By Dr. Timothy Hillman

You’ve probably spent more than your fair share of time waiting for your photographs to return in the mail, and had more than your share of disappointments when the image you took didn’t come out exactly the way you wanted. So, what should you do? Purchase a digital camera, a device that promises to eliminate much of the guesswork applied to conventional photography. When you make this purchase, you’ll join the swelling ranks of people for whom digital photography has become the standard choice, even for the highest quality work. If you’ve been to a photography studio lately, you’ve seen digicams at work, and the remarkably professional results that digital imaging can provide.

Not all of these cameras work the same though--when you spend $100 on a camera, you must know that a $1000 digicam will do a much better job of visual imaging. If you need the best, though, be prepared to shell out upwards of $10,000. Quality doesn’t come cheap. The questions for the buyer then become rather simple: what do you want your camera to do for you, and how well?

This buyer’s guide is designed to help you make an informed decision about digital cameras based on your needs. The guide doesn’t point you toward any specific camera, but with the decisions you make while reading this guide, you will be able to shop for a camera from an informed point of a view. Let’s get started.

There are more than a few terms we should get out of the way. Acronyms may never affect you, but it’s always good to know what they mean. So, here are a few of the essentials when talking about digital photography.

“CCD” This signifies a Charge Coupled Device, an image sensor that dates back a few decades to when they were initially used as replacements for bulkier vacuum tubes. This is the standard imaging system for digital cameras and a host of other image producers.

“CMOS” This one is a little tougher: Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor. CMOS sensors are still relatively new and represent technology that isn’t quite developed to its highest point. Chances are that this technology will develop, but currently CMOS sensors are in their infancy.

“LCD” If you’ve used a laptop computer, you’ve been using a Liquid Crystal Diode screen to display your computer’s output. LCD screens aren’t reserved for computers, though. Digital cameras are often equipped with LCD screens, as are small television devices. In essence, the LCD screen is the output from your camera. Instead of looking through a viewfinder, you can compose your photo on the LCD screen and then capture the image.

“SLR” Single Lens Reflex cameras create an image on film by rapidly flipping a mirror upward and opening the shutter in order to expose the film. The mirror then returns to its initial position. The mirror works in conjunction with another mirror, and lenses, in order to present the photographer with an image of exactly what the camera sees. Naturally, when taking a photograph, it’s always nice to see what you are actually shooting. SLR cameras make that possible.

“Resolution” All images collected by a camera are subject to the effect of the image collector. In traditional cameras, film is coated with thin layer of silver that then reacts to the light when the shutter opens. Typically, different film is used for different purposes. High-speed films, those that react quickly to light exposure, are typically more grainy when viewed. With a digital camera, the quality of the image is in direct proportion to the quality if the image collector (CCD, CMOS.) Higher quality digicams are able to create images that can be printed at larger sizes owing to the multitude of pixels they gather. Lower quality digicams often collect an image size of 640 by 480 pixels. These images are useful only for low-resolution needs, such as publication to a web page. Today’s breed of digicam includes devices that collect millions of pixels in the wink of an eye. The more pixels, the better the resolution. The better the resolution, the more vibrant the color, sharper the edges, and, well, photographic the image will appear. If a digicam can collect millions of pixels (mega-pixel cameras) you will be able to print out images much larger than a snapshot that do not appear to be affected by the digital nature of the picture. [See illustration below]

“DV Camcorders and Digital Cameras” Some people are confused about whether or not they can use a digital camcorder to take photographic images. The answer is yes, but there is a profound difference between the two systems. While both use CCDs to create images, the user must go through a conversion process to use images from a DV camcorder as still pictures. A digital camera is just that--a camera that collects static images in digital form. For photography, the digital camera is the tool created for the job. Using a DV camcorder works, but doesn’t represent the wisest choice. Better to have both than rely on the DV camcorder for your photographic needs.

“SmartMedia” This is an area that can trip you up in terms of wording. Today’s technology includes both Smart Cards and SmartMedia. They sound similar, yet are actually quite different. SmartMedia is the item that slips into a digicam and records the images, and then gets read into your computer through a reader that plugs into either your USB or serial port. Smart Cards? They are rapidly becoming the way to carry data for e-commerce (phone cards are one example.) So don’t walk into a camera store and start talking Smart Cards.

