(NAPSA)—There is an increas- ing consumerfocus on digital cameras and the good news is that they are easy to use. A person with limited computer experience can easily photograph, print and even manipulate the images with digital camera technology. Simply put, digital cameras work on the same principles as standard 35mm cameras. Both have a lens with a filter and coating that adjust light and sendit to a storage medium. However, there is a distinct difference between the two: 35mm cameras use film for the storage and digital cameras use a silicon chip that transforms the light to a digital signal. This is then stored on a shortterm memorychip. The memory chip is used like film, except it has the capacity to store more than five times the amount of pictures as a 35mm camera. These chips also have the ability to erase undesired pictures and even store short videoclips. The Big Difference To get 35mm photos developed, a consumer must take the film out of the camera and go to a photoshop, then wait for the photos to be developed and printed. With a digi- tal camera, the consumer has a couple of options. He or she can print the photos at a photo-shop and receive them immediately, or download the pictures and pick them up at a later time. Digital camera users can even download their photos directly to their computer and send them via the Internet to a photo shop to be developed. “The best thing about a digital A GOOD MATCH—Digital cameras are great for the Internet and the computer agewelivein. camera is the wide variety of options the consumerhasin relation to the images that are produced,” said Bill Pearson, president of Argus, which sells several basic digital cameras through mass-market retailers. “Digital images transfer easily from the camera to a computer, allowing the consumer to store the photographs forever. You can have a lot of fun transforming and manipulating your pictures and instantly sending them over the Internet to family and friends.” Anotherpositive aspect of digital camerasis the future possibilities of the technology. The next step being developed is the ability to transfer photographs over wireless telephones. This will allow a person to take a picture and instantly show it to a friend 1,000 miles away. The technology is expected to be available in as little as five years.
