TechTV's Digital Camera and Imaging Guide

TechTV's Digital Camera and Imaging Guide is a complete resource to use before and after buying a digital camera. You'll get expert advice from Les Freed, a PC Magazine editor who writes reviews on the newest consumer digital cameras and compatible software and hardware. This guide covers choosing the right camera, hardware, software, and Web resources, and shows how to capture, edit, store, and share images easily and with no previous photography experience. CONTENTS AT A GLANCE......Page 2 Copyright • 2002 by Que......Page 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS......Page 4 INTRODUCTION......Page 14 PART I CHOOSING A DIGITAL CAMERA......Page 16 CHAPTER 1 GOING DIGITAL......Page 18 THE COMPETITION: FILM......Page 19 DO YOU NEED A DIGITAL CAMERA?......Page 20 FILM VERSUS DIGITAL......Page 22 A QUICK TOUR OF A DIGITAL CAMERA......Page 26 SUMI’S SNAPSHOT......Page 30 CHAPTER 2 WHICH CAMERA TO BUY?......Page 32 P&S OR SLR?......Page 33 POINTS OF COMPARISON......Page 37 A QUICK TOUR OF THREE P&S CAMERAS......Page 39 A QUICK TOUR OF TWO SLR CAMERAS......Page 42 VIRTUAL SLRS......Page 44 HOW TO BUY A CAMERA......Page 46 SUMI’S SNAPSHOT......Page 51 CHAPTER 3 HOW MANY PIXELS ARE ENOUGH?......Page 52 IS MORE ALWAYS BETTER?......Page 53 WHERE DO PIXELS COME FROM?......Page 54 SENSOR SIZE......Page 55 WHAT’S COMING NEXT?......Page 57 SUMI’S SNAPSHOT......Page 59 CHAPTER 4 STORAGE AND CONNECTION OPTIONS......Page 60 STORAGE MEDIA......Page 61 CONNECTING YOUR CAMERA TO YOUR PC......Page 65 EXTERNAL CARD READERS......Page 67 SUMI’S SNAPSHOT......Page 69 CHAPTER 5 ALL ABOUT LENSES......Page 70 LENS BASICS......Page 71 ZOOM LENSES......Page 74 WHICH FOCAL LENGTH TO USE?......Page 75 COMMON LENS FAULTS......Page 76 SUMI’S SNAPSHOT......Page 77 CHAPTER 6 ESSENTIAL ACCESSORIES......Page 78 ADD-ON LENSES......Page 79 FILTERS......Page 82 BATTERIES AND CHARGERS......Page 86 OFF-CAMERA FLASH UNITS......Page 88 CAMERA SUPPORTS......Page 91 SUMI’S SNAPSHOT......Page 95 CHAPTER 7 EXPOSURE BASICS......Page 96 DETERMINING CORRECT EXPOSURE......Page 97 AUTOMATIC EXPOSURE MODES......Page 104 SUMI’S SNAPSHOT......Page 108 CHAPTER 8 CAMERA FEATURES......Page 110 FRAMING AND FOCUSING FEATURES......Page 111 EXPOSURE FEATURES AND CONTROLS......Page 119 FLASH CONTROLS......Page 125 SHOOTING CONTROLS......Page 126 PLAYBACK FEATURES......Page 130 SUMI’S SNAPSHOT......Page 133 PART II CHOOSING A PRINTER......Page 134 CHAPTER 9 INKJET PRINTERS......Page 136 INKJET DOMINANCE......Page 137 HOW INKJETS WORK......Page 138 ALL ABOUT INK......Page 142 SOFTWARE FEATURES......Page 144 SUMI’S SNAPSHOT......Page 148 CHAPTER 10 DYE-SUBLIMATION PRINTERS......Page 150 HOW DYE-SUB PRINTERS WORK......Page 151 A TOUR OF TWO PRINTERS......Page 153 SUMI’S SNAPSHOT......Page 158 CHAPTER 11 SHARING PRINTERS WITH WINDOWS......Page 160 PEER NETWORKING IN A PAGE OR TWO......Page 161 SHARING PRINTERS ON A WINDOWS NETWORK......Page 162 USING A DEDICATED PRINT SERVER......Page 168 SUMI’S SNAPSHOT......Page 170 CHAPTER 12 SHARING PRINTERS ON A MACINTOSH NETWORK......Page 172 SHARING MAC PRINTERS......Page 173 SUMI’S SNAPSHOT......Page 176 PART III USING YOUR CAMERA......Page 178 CHAPTER 13 HOW TO TAKE GREAT PICTURES......Page 180 WHAT MAKES A BAD PICTURE BAD......Page 181 TAKING BETTER PICTURES......Page 182 SUMI’S SNAPSHOT......Page 190 CHAPTER 14 DIFFICULT PICTURES MADE EASY......Page 192 PORTRAITS......Page 193 SCENIC AND TRAVEL PHOTOS......Page 196 BUILDING