There are two basic types of digital cameras. At the entry-level are a large number of CMOS-based digicams, priced lower than $150 in most cases, that are the Kodak Instamatics of the digital age. They utilize a simple viewfinder, and are true point-and-shoot solutions. They might be best compared to a disposable camera. Typically, they do not offer any of the features found on higher end cameras. Buy an inexpensive digicam, and you’ll be able to take snapshots of good quality and print them to a 4-by-6 inch size. Important to note is the fact that these CMOS-based digicams are not greatly different from the inexpensive web cam that you can place on top of your computer. That should give you some idea of the kind of resolution and quality you can expect from the entry-level digicam.

Why is resolution so important to the digicam buyer? The high-end digicams allow you to collect images at a resolution that can be printed at a larger size with more precise detail. The reason? The CCD sensors utilized in higher end cameras can now offer remarkably high resolution. If you’re comfortable with snapshots though, you can stop here while the rest of us talk about more sophisticated cameras. My recommendation to you? Read on. The amount you save in buying an entry-level digicam will come back to haunt you when your digital images have poor resolution and cannot be printed larger than standard photograph size.

The high-end cameras’ CCD sensors are able to offer you images with much higher resolution than the entry-level digicams. In fact, the current crop of cameras in the $300 to $800 range are now routinely advertised as “mega-pixel” cameras, meaning that the digicam collects anywhere from one to three million pixels. With these deluxe point-and-shoot cameras, you can print larger images without the digital nature of the medium rearing its ugly head. As you move through the spectrum of these digicams, each one offers different advantages.

If you are looking for professional quality, you’ll step up to “professional lite.” These digicams offer much higher resolution and a variety of features not found in less expensive digicams.

When buying, first decide which advantages are important to you, and then make an informed purchase.

On to the options that come with the cameras. . .

Conventional cameras have evolved to the point where they take care of almost everything for you. They advance the film, focus the lens, and determine the proper exposure speed. Most digicams do the same. However, while a conventional camera will allow you to zoom in and out, digicams above entry level offer a variety of zoom options not available on a film camera. The digital processing allows the digicam to zoom in a great deal. But don‘t confuse optical zoom with digital zoom. The latter simply takes the same pixels and magnifies them. The quality of manual optics won’t come into play the instant you hit the digital zoom.

Why? Digital zoom is just that--digital. Instead of the optics of the digicam increasing the size of the image, the camera itself processes the image and magnifies it for collection. Along with the digital processing comes a loss in resolution quality. While a digital zoom is useful, it becomes a liability if you try to use it for finely detailed photography. Just as digital zoom on camcorders can cause blurry images, so the digital zoom on digicams can create images that are difficult to manipulate.

Make no mistake, the optics of the digicam have a great deal to do with the final quality of the image. Frankly, lenses are often the weak link in a digicam. When purchasing, look hard at the lenses, and ask your salesperson straight out about their quality. If the salesperson doesn’t really know, remove the lens cap and look right down into the lens system. Do you see a single lens? If so, check whether it’s plastic. In all likelihood, it will be. Plastics lenses are simply unacceptable. Think of it this way--when you buy sunglasses, what makes the difference between a pair of Ray-Bans and a Ray-Ban knock-off? The answer lies in the optical quality. You see a better view of the world with Ray-Bans because you are looking through ground and polished glass that is designed to give the wearer a complete view of the world. Plastic? Pick up a $5 pair of sunglasses and compare them to the Ray-Bans. You will see the difference.

In a digicam, the same difference exists. You might go out and purchase an expensive camera only to find that the lens system is plastic and subject to a multitude of difficulties ranging from inaccurate imaging to scratches that will render the camera only marginally useful.

Today’s digicam optics are often designed in a manner that allows you to “macro” focus on small areas. With the proper zoom, you can photograph a stunning landscape, and then zoom in on a butterfly sitting on a flower. Entry-level film digicams do not offer this ability. Their optics are usually comprised of less expensive plastic lenses that will simply never give you the visual quality of a glass lens system. They will, however, more than do the job in snapshot situations. More expensive digicams have better optics, some even including actual shutters like a regular camera. The deluxe point-and-shoot cameras offer better optical characteristics, and the professional lite digicams have superior lens systems installed. If you can afford such a device, and will use it with real purpose, then ask your sales representative about the optics before you go any further. A system with excellent optical characteristics and high-end CCD processing will offer the best image in any situation.

