Digital Cameras

It would make sense to think of the digital camera as the natural successor to the film camera. Yet, to this day, there are film fans who also use digital. The “filmless age,” as digital fans thought we would soon see, kicked off in 1981. This came with the introduction of the Sony Mavica, an analog television camera. The device stored pictures on what were known as Mavipacks. These were floppy disks, relatively small in size that could hold up to 50 photos. The Mavicas were used by journalists in the 1984 Olympics and subsequently during the Gulf Way in 1991 and other high profile events.

These cameras didn’t make much sense for consumers until a cheaper, more accessible version hit the scene. Canon brought the RC-250 Xapshot to the mainstream. It retailed for $499, but you then needed to shell out an additional $999 on software, floppy disks, and a battery. Not exactly a reasonable proposal. Apple stepped in with its QuickTake 100 in 1994, and by then, the price point had dropped. This camera retailed for under $1,000. Still pricey, but true fans could save up and get their hands on them. The Ricoh RDC-1 was the first digital camera that could shoot still photos, but also wired for sound. Logitech then one-upped Ricoh with the VideoMan in 1995, the first webcam and digital video camera adaptable for the personal computer.

With the advent of the smartphone being able to do everything, some have pondered whether this spells certain death for digital cameras. In a word – no. While smartphones can indeed take outstanding photos, high-end digital cameras have them beat. The consensus, best overall digital camera on the market is the Fujifilm X-T4. This unit can snap very high-quality pictures of everything from street photography to even engaging in video production. The shutter is extremely quiet, and it can take pics at a crazy 15 frames per second. This is far more than you need, but that’s never a bad thing.

If you’re a beginner photographer, the Sony A6100 is a smart buy. At less than $900, the A6100 is easy to use, has expert-level features, and because it counts on the same Sony E Mount as the upgraded A7 does, you can use the A6100 lenses on the A7 if you ever want to upgrade down the line. Another plus with the A6100 is its hybrid autofocus system. Sony has a cool artificial intelligence feature that recognizes standard features in your environment. This is useful for snapping pictures of items on the move like animals, or your kid at his or her baseball game.

If you are a kid (kudos to you for reading this), or the parent of a young one, the Olympus Tough TG-6 is one of the most resilient cameras you can buy. The first thing to keep in mind with anything for kids is it better be shock, dust, and water-proof. If not, we can guarantee your ten-year-old will put it through the wringer, and it won’t come out looking good. Olympus is steadfast that the TG-6 can withstand some real beatings. It’s water-proof up to 50 feet, can survive a 7 foot drop, and resist 200 pounds of pressure. So if your kid and another kid sit on the camera, it will still likely emerge snapping photos.

From a technical standpoint, this camera performs well, but what you’re paying for is the safety features. It’s an excellent camera for the little ones because if they do indeed want to continue on shooting, you can step it up to a more technically advanced, but also more fragile option. The digital camera world has a camera for everyone. Just because your iPhone does a decent job, doesn’t mean you can’t step it up and go for a real camera.