Digital vs Old School Camera for Model Railroad Photography

[AggroJones]

To the masters of photography:

WHAT are the KEY elements in a digital camera that make for photos good enough to be published? I know its more than just high mega pixles count. Digital zoom? Aperture? Sensor size? Image resolution? What are the main camera features that make your photos so "good"?

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by FundyNorthern

QUOTE: Originally posted by JPM335

I have a 10MP digital camera that I picked up on ebay for about $150. Thats right, 10MP for $150!!! The pictures are incredible, better than film in my opinion. However, I have to compress the pics before I post them so the pics I post here on the forum arent near the quality I see on my PC. Oh well...

What kind of camera is it? I've seen ads in Popular Science for small Bell & Howell digital cameras claiming to have 10MP. If you read the fine print it says something like "10MP is interpolated", which means the camera's sensor is a lot smaller than 10MP and fills in extra pixels to achieve the so-called 10MP. It's all smoke and mirrors.

Any camera with real 10MP would be in the multi-thousand dollar professional range SLR from Canon or Nikon or other high end firms.

As long as you are having fun with it, I guess that's what counts. But you should check into the camera to see exactly what MP it is actually offering.

Bob Boudreau

Its an SVP camera. The guy who sells it owns the company or something so gets it direct from the factory. I guess it could be interpolated but smoke and mirrors or not it takes great pictures. I also have a 4MP camera and this is much better.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by AggroJones

To the masters of photography:

WHAT are the KEY elements in a digital camera that make for photos good enough to be published? I know its more than just high mega pixles count. Digital zoom? Aperture? Sensor size? Image resolution? What are the main camera features that make your photos so "good"?

Everything you mentioned except digital zoom is important. I usually recommend that the digital zoom never be used. All it is doing is cropping the center of the photo and using this area as the full frame of the image. You can do the same with a photo program, it doesn't give you any more magnification.

As to what features makes a camera take "good" photos, there isn't really any specific one. The main ingredient in great photos is the photographer. The camera is a tool, it's the photographer's eye that makes the photo. Give a really fancy camera with all of the goodies to an inexperienced person, and all they will mostly take is snapshots. Give a simple camera to a person with the artistic eye, and he will produce much better photos.

Photography, like good model railroading, can be an artistic medium. Some people are born with a natural ability to see and take great photos (or paint great ones); others can learn.

It helps to have a lot of practice and experience. Golfing great Arnold Palmer is supposed to have remarked to someone who said that he was very lucky in golf that "Yes I'm lucky, and the more I practice, the more lucky I get". Practice, practice, practice may make perfect!

Learn all about photography, find out about lighting, and composition - one of the most important aspects of photography. Look at photos that you like and try to find out why you like them, copy them with your own equipment and setup.

Good cameras help, a good eye and experience are vital!

Bob Boudreau