Digital Camera Master

Every hobby has its accessories. I sometimes joke that my dive buddy only became interested in scuba diving after she discovered that scuba gear was a whole new way to spend money.

While there’s no doubt some truth to that, it’s also true that there are some things you really need to buy to accompany any activity, and digital photography is no exception. Here’s a short shopping list of things you might consider buying as you get more into shooting digitally:

1. A camera
It goes without saying that you need a camera, but don’t rush into the purchase. You can even use a 35mm camera to begin with, and scan the images into the PC for editing and printing. If you’ve read the previous post of this blog and decided what features are important to you, you can shop like a pro.

2. An adequate PC
Crunching data to process digital images takes a bit more horsepower than you might be used to when working with Word or Excel. I suggest using a Pentium III–class PC with no less than 128MB of RAM. If you want to work with really big images—like 6-megapixel pictures—then consider 256MB of RAM. You might be surprised to learn that more memory is generally more useful than a faster processor.

3. Batteries
Digital cameras are power hogs. I highly recommend buying two sets of NiMH rechargeable batteries, since they’ll pay for themselves before you can say “alkaline.” If your camera didn’t come with an AC adapter, I suggest that you buy one from the camera vendor’s accessories store so you can power the camera when you’re transferring images to the PC or displaying images on a TV.

4. Memory
Buy the biggest memory card you can afford. The measly 8MB memory card that came with your camera won’t last a day when you’re on vacation, so having a 128MB or 256MB card is almost essential. A spare card, if it’s in the budget, can keep you going when you fill up your main card far away from your PC.

5. Image editing software
Your camera probably came with some rudimentary image editor, but it may not be up to the task. Try a few out, and buy the image editor that you like the best. I typically use Paint Shop Pro (from www.jasc.com), for instance.

6. Printer
Get a good color inkjet printer and premium photo paper. Don’t skimp on this step—when the time comes to print your pictures, why bother having a good camera, and taking the time to improve your photo skills if you’re going to print pictures on a budget printer with lousy paper?