Size matters
– but it’s not about megapixels anymore. Five to seven megapixels provides all the headroom needed to output large, crisp and detailed prints. Anything over seven megapixels is money not well spent, unless you’re in the billboard industry. Where bigger is better is in the amount of the lens’ optical zoom range—look for cams with more than 3X zoom.
Avoid used digicams
—unless you go to a reputable dealer offering an ironclad warranty. Forget eBay and other sight-unseen deals. Digital cameras can be delicate objects – lenses are easily scratched, electronics gummed up by water, sand and other substances. If you do buy pre-owned, stay away from any digicam that utilizes obsolescent memory formats such as SmartMedia and even Compact Flash.
Cool new features – after you’ve decided whether a pocket-size digicam or a more traditional full-bodied digicam is more suitable for your needs, look for features such as generous optical zoom (such as 10X), face recognition and especially image stabilization, which goes a long way towards solving the curse of the shaky hand. This technology has been brought to the digital still camera from the camcorder folks. Properly applied, image stabilization compensates for camera shake, helping to end the scourge of the blurry picture. Auto focus is standard on every digicam, but look for newer models that offer much more sophisticated auto focus mechanisms that can simultaneously focus on multiple elements in the frame.
Don’t forget the companion items – The new digicam will generally include a small capacity memory card, a strap, a battery, a manual, cables to connect the digicam to a computer, and some relevant software. Before you leave the store with your new toy, purchase additional memory cards, perhaps some rechargeable batteries and a battery charger, a camera case and lens cleaner.
Do your homework – research your purchase prior to entering the store. Focus on the manufacturer’s reputation and look for comprehensive, objective reviews of the models you are considering. Pay special attention to the perceived quality of the lens, how fast the digicam cycles from shot to shot (faster is always better) and how much versatility it offers in terms of shooting modes and manual control of camera settings. How does the digicam handle fast action and/or low light conditions, two areas where lesser digital cameras will exhibit weakness?
Don’t be a picture scrooge. No film to buy, to develop or even to refrigerate. That means that taking 150 pictures won’t cost you any more than taking one. So get wild – the more pictures you take, the better you will get at it. Of course, rechargeable batteries are a must here.
– but it’s not about megapixels anymore. Five to seven megapixels provides all the headroom needed to output large, crisp and detailed prints. Anything over seven megapixels is money not well spent, unless you’re in the billboard industry. Where bigger is better is in the amount of the lens’ optical zoom range—look for cams with more than 3X zoom.
Avoid used digicams
—unless you go to a reputable dealer offering an ironclad warranty. Forget eBay and other sight-unseen deals. Digital cameras can be delicate objects – lenses are easily scratched, electronics gummed up by water, sand and other substances. If you do buy pre-owned, stay away from any digicam that utilizes obsolescent memory formats such as SmartMedia and even Compact Flash.
Cool new features – after you’ve decided whether a pocket-size digicam or a more traditional full-bodied digicam is more suitable for your needs, look for features such as generous optical zoom (such as 10X), face recognition and especially image stabilization, which goes a long way towards solving the curse of the shaky hand. This technology has been brought to the digital still camera from the camcorder folks. Properly applied, image stabilization compensates for camera shake, helping to end the scourge of the blurry picture. Auto focus is standard on every digicam, but look for newer models that offer much more sophisticated auto focus mechanisms that can simultaneously focus on multiple elements in the frame.
Don’t forget the companion items – The new digicam will generally include a small capacity memory card, a strap, a battery, a manual, cables to connect the digicam to a computer, and some relevant software. Before you leave the store with your new toy, purchase additional memory cards, perhaps some rechargeable batteries and a battery charger, a camera case and lens cleaner.
Do your homework – research your purchase prior to entering the store. Focus on the manufacturer’s reputation and look for comprehensive, objective reviews of the models you are considering. Pay special attention to the perceived quality of the lens, how fast the digicam cycles from shot to shot (faster is always better) and how much versatility it offers in terms of shooting modes and manual control of camera settings. How does the digicam handle fast action and/or low light conditions, two areas where lesser digital cameras will exhibit weakness?
Don’t be a picture scrooge. No film to buy, to develop or even to refrigerate. That means that taking 150 pictures won’t cost you any more than taking one. So get wild – the more pictures you take, the better you will get at it. Of course, rechargeable batteries are a must here.
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