Digital Cameras -- Time To Buy?

Is it time to buy a digital camera? Two years ago, that was an easy call: No. A $1,000 digital camera gave you the quality of a $10 film camera. But in the last two years manufacturers have introduced many new digital cameras with much better resolution and lower prices... including Sony, Kodak, Hewlett-Packard, Olympus, Canon, and Vivitar.

So, does Idea Cafe now recommend you get out your wallet? Well, mostly yes and a little no.

Digital Cameras Are Fast and Cheap for On-screen Applications

If you want PRINT photographs, then traditional cameras still give you cleaner images (although the high end digitals are very sharp). But, if you have applications for ON-SCREEN photos, such as web pages or desktop presentations, then a digital camera can save you time and money. It's THE way to go.

With a digital camera, you won't need to take your film to a processor and then scan the photos. You also won't have to pay for film or processing. If you need on-screen photos fast, digital cameras are the FASTEST way to get your pictures into the computer.

Printer and Screen Resolutions -- What's the Difference?

Working with digital images quickly gets you into the enigmatic world of resolution, pixels, dpi, and compression. Just remember this: computer monitors ideally display images at 72 dots per inch (dpi), which digital cameras can easily handle.

The newer ink jet printers output photos at 600+ dpi, which is lower than photographic prints, but not bad. So, if you get a digital camera with pretty high resolution (1152 x 872 pixels), many of today's consumer level printers can give you near photographic quality. If you're going to print photos or graphics on an ink jet printer, use special photo paper for best results. Hewlett-Packard offers a variety of photo papers for its DeskJet printers.

What to Look for in Digital Cameras

If you're ready to make the plunge, here's the minimum you want to look for in a digital camera:

• At least 8 MB of internal memory or 8 MB of CompactFlash memory on each removable storage card.
• Minimum Resolution of: 1 megapixel (1152 x 872 pixels), 24 bit color.
• The ability to hold at least 24 low resolution (72 dpi) images in memory or on each removable storage disk. (If the camera uses storage disks like Sony, look at how affordable and flexible they are.)
• Long-lasting rechargeable batteries, so you don't need new batteries after taking just a few dozen pictures. However even some good cameras still use multiple AA batteries that get pricey if you use the LCD screen
• A zoom lens and close-up focusing for greater picture-taking flexibility (hard to find on low end cameras).
• A built-in tiny monitor if you want to review your pictures without downloading them to a computer first.
• Easy-to-use image-processing software which SHOULD come with the camera.

Eventually, digital cameras will replace conventional film cameras in most all areas. In the next year, expect to see more real advances in digital cameras and printers. Even now, print materials taken with a digital camera are very nice from a high end inkjet printer using photo paper. As we said before, for photos you plan to use exclusively on-screen, such as on the web or for computer presentations, digital cameras are the way to go. While you can find digital cameras for as little as $150, expect to pay about $400 for a good one and $700+ for a great one.

 

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