Photography Blog

My top 20 key questions to ask yourself when buying a digital camera.

1. How many “megapixels” /resolution?

Once and for all, at least to me, you have to get the highest resolution your money can buy at the time you buy. Period.

2. Who made the lens?

Most cameras will give you an idea where the lens was made just by looking at the front of the lens. Know if the lens of your camera came from a reputable company like Leica, Zeiss, Canon, Etc… Lens quality is one of the most important factors you should consider especially if you’re going to use it for commercial, technical or scientific purposes.

3. Will I need interchangeable lenses? How many are available for my specific camera in mind?

Having the option of interchangeable lenses gives you the freedom to experiment with different kinds of focal lengths. Although some P&S (point and shoot) cameras can rival DSLR’s with a generous zoom range for a non interchangeable lens system.

Also note the number of lenses available for use with your specific camera because of flexibility reasons. You can practically cover the entire “zoom range” with interchangeable lenses versus modest zoom ranges on non interchangeable lens systems or P&S cameras.

4. Does it have a zoom capability? What’s the range?

Almost all applications that I listed above will need some form of zooming in (telephoto) or out (wide angle), especially if you don’t have the space to move around the object you are shooting.

For Landscape shots, wide angle shots are very common and appealing while zooming in on the details serves as a break and complements the wide angle shots.

For weddings and events, you need a zoom because there will be times where you are limited by the shooting space and you will have a difficult time moving around. Its a good thing to know that you can do all sorts of framing without even moving from your position.

A nice zoom will give you the efficiency and versatility in your photography, so my suggestion is to go for the longest range you can get (usually from a 7X to a 10X for Point and Shoots).

Also note the speed of zooming in or out as this will be a factor if you’re shooting events like weddings. You will fail to capture that “decisive moment” on a mediocre zoom speed.

5. Does it have the provision to capture raw images?

Many photographers will say you’ll need this digital camera feature if you want to have big prints from your pictures. Although this is correct, the main reason why you will want this is because of the benefit it will give you…pure total control of your pictures… from exposure, color, metadata, hdr and a lot more.

6. Can I attach an external flash?

Having an external flash capability will give you the power and creative freedom to light your subjects any which way you like.

You can connect your digital camera to all sorts of lighting equipment thus giving you more options and versatility. This comes in the form of a hotshoe or a PC-Sync socket.

If your digital camera doesn’t have this feature, there is still hope because accessories called flash slaves are being sold by third party companies in different flavors that will also do the same job more or less.

7. Does it have a tripod socket?

Some of the most beautiful landscape pictures that I’ve seen are undoubtedly made with a tripod, so this is a must have if you are planning to do this kind of photography.

The “available light shots” in a wedding, still life and product shots, studio and fine art shots … all need a tripod for successful execution… so guess what happens if you don’t have a tripod socket?… You cannot effectively use a tripod!

8. Does it have automatic and manual focusing?

It will not be evident at first why you’ll need this especially if you’re just starting out in photography. But if you’re like me… A total control freak when it comes to cameras… and you really want to express your creative side, this is definitely a must have.

9. Can you attach filters to it? and what filter size?

Creative expression through special effects is just one of the many reasons that makes photography fun and interesting, and experimenting with filters is one creative pursuit you should try with your photography especially if you’re a beginner.

Always remember to ask if the particular digital camera you are eyeing for can handle filters and ask for the filter size. (To save you from buying the right filter with the wrong filter size) Please note that most Digital SLRs should be able to to handle filters as most lenses that come with it have a filter thread built into the lens.

Most P&S (point and shoot) digital cameras normally doesn’t have a filter thread built-in and might need special accessories to accomplish this so you should check to know for sure.

Again, there are many third party accessories that you could buy to adapt filters to your P&S digital cameras that don’t have this provisions. I’ll discuss all about this in a future post so watch for it. (Or subscribe to my announcement list (feed via email) so you’ll know when it’s up.

10. Can I upgrade the firmware?

The good thing about some digital camera manufacturers is that they keep on improving their digital cameras even after they sold it to you… this comes in the form of a firmware upgrade.

Usually this involves an improvement on one or many features of a camera. Be sure that the digital camera you’re planning to buy has an easy way of upgrading its firmware. This comes in the form of either an easy download via the manufacturer’s website (find it and bookmark it now) or a FREE CDROM.

Another caveat – be sure to consider if a downgrade is also possible or available with your digital camera… Why is there a need a downgrade you ask?… Because, you may want to reinstall an earlier firmware… just in case you don’t like the results from a firmware upgrade.

Occasionally there’s a feature that will be removed by the upgrade that you failed to read about and you decided that you just want to keep that feature instead of a bunch of trivial upgrades from the new firmware. (Yes, I personally experienced this.)

11. Are there extra goodies or software that come with it?

Some people ignore the fact that you can save a lot of money just by doing a simple arithmetic. Did you know that you could actually get your digital camera for a lot less if you study the deals and offers on the marketplace?

If you buy a digital camera and it comes with software that you can really use… like photoshop, elements, or any other image editing software for that matter, then you already saved some money you would otherwise spend. Some dealers will throw in lots of extras… If you just simply ask.

Always try to ask for these things that you’ll end up buying anyway if you don’t – like camera bags, extra lenses, extra batteries, memory cards, tripod, lens cleaners etc. Trust me… you will end up buying these things if you don’t ask for it on the deal. What have you got to lose? Simply ASK. Would you believe that I effectively lowered one of my camera purchase cost by as much as 30%? Ask away.

12. Is there Local Support in your area?

Finding the answer to this one will give you a great benefit in the long run. Wouldn’t you sleep better at night because you feel that extra security – that in case there is something wrong with your digital camera, you can bring it in for repair at a moments notice?

