Will I Ever Remember All That? Technology Buzz on Digital Cameras
By Kalie Chamberlain
One night, a man decided to burgle a Radio Shack. Thanks to the nightly news, this man knew enough to disable the video camera when he entered the store. He wasn’t about to get caught, which is why he took the camera with him as he fled, booty in tow.
Unfortunately, he neglected to remember the machine recording the images from the video camera—which is why police were able to locate him. They caught the robber using the full facial shot of him reaching to the camera just before the recording stopped.
Even as we laugh, we may be asking ourselves ruefully, “Well, would I think of that?” Often, we mistrust complicated technology because there seems to be so much to remember. Fortunately, simpler and improved machines are making it easier for everyone to use new contraptions, especially digital cameras.
Why Buy?
Why go digital? Today, many seniors are making the switch to digital cameras. Despite their often-intricate appearance, most digital cameras these days are the “point and shoot” variety. In fact, large LED viewing screens and automatic zoom and flash may make digital cameras easier to use than their original counterparts.
The cost of a digital camera is another attraction. Though the camera itself might be pricey, the cost of storing photos is infinitely lower. All photos are stored in the camera’s memory (or transferred to your computer), so there’s no need for shoeboxes full of pictures anymore. And, thankfully, if you do decide to develop pictures, you only pick out your favorites. No more wasting film—if you don’t like a picture, just delete it!
And digital images may last longer. Storing pictures on CDs or in computer files may prove to be a better way of saving your stories for future generations. Digital pictures don’t tear or wrinkle! And you can purchase fun new add-ons like digital picture frames that allow you to showcase 50-100 pictures at a time—without ever paying to get them developed. However, you can still print them out and store them or put them in scrapbooks if you so choose. And you have the electronic copies of the pictures stored on your CD or computer as a backup—instead of negatives.
What Does All That Jargon Mean?
If you do decide to take the plunge, here are some terms the sales staff will likely toss around in a sales bid:
• Pixels: A simple definition of pixels is the number of small blocks or dots of color that make up a digital image. A general rule is that a picture with more pixels will be clearer. (Megapixel is another term you may hear; it also refers to the number of color dots in an image.)
• LED Screen: This is the viewing screen generally located on the back of the camera that allows you to see your image before and after the picture is taken. It also shows your photos you have taken so you can choose to delete or store them.
• Memory/Flash Card: Each digital camera is really a tiny computer! The memory or flash card is a small chip that stores all the images inside the camera. When printing pictures at a self-serve kiosk, you probably will insert the memory card from your camera into the kiosk directly to view and select photos you wish to have printed. While at the kiosk you can also edit your pictures—zooming in, zooming out, cropping, etc. Kiosks can be found at many stores, including Wal-mart, Walgreens, Sam’s Club, and many others.
• PC Compatibility: Most digital cameras come with software that allows you to store (and sometimes edit) pictures on your computer. The term PC compatible refers to using the digital camera and the computer together.
• Compression: All images on your digital camera will be compressed (condensed to a smaller size) before it is stored on your memory card.
• Resolution: Salespeople may use this term to promote a camera’s clear images, but resolution is really just the number of pixels in a digital photo. The more pixels there are or the higher the megapixel number, the clearer the photo will be.
You don’t want to focus on one feature; for instance a camera with “high resolution” may not be the best. The best cameras will probably have a combination of good features which will include a high pixel count, a good LED screen size, and a great lens and good zoom capability.
Considerations for Seniors
Digital cameras are getting easier to use all the time. If you are out shopping, asking these questions might help you locate the perfect camera for you:
Size: Is the camera a comfortable size for me to use? Does the size of the LED screen suit my vision? Are the buttons easy to locate and operate?
Computer Use: How much time do I want to spend organizing pictures on my computer? Will this software be easy to install? Do I want to use a computer at all? (If not, no problem! Just store pictures on your camera and print at a self-serve kiosk. Also, many photo printers accept memory cards directly, so there’s no computer needed.)
Power Source: What kind of batteries does this digital camera use? Can I use rechargeable batteries with it? Does the camera itself have a rechargeable power source? (Many digital cameras “zap” battery power quickly; finding a camera that uses rechargeable batteries may save you money.)
Storage: How do I plan to store my photos? Will I print 4x6 proofs? If so, do I want to print them at a store or purchase my own photo printer? Will I need extra memory cards to store pictures? Or will I use the computer or CDs to store most of my digital images?
Whatever you decide, the good news is that there’s not that much to remember about digital cameras these days. “When people are out having a good time, they don’t want to spend it learning how to avoid taking blurry pictures,” said James Neal, director of marketing for digital imaging products at Sony Electronics. “We’ve engineered our … camera[s] with intelligent, automatic features so people can spend more time having fun and less time understanding technology.” So, “point and shoot” pretty well covers it. Happy photo taking!