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Welcome to Computer Tips, your local source for computer help and information. This is your host, Doug Bocaz-Larson, computer science program manager at the Grants Campus of NMSU.
Today’s computer tip topic is: Digital Cameras
I often have people ask me their opinion on digital cameras. What is the best kind to get? Digital cameras have improved a great deal in recent years and are similar in quality to traditional cameras, so going digital is now a good option. Analysts predict that the majority of people will be using digital cameras in the near future.
So what is the best digital camera to buy? Before I make any big purchases, I like to check out the online reviews for the products. A couple of great sources for reviews on new technology are Pcmag.com and ZDnet.com. What do these websites have to say about digital cameras?
First I took a look at PCmag.com. The Fuji FinePix is the top seller at Pcmag.com. But I know that a top seller doesn’t always mean the best. Sometimes great sales or low prices make a camera appear more desirable than it is. So I checked out ZDnet.com for a second opinion. ZDnet recommends a totally different brand of digital camera: the Nikon D70. So which is better?
Here are some ways you can decide which camera is right for you. First, take a look at the megapixels. If you can afford it, 5 megapixels is great but very expensive. So when you know your budget, see which camera has the best megapixels for what you can afford. Pcmag.com says most people will be happy with a 3 megapixel camera.
Next you need to know what you want to produce and find a camera with a resolution that will work for you. For web design you will be content with 640-480 vga resolution. For regular size pictures you plan to print and put in a photo album, you want 1024-by-768 (XGA). But if you want to produce large portraits make sure you have a 3 megapixel digital camera.
Then you’ll want to decide on what extra features you want and make sure you budget for them as well. How do you want to save the pictures? You can do removable memory, disks, and even use a cord to your usb drive. Does the camera take clear and accurate pictures? You want to make sure the camera doesn’t take fussy or out of focus images or comes out with faded or washed out colors. Find out if rechargeable batteries and AC adapters are included in the price. Make sure the batteries have a long life and don’t need to be recharged after a few pictures. And you want to make sure you are happy with the speed the camera takes pictures. Some digital cameras have a long delay between each picture.
That’s it for today’s computer tip brought to you by the computer science program at the Grants Campus of NMSU where we provide you with a variety of computer training opportunities from PC repair to Web Design. If you have a question for me about your computer, email me at [email protected] and I might use your question in my next Computer Tips segment. That’s [email protected] You can also view this computer tip, along with others, at bocaz.com. That’s w-w-w.b-o-c-a-z.com. Or check out our computer program at http://grants.nmsu.edu. I look forward to talking to you again soon.
Learn more about this topic at:
http://reviews-zdnet.com.com/Digital_cameras/2001-6501_16-0.html?tag=glnav
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,2400,00.asp