Digital Camera ABC’s

There it was under the tree…a new digital camera. With some fear and trepidation you unpack the camera and accompanying software and feel your heart begin to palpitate…what do you do with this stuff?

Even if you hate reading manuals, it’s probably the best thing to do. Stoke the fire, get in that comfy recliner and begin on page one. I have had my digital camera for over three years and still need to check the manual when I want to do something a little different. Exposure modes are there to help you produce better pictures, but if you don’t understand them, they are useless.

Then put in the battery and memory card. Then start trying every feature out…the flash modes, the exposure settings, etc.

Plan on using the camera a lot? Get an extra battery and a high storage media. When your megapixels approach ten you are going to need a lot of storage space to accommodate the large files generated, so one or two gb’s are not out of line.

And about that battery, for NiMH batteries get one with a rating higher than 2000 mAh for longer life. For lithium ion power cells, get an extra one. If your camera uses AA batteries, rechargeables may be more expensive at the start, but will repay you when you find yourself quickly running to the local store for replacements.

Then just click away. It may take awhile for you to adjust to the fact that there is no expensive film to use up. Take as many shots as you like, the cost never increases.