Look for the memory cards that this camera's going to hold.
Is it just one style or is it a variety?
So first things first, decide on your budget.
And then accept the fact that you might be spending a few dollars more or
maybe a few dollars less.
And compare cameras of similar costs, looking for
features that are most important for your goals in photography.
One thing I can't emphasize enough is getting the opportunity to hold
the camera in your hands and determine whether it feels right for you.
It's a really individual decision.
Something that you'll know almost instantly when you pick that camera up.
As you learn more about cameras and options in this and our other courses,
you'll realize what you want not only for the camera you're looking for now,
but also for the camera you'll be looking for in the future.
[MUSIC]
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