April 15

Digital Cameras & Scanners
Sun Review April 22, 2000

Let's be honest: not everyone needs a digital camera. If you just want to get pictures into your computer, I highly recommend you consider an inexpensive scanner rather than a digital camera. Also, many photo-finishers now offer the option of saving your photos onto a CD-ROM, which greatly diminishes the need for a scanner. But if you're sure you want a digital camera, read on!

There are many benefits to owning a digital camera. You can take as many photos as you want, view them immediately and keep only the ones you want. With a film camera, you have to shoot the entire roll, get it developed, and wait at least one hour to get your photos back. A digital camera lets you download your photos into a computer, and retouch them with an image editor such as Adobe PhotoDeluxe or Ulead's PhotoImpact, print them out, e-mail them to friends and family or post them on a website. And because these images are digital, you can save them to a disk or CD-ROM and keep them forever. Digital cameras may cost a bit more than standard film cameras, but you won't have to pay for film-processing, and your new camera will earn its keep in no time.

If you're shopping for a digital camera, the first question you should ask yourself is what are you going to do with the photos. If you plan to incorporate them into your website, send them via e-mail, or otherwise display them on a monitor or TV screen, then you need only a low- or mid-level model. If you plan on printing your photos, or if you need very high quality images, you want at least a 2 million pixel (2-megapixel) model.

What do these numbers mean? Pixels, or picture elements, are the tiny squares that make up digital photographs. How can you figure out how many pixels you need? First, you have to know that camera resolution is not expressed in the same terms as a scanner's or printer's resolution. A scanner's resolution is given in pixel per linear inch (ppi), so if a 600ppi scanner has a scanning head 8 inches wide, the actual horizontal resolution is 4800 pixels. Camera resolution is thus analogous to computer monitor resolution (for example, a monitor resolution of 800x600 has 480,000 pixels total). Obviously, 1-megapixel and 2-megapixel cameras offer resolution in excess of what's available with computer monitors. Bear in mind that some stated resolution figures aren't entirely accurate - higher resolutions may be achieved through software rather than the camera's optics.

Again, consider how you will use this camera. If you need to print your images, these extra pixels will be critical. The higher the resolution, the larger the picture that can be printed without losing sharpness.

Once you have decided how many pixels you need, you can compare other features of digital cameras. Most digital cameras feature optical zoom lenses, although it's rare to find a model with greater than 10X zoom. Higher-end cameras may allow you to attach a telephoto lens or filter. Don't be seduced by digital zoom figures, however, because the resolution actually decreases as the zoom factor increases.

Digital cameras do eat batteries, so check to see if rechargeable batteries and a charger are included with the camera.

Other features to consider include:

Size: Will it slip easily into your pocket?

Lens position: On the front of the camera or on its side?

Camera controls: Within reach of your hand? Easy to use? Are adjustments made electronically using on-screen menus or manually with external controls on the camera?

Flash/Memory card: How many photos can the camera store on its memory card? Can you buy additional cards?

Connecting to the computer: What type of connection is required? Do you have a spare USB or serial port to connect the camera?

Software: What kind of image editing software is included?

It is also important to check the quality of the lens, since it plays a significant role in the quality of the camera's output. In general, you can assume that traditional camera makers (such as Nikon, Fuji and Minolta) make better lenses.

Featured Camera:
Kodak DC215 Millenium 2000 has a 2X optical zoom, a resolution of 1152x864 (1 mega-pixel), and has a USB or serial connection. ($749 - www.kodak.ca)

Prices range from $280 for the Samsung Digimax 800 (800,000 pixels) on sale at London Drugs, $500-$900 for a mid-range (megapixel) camera such as the Kodak DC215, and $1200-$2000 for 2-megapixel (or more) cameras such as the Nikon 950 or the Olympus 3030.

For those not quite ready to invest in a digital camera, a scanner is a good alternative. You can expect to pay $100-$150 for a low-end scanner that features 600 dpi resolution at 30- or 36-bit colour. Remember that 600 dpi resolution is more than sufficient for displaying your images on a computer monitor (for e-mail or the Web), and is even suitable for printing. You should compare the resolution achieved by different scanners, but also investigate the bundled software. My personal favourite is Adobe PhotoDeluxe, which is included with many popular scanners. Because most scanners only have an "on/off" button, the software that actually runs the scanner makes a big difference. Look for programs that are user-friendly and let you manipulate or retouch your images easily.

Check out digital camera and scanner reviews at www.zdnet.com or www.epinions.com.