Nikon Coolpix 950 1600 * 1200, 367k

Digitale fotografie

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Nikon Coolpix 950

The first camera i really owned was a Nikon 950 coolpix. Ultimately it didn't produce pictures as good as the Sony DSC 505, but i was looking for a smaller camera, one that could do with standard batteries, was faster than the Sony and didn't use that damned MS. And the 950 fitted just in the pocked of my 501. Another feature of the Nikon compared with the Sony is that the Nikon produces smaller file sizes. Oh, yes, it's me on the picture. One of the last i took (numbered 4061) before selling it for a 990.

Resolution

When you buy a camera, you will be asked which resolution you want. The resolution is the 'grain' of digital photography. It's the number of photocells (we call them pixels AKA picture elements) in the camera. We are not talking in thousends, but in millions. Each digital picture is composed of small elements (like chemical molecules, you can't split them further). One pixel contain encoded information (like a CD, the information is purely digital) for the red, green and blue color component. A red pixel will have values of 255-0-0, a white pixel 255-255-255, and so on. The magnitude of a pixel color is limited to 256 values (read above about the differences between digital and film cameras). Storing pictures in RGB format is not the most effective one. Video-recording, where you have a very limited bandwith uses a much better storage method, splitting the information in a high bandwith luminance channel and a smaller bandwith chrominance channel. High end digital cameras are pushing their own format for storing pictures without losing too much magnitude, resolution and subtle gradations.
It's very important to know that a higer resolution camera (higer number of pixels) will not necessary produce a better picture. For normal use, 3.3 megapixel is enough. However, cameras with a lower pixel count tend to have bad lenses, slow autofocus,.. Years ago, a 3.3 megapixel camera was top-notch, now (in 2005) no shop owner would sell you a 3.3 megapixel camera. But higher resolutions mean that you need more light (since they are more light-hungry pixels). Using a high-pixel camera will result in more noise, whereas a lower-pixel camera will produce fine pictures. Ultimately, the number of pixels is not important: the lenses are most important, the available features, the speed, ... anything you could name.
In all digital cameras, you can select a smaller resolution than the native high resolution. If you are sure the following pictures will only be used on a display, you can store your pictures at a smaller resolution.

Nikon Coolpix 950 1600 * 1200, 321k
Sony DSC 505V 2240 * 1680, 578k
When coming to our shop, some people ask us how to keep the batteries in good condition. The first rule (and it applies to all types of batteries) is to avoid over-discharging the cells. Digital cameras and other electronic appliances will shut down before this point is reached, but leaving the batteries in the appliance will further discharge them beyond their safe limits (because a camera continuously drain some power, even when not operating). If you don't use the batteries for some time, charge them before storing them (outside the appliance and charger) to avoid that the cells become too depleted. Cycle the batteries (complete charge, discharge and charge) to reactivate them if they were not used for some time. The whole refresh operation will take some time, so be prepared! New batteries also need to be activated before reaching their full capacity. Charge the battery for at least 8 hours.

Nikon Coolpix 950 1600 * 1200, 321k

Sony DSC 505V 2240 * 1680, 578k

When coming to our shop, some people ask us how to keep the batteries in good condition.

The first rule (and it applies to all types of batteries) is to avoid over-discharging the cells. Digital cameras and other electronic appliances will shut down before this point is reached, but leaving the batteries in the appliance will further discharge them beyond their safe limits (because a camera continuously drain some power, even when not operating).
If you don't use the batteries for some time, charge them before storing them (outside the appliance and charger) to avoid that the cells become too depleted.
Cycle the batteries (complete charge, discharge and charge) to reactivate them if they were not used for some time. The whole refresh operation will take some time, so be prepared!
New batteries also need to be activated before reaching their full capacity. Charge the battery for at least 8 hours.

If you plan to display your pictures on a standard television monitor, the VGA (640 * 480) or SVGA (800 * 600) format will suffice. All cameras have a video output and some have even a slide show setting. Note that not all cameras are using the SVGA format (it's a format formelly used in computers).The image is downsampled before being outputted, so there is no need to use a higher resolution.
If you have a high resolution plasma or LCD panel, you can't use the video-input if you want the native resolution of your display. Some displays have an onboard card reader or accept HDMI signals (but no digital camera has a HDMI output).
For showing your pictures in a presentation or slide show on a computer monitor, use a resolution of 1024 * 768 up to 1600 * 1200, depending on the monitor and adaptor card. A picture of 1280 * 1024 translates to the commercial equivalent of a "1.5 Megapixel camera". Instead of using the default VGA connector present on cheap video boards, choose the new DVI interface. This computer interface is best suited for digital displays (LCD panels) because timing signals are send along the image, ensuring a flicker-free and undistorted picture.
If you print the 1280 * 1024 image, the maximal size is postcard, otherwise the individual pixels will become visible.
For full page printing use a resolutions of 2048 * 1536 ("3.3 Megapixel"). 1600 * 1200 ("2.1 Megapixel") is just not enough to get a sharp full sized picture (we use the A4-format in Europe).
Higer resolutions are ideal if you want to enlarge part of an image or print real large. A 2560 * 1920 translates to a "5 Megapixel" camera.

