Send us your digital camera questions

Digital camera manufacturers keep coming up with new and innovative features. On the surface, these should make cameras easier to use and help you take better pictures. Face detection, for example, tries to set focus, exposure, and color balance so that faces appear sharp, well exposed and the proper color.

But is face detection really all that helpful to you? Have you seen an improvement in your photos? Did you know that when a little green box appeared around your subjects, that the camera was trying to change the exposure, focus and color balance so that that particular subject looked the best? And what if you didn't want to use this feature?

We're interested in hearing questions like these from you about every aspect of digital cameras and digital imaging, which we can answer as part of our summer photography feature that will post online in June. We'll choose the questions of interest to most people.

The questions can include not only queries about digital cameras, but also lenses, digital imaging software, printing, and camera accessories. Also, if you have any questions on how digital imaging technology works, or particular features, we'd love to hear them.

Your input will help us create upcoming content on digital cameras and related products.

Comments

[Anna C]

How many HP and Lexmark printers now give the user an error message that the 'ink is past the expiration date'. When this happens, the printer will not print until a new ink cartridge replaces the old. A problem for those of us who buy extra ink when it's on sale or don't go through a lot of ink.

[annie blanchard]

i have an olympus d-200L digital. ido not have a cable for the computer but the one olympus sells is not compatible with my computer. the cable has a pin serial connection and i need a usp port connector
the olympus co. says its not possible to use it with my computer unless some where out there is an adapter that might work. do you agreee with this and please tell me if there is a way to load pictures from this camera to my computer. ty vm

[Peter Armstrong]

Is the wi-fi feature worth the extra dollars? I'm looking at the new Nikon sub-compact series and the offer both wi-fi and non wi-fi versions. It seems like the right camera for me, but is it worth the extra money to purchase the wi-fi version?

[Cathy]

I am getting ready to buy my first digital camera, I would like to spend under 200.00 and get the best I can for my money. I know very little about camera's so I would hate to waste my money on something I'm unhappy with.

I would like it to be small with a view finder and LCD display. Will be taking pictures of family inside and out.

Help

Cathy

[william rudder]

I have a lot od film camera equiptment all pentax would like to upgrade to digital will my k1000 and super me lenses work on the digital cameras?

[Joe]

BAD:
Proprietary computer connections(ie KODAK) - I shouldn't have to take out my card to get pictures onto the computer because I don't want some massive stand or I need to replace the cable.
Increase MP without increase in quality - higher MP means nothing if the quality of those pixels are bad, I'll buy a good 5MP camera over a bad 8MP one. I don't know anyone who uses a PaS for making 8x10's, they just want their 5x7's to look good.
Digital zoom - Its essentially useless and only lends itself to lowering picture quality. At the very least make it easy to turn off.

GOOD:
Decreased shutter lag - it's getting better, but there are still many recent cameras that are over 1 second, and that should be unacceptable when designing these cameras.
Photostitching - The single most useful feature in a PaS that I have ever used. Assuming of course that the software does it well, I've seen it horribly implemented as well. I'm amazed that this isn't a standard function by now.
Better low light pictures - People using consumer level cameras are taking pictures everywhere, but mostly indoors. Everyone claims that they have great low light ability, but they mostly fail to deliver.

[Don Brown]

What does "card not initialized" mean?

[Penny Salley]

I have three Nikon lenses from my Nikon film camera.
135mm 1:28
55mm 1:35
28mm 1:35

Want to know if I am able to use them on a Nikon DSLR and if so
what models accept them?

[mybabyqueenie]

My brother gave me a dig camera. Problem with it is that images could not be uploaded into a PC due to the inability of the card reader to 'read' the images stored in the compact flash ( SanDisk brand). Could it be that the 'format' of the compact flash is incompatible with the PC or the card reader itself? Thanks

[Diese]

I am looking to upgrade to a SLR Digital Camera. I take mostly stills but I do like the movie option on other digital cameras. Do SLR Digital Cameras record movies?

[Robert Eckerfield]

A light sensor fast enough to let the lens stop down to F16 or even F32, so we can get some depth of field on close-ups.

[Cheryl]

I would like a manual that not only is in English, was written by someone for whom English is their FIRST language. There are entire sentences that mean absolutely nothing to me because of poor grammar, wrong words, or incorrect tense. It is frustrating enough just trying to figure out what all the symbols mean. Thank you.

