Making The Most Of Your Digital Camera (NAPS)—Digital cameras were one of the hottest gifts under the Christmas tree last holiday season, so it’s no surprise that millions of shutterbugs are making the switch to digital. Digital cameras offer numerous advantages over traditional models. There’s no film to buy or develop, you can instantly review your shots andit’s a snap to share photos via e-mail. However, to really get the most of a digital camera, there are a few things you should know. Shawn Haynes of Amazon.com’s Camera and Photo Store says, “Most people who purchasea digi- tal camera get a starter kit that includes just the bare essentials: a set of alkaline batteries, a memory card with limited capacity and a cable to transfer pictures to a PC. While these itemswill certainly let you take advantageof your digital camera’s basic functions, a few additional accessories can dramatically enhance your enjoyment.” For digital camera buffs who want to take the next step in their new-found hobby, Haynes recommends three “must-have” accessories: Rechargeable batteries: Digital camerasuse up lot of battery power—somecan consumea set of alkaline batteries in 30 pictures or less. A set of long-lasting rechargeable nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries will pay for themselves after less than a dozen uses. Even if your camera came with set of rechargeable batteries, a second set is still a good idea. Larger memory card: Reusable memory cards are the “film” of your digital camera, and Additional accessories can help make taking pictures with a digital camera even easier. the cards that come with most camerastypically hold around 20 photos. With a bigger card you can capture more photos before re- turning to your computer for image transfer, and you can also set your camera at a higher resolution for improved image quality. Card reader: Though your camera should have come with a picture transfer cable, having a dedicated card reader makes image transfers as easy as using a floppy disk. Moreover, most card readers use your computer’s USB port, which is approximately 20 times as fast as the connection used by some cameracables. Other helpful accessories include inkjet printers for great-look- ing photos, editing software that turns your computerinto a virtual darkroom, plus lenses, cases, fil- ters and tripods. Consumers who have gone digital can go online at www.amazon.com /photo to browse the full range of digital camera accessories and find free photoediting software to enhance and upload digital imagesfaster.
