Digital Video & SLR Cameras

Digital Cameras tends to have a somewhat grain over it, although today its not as noticeable compared to what it used to be but comparing them to that of SLR camera though overpriced SLR image quality wins out on top of anything that of a digital camera. Though digital cameras are much cheaper than that of an SLR so are pretty good for that of the average to middle form user, unless you are wanting something more professional.

http://www.play.com/Electronics/Electronics/-/257/337/-/15844584/Sanyo-VPC-S120-12-Megapixel-3x-Optical-Zoom-2-7-inch-LCD-Digital-Camera/Product.html?searchtype=genre

< this is a simple cheap camera but has very good stats like the 12 megapixel to start with a 3x optical zoom but if this was to be compared to that of an SLR camera

http://www.play.com/Electronics/Electronics/4-/5125539/Canon-EOS-450D-Digital-SLR-12-2-Megapixel-Camera-Includes-EF-S-18-55mm-Lens-Kit/Product.html?ptsl=1&ob=Price&fb=0

< this is far more expensive yes, but its stats sure make up for it, a very professional camera suited for any professional photographer, also having the ability to have interchangeable lens can put the digital cameras built in single lens to shame then again the price of this beast is quite steep for the average user therefore this could be its downfall.

http://www.play.com/Electronics/Electronics/4-/13639785/Canon-EOS-550D-18-Megapixel-3-inch-LCD-Digital-SLR-Camera-18-55mm-Lens/Product.html

< this model here is the updated one of the one above, some of the stats have been improved of course justifying it's increased cost, 18 megapixel and an 18-55mm lens is a great package allowing for great image capture that can therefore be edited so easily cause of the image will be large so a lot of manipulation can be done.

http://www.play.com/Electronics/Electronics/-/257/337/-/13525251/Panasonic-Lumix-FP3-14-1-Megapixel-4x-Optical-Zoom-3-inch-LCD-Digital-Camera-Silver/Product.html?searchtype=genre

< this camera comparing to the above of course not as equal to that of the SLRs but compared to the above mentioned digital camera really does outshine it though coming with a bigger price tag. It's optical zoom is 4x instead of the 3x and containing the ability to capture 14.1 megapixel instead of the 12. Another point to put forward is it's ability to capture HD quality video as well.

http://www.play.com/Electronics/Electronics/-/257/337/-/13525229/Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-FS10-12-1-Megapixels-5x-Optical-Zoom-2-7-inch-LCD-Digital-Camera-Black/Product.html?searchtype=genre

< this camera though slightly cheaper yes and with a lower megapixel has a much better optical zoom on it allowing for closer shots without graining to much or flurrying the image. Having a 5x optical zoom compared to 4x or 3x is quite the bonus when wanting images that are closer to that of the subject (perhaps at gigs/concerts).

It is best to consider that SLRs have a lot more control over their shutter speed to create varied effects if necessary and can capture really quickly, a digital camera has a set shutter speed usually, so depending on what the user wants if they want a fast shutter speed but cheap price will have to make sure to hunt a bit.

Image Manipulation & Multimedia Authoring Software

Image Manipulation & Multimedia Authoring Software

Image Manipulation software - Four packages that I shall be covering include Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Corel Painter & Adobe Flash. All being able to manipulate images in one way or another.

Two of these I have found to be also Authoring tools I.e. Photoshop and Flash are knowing to be able to be multimedia authoring software as well as image manipulation, allowing for both of these to be done is a rather good advantage.

Adobe Photoshop, possibly the most commonly used package of image manipulation software in the world on it's CS5 incarnation it has been around for an extremely long time and has vastly evolved. Now enabled to include very effective 3D effects within it instead of relying on another software package to do this for it, making everything in the one place and easily accessible.

Photoshop is knowing for manipulating such things a s photographs and creating graphics from scratch the same could be said about Adobe Illustrator but that is more knowing for doing it's images vector based (just like Adobe Flash does) where as Photoshop does them as bitmap or raster graphic.

Thus Photoshop allows the editing, painting, of different images and different effects within the vast program. Usual formats that are commonly found are PNG, JPEG, GIF and what not. Illustrator tends to use vector graphics (saving the details in a coordinate system where as Photoshop saves every little detail). Commonly found to be used for logos and the just takes up less space than that of a file saved from Photoshop as PNG (keeping all it's layers) Flash on the other hand is used to create motion in the pictures but is still able to manipulate the image in many ways from animating to colour change etc. This can then be published to allow for web usage and anything else.

Finally onto Corel Painter, another commonly knowing program that is excellent to use and very smooth unique usage. It takes a somewhat different approach compared to that of its counterpart Photoshop, mostly used to paint and create images from scratch a lot of graphic designers find it very unique and more fluent than that of Photoshop.

