I bought my first digital camera soon after my son was born. I took so many photos that I turned the picture counter back to 0000. Yes, my bundle of joy was the subject of more than 10,000 shots—and why not? That's the beauty of digital: click away, delete the rejects and develop the photos you want. With the vast range of digital cameras on the market, I'm clearly not their sole fan. But like all products digital, the choices are both overwhelming and confusing. Following are the eight most common mistakes made by first-time buyers, plus which digital-camera features really matter.
Megapixel mix-up
Digital photos are made up of tiny dots called pixels. Simply put, the more pixels your camera has, the sharper your pictures will be. But don’t let the higher numbers mislead you. What's considered the minimum nowadays -- 3 megapixels -- will result in crystal-clear photos that can be developed as large as 20 in. x 30 in. without degradation in quality. In fact, a 3-megapixel camera is more than enough if you want to showcase your photos in a traditional photo album and e-mail them to friends and family. So why consider a camera that boasts as much as 7 megapixels? Anytime you crop a photo to hone in on your subject, you are actually reducing the number of pixels and, therefore, losing some picture quality. If you start with more megapixels at the outset, the diminishment is less likely to make a difference in the quality of your photos.
Disregard digital zoom
When shopping around, you're going to read about two kinds of zoom: optical and digital. The former is the one that matters. Optical zoom represents what you'd expect -- the feature brings you closer to your entire subject matter clearly and sharply. (I, for one, don’t want to miss a single freckle on my son's face.) The higher the optical zoom, the closer and more detailed your picture will be; 5x is better than 3x. On the other hand, digital zoom focuses in on only a part of an image and ultimately results in grainy, blurry pictures. Bottom line: digital zoom should not be a factor in your purchasing decision. Also, make yourself a note to manually disable the digital zoom that comes with your camera.
Memory lapse
Digital photos save to a memory card the same way computer files save to a disk. But don't think your camera manufacturer is doing you any favors if it includes an 8- or 16-megabit card with your camera purchase. Same goes for a camera with internal memory, meaning you don’t even need a card. Either way, your cruise will have barely set sail before you need to delete some photos to make room for more. Plain and simple, at the same time you buy your camera, buy a bigger memory card—you can't go wrong with at least 1 gigabyte. Also, make sure you buy the right card format for your camera. The kind you need (i.e., SecureDigital, CompactFlash, Memory Stick, etc.) should be indicated right on your new camera's box.
Connection disconnect
The easiest way to get photos out of your camera and onto a computer is via a USB cable, which should come with your purchase along with software you must install so that all products play nicely. Installation is as simple as it is quick. Now you're ready to upload your first batch to an online photo service or e-mail your favorite shots, but what kind of Internet connection do you have? If it's dial-up, sending your photos and receiving others is going to be a time-consuming process. A high-speed connection is your best option.
He ain't heavy
Digital cameras are smaller, thinner and lighter than ever before. Some of today's compact and ultracompact models are less than an inch thick and weigh as little as six or seven ounces. Stick one in your shirt pocket or a compartment in your purse, and you’re good to go. But keep in mind: The smaller the camera, the smaller the buttons. If you have big hands and fingers, a small camera may be awkward to hold and handle. This is why you should test-drive a few models in the store. Look through the viewfinder. Seeing your fingers? Then that camera is too small for you. Accidentally hitting buttons on the camera that mess up your shot? Ditto.
Don't break the bank
My first digital camera cost $600. That bought me 3.2 megapixels and a 3x optical zoom. Guess how much that camera retails for today? One-third of the price, which is what I recently paid for a 7.2-megapixel camera with 4x optical zoom and free 1-gigabyte memory card (watch the Sunday flyers). Your takeaway is clear.
The juice factor
One of the great things about a digital camera is the instant gratification it offers by letting you view your photos right after you've taken them. In addition, you can compose your shots looking through the LCD screen rather than a tiny optical viewfinder (some cameras don't even have the latter anymore). You can even capture video with sound. But these cool factors come with a price: battery drain. Make sure your new camera can run on AA batteries, and always carry backup; lithium last longest. Rechargeable AA batteries today last a long time and will generally pay for themselves after a couple of rechargings. Some cameras come with proprietary rechargeable batteries, but if you're in front of Mt. Rushmore and your battery dies, then what?
Printer money pit
A $100 photo-quality printer may seem reasonable in price, but that's only part of the picture. Factor in the cost of photo paper and color ink, and you'll wind up paying more per picture than you would if you developed them at your local retailer or through an online service. However, it's wise to keep some photo paper on hand for those quick-print jobs that inevitably come up.
By Gayle Kesten, Writer for Digital Landing
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