Three methods exist to allow you to see the image as you take the picture. Some digicams (entry-level) use a simple viewfinder--in essence, a hole in the camera that you look through to frame the image. There is a major disadvantage to this approach: No matter what, you will see a different image than that of the lens system, unless the viewfinder is place in close proximity to the imaging system. The result? Off-center pictures.

Next is the LCD-screen viewfinder. Attached to the back of the digicam, the LCD screen allows you to see the actual scene as you make the image. When purchasing a digicam, look for this feature, and pay great attention to the size of the LCD screen itself. A small LCD screen will hurt your eyes as you squint to determine exactly what you’ve got on the screen. Naturally, the larger LCDs will show you more and give you more creative control over the image. LCD screens have a tendency to wash out in sunny conditions, making the camera almost worthless in certain lighting situations. They are at their best indoors with controlled light sources.

You should also check exactly how the LCD screen functions. Some are built directly into the camera, while others swivel and flip to offer you the best possible viewing angle. The size of the LCD screen also looms great as you try to do basic housecleaning on your digicam. Since digicams are small computers, they now sport a wide variety of menu choices displayed on the LCD screen. If your screen is miniature or of low quality, those menus might be a bit tough to navigate.

The third option is much more expensive. If you have money to burn, or professional needs, the SLR-back digicam is the superior product. This viewfinder technology is virtually the same as the technology that exists on the best conventional cameras, and certain manufacturers have built high-end digicams that support a variety of existing lenses. If you want a camera that will produce images of extremely high quality, the SLR back is the digicam of choice. If you purchase from the right manufacturer, you will be able to use your old lenses, and still use the digicam as if it were a conventional camera. Indeed, the digicam itself is likely to use an actual shutter--something that doesn’t exist on lower end cameras. For news reporters, this has become the imaging system of choice. They can take highly detail images and transfer them immediately to the newsroom, instead of heading back to the darkroom to see if they got the shot or not.

At this point, you’ve probably made your decision about which viewfinder you want

Each digicam has its own solution for storing images for transfer to your computer. Many manufacturers have chosen to use “flash” memory to store images. In the simplest terms, flash memory is a card you place in the camera that includes rewritable memory chips that store information while the camera is powered down.

With flash memory, you can preview images on the LCD screen on your digicam and dump those photographs that fail to meet your standards. Remember, though--when it’s gone, it’s gone. There’s no negative to fall back on. Electronic pulses clear flash memory. Therefore, you must be careful in navigating the menus as you work with flash memory. More than one user has accidentally deleted beautiful images from his or her digicam.

These smart media types vary, with each manufacturer deciding how they are going to store images and transfer them to your computer. Some flash cards are placed into a card reader attached to a port on your computer, while others stay in your digicam and connect to the computer via a USB cable. Yet another solution is the use of a 31/2-inch floppy disk to store images. This is perhaps the simplest and most logical way to store information with easy transfer (pop out the disk) to your existing computer. However, this system does have a substantial drawback. While flash-memory cameras store images in small packages, floppy-disk-memory cameras demand not only the camera, but also the smallest form factor disk drive the manufacturer can create. Translate that into “bigger camera.” For Macintosh users, this is a huge disadvantage. Fewer and fewer Macs use floppy drives, and purchasing a USB floppy for the camera alone is a waste of money.

In addition to straight connections through the USB port, there are also other means of transferring the images. One example is the use of a PCMCIA card that plugs into a slot on your laptop. For a laptop warrior, a digicam that uses a PC card reader might be a terrific option. Still, with USB everywhere these days, carrying a simple cable to connect to the USB port is a far simpler, and not noticeably slower, manner to transfer images. If you are using an older computer without USB capability, you can purchase smart-media readers that will plug into the serial port on your computer. These devices are relatively small, and a useful solution. Still, you sacrifice speed when you go use a serial connection.

