It seems like five minutes ago that digital photography was the new, expensive kid on the block. Now, digital is mainstream and film photography is becoming the oddity. As for cost, $10 bought me a small digital camera for my grandchildren six months ago, and incredibly, it is still working.
Digital cameras have matured. No longer do manufacturers promote MP, i.e. megapixels, as the be all and end all of quality. They have grown beyond that superficial measure, as noted by the press. Reasonable cameras now are available at a wide range of prices, and their operation has become simpler. There are cameras that anyone can operate.
There are a number of very good digital cameras that you can truly point-and-shoot. The biggest negative difference from film cameras is that there is a slight shutter delay of a second or two between pointing and shooting. The biggest positive difference is that you can see your picture right away and delete anything you don’t like. Overall, you travel home with better pictures of treasured memories.
Finding your camera might require a little research, but there is a lot of information waiting for you. For example,
- The Camera Buying Guide by Consumer Reports is a good place to start.
- CNET provides a wide number of reviews on individual cameras, including the point-and-shoot variety.
- DP Review is more for the hard core enthusiast, but their tracking of the best sellers and individual camera reviews can help prevent surprises.
- Steve’s Site also has helpful reviews of specific cameras.
After you do your research, go to the store and feel them in your hand. You may find that a highly rated camera is uncomfortable for you to hold or too bulky for you to carry. You’ll definitely miss the shot if the camera is home in the drawer.
Once you have your camera, you have more choices for your memories than you once did.
- If you are adverse to computers, you can bring your chip to any number of drug and discount stores for printing, just like in the old days. There are no negatives, but you can still store your photos in the albums or shoe boxes you prefer.
- If you do use computers and email, you can immediately share the photos by -
- directly attaching them to emails, or
- posting them to one of the many photo sharing sites like Flickr, which is free, or Kodak Gallery which charges a fee.
Once you have had a lot of fun using the camera for a few months, go back and read over the directions once again. You’ll be surprised at all the features it offers. I’ve done that review a few times, and I’m still learning. It may be a bit of a challenge, but the memories you capture are more than ample reward.
NB. Click below to make a comment. Even better, expand on the original article by going to wikiSenior and clicking on ‘edit’.
June 7th, 2010 at 2:34 pm
Immediately after digesting this particular article i simply got to point out this is precisely what makes the internet such a superb place , the power to share and appreciate excellent information and facts. Do you have a newsletter i can subscribe to?