19 Sep 08 Capturing Special Moments With A Digital Camera
Author: Roberto Sedycias
There are millions of people around the world who share a keen interest in photography. The charm of capturing a moment in a camera is truly amazing. Probably, this is one of the strongest reasons why a growing number of people are joining the cult of professional photographic pursuit. Traditionally, taking photographs, film processing and developing them in the dark room was a painfully long process. But as digital technology evolved, it enabled camera manufacturing companies to come up with high-end digital cameras.
Digital cameras are an ideal gadget for taking pictures without having to worry about running out of snaps of roll which is the case with the traditional film cameras. This apart, there is no need of having to wait till the entire roll of film gets used just to find the blown-up pictures in the dark room. Digital cameras allow you to take any number of photographs and see each one of them right after you take them. Also you can connect your camera to the USB port of you Personal Computer and store your snaps there in a folder. What is more is that you can customize each photograph, thru software, just the way like it. In case, you want to take a hard-copy of the pictures, you can always use the printer to get your favorite photograph printed out.
Buying a digital camera is a matter of serious deliberation. Since different brands of companies are offering cameras with special features, you have be aware of the standard features of the digital cameras in order to be able to make the right purchase. The following are some of the must-know tips that you should be familiar with before you swipe you credit card in a digital camera kiosk of a shopping mall or punch in the CVV number in the box while shopping online for a captivating camera.
Price Range:
The price of digital photographic cameras can usually range anything from US$100 to $1000. If you are buying a digital compact camera for the first time, then don`t go for an expensive one. It is quite easy to get tempted into spending a lot of money to buy a digital SLR camera offering features that are just of no use to you. Get to know your needs and settle for a prudent purchase. Ensure that the digital camera you pick should be light-weighted and easy-to-use. Later on, after you learn the basics of digital camera photograph, you may opt for an high-end edition.
Features:
The standard features of digital cameras of all make are almost similar except for some special features introduced by some renowned brands in the market. Features such as zoom, automatic functions, special effects, black & white images and video recording facilities are usually offered by most brands. However, as a prudent buyer you have be careful of the claims some manufactures might be making. For instance, the feature of digital zoom magnifications may not actually live up to your expectation level if you are hoping to get the optimal clarity especially if you are aiming at say 8×10 or larger size photos. Do not be tempted by the flashy promotional gimmickry of the brands. Consider the features keeping your pre-established price range in mind.
Lens:
All digital cameras provide two types of zoom features: optical and digital. While the optical zoom feature is based on the lens magnification and gives you images with a sharp and crystal-clear clarity, digital zoom relies on the magnification of the digital image which results in less sharp and fuzzy images. Make sure that the digital camera you buy should at least have the optical zoom features. However, as mentioned earlier, you have to be careful of the digital zoom magnification claim. You can look for digital cameras having lens auto focus and image stabilization features.
Image Resolution:
Image Resolution or Pixel Resolution is one of the most striking features of digital cameras. For personal and email purpose digital cameras having 2.0 mega pixels will deliver clear photos. However, many manufactures are now offering digital cameras with 8.0 and above mega pixels. You get better and clearer images with higher mega pixels. High mega pixel resolution plays a key role in image enlargement. So if size matters to you, consider this aspect seriously.
Battery Type and Longevity:
If you are likely to use the digital camera for outdoor activities, it is important to consider how long the built-in batteries will last. Even if you think of using some extra rechargeable batteries, just make sure whether the digital camera you are buying support the same batteries.
Every digital camera has the LCD Screen feature. Just make sure that the screen size should be at least 2 inches or above. It will give you better and clear images.
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19 Sep 08 How Do I Choose a Digital Camera?
Author: J Adams
A digital camera might look like a film camera but they are actually quite different. Both freeze light to make a photograph. Film cameras do this chemically using film. Digital cameras use a light sensitive CCD or CMOS silicon chip to convert light and digital information into pixels.
Pixels are the tiniest areas of light that your digital camera can recognize and change into information. The greater amount of pixels the more detail and higher the resolution the photograph. A low resolution color printout of tree will show that it is green but in a high resolution photograph the leaves and texture of the bark will be more sharply defined.
With digital photographs your have the ability to use software like Adobe Photoshop Deluxe and Microsoft Picture to edit photos and make corrections.
Choosing Your Camera
Important considerations when choosing a digital camera are: What do you want the camera to do? What features do you require? How much do you wish to spend on your camera?