Not knowing when your camera will be repaired (or if it even arrived at a distant repair facility) is one of the worst feelings a photographer can have especially if you’re in the middle of a photoshoot or project.

13. What type of warranty does it have? Worldwide / Countrywide?

If you travel a lot its good to know that a countrywide or even better – a worldwide warranty can get your camera fixed wherever you are. Always bring the warranty card and glue it on your camera bag.

14. Does it have the ability to take video and audio?

I know, most DSLRs don’t have this function. But some non interchangeable lens DSLRs have it. This is a very useful feature to have if you’re on a project or photoshoot and want to document or record a procedure, a moment, or an idea that you would otherwise have trouble remembering or even writing. It’s always a good idea to bring a P&S camera backup that have this function.

The things that you could do with audio and videoclips on a photoshoot are only limited by your imagination… interviews, documentation, funny quips, training procedures, bloopers, etc..

15. Does it have a manual white balance?

White balance is one of the most interesting aspects of digital cameras. Its fun and fascinating to work with. Having this option puts the photography fun-o-meter way way up. In future posts, I will be discussing white balance in detail so be sure to stay tuned.

16. How sensitive is it to infrared?

If you’re planning to make infrared pictures or enter the exciting world of Infrared fine art photography then you’ll want to know if your digital camera can do it.

TIP: There is a simple way to test how sensitive your digital camera is to infrared using a very common device – a TV remote control. For P&S, you can aim the remote control towards the lens and gauge how bright the LED from remote is. This should give you an idea how sensitive your digital camera is to infrared. For DSLRs you will need to take shots of the LED and experiment a little or you can simply research or google the particular camera model you have in mind for other people’s experiences and thoughts about it.

17. How high is the ISO sensitivity? Is it manually adjustable?

ISO sensitivity is a term referring to the sensitivity of film to light. In the digital camera world, it refers to the sensitivity of the electronic sensor in your digital camera in relation to the ISO standard used for film.

The higher the ISO sensitivity of your camera the faster or better it can record a specific amount of light.

High ISO sensitivity is useful for taking better pictures in dark settings… such as inside a church or at night. The higher the ISO setting, the more details you can capture of a dark scene.

One caveat – take note of the amount of noise a particular camera exhibits at higher ISOs. Some people like it and some don’t. Again, don’t be afraid to ask or do research on the noise characteristics of your camera model in mind to see if this is the right choice for you.

18. How high or low can you set the shutterspeed? What are the minimum and maximum aperture settings?

Shutterspeed and aperture settings are the basic mechanisms that drive your camera and controls the amount of light that is exposed by the film or image sensor.

You use high shutterspeeds in action shots and to prevent camera shake, and you use low shutterspeeds for movement effects and bulb or long exposures. You can check for these figures on the websites that I gave you in part 1. You can see it in the technical specifications for a particular camera.

A bulb or “T” function is a nice feature to have because you can take exposures for virtually very long periods of time. Another feature to have is if your camera has a remote control to use this bulb or “T” mode. This gives you the capability to take pictures without holding your camera and adding to the “camera shake”.

With the subject of apertures, a small one (small aperture opening) lets you have a wider depth of field so your shots are sharp from near to far versus a large aperture (big aperture opening) where your shots have a narrow depth of field and appear “selectively focused”.

19. Does it have some form of an image stabilizer?

New cameras coming out as we speak often have this feature. Simply put, an image stabilizer is some form of a mechanism built into the lens or the camera body (depending on the manufacturer and their implementation) that basically prevents you from getting blurred pictures when taking pictures in low light or you are using a long or telephoto lens. Having this feature can mean the difference between a blurry picture (aka no picture!) to a usable one.

20. How close can it focus? Macro abilities?

The closer your camera can focus… the bigger the picture of an object you can take in relation to the image dimensions of the final photo… and the bigger the picture of the object… the more detail you can get. If you want to take pictures of small objects such as flowers and fine details then this is a must-have.

That’s it. Whew.

Do you really have to go over all these questions?… Of course not, but even if you only study and ponder on half of them…and take the time… I promise you that one thing will surely happen…

You’ll be…

a lot smarter!

than when you first started asking these questions… ergo you’ll be in a better position to decide what digital camera to buy… Because you are now armed with the most powerful tool anybody can have

the power of information!

In any case, I hope you find as much value in these questions as many of my friends have and be able to get the camera of your dreams.

Enjoy!

Virtually everyone I know has a digital camera these days but most of them have no idea how they can use their cameras to create extra cash. But just before you attempt to earn some extra money with your brand new Canon or Nikon you must realize that your digital camera is only a tool. You can purchase a top of the range Digital SLR in your local store and still not make a cent in this field of Stock photography. Alternatively, you could get the cheapest point-and-shoot that the store has to offer and make a ton of money with it if you recognize what you’re undertaking.

One of the most important keys to turning your images into a profitable business would be to discover everything you possibly can about producing quality images. Read books and articles and study each and every image you come across. When you examine a picture try to consider how the photographer took the photo. What was the achievable shutter speed? What was the aperture set at? What would you do to enhance the image? You do not need to be an professional but you must be quite confident that you realize what you’re undertaking whenever you are taking pics.

To determine how you might go about earning some extra income with your photographic camera you’ll want to decide what sort of photography that you are most passionate about. If you’re more of a stay-at-home individual it is still possible to make a decent income selling your photographs on the web through microstock image websites. In the event you love to work with other people it is possible to shoot portraits, wedding photos and even office images. In the event you are an animal lover there is a massive market for pet images and people will pay top dollar for a photo of somebody playing with their cat or dog.

Take a have a look at our no cost report that explains the world of Stock photography business, and covers all with the points that you need to know to start uploading photographs successfully. You may perhaps believe that people will just steal your images, but all the images that you simply submit to the microstock photography agencies on the web are obviously watermarked so, no one can just steal it . Only when a consumer buys an image, the watermark is eliminated.

