Since Christmas is coming I thought that there might be some on this list
who would like to purchase a digicam and therefore would benefit from this
article. Lots of good information here. This article comes from beyond.com.
--Sam
How to Buy a Digital Camera
by Joel Enos
October 4, 1999
Get ready to make the jump to digital photography.
Lower prices and better picture quality in digital cameras are
rendering the old complaints -- a lethal combination of high cost
and low resolution -- moot. Digital camera prices finally make it
affordable for all of us to leave film behind, and evolve to the
next stage of capturing the moment.
Is going digital really better than simply buying a new film
camera?
For most of us, the answer is an unqualified "yes!" Not only do
you
get instant and cheaper prints, you can send pictures via email,
post them on your website, and touch them up from the comfort of
your home or office. Bid farewell to the local photo developer,
and
forget the extra step of scanning software. Now resolutions are
higher, photo-quality printers are better, and camera designs are
more versatile -- making it easy for anyone to turn photographic
memories into digital data.
It's finally affordable for all of us to leave film
behind, and evolve to the next stage of capturing the
moment.
Why buy digital?
Epson's PhotoPC 800
$663.99
The biggest benefit digital shutterbugs have over their
drop-it-off-and-wait and develop-it-yourself counterparts is that
comparatively there is no delay between snapping and seeing
shots.
Even as you shoot pictures, you can view them on a digital
camera's
LCD screen, a PC, TV, or even a boardroom projector. Delete
unwanted
shots, and print keepers with any standard inkjet or color laser
printer. Of course, some die-hards will still argue that digital
prints are not as detailed, but resolutions are getting better,
and
for money-saving, at-home printing, and transferring to the Web,
email, or a digital photo album, digital beats film, hands down.
Almost all digital cameras now have auto-focus, some kind of
zoom,
and a flash option. This new way of getting the picture comes
with
some new lingo and products all its own. We'll help you decipher
them, and let you know what to look for when making the digital
move.
You want your pictures, and you want them now -- but no one,
certainly not you, is going to be happy with blurry shots. To
get a
camera that gives the results you want, you need to understand
how
those shots are created, and what that camera is capable of
producing.
Pixels, dpi, and mega-pixels
A digital image is made up of tiny dots, all combining to form a
picture. Each individual dot is called a pixel. The amount of
pixels
in a particular shot is referred to as "resolution." The more
pixels, the better the picture quality. When referring to the
resolution of a printed picture of a digital image, the term
used is
"dpi," or dots per inch, to measure how many dots are in each
inch
of the picture. The dpi is written as "number x number," for
example, "1280 x 1024." Again, the higher the dpi, the more
detailed
the image.
Your pixel planning guide
Computer viewing only
Lower-end cameras capable of 640 x 480 are fine for
digital images that you'll just view on a computer or
sending by email.
Printed shots
If you want to print shots, you'll want a camera that
can manage at least 1024 x 768 for regular-sized
prints,
and 1280 x 1024 for anything larger than a 5 x 7
print.
Kodak DC200 Plus
$376.99
Don't be confused by new words used to describe the same thing.
The
current trend in cameras is to advertise how many "mega-pixels"
each
is capable of producing per shot. A mega-pixel is simply one
million
pixels. Two mega-pixels (or 2 million pixels) obviously can
handle
higher-end shots. As mega-pixel capability increases, maximum
resolution increases.
Screening photos
Agfa ePhoto 1680
$579.99
Many digital cameras come with LCD (liquid crystal display)
screens
for instant viewing of images, enabling you to check shots before
you print them, and to delete any that didn't turn out. Since
digital cameras have limited storage capacity, you can use this
feature to make sure the shots your camera is carrying are the
ones
you want. Don't underestimate the fun factor: Being able to see
pictures right away is what made instant-developing Polaroids
such a
hit. If you decide to scrimp on a screen, you can still save time
and paper by viewing your images on the PC before you print.
Tip: If you're not using the LCD, turn it off. The LCD uses a
lot of
power, which will have you swapping batteries faster than you can
snap new pics.
You want to say goodbye to film, but to preserve your images in
some
way -- and how do you access pictures after taking them? Here are
the answers you need.
Storage capacity
Unlike their analog predecessors, digital cameras enable you to
store images as electronic data. Camera capacity for holding
pictures varies, and if a camera holds fewer than 20 images,
you're
going to be doing more deleting than snapping. A camera's storage
capacity is not necessarily based on the number of shots it can
store, but on the resolution of the shots. Higher-resolution
shots
contain more data, meaning a camera can store fewer of them.
