What About My Camera?

No matter which type of camera you have, the rules are basically all the same from an inexpensive instamatic to a top of the line 35mm or 2 1/4 square system, it all boils down to controlling the amount of light which gets through to the film. The same principles apply to even the new digital cameras, even though there's no film in those types of cameras.

It's all about letting the appropriate amount of light into the camera to be recorded by the "imaging" part of your system, be it on film or on a computer chip.

The film manufacturer usually suggests the correct f-stop setting and shutter speed, to record an image properly under various lighting conditions. This information may be on a data sheet which accompanies the film, or sometimes it's printed on the inside of the film box.

However the only difference in the image recorded by an inexpensive camera and a more costly one, will be the clarity of the image. The correct exposure is not affected at all by the type nor price of the camera.

To the viewer of your photographs, there are three things which are noticed.

1. if the photograph is properly exposed - not too bright or too dark

2. whether the photograph is sharp - (Is it in focus?)

3. whether the colours are realistic

The film processing has the most to do with realistic colours, but the photograher controls the first two points: the proper exposure and the proper focus.

We'll touch on the ways to properly expose your photographs, the possible reasons for your photos not being in focus later, and how to avoid poor colour rendition in other areas of this site. But in this section all that needs be said, is to purchase only the best camera you can afford. I've used "sure-shot" types of cameras, and very expensive high-end studio view cameras - you know the ones that you may have seen the photographer using in the studio - and still some of the best photographs I've taken have been made with an inexpensive 35mm camera.

The price of the camera has not so much to do with the quality of the shot, as you might think. People are rushing now to buy the latest digital camera thinking that their photography is going to magically rival the photography in those beautiful magazine layouts.

Well I'm sorry to disappoint you, but many a poor shot will still be taken with the most expensive of those cameras, unless the photographers adhere to the tried and true principles of good photographic technique. A digital camera is just another way of taking a photograph. It's the skill of the photographer which determines whether or not the shot will be a success.

The more expensive camera systems with their superior lens quality, will give you a sharper image on the negative, which translates to the sharpest possible image on the ensuing prints be they large or small in size.

If you're in the market for a new camera, may I suggest that you buy a decent quality 35mm camera with the avaiability of interchangeable lens, so that as time goes by, you at least have the option of acquiring different lenses if you wish. A good camera will probably last you a lifetime.

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