Summary of the Electronic Documentation SIG Meeting

Held December 10, 1997 on Digital Cameras

Presenter: Matt Thompson of Hunt's Photo in Melrose.

Digital cameras have become smaller, cheaper, and better. Thompson enthusiastically went through some of the best features:

A digital camera records in fluorescent light much better than the conventional camera. Available light may be better than flash.
All these cameras have LCD screens so you see the picture on a monitor screen before you take it, and after you take it, while it's still in the camera. You can reject it and overwrite it. Go out! Take tons of pictures, then select the ones to keep. You can also download them picture by picture, like instant developing. (In most digital cameras, a photodiode array records the image. There is no film to waste or save.)
All the cameras he demonstrated create JPG files, so no software processing is necessary, but you will probably want to use software to touch them up. To use the software, you need to know basic photographic concepts such as intensity and hue.

Caveats:

These cameras will not replace the 35mm camera. The standard resolution is 640 x 480, or 3000 pixels. A conventional photo displays 100 million pixels.The 640 x 480 digital camera only provides a 3.5 x 5 inch optimum display. The 1024 x 768 provides 4 x 6 or 5 x 7 quality.
Digital cameras become obsolete every 2 months as new models appear.
Do not use a cheap printer or plain paper to print these photos. Eight per cent of all cameras sold in 1997 will be digital, and this number will quadruple in the future. However, 30% are returned with complaints. The number one complaint seems to be resolution.
Don't plan on buying the models discussed below in time for Christmas. They are in such demand that they don't make it to the sales floor.

What to look for:

Digital cameras start at $200 with a fixed focus and 480 x 300 resolution, stored in internal memory with no flash and no controls. Good ones, however, start at $700 with 640 x 480 resolution (medium resolution), hold 20 pictures, and use some compression.
External memory allows more photos and less compression, so it usually provides better quality. The greater the compression, the lower the quality.
High priced cameras have low or no compression, 1024 x 768 resolution, use a PC card to store images externally, and have 2 - 4 MEGs of memory. As much as 10 - 12 MEGs is available.
Allow one photo per megabyte if you want photo quality and have good paper and a good printer.

The Demo Cameras

Thompson presented three cameras:

Nikon Coolpix 300 - $699 less rebate, 640 x 480 resolution, internal storage. It provides its own software and holds 20 photos. The battery life is short, so Thompson recommends either an AC Adapter or the new nickel hydride batteries. The Nikon uses a SCSI or parallel port cable (it is supplied with parallel only) and 4 AA batteries. It has a slide show built in for displaying your photos on the camera itself. Its removable stylus writes directly on the screen in three colors. A special feature is a built-in microphone. It stores 17 minutes of audio. The Nikon's focus can be as close as two inches away from the subject. It also has auto focus, auto exposure, auto white balance for fluorescent light, and records very well in fluorescent light. An architect or engineer can take photos on site and add verbal notes while there. It's great for the Intranet.
Digital Mavica FD7 by Sony - Thompson's obvious favorite. Also $699, 640 x 480 resolution, 10 x optical zoom, and a 5 inch focus. For storage, it uses a 3.5" diskette, which makes transfer to your PC easy ("instant gratification"). It includes ArcSoft Photo Studio and can store12 compressed photos in fine mode. It has a 1.5 hour battery, and the rechargeable battery system is available worldwide. Sony uses lithium ion batteries, which can be charged anywhere in their cycle, and supplies an in-wall charger. For $50 - $70, you get two hours of operating time, and do not need an AC adapter. The sturdy demo model had been dropped several times with no obvious deterioriation of the picture. Ease of use makes this camera fun: frame, compose, then just press a button. The manual focus is good for insurance adjusters, for example, who want to focus on a miniscule scratch. An insurance photographer can put the VIN and other photos of the car all in one file. It's a great camera for general use because of better batteries, more features, and ease of use.
Olympus 15 series (D500L model) - $850-1000, 1024 x 768 resolution (the same as a 35mm with zoom lens reflex). In super high quality mode, it stores three images virtually uncompressed. There is also a 600 model with a 4 MEG card. B/W photos require about 1 MEG, multicolors require more. The lympus comes with Adobe Photo Deluxe, which is a cheaper version of PhotoShop. For external storage, it has a PCMCIA storage card, which requires a $70 adapter, a PC card reader, or a SCSI or serial port tether cable to transfer the images to your PC (the serial is slow). It includes manual focus for low light. What you see is what you get, only on this camera. It is "perfect for business printing and large photos."

Other advice:

If some of these observations are repeated, it is because they were so important to Thompson.

Get Adobe PhotoDeluxe.
Use glossy paper intended for color photo printing - $2 to $4 per sheet.
You will need new batteries every day unless you get a new type, nickel metal hydride.
Look for SCSI capability for fast transfers to your PC.
Look for resolution, resolution, resolution.
Get an AC adapter with most cameras to save batteries.
For business reports, get the high end. If you want to email family photos or make web pages, go low, as the typical PC monitor can only display a low resolution.