Dec 26, 2001 02:28 AM
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(Updated Dec 26, 2001 02:29 AM)
I just bought a digital camera 2 weeks ago. After much research, deliberation and help of my friends I finally bought one, which I believe was true worth of money. Any how since I got one just now…I think my grey cells can share what I thought of while buying a digital camera.
Who Are You?!
That’s probably the most important question you need to ask yourself, because much of your later decisions will be based on this. Decide, why you want to buy the digital camera. Are you a everyday time-pass photographer? Do you have serious interest in photography? Would you like to make big size photographs and stick them? Or are you adventure freak who needs to get some real good pics outside? Once you know who you are, then you will have made a major decision already.
Which MegaPixel camera ?
Digital camera come in various types, but what differentiates them is the megapixel value. The megapixel value tells you the depth of the photograph. You can have digital cameras from 1.3 mega pixels to around the latest 5 mega pixel camera released by SONY. Now if you answered the first question correctly, you can make a decision here. For a normal everyday shoot, ( i.e the time-pass shoots), the 1.3 mega pixel camera will just do fine. For most other cases, 2.0 to 3.1 mega pixel digital cameras are a must. Serious photographers should think of even higher mega pixel values. Why does the mega pixel value matter? The answer is, it gives you the depth of the photograph, meaning, you probably wont be able to get an 8x10 inch photograph with a 1.3 mega pixel camera.
Color depth, resolution, features…etc!
Once you make your mind on the mega pixel of the digital camera, you can now think of what other features would you like to have in your camera. One thing you should take care that, the color depth of the picture should be atleast 24 bits. A 12 bit color depth-2.0 mega pixel camera is not going to give you great pictures at 5x7 sizes. So taking the highest color depth value makes sense. Next see the resolutions offered by the camera. Most digital cameras offer a resolutions of 800x600 and above resolutions. The resolutions normally tell you the size of the photo the resolution of the photo you get. Also check out the additional features that the camera might have. For example, the Kodak dc-3600 allows you to make your digital camera behave as a webcam, and
records your audio too! You may also have different photograph settings such as sepia, black and white and so on. Make sure that you get the best deal in the features department!
Memory and Batteries
A digital camera is always battery hungry. However some will be hungrier than others. The Kodak series are famous for being battery hungry. In any case, it makes sense to go in for a rechargeable cells ( and a good one at that!) with the a digital camera. Also on this check out the offers. Some companies themselves offer a rechargeable kit, while some others don’t.
The memory ofcourse is the most important for a digital camera. Normally all digital cameras have 8 mb of memory. And 8MB of memory can store around 35 good resolution photographs; however if you want the best resolutions, then only 12 to 13 photos can be stored. So make sure that you have ample memory. A 16MB memory or even better 32MB memory could help you a lot while taking photos!!! ( of course this also means that your pocket is gonna take a beating!)
Price Matters!!!!
Obviously! It does! After your features are chosen, its time to take the best deal and a good company. Kodak, Nikon, Canon and Olympus are the front runners in the digital camera markets. All of them have good models to chose from but one needs to make the right choice. For example a Kodak and Canon giving the same features could still have a price difference of around 100$ ( and both the companies are equally good!). So it makes sense to get the best price for the features you want in a any camera!
Internet: The best place to start!!
Internet is a boon, and we gotta make use of it. There are more websites of digital cameras than the digital cameras themselves!!! After making your choices, do read reviews of the product on several websites before deciding. https://dpreview.com, and https://photoalley.com, and the site starting with E give very good reviews on the products. Once you read those reviews, you will be in a better position as to go for the digital camera or not. Also check out for specials, sales and stuff on the internet. NEVER buy a digital camera directly from the company, you will almost usually find it much lower priced on many websites than the company!!!!
So friends, I think these tips are quite enough to make a decision while taking a digital camera. Of course as you do some research on digital cameras yourself, you will be in a much better position to make the right and the ideal choice!!
Happy Buying!
