Digital Camera Buyers Guide.gif)
This is the second page of our Buyers Guide to Shopping
for a Digital Camera. Read
the first page in this article. To get more technical
information about digital cameras, visit our How
Digital Cameras Work section.
Features to look
for on a Digital Camera
Optical
Zoom v. Digital Zoom
First off, forget
about buying any digital camera that does not have an optical
zoom lens. Why? Digital cameras without an optical zoom lens
generally have very poor optics. They also lack the picture
taking flexibility that a digital camera with a zoom lens
has. Many of these cheap cameras without an optical zoom lens
will tout their digital zoom feature instead. Don't be conned
by the lofty claims these cameras make about digital zoom.
Digital zoom works very poorly and only produces blocky and
grainy images. After you use digital zoom once you will never
use it again.
In short, you want
a digital camera that has an optical zoom lens. The larger
the optical zoom lens (this is measured in terms of 2x, 3x,
4x, etc…) the greater the picture taking flexibility
you will have. Most quality digital cameras have an optical
zoom of at least 2x (equivalent to 70mm in film cameras) and
frequently 3x (equivalent to 105mm in film cameras). And remember,
avoid digital zoom like you would avoid the plague!
The
LCD Screen on a Digital Camera
Any digital camera you buy absolutely positively must have
an LCD screen - and a good one at that. A digital camera without
an LCD screen misses out on one of the best benefits of using
a digital camera - being able to see what the picture will
look like before taking it and what it looks like after you
just took it. Additionally, a digital camera without an LCD
screen is not likely to be very fun to change settings or
options on - unless, of course, the camera itself has no options.
In short, any digital
camera you buy should have a nice, large LCD screen. Period.
Panoramic
Pictures
If you like to take panoramic shots (those wide shots showing
the landscape) than any digital camera you get should have
a panoramic function. This function on the camera, in combination
with the cameras software, allows it to literally "stitch"
together 2 or more images to form a panoramic shot - sort
of like those wide postcards you see. Many digital cameras,
even good ones, do not have this function, so pay close attention
when shopping if you would like this function. As a side note,
the logo on this website was created by"stitching"
3 digital photos together and then scaling it down to size.
Digital
Camera Software
The software that comes with a digital camera is very important.
A good software program will manage your images for you and
makes them much easier to find. The software will also allow
you to edit the picture, usually with a scaled down image
editor. Other features of a good software program include
panoramic features to stitch multiple images together (if
your digital camera allows for this).
Computer
Connectivity
The connection of the digital camera to your computer should
be a USB connection. If you do not have a USB connection then
either get a new computer or put a USB connection in. Period.
Why? A USB connection is MUCH faster to download images over
than a serial connection. It is also much easier and reliable
to use - especially if you have Windows XP.
Before buying any
digital camera, also double check the compatibility of the
software that comes with the digital camera to your own computer
system. Many digital cameras require Windows 98 and above
and do not work at all for the Mac. Other software will require
fast processors or lots of memory. In short, read the software
specifications carefully!
All About Memory
Amount
of Memory you should get for a Digital Camera
There is probably a conspiracy going on of some kind. I don't
think a single digital camera comes with more than a 8 MB
memory card - which will hold, at best, no more than 30 images
and usually quite less, depending on the resolution of the
camera. Thus, plan on buying extra memory when you purchase
your digital camera. See our How
a Digital Camera Works for more technical information
about memory for digital cameras.
So, how much memory
should you have for your digital camera? I personally have
three 128 MB cards and have come perilously close to filling
them up on long photo taking trips. With the resolution on
my 2-megapixel digital camera set at its highest, I can get
about 220 pictures per memory card. Turning down the resolution
to 1-megapixel on my camera allows me to get around 410 pictures
per card.
Thus, my recommendation
is this. Get at least one 128 MB memory card if you get
a
2-megapixel digital camera or less. If you get a 3-megapixel
camera or 4-megapixel camera, get at least one 256 MB
memory card since the image sizes are much larger on these
cameras (I would personally get the 512 MB card, since
you'll be amazed at how fast you can fill up a card one
you start shooting). If you plan
on taking your camera on vacation and will have no way to
download the images till you get back, I would highly recommend
getting 2 or more memory cards instead.
Types
of Memory Available for Digital Cameras
There are several
types of memory available for digital cameras. The primary memory
type is the Compact Flash memory card (known as the CF Card).
CF cards come in two varieties, conveniently labeled CF Card
Type I and CF Card Type II. Another popular type of card for
specific digital cameras is the new Smart Media memory card.
Both of these cards in my experience work equally well.
That said, I vote
for the old, boring CF Card Type I. Why? Most digital cameras
use this, for starters. Because of this, CF Card Type I are
much more readily available (it won't be long before you can
pick these up at a local convenience store, I suspect) and
cost less than other types of memory cards. They are also
extremely reliable. I've taken thousands of photos with my
digital camera and have yet to have any sort of problem with
any of the three Compact Flash Type I memory cards I use.
Power Sources
for Digital Cameras
Digital cameras
will quickly drain the life out of traditional batteries,
making it rather expensive to own over the long haul. Which
is why rechargeable batteries are the power of choice for
a digital camera.
Be careful when
shopping for digital cameras. Many digital cameras come with
a "special rechargeable battery" that only works
for that camera. As a result, buying extra rechargeable batteries
is very expensive. These special batteries are also almost
impossible to find. Because of this, I strongly recommend
staying away from any digital camera that does not use traditional
AA or AAA batteries.
By getting a digital
camera that uses AA batteries, you can use any of the NiMH
(Nickel Metal Hydride) rechargeable batteries on the market
today. These batteries last twice as long as a standard alkaline
battery and can be recharged more than 1000 times. These rechargeable
batteries are also relatively inexpensive. And best of all,
should your rechargeable batteries run out of power while
on a trip, you can use normal alkaline batteries when in a
pinch. If you do a lot of traveling, look for a NiMH battery/charger
combination that can be charged while in your car - I use
a RayoVac charger that will charge NiMH batteries while I'm
driving. And it will charge these batteries in less than 1
hour. The best place to pick this charger and battery set
up is at your local Wal-Mart or K-Mart, in case you're wondering.
Conclusion
Hopefully this
buyers guide has given you some ideas on what type of digital
camera to buy for your specific needs. I believe that by using
this information any shopper should be able to find the type
of digital camera that is right for them.
Want my recommendation?
Unless you need to do high-end photo editing, professional
graphic works, or want to print out images greater than
8x10,
I recommend the Canon
A75 Digital Camera, which is basically the same type
of camera used on this site but in a 3-megapixel version.
The A75 is a great camera and is very affordably priced.
It has great features and is
easy
to use. You can learn lots more about
this camera in our special Canon
Digital Camera section if you like.
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