Digital Camera Formats

Simple diagrams, cartoon-type images, and shapes are best stored on GIF, or Graphic Interchange Format, because it is limited to 256 colors; these are actually the only things that are suited for this format. This format is still widely used for image animation effects because it supports animation. Lossless compression is another reason it is so effective on large areas that have a single color, and is very ineffective on images that are detailed.

BMP, or bitmapped format, is used in Microsoft Windows operating systems to handle graphics images. These files are not usually compressed, which results in large files.

The main advantage to BMP files is that they are simple and widely accepted in the Windows programs. They are not suitable for many of the other operating systems; the large size of these files makes them unsuitable for file transfers. Scanner images and desktop backgrounds are usually stored in BMP files.

Microsoft has introduced another format called WDP, for media print quality and lossless image compression. This is the image standard, as it has a specific applicability to print media. With the ability to handle a much large range of image types, it is similar to the TIFF format.

The X Window System used XPM format as its default picture format; it is very popular in the Linux world. Based on the string format, it is structured like the C programming language. Designed to be human-readable, is stored as uncompressed plain text, and the pictures may be over twice the size as uncompressed binary bitmap files. This format is usually unsupported by non-Unix software and operating systems.

A wavelet compression format used mostly by Geographic Information Systems is called MrSID, or Multiresolution Seamless Image Database format. It stores massive images of map software from satellites.

Additional Storage for Your Digital Camera

When planning the budget for your new digital camera, include the cost of an extra memory card. The cards that come with your camera aren't nearly enough memory to take the number of pictures you would like to take, so get a bigger card right off the bat.

A 3-megapixel camera should have at least a 256 MB card; a 4-megapixel camera needs at a minimum a 512 MB card. Any camera with 6 or more megapixels should have a 1 GB card. This will eliminate the possibility of ever missing a shot because your memory card is full, or even worse, having to choose which photo to delete because you have found one more that you just have to take!

Being able to shoot at your camera's highest resolution is another important reason to have a massive memory card. Spending money on a 6-megapixel digicam should also include shooting with all 6 megapixels!

Another thing to remember is to shoot at the camera's highest compression setting, too. Squeezing more images onto your memory card by shooting at a lower resolution and with lower quality compression settings will only cause regret later. You never know when you will shoot the next great photo. (Do you think the photographer left home that morning knowing he would photograph the nurse kissing the soldier? That photo turned out to be the most well-recognized photo taken at the end of the war!)

Don't chance missing a great shot with poor quality. Another thing to remember is that the lower the resolution of your photos, the smaller the print will have to be to remain clear. No posters can be made with a 640 x 480 resolution. Not exactly what you will want to display at your first gallery showing!

Comparing Film and Digital Cameras

Digital cameras have many advantages over traditional cameras. Some of these advantages are:

* After instantly reviewing the picture, it can be retaken if there is a problem. The photographer simply changes a few settings.

* Taking many shots of the same thing using different settings and angles can be done inexpensively, and you print only the best ones. This is too expensive to accomplish with film cameras.

* Those who want to take hundreds of photos for various uses without printing them can do this at minimal cost.

* Storing large quantities of digital media on the newer computers is much cheaper than film.

* No degradation occurs when copying images from one medium to another.

* You can view pictures on your computer without having to scan them first.

* With a consumer-grade printer and a computer, you can print your own photos.

* Film cameras of equal quality are often much larger than digital cameras.

* While it is necessary to change film after 24 to 36 shots, you can store hundreds of images on the same card in a digital camera.

* With many of the new cameras, you can view your photos on the television with an AV-out function that is included.

* It is easy and inexpensive to experiment with the settings on a digital camera. With a film camera, you could use up many rolls of film trying to learn to use it.

* Some printers can communicate directly with your camera, or its memory card; you don't need a computer to print your pictures.

* Digital cameras make it easy to add information to your pictures, such as time and date.

* Sharper images are now possible with digitals due to the anti-shake tools, making tripods nearly obsolete.

