Why You Should Make the Switch to a Digital Camera

My wife and I just returned from our very first cruise. It was an amazing experience, and I'll be writing about it in upcoming articles. However, today I wanted to share with you the item you need to remember to take with you anytime you go on vacation. No matter where you go, no matter what you do, no matter how long you're gone, you absolutely positively cannot go without taking...your digital camera.

"Oh, those things are too expensive, and the pictures are terrible quality!" Not any more. Prices are going down, picture quality is going up, and some of the low- and most of the mid-range products are adding features that you could only find in high-end film cameras.

So why should you make the switch from film to digital? Here are a few reasons to consider.

Picture quality. As digital cameras become more popular and the cost to produce them drops, the picture quality of all cameras in all price ranges increases. Low-end cameras are coming out with 5-megapixel (5M) and greater resolution. (For those of you who have always wondered, a pixel is a dot of a single color. The more pixels you have in a picture, the clearer the picture becomes. So five megapixels would be five million dots to make a picture.) These greater resolutions come in handy when you want to print and especially enlarge your photos.

Increased storage. The memory cards that digital cameras come in all sizes and price ranges. Cards as low as 16 megabytes (16M) can be had for a buck or two; I use 2-gigabyte (2G) cards in my camera and can find them on sale for less than $10 each. By the way, don't confuse the terms "megapixel" and "megabyte". One pixel does not equal one byte; many pixels can be saved in one byte of storage. My 2G card can save nearly 1,000 pictures using my camera's default picture quality mode. That's a heck of a lot of pictures!

Additional features. Digital cameras these days do more than simply take pictures. Most have zoom lenses built in; most don't need additional lenses and filters, although some midrange and high-end cameras do have that capability if you want to get fancy. They can display all pictures on the memory card in a slideshow-type presentation that you can view on the camera's LED screen, or on a monitor or television with a connecting cable (usually included with the camera). And many newer models allow you to record video as well, which you can play on these devices or upload to the Internet (hello, YouTube!).

Instant gratification. How many times have you taken film in to be developed, only to discover that you only like a few of the pictures you took? Digital cameras let you see immediately what your picture is like. Don't like it? Delete it. Think it could look better? Save it and delete it later, or edit it with the software that came with your camera (coming up!). You end up with a much higher percentage of pictures that you actually like.

Cheap training. Have no idea what all those extra bells and whistles on your digital camera do? Well, start playing! Pull out the manual and read up on what shutter speeds, film speeds, lighting settings, and other features on your camera can do, and then practice. Again, if you take a picture that looks like garbage, you're not out any film. Just delete it, change the settings, and try again. Eventually you'll build up a repertoire of workable settings, and you'll know exactly which one you need to capture that beautiful sunset or take the perfect beach photo.

Editing software. Most cameras these days come with software that you can install on your computer to help you edit, store, and display your photo creations. Get rid of that annoying red eye; brighten or darken the background; eliminate facial blemishes. Create photo galleries based on trip or subject, and create photo slideshows that you can burn to CD so you can share with your friends.

Ease of printing. If you have a color printer, you can buy photo paper at your local office supply store and print your photos from home (newer printers have slots built in for your memory cards and/or USB ports to connect your camera directly to the printer). Pop the memory card out of your camera and take it to your local drugstore or photo shop, where the clerk can print your selected pictures for you, or use the self-service machines that are becoming increasingly popular and do the work yourself. Or email your pictures to an online service and receive your photos in the mail. It couldn't get any easier!

Price. Ah, the bottom line. How much do these cameras and extras cost? Surprisingly little. A 5-megapixel point-and-shoot camera can run less than $100. If you increase your budget to $250 you find cameras in the 8- to 10-megapixel range, with multiple settings and video capabilities. Over $250 you can get into some very high-end products in the 10- to 12-megapixel range, many with the peripherals, filters, and lenses you need to take shots like a pro.

With the Christmas season upon us, and with the current state of the economy, you're going to see some incredible bargains on digital equipment. There couldn't be a better time to take the plunge and make the switch to digital. It won't take long for you to discover that you can cover up a multitude of photography sins and gaffes with all the camera functions and software options available to you. Your pictures can look like those of a pro. So get out there and join the 21st century! You won't be sorry that you did. GO DIGITAL!