Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Today's compact cameras are so advanced that you no longer need a large high-tech camera
to take topnotch photographs. Naturally, if you want the ultimate control over your photos or
you're a hardcore photography buff, you'll still probably bring along your DSLR but you may
consider a second small camera for day-to-day photography.
Megapixels.
Many people assume that more megapixels means better photo quality. This
simply isn't true. Even budget cameras come with 10-plus megapixels (which is more than
what most people need). Anything higher than 8MP should be fine for the average traveler.
The real quality comes from a nice lens and sensor quality.
Fast lens.
Lens aperture is measured in f/numbers, such as f/2.0 or f/3.5. You want as low
a number as possible. Basically, the lower the number, the better it will perform in low-light
situations.
Zoom.
Having the ability to zoom is a nice feature. When looking at the camera's zoom
capabilities, always look for the optical zoom measurement. The optical zoom uses physical
glass to enlarge the image. Ignore the “digital” zoom because they just uses software to enlarge
the image but it results in poor-quality pixelated images.
Lens quality.
A high-quality lens is one of the things that separate low-quality cameras
from high-quality cameras. The best way to find out about the lens quality is by reading re-
views.
HD video.
High-end cameras can easily take movie-quality video but even cheaper point-
and-shoot cameras can give some fairly amazing video.
Wi-Fi and GPS.
These features aren't necessary but they're kind of cool to have. GPS is
cool because it imbeds the exact location of every photo you take. Then you can sync it up to
Google Maps to see where you were when you took the photo. Wi-Fi is also handy because it
lets you upload your photos to your computer without having to take out the memory card.
Some cameras can sync with your smartphone and from there you can upload your photos to
the Web.
CHOOSING THE TYPE OF DIGITAL CAMERA FOR YOUR TRAVEL
STYLE
There are three major digital camera categories—point and shoot, DSLR, and micro four-
thirds. I've also included a fourth category of smartphone digital cameras since so many