* A color darkroom is as close as your computer, and you can now avoid the very expensive photo labs.

History and Early Development of Digital Cameras

Using a mosaic photosensor, Eugene F. Lally of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory wrote a paper describing the concept of producing still pictures in digital format. This was proposed for onboard navigation information during missions to the planets that astronauts would later take.

Still photos would periodically be taken during the trip, and when the planet was actually approached, addition information would be provided for orbiting and landing assistance. These were the first design elements of the digital camera. A filmless analog camera was developed in 1972, but whether it was ever built is not known.

Steve Sasson, working for Eastman Kodak, was the first to record the attempted development of a digital camera. Weighing eight pounds and using a cassette tape, it recorded black-and-white images with a resolution of 0.01 mp. In December 1975 it took 23 seconds to capture its first image. Never intended for production, the prototype was still in existence in 2005 and was merely a technical exercise.

The first handheld digital device was actually an analog camera. Demonstrated in 1981, it was based on television technology and recorded a 2x2 floppy video disc. It was basically a video movie camera that took single frames, holding 50 images per disk. At the time, the quality of the prints was about equal to current television technology of that time.

At the 1984 Olympics, an analog camera was demonstrated for the consumer, printing the images in the newspaper. Widespread acceptance was held back by several factors, including a cost of up to $20,000.00, poor image quality in comparison to film, and a lack of consumer-priced printers.

A frame grabber was one of the items needed to print the photos, the cost of which was beyond that of the normal consumer. Later, several readers were created, allowing the disks to be viewed on screen, but they were never developed into a computer drive.

Integrating a Digital Camera

Many new devices have digital cameras integrated into them, mobile phones being the most well known of these. Even though it is common for these phones to be used as cameras, one of the problems with them is the poor quality of the photos. Photos taken with camera phones do not reproduce well as prints because of the low quality.

PDAs, or personal digital assistants, also frequently have cameras in them; they are small handheld electronic devices which may have some of the features of a computer, cell phone, music player or a camera. Again, the quality of the photos is poor, and they do not print up well.

Laptops may have cameras in them among other features. BlackBerry is a wireless handheld electronic device that supports email, mobile phone, and text messaging, and may have a camera and many other wireless information services. Many small electronic devices, especially communication devices, contain digital cameras.

Even some camcorders have digital cameras built into them. Due to limited storage space and emphasis on convenience instead of photo quality, most of them store their images in the compact JPEG file format.

A large variety of storage media supply the memory digital cameras require. These include:

* Flash memory, used in cheap cameras or when cameras are the secondary part of an electronic item, such as a cell phone. Flash memory can be erased and reprogrammed, and is normally used in memory cards.

* 3.5" floppy disks, which were used in the early digital cameras of the late 1990s.

* Video floppys, which were 2x2 inch floppy disks used in early analog cameras.

* Early professional cameras used PCMCIA hard drives; these have been discontinued.

* A 185 MB CD

Digital cameras need a lot of power, and they have become smaller and smaller in size. The problem is the ability to develop a battery that will fit into a small camera and still supply enough power to run the camera for an extended period of time.

Storage on Digital Cameras

The higher-end professional cameras may have microdrives; these are hard drives that are built in the form of a compact flash. With the use of an adapter, you can use SD cards in a compact flash device. Digital cameras may use a memory card or a flash memory card, which are solid-state electronic storage devices.

In October 1998, Sony introduced the removable flash memory card called the Memory Stick; this term is used to describe the entire family of memory sticks. While the original stored up to 128 MB of data, an 8 GB card is now available that holds two 128 MB banks. There is also a card specifically designed for high-definition stills and video cameras called the Memory Stick Pro-HG.

This form of storage has outlived all other types of digital storage devices, and it isn't known if this is due to the manufacturers continued support of the device, or because of the technology it contains as a storage format.

Gradually taking the place of the memory stick is the flash memory card SD/MMC. Originally they were limited to 2 GB of storage, but are now being replaced with 4 GB cards. A revision was made to the SD standard, which means that all cameras don't recognize the larger storage capacity of the 4 GB cards.

