Massive pixel counts are great for printing but useless for the web. If you are strictly doing photos to be seen on a computer don't get caught up in the number count. And printing digital pictures will not equal film pictures unless you use paper that's just as expensive or more so then just having film developed.
The advantage of digital is it is NOW. I use a Mavica FD91, an older (1.5 year...ANCIENT). It prints tolerable 4x6 but not 8x10's. It's advantage, (to me) is with the floppy I can shove the floppy in to a Mac or Dark Side Computer and use the pics immediately, no cables no nothing. Floppies may be a hassle to fumble through for some, but dirt cheap. The newer FD (CD 1000) uses a small CD which I've heard doesn't always transfer as well to Mac without junking around with software. I wish they had put a full size CD on it's back or a zip disk either of which are universally compatible.
With digital you can remove junk in the background, blur unimportant objects, resize things (like I did in my pic making my BX look bigger than my
L35), lighten it, redo the color all kinds of things. Even with the Mavica, the typical full size shot is about 11 x 14? which you reduce down to about 5x7 or less for emailing so the pic quality is even better. And a typical newbie buggaboo is to not realize when emailing or posting pics that a 72dpi picture (dots per inch resolution), saved on LOWEST QUALITY will look no worse than a high quality resolution pic. It will just load in 3 seconds instead of 20 minutes! When you take your pic, always save the raw copy in it's full resolution and then make a copy to play with as once you shrink it you can't go back if you decide to print it or need to do something else with it. I've had to call my ISP provider sometimes to have them jerk out an email that is jamming our system because it has a picture that is saved in a ridiculous resolution. Have you been to a website that has pics, even 3x5's that load quick and you don't notice a problem? And then gone to other websites that just CRAWL and never seem to open the #%^#%#$ page? Be a webmaster from day 1!
The big advantage to me of the Mavica FD91 is it has the equivalent of a 500mm OPTIC ZOOM, not a "digital enhanced" zoom which on a multi meg pix camera reduces a zoomed picture to the resolution of the Mavica (or so it seems).
The FD91 has a Sony built "steady pic" type system that makes it possible to take nice viewable 500mm zoomed pictures WITHOUT A TRIPOD and my not so steady hands. I've caught pictures of planes I never could have with any print camera. I can take pictures with it as fast as it can focus without any blurring. It also has yourchoice of using a viewfinder like a conventional camera or a nice viewscreen. Some people don't like it's bulk, I actually feel it helps me take better pictures than those mini-units, I can't put it in my pocket, that's for sure, but I'm not going to accidentally sit on it or throw my shirt with it inside! It feels like a traditional big 35mm which I find somewhat comforting. ( I HATE CHANGE) (that was until I started using my new Kubotas!)
Whatever you buy, learn to use it, be happy and don't look up as in a few weeks what you have will be obsolete and ignored by the tech-no-geeks.
There is a real good Mavica board and info links similar to this one with a lot of intelligent folks. Accessible through
http://www.mavican.nu.
There are also some other camera info boards out there filled with viscious egotistical goofballs who I can't imagine even enjoy their pictures, they are too busy argueing about the technology, I've got no use for those folks. /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif
any questions feel free to zap me off board
Good luck. It's just one more of those things you hate and think is worthless and then you get into it and can't figure out how you got on without it. I have a friend recently who had a problem with his tractor, he just took a picture of what he wanted to show me and zipped it to me, I went back and forth and got him going. Lot easier than a 100 mile drive!
del
oldcarparts@mygarage.com