Before purchasing :-
- make a list of your planned purposes (identify your priorities but think about future possibilities)
- only buy models with colour viewers - they have significant educational advantages
- give priority to long lasting rechargeable batteries in models that show the remaining time
- choose easy to use models that are friendly for beginners
- consider models where all settings can be fully automatic
- check that there is minimal lag between shutter press and image capture
- check the ergonomics, comfort and balance : when holding one model the students naturally put one finger over the flash and another over the lens!
- find out the download times on your hardware or consider models (e.g. Sony Mavica) that save direct to floppy disk - a huge convenience in schools that have computers with floppy drives
- check that images in low light are not blurred
- choose image resolution and quality (web pages only need low resolution but Megapixel cameras provide the high image quality important when publishing, printing or manipulating images)
- check that the software included will meet your needs (e.g. edit, export TIF, BMP, GIF)
- give priority to models that store photos in standard (e.g. JPG) not proprietary formats
- give priority to models with both optical and LCD viewfinder (saves batteries)
- consider models that also allow saving of short MPEG or AVI movies (but check that sound is included)
- consider the ease of use and durability of particular models
- find out how long after one photo before the camera can take another
- check that the camera can hold at least 20 photos
- check what price, capacity and variety of memory or storage cards are available
- find out the options available (e.g. flash, red-eye reduction, zoom, self-timer)
- check for models with PC cards or Compact FlashCards & adapters if you use laptop computers
- find out how long batteries last - some models use batteries very fast
- can the LCD viewfinder be rotated for flexibility when taking photos or protection when not in use?
- does it have provision for mounting on a tripod or adding external flash?
- can it take photos in low light without blur from slow shutter speeds?
- is the cost of zoom worth it? (students can walk closer in 90% of class situations)
- does it include video output to PAL (Australian television) standard or only NTSC?
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- ... add your own special requirements ...
coping with salespeople when shopping
Colour viewers are essential! These may be Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) or the newer Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED). I do not recommend any models that do not have colour viewers. In my experience school students make the best use of digital cameras with the colour viewer. In primary school, many students have not had a lot of experience with cameras. The immediate feedback given by the colour viewer on what they actually photographed allows them to take another image (if they mis-framed the photo, the subject moved, etc.). Both primary and secondary students can check the image for technical and artistic merit. They can retake images that do not meet their needs or were poorly composed. Older or cheaper digital camera models may require the student to return to a computer, find the camera cable and download the photo before they can discover any errors. The significant educational benefits, time saved and greater user satisfaction of models with colour viewers are impressive. They outweigh any higher costs or increased battery use. However they can be difficult to use outside in bright sunlight so it is helpful to choose a model that also includes an optical view finder.
Email option - inclusion of this has been a very helpful development. Models with this feature activated typically store 2 images each time a photo is taken - one standard size and one quarter size (half the height and half the width gives a quarter the number of pixels). In the Sony models with this feature the digital camera stores the smaller image inside a folder called 'e-mail' (which is friendly and intuitive for new users). To activate this feature make sure the 'record mode' is set to 'e-mail'. This has 2 advantages. First is that your email with photo attachment will transmit 4 times quicker. Second is the smaller image is ideal for inserting straight into a web page. This greatly enhances productivity! Such features are ideal for collaborative projects, make it easier for students and help to reduce computer network traffic.
An easy to use quality digital camera purchase will be fully used by staff and students. The small size and versatility allow easy integration of digital cameras into all parts of the curriculum. They are easily shared between classrooms. Many schools are now buying additional units due to digital cameras contributing to better and greater use of computers. Obviously the digital camera should be well made and durable in a school environment.
Basic or mid range models should allow any student to produce a good result with minimal instructions. Most models will allow different resolution settings (e.g. uncompressed, some compression, high compression or email). Fast charging of a spare battery is helpful.
Advanced or high resolution models are likely to need training or detailed instructions. They may take longer to set up with tripods/lighting/special requirements. Models may offer a choice of using the LCD screen or optical viewfinder, the ability to control the camera from a computer (e.g. for time lapse photography), fully automatic or manual settings, choices of file type or compression (e.g. bmp, jpg, tif, raw) and powerful zoom lens. Other features that may be relevant are operating speed, high quality glass lens, threaded lens (to allow additional lenses), adjustable exposure options and the minimum time before the digital camera can take subsequent images (latency).
For some tasks higher image quality is important (e.g. you would like digital school photographs published on posters, in newspapers or in magazines). One publications strategy is to buy a quality digital camera capable of at least 4 Megapixels and set the image settings to maximum resolution. Another strategy is to check that the final image is at least 15 by 20 cm with a minimum resolution for the photo of 150 dots per inch (dpi). Larger images or higher resolutions allow the publisher some editing freedom. A good reference site is http://www.imaging-resource.com/IMCOMP/COMPS01.HTM Identical test images can be down loaded for most major brand digital cameras so that users can balance the image quality against the cost and other features of a camera prior to purchase.
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