Selecting a Digital Camera or Camcorder
You're going on vacation. You want to capture memories. You're overwhelmed by choices among cameras.
Of course, you can go to the Web for deep research - just Google "digital photography" and "digital video." And for the best bargains, go to Froogle.com and eBay.com.
Here's a list of the most important questions for you to ask:
" Stills or video? Many still cameras today can capture video; all video camcorders can capture stills. But the secondary function of each is much more limited. Do you want the extra work - and extra benefits - of video?
" Resolution. That's number of pixels (picture elements). Get at least 4 megapixels on a still camera; at least 1 megapixel for stills on a video camera.
" Zoom. Buy as much as you can afford, for both stills and video. 10x is a minimum. And that's optical zoom; digital zoom just makes the pixels bigger.
" Memory. Get an extra 1-gig card or two, especially if you're capturing sound and video.
" Batteries. Most cameras use rechargeables; buy extras so that some can be charging while you're using others. Check battery life; the longer, the better.
" Size and weight. You pay more for smaller and lighter.
" LCD viewfinder. Bigger is better. Check if visible outdoors - and if not, make sure there is an optical viewfinder.
" Controls. Make sure you can see and understand the main controls.
" Flash. Most still cameras have a flash; most video cameras don't. Be sure you know how to turn it off, so you can shoot by natural light when you want to.
" Stabilization. For video cameras, this is a very useful option, and can enhance the quality of your movies.
" Removable lenses. Important for the serious hobbyist, but increase the price substantially.
" Price. Under $100 to many thousands. An excellent still camera can be bought for $400, new; video for a bit more. Check eBay for used bargains.
" Accessories. Get a good bag, with room for everything you want to carry. Spare batteries, memory cards, standard and car chargers are useful. A light tripod is useful. Make sure you have the right cables, or the right memory card slot on your PC, for downloading pictures and videos.
" Sharing. Check out Picasa from Google; it's for organizing images and does simple editing. It connects to a couple of sharing methods. It's free. And go see Flickr.com - also free.
And here is the most powerful piece of advice I have for you when buying gadgets: Talk to people who own them. Most camera owners will be glad to tell you what they like and don't like about what they bought-and what they wish they had bought!
This article appears in Winchester Life Magazine.
Of course, you can go to the Web for deep research - just Google "digital photography" and "digital video." And for the best bargains, go to Froogle.com and eBay.com.
Here's a list of the most important questions for you to ask:
" Stills or video? Many still cameras today can capture video; all video camcorders can capture stills. But the secondary function of each is much more limited. Do you want the extra work - and extra benefits - of video?
" Resolution. That's number of pixels (picture elements). Get at least 4 megapixels on a still camera; at least 1 megapixel for stills on a video camera.
" Zoom. Buy as much as you can afford, for both stills and video. 10x is a minimum. And that's optical zoom; digital zoom just makes the pixels bigger.
" Memory. Get an extra 1-gig card or two, especially if you're capturing sound and video.
" Batteries. Most cameras use rechargeables; buy extras so that some can be charging while you're using others. Check battery life; the longer, the better.
" Size and weight. You pay more for smaller and lighter.
" LCD viewfinder. Bigger is better. Check if visible outdoors - and if not, make sure there is an optical viewfinder.
" Controls. Make sure you can see and understand the main controls.
" Flash. Most still cameras have a flash; most video cameras don't. Be sure you know how to turn it off, so you can shoot by natural light when you want to.
" Stabilization. For video cameras, this is a very useful option, and can enhance the quality of your movies.
" Removable lenses. Important for the serious hobbyist, but increase the price substantially.
" Price. Under $100 to many thousands. An excellent still camera can be bought for $400, new; video for a bit more. Check eBay for used bargains.
" Accessories. Get a good bag, with room for everything you want to carry. Spare batteries, memory cards, standard and car chargers are useful. A light tripod is useful. Make sure you have the right cables, or the right memory card slot on your PC, for downloading pictures and videos.
" Sharing. Check out Picasa from Google; it's for organizing images and does simple editing. It connects to a couple of sharing methods. It's free. And go see Flickr.com - also free.
And here is the most powerful piece of advice I have for you when buying gadgets: Talk to people who own them. Most camera owners will be glad to tell you what they like and don't like about what they bought-and what they wish they had bought!
This article appears in Winchester Life Magazine.
posted by Joel at 3:43 PM
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