Say cheese! Going digital is your first step toward great project photos

Expression, May-June, 2005 by Richard Stahlhut

STOP! Put down that old film camera, stop what you are doing and read this. Now is the perfect time to begin learning the basics of digital photography. Learning and buying, that is. Why now you may ask? Digital technology has become as good--or even better--than most film cameras. On top of that, the prices for digital cameras have come down significantly in the last year or two, making them affordable to the average Joe. It's truly a perfect time to start enjoying all the advantages offered by using digital, and trust me, there are many.

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Perhaps the biggest advantage is the instant gratification from seeing the picture you just took on the screen of the camera. Not only do you bear witness to the great picture, but all the others that were in the picture get to see the photo too. Sure there are the old Polaroid cameras that allow for instant gratification, but the main difference between the two is if the picture isn't any good on a digital camera, you can delete it and try again. At no cost and no fuss to boot.

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In fact, cost is another big advantage for going digital. Once you've paid the initial price for a camera and a memory card (which varies in price range), the costs for future use is minimal. You only pay for the pictures you want printed, instead of a whole roll of mistakes like on film cameras. Even better, for less than $200 dollars you can buy a photo-quality printer from Epson or Canon that prints high-quality photos. Just cut out that middleman at the photo-processing store and you can take care of business in-house. In fact, some available printers don't even require a computer to process photos.

One great thing about many of the newer digital cameras is they're made with the amateur photographer in mind. They do most of the work for you, using advanced technology to ensure you get the best picture possible. These moderately priced consumer cameras are called "Point-and-Shoot Cameras" because that's basically all you do ... other than turning them on, of course.

Money Talks So I've somewhat convinced you on the advantages of going digi, right? Now you're ready to spend your hard-earned money on the hottest point-and-shoot camera available. Only one problem--you don't know where to start. Don't worry, I'm here to help.

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First, you need to figure your budget and how much camera you can afford. You also need to know what you want to do with the camera. Do you want the basic of all cameras, or would you like a few more frills involved? Like with everything, the more you spend, the more you get.

The most important feature on a digital camera is the "megapixels." Mega-what you say? Stay with me now--it's actually fairly simple. A "pixel" is a small cell that gathers up the image in the camera. Megapixel then means one million pixels. The higher this number is, the higher the quality, or resolution of the camera. Try and get the highest megapixel camera that you can afford. Currently the highest level for a point and shoot is 5-8 MP (megapixels) with the lower quality being about 3-5 MP.

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The second most important feature of digital cameras is ease of use. Stick with companies that have proven track records with the new digital technology. Familiar camera companies like Canon, Nikon, Sony, Olympus, Kodak and Fuji all excel in this new digital world. They have years of experience in making the cameras user-friendly. Trust me, you'll appreciate the easy-to-navigate-through menus and simple controls that they have perfected through the years. All of these companies offer a wide variety of cameras across all price points.

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The last thing to consider is how you'll be using the camera and what type of photography you'll be doing. For example, if you want a small camera you can carry in your purse or pocket, then you'll want to look at the subcompact models. Sony and Canon both make excellent subcompacts that actually have amazing amounts of power in a very small size.

If you want to take pictures of wildlife or sporting events, then you might want to consider a camera with a high "optical zoom" (8X or higher). However, know this, optical zoom and digital zoom are different (see Terms). You want to avoid using the digital zoom feature--it's actually not a feature of the lens and will degrade the quality of your photo.

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Bigger is Better Only recently have manufacturers been putting larger-sized screens (a.k.a. LCD monitors) on their cameras. This is a big plus in my eyes--no pun intended. Not only does it make viewing and sharing your photos much more enjoyable, but if you happen to have bad eyesight, it also helps for reading the menus on the screen. Definitely try and get the largest screen for your buck!

Finally, make sure you save enough money in your budget for a high capacity memory card. There are several different types of cards out there, some more expensive than others. The amount of storage a card has is measured in megabytes (MB). The higher the number of megabytes on a card, the more room it has to store photos. Don't get confused; just remember if you have a camera that is high in "megapixels"--the more "megabytes" you'll need. This especially comes in handy on long trips and vacations when you don't have access to a computer to download your photos. It enables you to store hundreds, possibly even thousands, of pictures in the camera. Take that you old film users!