Old Digital Camera
- Thread starter SkyRider
- Start date
Only in the sense that as cameras get better resolutions the picture quality gets better. So by comparison yes your camera won't look as good side by side with a more modern camera with higher resolution. But if your camera is 6 yrs old it is probably 5 mega pixels at best. Today it still takes a pic with 5 mp resolution. So the pic quality is the same as it was 6 yrs ago.
Mind you you also have to consider how you are displaying the pictures as your prints are only as good as the dpi of your printer. So you only get the benefits of the higher res if your printer can handle it. Otherwise it is a moot point.
A nice computer monitor will show the difference between a low and hi res photo.
Camera's are pretty cheap these days for 100 to 300 you will likely get a camera that is far better than the one you had 6 yrs ago.
The camera in my smart phone is 8 mp meaning it takes better pics than my old 5 mp camera. However the zoom is not as good.
Mind you you also have to consider how you are displaying the pictures as your prints are only as good as the dpi of your printer. So you only get the benefits of the higher res if your printer can handle it. Otherwise it is a moot point.
A nice computer monitor will show the difference between a low and hi res photo.
Camera's are pretty cheap these days for 100 to 300 you will likely get a camera that is far better than the one you had 6 yrs ago.
The camera in my smart phone is 8 mp meaning it takes better pics than my old 5 mp camera. However the zoom is not as good.
Make sure you didn't miss or made all the software updates/firmware from the manufacturer's support site.
I have heard so many erroneous statements about megapixels over the last several years. Megapixels do not a good camera make. The most important aspect of a digital camera is the size of the sensor. A 5 Megapixel camera with a larger sensor is better than a 12 megapixel with a small sensor. I have seen outstanding pictures taken with DSLR's that were only 5MP, and they were blown up to poster sized images. That is because the larger sensor can have larger pixels. Don't be fooled by more megapixels = better image quality!
Basically, I'd take some pictures with the old camera and see how they look in your preferred display method. If they look really good, maybe a new camera won't improve things all that much.
You are dead right on this, megapixels as a tool to determine camera quality is way overhyped. I would add to the issue of size, the issue of the quality of the sensor as well.
I have a 7 year old DSLR (6Mp) that I still use regularly and get great results (including as a backup camera for shooting weddings).
10 years ago, megapixels mattered because sensor sizes were so small. A 1mp camera simply couldn't take good enough pics to enlarge. More megapixels gives you flexibility in enlarging or in cropping pics.
But, updating your older digicam does have specific benefits. Generally, stuff that newer cameras have that your 6 year old camera won't (and you might appreciate) include:
- Larger LCD screen (2.5" or even 3" screens vs. 1.5")
- Less shutter lag (the camera will fire with less delay)
- More sophisticated focusing and colour processing algorithms
- Capability of using larger memory cards (8mb+ vs. 2Mb)
My fave brand right now is Panasonic. Great colour rendition for what I normally shoot. In contrast, I hate Olympus, horribly cold biases.
10 years ago, megapixels mattered because sensor sizes were so small. A 1mp camera simply couldn't take good enough pics to enlarge. More megapixels gives you flexibility in enlarging or in cropping pics.
But, updating your older digicam does have specific benefits. Generally, stuff that newer cameras have that your 6 year old camera won't (and you might appreciate) include:
- Larger LCD screen (2.5" or even 3" screens vs. 1.5")
- Less shutter lag (the camera will fire with less delay)
- More sophisticated focusing and colour processing algorithms
- Capability of using larger memory cards (8mb+ vs. 2Mb)
My fave brand right now is Panasonic. Great colour rendition for what I normally shoot. In contrast, I hate Olympus, horribly cold biases.
Also, if you interchanged lenses on your old digital camera, there is some possibility that your sensor requires cleaning.
A quick way is to look at the diameter of the lens - if there's a big piece of glass on the front (like an SLR), the sensor is probably a large one and will generally have better ISO and a nicer image.
If the diameter of the lens is size of your pinkie nail, it's probably a small sensor. That doesn't mean it will take a bad picture though, even small sensors are very sophisticated these days with all sorts of tricks to maximize light gathering.
Amen, one of my cameras is an old kodag 2 megs. the pictures are magnificent. If you buy a new camera look for a HS (high sensitivity) Example a canon 300 hs , they take beautiful pics in low light...
One of my friends said that as a camera ages, the lense, the sensor and processor become less effective. Hence, the result is a poorer quality photo. I compared the current pics to ones I took with the same camera 5-6 years ago and the image quality of the older pics do seem better.
Is that with or without flash? The problem with flash is the rather "harsh" light and "hot spots". Anybody tried the HD and Full HD videos on the newer cameras?
I've taken about 8,000 pictures on my 2008 low end Sony Cybershot and it is still going strong. I leave my Nikon, 2 Minoltas, 2 Pentaxs at home now and have the Sony handy whenever an opportunity strikes...unlike the bulkier SLR's, but that's just my experience.
I find the image is still good, however lately I've accidentally left it pointing toward the sun and I think that is what will degrade the sensors and the image.
I find the image is still good, however lately I've accidentally left it pointing toward the sun and I think that is what will degrade the sensors and the image.
The answers below are not bad (ie look at specs) but there are lots of online reviews and I have some salesman at Henry's who are always willing to educate me when I ask.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/APS-C
Basically most consumer compact cameras have the small sensors in the lower left hand of the box.
Next step up is the 4/3 system, followed by APS-C (large portion of DSLRs today) and the classic 35mm size.
The micro 4/3 system (e.g. E-pl2, panasonic g3) offers the sweet spot in terms of lens size and image quality.
APS-C cameras require much heavier and bulkier lenses - which is why Sony's NEX series looks so weird. But almost all professionals use DSLRs for their work.
I have 6 digital cameras that I've purchased over the last 15 years or so and they all have different features and benefits. You're correct in saying that more megapixels doesn't necessarily mean better pictures. The one thing nobody has mentioned is the quality of the lens. I have a 10 year old 4 megapixel Nikon that still to this day takes amazing pictures due to the quality of the lens. It doesn't matter if you have a 15MP camera, if you have a poor quality lens, it's not going to take good pictures, especially if you blow them up. Although my old Nikon is a little slow, it still has amazing features and takes great close-ups.