A prospective misuse might also be that an individual could purchase your picture from a stock photography company and sell it as their own photo. But, that is obviously a violation of copyrights plus the member would be banned for life by stock photography company websites. So, you can really feel secure with stock photography businesses.

If you are interested in finding out more about this Internet photography business, then this is most definitely for you. For a more detailed overview at how to make money with a camera (including a FREE report) just click here…

Kodak EasyShare M893 IS Digital Camera provides great image quality and advanced features in an ultra-compact and affordable package. The camera provides a resolution of 8.1 megapixels, which allows you to print clear, crisp images up to 30 x 40″ in size, and a 3x optical zoom lens that makes the camera great for typical family and vacation shooting.

In addition, the camera includes Digital Image Stabilization that detects camera movements to digitally compensate for camera shake, and blur reduction that uses high ISO settings to produce clearer pictures in low-light situations. It also incorporates Kodak Perfect Touch Technology so you can take consistently better shots under all sorts of shooting conditions.

Kodak’s Face Detection technology is provided so portraits and group shots always look great, and the Versatile Scene and Color Modes allow you to be creative without the difficulty of manual shooting. Finally, the vibrant 2.7-inch LCD screen is perfect for instantly sharing clear, bright pictures and videos, or displaying your own customized Multimedia Slideshows right on the camera.

The Kodak EasyShare M893 IS Digital Camera provides great image quality and advanced features in an ultra-compact and affordable package. The camera provides a resolution of 8.1 megapixels, which allows you to print clear, crisp images up to 30 x 40″ in size, and a 3x optical zoom lens that makes the camera great for typical family and vacation shooting.

In addition, the camera includes Digital Image Stabilization that detects camera movements to digitally compensate for camera shake, and blur reduction that uses high ISO settings to produce clearer pictures in low-light situations. It also incorporates Kodak Perfect Touch Technology so you can take consistently better shots under all sorts of shooting conditions.

Kodak’s Face Detection technology is provided so portraits and group shots always look great, and the Versatile Scene and Color Modes allow you to be creative without the difficulty of manual shooting. Finally, the vibrant 2.7-inch LCD screen is perfect for instantly sharing clear, bright pictures and videos, or displaying your own customized Multimedia Slideshows right on the camera.

The Kodak EasyShare M893 IS Digital Camera provides great image quality and advanced features in an ultra-compact and affordable package. The camera provides a resolution of 8.1 megapixels, which allows you to print clear, crisp images up to 30 x 40″ in size, and a 3x optical zoom lens that makes the camera great for typical family and vacation shooting.

In addition, the camera includes Digital Image Stabilization that detects camera movements to digitally compensate for camera shake, and blur reduction that uses high ISO settings to produce clearer pictures in low-light situations. It also incorporates Kodak Perfect Touch Technology so you can take consistently better shots under all sorts of shooting conditions.

Kodak’s Face Detection technology is provided so portraits and group shots always look great, and the Versatile Scene and Color Modes allow you to be creative without the difficulty of manual shooting. Finally, the vibrant 2.7-inch LCD screen is perfect for instantly sharing clear, bright pictures and videos, or displaying your own customized Multimedia Slideshows right on the camera.

The Kodak EasyShare M893 IS Digital Camera provides great image quality and advanced features in an ultra-compact and affordable package. The camera provides a resolution of 8.1 megapixels, which allows you to print clear, crisp images up to 30 x 40″ in size, and a 3x optical zoom lens that makes the camera great for typical family and vacation shooting.

In addition, the camera includes Digital Image Stabilization that detects camera movements to digitally compensate for camera shake, and blur reduction that uses high ISO settings to produce clearer pictures in low-light situations. It also incorporates Kodak Perfect Touch Technology so you can take consistently better shots under all sorts of shooting conditions.

Kodak’s Face Detection technology is provided so portraits and group shots always look great, and the Versatile Scene and Color Modes allow you to be creative without the difficulty of manual shooting. Finally, the vibrant 2.7-inch LCD screen is perfect for instantly sharing clear, bright pictures and videos, or displaying your own customized Multimedia Slideshows right on the camera.

The Kodak EasyShare M893 IS Digital Camera provides great image quality and advanced features in an ultra-compact and affordable package. The camera provides a resolution of 8.1 megapixels, which allows you to print clear, crisp images up to 30 x 40″ in size, and a 3x optical zoom lens that makes the camera great for typical family and vacation shooting.

In addition, the camera includes Digital Image Stabilization that detects camera movements to digitally compensate for camera shake, and blur reduction that uses high ISO settings to produce clearer pictures in low-light situations. It also incorporates Kodak Perfect Touch Technology so you can take consistently better shots under all sorts of shooting conditions.

Kodak’s Face Detection technology is provided so portraits and group shots always look great, and the Versatile Scene and Color Modes allow you to be creative without the difficulty of manual shooting. Finally, the vibrant 2.7-inch LCD screen is perfect for instantly sharing clear, bright pictures and videos, or displaying your own customized Multimedia Slideshows right on the camera

Cameras are just about everywhere in today’s day and age. There are few places you can go in public that you are not being recorded by a camera. From the streets to the local fast food restaurant you are likely being recorded. Surveillance systems have also been part of the security systems for the wealthy for many years and now they can be an affordable part of your homes.

There are several things you must consider when choosing your camera system. Just like most technology you can get more features for more money. Choosing a system will require you to consider budget along with wanted features and find a happy median of the two.

The first step is deciding how many cameras you plan to use. A system for just one camera can be set up for very little cost and be very effective. If you choose to have more cameras like 4, 8 or 16 then there are complete packages available that make cameras more cost effective. Once you know how many cameras you want, you will need to decide if you want to run wires or not. Most cameras are available in wired or wireless versions and normally the wired cameras are much more cost effective.

