New digital camera

IT Services has bought a digital camera to replace the QuickTake camera that has been in use for a number of years.

The new camera is a Fujifilm DS-7 and, as with the QuickTake, can be used both with a Macintosh and with Windows. The camera is one of the best in the low (less than £2000) price range and is of a similar size and weight to traditional compact cameras. The controls are accessibly located across the top. The Fujifilm can be used with the accompanying rechargeable batteries or with a power adaptor. The images are stored on an Image Memory Card (SmartMedia) inside the camera.

The main innovation in digital camera technology is the LCD panel for viewing images. This shows precisely the image to be captured in a clear, easy-to view format. It means that you don't have to squint through a viewfinder to see what you're shooting. The camera can be held comfortably at arm's length and at any orientation, while still allowing you to see the image clearly. LCD viewers also enable you to review instantly the camera's stored image without hooking it up to your Mac or PC. This is enormously useful as you can erase unwanted images in the field, freeing up valuable storage space as you go. The most significant advantage of the LCD panel viewing method is that what you see on the screen is exactly what the end result will look like. Cameras with traditional viewfinders often run the risk of cropping an important part of the image.

The following features of the camera may be of interest:

clear, sharp images with a separate brightness control
neat and far settings for medium and distance shots
simple open/closed aperture setting for indoor or outdoor use
no flash but works well in low lighting conditions
both auto and manual focus
24-bit colour (i.e. more than 16 million colours)
JPEG, TIFF and PICT file formats handled by the data transfer software
10-second timer delay.

The Fujifilm can capture images in one of two sizes: standard (30 images at 640 by 480 pixels resolution) and economy (60 images at 320 by 240 pixels).

The camera can be borrowed for either CAL- or Web-related work. Contact the operators if you wish to do this (telephone 2771, e-mail ops). Note that the accompanying software comes on CD-ROM (and not floppies) so if you wish to use it with your own machine, then it must have a CD drive. Failing that, the software can be used with the CAL Mac or CAL PC, both of which can be booked for CAL- or Web-related work.