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Important Digital Camera Accessories

Listed below are the remaining major features that are found on digital cameras. None of these features effect the actual quality of your photos, but they all can certainly add to the versatility your camera has.

LCD Viewfinders

Most digital cameras are equipped with a liquid-crystal display (LCD) viewfinder, a screen just like the ones found on Cheap Laptops or a LCD TV. This LCD viewfinder allows you to see what your picture will look like before you take it. LCD viewfinders also permit you to view saved images and delete the ones that you don't like.

Battery Life/Power

Limited battery life is one of the biggest problems with digital cameras. The more you use the LCD viewfinder, the faster you will go through batteries. Many digital cameras are packed with battery chargers and rechargeable batteries, but some are not.

Rechargeable batteries and a charger will typically add from $30 to $100 to the cost of a digital camera.

Computer Interface

Most digital cameras offer some type of interface to transfer pictures to your computer. Check your computer's capabilities to determine which interfaces it supports.

• USB - USB is supported by most recent PCs with Windows 98 or higher, and most recent Macintosh models.
• PCMCIA - PCMCIA offers faster image transfer than USB, but it is not as widely available. Some notebook computers support PCMCIA cards, but most desktop computers do not.
• FireWire / IEEE 1394 - FireWire offers faster image transfer than USB, but is not as widely available on PCs. Most recent Macintosh models and some recent PC models support FireWire.
• Serial - Serial port transfer is supported by most PCs, but it is slower than USB and may require more configuration to set up.
• Infrared - Infrared is supported by some notebook computers. It is slower than most other methods but does not require a cable.

Another option, for cameras that support removable memory cards, is to buy a separate memory card reader for your computer.

Self Timer

A self-timer sets your digital camera for a delayed exposure, usually giving you about 10 seconds before it takes the picture. This feature is useful for getting yourself in the photo and can also be used to take low-light photos, preventing the camera shake caused by pushing the exposure button.

Digital Video / Movie Mode / TV Connections

Many digital cameras include a movie mode feature that lets users shoot very short low-resolution video clips. Shooting short movies with your camera is a lot of fun, but this feature won't replace a camcorder.

Most digital cameras include a video-out cable that allows users to connect them to a television, display pictures (or create a slide show), and record pictures to a VHS tape.

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