How to Decide on a Digital Camera

The price of digital cameras is falling as quickly as their quality is soaring. That means great opportunities for shoppers. Remember that while they seem expensive compared with film cameras, digital cameras never need film. And you can create photo-quality prints using your home computer and a good-quality ink-jet printer. The only downside is the dizzying array of choices. Here's some help.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Connector cables

1. Decide what you want to get out of your camera. Are you shooting family snapshots, professional portraits or something in between? A good basic digital camera costs under $400, while professional models are upwards of $2,000. Spend what you need to get a camera that covers the high end of projected uses.

2. Enlarge your knowledge of image resolution, which is measured in megapixels, or mg (1 million pixels, or picture elements). The more megapixels, the higher resolution the final image. How large you want to blow your images up should be your guide: A 1-mg camera can create a 3-by-5-inch (7.5 by 13 cm) photo-quality print; a 2-mg camera will make a 5-by-7-inch (13 by 18 cm) print; a 3-mg camera will make an 8-by-10-inch (20 by 25 cm) print, and a 6-mg camera will make a 9-by-13-inch (23 by 33 cm) print.

3. Find out if the camera includes a cable for your computer (USB or FireWire). If it doesn't, it's not the end of the world. (See How to Buy Computer Peripherals: "Media Reader.")

4. See if a camera comes with image-editing software that works with your computer (Windows or Mac OS). Adobe Photoshop Elements and ULead PhotoImpact (ulead.com) are two to look for.

5. Choose a camera with removable memory in addition to built-in memory. The most popular formats are CompactFlash, MemoryStick, SmartMedia and MultiMedia/Secure Digital (MMC/SD). (The differences between formats are irrelevant for most uses.) They cost about the same, as little as 40 cents per megabyte, with 128-MB cards usually being the best value.

6. Expect an LCD screen for viewing pictures, a built-in flash, a timer, and a time/date stamp on even the most basic camera. Some models let you record short snippets of video.

7. Insist on optical zoom, not digital, if you need zoom capability. Midrange cameras should have high-quality optical zoom lenses.

8. Get manual exposure control--a feature on midrange cameras-- if you plan to shoot in low-light conditions or otherwise need to override automatic settings.

9. Expect features equivalent to those of the best single lens-reflex (SLR) cameras on the best digital models. Features include removable lenses, full exposure control, a hot-shoe mount for an external flash, and through-the-lens focusing.

Tips & Warnings

• Ignore claims of digital zoom. When you use digital zoom, the image resolution drops accordingly. For example, 2X digital zoom will reduce the resolution of your finished pictures by half.
• Digital cameras eat batteries, especially to power an LCD screen. For longer life, avoid using the LCD and use lithium batteries--but always carry extras. Be skeptical of manufacturers' claims of projected battery life. See How to Buy Rechargeable Batteries.
• Look for software that helps you organize and manage your digital photos, such as Jasc Paint Shop Photo Album, Apple iPhoto, and Adobe PhotoAlbum.
• Take lots of pictures and trash the unwanted shots later, at your computer.
• Most digital cameras, especially inexpensive ones, have a slight delay between tripping the trigger and actually exposing the picture. This can cause you to miss shots, especially when you're first learning to use the camera.