Buying a Digital Camera?
The easiest method for you to get your art images onto the computer is to take pictures with a digital camera. Since the images that a digital camera captures is in electronic form, it is a language recognized by computers.
This language is called pixels, tiny colored squares represented by ones and zeros that make up the picture that you just took. The images can be transferred straight from the camera to the computer via a cable or the memory card.
Let’s take a look at some factors to consider if you are thinking about buying a new camera.
MEGAPIXELS: This is one of the most important features of the digital camera. The higher the mega pixels the better the photograph. A mega pixel is equivalent to one million pixels. So if the camera is a 10 mega-pixel, it creates images with 10 million pixels. I highly suggest you don’t purchase a camera that is less than 7 mega-pixel.
ZOOM: Most digital cameras have both digital and optical zoom. It’s better to have a higher optical zoom than a higher digital zoom. I suggest a digital camera with an optical of at least 10x. These cameras have built-in stabilizers. You’ll find this a valuable feature for clear images.
MEMORY CARD: Make sure you purchase the right memory card for your digital camera. You can get one that holds up to 8GB for a reasonable price. That will give you plenty of room for pictures, plus enough for video clips if your new camera includes that feature.
BATTERY LIFE: Before you buy a digital camera, consider if the camera’s batteries are rechargeable. Digital cameras use up battery life quickly. You may also want to take into consideration an AC adapter.
LOOK/FEEL/LIFESTYLE: Don’t buy a camera that does not feel comfortable in your hands. Test it out. Hold it, look through the viewfinder, test the weight, check the location of the buttons and make sure everything feels comfortable. Also, make sure you’re buying a camera that fits your lifestyle. Taking pictures of your artwork will end up being a small percentage of it’s use. So think about what you want to carry around for those other picture taking times. Are you more of a point and shoot type of camera person or do you lean more toward the professional needs? You’ll want to buy accordingly.
With this basic information, you can decide what you need and want before buying. This should also give you an idea of the questions to ask when you start looking at and comparing cameras in the store of your choice.
