Before I begin today's column, I think you all should read something published by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). They have listed the 10 worst Internet scams - now called dot.cons! Must reading at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/online/dotcons.htm
Now, back to the fun part of the column. I mentioned in a prior column that a digital camera could be a great seasonal gift (even if you have to buy it for yourself!) but didn't go into much detail on what to buy and what's new.
There has not been a lot of change in the digital camera market recently. The same players seem to be doing the same things. But, as usual, technology marches on. The most major change is in the resolution of the picture. The Holy Grail of digital photography has been to reproduce 'film quality' images. The quality of the picture largely depends on the number of picture dots or 'pixels' - the more the better. The resolution has been limited by two factors - the ability of the photosensitive array in the camera and the storage needed to store the image. The more pixels you have, the more storage you need.
The 'consumer grade' digital cameras on the market now have up to 3.3 megapixel images. This is getting pretty good. The manufacturers claim that you can print an 8 x 10 photo from a 3.3 megapixel image that looks as good as a film image enlarged to the same size. This may be a slight exaggeration, but fairly close. With respect to storage, Sony has now introduced something they call a 'Memory Stick'. This is integrated circuit (computer-type) memory that is similar to the Compact Flash and Smart Media storage already in use. Why Sony decided to develop its own proprietary format is hard to say. But Sony has pretty much dropped using floppy diskettes in cameras now - you just can't get enough high quality photos on a diskette.
Professional quality digital cameras are now becoming more common, but at astronomically huge prices. Expect to pay close to $10,000 for a full professional camera and lenses. Out of the question for us amateurs.
So, what to buy? Let's try to narrow it down a bit.
Manufacturer: Take your choice. There are many in the marketplace - established camera vendors such as Kodak, Canon, Minolta, etc. Also, some PC component manufacturers have cameras, such as Epson and Sony. Since many of these cameras are made of the same components internally, you really will make your choice based on features, availability, and price. See http://photo.askey.net for help getting started. All consumer cameras as 'automatic' but if you need manual features, this may be a determining factor as this does vary a lot from manufacturer to manufacturer.
PC Attachment: USB is pretty much mandatory these days for transferring the files, as they are so big. If your PC does not support USB, you may be able to find a camera (or a memory card reader) that plugs in like a floppy diskette.
How many pixels? These days, the bargain cameras are about 2 megapixel, and the better cameras 3.3 megapixel. You should see quite a savings if you buy the smaller camera, but you will notice the difference in the picture quality. My recommendation: buy the better camera if you can at all afford it.
How much picture storage memory? Most cameras come with too little memory. This is because it is expensive and the manufacturer doesn't want to run up the initial price. So, it hardly matters what the camera ships with. Plan on buying an aftermarket 32MB memory card, or larger.
Specifications and features: These vary a lot. Decide what is important to you. For example, you might be more concerned with manual features than ease of use. Or you may focus (pun intended) on the quality of the lens (and available attachments). Once you prioritize your requirements, the selection process should be fairly straightforward. One important point: An LCD display on the camera that is viewable in direct sunlight could be a very useful option - many are not.
What about using a Digital Video DV camera? DV cameras are the latest wave of digital camcorders. Some now take both stills and videos. However, even if they do offer still picture taking, it is often not at a resolution that is anywhere near as good as today's digital still cameras. My recommendation: pass.
Happy hunting!
(Bob Seidel is a local computer consultant in the Southport / Oak Island area. You can visit his website at www.bobseidel.com or e-mail him at bsc@bobseidel.com).