Compact Digital Camera (CDC) versus Digital SLR
When taking photos of dogs, you need to consider which type of camera you're going to use. The digital photography world has two main types of cameras: small, affordable, point-and-shoot type compact digital cameras (CDCs) and larger, somewhat pricier single-lens reflex (digital SLR) cameras.
In today’s market, the price of a CDC ranges anywhere from $100 to $500 depending on its features, whereas the price of a digital SLR starts at about $400 to $500 for a prosumer-level (the level between amateur and professional) camera and goes up to thousands of dollars for a professional camera.
The technologies these two types of cameras use are vastly different, resulting in varying degrees of quality and flexibility:
Compact digital cameras: These are the everyday, carry-in-your-pocket cameras that you probably already own. They usually have built-in zoom lenses that you can’t change out and small pop-up flashes for low-light situations.
CDCs are great for toting around because of their compact size and ease of use, but their small stature also means that they sport a small sensor — the piece of technology that actually captures your photo! The smaller sensor translates into inferior image quality when compared to the larger sensors of digital SLRs.
CDCs offer a substantial amount of automatic modes (like portrait, landscape, night scene, and so on) so the user doesn’t have to think too much about how to get the shot. Unfortunately, all those bells and whistles can sometimes be detrimental if you don’t know how to work around them.
Most CDCs also offer some manual exposure options, but they’re often buried within the camera’s menu, making them a pain to quickly access. If you’re not really interested in learning the ins and outs of photography and you want to simply pick up a camera and start shooting right away, a CDC may be right for you.
You can absolutely take great photos of your dog; you just won’t have as much flexibility as a digital SLR user.
Digital SLR cameras: Single-lens reflex cameras sport a much larger sensor than CDCs, resulting in superior image quality overall. They offer more flexibility and manual control over your images, with multiple controls actually built into the camera body itself.
Instead of having to sift through the camera’s menu to change your aperture or shutter speed, you simply spin a wheel or press the button that controls your exposure. Digital SLRs also afford you the ability to work with different types of lenses and external flashes so you’re not stuck with one range of view or bound to using a pop-up flash.
They do come with a higher price tag, but if you’re serious about getting the best images possible of your dog, a digital SLR is the way to go. Entry-level digital SLRs still come with many auto functions as well, so don’t feel like you need to be a photography pro to pick up one of these.
You can always start with auto settings and ease into the manual controls as you become more familiar with them!
One last feature to note about digital SLRs is their ability to shoot using the RAW file format. If you’re looking for perfection and planning on postprocessing your photos, RAW should be your file format of choice. Seriously, once you try it, you may even feel like you’re cheating — it’s that good!
If you’re deciding between a CDC and a digital SLR, don’t get too caught up in the race for megapixels. A digital photo is made up of millions of tiny pixels, and every camera has a different amount translated into a megapixel number prominently marked on the side of the camera.
Although the megapixel number was an important factor when digital cameras first came out, any camera you buy today is going to have more than enough megapixels for the job at hand, so try not to worry too much about it.
Some of the most affordable CDCs on the market today boast upwards of 12 megapixels, but a digital SLR always beats out a CDC when it comes to image quality, simply because its sensor is so much bigger — even if the digital SLR only has a specification of 10 megapixels!
Dogs Glossary
A-B-C assessment
Checking a dog’s airway, breathing, and circulation.
Dogs Glossary
animal shelter
1. An animal control agency run by local government to protect people from animals, take in strays, and manage animal issues and problems within the community. 2. A privately run shelter managed by individuals who want to protect, advocate for, and find homes for animals.
Dogs Glossary
BARF diet
A method of feeding dogs as closely as possible what they would eat in the wild: raw flesh and bones, along with vegetable matter from the stomachs of their prey. The acronym stands for either Bones and Raw Food or Biologically Appropriate Raw Food.
Dogs Glossary
blow out
A twice-yearly shedding of a dog’s undercoat.
Dogs Glossary
blue slip
An application to register a purebred puppy.
Dogs Glossary
breeder
A person who raises, sells, and often shows dogs of a specific breed. Reputable breeders screen parent dogs in an effort to produce healthy dogs that conform to breed standards.
Dogs Glossary
castrate
The removal of a male dog’s testicles to render him infertile.
Dogs Glossary
clicker
A small hand-held device that makes a sharp cracking sound when pressed. Paired with a food reward, an effective dog-training tool.
Dogs Glossary
cohesive bandage
A stretchy wrap that clings to itself used to cover and secure gauze bandages without tape.