[keith ailor]

My family has had 4 different models of the Canon Elph. An unadvertised feature that I HATE is that the telescoping lens will get stuck in the out position. I will never buy another Canon camera again unless they specifically and publically advertise that "if your lens ever gets stuck or is non-functional, return it to place of purchase for free immediate replacement." I hope someone from Canon reads this.

[Brenda White]

I have an Olympus fe-290 that I bought recently. I like that I can tuck this camera into a pocket - no need for a fanny pack or tote. The pictures are excellent and the camera options meet my needs.

I selected this model for its large screen monitor, but that screen is a problem. It's problem with this camera and other makes and models in the past. the viewing screen is so reflective that in bright sunlight I cannot see the subject. I have to point and shoot "by guess and by golly" hoping that I am capturing my subject. It's impossible to see the focus mark or to reframe the subject when I just cannot see the image.

A friend showed me another model by Olympus that has a matte screen. It appears that it is easier to see the detail in the monitor screen.

I will definitely consider this aspect when I buy my next small, viewfinder-less camera.

[Jeff Boevingloh]

I like: A viewfinder. Outdoor photography can be very tough with and LCD screen. My Sony camera's viewfinder is a lower resolution version of what the camera will actually record (sort of of like through-the-lens features on SLRs) and will actually dim if there is insufficient light for the shutter speed. A viewfinder also has a diopter adjustment so that people who can't focus on very near objects can use the camera without reading glasses.

Don't like: Controls and buttons all over the back of the camera that make it very difficult to take pictures in active situations without accidentally changing modes or getting into setup menus.

[Nancy E]

I would like to see more colors. Jpg's with only 256 colors look like posters next to film camera photos. RAW is not the answer. Not everyone wants to do heavy (or any) image editing.

[Brad]

Lag is the biggest issue. Most of our pictures are of kids and the lag makes taking spontaneous pictures hard and posed ones even harder as the kids will not sit still to wait for the camera to reset. I do not mind face recognition, except it seems to contribute to the lag time.

I will never buy another camera without AA batteries and an SD card. I think card readers are great and have never used the camera to computer cord. I agree with the vast majority of those on here that megapixels do not mean squat. How many of us blow up our photos beyond 5x7? Most of mine are viewed on the computer or online anyway.

My current camera does not have a viewfinder or a flip out screen and I miss both. However my wife and kids never use the viewfinder, so this may be a generational thing for those of us who grew up using film.

[Mike Miloserdoff]

I recently purchased my third digital camera since the inception of the digital camera. I like the following in a digital camera:

- automatic operation, as well as totally manual operation ability, as well as aperture and/or shutter speed priority operation (I come from a Canon AE-1 timeframe, one of the the first dinosaurs of the "shutter speed / aperture priority" features); This permits the user to override settings for situations such as night photography WITHOUT the use of a flash, etc., as well as give the user point-and-shoot capability for more normal photos, which are the "bread-and-butter" of the camera's automatic operations; Shutter speed proiority allows the user to set a fixed shutter speed (such as a fast shutter speed for action shots), and let the camera program the lens aperture setting based on the user's shutter speed selected. Aperture priority is vice-versa.

- AA batteries; when it comes to battery power source, the lowest common denominator, AA batteries, seem to be the key to getting batteries anywhere on planet earth. I was once in a national park which had only one general store, and a man's comment to the woman he was with in the camera battery section of the store was "they don't carry my battery type.... :-{"

- Ability to mount on a tripod. Does it have a tripod mount on the bottom of the body? A lot of smaler digitaL cameras do not have the threaded tripod socket on the bottom of the body. If the user wants to delve more into photograpy other than point-and-shoot, a tripod mount is a almost a must;

- Some digital cameras were designed more ergonomically than others. I tend to like the cameras which have a "finger-wrap" on the front, usually a protrusion or little "bump" on the front right side of the camera body, which allows your fingers to wrap naturally around the camera to grip it. They usually have a small rubber strip on the protrusion at about where your finger pads touch the camera body. The "finger-wraps" seem to allow the user to naturally hold onto the camera, almost at the same slope that your fingers curve at the first and second finger joint, when you bend your fingers in a gripping position.

- Settings menus that are more-or-less intuitive. This is something that can only be evaluated in a "brick-and-mortar" store. Some menus are less intuitive than others, and cause confusion when you want to change a setting in fast-order to take pictures.

