Posted on: Wednesday, February 14, 2001
Get the lowdown on your camera
By Burt Lum
Photography has always been a fascination of mine. My first camera was a fully manual Pentax SLR. I remember back in high school spending hours in the darkroom in search of the perfect Ansel Adams look-alike. I never achieved that goal, but the fascination of capturing that perfect moment in time has never waned.
As a self-proclaimed technology buff, you would think I’d be an early adopter of the latest gadget. To be honest, I like to wait for next-generation products. But as with the laptop computer, cell phones or DVD players, the lure of the newest digital camera was overwhelming. It was inevitable that I would make the transition from analog film to a digital format. The question is when, and for me the answer is now.
The nice thing about waiting is that prices drop, technology gets better and choices abound. With all the new models, decision-making becomes the challenge. That’s where a Web site like Digital Photography Review (www.dpreview.com) is essential reading. Phil Askey maintains the site, along with his wife, Joanna. I am simply amazed at the amount of information they provide. It is testament to their commitment and dedication to the field.
So while I pondered whether my choice was to be a Sony, Kodak, Fuji or my longtime analog favorite, Canon, DPReview assembled all the information to ease my decision-making. You will find camera specifications, reviews, sample photos and even a glossary of terms. The comparison tool is impressive. If you first select what you want in a camera, DPReview suggests the cameras that fit your criteria. There are also forums for posting questions and tutorials to assist you in taking full advantage of your new camera.
So after going through the reviews and comparisons, I ended up buying a Canon Digital Elph PowerShot S100. It fit my criteria for size, price, image resolution, zoom capability, image storage and USB interface. And most important of all was the cool factor. Technology never looked so good! ;-)
Burt Lum, cyber-citizen and self-anointed tour guide to the Internet frontier, is one click away at burt@brouhaha.net
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