In addition, these cards are formatted in the FAT32 file format, and the older digital cameras use FAT16 format, which contains a 2 GB limit. Camera phones use a MiniSD Card, which is about half the size of the standard memory cards used by digital cameras.

Also available in camera phones is the MicroSD Card, which is about ¼ the size of those in digital cameras. An even smaller format was the XD-Picture Card developed in 2002. Smart Media, containing 128 MB of memory, at one time competed with the Compact Flash; it is now obsolete and was replaced by the xD picture card.

Can Film Cameras be Converted to Digital?

One of the first questions asked by professional photographers at the development of digital cameras was, "can we convert our film cameras to digital?" The resounding answer was "yes and no."

Most of the 35mm cameras can not be converted to digital; the cost would be too high, especially since lenses must evolve as well as the cameras. The only means of allowing this would be to remove the back of the camera and replace it with a specially built digital back.

While many of the early professional digital cameras were developed from 35mm film cameras, conversion meant that rather than a digital back, the body was actually added onto a large, bulky digital unit. This was often larger than the part that was actually the camera! These were not, however, after market conversions; they were actually built this way in a factory.

One development was the EFS-1. This was inserted into the camera in place of the film, giving the camera storage for 24 images and 1.3-megapixel resolution. These units were developed from about 1998 until 2001, when the company began developing a true digital back.

Included in the category of professional modular digital camera systems are some of the highest-end equipment costing up to $40,000.00. These cameras can be assembled from components and are seldom found in the hands of the normal consumer.

Developed for medium- to large-format film, they capture greater detail and therefore the prints can be enlarged more that your standard 35mm film. These cameras are normally found in studios and are used for commercial production; they are very large and seldom used for action or nature type photography.

The terms "digital back" or "film back" came from the ability to change the backs of these professional cameras to either digital or film use.

Change Brought About by Digital Photography

Two-megapixel cameras were offered for less than $100.00 in late 2002, with some one-megapixel cameras offered for under $60.00. Discount stores began offering development and processing of digital prints for their customers, offering actual chemical prints in an hour. This was in comparison with inkjet prints they could get from their computers.

These prints were about the same price as film prints, even though the different aspect ratio in digitals showed people that 4x6 digital print cropped some of the image. Some stores now offer prints with the exact same ratios as digital cameras record. The single-use digital camera was introduced in 2003 at a cost of only $11.00. This camera followed the same simple process as the disposable film cameras.

The purchaser would return the camera to the store; receive prints and a CD-ROM of their pictures. The store then refurbishes the camera and it is sold again. This was the major difference between the one-use digital camera and the disposable film camera.

There are now several of these one-use digitals on the market, most of which are identical in function and specifications to the original one-use put out in 2003. However, a few now have superior specifications and are more technologically advanced. These one-use digitals are for the most part less than $20.00 in the stores; this of course does not include the cost of processing the film.

The high demand for digital cameras has increased the number of customer complaints as manufacturers cut corners to maintain competitive prices, with some digital cameras having only a 90-day warranty necessary due to the short service life.

Due to the sharp drop in the price of 35mm cameras, many manufacturers have stopped producing them completely, with one major company dropping out of the camera business altogether.

Advantages of Digital Photography to the Professional

The professional photographer and the amateur photographer can find many advantages to digital photography. These include, but are not limited to:

* Without wasting storage space, the professional photographer can review, edit, and even remove a photo, while assessing composition and lighting.

* The versatility of management, including color and file, manipulation, and printing abilities, creates a much faster workflow than film cameras.

* It is much easier to modify and manipulate digital images than it is to modify negatives and prints.

* Special effects that are available on a digital camera can give much more dramatic results than film cameras.

* With the clear images provided by new digital cameras, tripods are a thing of the past in most instances. This is due to the anti-shake tools now available.

* Hundreds of images can be stored on your computer with a minimum of space allowing easy access for editing. It is much less expensive to store data on a computer than on rolls of film and negatives. In addition, the professional can take time to view them, saving only the best for use.