[S Campbell]

These items are important to me:
1. good, large optical viewfinder (that comes close to either the old film/SLR viewfinder or on an old rangefinder). [not so good: digital viewfinder; small, "tunnel-vision" viewfinder; LCD-only]
2. fast lens (e.g., f2.8)
3. wide angle for landscapes, architecture (e.g., 28mm equiv.)
4. ability to shoot RAW (and have the RAW processing time fairly quick)
5. ability to set f-stop and shutter speed when necessary -- or at least have the two items displayed.
6. ability to have a few common set-ups as pre-sets (e.g., no flash; 2-sec timer).
7. bigger sensor (rather than just more pixels crammed onto a small sensor). The Sigma DP-1 is one possible model of this.
8. short shutter lag.
9. decent flash -- powerful enough for 10+ feet and far enough away from the lens to avoid red-eye.

[Bob Kay]

I have a really nice digital SLR Canon 30D...but the real camera I have is a point and shoot pocket camera...ultracompact. I buy one every 4 to 6 months for the improvements. Really important function is the "shutter lag" which I think some companies exagerate. This has a long way to go in the ultracompacts... Also zoom needs to get up there and we are now weeing 4x, 5x finally hitting the market. Lastly, the screens are nice but the old viewfinder is just plain really missing on the ultracompacts. Lastly, a couple of really hard buttons need to be added that represent the most common uses (or touch screen buttons would be nice) - time delay, movie mode, scenic mode, people mode. it won't get easier to use than that.

[Patrick]

DSLR (Nikon D40)
Like: capture fast moving subject - kids!
Dislike: cannot see from LCD what I am shooting (only thru viewer)

Point n Shoot (Sony T-3)
Like: LCD shows what I am shooting
Dislike: always miss or blur when trying to capture our 5 year old in action.

[Don]

likes:
large sensor for low light conditions
image stabilization
RAW image format
burst mode
macro mode
live view
light weight
wide angle lens

[Donna Sandin]

In January I bought a Panasonic DMC-TZ3 to "replace" my Pentax Optic 330GS purchased in early 2003. I wasn't unhappy with my Pentax but felt I should update for my trip to Antartica in February. I encountered this model when buying a camera for daughter for Christmas - she had shopped CU recommended models only and left the final decision up to me.

I was appalled to realize that the nice big screen perfectly reflects my own face in outdoor situations. And since there's no viewfinder, it's hard - until I get used to it - to compose the photo. A noted photographer aboard this trip assured me that indeed the only choice is to hold the camera at some distance when composing the photo.

Arriving home, camera shop suggested a stick-on sunshade hood, which I may get.

Luckily I had brought both cameras with me so I could adapt gradually to the new situation but I'm sorry I didn't realize this ahead of time.

[Odin7]

Consumer Reports Please read:
http://forums.steves-digicams.com/forums/view_topic.php?id=584433&forum_id=15
and
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=469090&page=2
(toward the end)
These sum up my questions dealing with a specific camera, Canon S5IS, now Made in China. However, I think they can be generalized to other models and camera manufacturers. I think Consumer Reports would do a service to the consumer by addressing whether digital camera performance is changing based on when and where a model is being produced. - Odin7

[lesliegl]

Most wanted features (wouldn't buy a camera w/o):
--electronic, preferably, or optical viewfinder
--silent mode - ability to turn off all sounds
--very good macro capability
--Image stablization on long optical zoom
--easy-to-see information for 40+ yr old eyes

Dumbest features:
--digital zoom
--stupid noise choices (say cheese? c'mon!)
--on-camera editing

[Jerome]

I agree with Sam.

Lag is THE issue.

Good: AA batteries, stabilization.
Bad: flash, ease-of-use dropping, digital "zoom" is a lie, need optical viewfinder.

---

A related topic: photo management software.

The verdict: not sustainable!

What software will you be using 5 years from now? 20? Most of them do not support standards (ITPC) properly. Understandable - they want to lock you in to a proprietary system. But reviewiers don't call attention to this.

It is really really hard to figure out which software plays nice with photos (most Adobe stuff) and which doesn't (Picasa).

