Home > Guest Columns > Ed Schwartz > Digicam Features

Extra Features to Look for in Digital Cameras

Most digital cameras have a lot of features in common. There are several features, however, that only show up in some cameras. Here is a list of features that may or may not be in your camera - so look in the manual or experiment and find out.

None of these features affect the typical shot but they all can play a role in those special circumstances.

1. Convert a full-size image to an email size right in the camera. This makes a copy and leaves the original intact.
2. Record in black and white or sepia.
3. Allow you to review your pictures without changing the Mode switch. This is sometimes referred to as a Quick View feature.
4. Zoom while taking a video.
5. Record an image without a memory card. This feature allows you to insert a memory card with the power on to save an image taken without a card. The image is stored in a buffer until a card is inserted.
6. Imprint the date on the image.
7. Display the number of shots remaining as you change the image-size and image-quality settings rather than after you make the changes.
8. Record video limited by the size of the memory card rather than limited by time.
9. Have an exposure lock to help in panorama shots. An alternative that exists is to have a panorama setting which accomplishes the same thing.
10. Delete a shot with a maximum of two button pushes.
11. Have a EVF (Electronic View Finder). This enables reviewing your images and settings in any light.
12. Battery charge indicator.
13. Ability to charge the battery outside of the camera. This allows you to charge a battery while using your camera with the spare. Some cameras don't have this feature; however, you can usually buy an external charger at extra expense.
14. Use standard AAA batteries available everywhere.
15. Ability to have images saved in folders with the date taken as part of the folder name.
16. Employ focus assist light beam or similar feature for low light focusing.
17. Manual focus. Allows pre-focusing at infinity, for example.
18. Allow shutter to fire while not focused. My camera focuses at 2 meters in this case.
19. In-camera automatic image rotation.
20. In-camera image trimming to zoomed view.
21. Remote camera function for use with such applications as Microsoft Net Meeting.
22. Ability to use the camera as an audio recorder in addition to adding sound captions to images.
23. Provides User Manual online as a PDF to allow printing several pages, or to read on your laptop while traveling.