Ok, great, you’ve decided to get into the Digital Camera age! You’ve seen the cameras; loved that you didn’t need to buy film ever again; didn’t need to get your pictures back from the developer to only then find out that NONE of them turned out; etc; etc. You’ve seen that your friends can see their pictures immediately and can even display them on a TV immediately for all to see. So which one is best for you? Should you be spending US$100 or US$3000?
Here are some tips:
l Think pixel. The number of pixels limits the size you can blow up the image to for printing. More pixels equal better prints. You need 3 to 4 megapixels to make nice 8x10 prints. But more pixels also means larger file sizes, which means you need larger memory cards for the camera (the digital equivalent of film--fortunately, these are removable and reusable) and more space on your computer's hard drive for storing your photo collection. Here’s a chart to help you see pixels vs. print size:
* Three Mega-Pixels will give you this:
- 1600 x 1200 Pixels = Film Resolution of 8" x 10" print
* Four Mega-Pixels or more will give you these:
- 2048 x 1536 - Very high resolution. Capable of 8 x 10 photos cropped from the original image.
- 2560 x 1920 - Extreme Resolution. Capable of huge prints and cropped, photo-quality 8 x 10s from a fraction of the original image file.
l To zoom or not to zoom? Don't buy a camera without a zoom lens, but concern yourself more with an optical zoom (meaning the lens does the work) than a digital zoom (meaning the camera does the work). You can do digital zooming to your heart's content back on the PC.
l How will you use it? If you are going to be sending your photos over the internet or updating web pages, then you don’t want large files sizes so a 2-4 mega-pixel camera will do fine. If you want to print 8x10, or larger photos then you’ll need the 4+ mega-pixel cameras.
l Where to buy? Yes, purchasing equipment online is generally the cheapest way to buy anything photographic (that, and the ads in the back of the photography magazines). If you need some hand-holding, consider buying in person from a local dealer. RIMO Bali Computer Center has several stores with lots of cameras to choose from. I purchased a very nice Sony digital camera for my wife and it was cheaper at RIMO than I had seen as the ‘cheapest’ price in the US! Plus no shipping, taxes, etc.
l How easy is it to copy the images to your computer? This ends up being very important. You’ll want a USB or Firewire connection from the camera to the computer.
l Storage? The camera stores your images internally before you move them to your computer. There are many types of storage (and sizes).
Ok, now you have your camera and have taken some great shots. You’ve transferred the shots to your PC. Now what? Purchase Photoshop or Photoshop Album to do all the ‘darkroom’ types of changes – cropping, adjusting the color, contrast, etc. Photoshop Album is the easiest of the two to use, but Photoshop is much more powerful! Now just buy a good color printer and some photo paper and you’re all set!
Here is a great site that will help you get all your questions answered: http://www10.activebuyersguide.com/ Click on ‘Digital Cameras’; then choose the ‘Decision Guide’ – it’ll walk you thru a 6 step process!
Have a question or problem? Write me at BaliPCAdvisor@Gmail.com.
I’ll try and answer as soon as I can.
