Buying a Digital Camera
By Donna Gunnels
Perhaps a friend recently showed you some pictures taken on a camping trip…he didn’t have to wait for developing or worry about negatives, and that sounds appealing. Hate the way you look in certain light? Eliminate the unflattering ones immediately. Want to store pictures on your computer? Manipulate images? Turn color shots into black and white with a single click? Then you may find yourself ready to take the plunge into the world of digital photography. While some may find it difficult to veer away from film and conventional cameras, digital photography may very well be the face of the future. Need to know where to begin? Start right here, with some basic tips on how to buy a digital camera.
Decide on your needs. Sit down and make a list of all the things you’d like to do with a digital camera. Want to take a lot of pictures? Need a zoom lens? Looking for something to shoot candid family pictures? Prefer a simple camera with very little features, or something more elaborate? Take all of these ideas into account, and number them in your order of importance. Think about what is a definite must-have option, and what you think you can compromise on. Your options are vast…but keep in mind where you might be in a short time. You don’t necessarily want to start out with a top-of-the-line professional grade camera, but not at the very bottom either. You’d hate to feel a need to upgrade in a short time frame, so try to imagine not only what your current photography needs are, but also what they may be in the near future.
Talk to digital camera owners.
Ask them what they like and don’t like about their cameras. First-hand experience is invaluable in helping you decide what to lean toward. It’s also your best bet in knowing what to avoid. Just keep in mind that opinions vary, and what one person may dislike…another may adore. Ask to see prints of their photos. Check the quality of the prints as well as the basics of the camera itself. The ideal option is to borrow a camera for a few days to familiarize yourself with it and see if it’s a good fit.
Go online.
You will find endless amounts of information online, from the large electronics dealers down to the smaller camera markets. Camera enthusiasts abound on the Internet and are generally willing to help out the new kid on the block. You generally get what you pay for, but if you are just looking for a little hobby camera, some of the lower priced models available aren’t bad. Your less expensive cameras will likely only have about 1.3 megapixels, which means that the resolution and quality of your pictures will be less than those taken with a camera supporting 3 or higher megapixels. If you are looking for a higher-end camera with many options, be prepared to pay for it. Some digital cameras can run into the thousands.
Shop around.
Once you’ve decided on a model, how can you guarantee you’ll find the best price possible? The first rule of thumb is to take your time. Shop around, both online and off. Check your local newspaper for sales, and check them all out. Ask about price matching. Many stores will offer to match (or even beat) the same price on a camera found elsewhere, if you show them the price in writing. Take along another camera owner to help you decide what your best bet is.
Think about a home printer.
Most people want pictures they can physically hold in their hands. While it’s convenient to store your files on a computer and look back at them on the camera itself, you’ll likely want to be able to print out actual photos to frame and send to friends and relatives. Several companies now produce small home printers that will give you lab-quality glossy prints for about thirty cents apiece. Generally these will allow you to print out 4 x 6 inch prints, but enlargements are easily obtained at photo-finishing centers, many in as little as one hour.
These tips are intended to help you with the purchase process. Ultimately, taking your time and doing a little research will allow you to make a solid decision regarding your leap into the versatile world of digital photography. Once you’ve made that choice and are ready to explore all of the things it has to offer, you’ll find it’s very easy to spend hours manipulating, experimenting and testing the limits of the possibilities available; playing with color, cropping, touching up, and sending photos via e mail are only a fraction of what can be done using digital photography. Make your own greeting cards; put Dad’s head on a picture of Mt. Rushmore. It’s all up to you. Well, you and your imagination. Enjoy!
A Couple of Notes from the Editor
That was a great overview of digital photography. Here are a couple of other factors to consider when buying a digital camera from the quickoverview.com editor.
Manage Your Expectations
Though it is a lot of fun to use digital cameras, the convenience of sharing photos online and getting to see them instantly comes with a tradeoff. When you print or develop the pictures professionally, they will be of lower quality than even a $15 35 millimeter camera. That's why most professional photographers still use film cameras.
The best way to improve quality is to buy a camera with more megapixels. Unfortunately, that is the biggest cost differentiating factor. The best approach for getting a good cost/quality point is to pick the highest megapixel count that is already being mass produced when you buy your camera. The best bet is to look at the the hottest sellers on Amazon.com.
What about Storage
Consider carefully the impact of getting a top of the line high megapixel camera. If you take pictures at the highest resolution, that means each picture can be as large as several megabytes. That will make them take up a lot of disk space on your computure and they will be slow to manipulate once on your computer. Furthermore, the memory cards that come with cameras don't always store a lot of pictures. The best bet is to buy a card that will store at least 100 pictures at your camera's highest resolution so that you don't have to worry about long trips.
How to Share Pictures
Once you upload your pictures to your computer, you'll want to share them with your friends. You can email them, but the picture files are generally large and not practical to email as attachments. Websites like Kodak Gallery allow you to upload entire photo albums and share them with friends for free. You can also order prints from your pictures from these sites with your credit card.
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