There are professional high end cameras that cost thousands of dollars, cheap throwaway cameras and a huge selection of mid-level cameras available to choose from.
Will you be photographing images for the internet and for email? Will your photos be printed? For regular print size snapshots and web photos a one to two megapixel camera will do. In fact for the web a lower megapixel would be better as higher resolution photos are slow to download.
Do you want a point-and-click camera? Are you someone who just wants to get the picture taken with the least amount of bother. Do you want a camera that does everything automatically and you simply have to press a button? Or, are you someone who would rather figure out the best settings for your camera and make the adjustments manually? It’s always best to find a camera that suits your purpose, need and ability.
High or Low Resolution
High end, high resolution cameras are good for photographs that are to be printed. The greater the number of pixels the higher the resolution. High resolution does not make sense on the web as the extra resolution does not make images appear any sharper. Also, high resolution photos are slow to download on the web.
To print your photographs you will need a good quality color printer. If photos are to be printed, high resolution does make a difference depending how large you want the picture to be. High resolution will give a large print better definition. High resolution cameras cost more. Expect to pay more for high resolution. You also need to check that your printer can handle high resolution prints.
Lenses
Low-end digital cameras have fixed focus lenses made of plastic. With these lenses everything is focused and you don’t need to make a decision what to focus on.
Variable focused lenses are made of glass or high quality plastic. These lenses focus on whatever object you are trying to capture in a photograph.
Most mid-range digital cameras come with auto focus and manual focus built in. Auto focus is for point-and-click photos of whatever is in the middle of the frame. Or, by turning the ring over the lens, you can manually focus the camera. These cameras allow users to switch between auto and manual focus.
Zoom Lenses
Digital cameras have optical zoom and digital zoom lenses. Optical zoom costs more, give a better quality picture, and works the same way as on non-digital cameras with lens adjustments. A digital zoom comes about when the camera makes calculations to manipulates the pixels. Digital zoom gives a less sharp image. Some cameras include both optical and digital zoom.
View Finder
The view finder is what you look through to see what you are photographing. The view finder on both digital and regular film cameras will approximate the picture your lens is viewing. Digital cameras will also come with an LCD display that you can use to check your photographs and decide weather or not to keep them.
Lighting
When it comes to lighting you might not want the camera to make the decision automatically for you. On an auto setting you camera might not make the best lighting choice given the location and environment. At times like this you can appreciate being able to switch between manual and automatic settings.
Digital cameras allow you to test exposure and view a picture on LCD prior to pressing the button fully and committing to a photograph.
Flash
There will be a built in flash that comes with your digital camera. In addition, the better cameras have a location for a flash attachment. This is a good option for producing better quality photographs.
Connecting to Your Computer
You will need a PC USB cable, or for Mac’s - Firewire or Mac USB cable, to connect to your computer. You will also need a cable adapter for your camera’s CF (Compact Flash) or SM (Smart Media) card .
The CF or SM cards are removable high capacity storage cards for your photos. Your camera will use one type of card or the other. Not both. Check to see which type of storage card your camera uses.
USB connections are fast and easy to set up. Older cameras connect through a serial port. USB is faster and does not require that the computer be rebooted before it recognizes the camera.
Batteries and AC Adapters
Digital cameras often come with rechargeable batteries. It is best to have two sets of batteries. One set to use while the other is recharging. AC adapters make it easy to plug into an electrical outlet when you are near by one.
Main Drawback of Digital Camera
The main drawback of digital cameras is shutter lag delays when the camera delays responding after you squeeze the button. It is possible you may miss the moment when photographing moving objects due to shutter lag. Some of the newer cameras are beginning to address the problem.
Select a camera that does what you want it to do, has features you will use and is priced in the range you want to pay. This will be the right camera for you. If your experience is limited and you do not want to take a lot of time learning how to use the camera, go with a point-and-shoot camera. Something without too many features. If you are a camera enthusiast who wants to do more with your camera or is willing to take the time to learn how to use the feature then, by all means go all out.
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18 Sep 08 Digital Cameras - the Constant Innovation and What to Look for When Buying
Author: Boris C.
Main Concept And Evolution
When digital cameras became common, a question many photographers asked was whether their film cameras could be converted to digital. The first recorded attempt at building a digital camera was by Steven Sasson, an engineer at Eastman Kodak. The first true digital camera that recorded images as a computerized file was likely the Fuji DS-1P of 1988, which recorded to a 16 MB internal memory card that used a battery to keep the data in memory.
