Digital Camera

One of the oldest companies, Olympus has had a long and historical journey. Olympus digital cameras are being used all over the world today. Let us take a look at the glorious history of Olympus here.

Olympus was started way back in the year 1919 under the name of Takachiho Seisakusho. In fact, the first optical product made by the company was not a camera, but a microscope! The name ‘Olympus’ was introduced in 1921 as a trade name for the company’s optical products.

There is an interesting story attached to the name of Olympus. It has a deep, deep meaning attached to it as well. According to Greek mythology, Olympus is the mountain where the Gods live. And, Takachiho is the mountain where the Gods live according to the Japanese texts. In fact, all the names associated with Olympus cameras have a hidden meaning to themselves. For example, the first product made by Olympus for photographic purposes was the Zuiko 75mm/F4.5 lens in 1936. This is an abbreviation coined from the name of Olympus optical plant (Mizuho Kogaku-kenkyujo) and also has a hidden Chinese meaning.

In the ’30s, Olympus introduced many different types of cameras. Due to the world wars, production suffered from time to time till the ’40s. The Twins Reflex camera was introduced in 1950s and became instantly popular. In fact, hundreds of models based on this technology were developed by several manufacturers. But it was the Olympus Rolleiflex which set the standard for these cameras in the industry.

However, it was the Olympus PEN which was launched in 1959-60, which established Olympus as the manufacturer of small cameras in the market. The PEN was light, small, innovatively designed and could take 72 shots in one roll! It became increasingly popular and helped Olympus to gain hold of the market. After this, there was no looking back for Olympus and it went from strength to strength.

As far as digital cameras are concerned, by the 80’s and ’90s, the video camera and the consumer digital cameras were already present in the market. However, they were not of very high quality and could only used for web publishing or low-res prints. But, by the late ’90s, technology had advanced greatly and prices had also dropped, hence consumers were now going in for digital cameras more and more. It was at this time, in the year 1996, that Olympus introduced its P&S style cameras which had a resolution of 810.000 pixels. Slowly and steadily, Olympus came up with a 2 mega pixel and then a 3 mega pixel camera by the year 2000. At this time, one of the significant launches of Olympus was the 2.11 mega pixel model C-211 which also had an in-built Polaroid printer.

Today, Olympus is considered to be one of the well-known digital camera manufacturers in the industry. The latest digital cameras by Olympus are:

D-Series: Simple point-and-shoot cameras for beginners.

C-Series: Digital cameras for advanced photographers.

Stylus: Stylish cameras in attractive colors and designs.

E-System Digital SLR’s: Professional SLR’s for digital cameras.

Kevin Rockwell worked as a network TV cameraman for 20 years shooting news and sports. Now a devoted fan of digital photography and video he works to gather information, tips and news for digital camera users. Oh and he loves to shoot pictures of his kids playing sports.
http://great-digital-cameras.com/gdcj.html

You need batteries to power your digital camera otherwise you won’t be able to use it. Most digital cameras use
the standard-sized AA batteries which are reasonably priced and easily available anywhere. However, you must
invest in rechargeable batteries as digital cameras tend to use a lot of power and you might find that your
batteries are dead after a few shots. A lot of people especially when they are sightseeing tend to leave their
cameras on. This, too tends to drain the battery.

There are different kinds of batteries available for digital cameras today. The regular alkaline batteries are all right
to use in an emergency but not on a regular basis. They just don’t have the power to last for more than a couple of shots. When they are recharged, the power you get from them is even less. Digital cameras need batteries that
can cope with the high amounts of energy they need, especially when you use the flash.

The most popular batteries for digital cameras are the rechargeable NiMH or Nickel Metal Hydride batteries. They
don’t cost much and are definitely better than the standard ones you get. They could give you up to one hundred
shots if you are careful with how you use your camera, switching it off when you don’t need it. Of course, if you are into more than just the aim-and-click photos, you must be prepared for the charge going fast, especially if you use the flash or you adjust the focus and zoom a lot. Yet another advantage is that these are environment-friendly as they are non-toxic.

When it comes to charging these batteries, make sure you have a good, reliable charger.
Remember that batteries can get overcharged so look out for one that has an automatic switching-off when the
batteries are fully charged. Always charge all the batteries your camera needs to be powered at one go - whether
two or three or four. This way, they are all equally charged when you put them in.

Some digital cameras have to use lithium-ion batteries. The advantage of these, though they are more expensive, is that you can store them and they don’t lose their charge. You can use them for twice as long as the NiMH
batteries. Most manufacturers give you a lithium-ion charger when you buy your camera. If they don’t, just make sure you buy one as then they come as accessories.

You digital camera is only as good as the shots you get. If you chance upon a one-in-a-million view and your batteries are dead, it’s a waste of a view and the waste of a camera. Your batteries, no matter how good, are only good if they are well-charged. So invest in a good battery charger. One in which you can control the time of charging so your batteries don’t get overcharged. Once you have your batteries and charger in place, the world is yours, literally, through your viewfinder!

For more information on Batteries for Digital Cameras or the Advantages of Digital Photography visit http://www.Digital-Photography-Help.com