Hiring a photo booth tip #5
What camera are they using? Digital camera not a webcam?
Probably like many of us you’ve got a webcam you use somewhere, built into a laptop or next to the PC. No doubt at some point you will have tried to record a short video or taken a quick picture, what happens, if you move around too much or don’t keep still for the picture, chances are you’ll see a blurred image.
Modern webcams are sold on HD or a significant number of megapixels, but by nature don’t have even the basic functionality or lenses of many ‘compacts’ available. So whilst they may scream of high megapixels or quality sound, they are designed for a completely different function.
So what should they be using, at the very least a ‘proper’ digital camera, this should be, more recently a dSLR, the kind of cameras serious hobby enthusiasts and professionals use, or at the very least a higher end digital compact. Believe it or not the number of megapixels it has will have little relevance, far more important is it’s ability to work with a professional studio flash and obviously the quality of the ‘glass’ in the lens. You’d be surprised to hear you don’t need anything larger than a 3mb camera, though it’s very difficult to buy one these days that small, that actually works with the software.
It also says something about the professionalism of the operator, if they can’t be bothered the invest more than a £50 in the camera, how serious will they invest in your event, in contrast to someone who is opting for £350 – £800 camera?
So ask – is it a digital camera or a webcam and if they try to fob you off claiming HD or X number of megapixels, it’s nonsense and irrelevant. It WILL be either a Canon or Nikon camera compact or dSLR camera as these are the only cameras currently available for professional photo booths.
See also our other Tips.