Digital cameras can include features that are not found in film cameras, such as:
- Displaying an image on the camera’s screen immediately after it is recorded.
- The capacity to take thousands of images on a single small memory device.
- The ability to record video with sound.
- The ability to edit images and deletion of images allowing re-use of the storage they occupied.
A digital camera is a camera that takes video or still photographs, or both, digitally by recording images on a light-sensitive sensor. Most digital cameras measure subject distance automatically using acoustic or electronic techniques, but it is not customary to say that they have a rangefinder. The resolution of a digital camera is often limited by the camera sensor (typically a CCD or CMOS sensor chip) that turns light into discrete signals, replacing the job of film in traditional photography.
Digital cameras have high power requirements, and over time have become increasingly smaller in size, which has resulted in an ongoing need to develop a battery small enough to fit in the camera and yet able to power it for a reasonable length of time. Digital cameras are incorporated into many devices ranging from PDAs and mobile phones (called camera phones) to vehicles and even webcams. Webcams are digital cameras attached to computers, used for video conferencing or other purposes.
When You Buy Digital Camera
Measuring the “pixels per dollar” as a basic measure of value for a digital camera, there has been a continuous and steady increase in the number of pixels each dollar buys in a new camera consistent with the principles of Moore’s Law. Before you buy digital camera, it is important to determine what kind of pictures you want to take with it. Be sure to check first its capacity to produce high quality photo images and don’t forget about camera’s batteries - make sure they are rechargeable.
When you buy digital camera, sometimes the spending does not end there. For instance you may want to buy additional memory if the one that is already included doesn’t suit your need and its capacity is not enough for you. This is why you must make sure that the gadget that you buy has not only a “built-in” memory or a card slot for external and additional memory, but also includes memory card with good enough capacity.
The LCD is a special consideration you have to look into when you buy a digital camera. This is a small screen located at the back of a digital camera that allows you to preview the pictures you took. This has to be considered when you buy digital camera, because it uses up a lot of battery power.
It is essential for you to feel comfortable holding your digital camera while shooting. So, before you buy digital camera, the right thing will be to test and check if you are comfortable holding it and using it. Special features that will suit your needs should be thought about, too before you buy digital camera. No matter what your needs and wants are for the device, your financial resource will play a huge part in dictating the type of digital camera you will buy. When buying digital camera in online store, make sure you already know what you want and start sorting by lowest price first and later calculating shipping and sales tax.
With these information, you can now figure out what you really need and want before you buy digital camera.
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18 Sep 08 Digital Camera Basics
An electronics on-line discussion forum contains a story about an elderly woman who wanted a simple camera to take pictures of her grandchildren. When she received a digital camera for Christmas, she looked puzzled for a moment and then asked, “Where do you put in the film?” This humorous example demonstrates how the revolutionary technology of digital cameras may be mystifying for those who have difficulty grasping the concept of a “filmless” camera! For almost a century, photography enthusiasts sagely discussed such topics as 35mm film, light meters and F-stops; today, digital cameras have made such topics all but obsolete.
Howstuffworks.com contains an article by Gurevich, Karim, and Wilson that greatly simplifies an explanation of how digital cameras work. Very simply, they explain that CDs, mp3’s, and DVDs all share the same technology: they convert traditional analog “wave” data into digital data based upon “bits.” In so doing, this radical shift in technology has changed greatly – and forever – how we do things and what has become possible including digital “filmless” cameras. While film cameras depend upon chemical and mechanical processes, digital cameras contain a computer that records images electronically.
In 1994, Kodak and Apple developed and sold the first digital cameras. Today there are hundreds of models to choose from, depending upon the type of pictures you need, the complexity with which you’re comfortable, and what digital camera you can afford. For everyday use, most people prefer a “point and shoot” camera that isn’t complex, takes good quality pictures that can be loaded onto computers or printed for personal use and to send to friends, and is affordable. According to a number of consumer guides and customer reviews, the top ten digital cameras in the low, mid, and high price ranges are:
1. Nikon D300 (high)
2. Canon EOS 5D (high)
3. Canon EOS 40D (high)
4. HP Photosmart M547 (low, great value)
5. FujiFilm Finepix S700 (mid)
6. GE A730 (mid)
7. Nikon D200 (high)
8. Canon EOS Digital Rebel Xsi (high)
9. Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18 (mid)
10. Canon EOS 30D (high)
The point should be made that what constitutes a “great” digital camera is usually in the eye of the beholder. One person’s “top ten” list is almost certain to differ from another person’s. For example, a digital camera that is making devoted converts is the Casio Exilim series that sells in the mid-level price range, depending upon your digital camera photography needs. On the other end, Digital Camera.com rates the Pentax Optio E-10 as “the worst digital camera ever.”
