Buying Your First (or Next) Digital Camera: Some Questions to Answer Before

Buying a first (or next) digital camera will be easier and more successful if you ask yourself the following questions and take your answers to the stores, before slapping down your money:

Are you comfortable with computers?

If you aren't, you may want to reconsider buying a digital camera (which is basically a tiny, powerful, camera-shaped computer, with lots of buttons and software menus). You may also need to use computer-based image-editing software to improve the images that come from the camera. Digital cameras are wonderful, and you can make prints from their images at store kiosks without using a computer. In addition, most digital cameras are preset to work as simple point-and-shoots in normal daylight conditions. But the process of initially setting up a new digital camera and then resetting it on-the-fly to handle unusual shooting situations may be more complicated than some would like.

What do you primarily want to photograph?

If you want to shoot vacation and family snaps, then almost any digital camera will do. But if you want to photograph sporting events or hyper-active children, you may need to look into a digital SLR (with its lower "shutter lag"). (Some of the compact point-and-shoots have also reduced their shutter lag.) Another decision factor is whether you want to do a lot of low-light photography. This requires a lens with a wider maximum aperture (such as f/2.8 or even f/2.0) and/or a camera that produces low-noise images at ISO settings as high as 800, 1600, or 3200. And if you want to do a lot of close-up (or macro) photography, you'll need a camera (or a dSLR lens) that can focus on very close objects (some digitals can focus as close as 1 inch or less).

Are you picky about image quality?

Generally, film still produces better images because it has greater "dynamic range" than digital light sensors. While digital photos are great for many uses, bright skies in digital shots may turn solid white, dark shadows may appear solid black, or both. So if you are very picky about image quality, you may want to stick with film, or invest in a good digital SLR (and learn to use an image-editing program like Photoshop).

What will you do with your digital photos?

If you only want to send them in emails, or post them on the web (like on eBay), then even an ancient VGA (0.3-megapixel) camera is sufficient. If you want to make 4x6 prints, then a 2-3 megapixel camera is enough. The images from a 4-5 megapixel camera can produce decent 5x7 prints, and a 6-8 megapixel camera gets you up to 8x10. However, these numbers aren't cast in stone. If you know how to "upscale" images in a program like Photoshop, you can turn smaller image files into larger prints. (The photo I've sold most often is actually a 12x18-inch digital-infrared landscape that I upscaled from a 640x480-pixel VGA file!) For most folks, in fact, the latest 10- and 12-megapixel marvels are overkill, and will produce image files that are way too big to email to friends without dramatic downsizing.

Are you currently using another digital camera?

If so, you may want your next camera to use the same kind of storage card as the one you already own...so that you can reuse your existing cards in the new camera. This may help to narrow your camera choices. A related issue is whether you'd like to use a "card reader" to transfer digital images to your PC. These little boxes contain input slots for a variety of storage-card types, and work like external disk drives. You remove the card from your camera (after turning the camera off!), plug the card into the reader's appropriate slot, attach the reader to your PC (usually through a USB or FireWire port), open a window showing the card's contents, and simply drag some or all of its image files to your PC. You can then put the card back in your camera and delete images to clear room for more shots. This is often faster than using the file-transfer software and cable that came with the camera. If you decide to use a reader, though, just make sure that it has an appropriate slot for the kind of cards you will be using, and plugs into a port type that your PC provides.

Do you already own one or more film SLRs and lenses?

If you do, and if you don't mind carrying a larger camera, a digital SLR (dSLR) could be a great upgrade path for you. You may be able to use your old beloved film lenses on the new digital body. For example, Nikon and Pentax digital bodies accept most of their older lenses. Canon's "EOS" digital bodies do too, but their non-EOS "Rebel" models don't. And those of you who invested in Pentax, Olympus, and (especially) Konica/Minolta film SLR lenses also may be in luck! When Sony acquired Konica/Minolta's camera division, they incorporated the Konica/Minolta lens mount and in-body "anti-shake image-stabilization" technology into Sony's "Alpha" line of dSLRs. As a result, Alpha users gain the benefits of anti-shake even with older, non-stabilized lenses. Similarly, some (but not all) Pentax digitals also do in-body stabilization. And some Olympus cameras do as well, though a mechanical adapter is needed to mount older Olympus lenses on them. In most of these cases, the cameras won't do full autoexposure and autofocusing when older lenses are attached. So the price of using your priceless old glass may be learning to use the dSLR's manual shooting modes.

Will you travel extensively with the camera?

Super-compact digital point-and-shoots make great traveling companions, but they may also compromise image quality to some extent. Digital SLRs are bigger and heavier to cart around, but often produce images with the best light exposure, color fidelity, and noise control (especially in low-light, night, and interior shots). Also, if you plan to bring a digital camera into another country, you must buy appropriate power adapters for that country. You may need to buy both a physical plug adapter and a power transformer (if your camera is only rated for 120V U.S. power)...or you may be able to get by with just the physical plug adapter (if your camera's charging transformer is rated to handle both 120 V and 220 V power). You can get suitable equipment at any Radio Shack...or (for more money) at airport gift shops in most countries.

If your camera's batteries quit working, do you want to be able to buy replacement batteries at any store, in any country?