Surveillance cameras can come with many different functions including night vision, covert, color, black & white, weatherproof, high power wireless, pan tilt zoom cameras and many other options. If you need special application cameras they are likely available at a cost. Currently the most commonly used cameras for homes and businesses are dome cameras, bullet style cameras and hidden cameras. The type of camera will greatly depend on the application.

Next you will need to find a way to record your cameras. Recording is not necessary and it is possible to just view the cameras using a monitor, but you will find that having a recorded system has many advantages. The cost of recording can vary greatly depending on your choice of recorders. Below are the different recording options you have to choose from.

VCR -The cheapest may be an extra VCR you have lying around. Most cameras can be plugged directly into a VCR or TV’s video input. If the connection is not the same then there are adaptors available. You may be limited when using a VCR to just one camera. You can split the video of more cameras and use them with a VCR if you purchase a quad. A quad splits video inputs so they take up just a portion of the screen. Most quads are 4 channel, but more channel quads are available. VCRs can’t be viewed over the internet.

Surveillance Software and Hardware – This method of recording can also be a very cheap way to record. You must have a computer with some extra RAM and a USB port . This software will turn your computer into a feature rich DVR or digital video recorder (more on this later). To connect a camera to the computer you will need a analog to digital video converter. Just plug the camera into one end and the other end into the USB port on the computer. Most software will be able to see the camera as soon as it recognizes the video converter. If you have more cameras, you will need more converters and more free USB ports. You can also use a quad between the cameras and the video converter cord to increase the number of cameras you can view using this method. This is a great economic way to go if you only have a few cameras. These systems can be connected to the internet and viewed from anywhere in the world that has an internet connection.

DVR Card – a DVR card will need to be installed into one of the PCI ports in a PC in order to work. If you can’t add a card to the inside of your PC, then this may not be the best solution for you unless you can get some help. There are many people that have the ability to install a PCI card so help should be easy to come by. These cards range from 4 to 16 cameras and some can be used in sets for systems up to 36 cameras. The exposed part of the card on the back of the computer will allow you to connect the number of cameras the card allows. Most DVR cards will also allow audio microphones to be connected along with the cameras. DVR cards can be full of features and can compared with a high end DVR. DVR cards usually can be connected to the internet and viewed from anywhere in the world that has an internet connection.

DVR – is a digital video recorder. This device basically allows your cameras video to be recorded onto a hard drive or internal disk. There are 2 types of DVRs, windows based and embedded. Windows based DVRs are similar to a computer and use the Windows operating system to run surveillance software. Most people find Windows based DVRs much easier to use than embedded DVR. The embedded DVR does not use any software and all functions are embedded on software encoded computer chips. Embedded DVRs are cheaper than Windows based DVRs in most cases. DVRs are generally the most expensive way to record your cameras. Both types of DVRs allow you to connect the cameras directly to the back of the DVR. Some DVRs can be connected to the internet and viewed from anywhere in the world that has an internet connection.

You may also want to hook a monitor up to your system. The monitor will allow you to review the recorded video and also watch it live. Depending on the system you are setting up, the monitor may be a TV or may be a computer monitor. Monitors are available in all different sizes and qualities. If you plan on building a surveillance system you may want to consider one of the many systems available that provide everything you need in one discounted package. For the beginner it is many times easier to purchase a complete surveillance system then to try to piece together each thing individually.

These basics should be enough to get you started on finding a home surveillance system to meet your budget. Many times if you speak to a surveillance expert you can simply tell them your needs and your budget and they will put together a system that will work well for you. There are a lot of options for you to protect your home and family, be sure the system purchase will meet your security needs.

Abstract

When looking to select an infrared camera, it is extremely important to better understand the attributes of these cameras that most impact the quality of the infrared images that are produced. This paper covers the three primary areas that influence thermal image quality: pixel resolution, thermal sensitivity and fixed pattern noise. Each area has a significant impact on thermal image quality.

 If you’ve purchased a digital camera in the past, your purchase was likely influenced by your belief that the number of pixels was the most important specification when trying to judge image quality between all the camera choices offered.  For anyone that reads Consumer Reports™ and their detailed evaluation of digital cameras you’ll appreciate that camera performance includes careful analysis of much more than the pixel count. Because a thermal camera is basically an image converter (radiant thermal energy to visible image), you need to understand what are the primary attributes that determine thermal image quality and how they each contribute to the image quality that you may be experiencing in your application.

Pixel Resolution  

The first consideration is the number of pixels. Today there are three resolution standards (some manufacturers’ cameras deviate slightly)

Low Resolution -  160×120 (19,600 pixels)

Medium Resolution – 320×240 (76,800 pixels)

High Resolution – 640×480 (307,200 pixels)

How much resolution you need (verses want) is primarily determined by your application and by the value you give to image quality. When evaluating a digital camera with 5 verses 10 mega pixels most users will never benefit by purchasing a camera with 10 million pixels because they will never print the images on large enough paper where the resolution would provide better print quality. Whereas you will always print and display the full resolution of an infrared camera since the highest resolution available is relatively modest by today’s digital camera standards. Even at 640×480 pixel resolution a high definition thermal image will only take up a fraction of today’s computer displays and the resulting thermal image print quality will always be fully realized. Therefore when evaluating a thermal camera the number of pixel is relevant and increased resolution is the most significant consideration in improving image quality.  

Another benefit to high resolution is the ability to zoom into a scene and maintain good image quality. The majority of thermal cameras feature a standard optic with a horizontal field of view of approximately 25°. Regardless of pixel resolution the performance of a 640×480 camera set to 2X digital zoom is going to equal the performance of a 320×240 resolution camera with an optional (and often costly) 12° (2X) lens. If you anticipate the need for imaging objects at distances further than 20 feet you should consider the increased costs of a 2X lens for a 320×240 thermal camera when comparing the total costs between 320×240 and 640×480 systems.  

