Digital Imaging New cameras and software bring photography into the computer age.
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(FORTUNE Magazine) – Whether freezing a moment in sports history or capturing a child's first birthday, photography has long relied on chemical technology to capture an image on film. Now, photography is undergoing its biggest technological change in a century. Digital cameras may look familiar, but they capture their images in the digital code--the ones and zeros--of the computer chip. Instead of silver halide film, they use sensors and computer memories. Some depend on a tiny removable memory card, others use a plain floppy disk.

Digital cameras are quite different from ordinary optical cameras. Don't like the image? Erase it; there's no film to waste. Moreover, the image can be edited with computer programs like Microsoft's PictureIt! and LivePix from LivePix Software. Because the images are in digital form, you can print them yourself, without messy chemicals, using a color inkjet printer, or you can send the image of the child's birthday celebration electronically to the grandparents via E-mail. Digital cameras come in all shapes and sizes, from the tiny, 5.5-ounce Panasonic PalmCam to the one-pound plus Kodak DC120, which looks like high-tech binoculars. Most have self-timers, a flash, auto-focus, and at least two image-quality modes based on the degree of image compression.

They also often have small color LCDs that you can use to frame shots and instantly review your work. On-the-fly editing is a helpful feature for both business and home users. With or without an LCD, every camera can be linked to a computer for image transfer and viewing on a monitor. The images can be printed, sent electronically, or dropped into a document.

SLIDE SHOW

Another important feature for digital cameras is the video-out port, which will enable you to display images on a television directly, or via VCR, simply by attaching a cable. And most cameras cycle through the images you've taken, so you can have a slide show without using a personal computer. A few, such as Epson's PhotoPC 600 and some Casio models, will accept digital downloads from a PC, too. Business users can send a slide presentation to the camera and use it as a lightweight presentation tool.

Image quality varies widely, depending on the image sensor at the heart of the camera. The VGA standard (640 x 480) resolution, familiar to personal computer users, is about the minimum for a digital camera. Higher-resolution sensors are appearing in some models, and there are some so-called mega-pixel (one million pixel) cameras that provide extremely high resolution. For most applications, you'll want to consider cameras in the $500 to $700 range in order to get the best price/performance ratio.

Comparing digital cameras can be tricky. Look for VGA-or-better resolution, an LCD monitor, standard storage for 20 to 60 images, a video-out port so you can view images on a television, and a flash. Most models work with either Macs or PCs.

You can use resolution as an approximate measure of image quality. If you want snapshots or photos to post to the Web, a low-cost camera with VGA resolution will be fine. If you need more professional-quality images, buy the best resolution you can afford. Printing an image at larger sizes will show up any quality limitations; viewing on a monitor probably won't. Remember that conventional film remains a far superior medium for producing high-quality images at comparatively low cost.

You might also want to consider newer features--like the ability to print directly to a color inkjet without using your PC, which you can do with the Epson PhotoPC 600 or the Olympus D-320L. Some cameras can apply special effects, like sepia or pastel, to images. Both Sony's Mavica and Casio's QV-200 offer this feature.

Finally, you might want to consider a digital video camera. Several, such as the Canon Optura or the Sharp VL-DX10, will record full-motion video or still images onto mini-DV cassettes. The main drawback? Price tags that run $2,000 and up.

Eventually, the digital camera market will segment into specialty niches, just as the conventional camera market has. For now, $500 or so will buy a digital camera that provides good instant images for home and business applications. As long as you remember that it's not the same as film, you'll have no trouble finding a product that meets your needs and delivers on the promise of digital photography.