I am looking for a camera to take ordinary pictures of people, pets, outdoors etc. to put on the computer, internet. Do I print these off the computer to get my own snapshots or take them to a store? I want to share pics with grandchildren that live in another state. I have never owned or used a digital camera. My computer has only usb ports, windows xp, 2006. Thanks for your help.
First, I recommend cameras with an optical viewfinder. The LCD viewfinder is almost useless in daylight. If you plan to take pictures outside in the daylight, you will need the optical viewfinder. Canon is the only company that has some compact models with the optical viewfinder. The Canon SD780 IS is an excellent example.
Second, you can print them with your computer printer, take them to a store, or send them in over the internet and get prints back.
Third, digital pictures is a great way to share with distant relatives.
Fourth, the USB ports are perfect for downloading your pictures, just follow the instructions in the manual.
Fifth, enjoy.
If you just want a simple camera there are a lot of good point and shoots that will do what you are looking for and are very easy to use. You really didnt include enough info for someone to offer ideas on what to look for in a camera. Watch out for specific brand and model recommendations. People love their own cameras because they fill their needs. It doesnt mean their camera will fill your needs. Just stick with a known name brand and youll be fine. I just saw one made by VistaQuest. Dont buy something like that.
Unless you plan to do extreme enlargements 6 or 8mp is all you need.
Make sure the camera has optical zoom. Optical zoom moves the lens so the subject appears closer. Digital zoom uses software to enlarge the image in the camera to make the subject appear closer. Digital zoom can cause distortion and pixelization in your final images so try not to use it. Your camera with optical zoom will most likely have digital zoom too. You can check the digital zoom quality on your particular camera by taking a few test shots.
I prefer cameras which have an optical viewfinder (the window you look through to take a photo) in addition to the LCD screen. In bright sunlight outdoors LCDs can be difficult to see making it difficult to compose your photo. If youre using the optical viewfinder check your camera settings to see if you can turn off the LCD display. This will make the batteries last longer.
There are many options and features available and only you really know which you need. To me it sounds like you dont need many for the photos you want to take. Dont let someone talk you into buying a camera packed with features you dont need. This will only add to your cost and will add nothing to your photos.
You have the option of printing at home or taking them to a store. Home printing is fine for a few photos but if youre doing a batch the store prints will cost less than the ink and paper you would use for home printing. Some retailers have quantity discounts so you might want to save the images on your computer until you have enough to get a discount. If you want less hassle just take photos until you have the quantity you want on the memory card and then take the card to a store to have the photos printed. I recommend saving them to a hard drive, backing the files up to a second drive or an online storage service AND keeping hard copies of all your photos. I had photos on a PC with backup copies on 2 hard drives. A power surge was stronger than my surge supressor could handle and it fried all the drives so I lost a ton of photos. You can never have enough backup sources.
USB ports and Windows XP are all you need to get started
References :
http://KNDChicago.imagekind.com/
First, I recommend cameras with an optical viewfinder. The LCD viewfinder is almost useless in daylight. If you plan to take pictures outside in the daylight, you will need the optical viewfinder. Canon is the only company that has some compact models with the optical viewfinder. The Canon SD780 IS is an excellent example.
Second, you can print them with your computer printer, take them to a store, or send them in over the internet and get prints back.
Third, digital pictures is a great way to share with distant relatives.
Fourth, the USB ports are perfect for downloading your pictures, just follow the instructions in the manual.
Fifth, enjoy.
References :