digital camera which one?

[kitchenmares]

Im not technically minded but please help;what is the best and easiest camera to use with my computer and whats this about magapixels? How do I plug it in etc.

[khana]

Your going to find that nowdays pretty much all cameras are easy to use and will be compatible with your pc - normally linked with a cable to a USB port.

Megapixels relate to the sensor used by the camera to capture the image, the more pixels used then the better the quality and also the size that you can print the pictures without them looking blocky.

You will probably find that the lens is just as important as the number of pixels the camera has for goodquality snaps.

If your just looking for a basic camera then I would look for a minimum of 3 megapixels and try to buy one with a good optical zoom rather then digital only. Other then that, its really down to price and choosing a camera you like the look of.

[stevie21]

As above, aim for something with 2+ megapixels and if you can afford it some sort of zoom.
I wouldn't worry too much about how to plug it in as every camera these days is user friendly in terms of getting the pictures from camera to PC. Even if not, getting a memory card reader for your PC will mean that you can take the memory out of the camera, put it in your PC and not worry about that.

[cherrybomb]

I'm not great with technology either. I have a Kodak easyshare camera and if I can use it (which I can) then I am sure you could. It takes a good picture and it's only 1.3 megapixels. I don't take a great many pictures so it's a reasonable price for a basic camera and docking station. I like the docking station as I can leave that plugged in to the USB and dock the camera to download the photos to my PC and recharge the camera. The Kodak website is good for help and support. I have had no problems with mine.

Good luck and happy snapping!

[vehelpfulguy]

Megapixels and why they are important.

Your computer screen, and a digital camera picture, is made up of lots of little squares, too small to see with the human eye, and each one is called a PIXEL.

If you use a computer program to zoom in on a picture on your computer you will start to see the little squares.

A ONE megapixel picture is when one picture consists of a million pixels.

The more pixels on a picture the better, because your eye cannot see the little squares. So it is best to choose a camera that takes pictures at 2 megapixel or more (2 million pixels per picture).

Suppose you took a digital picture that was 640 pixels wide and 480 pixels high. Multiply 640x480 and you get about 300,000. That is one third of a million, so less than a megapixel.

Suppose you took another picture at 1800x1200 pixels, multiply them and you get 2,160,000 (or about 2 million) so 2 megapixel.

btw this may sound complicated but isn't. Once you have the camera you just leave it set at whatever setting you want and you take the pictures.

Some camers do not use megapixel when setting the quality, they use HQ (High Quality) or Super HQ (super high quality) and so on.

So all in all, buy the best megapixel camera you can, but for general pictures 2 or 3 megapixel should be fine.

[vehelpfulguy]

Go to this site for excellent camera reviews

http://www.steves-digicams.com/

If you select on "The BEST cameras" in the centre, and scroll down the list, he has best Ultra Compact, best 3 megapixel and best 4 megapixel.

Note it is an American site so some camera models may not be available in the UK.

[vehelpfulguy]

BATTERIES !.

The WORST thing about digital cameras is the battery use. They are very heavy on batttery use.

Many cheaper digital cameras use AA or AAA type batteries, which are often rechargable. BUT THEY RUN DOWN VERY QUICKLY.

Buy a camera with a Lithium-Ion battery. These are a bit more expensive but will last much longer. They are recharageble but the battery lasts for days or weeks rather than hours.

If you do not believe me read this

http://www.cameras.co.uk/html/digital-camera-batteries.cfm

[vehelpfulguy]

As someone else has said, buy one with an OPTICAL zoom.

Some cameras have DIGITAL zoom which too be honest is useless.

Some cameras have both, but you can ignore the digital zoom, just make sure it has OPTICAL zoom.

[vehelpfulguy]

I bought my daughter an Olympus MJU410 for Xmas.

It is a very small camera, very easy to use, it is 4 megapixel, has a 3x Optical Zoom, and has a Lithium battery.

She is very happy with it.

See here for a picture and guide price.

http://www.comparestoreprices.co.uk/digital-cameras/olympus-mju410.asp

[kitchenmares]

Thanks vehelpfulguy, I now have a great camera