| Consumers have been pretty receptive to the lower | | | | 2. How durable are digital camera photos? |
| priced "point and shoot" models (some 5 million digital | | | | Digital camera photos are not stored on film. They're |
| cameras were sold in the U.S. during the Christmas | | | | stored on electronic memory devices that actually |
| 2005 holiday season), but there are still some holdouts. | | | | require much less care than negative film. |
| Great strides have been made in digital technology | | | | As long as reasonable care is taken of the particular |
| over the past few years, but more sophisticated digital | | | | storage device, there shouldn't be any problems with |
| cameras have only recently come down in price | | | | protecting images caught on a digital camera, and you |
| enough to attract the "serious amateur" market. In the | | | | can easily make copies of the digital image files on |
| past, the price of high-end digital camera equipment | | | | your computer or even burn them to a CD - an option |
| was more suited to the professional who could turn | | | | that isn't available with film. |
| that investment into an income source. | | | | 3. Are digital camera photos more expensive to |
| Even traditional film buffs are slowly coming around to | | | | process? |
| the benefits of digital photography. Among the | | | | Not anymore. First, you can eliminate any poor images |
| holdouts, the chief problem seems to be confusion. | | | | before printing and only pay for those that you print. |
| There are so many choices, with a broad range of | | | | With "easy share" technology and photo quality |
| options, and just as many price ranges. | | | | printers now available, it is both affordable and |
| It's cheaper not to make a decision, than to make a | | | | convenient to print digital camera photos. |
| mistake. | | | | You can even do the task yourself, in the comfort of |
| They get lost in the terminology, and have reservations | | | | your own home - without buying expensive |
| about the quality of digital photos and about the | | | | development chemicals that are required for film |
| reliability of the digital cameras. With the whirlwind of | | | | processing! Or, you can send your images |
| innovation flooding our lives everyday, it's become | | | | electronically to a professional processor, and receive |
| really difficult to keep up. | | | | professionally produced photos back in the mail in just |
| Technology advances, prices come down, and a deal | | | | a few days. |
| today may be obsolete tomorrow. At least that's what | | | | 4. Can I get different effects with a digital camera? |
| worries many potential digital camera owners. | | | | That depends on the digital camera. High end models |
| So let's look at five of the most common questions | | | | have built-in features that allow different kinds of |
| about digital camera photography to shed some light | | | | effects. But even if your digital camera doesn't have |
| on the matter, for those who are hesitant about this | | | | these advanced features, you can always manipulate |
| new technology, or who have dismissed it as a mere | | | | the photographs on your desktop computer, using any |
| fad. | | | | image editing software. |
| 1. Do digital cameras produce quality photos? | | | | 5. Are zooming features comparable? |
| Digital photos can be displayed at very high resolutions, | | | | Here digital cameras actually have a distinct |
| and could easily surpass conventional photographs, but | | | | advantage over film cameras. While cheaper digital |
| many have seen poorer quality images. Early color | | | | cameras may only have digital zoom (which is really |
| printers could be used to print color photos from digital | | | | just a form of in-camera enlargement that results in a |
| cameras, but the quality just wasn't there. Blurry | | | | lower resolution original image), high end models are |
| images on low-grade computer monitors or on the | | | | available with both digital and optical zooming. |
| small LCD screens of the cameras themselves, do | | | | When shopping for your digital camera, give priority to |
| nothing to increase your confidence. | | | | the optical zoom capability and buy the highest power |
| But view the high resolution images available from | | | | optical zoom that fits within your budget. Digital zoom is |
| today's digital cameras on a capable monitor or after | | | | a nice extra, but the effects can easily be replicated |
| being printed on one of the newer photo quality | | | | during the "processing" of the image on your computer, |
| printers (using photo quality paper) and you'll see the | | | | prior to printing the images. |
| crystal clear quality of what is available today. | | | | |