Camera shy? If you were waiting until the prices were right to buy a digital camera, then your wait is over

Entrepreneur, March, 2003 by Amanda C. Kooser

DESPITE THE FALLING PRICES AND THE improved technology of digital cameras, it's still too early to declare old-fashioned film dead. But for entrepreneurs who don't have time to run down to the one-hour developer and scan photos into a computer, now is a pretty good time to go digital. Owners of earlier digital camera models who are now ready for an affordable upgrade will find a lot of alternatives wing for their attention.

Matching yourself and your business with the right kind of camera is an important step. One of the easiest ways to break it down is by starting with the megapixels. Our chart covers mostly 4 megapixel cameras that fall within the $500 price range (all prices street). A 5 megapixel Olympus C-5050 ZOOM and a 3.2 megapixel Canon PowerShot S230 are included for good measure. You can get a lot of flexibility for your money. The resolution is high enough to allow for good 8-by-l0 enlargements. If you need to go much larger than that, then look upwards in the product lines for higher resolution devices.

On the other end of the scale, if you only need to take snapshots for Web page use and don't plan on doing much of your own printing or demanding graphics work, a 1- or 2-megapixel point-and-shoot camera will cover your needs for less money. For good snapshot prints, 2 megapixels is the minimum required. Cameras with more than 4 megapixels will appeal to more advanced users and are usually stocked with image-quality features like film SLRs.

There is a small heap of storage formats waiting for you out there. Old standbys like CompactFlash (CF) and SmartMedia (SM) are still going strong, while more recent additions such as Secure Digital (SD), IBM's Microdrive and xD-Picture (xD) are proliferating. If you're upgrading and are already invested in one type, choose a new camera with the same storage. The $799 Olympus C-5050 ZOOM covers a lot of bases and supports all four of those storage technologies.

Zoom is a handy feature built into all the cameras in our chart. The important factor is the optical zoom. The $499 HP Photosmart 850, for example, comes with a hefty 8x optical zoom. Once you max out the optical zoom and move into the digital zoom capabilities, you compromise image quality. This doesn't matter much for Web applications, but can be noticeable when you get into enlargements and high-quality graphics work.

If possible, take a hands-on test run of the digital cameras on your short list. The handling, feel, features, menus and weight vary quite a bit. Some, like the $499 Nikon Coolpix 4300, offer a movie mode that captures short videos. More camera-savvy users will like the manual features some models provide. Point and shooters, however, should search for simplicity and ease of operation.

A word of warning when buying: There have been a lot of complaints in recent years from buyers suffering at the hands of fly-by-night Internet digital camera retailers. Signs include too-good-to-be-true prices on desirable cameras and high-pressure phone sales tactics that try to get you to buy extra accessories at inflated prices. Take care when dealing with unfamiliar resellers. Either research them for customer comments online or purchase a brand you already trust.

The current crop of digital cameras offers some impressive features and quality at good prices. You're bound to find a model that will complement your business well without squeezing your pocketbook.

Shopping List

BONE UP ON YOUR MEGAPIXELS AND YOUR
OPTICAL ZOOM BEFORE YOU PLUNK DOWN
YOUR CASH.

                                                      MEDIA
COMPANY/MODEL       CONTACT             MEGA-PIXELS   TYPE

BENQ                WWW.BENQ.COM            4.0       CF
DC4500              (888) 723-2238

CANON               WWW.USA.CANON.COM       3.2       CF
POWERSHOT S230      (800) OK-CANON

HEWLETT-PACKARD     WWW.HP.COM              4.1       SD
HP PHOTOSMART 850   (800) 752-0900

NIKON               WWW.NIKONUSA.COM        4.0       CF
COOLPIX 4300        (800) NIKON-UX

OLYMPUS             WWW.OLYMPUS-            5.0       XD, SM, CF,
C-5050 ZOOM         AMERICA.COM                       IBM,
                    (888) 553-4448                    MICRODRIVE

PENTAX              WWW.PENTAX.COM          4.0       CF, ALSO 11MB
OPTI0 430RS         (800) 877-0155                    BUILT-IN
                                                      MEMORY

                                                      STREET
COMPANY/MODEL       FEATURES                          PRICE

BEND                3X OPTICAL ZOOM, 3X DIGITAL       $399
DC4500              ZOOM, WEIGHS 11.2 OUNCES

CANON               2X OPTICAL ZOOM, 3.2X             $399
POWERSHOT 5230      DIGITAL ZOOM, WEIGHS 6.4
                    OUNCES, MOVIE MODE

HEWLETT-PACKARD     8X OPTICAL ZOOM,                  $499
HP PHOTOSMART 850   7X DIG ITALZOOM, WEIGHS
                    13 OUNCES

NIKON               3X OPTICAL ZOOM, 4X               $499
COOLPIX 4300        DIGITAL ZOOM, WEIGHS
                    7.9 OUNCES, MOVIE MODE

OLYMPUS             3X OPTICAL ZOOM, 4X DIGITAL       $799
C-5050 ZOOM         ZOOM, WEIGHS 13.4 OUNCES

PENTAX              3X OPTICAL ZOOM, 2X DIGITAL       $399
OPTI0 430RS         ZOOM, WEIGHS 7.1 OUNCES