by Grant Fuller

y intention isn't to offer tech info on digital cameras like consumer reviews. CNET has a complete section devoted to comparing brands and features. You can get all the data at www.cnet.com. The things I want to discuss deal more with the purpose and general use this type of camera has. I required a semi-professional camera for the purpose of taking high quality photos for reference material for paintings. The photos aren't the final salable product, so I don't need full blown pro equipment but I need to be able to get enough quality to enlarge an image for certain details. With this in mind, the following were my main considerations.

1. Megapixels This is the resolution or amount of information the camera is capable of sending to the flash card for each image. If your normal use is snap shot photos, 4 x 6" prints, then the equivalent digital photos will do fine with about 2 to 2.5 megapixels. If you need to take pictures which compare to 16 x 20' enlargements then 3 or more megapixels are needed. My camera has 3.34 megapixels. The latest models have 5 or more.
    

2. Batteries Digital cameras use a lot of power. Let's not blame the cameras. The batteries need to drive not only the usual light meter, auto focus, settings display, shutter, and flash (flash eats batteries), that film cameras do, but now we need them to drive a computer in the camera along with a monitor (admittedly an LCD, but it still uses power). One reason I chose the Nikon 990 is because it uses AA batteries. If I'm away from the specialty camera stores and I need batteries, I can get AA alkalines at the local grocery store to hold me over. Meanwhile, my solution to having continuous power is simply to have two sets of rechargeable Nicad or NMH and a pocket size charger.
    

3. Flash Cards This model uses Compac flash cards as a storage chip for the images. Most digital cameras use this method, but the consumer reviews state which models use which type. My point is, they come in different megabyte sizes, from 8 or maybe smaller to 128 mb or larger. Mine has a 16 mb flash card and it holds the equivalent of 330 four by six photos, or 77 eleven by fourteens and so on depending on my camera settings. That means a 128mb flash card will hold more pictures than I would ever want to download after a holiday. I have taken over two thousand pictures over the past year (downloading frequently) and have never filled my 16 mb card. A keen photographer will get into the routine of reviewing the shots at the end of the day and deleting the discards, thus opening that space for new photos. This also eases the pressure of sorting them back home. The camera has a TV connection which will help determine focus problems or softness due to camera movement (hard to see in an LCD monitor) and most hotels or motels have TV sets.
    

4. Extra Features. Once again, the pros review this aspect of digital cameras far better than I. I can only say that if you've never used a digital camera, you'll find they all have more features than you could ever imagine. This model will shoot a 40 minute video (no sound), shoots 10 in sequence and picks the best one for sharpness, or shoots high speed (30 fps) for action shots. It has an odd swivel body which is great for seeing the monitor in bright light. Those are only some of the features. I keep a spare 16 mb card in case I ever learn how to use this stuff. It won't make toast.
    

5. Zoom. I have a 3x optical, and 4x digital. This is the most I can handle without a tripod. The 4x digital is better than blowing up a smaller image on the computer but the usual telephoto softness is to be expected. There are currently 7x opticals available but they are quite expensive.
    

6. Hints. Save power by using the view finder instead of the monitor, save the monitor for those that need accurate cropping like our old "through the lens" SLR's. Before you buy, check to see if there is a delay between the time the shutter button is pressed and the time the camera actually fires, a delay will prove to be very annoying and will ruin many shots. Some early models suffered this problem, but I would check any camera to be sure.
    

7. Latest models. The market is full of high-end powerful cameras, as a result, the mid-range prices are slightly lower and the low end offers more variety. There are models designed to look and feel like the old SLR film cameras but you'll pay a premium for those. My suggestion would be to get the camera that you feel you need and study and learn to use it. Once you're comfortable with this new toy you'll have more fun than you ever had with your old film camera.
    

8. Newcomers. One detail to check first. Does your computer have a USB connection? Most cameras will download directly to the computer once the camera's software has been installed but other people I know have card readers which require removing the flash card from the camera and inserting it in the reader. This still uses a USB port but saves camera power. Some cameras come with a DC adaptor which is useful for saving battery power while learning to download pictures. A process that can take time depending on your combination of brains and luck. I'm a little short changed on both.