Digital Camera Primer: Look Before You Buy

As with any type of electronics, such as computer notebooks, printers, or a computer desktop, buying a digital camera presents you with a myriad of choices. Each digital camera manufacturer has more than a dozen offerings, ranging from the more basic "point and shoot" camera to the top of the line professional single lens reflex digital camera. So, it's important to consider a number of factors before you buy. Here's a primer to get you started.

Digital Camera Cost

Just a few years ago, inexpensive digital cameras had terrible optics and were an overall disappointment. Not anymore. Today, even a $149 camera has more features than a $799 camera had in the past. Of course, you can pay more than $10,000 for a camera, but for most casual photographers a camera under $500 will have everything you want and then some.

Megapixels

It wasn't that long ago that a three-mexapixel digital camera was considered state-of-the-art. Today, fairly basic consumer models are seven- or eight-megapixels, which allows you to considerably crop any photo and still get a high-quality print. For that reason, don't consider buying a camera that's less than five megapixels.

LCD Display

It may not seem like the most important part of a camera, but the size of the LCD display will make a big difference while you're shooting your photos. A two-inch LCD is great, but a three-inch is even better since you'll be able to see at a glance whether the photo you just took is fuzzy or if it's a keeper. Beyond size, make sure that the LCD display is clear in all lighting conditions - indoors, outdoors, and at night. If you can't see the photo you just took, it defeats the purpose of having a digital camera.

Shooting Modes

Many digital cameras offer a variety of shooting modes as well as manual settings. Many of the ultracompact consumer cameras, however, do not have manual overrides, and you must choose among the shooting modes provided. If you're in the market for a "point and shoot" digital camera, that's no problem. On the other hand, if you want to be able to change the aperture or shutter speed, make sure you buy a digital camera that allows you to do manual settings. Similarly, if you'll primarily use your camera in a specific environment (at sporting events, for example), make sure that the digital camera you select has that specific mode. Keep in mind that some digital cameras even have underwater capability or an "eBay" setting for taking photos of items you want to auction on eBay, so don't assume the way you'll use your camera is unique.

Storage Medium

Unfortunately, there's not an industry standard when it comes to storage cards. Make sure that you understand the type of film card your camera uses, and that you have a reader that will allow you to transfer your photos from your camera to your computer desktop or laptops. Alternately, many cameras come with software (usually on a DVD) that will allow you to plug your camera directly into your desktop or notebooks and upload your pictures.

After You Buy

Once you've purchased your digital camera, take time to practice and play with the various settings. It's often said that digital cameras are more like computer peripherals than cameras, so keep in mind that there may be a learning curve. Once you've mastered it, however, you'll be amazed at the enjoyment you'll get from your new purchase.

Top 5 Printers In The Market

Choosing a printer can at times prove to be a daunting task especially if the shopper happens to be a first time printer buyer. There are various types of printing technologies and each is suited for specific needs. It is important to note one thumb rule when shopping for a printer. For long lasting photographs, an inkjet printer is an absolute must and for producing fast text documents; a laser printer is an ideal choice. With a wide variety of printers available in the market; it is difficult to make a prudent choice. Mentioned below are the top five printers available in the market today.

Brother MFC- 9440CN color laser multifunction
This color laser multifunction printer is ideal for work groups or small offices. Its USP lies in its consistent and fast speed as well as an impressive scan and print quality. It can perform multifunctional tasks and offers advanced features and functions to meet the diverse needs of an office. It also has an Ethernet port at the rear and it can be connected to the computer via a single USB cable. It is compatible with MAC as well as Windows operating systems. It comes with a default 64 MB memory and this can be upgraded up to 576 MB. It has the regular copy features and the can make up to 99 copies at once as well as enlarge and reduce via custom values or present values. Moreover, it comes with enhanced security features. The Settings Lock enables you to set a Pin number and secure your printer from being tampered by a third party.

HP Photosmart A826
This printer is a favorite among people who prefer a great print quality at lightening speed. It comes packed with some fun features like captions and clip art. The menu section is neat and well organized and it also features a user-friendly touch screen and is great for displaying slide shows. Given its size and lack of portability; the printer would be an ideal choice among professional photographers and professional party organizers. The touch screen comes packed with most of its essential features. The set up too is fairly simple. The A826 can easily be set up to print from a PC. Photographs can be viewed as a slideshow and the settings of this can be adjusted to randomize the order, image duration, continuous loop and much more. The A826 offers a wide variety of options when it comes to printing and editing of photographs.

Epson Stylus Pro 3800
This printer offers a fine blend of features, all packed into one machine. This is the least expensive printer available in the Epson’s Pro series. Besides offering long lasting prints and an amazing black & white print quality; it also has a wide tonal range and offers an array of paper options. The minimum ink droplet size is 3.5 Pico liters and a max resolution of 2880x1, 440dpi. It can hold 9 cartridges of Epson's Ultra Chrome K3 inks: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Matte Black, Photo Black, Light Cyan, Light Magenta, Light Black, and Light Light Black. It comes with an Ethernet port and can thus be shared on a network. So, it makes an ideal printer for a small office environment. The best part of this printer is that delivers high quality black and white prints. While the neutrality of colors will depend on the type of paper being used; the color fidelity on different paper types is more than impressive.

HP Officejet Pro L7680 All-in-One
This printer comes packed with loads of utilizable features like built-in networking, high quality and speedy prints, a built-in ADF, media card slots, Digital Filing, duplexer and various other office-oriented features. This printer is highly recommended for someone who is looking for an all-in-one functionality. It also offers a wireless print server as well as a Bluetooth adaptor for wireless printing (optional). Be it printing, scanning, copying or faxing; the machine accomplishes it all. Although it is network-ready; the printer can be also connected via a USB. It makes it possible to send and receive both colored as well as black and white fax copies.

Lexmark C532dn
This printer offers some highly useful and user-friendly features and offers high quality and speedy prints for just about any print type. It comes network ready with a built-in duplexer as well as a separate photoconductor. This printer is ideal for high volume printing needs and also features an automatic double sided printing. Furthermore; the printer is quite energy efficient and results in lesser material waste. Its toner cartridges have been separated into 2 units. While one piece is the toner; the other piece is the photoconductor. Its print quality is highly impressive and the printer also has an expandable on board memory.