Choose the Perfect Camera

Digital Photo Tips

Here and on the next page are some short tips on digital photography. For more, check out our Digital Cameras Info Center.

Put Yourself in the Shot

Joining your family in a group photo is easy with a wireless shutter release. Instead of relying on the camera's self-timer, you decide when to shoot. The Canon PowerShot G6, for example, has such an option.

Tracey Capen

Snap Smart on the Go

While traveling, you want to be ready for any photo-taking opportunity that crops up. When you're far from home--or from a convenience store for that matter--a little preparedness can go a long way.

MP3 Player Storage: If you own an IPod and haven't stuffed it full of music files, you can use that empty space to store photos. For example, Belkin makes two devices that transfer files to an IPod: Its Digital Camera Link ($80) moves images from a digital camera via a USB cable, while its Media Reader ($100) transfers files from a media card. Apple offers a similar accessory--the $29 IPod Camera Connector--but it works only with the IPod Photo.

Power: Always carry a second set of rechargeable batteries. If your travels involve lots of driving, you can use that time to recharge your camera's batteries; some camera makers offer car adapters for doing so. Alternatively, you can use a DC-to-AC power inverter to power your battery charger and other devices; one such device is the Xantrex XPower Micro Inverter 175. If you're visiting a country that doesn't use 120-volt power, you'll need either a universal power adapter or a battery charger that includes one, like the Maha PowerEx MH-C204W, which charges AA NiMH batteries.

Eric Butterfield

Share Your Photos Online

If you take pictures mainly to show them to friends and family, an online photo-sharing site is a good resource.

Kodak, HP, and other camera manufacturers provide software for uploading photos to online albums. Both Kodak's EasyShare and HP's Instant Share software make it easy to post images and then e-mail a link to friends, but Kodak's service added a couple hurdles for recipients: To print photos I received via Kodak EasyShare, I first had to create a sign-in and download Kodak Print@Home software. Unfortunately, the software would not work with my regular browser, Mozilla Firefox; I had to use Internet Explorer.

Other online services, including Snapfish and Flickr, allow you to share photos--often free of charge. Some services also provide a chat feature, a blogging tool, or camera-phone support. For a more detailed comparison of options, see our May Next Gear article, "Better Photo Sharing".

Eric Butterfield