* Digital cameras are much more compact, allowing a freedom of movement when going on difficult shoots.

* Reviewing images and techniques are much easier as data can be stored directly on the photo, including; camera type, date and time, film speed, flash used, and shutter speed.

* Hundreds of photos can be taken without the need to constantly change film.

* Your home darkroom is now color, and editing your pictures is much less expensive. This eliminates the high cost of film processing and the added problems of storing rolls of file and negatives.

Manufacturers are now promoting the use of digital cameras to photojournalists by increasing the quality of cameras, by developing a quality of photograph that is comparable to 35mm models of the past.

Compromises Made by Your Digital Camera

The means your camera uses to take images and translate them from the image sensor to the computer or printer may not be hindered by the compromises it makes during the process. You will only know this when the photos are being viewed at the time of transfer.

Storage is one of these compromises; digital images take a great deal of space for storage. They need to be managed in a way that ensures enough images can be stored before they need to be downloaded from the camera.

Cameras use different levels of compression to downsize the images for storing them in memory. JPEG is the most widely used standard, it removes information that can't be seen by the human eye anyway. The higher the level of compression, the more information is deleted.

At the higher compression setting, blocks start to appear in the images. This begins to degrade the image quality, making the resulting file size extremely small. If quality is the most important consideration, avoid JPEG compression.

The mid- to high-end digital cameras offer different forms of compression, which don't delete any information, by using mathematical algorithms. They compress the file and save it either in TIFF format or as RAW files, which contain only the information the sensor captured with no in camera processing.

Larger file sizes are the result of this lossless file compression format. However, the higher image quality and post processing flexibility makes up for the loss in image storage space.

Another compromise made in digital cameras is the in-camera processing; these create predefined results. Some cameras have sharpening filters which restore the contrast that is lost in edge details when the image goes through the various optical filters.

This process of sharpening in the camera reduces the ability to sharpen the image once it has been downloaded to the computer. Oversharpening can create unnatural and harsh edges and may even cause shifts in color.

Image Capture Methods for Digital Photography

There are three methods of capturing an image; the sensor, the hardware configuration, and the color filters are the bases for each of them. Each is used for a different type of photography.

* The Single-Shot Method: This refers to the number of times the sensor is exposed to light passing through the lens. These use either one CCD with a Bayer filter mosaic, or three separate image sensors, one each for red, green, and blue; each are exposed, via a beam splitter, to the image. This is the preferred method for taking action photos.

* Scanning: This moves the sensor across the focal plane like a desktop scanner. One of the preferred methods for commercial photography because it allows use of larger files and the resolution is better.

* Multishot: Here the sensor is exposed to the image with three or more openings of the lens aperture. This is another of the methods preferred by professionals for shooting still photos and for using large-format images.

o Using a single image sensor with three filters

o A single CCD with a Bayer filter which moves the location of the sensor

o A combination of the two with no Bayer filter

The subject matter will have a lot to do with the method used to take the picture; normally a moving subject should only be captured by a single-shot system.

Commercial photographers shooting stationary subjects and using large-format photographs prefer the higher fidelity, large file sizes, and resolution available with multi-shot and scanning backs.

Single-shot cameras have improved so much in recent years and, with RAW image file processing, have made CCD-based cameras prominent in commercial photography. In addition, these improvements have also affected the whole of digital photography. Another more common camera is the single-shot CMOS-based camera.

Downloading Pictures from Your Digital Camera

Downloading your pictures is as easy as one, two, and three:

* Load the software that came with your camera

* Follow the instructions

* Save the pictures to the computer

It can't get much easier than that! You usually run the software, then connect your camera by a USB or Fire Wire Cable from the camera to your computer. You may be able to use a card reader, or directly insert your media card into a printer; this can be exceptionally fast and exciting to watch as your photos are printed right before your eyes.

Saving the pictures to your computer is the next step; then you can send them to friends and family via emails, post them on the Internet, print them, or do anything else you can think of, the sky is the limit.

