Professional photographers often have several different cameras to work with.
Photography has come a long way since 1826, when the first permanent image was taken by the French inventor Joseph Nic phore Ni pce, National Geogrpahic states. Kodak, Olympus, Canon, Nikon, Panasonic, Pentax and all the others have recently transitioned so as to participate in the world of the digital image. If you want to move further into the field of photography -- for personal or professional reasons -- you'll find quite an array of cameras to consider.
Film SLRs
The SLR can be found in film and digital camera styles.
Yes, they are still around. Many photographers continue to use film for particular qualities they might not get in digital media. The popular 35 mm SLR (single lens reflex) cameras vary in features, and many come with a standard 50 mm lens. You can, however, purchase additional lenses from fish eyes (which distorts a very wide angle image) and wide angle (which captures a large area) to zooms (lenses that move in and out) and telephoto (lenses that can see longer distances). Some lenses are long and may require the use of a tripod to ensure crisp, clear photographs. Film development can be done at a lab, photo shop and even some drugstores, but you can also learn the art of developing film and making your own prints.
Digital SLRs
The type of photography you plan to do may also contribute to the choice of camera.
Similar to the film SLR, you can find many versions in digital cameras. According to National Geographic, the first digital camera was invented in 1975 by Steven Sasson, an electrical engineer for Kodak. The digital SLR is more expensive than smaller digitals, with quality cameras costing from $2000 to $10,000, as of June 2011, depending on the equipment and lenses you purchase. Digital camera images are uploaded into computers, altered and manipulated with digital image software or turned into prints from the image card, which is a small card or disc that stores pictures, much like a computer would.
Other Digital
Small digital cameras are lightweight and easy to use.
Smaller digital cameras are readily available and some photographers may choose to have one or more of these as well as an SLR. If you want to be a serious photographer, you'd seldom use the smaller digitals and would invest in high quality equipment, perhaps several Nikons, (film and digital), and a Canon, and the latest lenses available for each. Although these smaller cameras are versatile, lightweight and comparably inexpensive, they are mostly used for snapshots by amateur photographers or for personal use.
View Cameras
View cameras have a long history.
One of the earliest types of camera and popular in the 1800s and 1900s, the view camera is also sometimes called the box, portrait or panoramic camera. Professional photographers use these, and many types of digital versions are available. These cameras can be quite expensive, running into the tens of thousands of dollars. You may be able to find older style film versions, though, to experiment with the large format--some collectors will periodically release an old camera or you can find them in antique shops and through some online sites or forums that share appreciation for view cameras.
Tags: digital cameras, digital image, film digital, lenses that, Professional photographers, smaller digitals