Dogs Glossary
come into season
The advent of a female dog’s term of fertility.
Dogs Glossary
dead ring
The stationary ring on a training collar that pulls on the collar, not the dog’s neck.
Dogs Glossary
double coat
Two layers of fur — a top coat of stiff guard hairs and an undercoat that serves as insulation.
Dogs Glossary
dropped ears
The term for hanging or drooping dog ears.
Dogs Glossary
Elizabethan collar
A wide, cone-shaped plastic or cardboard collar that prevents a dog from being able to scratch her head. Used to prevent further injury or hasten healing.
Dogs Glossary
euthanize; put to sleep
To kill an animal to relieve suffering.
Dogs Glossary
fall
Hair that extends over a dog’s eyes.
Dogs Glossary
feathering
Long hair that runs from armpit to paw on the backs of a dog’s legs.
Dogs Glossary
free-feeding
Keeping a constant supply of dog food available so that the dog can decide when and how much to eat. It works best in single-dog households where there’s no competition for food.
Dogs Glossary
heartworms
Parasites that live in dogs’ hearts and cause heart failure. They’re transferred through mosquito bites.
Dogs Glossary
heat
The period when a female dog is fertile.
Dogs Glossary
heel
A command and position in which a dog walks at your left side staying with you as you change direction or pace.
Dogs Glossary
hip dysplasia
A painful malformation of a dog’s hip socket. Some breeds are genetically predisposed to the condition.
Dogs Glossary
hot spot
A localized area of skin infection. It’s usually round, red, and warm to the touch.
Dogs Glossary
live ring
The floating ring of a training collar. Attach a leash to this ring for training purposes.
Dogs Glossary
neuter
A general term to describe either spaying or castrating a dog to render it infertile. Neutering and castrating are often used interchangeably.
Dogs Glossary
pantaloons
The tufts of hair on the backs of a long-haired dogs legs that make him look like he’s wearing bloomers.
Dogs Glossary
pedigree
A diagram of a dog’s ancestors for three or more generations that lists the registered names of the dogs and the titles they earned.
Dogs Glossary
pinch collar
A training collar with interlocking prongs that pinch a dog’s neck when tugged on. Some veterinarians recommend them above all other collars for training purposes.
Dogs Glossary
praise
A verbal reward for a dog , such as an enthusiastic “good dog!”
Dogs Glossary
prong collar
A training collar with interlocking prongs that pinch a dog’s neck when tugged on. Some veterinarians recommend them above all other collars for training purposes.
Dogs Glossary
pulse
Normal dog pulse is between 70 and 120 beats per minute. The pulse of a puppy ranges from 120 to 160 beats per minute.
Dogs Glossary
puppy mill
A place that supplies puppies to pet stores, usually without screening for possible genetic defects or properly socializing the puppies.
Dogs Glossary
registration certificate
The paper certifying a dog’s registration with an accredited organization.
Dogs Glossary
registration slip
An application to register a purebred puppy.
Dogs Glossary
release word
A word that lets a dog know that she is free to move.
Dogs Glossary
rescue group
A network of animal lovers who rescue and find new homes for their favorite breeds or animals.
Dogs Glossary
reward
To give a dog a treat for a correct response while he’s still in the desired position.
Dogs Glossary
ruff
The long, thick fur around a dog’s chest, shoulders, and neck.
Dogs Glossary
separation anxiety
A condition in which your dog becomes anxious and stressed when you leave him.
Dogs Glossary
shed
A twice-yearly process of casting off the undercoat in a double-coated dog.
Dogs Glossary
single coat
A single layer of hairs that comprises a dog’s fur.
Dogs Glossary
spay
To remove of both the uterus and the ovaries of a dog to render her infertile.
Dogs Glossary
stripping
Plucking the dead hairs from a dog’s coat.
Dogs Glossary
titer tests
Tests that check a dog’s immunity levels to determine exactly which vaccinations are needed.
Dogs Glossary
top coat
The top layer of a double-coated dog composed of stiff guard hairs that tend to be naturally water-repellant. The top coat protects the dog’s skin and undercoat.
Dogs Glossary
training collar
A collar that enables you to guide your dog and to check her as necessary — a brief, sharp tug tightens the collar around the dog’s neck.
Dogs Glossary
treat cup
A plastic container filled with small treats or dog food. Shake it and give treats from it as a reward as you train a dog.
Dogs Glossary
undercoat
Fleecy or downy fur shorter than the top layer of a double-coated dog. The undercoat serves as insulation.
