Recently in Digital Cameras Category

Looking at today's e-mail although the ALT-C 2007 conference is finished, well I am home as only a short hop to Derby, I thought this product release could not go unmentioned. The new range of iPods includes the iPod touch which is WiFi enabled and in view of the interesting points that Dylan Wiliam made during his keynote address (Link to page for link to talk not the 75Mb download!) the feasibility of multiple question answers onto web pages then aggregated during a class session become an immediate possibility.
Like the iPhone it looks to be based on the use of the Mac OSX operating system which will enable developers to create small apps for in class question feedback at the touch of an iPod. Is this the tool that will take the iPod a stage further?
As the owner of an iPod Photo I couldn't see a reason to upgrade to the iPod video the iPod touch is a different animal and if I can surf the web why not web based telephony and no need for the iPhone which would solve the European mess of which mobile phone company to collaborate with? I am sure there are even more possibilities. PS Thanks for a great conference it was my first but definitely won't be my last with best wishes to all especially other bloggers.

The key attribute for digital cameras is the ability to not only control aperture and shutter speed but also film speed. This was brought home to me recently when changing from outside at 200 ASA to inside the Exploris Aquarium in Portaferry, Northern Ireland with 1600 ASA.

No more fiddling with several cameras and different rolls of film. My only gripe for camera manufacturers would be that ASA rating should be as easily changeable as the shutter speed/ aperture. Then I always use the camera on manual so like to change these as I go along so why not also change the film speed quickly as well?

One of the problems with scientific photography has been the need to do one if not more tests of exposure on a film. One method has been to use black and white film for the test (carefully recording exposure s used on paper), process, check exposure then take colour photographs. This whole process can be shortened with a digital camera.

Not only that but a digital camera also records the lens and camera data including exposure and aperture used which is embedded into the file format. This helps in refining exposure but also can be used in image management software to detail length of exposure, aperture which seem to be so popular in photographic magazines.

Images can be taken, techniques can be tried without having to wait for feedback after processing hours or days later enabling quicker feedback. There is really now no excuse for not using scientific photographic techniques in science teaching or communication.