Commentary: Shopping for your next digital camera

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Author: Bruce L. Dorner

Story Type: Commentary

Several years ago I graduated from my trusted Olympus 35mm and purchased a 2.1 megapixel digital camera. What a difference! No trips to the drug store for developing - although getting a quality print still required a trip. No wait to view the image. And best of all, no more film purchases.

However, when I moved from a traditional 35mm to a digital camera, I lost the ability to change lenses. The digital camera had only a 3x zoom lens - adequate, but not enough for all my photographic needs. The trade-off, of course, was having a camera that would fit in a suit coat pocket, instead of being forced to schlep around a large camera bag with all my 35mm lenses and accessories.

Well, this summer a colleague came to visit. He pulled a current model digital camera out of his suitcase and offered me a look. I felt like an old time farmer who had just seen his first "horseless carriage!" My digital camera had clearly been surpassed by the current crop of techno-tools.

That experience convinced me it was time to start shopping.

I began by making a list of features that were important to me. First, I wanted something that had at least a 5x optical zoom. And "optical zoom" was key. Optical zoom works like a zoom lens on a 35mm camera. You actually telescope in or out to achieve the focal length you desire. Digital zoom means that the camera enlarges a portion of the already zoomed image. In my view, digital zoom is of no real value.

Second, I wanted a camera that would fit in my suit coat pocket. However, I knew that having decent size buttons would be an issue. As cameras get smaller, the buttons shrink.

Third, I wanted an optical viewfinder. I wasn't comfortable with the size of my old camera's digital display. My history with 35mm photography made the transition to a mini-tv type screen difficult.

Fourth, I wanted something with at least four megapixel resolution and a glass lens. The plastic lenses generally are not of the quality I desired. On the subject of megapixels, however, it's important to remember that more megapixels does not always equal a better picture. Some cameras have better resolution due to lens optics and the electronic sensors inside the camera. The number of megapixels comes into play primarily when you print a picture. Cameras in the range of four to five megapixels are fine for prints up to 8x10 inches. I don't have any need for anything larger - generally, I print a 4x6 inch photo. But if you like to print poster size prints then you'll definitely want to go with a ten megpixel camera.

Fifth, I didn't want to spend more than $400. In fact, I was really hoping to come closer to $300.

Now it was time for research and shopping - all of which I accomplished online. I started by considering my friend's Kodak Z740 camera as my base. It had all of the features I wanted, but wouldn't fit in my suit coat pocket. Using Google I ran a search on "Kodak Z740" and pulled up not only pricing but also reviews. I sliced and diced the information looking for a good price from a reputable source. Now I had something to compare with other cameras.

I then ran some searches on digital cameras to see models from other manufacturers such as Sony, Olympus, Casio, Panasonic and Nikon. I kept hitting one or more compromise points, and started to realize that to get a high optical zoom I would need to accept a larger camera body that was not likely to fit into my suit coat pocket.

Then, I got an e-mail from a friend who knew I was shopping for a camera.

He suggested taking a look at the brand new Nikon Coolpix S4. I just about fell off my chair when I saw this little beauty! First, the retail price was $399. Second, it had a 10x optical zoom lens. Third it was small - actually small enough to fit in my back pants pocket. Fourth, it was a six megapixel camera with a high-quality glass lens.

The compromise I would have to make became clear - it did not have an optical viewfinder. However, it had a huge 2.5 inch display. This was far larger than my old camera. Could I live without the viewfinder?

I looked at all the websites with specifications for this model and any reviews I could find. I didn't find much information since the camera was rather new. (I know I'm the guy who tells you to never buy version 1.0 of anything. But who follows his own advice?)

I was particularly intrigued by the lens design. The lens is on a pivot - you turn the lens from an upright position to a horizontal position to take the picture. Actually, you can pivot the lens in almost a full circle around the body of the camera. The swivel lens looked like a great feature for shooting pictures over the heads of a crowd or taking a sneaky shot or two without looking obvious.

I hesitated, but couldn't find any significant negatives with this camera, so I started my on-line shopping. I watched prices for a week or so and found that Amazon had the best price, the best return policy and the best shipping (free). When the camera arrived I ran it through a few tests and knew that the lack of an optical viewfinder would be a very manageable adjustment.

So, for about $340 I got a wonderful camera with a six megapixel lens, 10x optical zoom, and more internal features than I ever thought possible. I haven't mentioned that it also has the capability to edit shots inside the camera, adjust the lighting, establish special modes to take close-ups, portraits and scenic views, and take movies. There's more inside this gem than I'll ever use. I'll likely use the automatic mode for about 90 percent of my picture taking.

And here's a tip for using your digital camera in your practice. Next time you have a case that involves photographic exhibits, don't just insert the traditional "See Attached - Exhibit A." Get creative and print the digital picture right in the middle of the text so the reader sees the picture as part of the flow of the document.

This article was originally published in Lawyers Weekly USA, another Dolan Media publication.

Bruce L. Dorner, a sole practitioner in Londonderry, N.H., is a nationally recognized lecturer, author and consultant on law office technology and management and may be contacted at bldorner@choiceonemail.com.

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