[Michael Fripp]

Key features that I seek in a digital camera:
1) Quality optics. I will avoid a camera where the optics give a fuzzy picture
2) Low light ability. Typically, this means a low f-stop.
3) Moveable screen for ground-level or overhead shots. The moveable lens of the Sony F828 also accomplishes this goal
4) Speed to focus. More than shutter lag, the focus lag makes me miss shots.
5) Space for two memory cards within the camera. This allows for a backup memory card. Again, the Sony F828 offers this option.
6) Image stabilized. Real image stabilized - not the "up the film speed" marketing junk.
7) Water proof!
8) Threads on the lens. This allows placing a polarizing filter on the lens.
9) Ability to take infrared photographs. I get beautiful infrared pictures with the F828. I guess this isn't likely.
10) Better, clearer, and bigger eyepieces for viewing the image. I strongly prefer to hold the camera to my eye.
11) Ability to add an external flash to augment the built-in flash.
12) Long exposure ability. I miss the ability to take pictures of stars that I had with my old 35mm.

Future features that I would like to see
A) Camera recognizes when I need to use a fill flash on a sunny day. The fill flash helps to minimize the shadows on people's faces.
B) Variable exposure gain across the picture. Often the sky is washed-out and the people are overly dark. Why can't the camera offer lower-speed for the bright areas and high-speed for the dark areas?
C) Something better than jpeg but simplier than RAW. Specifically, I would like more bits than jpeg.
D) A better way to make photo books. The MyPublisher-style photobooks are easy to make, but their picture quality is insufficient.

[Leslie Dutton]

I have had several digital cameras. Currently have a Canon Rebel XPI and Pentax Waterproof point 'n shoot.

Good:
Shutter lag is improving.
LCD screens are getting bigger
Improved opticals in better quality point 'n shoots.
DSLRs make photography fun ... good point 'n shoots are great for capturing the moment, even in the water.
Basic Modes: Sport/Landscape/Macro and a few others
Great point 'n shoots (Pentax and Olympus) in waterproof versions that are also great for any outdoor activity.

Not So Good:
+ The megapixel race -- at best it's crummy marketing. At worst, quality has dropped.
+ LCD screens -- they are virtually impossible to see in daylight. Add back an optical viewfinder for optional use.
+ Small, slippery and hard to hold small cameras -- add some grip points to make holding on to them easier.
+ Screens/lenses that are exposed to scratching -- Point 'n shoots go in pockets and purses -- we need more choices with a sliding protective lense cover.
+ Fancy in camera editing -- who uses this?
+ Complex modes that complicate menus (e.g. pet mode)

Thanks!

[Sam]

I am an amateur photography that has used point and shoot and SLR film cameras. Also, I don't just shoot in full auto mode.

I am focusing here on point and shoot digital cameras and not dSLRs.

Like many users.
I like:
- Image stabilization
- AA batteries
- Flip out LCD
- LCD which can be viewed in bright sunlight
- Video capture capabilites

I dislike:
- Lag in taking pictures whether shot to shot or first picture. ONLY CRITICAL FEATURE IN MY LIST.
- Extreme lag in using flash. Would like to have the ability to connect an external small flash via a cord - rather than having to use Metz or other slave flash like I do now because it still requires the onboard flash to fire.
- Unrealistic high ISO modes which create unusable photos.
- Inability to zoom in video mode on a lot of cameras

I also dislike camera reviews that focus extensively on image quality for all cameras. Cameras (like other products) need to be reviewed based on target audience. Most users are not going to look at their pictures under high magnification to see the differences that reviewers see.

When I have lag times as they exist today I find that I miss a lot of pictures at family functions. Image quality is of no importance in a missed picture.

Camera companies need to focus on substance (at least in some of the cameras) and focus on the serious stuff in other cameras.

[GGSallee]

I think the two biggest points for me on a small camera are: 1) Image quality, and 2) Ease of use. I own film and digital SLR's and understand how to use a camera, but the options on some of the point & shoots are ridiculous. I personally want to know how little time I need to spend to be able to take pictures. Pushing tiny buttons to navigate through layers of menus does not appeal to me, if I carry a camera in my pocket I want it to be ready to go in an instant, not require several minutes to set up.

[John]

I agree (almost) completely with Joe Williams above
#1) lag between pix
#2) quicker start up time
#3) less emphasis on dig. zoom
#4) lag between shutter depression and shot
#5) (my addition) add more base memory and stop trying to jam more megapixels. for the avg user, 6Mpix is probably more than enough. Focus on that and by adding more on-board memory, you may be able to reduce #1 (above) with little to no effort.