If you have your own business, digital photography can help you sell your product online with photos of what you have to offer. Many people make a healthy side income by selling items on websites on which their item can be bid.

One woman in a small Oregon town buys jewelry and statues at yard sales and secondhand stores, cleans the items up, and takes photos of them. She uses a digital camera and posts the photos on the website. The markup she makes is astonishing.

She told me of one instance where she purchased a pair of earrings for .50 at a second hand store and sold them for $149.00. She was astonished as she watched the bids on these earrings increase day after day for over a week, what a profit she made.

This is only one means of putting your camera to work for you. Use your imagination and come up with ideas of your own. Gifts made from digital photographs are always appreciated and can be a lot of fun, as you use your imagination. Children love to make scrapbooks, and digital photography was made for this craft.

Digital Image File Compression

Image file compression algorithms come in two types, lossy and lossless:

* Lossless compression reduces the file size with no loss to the quality of the image, even though the compression ratios may be weak. If an image is to be printed or the quality is more important than the file size, lossless algorithms are preferred.

* Lossy compression takes advantage of the limitations of the human eye and discards information that can't be seen. These algorithms allow for variable levels of compression, and as they are compressed, the file size is reduced. The more the file is compressed, the more the image deteriorates and becomes noticeable; this is called artifacting.

The JPEG software incorporates an algorithm Exif (Exchangeable image file) format used in most cameras. This is used to standardize and record the exchange of data between editing and viewing software and the digital camera. Recorded for individual images, the data includes:

* Time and date

* Shutter speed

* Camera settings

* Exposure

* Image size

* Name of camera

* Color information

* Compression

Using image editors to view the pictures, this information can then be displayed.

PNG, JPEG and GIF are the most common file formats used on the Internet. There are two main families of graphics: raster and vector.

JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) image files are of the lossy format. Most digital cameras have the ability to save to a JPEG format (the DOS extension for JPEG is JPG). This format supports 8-bit per color RGB (red, green, and blue) for a 24-bit total, and it creates relatively small files.

In most situations, the compression doesn't distract from the image quality. However, JPEG files do degrade more as they are repeatedly saved, so it is best to store images in a lossless non-JPEG format.

File Formats for Digital Cameras

Digital photography uses three basic file formats.

* JPEG -- JPEG stands for Joint Photographic Export Group. It is the most common format used in digital cameras. This is a compressed file allowing more storage than other formats. JPEG changes an image into a thumbnail that is available immediately for viewing. This format is recognized universally by all software programs and the majority of digital cameras.

* RAW -- The RAW format is unprocessed data. This format is not recognized by all types of cameras or software like JPEG is. Using specific software, the data can be retrieved and developed. Only data that will be processed later using software can be stored in a RAW format.

* TIFF -- Short for Tagged Image File Format, these files take up more space because they are not compressed. Thumbnails can also be created for viewing on your camera. Better pictures are one of the advantages of the TIFF format, but there will be less storage. A 1.9 JPEG formatting camera can provide the same quality as the TIFF format.

Storage can be provided by media cards, which are miniature computer chips that store data until it can be processed into a photograph. Your digital camera's memory is the media card, which comes in different sizes to fit a wide range of cameras. The larger the card, the less it costs to store each print, and you can save more photos on a larger card. Organizing your prints is easily done on the smaller cards.

Media card formats change constantly and continue to evolve to fit smaller cameras. Most digital cameras come with a standard card that can be exchanged for a larger one or a different brand. In some instances the camera has an input for a media card, but do not come with one. You will be limited to the number of photos you can store if you store them only on the camera.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Digital Photography

1. Lesser cost

One of the advantages that digital cameras provide is the fact that it is largely practical and convenient. There is lesser cost in the long run as one need not buy films anymore and will need not develop the pictures the old fashion way. They would only need to charge the batteries, get a reasonably large memory stick and they are good to go.

2. Better storage

Photographers can now store the pictures that they have taken in their computers and in their cds, allowing them to use the memory stick over and over again. There is no more need to store rolls of film and worry that they might disintegrate.

