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Do You Need A Digital Camera?
Subjects > Computers
Do you really need a Digital Camera?
Before you buy a digital camera of any kind, review what you plan to
do with it and determine if you actually need one. Once the need is
confirmed the next step is to decide what type would best suit you.
Unlike traditional cameras, a digital camera uses no film. The image is
recorded electronically and is then transferred to your computer for
printing or other uses such as being posted to the web.
If you simply want pictures for your scrap book and need the
occasional digital image for a report or brochure then a traditional film
camera will be far more cost effective. A $50 film camera will produce
excellent images that can be enlarged at a modest cost and very
quickly. Many film processors now provide a scanning service and put
your images in a CD or other media for just a few dollars.
If you need a large number of electronic images for the web or other
uses such as reports and presentations, then a digital camera is
definitely worth considering.
Having determined that a digital camera is a good investment the
following information will help you make the right choice.
Resolution
With film cameras resolution is something that we rarely consider. This
is not the case with a digital camera. Resolution is measured by the
number of ‘dots’ or pixels that make up the image. The lowest
resolution is 640 by 480, this means 640 across the picture and 480
from top to bottom. Multiply these two together, say 1,600 and 1,200
and you will have 1.9 million pixels, a 1.9 Megapixel camera.
Resolution varies considerably and is usually linked with price. Select
a digital camera with a maximum resolution that meets your largest
typical output. Don’t just think of what you are doing at the present,
look ahead to future needs and activities. If your images will primarily
be used on the Web, you’ll need a camera that supports a 640 by 480
resolution (also called VGA). For snapshots up to 5” x 7” look at
cameras that support 1024 by 768 (SVGA), and for crisp 8”x10”
enlargements you will require at least 1600 by 1200. Naturally the
higher the resolution the higher the price.
Image Compression
Along with the ‘raw’ uncompressed image of the highest quality you
also have the choice of compressing the files to save storage space on
your memory chip. Practice will show you what level of compression
and associated loss of quality is acceptable for different uses.
Approximate number of images that can be stored on a 16Mb Memory
Card with a 2.1 megapixel camera (Nikon 950) are as follows:
Best Quality 2 High Quality 16
Medium Quality 64 Web Quality 200
Video Clips
Some digital cameras include the ability to capture short video clips
with sound. While suitable for the occasional video clip for insertion
into a PowerPoint?Create presentation or a web page, they should not be
considered as a replacement for a video camera. Likewise, video
cameras that have the ability to take digital still pictures are usually
fairly low resolution, primarily just suitable for the web. Video clips also
require substantial amounts of memory. A video clip of relatively
modest resolution will require 8Mb for 60 seconds.
Get Enough Memory
All but the most inexpensive cameras use removable memory cards
that store your images. Keep in mind your maximum resolution. If you
have a 2 megapixel camera and it comes with 8 Mb of memory you will
only be able to store 2 images at the highest quality. While additional
memory is readily available, the cost can be high. Once you have
transferred the pictures to your computer the memory card can be
erased and used again and again, literally thousands of times. Memory
cards have capacities that range from 8mb to 128mb and even larger
for those with very deep pockets.
Accessories
When comparing costs, don’t forget to calculate the extras that may or
may not be included, such as rechargeable batteries, an AC adapter,
and a larger memory card.
Connecting to Your Computer
Try to buy a digital camera that has a USB interface. This will simplify
the image-transfer process. With USB, the computer sees the camera
as a disk drive, so all you have to do is drag and drop the images into
Windows Explorer. If your computer does not have a USB connection
you can buy (approximately $40) a USB card. An alternative is the
serial port, but this is much slower than USB and can take half an hour
or more to transfer 8Mb of information compared to 15 to 30 seconds
for USB.
Zoom Lenses
When looking at zoom lenses, what counts is the optical zoom.
Unless you just want snapshots a 2x optical zoom should be
considered the minimum. 3x optical zooms are quite common and a
handful of cameras have a 5x zoom with one or two offering 10x zoom.
Beware of digital zoom as it is simply a software function that crops
and enlarges the image and in so doing loses quality. Almost all
cameras that offer optical zoom also have 2x or 3x digital zoom.
LCD Display
Apart from the most inexpensive snapshot cameras, all have a small
LCD screen that allows you to both preview the picture (in addition to a
normal viewfinder) and also look at the picture after you have taken it.
So if your subject has closed her eyes at the critical moment you can
see the error and take the shot again. The quality and brightness of the
LCD display can vary considerably, so test it in bright daylight and not
just in the store.
The Wait
Test how fast the camera shoots and recovers. Some cameras have a
fraction of a second delay from the time you press the shutter to
actually capturing the image. This may be important if you are taking
pictures of moving images.
Once the picture has been taken it takes a few seconds to transfer the
picture to the memory card. The larger the image the longer it will take.
You will probably be unhappy with any digital camera that takes longer
than 6 seconds before allowing you to shoot again.
Batteries
Digital cameras simply devour batteries, especially when using the
LCD display and flash. This is one situation where even the Energizer
Bunny will quickly run out of energy. Your best and most economical
long term option is to invest in at least two sets of rechargeable
batteries. Traditional Nickel Cadmium rechargeable batteries have a
capacity of about half that of an alkaline battery such as Duracell or
Energizer and so are not a wise choice. Try and get some Ni-MH
batteries, they are now commonly available and while about twice the
price of regular rechargeable batteries they have over double the
capacity and can be recharged again and again, even when only
partially depleted.
Some cameras are now being sold with integral Ni-MH battery packs.
Just be mindful that if the batteries run out halfway through the day you
may not be able to change them for a fresh set.
The Flash
If you take a lot of pictures indoors note that the integral flash that
comes with the camera usually only has a range of 10 to 12 feet. If you
need more flash coverage look for a camera that has a ‘hot shoe’ or
other connector for an additional and more powerful flash gun.
Printing
Having taken dozens and dozens of pictures at your volunteer
appreciation evening you will now need to do something with them.
Printing them on your inkjet printer can be expensive, especially if you
want several copies to give away. In these situations it may be better
to use both a regular film camera supplemented by your digital
camera. It is much cheaper to have a couple of rolls of film processed
with duplicates than to do it on your office inkjet.
Costs
Last but by no means least is the cost. A good quality 2 megapixel
camera with a 2x optical zoom, USB connectivity, LCD viewing screen
and 8Mb of memory will cost in the region of $150 - $200 (these are Q4 2004 prices,
down from $400 in January 2002 prices). With prices dropping and specifications
increasing constantly do your homework and shop around.
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Do You Need A Digital Camera
