Ask the Right Questions
The good news is that just about any digital camera will give you all the benefits of digital photography. There are cameras from $100 or less to more than $1,500. The bad news is that quite a few cameras are loaded with sophisticated technology that you may find confusing or that you will never need. In order to investigate the choices, you should ask a number of questions about what you want your camera to do and what you will be using it for.
How you will use your camera is most important. Use the following questions as starting points to determine what kind of camera will fit your needs:
What do I want my camera to do?
What kinds of pictures do I want to take — family, work, travel, art, or a combination?
How much time do I have to learn a new camera?
What kinds of environments will I be using it in? For example, an outdoor photographer might have very different needs than some-one who takes pictures of her children and family.
Do I want to print large pictures or small pictures, send pictures with e-mails, or post pictures on the Internet?
Test-drive a digital camera. Call your local camera and electronics retailers to see if they rent digicams. As digital cameras gain popularity, more and more stores are allowing consumers to take advantage of one-day rentals. It's the best way to try one before you buy. Another alternative is to borrow one from a friend. Ask questions and read the manual.
If you already own some items, you could save money. Evaluate your situation by answering the following questions:
Do you own picture file management software?
Do you own digital darkroom and/or graphics software?
Do you have a way to burn CDs so that you can store and send pictures?
Do you have lots of hard drive space for storing pictures?
Do you have a backup hard drive for backing up your pictures?
The more experience you have, the easier it will be to learn digital photography. Look through these questions to get a sense of your skill level:
Are you comfortable with digital technology or are you afraid of it?
How much experience have you had with photography? Are you a rank amateur, moderately knowledgeable, advanced amateur, semi-pro?
How much experience have you had with computers? Do you understand file formats and USB transfers, for example?
How much experience have you had with the Internet? For example, do you know how to upload pictures to a photo album site on the Internet and then tell your friends how to access your album section?
Ask a friend. If you are unfamiliar with software, Internet albums, and attaching e-mail pictures, get a friend to show you how it is done. He can explain how the software works and how the Internet site operates, and he can show you how to send an e-mail to yourself with a picture attached so that you can test your skills.
