Let’s start, not with a camera, but with an image. Look at the picture of the cat on this page. Notice how the eyes, the fur, every whisker, every wisp of hair, are all pin-sharp. And rest assured, the quality is retained when this image is interpolated to A4 size. Now consider this. The picture was shot more than 23 years ago with a Nikon Coolpix 880, whose total pixel count was just 3.34MP. Cost then: a little under £700. Value now, fully working with battery and charger: £30-40.
Given this, it’s tempting to ponder why you need to invest thousands of pounds on the latest digital gear when it’s still possible to get images of this quality from cameras that cost less than £50. That said, it has to be admitted that today’s supersonic, all-singing, all-dancing, whistle-blowing, bell-ringing digital cameras are not merely in a different league to these 50 quid wonders. They are a whole new species.
Stratospheric sums of megapixels, large sensors, mirrorless viewfinders, megaautofocus points, facial recognition, touchscreen operation, a multitude of shooting modes, time-lapse control, voice recording, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, text tagging, auto-correct function, best shot selectors, HD video… Be honest – how much of this do you really need?
The fact is, if you are happy to accept a few compromises, you can attain quality images from a small APS-C sensor that uses ten or fewer megapixels; used sensibly, you can make do with only a few autofocus points; and the four basic exposure modes will cover most circumstances.
CCD versus CMOS sensors
Denne historien er fra April 23, 2024-utgaven av Amateur Photographer.
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Denne historien er fra April 23, 2024-utgaven av Amateur Photographer.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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140 years of change
AP has become the world’s oldest surviving consumer photo magazine because we have moved with the times, says Nigel Atherton
Preserving history in platinum
A deep dive into the meticulous art of platinum printing, and the collaboration between the Royal Geographical Society and Salto Ulbeek. Mike Crawford explores how they brought historical photographs to life with enduring beauty and precision
Life in the past lane
What was life like for an amateur photographer in 1884? John Wade takes a trip back in time
Choice cuts
How many trillions of photographs must have been taken in the past 140 years? Amy Davies asked some of our regular contributors for their favourites....a difficult task, to say the least
How good a camera can you buy for just £140?
Three members of the AP team see what they can find for the money
Round Five: The Best of the Rest
The APOY judges choose their favourite images that didn’t make the top ten of our Landscapes category
Amateur Photographer of the Year
Here are the top ten images uploaded to Photocrowd from Round Five, Landscapes, with comments by the AP team and our guest judge
FILM STARS A lifetime of landmarks
Cameras that hit the headlines between then and now. John Wade is your guide
140 years of Amateur Photographer
As AP celebrates its 140th birthday next month, Nigel Atherton looks back at its glorious past
John Wade considers...World War II: Home Front 1940, by A.J O'Brien
Say the word 'Wall's' to those of a certain age and two things spring to mind: sausages and ice cream.