Tutorial Two: Digital Camera use and applications

“A new technology is rarely superior to an old one in every feature”. Briefly discuss this statement in relation to digital camera technology. What would you consider to be some of the pluses and minuses digital camera technology holds in relation to more traditional film based cameras?
Positives

-Ability to look at photo after shot has been taken, delete or keep it
- Ability to stitch together several photos on camera for a panorama shot
- Choose what degree of quality the photo will be
-Digital automatic settings, automatically detect light, focus, environment
- Pictures can be put straight onto computer, uploaded onto internet

Negatives
- Film-based cameras better for professional shoots ie. Modelling, art and landscape shots
- Negatives provide a hard copy back up
- Easier to control light levels and shutter speed

List some of the ways that digital images can be stored transferred and manipulated using other communications technology.
Images stored and transferred via...
- mobile phones
- photocopier
- scanners
- cameras
- internet
- Skype

Manipulated using...
- Computer software programmes e.g. Photoshop

Given the prevalence of image capturing devices, and thinking about the issues discussed in tutorial one, consider what sort of ethical issues may arise with their use.
Ethical considerations based around issues with privacy, confidentiality, informed consent, distribution of information may arise with the use of image capturing devices.

Briefly discuss some of the ways that digital images could, or are, being used in occupational therapy practice (include reference and links to any web sites, or blogs you might come across)
Digital imaging can be used in OT practice as an educational tool (to teach client), for MDT meetings (if unable to attend), home visits (store data needed for modifications).

Provide a brief summary of the services offered by Flickr.com
Flickr is an online photo management and sharing application. Flicker enables new ways of organizing photos and video, and allows you to make content available to share with others e.g. family and friends.

Name one other photo storage website which offers a service similar to Flickr.com
http://www.tinypic.com

Explain what the difference is between a digital and an optical zoom
A digital zoom is the ability to zoom in on a photo after it has been captured. Optical zoom is the ability to zoom in on a point from a distance before the photo taken.

Explain what is meant by the term megapixel
A megapixel (that is, a million pixels) is a unit of image sensing capacity in a digital camera. (A pixel - a word invented from "picture element" - is the basic unit of programmable colour on a computer display or in a computer image.) In general, the more megapixels in a camera, the better the resolution when printing an image in a given size. Retrieved on 24/5/09 from http://searchcio-midmarket.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid183_gci995969,00.html