3. Printing convenience

Another convenience that digital cameras provide is the fact that it can be printed at home the same way one would print any kind of file.

4. Trial and Error

Another convenience that digital cameras provide is the fact that one can actually view the photos right after taking it and have the option of erasing it when it is not good. This, according to experts, spoils photographers. Because they can do a take over and over again, they don’t learn the discipline of planning for their shot before actually pressing the button.

Still, for the amateur photographer, this is like manna in heaven as this enables them to easily take good photographs and see their mistakes.

Disadvantages

1. Need for Computer literacy

Similar to film photography where you need to be also familiar with working in the dark room, one needs to have a modicum of computer skills. Not only will you be storing your photographs in the computer, operating the camera is like operating a small computer. You really have to be computer literate in order to maximize the functions of your camera.

2. Artistry is lost

There are some that argue that artistry and spontaneity is lost when using a digital camera because photographers do not shoot using various effects. For instance, some would not bother to blur the background anymore because they can fix the photo in Photoshop and other graphic programs. One can do a number of things with the computer, erase flaws, fix red eyes and sharpen some features.

Buying a Digital Camera

The price of digital cameras has been lowered dramatically as the popularity increases. You can now purchase a digital camera for anywhere from $30 to $400. As always, remember that you get what you pay for, and don't expect to get top quality photos from a cheap camera; you may end up disappointed!

There are many types of digital cameras on the market, and it will help if you know what they are when you start to shop. Some of the newest models are Digital SLR, Electronic View Finders, and Range Finders.

Digital SLRs are very much like film-loaded cameras. A series of mirrors and prisms control the optical path to produce a digital image on the LCD screen. You actually see what you are photographing when you look through the lens.

Electronic View Finders and Range Finders work much like a video camera, and optical view finder controls the picture instead of a lens. You don't look through a lens to take a picture; instead, you are looking at a digital image.

Many of these cameras have the technology to allow video footage; therefore, it is enabled by the manufacturer. You can shoot up to three minutes of video footage depending on the quality of the digital camera you are using.

Your new camera should have at least 2 megapixels resolution; anything up to 8 MP will provide great shots. 1.9-2.5 MP seems to be standard on today's market, but you can get more than 8 MP in some cameras on the professional market. Any less than 2 megapixels with frequently create poor-quality pictures that are fuzzy and blurred.

Ask to see samples of the pictures taken by that specific camera before you buy, and check the focus and zoom. The quality of the lens will make a big difference in your photos, so be sure it has a good lens. Another important item on your digital camera is a flash; without this, you will not be able to take pictures inside.

Understand all of the features and controls before you purchase your new digital camera. It can be confusing to remember how it works when you get the camera home if you don't understand how each feature works.

Do You Prefer Film or Digital?

Most people have embraced digital photography with enthusiasm. The lower cost of printing and storage is a big factor in the popularity of digital photography, especially for amateurs. With digital photography you don’t have to pay for the printing of a snapshot that has turned out awful. You can view the shot as soon as you’ve taken it and if it’s not up to scratch, delete it from the memory card with a simple click. If you want to wait and look at it on your computer or on the printout machine in the store, you can do that too.

The low cost of taking a photo means that you can practice more and hone your skills without spending lots of money. The LCD window is there for checking the quality. You can take lots of photos before your memory card is full too. No counting to thirty or so photos and then having to change the film. What if you forgot to buy an extra one? You can easily miss that great snapshot just because your camera ran out of film. With a traditional film camera, you have to take the shot without knowing just how it will turn out. You send the film away to be developed and have to wait a week to get it back, depending on where you live. You have to pay for the whole film, no matter whether you’ve cut Uncle Joe’s head off, or one of the kids decided to poke out their tongue just as you clicked.

