If you are confused about digital cameras and digital photography then don’t be. Over the last few years there has been a rush of people converting to digital and that speaks for itself. There is nothing mysterious or complex to understand. You don’t need to know the intricate workings of electronic components and you don’t need a degree in computing.

What do you need? Well, a digital camera for starters. A digital camera uses a sensor instead of film – no more loading, unloading and processing of film. The images are stored on a “memory card” in the camera temporarily. The picture-taking part is the same – that’s all you need to know. You will be able to take many more pictures, store them or print them, then reuse the space on the memory card for more and more pictures. Stop buying film and switch to digital!

“But I don’t know anything about computers”

Don’t worry. For a start, many cameras can take pictures and print directly to a printer without the need for a computer. You can see your image before it is printed and only print the ones you need. This can be done at home. Or you can use the memory card to print directly to a printer or insert into a special printing console at your local photographic retailer. You get great prints that are cheap to produce. If you are still nervous, then give the memory card to your dealer and let them sort it out.

With a computer, you will be able to manipulate the images much more – change the size, shape, colour etc. Most of these activities require a small amount of computer knowledge and there are many help pages either on the internet or on the discs supplied with your new camera. The chances are, if you already use your computer for accessing the internet then you will have enough basic knowledge to follow the simple instructions needed for producing digital prints.

So don’t delay – get your digital camera today.

Eric Hartwell runs the photography resource site http://www.theshutter.co.uk and the associated discussion forums as well as the regular weblog at http://thephotographysite.blogspot.com.

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