Wrong. the DIGITAL zoom is what you can do on the computer. When
done on the camera, it is the same thing - you lose resolution.  Optical
zoom uses a real lens, just like the 35mm cameras - you'll only find
it on the higher end systems, but it is well worth it. I prefer
true SLR also, not a viewfinder (unless you like those family shots
with the heads and edges cut off when you get a cousin to snap one
of you at a reunion. Most viewfinders are difficult to properly
determine what you will actually get on close-up shots.  I never
use the LCD to take shots - too hard to see what you are doing,
especially outside, plus it drains your battery excessively.

If you want to do hi-res or blown up large prints, don't go below
the 2 megapixel size. A diskette is inadequate to hold this level
of detail. And I would avoid the ones that write directly to
a mini-CD. Besides the high cost of this media, they are painfully
slow. When taking pictures of moving insects, even today's "fast"
digital cameras seem too slow betwen shots, unless you have a
special mode that takes several shots in a row, buffering in
memory before being written to the internal sorage media.

Good advice on the media. You don't have to conver the pic to
film for a good print, tho. there are several companies that
will do that for you on the net and kodak is bringing out
kiosks that will allow this to be done at your local mall.
All home-created CD's (optical lasts longer, but standards
are less likely to last) should be re-burned periodically.
The time between depends on the quality of the media. The
cheap stuff - maybe every year. The "best" may last 10-20
years (or longer, one vendor predicts 75 years), but you
have no way of knowing until the cd fails. Always make two,
just in case.

-----Original Message-----
From:  Richard Yarnell
Sent: Tuesday, July 31, 2001 3:19 PM


If you can find a camera with a good zoom lens, choose it over the optical
zoom which almost any photo editing program can do on your computer.  The
more your viewfinder is filled with the subject you're interested in
recording, the better your edited and finished photos will be.