FAQ’s

Below are some frequently asked questions about Digital Cameras. If you have a specific query which is not answered here, please do not hesitate to contact us by 'phone or e mail.

What is Resolution?

A digital image is made up of dots or pixels. Put simply, the higher the resolution the more pixels used in the image and the better the picture quality. Therefore, a 3 million pixel camera will produce a better print quality than a one million.

What else improves the picture?

As with any camera, image quality is dependant on factors like lens ability, exposure and focus systems, flash power etc.

Zoom Lenses

A digital camera can have two types of zoom, a "digital" and an "optical". An optical zoom, like those fitted on regular cameras, is where the elements of the lens adjust in order to bring the image closer. A digital zoom on the other hand, magnifies the pixels of an image to give the effect of zooming. Of the two, an optical zoom is far superior.

Optical Viewfinder

Most digital cameras are fitted with a small screen which allows you to view your image as you are shooting or afterwards, for playback. This screen is very demanding of battery power and can sometimes be difficult to view in bright sunlight conditions. Consequently, cameras are also fitted with an optical viewfinder so that the camera can be held up to the eye to take pictures.

What is a Movie Clip?

Some digital cameras feature a movie clip mode which allows a short amount of video to be taken along with still digital pictures. The resulting file can be played back on your PC including sound.

How are the images stored?

Nowadays, digital cameras use removable cards to store pictures. Once the images are transferred to the computer, the card can be erased and used over again. Popular card types are "Smartmedia", "Compact", "MMC", "Memory Stick" and others. Cards are available in different capacities or megabytes and the higher the capacity, the more images that can be stored.

How many pictures can I take?

The number of pictures depends on 2 things:

1: The resolution they were taken at and

2: The capacity of the card used to store them.

See below for a guide to the number of images possible with various resolutions and storage capacities:

* Average size of compressed JPG format image with best image quality settings

How do I get my pictures into the PC?

Software supplied with the camera may be required on your computer. Connecting the camera to the computer with the supplied USB cable will then transfer the images.

What is USB?

A USB port is now a standard fitting on recent computers. If your operating system is Windows 98 or later, it is most likely that your computer has a USB fitting.

What are Card Readers?

A card reader is a unit which is connected to your PC. The storage card is removed from the camera and placed in the reader. The image files can then be quickly opened or transferred to the PC. Card readers offer several advantages over the cable method. They are quicker and the camera does not need to be used for image transfer.