INTERIORS......Page 203 TELEPHOTO CLOSE-UPS......Page 205 PHOTOGRAPHING SMALL OBJECTS......Page 208 NIGHTTIME PHOTOS......Page 211 ACTION PHOTOS......Page 213 CHAPTER 15 MOVING BEYOND SNAPSHOTS......Page 216 RULE #2: KEEP IT SIMPLE......Page 217 RULE #3: PLACE THE MAIN SUBJECT OFF-CENTER......Page 219 RULE #4: INCLUDE THE FOREGROUND IN SCENIC SHOTS......Page 221 RULE #5: USE A FRAME......Page 222 RULE #6: USE LINES AND PATTERNS......Page 224 RULE #7: USE THE HORIZON TO INDICATE SCALE......Page 225 CHAPTER 16 DIGITAL IMAGES FROM FILM......Page 228 WHY FILM?......Page 229 CHOOSING A FILM SCANNER......Page 230 SUMI’S SNAPSHOT......Page 237 PART IV WORKING WITH DIGITAL IMAGES......Page 238 CHAPTER 17 PREPARING YOUR COMPUTER FOR DIGITAL IMAGING......Page 240 HOW FAST IS FAST ENOUGH?......Page 241 ALL ABOUT CD-R DRIVES......Page 244 COLOR CALIBRATION......Page 245 SUMI’S SNAPSHOT......Page 248 CHAPTER 18 IMAGING SOFTWARE—WHAT CAN IT DO?......Page 250 EDITING AND MANIPULATING IMAGES......Page 251 SUMI’S SNAPSHOT......Page 268 CHAPTER 19 PRINTING YOUR IMAGES......Page 270 IMAGE SIZE AND THE PRINTED PAGE......Page 271 ANOTHER PROBLEM: COLOR MATCHING......Page 274 PUTTING THE RIGHT INK ON THE RIGHT PAPER......Page 277 SOFTWARE: CHOOSING THE RIGHT TOOL......Page 278 SUMI’S SNAPSHOT......Page 288 CHAPTER 20 OUTSOURCING YOUR PRINTING......Page 290 YOUR LOCAL PHOTOFINISHER......Page 291 ONLINE PHOTOFINISHING......Page 292 A TOUR OF OFOTO......Page 293 SUMI’S SNAPSHOT......Page 297 PART V SHARING YOUR IMAGES......Page 298 CHAPTER 21 ORGANIZING AND PROTECTING YOUR DIGITAL IMAGES......Page 300 ORGANIZING YOUR IMAGES......Page 301 SAVING YOUR IMAGES ON CD-ROMS......Page 313 SUMI’S SNAPSHOT......Page 317 CHAPTER 22 SHARING YOUR PICTURES ON THE WEB......Page 318 SHARING YOUR PICTURES ON THE WEB......Page 319 SUMI’S SNAPSHOT......Page 333 PART VI ONLINE RESOURCES......Page 334 CHAPTER 23 DIGITAL IMAGING RESOURCES ON THE WEB......Page 336 DISCUSSION FORUMS......Page 337 CAMERA MANUFACTURERS/IMPORTERS......Page 338 APPENDIX A A TOUR OF TECHTV......Page 340 TECH LIVE QUICK FACTS......Page 341 NETWORK PROGRAM GUIDE......Page 342 INDEX......Page 346 A complete resource to use before and after buying a digital camera. Teaches image manipulation, editing, processing, and online sharing.-- This book provides expert advice from a PC Magazine editor who writes reviews on the newest consumer digital cameras and compatible software and hardware.-- Covers choosing the right camera, hardware, software, Web resources and shows how to capture, edit, store, and share images easily.-- Ties into the TechTV show, Fresh Gear, that reaches more than 24 million homes across the US.Even though the technology of digital imaging is widely available at affordable prices, there is still much confusion among users. The author, Les Freed, of PC Magazine, receives numerous emails from users everyday who are confused, disillusioned, and disappointed because they are not receiving the high-quality results they had hoped. In this book, Les helps the reader choose the right camera, understand how to manipulate imaging using light, effects, and exposure, choose the right printer, and process and share images online. Les hears about cameras and peripherals from both the consumers and the manufacturers, allowing him to put the questions and answers from both points-of-view in a concise consumer digital camera guide. This will be the only book users will need to get up and running even before they buy a camera.