Sunday, February 19, 2006
Digital Camera Accessories
I will now list out and detail the digicam accessories, which should be part of the camera package.
Even if the accessories are obtained in a pick and choose manner, none of these accessories should
get missed. I shall also include accessories, which are normally called optional but in fact practically essential and are to be procured along with the package.
Battery
The camera specific rechargeable battery pack is an important dedicated accessory. A lithium ion battery pack designed for the camera has longer life and shorter flash charge time.
Battery Charging Stand or Battery Charger
The charging stand with inbuilt charger is specific for the camera and battery together and the charger is just battery specific. Battery pack can be inserted inside the camera, which can then be placed over the charging stand to get charged. If you get a charger alone, you have to remove the battery pack from the camera every time you want to charge it and fix it in the charger.
The charging stand may have another slot to fix a spare battery and charge it simultaneously while the
battery loaded in the camera is getting charged.
If you have got to choose between the two, you should choose the charging stand for the additional benefits it offers.
Memory Card
Memory card gets into the memory slot of the camera and allows you to increase the number of captured images stored. The amount of increase is only limited by the size of the card. A ‘starter’
memory card of 64 MB size is sufficient now for a beginner like you. If the camera dealer wants to dump on you a 512 MB card with a heavy price tag by narrating in detail about its great virtues, say
firmly ‘No, Not now’.
On gaining experience and confidence after sometime, you will yourself know at some stage the size of additional card or cards you want based on the needs that have developed and the line of activity to which you get engaged. It may be 128MB, 256MB, 512MB or even 1GB (if your camera permits). By browsing the website of the camera manufacturer you may have to find out the highest capacity or size of the memory card, the specific version of the camera is designed to permit.
Software CD with User Guide
The camera specific software is to be installed in your PC to acquire the images stored in your camera and to edit them with automatic correction of exposure and also the red glare that appears in the eyes of the subject of exposure and then the adjustment of brightness and contrast of the image to a level of fine refinement. Number of tools to create various other effects will also be there.
USB Cable with PC Connection Manual
This cable is used to connect the camera to the USB port of the PC.With the computer ‘ON’ and the camera turned ‘OFF’ one end of the cable is connected to the USB port and the other end to the PC/AV terminal of the camera. The camera is then only turned ‘ON’ for transferring images to the PC.
Disconnecting the camera hardware from the PC is to be done carefully following a procedure specific to the operating system of your PC. Only when the message appears that it is safe now to remove the hardware, the USB cable is to be disconnected from the PC and the camera. The procedure can be seen in the manual.
You may have to check whether this distinct cable is included in the package. Inadvertently or otherwise an AV cable (which is an optional accessory) might have been included in its place by the dealer.
Operation Manual for the Camera
This is virtually the Bible for the camera. You have to read this again and again before you start your first venture. All information needed by you would be available here but the presentation may not be orderly. You may have to highlight important points and jot down Do’s and Don’ts separately if necessary. After understanding essentials, you can insert the battery first and charge it full. Then you can insert the memory card and format it. Now the camera will be ready for the first capture of image!
AC Adapter
You know the battery gets drained when the images are transferred to the PC.If you happen to use a large size memory card the drain will be heavy. If the level of charge is also low at that time, such heavy drain will cause an error to develop in the memory card. When you switch ‘ON’ the camera
subsequently, the message ‘Memory Card Error’ will flash on the LCD monitor screen and the camera will not function. You will have to throw out the memory card. Such problem may not occur if the card size is only 64MB and if the charge level is fairly high.
These problems are totally eliminated if you use an AC Adapter that converts power from AC mains and leaves the battery free. If your camera has a lithium ion battery pack it need not also be removed from the camera when the adapter is put to use.
Adapter is also very much necessary when you are taking short movies with the Digicam.
The adapter is to be procured along with the camera or with an assurance from the dealer that it would be procured and supplied at an early date.
Strap
The strap should be attached to the camera. If you allow the loop of the strap to wrap around your wrist it will be a safe guard to prevent accidental slip and falling down of the camera. However wrapping the strap of the camera around the neck is dangerous.
Camera Case
Camera case saves your camera from unnecessary wear and tear. Choose a weatherproof camera case with separate zippered packets for spare battery and spare memory card.
AV Cable
This is an optional accessory, which is used to view captured images on a TV. Keeping both the camera and TV turned off, one end of this cable is connected to the PC/AV terminal of the camera and the other end to the image input terminal and the sound input terminal on the TV after opening the terminal cover. This can also be procured along with the package.
Now you can go ahead to shop around with your choice!
Next: Image Capture with Digital Camera