The second major issue that impacts image quality is thermal sensitivity. While there are a number of tests used to quantify this specification, thermal sensitivity basically defines how well the camera will image as you increase image contrast. Thermal sensitivity varies with object temperature, as object temperature increases the slope of the signal output of the detector increases with increased temperature. This means that the signal (increasing) to noise (fixed) ratio improves as you view hotter objects. However this is not usually a benefit because the applications where better thermal sensitivity can be exploited are low temperature (room temperature) applications where the thermal contrast (temperature delta within an image) is very low. Typical low thermal contrast applications include building diagnosis where the camera is imaging interior walls with very little temperature variations or emissivity differences and issues like moisture or insulation quality can only be visualized by increasing the contrast to the point where the cameras thermal sensitivity limits the useful temperature span settings.  

As you review published camera specifications you will see thermal sensitivity specifications range between 0.25°C (250mK) and 0.05°C (50mK). While you might consider a quarter of degree to be adequate thermal sensitivity as soon as you look at a low contrast scene you’ll discover the image quality adversely effects the image quality as noise begins to dominate the image.  

Thermal imagers usually display images in palettes comprised of 256 discreet color or gray levels. Imagine your target has a temperature difference between 0°C and 256°C each gray or color level would represent 1 degree of temperature difference. Now apply this same color mapping into a scene with temperatures between 25°C and 35°C or 10 degrees. Each color now represents 0.03°C (10°C ÷256), a value lower than the most sensitive uncooled cameras. The result is some display of noise. There are many applications in which it is very important to set the span as narrow as possible in order to see the smallest temperature variations possible. If you are using a camera with 0.25°C sensitivity and wanted to maintain the same level of noise you would have to set a temperature range of 65°C (150°F) which would likely result in a very low contrast image. You should recognize that the difference between a camera with 50mK sensitivity verses a camera with 100mK sensitivity is 100% better and not as 0.05°C better.  

Thermal Sensitivity  

NETD is the scene temperature difference equal to either the internal noise of the detector (detector NETD) or the total electronic noise of a measurement system (system NETD). As a camera buyer you need to evaluate system NETD.   The test setup consists of temperature control blackbody reference and some type of ambient (passive) object that creates a simple slit target for the camera to visualize. The temperature of the black body is adjusted until it nearly equals the ambient target temperature. An oscilloscope measures the analog video output of one horizontal line and at the point where the temperature delta between the reference and the ambient targets no longer creates a measureable signal the NETD is determine by the measured temperature difference between the reference and the ambient reference targets.  

MRTD – Minimum Resolvable Temperature Difference

This is a system test. An observer is asked to assess the minimum temperature difference at which a 4 bar target can be resolved by watching the video output displayed as the temperature set points of the reference and the ambient targets are brought close together. This minimum difference will change with the spatial frequency of the bar target used. A curve of MRTD against spatial frequency is obtained which characterizes the performance of the imaging system. Modern infrared imaging systems can have low spatial frequency MRTDs of tens of milli-kelvins.  

The benefits of large format cameras is significant we you combine the need for high sensitivity while viewing high spatial frequencies.

To simplify explaining the fundamentals of thermal sensitivity let’s focus on a single pixel of the infrared sensor in an uncooled infrared camera. Each pixel in an uncooled focal plane array image sensor is essentially a resistor fabricated using MEMS (micro electro mechanical systems).  

The basis structure of a thermal uncooled camera pixel is a microscopic bridge structure on which a thin resistor material and an absorbing layer have been deposited. Legs suspend the deck of bridge above an integrated circuit and provide electrical connection between the resistive bridge and the silicon readout circuit. The readout IC controls the voltage that biases the thin film resistor and multiplexes all the pixel signals out to the cameras imaging electronics.  

As infrared radiation is absorbed by each pixel its temperature changes as the photon energy (8-14 micron wavelength) is converted to heat which in turn changes the resistance of the pixel’s thin film resistor. The readout IC sends a voltage across each “micro bolometer” element and a signal proportional to heat absorbed by each detector is the basis of a real time video image.  

The electrical circuit of an infrared sensor is very simple, a voltage is turned on to each pixel and a change in resistance of the thin film resistor based on the pixels temperature is sampled and converted into a digital value. All analog signal carry some level of noise along with the signal generated by the sensor. The ratio of signal to noise strongly impacts the image quality of a camera because the noise level is usually a fixed amount and as the detector gain is increased the system will begin to display the signal noise and you’ll begin to see “snow” in the image.  

The signal level of this noise is commonly specified as Noise Equivalent Temperature Difference.

Like any electrical circuit there are a lots of opportunities for electrical noise to get into systems, but the quality (signal to noise) of the signal coming directly off the infrared pixel has the most impact on thermal sensitivity, since nearly all camera developers have access to the same electronic components with which to create a camera. Therefore the thermal sensitivity in large part is based on the quality of the infrared imager array.  

Other issues like the f number of the lens also impact thermal sensitivity. Your camera’s lens is likely ƒ1.0 (the focal length is equal to the lens diameter) which is considered a “fast” lens. By comparison the f number in your digital camera is likely between ƒ3 and ƒ5 while the cameras used in cell phones and other low cost systems can be as high as ƒ20! As application demands lead to longer focal length lenses it is practical to go to “slower” optics in order to reduce the size, weight and cost of telephoto lenses and trade off some thermal sensitivity. For example, an F1.4 optic will result in 2X reduction in thermal sensitivity and an F2.0 optic a 4X reduction in thermal sensitivity. Therefore a system with 50mK sensitivity using a standard lens will still maintain good sensitivity (100mK) when a ƒ1.4 telephoto lens is attached to the camera verses another camera whose thermal sensitivity started at 100mK and becomes 200mK when viewing through a “slower” (ƒ number higher than 1).

