The Hidden Cost of Digital

  I hear it all the time, “with a digital camera I no longer have to shell out for film and processing”. While it is true you will no longer have to pay for film and processing, there are some cost that go along with digital.

  The first cost that comes to mind is storage or ‘eFilm’. Usually, when you buy a new digital camera it will come with what ever form of storage that particular model uses. The problem is that you will quickly find that it is not large enough. So you will need to go out and buy a storage device that you will not fill up in about 30 seconds of shooting in a high resolution mode. I strongly suggest that you get more storage than you think you need. It’s very frustrating to fill a card up when you have found a photography subject that has you totally engrossed. I not only suggest buying the largest card you can afford but I suggest you get TWO. This is a one time purchase that should last you quite a while.

  Give me power Scotty! Without the almighty battery your new digital camera is dead in the water. You can never have too many batteries. The first thing I suggest you do is buy the accessory battery grip or battery pack that goes with the camera you bought. It may seem expensive but it will be well worth the investment by giving you more shots before you have to change batteries. The most common type of battery used by consumer level digital cameras is the AA battery. The best situation is to get Ni-MH rechargeables. Get a recharger and several sets of batteries. That way you can keep all your batteries fully charged and ready to go when you need them.

  Unless you bought an expensive SLR that uses the interchangeable lenses that belong to a camera system you already own, you are going to want to accessorize your camera. Since most consumer level cameras have a non- interchangeable zoom lens then this is more then likely what you have. With this type of camera you can buy specially fitted lens attachments and filters. Things like close up lenses (diopters), wide angle attachments, tele-extenders and special effect lenses. If you bought a digital camera that uses interchangeable lenses then you will need to shell out for a few good lenses unless you already own that particular system (Canon, Nikon, Sigma, are a few that come to mind). Another accessory that is often overlooked until you need it is an external flash. Sooner then later you will find out that the on camera flash uses up much needed battery power and is not quite strong enough or flexible enough for a lot of situations. Don’t use an older flash unit unless you know the trigger voltage is low enough that it won’t fry your camera’s electronics. If you don’t know what the trigger voltage is, then get a newer flash for you camera.