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(cont'd from first page on choosing
a digital camera for traveling where we talked about the main
factors - size, zoom, LCD screen, ISO, movie, batteries.)
 Other
things to know about
- Pixel count - this determines how much detail you can
get on your photos and how large you can print the photos and
they still look good. As technology progresses, this goes higher
and higher for the same price. If your rarely print any photo
larger than a 3x5", this is one thing you don't need to
worry about because even a 6 or 7-year-old digital camera has
4 million pixels, enough to give you a good 3x5". Nowadays,
it is common for newer models to have 8 million pixels. If you
mostly just put up your photos on your computer, even as the
desktop wallpaper, a 6-million-pixel photo is enough.
- Memory card - this is like the film in the old film
cameras, except that it is refillable free of charge! Since
it works like a tape recorder where things can just be erased
to make room for new photos, theoretically you just need one
(at least that's what you can tell your spouse). Usually with
a little cord that comes with the camera, you can just download
the photos you have taken without even removing the card itself.
And nowadays, as soon as you connect the camera to the computer,
the latter recognizes it like it does an extra harddisk. And
you can simply drag the photos like you drag files into your
computer.
- How big a memory card should you get?
It depends on how many pixels your camera has. The card
that comes with your camera can probably take a hundred
or two photos. That may sound like a lot, but if you go
on a trip for two weeks, you may just run out of room. Then
you are stuck since you can't just go down to the corner
drug store to buy another "roll". Besides, it
costs a little more than a roll of film. I would suggest
you to get a card large enough to be just less than those
that are too expensive. That should last you for a while.
By the time you would like a larger card, they have come
down in price enough to afford. And if you're not too tight
on your budget, get an extra card. It beats having to delete
shots that you might want to keep.
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