|
Digital
- Digital Photography FAQ
Author:
Jennifer Newton
What
are the advantages of digital pictures?
Since digital cameras take pictures without film or
film processing, the pictures are available for immediate
use. Digital pictures can be transmitted over computer
networks, can be stored on a variety of media, and
will not degrade over time.
What
is a pixel?
Think of a mosaic tile display with many different
colored tiles making op a beautiful picture. A pixle
would be the equivalent to a single tile. Digital
pictures are made from many pixels of varying color
and intensity.
What
is resolution?
Resolution is the number of dots per inch (dpi). The
more dots per inch, the better the quality of the
image. Resolution effects the quality of the image
on your computer screen as well as when you print
it out. Have you every seen and image that looks like
a bunch of little colored squares? That image has
a low DPI. There are less cots of color per square
inch.
How
does resolution affect file size?
The higher the resolution of the picture, the greater
the file size. If you save an image as a JPG, this
format is universal and also compresses images to
have a smaller file size. This allows for easier transmittal
over the internet and in email.
Do
I have to know a lot about computers to use a digital
camera?
It doesn't hurt, but it's not necessary. The point-and-shoot
digital cameras are geared for the average user. The
professional digital cameras are aimed at an experienced
group of people who already have solid photographic
and computer skills and want features that take advantage
of the advanced equipment.
Where
do I keep my digital pictures after I have looked
at them?
Once captured, modified (if necessary), and saved,
your pictures are, at this point, computer files.
Just as you need to organize word-processing files
or spreadsheets or database files, now you need to
set aside a place for photo files that you wish to
save. You may choose to save them on your computer's
hard drive or you may want to move them to a separate
disk or CD-ROM drive.
Are
digital pictures "archival"?
Once in digital form on your computer's hard drive,
your pictures are essentially a collection of bits
and bytes and, in that sense, they are archival and
they cannot fade or degrade. As long as the storage
media remains intact and there is a device that can
replay it, the digital pictures will exist as you
saved them.
Is
a copy of a digital picture as good as the original?
Yes it is. Because the picture actually consists of
digital data, copies suffer no quality loss and are
identical to the original.
|
