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CAD/CAM international magazine of digital dentistry

special _ digital photography I Fig. 4_Small Aperture gives a large depth of field. Fig. 5_Large Aperture gives a narrow depth of field. Fig. 6_Front view. Fig. 7_Right mirror view. Fig. 8_Left mirror view. Fig. 9_Upper occlusal mirror view. Fig. 10_Lower occlusal mirror view. Fig. 11a_Right side mirror view. Fig. 11b_Right side, lips retracted, no mirror used. tography, we will want to improve on our old im- ages; therefore, reinvesting in technology is part of the challenge in the pursuit of excellence. One of the biggest advantages of digital pho- tography is that the images can be viewed instantly and can be edited in many ways, such as improving brightness and contrast, cropping, changing hue andsaturation,addingtextandsymbols,usingsoft- ware. _Types of cameras DigitalSLR(single-lensreflex)camerasarehigh- end cameras designed for semi-professionals to professionals (Figs. 1a & b). Recently, most of the major camera brands have developed a range of affordable DSLRs, allowing us to develop our clini- cal photography skills over time to achieve higher standards in our practice. DSLR cameras have the advantages of interchangeable lenses, including macro and telephoto, metered lenses, and ports for accessory flashes, such as a ring flash or a dual flash system. One can also choose between manual focus and autofocus cam- eras.Althoughthemoderncameracancon- trol a number of key settings relating to the exposureandflashlevels,thesecannormally be set manually. These types of cameras can be expensive and bulky to use for clinical photography. Agoodnumberofthepoint-and-shootstyle of digital cameras are available at reason- ablepricesandtakeexcellentclinicalphoto- graphs even at a macro level. I have been usingaNikonCoolpix4500(Figs.2&3)since 2003,whichallowsmacroimagesupto2cm from the object and with which I have ob- tained good results (Figs. 6–14). Theadvantagesofthesmallerpoint-and- shoot style cameras over DSLRs is that they arelessbulky,lightweightandcompact,and work well for most clinical cases. There is also no need for multiple lens changes. _Digital camera jargon Digital cameras capture images as elements, known as pixels. A megapixel is equal to one million pixels. The more pixels contained in an image, the higher the image resolution. Resolution relates primarily to print size and the amount of detail in an image when viewed on a computer monitor at 100 per cent magnification. Images with more megapixels yield better print images.Manyamateurandprofessionaldigitalpho- tographers crop their photographs, sometimes re- ducing them dramatically in size, to focus on the key element of the image. Obviously, the more pixels inanimage,themorecanbecroppedwhileretaining a useful image. I consider that six megapixels is sufficient for use in clinical digital photography. It gives one the I 07CAD/CAM 3_2012 Fig. 6Fig. 4 Fig. 5 Fig. 11a Fig. 11b Fig. 9 Fig. 10 Fig. 7 Fig. 8