Finally, you can use on-line photography resources to have your digital images placed on a CD for distribution to friends and family. In fact, if you’ve got a CD burner of your own, the task of sending photographs to the family just got easier. Transfer images to the computer and then burn them to disk. If you think this is the right way to go, then definitely grab a burner when you buy a digicam. CDs are far less expensive than film or reprints from traditional photographs, so you really can’t go wrong.

Overall, I heartily recommend that you choose a camera with a flash memory system. Floppy drives are becoming less and less prevalent in the market, and USB is a standard that has reached virtually every computer sold today. For maximum flexibility, choose a camera with USB transfer capability and smart media. By doing so, you have ensured the future viability of this expensive piece of equipment.

The more the world turns to electronic products, the more important the power sources for those products become. Digicams are no exception. Any digicam worth buying will come with a high-quality battery that will give you a substantial amount of shooting time. Battery life is important because the digicam will not operate without that power. Check the camera to see what type of batteries it requires. If the camera takes standard AA batteries, think twice before purchasing. Your camera will run those batteries down, and you’ll be forced to carry a number of AAs with you wherever you go. Still, rechargeable NiMH (Nickel-Metal-Hydride) batteries can keep your digicam up and running for a solid number of pictures. In addition, today’s NiMH batteries are not nearly as vulnerable to long-term power capacity loss as NiCad batteries.

On the other hand, cameras with internal charging systems can jump up and bite you as well. Typically, replacement batteries for charging systems are more expensive, so it will cost more than a little cash to ensure that your digicam will keep running when others have shut down. Still, the internal rechargeable battery system is unquestionably the best way to go. Of course, I’m not talking about an extra power “brick” (that heavy transformer that charges the batteries), which is always problematic. Check the digicam to see whether the charger is reasonably sized. Canon has a small-profile brick, while Sony separates the brick from the plug. To Sony’s credit, they have also made sure that one power supply can charge a variety of Sony devices. I’ve got both a Sony DV Camcorder and a Cybershot digicam, and the power supplies work with both devices.

Before you buy, make sure that you’ve addressed all of the pertinent questions. What are they? Here’s a list of considerations from Deke McClelland and Katrin Eismann’s book Real World Digital Photography that should guide your final decision on the right digicam for you.

Does it have on on-camera flash? While most digicams have an on-board flash, you can purchase digicams with more flash options, including red-eye reduction, controllable flash power, and support for studio flash equipment.

Can you adjust the color balance? Remember that digicams are, at their heart, video cameras, and as such may need color adjustment. Auto white balancing is great, but you may find circumstances in which the ability to adjust the white balance yourself makes a big difference in the end product.

How does the camera meter light? The entry-level digicam typically uses center-weighted metering, but a more expensive digicam could give you the ability to meter differently, radically effecting the final product.

Can you control shutter speed and aperture? If you are a sports photographer or an astronomer, you’ll want the ability to control these items in order to ensure quality. If you are comfortable with the camera making the choice, the deluxe point-and-shoot is probably in order.

Can you focus the digicam manually? Autofocus mechanisms choose whatever happens to be in the center of the picture as their focus point. If you anticipate taking pictures with a more artistic bent, you’ll want the ability to focus the image on your own.

How do you want the file compressed? Entry-level digicams don’t give you much control over image compression (compression saves a great deal of space on flash memory cards) but deluxe point-and-shoots will give you more control. It’s up to you to decide which fits your needs.

Do you need a burst-mode feature? Certain cameras allow you to take images at an increased rate of speed, allowing you to hold down the shutter button and follow the action. It’s expensive, but well worth it if you are trying to capture a great shot of your daughter smacking a home run or the perfect picture of your husband at a surprise party.

Finally, does the question of style matter to you? Just like any other product, digicams come in a wide variety of designs, with small digicams, swiveling digicams, bulky digicams, and a host of others.

There you have it. You’ll want to look at accessories as well, but your camera will come with a catalog containing a host of items that go right along with your camera and needs. Now, all you need to do is get the digicam you really want, and head out for a day of shooting. The instant results of digicams are a joy; welcome to the fun!

Dr. Timothy Hillman
Dr. Tim has written for numerous Macintosh web sites, such as MacCentral, Macworld, MacOPINION, and he was the Editor-in-Chief of MacOS Daily.