Buy a Digital Camera
While the title of this post seems to contradict the theme of this entire blog, I'll explain in this post how you will save money and at the same time probably increase the use of your camera.
Sometime in 2001, I bought a cheap 0.7 megapixel digital camera. I enjoyed taking pictures with a regular 35mm camera, but had seen the features that digital cameras provided, and wanted to see what it had to offer. I found a cheap camera on Intel's website (http://www.intel.com/pccamera/pocketpccamera/techspec.htm). After we received the camera in the mail, my family and I found that we carried the camera with us almost everywhere we went.
We found that there were a number of advantages to using a digital camera. One of those advantages was that the marginal cost of taking one more picture was nothing. One of the problems with traditional film cameras is that you have a small, limited number of pictures that you can take before needing to buy another roll of film and having to pay for the development of that one extra picture, whether or not it the shot turned out the way that you wanted. Digital cameras offer the advantage of being able to take and store hundred of pictures (limited by memory), and also allowing you to preview the pictures before paying for printing, if you even want to have them printed. Another advantage that digital cameras provide is the feature to capture video and/or sound. While not the same quality as a video camera, it's a useful feature to enable when a still picture just won't capture the moment. We've created home videos that combine both still pictures and these short video clips that were taken with the same digital camera.
For a while the argument between buying a 35mm camera and a digital camera was that the 35mm camera had a much higher resolution. This argument is still debated, and some debate that each type of camera has its own advantages. For example, see http://www.sceneramicphoto.com/news_letters/0002/digitalorfilm.htm.
If you do decide to buy a digital camera but don't know where to start, here are a couple of suggestions:
Pros: You can take dozens of pictures of the same scene, without having to worry about running out of film. Depending on the camera, you can record short video clips of the scene. Nowadays, your local photo processor will allow you to use your memory card to deliver your digital images for printing, so a computer or photo-quality printer is no longer needed. If you do have a computer, you can easily and quickly share your digital pictures through email. Most cameras also have a screen on the back, so you can review the pictures that are stored in memory, and delete the ones that didn't turn out.
Cons: Digital pictures can easily be deleted and disappear forever. Digital cameras are also known for their slow response to pushing the button (shutter lag), which means that the scene could be over before the camera takes the picture.
Conclusion: Digital cameras are a great way to take and share pictures. They allow you to take extra pictures of a scene, without using up any film or having to pay for processing. If you do buy a digital camera, follow the advice of product review websites to make the best purchase.
Links:
Intel's Pocket PC Camera: http://www.intel.com/pccamera/pocketpccamera/techspec.htm
Sceneramic Photography: http://www.sceneramicphoto.com/news_letters/0002/digitalorfilm.htm
CNet Reviews: http://reviews.cnet.com/Digital_cameras/4520-7603_7-5023995-7.html
Canon PowerShot A75: http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/controller?act=ModelDetailAct&fcategoryid=145&modelid=9828
Sometime in 2001, I bought a cheap 0.7 megapixel digital camera. I enjoyed taking pictures with a regular 35mm camera, but had seen the features that digital cameras provided, and wanted to see what it had to offer. I found a cheap camera on Intel's website (http://www.intel.com/pccamera/pocketpccamera/techspec.htm). After we received the camera in the mail, my family and I found that we carried the camera with us almost everywhere we went.
We found that there were a number of advantages to using a digital camera. One of those advantages was that the marginal cost of taking one more picture was nothing. One of the problems with traditional film cameras is that you have a small, limited number of pictures that you can take before needing to buy another roll of film and having to pay for the development of that one extra picture, whether or not it the shot turned out the way that you wanted. Digital cameras offer the advantage of being able to take and store hundred of pictures (limited by memory), and also allowing you to preview the pictures before paying for printing, if you even want to have them printed. Another advantage that digital cameras provide is the feature to capture video and/or sound. While not the same quality as a video camera, it's a useful feature to enable when a still picture just won't capture the moment. We've created home videos that combine both still pictures and these short video clips that were taken with the same digital camera.
For a while the argument between buying a 35mm camera and a digital camera was that the 35mm camera had a much higher resolution. This argument is still debated, and some debate that each type of camera has its own advantages. For example, see http://www.sceneramicphoto.com/news_letters/0002/digitalorfilm.htm.
If you do decide to buy a digital camera but don't know where to start, here are a couple of suggestions:
- Purchase a camera that receives high recommendations from a product review site, like this one: http://reviews.cnet.com/Digital_cameras/4520-7603_7-5023995-7.html
- Three or four megapixels (MP) is probably high enough, unless you are a professional photographer or would like to print out poster-sized prints
- Buy a larger memory card, at least 256 MB, preferably 512 MB
- Buy a carrying case for the camera, if one isn't included
- Buy rechargeable batteries
Pros: You can take dozens of pictures of the same scene, without having to worry about running out of film. Depending on the camera, you can record short video clips of the scene. Nowadays, your local photo processor will allow you to use your memory card to deliver your digital images for printing, so a computer or photo-quality printer is no longer needed. If you do have a computer, you can easily and quickly share your digital pictures through email. Most cameras also have a screen on the back, so you can review the pictures that are stored in memory, and delete the ones that didn't turn out.
Cons: Digital pictures can easily be deleted and disappear forever. Digital cameras are also known for their slow response to pushing the button (shutter lag), which means that the scene could be over before the camera takes the picture.
Conclusion: Digital cameras are a great way to take and share pictures. They allow you to take extra pictures of a scene, without using up any film or having to pay for processing. If you do buy a digital camera, follow the advice of product review websites to make the best purchase.
Links:
Intel's Pocket PC Camera: http://www.intel.com/pccamera/pocketpccamera/techspec.htm
Sceneramic Photography: http://www.sceneramicphoto.com/news_letters/0002/digitalorfilm.htm
CNet Reviews: http://reviews.cnet.com/Digital_cameras/4520-7603_7-5023995-7.html
Canon PowerShot A75: http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/controller?act=ModelDetailAct&fcategoryid=145&modelid=9828
posted by Kevin at
4/17/2005 01:10:00 PM
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