 Digital
Camera Guide
So, it's time
for a digital camera huh? Well, buying one can be more than a
little difficult. What types of features should you look for?
Well, this guide will tell you that plus get you a little more
familiar with what these cameras are capable of.
Megapixels
When it comes
to megapixels,
the more the better. I recommend a minimum of 2, but 3 or 4 is
great. We did a test to see if a camera with 2.3 megapixels (actually
1.92 - 1600 x 1200) could produce a good quality 8x10.
Turns out it
can, if you have the right paper and printer. We used HP Premium
Plus photo paper with an HP 970 series printer and made a fantastic
8 x 10. Remember, I was a professional photographer before I
got into computing, so I know a good print when I see it :-)
The resolution
at 8x10 (we had to crop in to make the picture proportional to
8x10) was only 150 DPI. Most printers would not make a real good
8x10 at that resolution, but this one did. So, if you want to
be sure you can get good 8 x 10s, you may want to go with a 3
megapixel camera or better (that gives you around 200 DPI at
8x10 size, still not quite the optimum 300 DPI, but it looks
good with the right printer).
Optical
vs Digital Zoom
You've probably
noticed that most digital cameras have both a specification for
digital and optical zoom. Pay the most attention to the optical
zoom.
The optical
zoom magnifies (zooms in) using glass. The digital zoom basically
crops out the edge of the picture to make the subject appear
closer, causing you to lose resolution or to get an interpolated
resolution (i.e. the camera adds pixels). Neither of which help
image quality.
Finally, make
sure you get enough (optical) zoom. A 2x zoom isn't going to
do much for you. A 3x is the average you'll find in most digital
cameras will probably be good for most uses. More on lenses later.
Connection
How does the
camera connect to your computer? If you have a USB port in your
computer, you'll want a camera that can connect via USB as opposed
to a slow serial connection.
On the other
hand, if your computer doesn't have a USB port, is there a serial
connector available for the camera you're looking at? If so,
is it a special order and how long does it take to get it?
Storage
What does the
camera use to store images with? If it uses a memory
stick, make sure you consider buying additional sticks when
you get your camera. A typical 8 meg memory stick that comes
with a 2 megapixel camera only holds 5 or 6 images at the camera's
best quality.
Some cameras
use a 3.5 inch disk for storage. Be careful of these!
Although it may sound like a good idea, a 3 megapixel camera at high resolution
produces a 1 meg file (compressed!). That's only 1 picture per disk.
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