If this is critically important to you, then you may want to limit your search to the older (and increasingly hard-to-find) cameras that still use regular or rechargeable AA or AAA batteries. But as digital cameras have grown more compact, manufacturers are abandoning AAs and AAAs in favor of their own proprietary designs. If you choose a camera that uses a proprietary battery, be sure to buy two usable batteries (or sets, if the camera uses more than one battery). This will allow you to always have one set in the camera, and one set fully charged as a backup. Though fairly expensive, rechargeable proprietary batteries usually last longer than rechargeable AAs in cameras that use them. And if you stick with AAs or AAAs, be sure to take along one or two sets of non-rechargeable Lithiums. These last much longer than alkalines (which today's cameras burn through like butter).

How steady is your shootin' hand?

As discussed earlier, some (but not all) digital cameras offer "anti-shake image stabilization," which allows you to get sharper photos in conditions where hand-holding won't work. Depending on the manufacturer, this image stabilization is done either in the camera body (a la Konica/Minolta/Sony) or within the lens (as in most other brands). In-body stabilization is especially useful for people who want to use their old film SLR lenses on new digital bodies. With image stabilization in the camera body itself, even older lenses become "image stabilized." So the steadiness of your shootin' hand and desire to use lenses from an older film SLR will both help to narrow your options in the stores.

Are you OK with walking around to frame your photos, or would you prefer to have a zoom lens on your camera (and how much zoom would you like)?

The current batch of digital still cameras provide from 0x to 12x "optical zoom" (or more), while digital videocams can reach 20x or higher. Additional "digital zoom" is offered on most cameras, but experienced photographers don't use it for image-quality reasons. Basically, digital zoom cuts away the outer portions of an image and makes the inner portion's pixels bigger and blockier. Photoshop (or any other image editor) can do a much better job of zooming into an image like this...and do it under your control. So buy based on a camera's optical zoom range, and use its digital zoom only when necessary, to capture a long-distance subject that you otherwise couldn't. (The only time I've used it was in Antwerp, Belgium...to capture a distant roof-mounted weather vane made from an unexploded World War II buzz-bomb!)

Will you use the camera a lot in rough outdoor conditions, such as when hiking or boating?

If so, then consider one of the water-resistant Olympus Stylus or Pentax Optio digitals. But remember that no digital camera is completely water-proof. They only protect against water intrusion.

How careful are you with your cameras?

If you've used many film cameras, you've seen that they can take a bit of dropping and abuse. (Some old-school photojournalists have even used their classic Nikon Fs as defensive weapons...and then continued shooting!) But most digital cameras (with some exceptions, like the Olympus Stylus Tough) aren't too rugged. Drop them or sit on them with their lens extended (which does happen), and they'll probably stop working. Most standard camera warranties don't cover drop or water damage, and cameras out of warranty will be expensive to repair. (Older cameras, in fact, are often cheaper to replace than to repair...if repairs are even possible.) Also, if you don't handle the camera's storage cards carefully, your vacation shots may be lost. So if you tend to be rough with cameras, you may want to stick to film...or learn to baby your new digital friend.

In your mind, does the complexity of digital cameras outweigh the time and ongoing cost of staying with film?

Digital camera characteristics you may like:

• You can review and immediately delete photos you don't want to keep.
• Digital image files can be manipulated very easily in many ways, such as turning a color photo into "classic" black-and-white. And some cameras can even do these manipulations as photos are taken.
• You can print digital photos yourself at home or in store kiosks. In-home printing, though, requires sometimes pricey equipment, paper, and inks.
• You won't have to pay to have film (and unwanted images) developed and printed.
• You can quickly turn digital images into photo books for family and friends, through sites like www.shutterfly.com, www.mypublisher.com, and www.photoworks.com.
• In experienced hands, digital cameras can do things that no film camera could (as conveniently), such as shooting each image with a different "white balance," ISO speed, or resolution.
• Thanks to digital, the number of places that still develop film is decreasing, while the cost of developing film is increasing. So within a few years, digital may be all there is.

Digital camera characteristics you may not like:

• They tend to be more expensive up-front than similarly sized film cameras.
• They require more accessories (batteries, chargers, cables, software, storage cards, and card readers).
• They can have a steep learning curve, and may require that you actually read a user manual!
• Their images may need to be processed on a computer before they look OK (though most of today's digitals produce very good results straight from the box, in normal, well-lit shooting conditions).
• Digitals break more easily than film cameras.

While shopping around, also ask about the following, for any camera you are considering. Some of these features may be critical to you, and others, not:

• Viewfinder and LCD options, including the "live viewing" of how images will look before they are captured (not all digitals offer this)
• Burst modes (for taking several quick shots of moving subjects)
• Flash options
• Macro (close-up) capabilities
• On-camera information displays (including tilt indicators and image tonality "histograms")
• Getting photos from camera to computer (are cables included?)
• "Tethered shooting" capabilities (for controlling the camera and adjusting its settings through a PC)
• Movie and sound capabilities
• TV playback (is it possible, and are cables provided?)
• Power cables (provided?)
• Remote controllers (for triggering shots while standing away from the camera)

Where can you get more information about digital cameras?

Of course, retail stores are still the best place to hold and test physical units. And dedicated camera stores would be the best place to try out an old film lens on a new digital body (with permission and supervision). But also consider:

• eBay (if you know what you're doing)
• Reliable mail-order outlets, such as B&H in New York
• www.Amazon.com (I like them because, unlike most retailers, they carry both new and old models, and because you can read what other owners say about a camera before you buy it.)

And finally, here are some great web sites for researching digital cameras before you buy (and for learning how to use them after):

• www.photo.net
• www.dpreview.com
• www.steves-digicams.com
• www.imaging-resource.com
• www.amazon.com

Now get out there...and start clicking some shutter buttons!