It seems to go without saying that you always can reduce the resolution of a picture by resampling or cropping it afterwards, but the reverse is not possible. You can't recreate details that were not saved. But if you are running low on memory, switch your camera to a lower resolution and you'll be able to take some more pictures.

Sony DSC-505V

The Sony DSC 505V was actually a 505 with a 3.3 megapixel sensor used instead of the standard 2.1 one. Because the sensor was larger, only part of it could actually be used, resulting in a net 2.6 megapixel resolution. Some digital processing was also done, resulting in a very high pixel count, but of course that didn't translate into higher resolution (look carefully at the picture on your right). It was just past noon when the picture was taken, resulting in a very high contrast level, one that the camera couldn't render (both houses in the middle of the picture are over-exposed). Look at this picture and compare with a last-generation camera.

Batteries

Most important when buying a camera: the batteries. Without one, you won't be able to take one single picture. Batteries are also the only component prone to wear. I've had them all, from the lead-acid batteries used in vintage videocameras to the last generation of lithium-ion batteries.

Lead acid batteries are still used nowadays in uninperruptible power supplies (UPS) because they can be left connected to the charger for extended periods without internal damage ('float charge' like we engineers are used to call it). Their use in portable equipment is limited to vintage models. They have a cell voltage of 2V, making them unsuitable as replacement of primary (not-rechargeable) cells.
Then came the Nickel Cadmium batteries. They are rather rugged, but you will need to charge and discharge them completely because of the memory effect: if a battery is only discharged to let's say 40% of its capacity, after some cycles the capacity of the battery will be reduced. Complete charging and discharging will restore some of it's former capacity. Because of the high current these batteries can deliver, their best use is in toys and power tools that require a large current for a small amount of time. Nickel Cadmium batteries also comes in standard AA, C and D formats, making them ideally suited for replacing non-rechargeable batteries in power-hungry applications. Their 1.2 voltage is lower than that of a primary cell, but remain constant during the whole discharge curve (that's why it is so difficult to determine how charged a NiCd cell is). And because of the very low internal resistance of the cells, the voltage won't drop under heavy load (and that's why alkaline batteries (non-rechargeable) are not quite suited for your digital camera).
A new version of these batteries are the Nickel-Metal hydride batteries (NiMH). They have a larger capacity and reduced memory effect. To me these are the best batteries available. After taking some 12.000 pictures, my dual set of GP 1600 mAh batteries don't show any noticeable sign of wear.
The last battery type is the Lithium-ion one. Main characteristic is it's high cell voltage of 3.6 volts, so you can't use them instead of normal non-rechargeable batteries. The batteries won't operate at low temperatures (below 10°C): keep them in an warm inside pocket and mount them before taking pictures. The heat produced by the chemical discharge reactions will keep the battery just warm enough. These batteries are very light, but after some testing with cellular phones and gsm, it seems to me that they are not doing very well. After one or two years, they are completely exhausted. The batteries don't like fast charging and discharging, so using them in digital cameras (with the mechanics and flash using up to 1 amp) is not a good idea to me. We'll see later. And buy a spare one, you'll never know. The lithium-polymer (LiPO) is a new sort of lithium battery, mostly used in cellular phones.
Primary cells are batteries you can't recharge. They all come in 1.5 V versions. The first type is the Leclanché cell, AKA saline type. Low capacity, increasing internal resistance, they are suited for clocks and other appliances with low power demands. And because one of the electrodes is eaten away during discharging, they leak when empty. Second type is the alkaline. Use them if your rechargeable set is dead and there is no possibility to recharge them. If not totally discharged, you can try to charge them again (using a slow charger, otherwise they could explode!). Because of their limited capacity and high internal resistance, none of these batteries are ideal for your digicam.
Third type is some sort of 1.5V lithium cell. It has a extremely high capacity, long shelf life of some 8 years and is very well suited as back-up battery (always keep one set in your bag and use them when your main set is dead and there is no shop around).

JVC GC-S5 Hardware Showing your pictures	Sony DSC-F505 Digital vs. Chemical Compression	Nikon Coolpix 950 Resolution Sony DSC-F505V Batteries	Olympus Camedia C3030 Nikon Coolpix 990 Action pictures Nikon Coolpix 5700	Sony DSC-F707 vs. Nikon Coolpix 5700	Nightshots ON4CHL
Nikon 5700 vs. Sony 707 vs. Nikon 990 Nikon 5700 features	Comparing the Sony DSC-F828 Nikon 5700 Canon 300D	Sony DSC-F828 Nikon 5700 Nightshots and flashlights	Comparing the Sony DSC-F828 and Canon 300D	Portrait photography with the Sony DSC-F828 and Canon 300D	Mannelijke modellen en fotografie