With all these differing opinions, what’s the best way to buy the digital camera that’s right for you? If you simply want to take personal pictures, choose a digital camera that has at least three megapixels. This will give you good quality pictures at a very affordable price. Remember that the higher the number of megapixels, the better quality your pictures will be, but the digital camera you choose will be more complex and more expensive. Also consider the size and shape of the camera; is it easy for you to carry in your purse or pocket? Finally, be sure your digital camera has at least 256-512 megabites of space on its memory card so you won’t have to buy additional memory cards. Taking all these factors into consideration will help you enjoy capturing treasured memories for years to come.
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18 Sep 08 Digital Camera: a Buyers’ Guide
Author: Russ Snapper
A digital camera takes still photographs or videos or both by recording the images on a light-sensitive sensor digitally. Most compact digital still cameras can record moving video and sound as well, apart from still photographs. The sales and popularity of digital cameras have increased now compared to the 35mm film cameras.
Digital cameras have a feature for viewing the image that is recorded immediately on the Camera display screen, the feature that is not available in film cameras. Other features include such as the facility to capture a lot of images on a small memory chip, record video along with sound, edit the images, delete the images not required etc. Digital cameras are now available along with many devices ranging from mobile phones and PDAs to vehicles.
The camera perhaps has been affected more by the digital technology than any other products. The digital cameras are not a new phenomenon. The first digital camera was released by Kodak in the U.S. market around 15 years ago. The DCS-100 model at that time with 1.3-mega pixels was available for about $13,000. The digital cameras have emerged with more features and are available at comparatively lesser prices, even to the extent of $80 at select stores.
The biggest benefit of Digital camera technology is the storage capability. You can view the photos on the camera itself, on a web page, a computer monitor, or on paper after printing. The digital camera can be connected to the printer directly through the USB port for printing pictures. People can afford to buy a digital camera today as the prices have fallen with the availability of more features.
It is important for you to know the issues of image resolution for comparing digital camera models. The unit of graphical representation used for displaying digital data by Digital cameras is called Mega Pixel (MP). More the mega pixels, the higher the resolution of the final image. Still you need to compare digital camera images recorded with your actual requirements.
Some typical resolutions found on Digital cameras are:
256×256 – This is available with very cheap cameras. Picture quality is unacceptable.
640×480 – Suitable for posting pictures over a web site or for sending pictures by email.
1216×912 – This resolution is good for printing pictures.
1600×1200 – This is a High resolution standard with around 2 million total pixels.
2240×1680 – This is available on most 4 mega pixel cameras.
4064×2704 – This is available on high-end digital camera with 11.1 mega pixels.
Some High-end consumer cameras can record pictures of over 12 million pixels. Most professional cameras have 16 million pixels. Large format cameras have 20 million pixels. For comparison sake, it is stated that the quality of 35mm film is approximately around 20 million pixels. Some types of Digital cameras are Point and Shoot, Semi-Professional, Bridge and SLR.
You need to know the complete package offered when you compare the prices of digital cameras. You can look for the availability of image-editing software, carry case, add-on Memory card and USB cable for working on your computer, when you want to compare the prices and the features offered. Other general features that you can look into are the availability of an LCD screen, a timer, a built-in flash, a date & time stamp, optical zoom feature and optical zoom lenses of good quality.
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17 Sep 08 Digital Cameras Offers Practical and Excellent Features
Digital cameras have advanced greatly in the past decade. Basically, the term digital cameras actually refer to all types digital image recording device. This includes webcams, mobile phone cameras and compact digital cameras. However, the sign Digital Cameras USA that you find in most stores refers only to high-end digital cameras that come with zoom, video, flash, high pixel and memory features.
It has already been decades since digital cameras have been launched to replace the film cameras. The transition wasn’t pretty in the beginning, which resulted to ugly and bulky digital cameras. But manufacturers have solved the size problems and digital cameras can’t get any smaller. In the digital camera world, small doesn’t also mean small features; most digital cameras have all the features you can ever ask for.
Digital Cameras: Taking an Edge over Film Cameras
Most photo enthusiasts have already traded their film cameras for digital cameras. However, there are still some who haven’t. They basically are not aware of these special features and benefits they can get with digital cameras.
