1. How many pixels Should a camera have?

Depending on your output you may not need as many pixels as you think. If you are just going to put images on the web, the 72dpi resolution of a monitor means just about any camera will be fine.  If your output is 8×10 you need at least 3.1 Mega Pixels to produce a good quality print.  You also should have in mind a good lens. DSLR cameras have much better lenses and give the results that turn 10+ Mega Pixels images into high quality prints.

2. Should I use 4GB or 8GB cards?

I think there are certain times a large card is great, other times large cards are a bad idea.  When I shootweddings, the largest card I use is a 2 GB card… and that is only during non-important, getting-ready photos.  The reason I recommend to use smaller cards is that if anything happens to the card, I only lose a few images and not the whole wedding.  I use 1 GB cards the rest of the time.  It may take more cards, but for my customer, I think it is worth it.

3. Should I shoot RAW?

RAW has many good options.  It can bring back important elements like lost color, contrast and detail from poorly exposed photos.  However, the images take up a lot of room on a card, are slower to write to the card and may not be easily opened by certain software.  Do a comparison test with the highest quality JPEG and a RAW. Put them side by side to see which quality will work the best for you.

4. ink-jet vs. Dye-sub?

Both printers have their pros and cons. I tell our customers to weigh them out and make the most educated decision based on their specific needs.

Ink-jet pros: beautiful prints, easy to use, price, fairly small and easy to transport. Ink-jet cons: dry times, archival issues, amateur looking, speed and multiple inks to replace.

Dye-sub pros: speed, archival, easy to use, easy to load media, not the kind of printer amateurs usually have.  Dye-sub cons: larger printer, drivers not always available for Mac, more expensive printer.

In other words, all of our customers have their specific needs. Do your research. Give us a call  if you have questions. You can make the best choice by being informed and educated.