Sarah Latour

One of my hobbies is photography. Now I\’m no professional but I enjoy taking good professional quality photos. I had to weigh up whether to go for a compact digital camera or a Digital SLR. I was fortunate back in the eighties to own a 35mm SLR camera. The picture quality was fantastic. Much better than that of a compact camera. The ability to alter settings and change lenses to pull subjects closer or move them away was far superior to that of the compact 35mm camera.Fast forward to today and not a lot has changed. The Digital compact cameras quality has gained a great deal on the Digital SLR but is still behind, in my opinion.

 Both benefit in the fact you can see the result instantly after the shot has been taken but the DLSR is far superior in the ability to change that shot, on the spot and in so many ways. One thing with the compacts is the lack of depth of field. You take the picture and the whole picture will try it\’s best to be in focus. With DSLR you can have the subject in focus and blur the background which creates very simple but effective results.I use a DSLR – Canon EOS 400D. I have had this for 18 months so has now been surpassed in the Canon range. It doesn\’t have \’Live View\’ which means you have to compose the shot through the view finder. However the newer Canons have this now. It came with a 18mm-55mm standard Canon lens but also in the package was a Tamron 200mm Zoom Lens. I bought a Lowepro Slingshot A100W bag and SanDisk 4GB Compact Flash Card, separately.

Out of the box you can stick it on auto and never leave that setting if you want to. However this defeats the object of having so much power and scope over your shots by using the auto setting. Remember it\’s digital so you can experiment over and over again with different settings until you get it bang on. If you were to leave it on auto forever you might as well buy a compact camera.The clarity of the shot has to be seen to be believed. At 10.1MP you have a serious camera that gives you nigh on professional results. Many Professionals that have the top end of the Canon EOS range at £5,000 plus would tell you different. Remember they have to justify the £5000 plus price tag so they will find the tiniest detail different but to you and me the pictures look near enough the same.

 I went to Turkey in the summer and the pictures I took with my camera I could never have achieved with a compact camera. The scenery was a photographers dream and I managed to fill the 4GB card with top quality pictures. The ability to capture in RAW is also a bonus fo the semi-serious photographer. With RAW there is no compression like with JPEG and it\’s as it says the RAW picture.You have the option to change the white balance when your back on the computer. Yes you can bodge it up when it\’s a JPEG but is no where near as effective as RAW. Give it go yourself.

 The darkroom side of it is up to you. I use Adobe Photoshop. It cost approx £500 but is what the pros use. There are loads of magazines out there with tips on how to use Photoshop but I recommend getting a decent book on it. It is a huge piece of software but you can make dreamy portraits and Andy Warhole popart with a little practice and tuition. There is also Photoshop Elements for under £100 but I understand that this is a scaled down version of the Professional version and would be good for the begginer to intermediate.

 Your friends and family might scoff at you with your bigger camera and bag and some might say \’what do you want all that for when you can get a camera that fits in your pocket\’. Believe me when they see your laptop slideshow through an HDTV they will be green with envy and clambering to copy your photos or even buy them.

 All in all my Canon EOS 400D might be old at 18months old but will be staying with me for some years to come. I can live with shooting through the viewfinder. Maybe your so used to the new cameras that you need to hold the camera out in front of you. The choice is yours.

http://astore.amazon.co.uk/httpwwwmaveri-21

Daniel Claydon
http://www.articlesbase.com/digital-photography-articles/digital-slr-or-compact-camera-you-decide-770002.html

Canon Powershot G12 is the flagship model of Canon digital compact camera. 10 megapixel sensor, DIGIC four, 5X optical zoom and wide-angle 28 mm most important characteristics. You can also shoot movies with HD resolution of 720p and stereo sound. On the market from October to the target cost of 499 USD.

Canon Powershot G12 is the new flagship of the range of compact digital cameras from Canon G Series. It looks like the compact perfect for specialists who use it as a complement to a a great deal more advanced cameras, and advanced amateurs seeking for a excellent item but conveniently transportable.

Canon Powershot G12 Characteristics:
HS Method
10 megapixel CCD sensor with high sensitivity
28 mm wide-angle lens, 5x zoom, Hybrid IS
Adjustable LCD 7. cm (two.8 ), electronic level and optical viewfinder
Front ring, full manual control and RAW
Movies HD, HDMI
High Dynamic Range Mode
Wise Camera
Multi-Aspect Shooting
Wide range of accessories

HS Method with 10-megapixel CCD sensor with high sensitivity and DIGIC four

HS Method is a effective mixture of high sensitivity sensor and DIGIC four processor can deliver wonderful functional recovery even in low light conditions. Even greater ISO sensitivity can lower the use of flash and present greater shutter speeds to lower shaky shots even in the presence of a moving topic.

28 mm wide-angle lens, 5x zoom with image stabilization Hybrid (Hybrid IS)

The original high-excellent Canon lens, from 28-140 mm (35mm equivalent) ensures flexibility and sharpness. The Optical Image Stabilization corrects camera shake up to four stops, when the image stabilizer Hybrid (Hybrid IS) makes it possible for sharper images when shooting macro.

LCD swiveling 7.-cm (two.8), electronic level and optical viewfinder

The swivel LCD PureColor II VA gives a yield optimal color and contrast and can be set for shooting angles unthinkable. The display displays an electronic level indicator that assists verify that the camera is perfectly level, when the optical viewfinder lets you compose your shot according to their own private style.

Total control

The capture in RAW format delivers full manual control for the duration of the post-shot editing, also compatible with the software program Digital Photo Specialist (DPP) of Canons digital SLR users to integrate the PowerShot G12 into the workflow exists.

HDMI with HD movies

In addition to ensuring the highest picture excellent, the Canon G12 is capable of capturing HD video at 720p with stereo sound. The movies can be played without having losing excellent by way of the HDMI terminal.

High Dynamic Range Mode

The scenes in high contrast, a conventional digital camera will struggle to capture the detail in shadows and vibrant light. With the camera on a tripod, High Dynamic Range Shooting mode captures many exposures of the similar scene and combines them to get a scene wealthy in detail even in the case of high contrast.

Wise Camera

Wise Auto Scene Detection utilizes technologies to detect the proper scene among 28 attainable varieties to get the most desirable result. Wise Flash Exposure controls the use and energy of the flash.

Multi-Aspect Shooting

You can take photos in a wide range of formats which includes three:two, 1:1, 16:9 and four:five to guarantee a excellent composition when shooting without having the have to have for post-processing.

Wide range of accessories

Canon PowerShot G12 supports a wide range of accessories which includes an optional adapter for the lens filter for adding filters 58 mm. A particular jack lets you use Canon Speedlite when the waterproof case protects your camera up to 40 meters.