As you can see from the various issues raised within this paper the nature of thermal sensitivity is very complex but in the real world the human eye is extremely good at differentiating small differences in image quality that you’ll know it (good sensitivity) when you see it.  

Non-Uniformity Correction

As the number of pixels increases and their sensitivity improves the quality of image is increasingly dependent on a process called Non Uniformity Calibration or NUC. As we described earlier a microbolometer imaging array is essentially an array of tiny resistors, and because of the micro scale of these devices, there are variations in how each pixel responds to the infrared energy from an object.   During manufacturing the infrared camera’s sensor must be normalized, meaning that the differences in response and DC output for each detector must be zeroed out. Thermal cameras typically feature an internal flag or iris that periodically is positioned in front of the detector as a constant temperature reference to zero out differences amongst the pixels. This is a fine tuning of the factory NUC process and is sometimes referred to as a “touch up.”

Because the touch up source is inside the lens, additional image quality improvements are possible when performing a touch up calibration through the lens either using a lens cap or exposing the camera to a large uniform surface. As camera performance improves the non-uniformities created by the lens will begin to be seen and for the ultimate image quality a simple through the lens calibration step will ensure the highest image quality the camera is capable of generating.  

Benefits of high increased image quality

Much greater flexibility to inspect targets are varying distances

Ability to visualize low thermal contrast targets

More intuitive diagnosis of heat related problems

Improved infrared visible fused image quality due to better matching of infrared and visible camera resolution..

Flexibility to incorporate lower cost and lighter weight optional lenses

More intuitive diagnosis of temperature anomalies  

For full article with images and reference material, please visit www.electrophysics.com/tiqab

 

For more comprehensive White Papers visit our online Knowledge Center www.electrophysics.com/thermal-imaging

These days, the digital camera has become the more popular choice for those seeking to make a brand new camera purchase. Lower prices over the past few years have enabled camera buffs of all ages and abilities to indulge in purchasing a digital camera. Without the need to constantly purchases a stock of film and then pay again for the developing, digital cameras have led to people being able to practice their art of photography to their hearts content without in becoming a financial burden. If you are on a budget, simply seek the lowest price. Digital camera technology enables the absolute beginner to snap a perfect shot following little instruction.

The variety available when seeking a new camera is rapidly increasing. Whether you search for the brand Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Casio, Kodak, Sony, Fuji or Panasonic, all these digital cameras can be obtained in both store sales and online for the lowest price. Digital camera purchasing may now offer a few too many choices rather than too few.

Sometimes the style of camera model may be the clincher when selecting a digital camera, even when searching only for a camera of the lowest price. Digital camera shape, color, size, or function can all play a part in the purchase decision, but sometimes the look alone can make the final decision. Perhaps you are looking for a sleek black compact model, or maybe a silver feature-filled style of camera fits your purpose better. You may alternatively prefer a red or green modern design.

Some of the features you may be concerned with include the zoom and megapixel counts. Zoom comes in both optical and digital zoon, and frequently a combination of the two is offered. The megapixel count may be of importance to you, the better models of digital camera having the higher rating if you have a choice between models of the lowest price. Digital camera features also include various sizes of on-screen display. If you want to ensure the optimum photograph before taking it, a larger display screen will offer extra detail.

Some purchasers of the lowest price digital camera may make their choice based on the battery. There are two main styles of battery, the easily inserted and often rechargeable AA size regular camera battery and the smaller watch-like batteries made from materials such as lithium-ion. These also are rechargeable, and some camera packages offer a free recharger among their contents. Cheap priced battery chargers for digital camera batteries are also purchasable from most camera stores, both online and off.

The higher classed models available on the market often come with a variety of detachable lenses. These may add to the zoom capacity, or simple alter the photographic image. Some lenses allow for fisheye shots, others cater for distortions or microscopic imaging. These tend to appeal most to the camera buff seeking something new in their images, or the expert, professional photographer who needs to cover a wide range of options for their occupational use of the digital camera.

Some of the more expensive brands and styles of digital camera can still be purchased at a lower rate during sales and other opportunities to buy at the lowest price. Digital camera sales increase at sales time accordingly. However, this can also happen when a camera store sells off former stock to make way for new models, at which time many fantastic bargains are obtainable, allowing for purchasers to buy a better model with their money than they expected.

If you are simply searching for an everyday digital camera at a great price, many of the features will be irrelevant and you simply need to ensure that all necessary items are included to save further purchases later on. The essentials generally include batteries, a battery recharger, a camera case, and a memory card or USB attachment, the latter two enabling you to transfer your pictures from camera to computer or printed photograph. These complete camera packages can be located online or in sale for the lowest price. Digital camera use is now within everyone’s budget.

If you want to find the best source for the Lowest Price Digital Camera, then your search has ended. You will also find thousands and thousands of the lowest priced consumer electronics at Consumer Home Electronics

further info visit: http://www.petrousdigitalcameraprices.blogspot.com

Have you ever been in the circumstance exactly where you urgently need passport photos, to get a passport, driving licence or position application mailed on time? Although it is recommendable to seek out the help of someone for your passport picture requirements, the hectic life-style and disorganized day-to-day schedules of a lot of necessarily mean that a second pair of palms can’t always be found.

Choosing your own passport picture shots is not as basic as getting a photograph at arm’s length for your social networking page. Most businesses specify unique distance and lighting ailments, so that a total facial biometric can be obtained. If you’re searching for a speedy level-and-simply click option, you’re going to be disappointed. To acquire your unique shot, you will will need to be mindful of the accurate regulations regarding acceptable snap shots.

