Digital cameras or film less cameras have brought together elements from two technologies—the computer and optical device. Instead of using film to store an image, a digital camera stores its images in "memory" or the camera's storage area. This memory can be fixed internal memory and/or removable external memory cards. The removable memory cards come in a number of flavors with the most common being "Flash Memory" cards with names like CompactFlash, SmartMedia, and Memory Stick. The cards range in size from 8MB (megabytes) on up to several gigabytes. To put the importance of card size in perspective, a good quality picture can be 1MB in size, which would mean 24MB of storage capacity is needed to take 24 good quality pictures.

Removable Cards

CompactFlash was developed in 1994 by SanDisk. They are approximately 1.7 inches wide by 1.4 inches long and come in 2 thicknesses. The first is a Type I, which is 3.3mm, and the second is Type II, which is 5.5mm thick. Storage capacities will range from 8MB on up.

SmartMedia cards were originally developed by Toshiba and is now considered old technoloy. They are about the size of a large postage stamp and almost as thick as a credit card. They range from 2MB to 128MB in size and come in 3.3 and 5 volts.

Memory Stick was introduced by Sony and is smaller than a stick of gum. It comes in 16MB to 128MB.

Some cameras use a 1.44MB Floppy Disk, which can quickly become a problem due to size. While other cameras have utilized the Compact Disk technology, CD-R (Compact Disk-Recordable) and CD-RW (Compact Disk-ReWritable) that are approximately 3 inches in diameter.

How do you get that picture off the camera?

Transferring images from the camera to the computer for the first time is a three-step operation. Many digital cameras come with their own image management software on a CD-ROM and wires that connect the camera to computer. It is important to follow the camera manufacture instructions for each step. This will vary from camera to camera.

First, install the image management software on your computer.

Second,check for manufacturer supplied wire (connector) that will connect the camera to the computer (not all camera manufacturers supply a connector). The most common type is a USB (Universal Service Bus) connector. Another method used for transferring photos is a special memory card reader that connects to the computer. The memory card is taken out of the camera and placed into the reader for the transfer process. Some printers come with built-in memory card readers that will print photos directly from the printer or will transfer the images to the computer. Once a connection is established according to camera instructions, the computer should be able to see the image files created and stored in the camera. This will often appear as a removable drive on the computer.

Third, connect camera to computer and start the image management software. Many image management software packages incorporate both the transfer process with image editing tools. Editing could include resizing and cropping the photo and editing image contrast and color. Other features that may be included with the management software is preparing images for e-mailing, printing photos on special photo paper designed for your printer and even creating a personalized T-shirt pattern.

Some software brand names are Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Picture It, Kodak Picture Software and ArcSoft PhotoImpression.

Digital camera technology is evolving. The cost of cameras is going down while photo quality is improving. Some digital still cameras can record small audio clips as well as videos! Before purchasing a camera, evaluate what you want to do with the photos, e.g., creating a photo for emailing will not require a high-end camera. There are a number of features to take into consideration in choosing the right digital camera such as the number of megapixels starting at 1 megapixel and up. A megapixel is 1 million pixels (short for Picture Elements). Generally, the higher the number is the sharper the image. For more information on digital cameras go to HowStuffWorks at http://www.howstuffworks.com/digital-camera.htm.

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