Iomega Clik! Digital Camera Drive
Many cameras work with storage cards such as CompactFlash and
SmartMedia. These cards enable you to pull images out of the
camera,
and start clicking again -- without having to download to a PC. A
standard camera bundle includes at least a 4MB media card, which
lets you keep about 15 medium-resolution shots (1024 x 768),
but you
can buy separate cards with much higher storage limits.
Digital data transfer
16MB Flash Card for Digital Cameras
Sooner or later, you'll fill up your camera, want to send some
pictures to someone, or print photos for framing. You access
pictures from a digital camera via three main methods:
downloading
them directly to the PC via a serial or USB port, printing them
directly from a dedicated photo printer that hooks into the
camera,
or transferring them to storage cards such as SmartMedia and
CompactFlash cards.
Be sure to check that your computer meets the minimum
system requirements for your camera's accompanying
software.
Serial port connections can be complex and slow, sometimes taking
more than a minute to download a picture. USB ports are faster,
and
promise easy installation and use.
Mavica Fd88 Digital Camera
When snapped onto an adapter, storage cards fit directly into a
computer's 3.5-inch or PC-card disk drive. The Sony Mavica
digital
camera line eliminates the need for an external adapter by using
standard 3.5-inch disks, but these disks don't hold as many
pictures.
A camera should come with a software application that enables a
computer to understand the images you are transferring. Some
programs are better and more intuitive than others, so compare
before buying.
Tip: Be sure to check that your computer meets the minimum system
requirements for a camera's accompanying software. A digital
camera
you can't use is no fun at all.
File formats
Image file-name acronyms can be confusing at first, but the
difference is really only in the size of the digital file:
JPEGs are compressed image files, and what is most usually
traded by
email and on the Net. They take up less memory, but lose some
of the
detail of the original picture.
TIFF files are more detailed, but are larger and take up more
precious memory.
Other file formats include GIF and PCX, but a typical camera
will be
able to handle only JPEG and TIFF.
Beside the camera, what else do you need? As with their
film-loading
counterparts, digital cameras have many accessories fighting for
your attention, and some are more vital than others.
Battery backup (or AC adapters)
Because they can do so much more, one area where digital cameras
fall short in comparison to regular film cameras is in battery
power. They can suck it up fast. An AC adapter is a necessity,
especially when downloading images to a computer. Depending on
the
software you use, and your knowledge of it, downloading can take
some time -- and more time means less battery power. Of course,
you
can just make sure you have backup batteries on hand. Many
cameras
will let you replace low batteries without losing images.
Software
Li-ion battery for
Sony Mavica digital cameras
$43.99
A camera should come with some image software bundle that enables
you to transfer images to the computer, and alter and edit them
once
transferred. If you want to get inside your images and tweak
away,
you can get a professional or high-end package with more
intricate
options such as shading, lighting, and other special effects.
For most standards tweaking tasks, such as fixing red-eye or
glare,
you can use a lower-end program, such as JASC Paint Shop Pro,
readily available on the Net as shareware. If you're emailing an
image to someone who can open only certain types of formats,
certain
software can also resave images in different formats.
If you want to get inside your images and tweak away,
you can get a professional or high-end package with
more
intricate options...
Add-ons
If you're going to take your photography system completely
digital,
you'll want to invest in more than just a camera. As with
traditional cameras, there are now all sorts of specialty lenses
(such as zoom and night vision), batteries, tripods, carrying
cases,
and more for digital cameras. It's also a good idea to invest in
extra SmartMedia or CompactFlash cards and extra batteries. Most
cameras take regular AAA or AA NiMH (Nickel Hydride) batteries.
You also aren't going to want to frame any printouts from your
trusty-but-ancient, black-and-white laser printer. If you're
getting
serious about digital imaging, it pays to invest in a color
inkjet
or laser printer, which can cost as low as $300. Some cameras,
such
as those from Olympus and Sony, also have all sorts of separately
sold extras that are worth a look. For example, if you want quick
prints, and don't want to mess with a computer, choose a camera
with
a dedicated photo printer that can hook to it directly for
instant
paper photo output.
Copyright © 1998, 1999 Beyond.com Corporation. All Rights Reserved •
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