Fixed-Up

Former to capturing your self-portrait on your photographic camera, you will have to have to do a tiny preparation, including choice of the excellent spot. This doesn’t imply you have to go investing huge quantities of dollars on props and so-forth. You basically desire somewhere with a great, sufficient daylight supply, which at the identical time, is not in excess of-exposed to immediate, shiny sunlight. Photographers propose a West-dealing with space if at all feasible.

You also require to resource an ideal neutral background. A cream or off-white wall is best. Tiled parts or not. Your history should be as untextured and plain as attainable, basically since the image have to portray a sharp contrast involving all by yourself, and the history. White is generally much too dazzling and reflects gentle far too substantially.

Having a self-photo may well also suggest you have to set yourself a seat in your preferred locale. As you will not be manually controlling the digital camera, it will will need to be positioned at encounter/ shoulder peak to capture a total shot of your mind. You may well need to have to make use of a piece of furnishings upon which the photographic camera sits at your head peak.

Photographic camera

Commonly, any variety of digital photographic camera will suffice for your passport photos requirements, even so, one with at least five million mega-pixels is preferable for decent picture clarity. You can generally rectify prevalent photography complications inside the cost-free passport photo software package suite, having said that, your digicam really should be capable to acquire clear photographs, absolutely free from fuzziness.

To consider a self-portrait photography, you will 1st have to collection the timer. Previously to executing so, you need to verify your handbook settings this kind of as the flash. As you are using your self-portrait with a ample mild supply obtainable, the flash will only result in light-weight bounce and red-eye. Make positive your digital camera concentrate is fixed to automated; this will modify the focus as soon as you have sat in front of the surveillance camera. If you have the “encounter detection” characteristic on your photographic camera, it is recommendable to use it, as the digicam will automatically “find” your facial area previously to the timer countdown.

As a final point, adjust your timer location to make sure you have a great deal of time to get back to your seat and strike a relaxed pose. There is very little worse than establishing the timer, only for the video camera to “take” the photograph before you are completely ready.

Computer software

Critical to attaining ideal passport photos is the photo editing software you use. Most of us are not lucky sufficient to have time for Photo Store tutorials, as a result we will need something that features instantaneous enhancing and printing abilities. CamToPrint’s free passport picture software package has enhancing, re-sizing and printing abilities all bundled into an individual chic, straightforward-to-use system.

Utilizing the software is a cinch, on the other hand, there are tutorials featured on the web page, ought to you require a assisting hand. CamToPrint recognise that we don’t all have time to sit through 30-minute movies, which is why they have made presentations that can be stopped and commenced at your leisure. They are also particularly uncomplicated to comprehend, demonstrating wherever you need to mouse click future, in move-by-phase format. With CamToPrint, you can get commenced in minutes, and have your printable photos prepared to meet the mail deadline the similar day!

Selecting either a home security camera system, or a camera to be used for a commercial reason, can be frustrating if you don\’t know what you are looking for in protection. For instance, do you want a real or fake home security camera system, meaning, do you need a system that will actually alert the police, or do you feel that the aesthetic of having a camera visible on the premises is good enough to ward off predators? Are you interested in the way that a monitor is going to look? Do you want something that is obvious or discrete? Regardless of what your needs are, there is something that can come close to what you want. Cameras will come in three basic forms, hopefully learning the basics will help to cut down on some future decisions.

The first kind of home security camera is known as a dome camera. Obviously, this camera comes in the shape of a dome and it fits conveniently on the ceiling of your home or business. You will find the dome cameras often times in casinos where they are used to monitor the tables. You will also find home security at its most fashionable with the dome lens. There are dome cameras that can be placed outside, however, you must use a special armor type in order to do this kind of mounting. Sony carries two different types of dome security cameras and they are a leader in the industry. You can choose from the Verifocal dome camera, which has the highest resolution (420 lines) and an adjustable lens. You can also purchase Sony\’s Infrared Armor dome camera, which acts as a hidden camera and is the most durable of all of the dome cameras. Dome cameras are the most popular security cameras because they are impossible to detect which angle they are viewing unless you are at close range. They come in black or white and they all have adjustable lenses.

The second type of home security camera is the bullet camera. The lens is long and resembles a rifle, which is where the camera finds its name. Bullet cameras are easily visible and can be mounted to a wall or a ceiling. They use a 12V DC voltage, and the power cable should be included when the camera is purchased. Most of these cameras will film in color and then change their resolutions to black and white when the light levels are lower. The resolution during the day is much better with the bullet security systems, but if you have an alternate form of lighting, like a streetlight, people can sometimes be seen from up to 70 feet away. The most popular brand of bullet security cameras is the SPECO CVC-6805SX, which is color and has a fixed lens of 4mm.

Many businesses rely on a home security camera at night. However, it can be hard to see the footage when there is no light. The infrared camera has built in lights around the lens so you are able to view your taped footage with ease. However, the infrared lighting can cause a problem when it is used at a home due to the glare that is created from the windows. Some people will think that an infrared camera is the same as a night vision camera, although the night vision camera does not have built in lighting around their lens. Prices can vary on the infrared cameras, but the most affordable home security model is the QSVC422 CCD color outdoor camera made by Digital Peripheral Solutions.

Security cameras can provide a cushion of comfort for a secure home, especially when you have an investment that you want to protect. A home security camera can scare an obvious thief, and also catch an unsuspecting one if it is a strategically hidden camera. Home security cameras have become more popular with people who own second and third homes, and feel like they need an insurance policy for their property, so to speak while the business owner has been protecting his own with security cameras since the advent of the entrepreneur. Just remember that it can never hurt to be proactive about your safety.

