Several functions that manufacturers promote cameras on their computers go beyond a simple commerci
al hook to attract buyers. Behind characteristics commonly used by vendors such as face and smile detection, image stabilizer, auto focus, panning or contrast sensors is a determined bid to make companies easier to operate the equipment and simplify things at the moment taking a picture.
According to Carolina Vasquez, manager of marketing and sales of Canon, although people look attractive in appearance and cameras with built-in options, does not like reading manuals and have a product that is complex in its functioning. Therefore, Vasquez said, many users want a device to do everything for them, not to manipulate complicated and as simple as turning and pressing the shutter and the photo is well taken.
In addition, teams are becoming more friendly with graphical icons that immediately identify the corresponding function. Even some models, selecting an option, shown on the screen explaining what is going to change.
For its part, Paola Illera, product manager of Sony’s personal image, he adds that at present a good part of the functions to facilitate the capture of photographs is included in the basic cameras, so people should know that this purchase a low-cost device can enjoy these features. For example, in the case of Sony, the company began including its role in panoramic photography in the high-end cameras, but from 2011 will all models available in the market.
The options that manufacturers have been incorporated to achieve this objective are varied. Prominent among them are the possibility that the device detect the type of scene and automatically fits the setting for the shooting, the immediate correction of hand movements when you press the shutter and the ability to crop or resize a photo directly from the camera. Below is an explanation of the most important reason to be definitive at the time to better capture the moments.
Image stabilize:
This is one of the longest features built into digital cameras, useful for those whose pulse is not the best. Its objective is to minimize hand movements that naturally when the person presses the shutter. Thus it is possible to obtain sharper images, with brightness and naturalness, even when you take photos and is in motion or in time of low light and in which no one wants to use the flash.
The image stabilizer according to the manufacturer, it is optical or digital. The optical image stabilized before being processed, which is not lost on picture quality, while digital technology, while efficient, the technique used sacrifices some resolution and clarity of the photo.
Automatic Scenes
To avoid users having to manipulate the shooting modes of
digital cameras, manufacturers have begun to include the scene-detection feature for people who do not know much about photography or those unwilling to adjust the device in accordance with the specific moment to capture.
The camera is placed in automatic mode and depending on the environment and the characters (portrait, macro, backlight, overexposure) the device you choose, in the case of Canon equipment with Auto Smart choice among a range of up to 21 different configurations. In the Sony and Olympus products called Intelligent Auto. This ensures the quality of the image.
Face Detector
Since many of the photographs that captures people include people, manufacturers have included the option of face detection, which is activated automatically on most cameras. The function identifies the faces present in a wall, displays a box on each and allows the photographer to make a more focused approach to their faces.
The face detection works well in small groups, because if too many people to photograph, the camera can not make a tight focus for each of the faces.
Smile Detector
One of the first companies that innovated in this regard was Sony, with its line of CyberShot cameras. The function is activated from the menu and allows the camera to automatically take the picture when the person smiles. However, you may smile graduate levels to capture the moment when the individual (also applies to several characters) make a simple grin or just until they release a laugh.
Manufacturers like Canon have included the option of flicker detector, which takes the picture when the person doing this movement of the eyes, so used to people who do not smile much.
Panoramic photography
The panoramic photos are ideal for capturing images of landscapes and places where what you want to portray has a length larger than will fit on the camera angle. The first attempts with this function requires the user to take a picture and go first by moving the device to adjust the image below adjusted to a light shade left by the previous. This system, although efficient, in some cases it becomes so necessary.
The Sony cameras Sweep option includes the Panorama or panoramic sweep, to take pictures of this type horizontally or vertically. The user simply sets the function and then press the shutter, the camera must slide in the direction you want to finally get a picture with an angle of 270 degrees.
In-camera editing
Certain camera models go beyond taking the picture, taking into account that many times users want to do some repairs to the images without having a computer on hand and special applications for retouching and photo editing.
For example, it is possible to cut the photos to remove an unwanted object or when you want to remove part of the picture because it is considered that enough (this reduces its size). There is also the option to resize images, which involves lowering the resolution if they have been taken at a high. This can free up the memory card to take more if it is already full.
The color swap feature allows you to choose the color of an object that is in the photo and replace it, since it is in the same range of colors.
Contrast Sensor
To improve the quality of the photographs, certain models of Canon, for example, have the Intelligent Contrast sensor, which can be applied automatically or graduated according to the user’s taste. Thus, the option allowing levels of the photo colors depending on the amount of light that has the scene, as well as adjust the tonality of the skin when people are portraying. This also applies before and after taking the picture, to correct the red eye problem in people.
To locate photos
Computers with Global Positioning System (GPS) have also incorporated and record the location and compass direction in which the photo has been captured and allows, by carrying images to the computer, view them on a map grouped according to the site that have been taken. This information even work with some Web services like Panoramio (www.panoramio.com) of Google, whose community contributions to make images for people to know various parts of the world through the scenes captured by the users.
Perfect shot
For those who like to experiment with different effects and functions of the camera but do not want a complicated handling, Perfect Shot option, included in the Olympus, it offers the possibility of seeing in the LCD of the camera several small pictures, each with a different effect applied.
So you can choose to take the picture before which one is more attractive or best adjusted to the environment to be captured, thus avoiding capture many images then select the ideal.
Photo of ‘spare’
This option is simple, but saves time and is useful when taking photos in scenes where lighting is difficult, it can be backlit, nightlife or dark days. The function ‘dual shot’ or ‘double take’ captures a second photo automatically, without pressing twice the shutter of the camera. Thus, the user can then select between them which has been better and prevent blurred images with little definition.
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