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By all means stay far away from any camera that uses a floppy disk to store images.
Al Fasoldt's reviews and commentaries, continuously available online since 1983
Dr. Gizmo: The doc's own guru explains what to look for in a digital camera
Sample of Bob Fasoldt's stunning photography, using a Kodak DC280 digital camera. A second example is below.
July 25, 2001
By Al Fasoldt
Copyright © 2001, Al Fasoldt
Copyright © 2001, The Syracuse Newspapers
Can you recommend a good digital camera? I'm not really big into photography right now, but I'd like to get something good. A co-worker bought a camera for $1000, and that's a little much for me. (Not the money, but I just don't think I need all the bells & whistles he got.) I'm thinking more of something in the range of 3-5 hundred dollars. I'd like to be able to take pictures of my wife, cats, cars, some scenic shots, etc. -- nothing professional, but definitely good. I know nothing about digital cameras, so I'd like to know of a good manufacturer. - P.V., via mediaone.net
(The doctor knows a lot about many things, but he's not an expert on the best choices in digital cameras. So he went straight to the expert he knows best, his alter ego's brother Bob Fasoldt. Bob's a PC hardware guru and has taken some of the best digital photos the doc has ever seen. Here's Bob's reply:)
Digital cameras have come a very long way over the past couple of years. Today you can buy a high quality digital camera for under $500 that rivals film cameras with lots of features. My first suggestion is to choose among the known high-quality film camera makers when you buy a digital camera. Canon, Olympus, Kodak and Nikon all make high quality cameras both film and digital.(Bob Fasoldt's comments are used by permission.)
Bob Fasoldt's Kodak digital photo of a restored garage at a Florida historic site. Click on the photo for the original version. (Caution: The original is very large.) Photo taken with a Kodak DC280 camera.
HP, Sony, Epson and many others make digital cameras but may not offer the quality level of an established camera maker. By all means stay far away from any camera that uses a floppy disk to store images. Floppy disks have a very small capacity, so those cameras don't offer a high enough resolution. And floppy disks are not dependable.
I don't recommend a camera that uses a "Memory Stick." A Memory Stick is a proprietary memory module that only works in Sony products. You'll want a camera that uses standard Compact Flash or SmartMedia cards. You'll want a minimum of 32 MB of memory capacity on the card. A 32 MB Compact Flash card will cost around $19 mail order. (Don't pay more.)
Purchase a camera that has a rating of at least 2 megapixels. More pixels means higher resolution. If you are used to using a film SLR camera you might want to look for a camera that has standard SLR controls. Search out a camera with at least a 3 power (or "3X") optical zoom. Digital zoom is next to useless and a bad trick on the consumer. Also, you want to make sure your camera comes with a rechargeable battery and charger.
I'm excited about Kodak's DC4800. More information about it can be found on Kodak's web site, www.kodak.com/US/en/digital/cameras/dc4800. It could well be the finest consumer digital camera available today. This camera has 3.1 megapixels, SLR type controls, 3 power optical zoom lens, rechargeable battery and charger and takes breathtaking photos in any light level.
I have a friend who has this camera and I've seen the photos this camera can take. One photo was taken outside after dark using a 16 second exposure and the results were incredible. And the best news is that the camera can be found mail order for as little as $469.
Dr. Gizmo took a picture once, but the guy he took it from wanted it back. You can send a portrait or just a note to the doctor or his pal at Technology, Box 4915, Syracuse, NY, or send e-mail to afasoldt@twcny.rr.com.