Today’s digital cameras offer a bewildering array of different settings to consider before you even take a shot. This can be really confusing if you’re a beginner, and the temptation is to assume it’s all too difficult and just let the camera make all the decisions for you.

What you might not realize is that while there are a large number of settings that you can change on the average digital camera, there is a much more limited subset of really important settings, and you can learn what these do pretty quickly. This is worthwhile, because while modern cameras are clever, you’ll need to take control of your camera in order to really take your photography to the next level.

In this article, we’ll look at three of the most important and talked-about camera settings.

# Camera Modes

‘Mode’ is the most important camera setting of all. This is because mode is a ‘parent’ setting that affects which other settings are selectable by you, and which the camera will control automatically.
With the exception of the smallest compacts, most cameras will have a mode selector dial, and this will be located on the top or back of the camera. While the terminology will change from manufacturer to manufacturer, every camera will have the following modes: automatic; program; manual; aperture-priority, and shutter-priority.

Today’s cameras almost always have a selection of ‘scene’ modes as well, such as night, sports, pets, portrait and so on. If there are only a few scene modes they will be on the mode dial as well; otherwise they will probably be only selectable from within the camera’s menu system.

Most people use their camera in automatic mode most of the time. This means that the camera is doing absolutely everything for you. If you really want to take your photography above the level of basic, uninspiring snapshots, you’ll need to stop using automatic mode, and at least learn about aperture-priority and shutter-priority modes. In these two modes you are able to set (respectively) aperture and shutter speed, and ISO (in both).

# ISO

In the days of film, photographers had to choose what sort of film to use. Among other things, film comes in varieties which are either more or less sensitive to light. Films which are more sensitive to light are called ‘faster’ films, and while they are much more versatile, the downside is that they are ‘grainier’, which limits the degree to which they can be enlarged and still look good.

ISO is the digital equivalent to film speed. A low ISO number (such as 100) mean low sensitivity to light but higher-quality, less ‘noisy’ (this is the digital equivalent of grainy) results. A high ISO number (such as 800) means high sensitivity to light, but noisier pictures. You should try to use low ISOs whenever there is enough light to do so, and only use higher ISO when you are forced to. Note that in automatic mode, this is not a setting you can change for yourself.

# White Balance

You will probably have heard of ‘white balance’ before. To understand the concept of white balance, you need to know that not all light is the same. Light comes in a variety of different ‘temperatures’. An easy way to think of this is to imagine a continuum of light, with warm (orangey-yellow) tones on one end, cool (bluey-green) tones on the other, and neutral (colorless) light in between.

What setting white balance does is tell your camera what sort of light you are shooting in. The settings have names such as ‘daylight’, ‘cloudy’, and ‘tungsten’. Your camera then compensates for this temperature of light, allowing you to produce neutral photos in the nominated type of light. Without white balance, photos would have a particular color cast depending on the light they are shot in.

While it’s important to understand white balance, in practice it’s not a setting you need to change often. This is because all cameras have an ‘auto white balance’ mode which is pretty good at picking the right white balance for the light you are in.

Pentax Digital Cameras – the words echo in the mind, when we hear this name. Pentax has always been our one of the premier choices when it comes to buying cameras, or for that matter, digital cameras. In this digital era, Pentax has made its presence felt all over the world. Pentax Digital Cameras have always been marked excellent when it comes to their quality and performance.

Since the introduction of its first camera in 1952, Pentax has been consistently delivering constant photography innovations to the people. It has always been a technological leader in the ever changing technology. Its prominent contribution has been the 35 mm SLR camera. The dedication and development of Pentax as a camera company has always been on the winning note and it continues to be stronger than ever. So, Let us study about the digital cameras of this company which it has offered to the world.

Pentax has released many cameras over the period of 80 years. It has helped people capture precious moments of their life with new and improved cameras. The legacy of Pentax Digital Cameras continues to grow with pride. Well, talking about the legacy, Pentax has basically two categories of cameras. The first is known as the Optio Digital Cameras and the second is known as the Pentax’s *ist Digital Cameras. So let us take a look at each of these categories one by one.

The Optio Digital Cameras are perfectly suited for novice camera users and photo enthusiasts. The various cameras under these categories are very easy-to-use and some of them are highly sophisticated and advanced. These cameras provide many user-friendly features and many image-enhancing options as well. The usages of these cameras elevate the experience of real time photography. Let us study some of the specification these cameras offer us.

These cameras are available in a range of 2.0-6.0 megapixels resolutions. These cameras have a 1/ 2.5 inch interline transfer CCD. The LCD monitor is a TFT 1.8 inch color screen with 100% LCD resolution and a resolution of about 130,000 pixels. These cameras are available in different picture modes like landscape, portrait, sports, night scene and many more. These cameras have an in-built setting for language preference from English, Spanish, German, Italian, Dutch, Russian, French and Swedish. The computer system requirements of the system for data transfer through these cameras are a standard USB port, Windows 2000, XP, Me, 98, 98SE.

The other category of Pentax Digital Cameras is known as Pentax *ist. This category marked the second entry of the company into the market of digital SLR consumers. These cameras are available as 6.1 megapixels resolutions, an APS format sensor and 2.5 inch LCD display with 210,000 pixels resolutions. These cameras have an in-built option of ISO setting up to 3200. The storage format of these cameras also includes the RAW file format along with the JPEG and TIFF formats.

The white balancing modes in these cameras are auto, cloudy, daylight, shade, fluorescent light, tungsten light and manual setting. The storage media of these cameras is SD card. The camera allows depth of field view before clicking the photographs. The LCD monitor of the camera provides slide show, digital filter and image rotation capabilities. These cameras also have a single and all delete function. These cameras would certainly cater to the needs to the advanced camera users and amateur enthusiasts.

So if you are thinking of buying a new Pentax Digital Camera, you should definitely consider choosing the one from the above two categories.