subject: A Stroll Down Memory Lane From The Box Camera to Digital Cameras [print this page] A Stroll Down Memory Lane From The Box Camera to Digital Cameras
Box Camera
Can I start this article by asking you a question, do you remember the box camera ?
An extremely basic camera, with a fixed aperture. The length of exposure only determined by the length of time you kept your finger on the shutter release button. Oh happy days, so simple yet so efficient. Much of the worlds recent history has been recorded on such or very similar cameras. No zoom,no auto focus,no shutter speeds no aperture settings.
How things change
Digital Cameras
Now in this the Digital Camera age you can if you so wish get a camera that will do just about everything for you, apart from selecting what you want to photograph. Although I miss the simplicity of the earlier cameras I also love the different features available with todays cameras.
The ability to override the Auto settings to set ones own preferred aperture and speed settings, or just to select the preferred aperture while the camera works out the best speed to match the aperture selected or, adversely to select the shutter speed whilst the camera works out the best compatible aperture.
No more fiddling with light meters to get the necessary readings to decide on the required settings .No just point the camera in the right direction and it is all worked out automatically for you.
The Digital Camera has many other advantages over its forerunner, the ability to zoom in on a subject, anti shake features, built in flash,excellent quality lenses which now have an extensive megapixel range.
One of the greatest advantages to myself though is the ability to immediately view the latest picture to decide whether to retain it or discard it, this coupled with the amount of memory now available up to 32GB on some cameras via the use of memory cards is a blessing.
No more time spent in the darkroom with trays of developer,rinse,and fixer to see the end results. All in all I like the changes made to the cameras of my earlier days.
There are of course many different makes of Digital Camera that cater for virtually every kind of Photographer, from the Novice and the enthusiastic Amateur to the Professional. I myself would probably fall into the enthusiastic amateur class. I am certainly no professional.
I have deliberately refrained from referring to different makes of camera by name, I would recommend that anyone wanting to buy a Digital Camera make a list of what they would like it to do for them and then compare what is available. If you would like more technical detail there are many far better qualified than I to provide you with that information in their articles.
If you would like to see a range of Digital Cameras that are available then just click on the link. Digital Cameras.
Happy snapping may all your photographs be a masterpiece.
