WHAT TO FOCUS ON WHEN CHOOSING A DIGITAL CAMERA

It's not surprising that, today, digital cameras outsell traditional film cameras. Beyond being convenient, digital cameras eliminate the time and cost of developing film, and make it easy and economical to save and delete photos. Plus, with PCs and high-resolution printers becoming more affordable, the digital camera has become an essential tool for both consumers and businesses.

However, with so many brands, different features, and prices that range from under $100 to over $1,000, choosing the right camera can seem confusing. Before you buy, you should consider how you are going to use the camera, and, just as importantly, how you are going to use the photographs you take.

If you take a lot of photos, need detail in the images, and are going to use your photos in printed material, you should choose a higher-end digital camera. If you primarily take snapshots, only viewing the photos on your monitor, or using them only for a web page, a more basic model may be appropriate.

Here are some of the features you should consider when choosing a digital camera for your business:

Pixels Ð digital cameras are categorized by how many pixels their image sensors contain. Most often, they are stated in ÒmegapixelsÓÑ1 megapixel= 1 million picture elements. The more pixels, the more detail an image contains. For overall value, consider 3Ð4 megapixel models. However, there are 5Ð12 megapixel cameras which are expensive but offer professional results.

Memory Ð the amount of memory dictates the number of images that can be stored in a camera. While some cameras have an internal memory, many others use removable memory cards. Memory is measured in mega-bytes (MB). These memory cards are becoming more affordable, with storage up to 256 MB (approximately 400 pictures) becoming quite popular.

PC Interface Ð this is how you download images from the camera to your PC. Typically, you connect your camera to your computerÕs USB or FireWire port. There are also printers that can take memory cards and make prints without a computer. All digital cameras come with software that allows you to download photos. Plus, there is image handling software availableÑ such as Adobe¨ Photoshop¨ Element¨, MGI¨ PhotoSuite¨, Microsoft¨ Picture It¨ and othersÑthat allows you to retouch, enlarge or crop images.

Zoom Lenses Ð the higher the numberÑ2X, 3X, 4XÑthe closer you can get to a subject. Be aware that there are two kinds of zooms. Optical zooms use the cameraÕs zoom lens to move in on a subject, just as it does on a traditional film camera. Digital zooms use in-camera software to simply enlarge and crop the image you see in your cameraÕs viewer. This results in a loss of resolution. Many cameras offer you a combination of both zooms, but for picture quality, pay close attention to the size of the optical zoom.

Some other considerations are:

• Flash Ð most digital cameras feature a flash, and red-eye reduction is an important feature you should consider.
• LCD Viewer Ð this allows you to preview and review your photos directly in the camera, and is offered on most models.
• Battery Consumption Ð one way to save money is to consider rechargeable battery packs.

Of course, there are other considerations Ð such as choosing the right printer and the right paper for when you make prints. If you would like to know more about digital photography and the tools youÕll need, check out our big catalog today.