The storage capacity of your computer is almost unlimited. You don’t have to have a cupboard full of photo albums (or cardboard boxes full of old photos) that you never get around to updating. It can all go on the computer, and then be copied to a CD-R to back it up or take it with you. With a digital photo, you can crop out that stranger’s head or the rusty drum you didn’t notice. You can change the color from cold to warm and do all sorts of other fancy stuff to improve that snapshot you want to keep but is not perfect.

Another great thing about digital photography is the position. You can hold the camera at almost any angle to take a shot. With a traditional camera, you might have to lie on the ground to get the right focus for some difficult shots. And what happens if you’ve bought film suited for bright sun and it rains nearly all the time on your holiday? Wasted film equals wasted money. You can get distant shots and close up shots, shots on dull days or bright sunny days without changing the film or the setting if you use the auto feature.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that there is now no use for the traditional film. Many professional photographers need to keep using their expensive film cameras for the types of shots they need to take. But technology will soon catch up to them, too. Digital cameras don’t last as long as traditional ones do, but they are a lot of fun for the amateur.

Some Disadvantages of Digital Photography

There are disadvantages to digital cameras. Only you can compare the disadvantages to the advantages and decide what your preference is.

Some of the disadvantages are:

* Many believe the quality of digital photos is inferior to those of conventional film cameras.

* Unlike digital cameras, some film cameras work without batteries, or power needed to use CCD/CMOS sensors.

* Lack of batteries is a real advantage when shooting in remote locations.

* Film cameras offer various types of film, like used with infrared light, there is no digital camera available commercially that has the equivalent. While they can be converted to be very sensitive to infrared light, it often takes very long periods of exposure.

* Film is still the most admissible in court as it is much more difficult to change than digital.

* Film offers a more quality reproduction for human perception; this is called the dynamic range.

* Film has varying sized 35 mm, full-format, half-format etc.

* Digital cameras are more sensitive to heat, extreme cold and moisture than film cameras, and are therefore not as efficient in the areas of the world which meet these extreme conditions.

The advantages of digital cameras far outweigh the disadvantages in the more prosperous countries like Western Europe and the United States; for most consumers, they are quite advantageous. The professional community, however, isn't so clear cut on this issue, being about equally split in their opinions. The photographer now does much of the work after shooting that was once done by a photo lab.

Some of the problems professionals have spoken of include:

* RAW files take longer when editing and post-processing than 35mm film.

* Valuable shooting time can be lost while downloading large number of photos into a computer.

* Digital cameras can't always be fixed on location as easily as some of the film cameras.

* The necessity of carrying extra batteries for digital cameras increases the load the photographer must carry into the more remote locations.

Even with the numerous complaints, it is believed that as technology advances, more and more professionals with change to digital photography.

Batteries for Digital Cameras

The power need for digital cameras is very high. As they get smaller in size, the challenge has been to come up with a battery that would meet those requirements and still be small enough to fit into the smaller digital cameras.

No one would be happy with a camera that didn't have enough power to run it for a reasonable amount of time. There are two divisions of batteries for digital cameras, and these divisions are very broad:

* Off-the-shelf batteries While a few cameras have AAA batteries, AA (or CR2 batteries) are the more common in use. These are lithium-based and are intended for only single use; they are also commonly seen in camcorders. The alkaline battery, which is nonrechargeable, provides only enough power for a very short time in most digital cameras. Most photographers have moved to the AA nickel metal hydride batteries along with a charger; these provide the necessary power and can be easily recharged. Mid-range and low-end cameras may use off the shelf batteries, but only a few cameras (DSLR) accept them.

* Proprietary battery formats These are the second type of battery. Specifically built to the manufacturer's specifications, they can be either OEM or aftermarket replacement parts. Most of the proprietary batteries are lithium ion. The battery life begins to degrade after a certain number of charges, usually about 500 cycles; yet they are very powerful for their size. Because of this, both high-end professional cameras and consumer models at the low end have lithium ion batteries.

Digital photographers, both professionals and amateurs, will find many types of batteries available; all will be within the two categories mentioned above. It is possible to find as many opinions about the type of battery to use as there are photographers using them. Only the consumer can actually make the decision about which they choose.