Basic Photography Technique - How Does A Camera Work?

Don't go crazy purchasing an costly camera, but you'd better take a small time to find out what camera you'd like. Here are some basic photography process of a camera.


Fundamentally, all cameras are the same and, given identical film and settings, an affordable camera will take the same photograph as an costly camera. Extra money doesn't directly buy your more quality but more control over the picture.

A camera is a box with a hole in it. You can make one out of a shoe box with a window of transparent paper on one side as well as a small hole in the opposite side. Physics teachers call this a 'pinhole camera.' Adding more controls, chiefly to do with the lens, produces different types of cameras.

1. Disposable Camera.

These one-time use cameras are simple to carryover and take surprisingly nice shots. They are great for people shots at parties.

2. Compact Camera.

Ideal for snapshots. I am liking a small, pocket-sized camera with a flash (for people's faces), a self-timer, a wide-angle lens (28mm for impact), as well as a panoramic mode (looks cold!). The downside to not having a zoom is that you are limited to the lens provided.

3. SLR.

The choice of amateur and professional travel photographers. The Single Lens Reflex feature which allows the viewfinder to look through the main lens in lieu of its own fixed lens lets you remove and replace the lens. Interchangeable lenses give you more creative control of your shot. You can make a super-wide shot with a 'short' lens, or enlarge a distant object with a 'long' lens. You can also control the aperture (the size of the hole) which lets you choose what is, and what is not, in focus. The downside to the SLR is that you now have more equipment to buy and carryover.

4. Medium- and Large-Format.

These are bigger versions of the SLR camera which let you make use of larger (and thus higher resolution) film. Chiefly used by stock photographers, the equipment is huge and heavy and, therefore, inconvenient for basic travel purposes.

5. APS.

The Advanced Picture Process (called Advantix by Kodak) makes use of a smaller film - 24mm in lieu of 36mm - which means the cameras are smaller and lighter. This is nice for travelers. However, because the APS is new, there is currently a smaller range of equipment suppliers and film developers available.

Look for a camera with the simplest layout of the features you require and, as with the stock market, only invest in what you understand.