Adobe Director is perhaps the main Authoring tool that comes with the entire Adobe Suite itself. Allowing to create interactive presentations and files, to be put out to the public, educational environment etc etc, as it's the most common one its vastly used around the globe compared to others in saying that there is still others out there. Though Director would tend to work well together with the other Adobe programs.

http://www.mediaworkssoftware.com/  < Media works is one site I found that has a competitive program for Multimedia Authoring tool, maybe not doing next to the quality of that of Director but still coming close and variable quite easily.

http://www.matchware.com/en/products/mediator/default.htm?gclid=CIGtjdjMiKUCFUM24wodNk6vPQ < Mediator 9 is another useful program tool for creating authoring of said multimedia looking slick and very similar to that of Director again Director has the advantage of being included with the entire Adobe Suite making it easy for one another to interact with each other, but these other two allow somewhat the alternative for those needing something else design quick and easy and distribute at the click of a button.

CD/DVD Burners

CD Burner is primarily used for burning onto blank CDs and also taking media/date off a disc with stuff already on it, and copying it onto the computer for instance, from a music CD and burning that on so you no longer need the CD to access that artist. The difference this has with the DVD burning is well it can only use CDs no matter what you do it must be a CD weather blank or not. DVD burner on the other hand, most are capable nowadays of using both CD & DVD disc. Thus improving on space management i.e. only needing one drive instead of the two to do two different activities on it.

As would be assumed, DVD burner can burn data/media onto a DVD disc, they have more space on them compared to that of a CD, so this allows for less discs to be used but more data to be stored on them.

Adding in finally now the world is moving forward we have the Blu-Ray disc that has come out, added quality to movies/ games and again the space value is dramatically increased, thus the creation of Blu-Ray drives though at the moment far more expensive than the DVD counterpart, it can store far more than a DVD disc.

LCD Projectors

LCD Projector stands for liquid crystal display, as the name itself says it is used to display images, info onto a bigger/wider viewing surface for instance giving presentations, or as we all know, cinema's use them for projecting their movies onto the big screen.

They send light from a "Metal Halide lamp" into a prism that will separate the light source into 3 different poly silicon panels for the components of the video signal i.e. red, blue and green.

It then sends the polarized light through the panels thus allowing the individual pixels to be opened to allow the passage of light through them or to be closed to black the light from passing. This technique allows for the production of many different colours and shades to be in the projected image that appears on the bigger screen.

Dedicated projector screens usually help the image be projected clearly (blank white, grey and/or black) usually enable to block ambient light.

Movie Projector - used in most cinema's found in today's world, it is used to project moving pictures onto a projection screen.

As with big things comes the small ones in a smaller package... hence the Handheld Projector. A mini device that just acts like it's bigger counterpart though can be displayed anywhere with movies and pictures on the move.

Scanners

A Scanner is a peripheral component of a computer that allows hard copies of images, documents, or even barcodes to be scanned into the system, thus giving the user a digital copy of an image and can therefore be edited.

I shall compare two different scanners and the subtle differences that could have an overall impact on what they can produce/generate out of them.

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/182569 - HP ScanJet G2410 A4 Flatbed Scanner

This specific scanner would be like for budget buyers, it would do the job but not get as high quality a scan compared to some more expensive scanners in the upper range. this being a flat bed scanner, scanning in one image at a time. It has the same colour depth as the slightly more expensive scanner that I aim to compare it to but its greyscale is only 8-bit compared to its counterpart which has 16-bit.

The resolution that this would scan any images in at stands at 1200 dpi x 1200 dpi (dpi = dots per inch) which is good but not the best around of course.

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/132646 Epson Perfection V500 Photo A4 Flatbed Scanner

comparing this scanner because it is more expensive and you can see the difference in spec...

This has a scanning resolution of 6400 x 9600dpi much higher than the previous scanner and would scan in much more crisp images that looked way more sharper than the other budget type scanner.

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/173096 HP ScanJet 5000 216 x 864 mm Sheetfed Scanner

This is a different scanner from the previous two, being far more expensive and having a sheet feed. This scanner would probably not fit around your average everyday desktop possibly found more in a job environment. Its optical resolution is low at 600 x 600 dpi for being in a job environment it's likely that this would be used for scanning hundreds of documents a day rather than the scanning of high quality images.

I'll make note on most nowadays, printers and scanners come combined all in one, saving space and usually saving on the pennies as well.

Hardware & Software of Multimedia

The essential hardware that is required I'd say for multimedia would consist of :
- Multimedia PC
- Printer
- Scanner
- CD/DVD Burners
- Digital & SLR Cameras

There are many different software packages that could be used to produce/development multimedia things. Such as the Adobe Suite consisting of

Adobe Flash CS3/4/5
Adobe Photoshop CS3/4/5
Adobe Illustrator CS3/4/5
Adobe Premiere CS3/4/5
Adobe Soundbooth CS3/4/5

and a number of others but what else could be used are the like of 3D programs (3Ds Max, Maya, Lightwave etc etc...)

All this would help in the aid of creating multimedia material.

AND ....

And so it begins ! Multi Media stuffage