Find the Digital Camera You Want
How One Scrapper Went About Her Search
By Angie Felix

You've been drooling over your friends' and co-workers' digital cameras for months, and you've finally come to this realization: You have to have one of your own! But with so many different styles, brands and functions, how do you decide which camera to get? Whether you're asking for it as a Christmas gift or buying a present for yourself—it's best to do some research rather than impulse buying.

Scrapbooker LeNae Gerig recently made the decision to purchase a digital camera. With the vast number of choices, LeNae admits that choosing a camera was intimidating, especially since she has little knowledge of computers. "I would never just walk into a big store and look at all of the cameras—it's really overwhelming!" she says. With that in mind, LeNae set out to learn about her options.

Focus

Before beginning her research, LeNae sat down to figure out what it was she really wanted and what she currently used her camera for. This would give her a better idea of what to look for when she started to check out cameras. "You need to be realistic about how you use your regular camera," she said. "If you never have it with you, or don't use it a lot, you should really evaluate how much you want to spend on a camera and what your needs really are." Though she takes a lot of photos, LeNae wasn't looking for anything too complicated. "I use my zoom a lot, so that's important," she said, "and I also use my remote and tripod a lot." LeNae wanted at least the zoom and remote in a middle-of-the-road point and shoot camera, and possibly red-eye reduction. "Anything above that is a bonus," she added.

LeNae also considered the reasons that she wanted to switch to a digital camera—as a solution to cut her photo printing costs. Since she takes a lot of pictures for scrapbooking, she felt a digital camera would give her more control over the quantity and quality of the photos she has printed, as a digital will allow her to delete poor photos. "I wouldn't be wasting film anymore; right now I don't use 1/3 of the pictures I have printed."

LeNae was also interested in purchasing a digital camera that came with a photo-printing dock. This equipment was appealing because she'd be able to take pictures, then set the camera up on the dock and let the photos print while she cooked dinner or attended to other tasks.

Read the Print, Then Check the Web

With these thoughts in mind, LeNae began her research by checking out print advertisements she found in magazines for digital cameras. Many of the camera ads she saw were in scrapbooking magazines such as Creating Keepsakes or PaperKuts. LeNae also recommends looking in travel magazines.

After seeing ads for cameras she was interested in, LeNae went online to look up the website for the camera model, researching the features that each camera offered and the recommended retail prices. "It was kind of like window shopping—it was the first line of attack that saved me from running out and looking at it in the store."

Online LeNae was able to get specific information on the model and determine whether it had what she thought to be way too many features. "I'm not seduced by tons of features on anything," she admitted. "If there are too many, to me, they're just sprinkles on the frosting."

Read Consumer or Professional Opinions

LeNae recommends buying a copy of Consumer Reports or a camera magazine as the next step. Reading an issue of Consumer Reports that discussed digital cameras helped LeNae determine that she actually needed less than what she thought she needed. Though the actual cameras she was interested in weren't talked about, it helped her focus what she wanted better. "By researching, I saved $300-$400!" she said. Though LeNae originally wanted a dock bundle, she began thinking about using this type of system to print her photos—while she would have the printer and the ease of quickly converting her digital images into prints, it wouldn't necessarily save her money in the long run. With the number of photos LeNae takes, she would use quite a bit of the special photo paper that the dock printer would need, and may have to replace the ink cartridge frequently. "This means it wouldn't be a one-time expense—in fact, it would probably be comparable to regular photo printing," she said.

LeNae decided to put her money into the camera itself, not a dock printer, and eventually upgrade to a photo quality printer. The desire to get her photos printed right away generally stemmed from wanting to see what they turned out like—with a digital camera, she'd already know. And the dollar savings would allow her to get the camera even sooner than she'd already intended!

Friendly Advice

The next step in LeNae's research was to email four close friends about their digital cameras. She asked each of them the following questions: What kind of camera they had, how long they've had it, if they still liked it, if they used all the features and if they were satisfied with what they knew about their cameras. Their cameras ranged from inexpensive to $600 or more. "Not one of them used all of the features, and only one had thoroughly read their user's manual." LeNae pointed out, "There are tons of features people pay for and don't even use!"

LeNae also asked her friends about how they printed their photos. Two of them emailed their photos for printing, and were always happy with the quality. They also used online developing services to have Christmas cards made. The prices, they told her, were comparable to having a regular roll of film developed, but they only paid for what they wanted.

Go to the Pros

With the information that LeNae has already gathered and a few specific cameras in mind, the next step she'll take is to go to a camera store for some more detailed information. "Use them for their knowledge," she recommends. The professionals at these stores should be able to tell you about all the features of the cameras and any specific information about models, plus you can get a close-up, hands-on look at all the cameras you're interested in. When LeNae makes her final decision, though, she won't necessarily purchase her camera at a professional camera store. She recommends shopping around. "This is a good time of year to buy a digital camera—all of the major stores have at least 1 to 3 cameras on ad each week. The prices could be a difference of up to $25 from one place to another,"

LeNae says:

In the process of looking for a camera, prioritizing the features you want is most important, according to LeNae. "Try not to get caught up in all the things you don't think you'll really use," she said. For instance, if you already have a video camera, don't buy a digital camera that takes video solely based on that feature—chances are you wouldn't use it very much.

Another piece of advice from LeNae is to keep in mind that while you may be taking in the good and bad opinions on a certain camera, everyone uses their camera in a different way. Keep the information they give you in mind, and consider whether the problem that was brought to your attention would have an impact on what you use it for, or whether you would use the feature they rave about. She recommends selecting a price range you can afford, then trying to buy the best camera you possibly can in that that price range.

All in all, LeNae felt that the amount of research she did was pretty light. "I don't think a month is too long to pay attention to something that you want to buy," she said. "You need to know what you want and know what you like when you see it—don't be overwhelmed."

So what has LeNae narrowed it down to? Here are her top three picks, taking price, features and usability into consideration:

• Kodak Easyshare DX-4330

LeNae says this camera should have good print quality for the 3.1 pixels it has, a good zoom and a great battery life. It's in the $300 range.

• Canon Powershot S230

This camera also has good print quality for the 2 pixels it has, a good zoom, great battery life and is around $250.

• Kodak EasyShare DX-4900

LeNae likes this camera for its pixels (4 pixels), good print quality and zoom, though it does not have as long of a battery life. This camera is in the $400 range.