[Jim Frank]

Cameras need the optical viewfinder. Using the LCD to frame your shot is extremely difficult in bright sunlight.

[BK]

Too many Megapixels. 8-10 is fine for everything, and really just 8.

I DO want a cable to my computer, because that's easier, and less wear and tear than taking out the SD card.

Better low-light handling instead of more MP. That means: bigger sensors with fewer MP, larger aperture. and no noise reduction (or less noise reduction!).

[Paul Rivers]

The these that are important to me, off the top of my head, are:
- Can it take good pics inside with standard lighting without using the flash?
- Shutter Lag - both outside and inside in low lighting. I agree with someone else who posted - I'd like to see a camera that takes the picture at the moment I pressed the button, like an SLR, rather than the 2-3 second lag time. Also - please measure actual time between pressing the button and the picture being taken. Sometimes I've seen reviews that measure the pic taking time if you prefocus (hold the shutter button down halfway), which is a pretty useless metric.
- Bootup time
- Does it run on AA batteries?
- As always, battery run time.
- I'd like to see some sort of measure of how big the camera is - for the ultra small ones, will it fit comfortably in my pocket?
- Obviously picture quality and color reproduction are important.

[Gordon Buck]

I'm a serious photo hobbyist and own several cameras including a DSLR and several digicams. I've been blogging recently about my attempts to squeeze the best performance out of the digicams. My own experiences and experiments support the questions and complaints voiced in many Internet discussion forums; especially

1. Shutter lag is a huge complaint. Unbelievably, shutter lag is a problem even on cameras that can be set to full manual mode!
2. Noise at high ISO sensitivity, especially above about ISO 200 to 400. Many users voice a pseudo-technical explanation and wish for fewer pixels as a compromise to reduce noise.
3. Wide angle lens. Most digicams have a 35mm equivalent focal length as the widest angle on the zoom. A 28mme would be far better for many scenes, especially indoor family snapshots. Some people even want 24mme.
4. Accurate optical viewfinder. The LCD display is difficult to see in bright sunlight. Existing optical viewfinders (many digicams don't even have one) suffer badly from parallax and reduced field of view.
5. On-camera flash, low power and red-eye are common complaints. Personally, I'd like a simple way to add an external flash but placed off-camera.
6. Faster shot-to-shot cycle times.
7. I personally prefer shooting in raw mode but many digicam users do not.

[David Manzi]

Not really a question, but a comment: the marketeers have, apparently, won and the manufacturers seem to be waging a "megapixel" war. By stuffing more and more pixels onto smaller sensors, noise increases and image quality suffers. It isn't the sheer number of pixels that determines image quality, but the overall combination of resolution, noise, color fidelity, sharpness, and other factors. I with the camera makers would focus on overall image quality, including the camera's ability to produce quality images at higher ISOs rather than just pixel stuffing.

[Joe Williams]

- On camera editing tools are a waste of time.
- The cable to connect to the PC is redundant now that SD card readers are so common.
- The MOST annoying feature on most digital cameras is the tiny flash... they all need to work to at least 12'
- The #2 most annoying feature is digital zoom. It's a waste of money and processor power.
- The most NEEDED feature on smaller point & shoot cameras is the lag between pictures.
- The #2 most NEEDED feature is quicker turn on time... cut the worthless features like face I.D., digital zoom, and on camera editing and maybe the camera will boot faster.

[Dick Waitt]

When I bought my current cameras - Canon A630 and A540 - I looked for AA batteries and SD memory chip. Both are so I can locally acquire fresh batteries and/or memory if needed.

The flip out and twist LCD display on the A630 is a feature I found very usable but I wonder how well it will last.

Face detection is not important to me.

I would like to try image stabilization but have not used a camera with this feature.

[Steve Christman]

Fuji a340 not compatible with windows vista, having difficulty changing from windows xp.

[Mike Baker]

I have often wondered about the durability of different cameras. Some digital compacts seem pretty solid, but others seem like the smallest bump would shatter them. Do certain features (like motorized zoom, removable memory cards, etc) add to the fragility of a digital camera? Are there certain manufacturers or certain types of features and promote durability?

[zlguocius]

I would like to know why we can't have a point-and-shoot digital camera which as quick as an SLR (shutter lag, next-shot lag, and off-to-on lag).

[Ronald Urbassik]

I like a camera with a flip-out-and-twist LCD display.
This permits low-angle and high-angle shots.
What cameras offer this feature?