1. Handy. The materials used in manufacturing digital cameras are practically smaller, lesser and weigh less. For this reason, digital cameras come in amazingly small sizes; some even fit inside back pockets. Digital cameras are definitely very handy and convenient to carry around.
2. Share and Transfer Photos Easily. Digital photos captured from digital cameras are stored in an external memory card. And since it is external, it can be easily detached and attached to a personal computer. Photos can easily be printed and shared and transferred online. Moreover, digital cameras also have sockets for USB cables. They can be directly connected to a personal computer for photo transfer without removing the external memory card.
3. Video Recorder Feature. With digital cameras you not only preserve special moments in still, but in motion as well. Digital cameras have video recorders that allow you to record events in motion. This feature definitely allows you to re-experience special moments.
4. Monitor. At the back of digital cameras is a monitor or screen that allows you to view recently taken photos. Compared to film cameras, this feature allows you to save on memory space or film. You can judge if the picture you took is worth saving, if not then you may just easily delete it. Then, you can just re-shoot the scene until you get the perfect photo.
5. Reusable Memory. The best thing about digital cameras is its reusable memory. You do not have to use a new memory card every time your old card is full. You can just easily save your photos to your personal computer, empty the memory card and voila! You can use the memory again!
Digital cameras definitely beat film cameras in almost everything. What’s more is that a digital camera can be easily bought online. You can practically shop for one at the comfort of your own home and time. There are numerous websites that sell Digital Cameras USA. However, digital cameras have different features, so it will be best that you know what you want and where you are going to use your digital cameras. Like film cameras, digital cameras are manufactured in special editions for professional photographers. If you do professional photography, then stick to high-end digital cameras. Moreover, the online stores may also be able to assist you choose your digital camera. Most of them have reviews for each product they sell online, including digital cameras. They even provide helpful tips so their every customer’s shopping experience is made convenient, easy and speedy as possible.
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17 Sep 08 Buying a Digital Camera
Family and friends can be pretty far flung these days, so how do you keep in touch? Snail mail and phoning are good options, but it’s fun to be able to share pictures. With the advent of digital cameras, it’s easy to post pictures on a blog or website, or send pictures via email.
Of course, film cameras will work, as you can scan and convert pictures to digital files, but the easiest way to send pictures quickly and cheaply is to use a digital camera.
How To Find What’s Best For YOU When Buying A Digital Camera
There are all kinds of digital cameras available these days, so the trick is to find the one that suits your needs and budget. If you are buying your first digital camera, the lingo and technology are a bit different than for film cameras, so before shopping take time to learn a little and figure out what you’d like to buy.
First, what kind of photographer are you? Do you like total control over the picture taking process, or would you rather just aim the camera and push the shutter button? Then it’s also helpful to decide what you want to do with your pictures. Do you just want to put them online or send them via email, or do you want to be able to print them, and if so, how large do you want your prints?
If photography isn’t your passion, and you just want to have pictures to share, buying a simple point-and-shoot digital camera is probably best. It has automatic settings, so all you have to do is aim the camera, press the shutter and viola! Instant picture!
However, if you prefer more control over the picture taking process, try buying a mid-range digital camera. There is a wide range in both price and features. For the more serious hobby photographer, there are “prosumer” cameras midway between point-and-shoot cameras and digital SLR cameras. They offer better lens quality and usually more features than a point-and-shoot, though those little cameras can come pretty loaded these days!
Digital SLR cameras are top of the line and more expensive. These work more like traditional cameras, having a body with detachable lens. This gives you more options with being able to change lens, but it’s also much more expensive. Just one lens can cost as much as a point-and-shoot digital camera! There’s also usually a steeper learning curve to figure out how to use all the options on a digital SLR camera.
However, if you’re buying your first digital camera, intermediate, “prosumer” and digital SLR cameras probably aren’t the best choice. All the settings and features can be a little overwhelming for the beginner, and your expensive camera may end up collecting dust somewhere. Try a low to midrange camera first and get a feel for digital cameras and what features are most important to you. Then when you’re ready to move up and buy a better digital camera, you’ll have a better idea of what to look for before you lay out your hard earned cash!
What To Look For When You’re Ready To Buy A Digital Camera
You can buy digital cameras in all sorts of places these days, from fancy department stores to discount stores, photography/camera shops and many stores online. While you can sometimes find great deals on-line, if this is your first digital camera, go to shops and look at different cameras if at all possible. It helps to pick it up and get the feel of the camera in your hand to see if it’s comfortable and the controls are easy to use, and you can check out what features it has and how they work.
