ABC's in Plain English on Buying a Digital Camera

I am sure you are scratching your head with all the tech terms, optical and digital zoom, megapixals and so forth. When all you want to know is what good is for the average picture taker that wants decent pictures at a reasonable price that doesn't have too many functions and make the camera too difficult to figure out and how not to get ripped off.

Rule #1: a Newer model doesn't always mean Better.

in order to keep competitive in price, many camera makers have trimmed the fat, so to speak or removed some of the better options on their camera models to drop the price, and you end up with a camera that you not be happy with.

Rule #2: Take the time to read ALL the detailed specs.general info can be so very misleading, and I will give you examples of that shortly.

Rule #3: Decide what you are going to use it for. before you buy. There are so many cameras out there with so many options, you will want one that will not aggravate you.

So...are you planning on using your camera basically for snapshot and sending in e-mails and maybe an occasion 5x7? OR are you planning on lots of 8x10's or larger and allot of super close ups of tiny things like butterflies and flowers, coins, and so forth?

This is where the word Megapixels comes in. The More doesn't mean Better as far as a snapshot goes, it just means you get better enlargements, like 8x10's and larger. 3.1 - 4.0 MP's is perfect for snapshots and even a nice 5X7's. not saying you couldn't run off an 8 x10, you can, and it won't be real grainy.. anything over 6MB is overkill unless you plan to print posters! LOL

AND...keep in mind the bigger the megpixel the more room it is going to take up on your camera's memory card and the less photos you can take per memory card and the longer it will take to e-mail to friends or for them to download. (they won't be happy with you!) LOL

So really...this range is just fine for the average everyday or just learning wanna be photographer to start out with.

Now let's talk about ZOOM. Digital zoom is for objects that are over 10 feet away to as far as you can see. And will bring the object in closer sorta like a pair of binoculars.

BUT if you try to use digital zoom on anything closer than 10 feet, digital cameras tend to loose their focus ability and you will get a blurry picture.

This is where the term Optical zoom comes in, this is a TRUE focused zoom, and is good for bringing out the details in things super close faces and bring up close those tiny things, like objects, bugs, flowers, raindrops etc.

Optical zoom should be at least 3x's to really make a difference on the super close up details pics, anything less is a waste of money.

Digital zoom, well can be anything ya like, depends on what you are going to use it for. If you are going to sporting events where you may be sitting far away and want closer pixs then you'll want a higher digital zoom number, but for the everyday person, hey you can always walk closer to what you're taking a picture of.

So now you have pretty good understanding on the numbers related to Megapixels, Optical and Digital Zoom and how they will pertain to you and your usage.

ok Now...Memory card types. Well, Compact flash cards are becoming a bit obsolete but you can still find them and aren't very expensive. I have a few cameras that still take these then there's the SD Secure Digital memory stick, allot smaller, in physical size, Some cameras, actually offer you the convenience of being able to use either card sizes, this is way cool. MM cards, are hard to find..very. Not recommended.

And while we are talking about memory and cameras, some also have "on board" memory built in for that extra bit of space incase you run out of memory stick room but still wanna take a few more pics and don't wanna take the time to go thru your photos and delete some to free up space. This is actually a very HANDY feature, so pay attention to built in memory numbers. 12 MBs + is nice.

Now you can get cameras with also digital video.

This is great but can be a tricky buying decision!

Many cameras that also offer Video options, do NOT have the ability to record sound! What good is a video without sound? Yeh you can edit them and add a narration etc. but sometimes you want the sound of what you are taking a video of. Some have a built in speaker..and some have an adaptor plug for a microphone. Now... do you really wanna be carrying about a microphone? No, LOL .. I think built in is better.

Video Format, this is a biggy here. MOV by quicktime is a nice compressed format, some cameras offer others like AVI etc that take up too much room, even a large memory card could not hold more than 2 minutes of AVI where a MOV could hold 45 minutes on the same size memory card.  Yes Videos take up tons of space compared to photos...no matter what. So if you plan to take lots of videos, plan to get extra memory cards!

MOV is really the only way to go. But then you're gonna find out that your Windows XP's Movie Maker doesn't see - accept a MOV format.

Reminds me of the VHS vs BETA wars LOL now MS and APPLE fight over digital video formats.. sheesh

Well simple solution to that one.. download a great little free converter program called RADTOOLS, simple and easy to use and it can even strip the sound from your video for you a way cool program.

Once you convert it to an AVI on your HD where you got more space for that, then your XP Movie Maker program can edit it and make is whatever format you want to use.

There is one more DETAIL about the video option on your camera your shopping to pay attention to.. that is Continuous video or Incremental video.

Incremental means it can only record in say 30 - 45 second clips, which means if you are recording something that is a minute long, you'll have to stop and restart recording and probably miss out on something happened in between. Why I recommend making sure it is continuous video, then you can shoot as long as your memory card and batteries hold out!

So now you have learned about the basic info about features: Megapixels, Zoom, Memory Cards and On Board Memory, Video Formats, with Sound options, and Record Times.

Other options you may wish to consider, a Self Timer, for when you have no one to hold the camera for you, Rapid Fire shoot, for if you tend to be "too slow" on the draw and often miss a good shot, this way it takes 3-4 pictures in a row very quickly, so hopefully ONE of those photos have come out they way you wanted it, esp when we are taking moving objects, not just sports, but like taking pixs of animals and children who tend NOT to figget and not sit still very long...LOL

You don't need a docking station, it may seem convenient, BUT you can use a memory card reader and use a battery charger Using your camera to charge batteries, or to download photos into your PC really adds allot of wear and tear to your new favorite toy.

A card reader and a simple battery charger you can find right here on EBAY really cheap! It really is worth it. Because leaving your camera on a docking station is also exposing your camera to risks such as power surges, whether household or storm wise. It really makes more sense to use the card reader and a separate battery charger.

And quite often the software for a docking station is a bit complicated for the newbie user, when a card reader is faster and simpler, you just go to your "windows explorer" - file manger to get them! tada

On my next review I will give you some tips I have learned about taking good digital pictures, and how to extend the life of those batteries, and some basic do's and don'ts...

When you are looking on Ebay for camera, be sure to ask them for detailed specs, if they do not have it at least get the make and model number and you can go to the parent site, say if it is a Kodak and you can look up the specs it came with. You can always download the software cd if they don't have it.

A few questions to ask, are:

1. does the optical zoom, macro still focus (this feature often is the first to go on digital cameras)

2. has the camera's been exposed to excessive moisture? (can ruin the lcd screen or put internal water marks on the inside of the lens)

3. is the lens scratched? how is the coating?

4. does the DC battery chamber still work? (I have seen used cameras where it does not any longer recognize the batteries.)

5. how are the gears that extend the lens, do they grind, make noise or often hesitate when turning the camera on? (another frequent problem when the owner has dropped the camera, these plastic gears get stripped)

6. does it ever have a problem finding the memory stick? (when the internal ribbon goes bad this function happens)   and finally .............

7. did you ( the owner) buy this camera they are selling originally new? or is it used? or refurbished?

I started out with the cheapest digital camera ever and gradually bought and tried different makes and models, some off of Ebay..I have 7 digital cameras...and have taken over 30,000 photos. . It can be a really fun and addictive hobby and someday I am hoping a profitable one!!!

Good Luck, I hope you find a great camera! Have FuN!