Polaroid Cameras I brochure Why now?, Elements of a digital camera

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Digital v. Film: Camera Sales

 

90

 

 

 

 

 

 

Millions

80

 

 

 

 

 

 

70

 

 

 

 

 

 

60

 

Digital Worldwide

 

 

 

50

 

 

 

 

 

Digital US

 

 

 

 

Units,

40

 

Film Worldwide

 

 

 

30

 

Film US

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

20

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

0

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

 

 

 

Digital Worldwide

5.5

11

18.5

30.5

50

78

 

Digital US

2

4.3

6.5

11.5

17

23

 

Film Worldwide

67

71

66

63

57

49

 

Film US

16.8

20.6

19

19

16

13

 

 

 

 

Year

 

 

 

We are in the midst of a technological revolution that rivals the inventions of the automobile, the telephone, the television and the computer. Only this revolution is happening much faster. Over 23 million digital cameras were sold in the US in 2004.

Why now?

Advances in computer processing coupled with drastic reductions in the cost of computer memory have converged to supply low cost cameras that can produce quality images. When you hold a digital camera in your hand, you hold a hundred times the processing power and memory of the flight computers on the Space Shuttle!

The digital camera allows the amateur to take better pictures than with film. Why? The computer in the camera makes many adjustments prior to the shot. It not only adjusts the focus, but plans the exposure, contrast, lighting and the flash and adjusts the color balance for the ambient light. A film photographer would change film types or add filters to do the same thing; but the camera does it all in less than a second.

Elements of a digital camera

A digital camera is a lot different than a film camera. Until the advent of auto-focus in the 1980s, film cameras had very little in terms of electronics. A shutter release activated a spring loaded shutter and the film was briefly exposed to the image through the lens. The

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Contents Cameras Basic operation and features Why Digital?Why now? Elements of a digital cameraPage Page Megapixel 4064 x What the heck is a megapixel?Megapixel Page Low resolution applications Zoom Optical required, Digital only is not acceptableLCD screen Memory cardsCompression What is a JPEG? Big/Small Rugged/Fragile LensesUSB The connection from the camera to the computer Cleaning the lens of a cameraDigital camera flash Digital camera software What can you do with photo editing software? Photo restoration Jpg File typesBatteries Page Putting it all together Some other common features on many camerasSome cameras have this setting Page Printing at the digital kiosk Discussion questions on copyrights Addendum Copyright lawDiscussion questions on ethics Features common to most cameras Checklist MegapixelsFeature/Mode Select ZoomPage Addendum 2 Digital cameras versus the Space Shuttle Space Shuttle Camera Computer