But what exactly are you looking for?
One of the first things to check out when buying a digital camera is the MEGAPIXELS. A pixel is a single dot in a graphics image. A megapixel is equivalent to one million pixels. A 1-megapixel camera would produce an image roughly 1200 pixels wide by 900 pixels high, a 3 megapixel would be 2048 x 1536 megapixels, and so on. Higher megapixels mean better resolution, but aren’t the whole picture. The main thing to keep in mind is the more megapixels, the bigger image you can print.
Approximate Megapixels vs. Print Size
2 Megapixels prints well up to 4×6 inches
3 Megapixels prints well up to 5×7 inches
4 Megapixels prints well up to 6×8 inches
6 Megapixels prints well up to 7×10 inches
8 Megapixels prints well up to 10×14 inches
12 Megapixels prints well up to 16×24 inches
For email, websites and printing snapshots, a 3 to 5-megapixel camera is a good choice. If you want to make high quality 8×10 prints or larger, you need more megapixels. Higher megapixels also allow you to crop down to a smaller portion of the picture while still retaining sharpness in prints.
One other thing to keep in mind when considering megapixels and resolution, be sure you are getting optical resolution. This is the actual number of megapixels the camera records. Some cameras offer interpolated resolution to get bigger pictures from the same number of megapixels by using software algorithms to determine what color pixels to add, so the picture becomes bigger at the expense of clarity.
Opt for optical…
Digital cameras have two kinds of zoom, optical and digital. In this case, focus on the optical zoom. It’s the one that actually uses the lens’ optics to bring the subject closer. The higher the number, the further away you can “pull in” your subject. The digital zoom merely takes the original information and makes it bigger, and once again, clarity is sacrificed. Most serious photographers turn off digital zoom. Stick to optical!
For Your Viewing Pleasure…
Digital cameras commonly use an LCD screen instead of a viewfinder to focus on your subject, though some come equipped with both. Check the size of the screen when buying a digital camera to be sure you can comfortably see your subject. It’s also really handy to have a flip screen that allows you to hold your camera low or high, and still be able to see what’s on the screen.
Fun features…
Many digital cameras offer settings for such things as burst shooting mode, which is handy if you want to take pictures of moving subjects. The camera shoots a series of pictures without pause, then writes the files to memory. Other features allow for manually changing settings, special effects, short digital movie files, using an external flash, and much more. Look over several different cameras, decide what features you just have to have, and which are on the “nice to have but not vital” list. No one camera will do everything well.
Get the Picture…
You’ve got to get the pictures out of the camera to share them. Usually the files are downloaded to your computer through a USB port, so make sure your computer has one. Also, keep in mind when choosing a camera, the more megapixels, the bigger the files. You’ve got to store those files somewhere, so how much memory is available on your computer? Does it have a CD burner.
However, you can still buy a digital camera even if you don’t have a computer. Many photo labs, even in places like Walmart or Kmart, have machines with the capability of making prints and/or photo CD’s from memory cards, and will make a disk of the files, sort of like digital negatives. There’s also the option of buying a photo printer with a docking station for your camera. Just plug the camera into the docking station, and bypass the need for a computer to print.
Cash After Camera
When buying your digital camera, keep some cash in reserve, because there are two more important purchases you need to make.
1. Memory - The digital camera’s equivalent of film, the amount of memory determines how many pictures you can take. Different cameras use different types of memory, so the first step is to find out what your camera uses. The most popular types are: Secure Digital (SD), CompactFlash (CF), SmartMedia (SM), Memory Stick (MS), MultiMediaCard (MMC), and xD-Picture Card (xD).
Cameras are usually packaged with a small MB-sized card. A second card of 64 MB is good, but of course the more MB and the more cards, the more pictures you can take before having to download and erase the images. The different cards are NOT interchangeable, so be sure to buy the right kind for your camera!
2. Battery - There’s nothing more frustrating than being in the middle of snapping pictures and the battery dies. Get extras. It’s worth the expense to have a second battery charged and waiting should the one in your camera lose power. The rechargeable ones are more expensive, but the ability to use them over and over makes them worth the initial outlay of cash.
That’s The Total Package!
There you have the basics for choosing a digital camera. Decide what kind of pictures you are likely to take, what size prints you want to make, how much zoom, and are there any extras you can’t live without? Look for the camera that most closely matches your list in your price range, buy a bigger memory card and an extra battery set, and you’re good to go!
Have fun sharing those pictures with friends and family!
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