The biggest area of confusion in selecting a digital camera involves its Features.. While many consumers look for a digital camera with the MOST Features, the real question to ask yourself is: “Which features do I NEED?”

These tips will help you make the best decision FOR YOU.

Tip #1: Should You Consider a Digital SLR?

A Digital SLR (single lens reflex) is made up of the camera body and the lens. If the lens is NOT removable, it is not a Digital SLR. More familiar names for this type of camera are “Point and Shoot,” “Pro-Sumer,” and “Compact.” For simplicity, the key distinguishing feature is whether the lens can be removed or not.

Answer these 2 questions:

“Do you plan on shooting photographs in low-light situations?” If you do, digital cameras capable of high ISO numbers (over 800) and apertures capable of F-stops equal to or less than F/2.8 are desirable. Typically, that is a Digital SLR.

“Will you be taking flash photographs at distances greater than 12 feet from your subject(s)?” If so, an external flash unit is needed, and that means your camera must have a hot shoe.

If you have these requirements, Digital SLRs should be strongly considered. If you don’t, you would likely be happy with less sophisticated gear.

Realize that today’s digital SLRs have more features without being more difficult to use. Almost all entry level SLRs are designed to be as simple to use as a Point and Shoot while providing additional features that you can grow into.

Tip #2: What’s The Big Deal About Megapixels?

Megapixels is one of the most talked about (and least understood) concepts in digital photography.

Taking quality pictures is not dependent on megapixels; although you wouldn’t know that by listening to salespeople. Megapixels is JUST ONE FACTOR in creating better digital pictures. Other features are just as important…

Shutter speed is key. It is also important to be able to manually set the white-balance and to have pre-programmed modes to aid in tricky lighting situations.

The number of megapixels your digital camera has is not the most important factor, but it should not be ignored either. The one area where megapixels is critical deals with cropping.

When you crop a photograph, you are removing pixels from the image. The more pixels you start with, the better the chances are that the resultant cropped image will be sharper and clearer when you are done.

Tip #3: Between Digital and Optical Zoom, Only Optical Zoom Matters

Although some salespeople might argue with this, when buying a digital camera, COMPLETELY IGNORE ALL DIGITAL ZOOM FIGURES. Why?

Because digital zoom has absolutely no impact on being able to take a photograph of a distant subject by zooming in on it. Manufacturers use it more as a marketing tool than anything else.

Now that you know what to look for, we can show you how to get the best price.

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I’ve always meant to go into the spy store across the street from my bus stop. Yesterday, I missed the bus and I had twenty minutes to spare before the next one. This was my opportunity to finally go in and look around. They have some classic items in there. Haven’t you always wanted a fountain pen with a miniature camera concealed in the cap? They have that, and they have the lighter that takes a high-resolution snapshot when you flick it open.

For some reason, a lot of the classic spy gear is connected to smoking. I think it’s due to the influence of spy movies in which the hero is always going into a smoke-filled casino. Or he’s being interrogated by Europeans who offer cigarettes to the hero, maybe point them threateningly across the table, and even crush them into the cheek of the prisoner. But the spy hero comes prepared with a cigarette case concealing a movie camera and a dart gun, so he can fight back with his own tobacco arsenal.

Some of the best things in the spy camera are modern upgrades to old ideas. For example, they have a miniature GPS tracking device. That may seem obvious and boring, but it’s really an enormous improvement on the old radio-based trackers. Back in the twentieth century, you could easily slip your tracking device into the mark’s pocket or stick it on his shoe, but when it came time to find his location, it wasn’t so simple. You were receiving a radio signal that told you the distance from the tracker but not the direction. You could drive around for quite a while before you worked out which way to go, and by that time the signal could be out of range.

A digital tracker with GPS transmits the actual map location to you, so it’s simplicity itself to find the target. The spy store even has one that’s integrated with a camera. You could stick this under someone’s bumper to find out where they’re going. The device is so small that it doesn’t have enough power to send you the camera footage, but the GPS signal makes it easy to keep track of the device and retrieve it later. This could be a dangerous gadget in the wrong hands. I’m glad I have no secrets to hide!

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zune reviews
I was motivated to compose this review because it is reasonably worrisome and, it seems to me, a bit unsportsmanlike for the Kindle’s everyday review rating to be dragged so far down by Kindle NON-OWNERS who, judging from their remarks, seem to be quite worried by all of the positive remarks about a product that’s pricey, monochrome, not a standard purpose media player, unable to leap tall buildings, or in some way less than they were expecting, requiring, or trusting. In contrast to non-owners, the people who in reality HAVE Kindle’s seem to universally love it, though with very well-grounded caveats. I zune reviewsthink of this as “The TiVo Effect” since, for the right kind of user, the Kindle will be life-changing … but it certainly won’t be that for everyone. Although it took me a few days to get wholly comfortable with it, I am now hooked.

For several years I have been an zealous reader of eBooks using virtually every eReading product on the market place. So as an early-adopter of techno gadgets I had been eagerly awaiting Amazon’s Kindle since its introductory rumors. So I at once bought it both out of curiosity and trusting for a improved “next generation” eBook resolution. In case you’re curious whether I’m “that” Adam Jameson, I probably am — I’m the man who gets Google’s introductory three or three pages when Googling my name.

So, for what it’s worth, if this posting is noticed by any genuinely curious pre-purchasers, I hope that the next commentary might place the Kindle in “perspective” and be of some use to you.

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