There are help pages for photos and digital imaging on the site but this deals with digital cameras. I frequently get questions about how digital cameras do for temari etc - and what kind to get. I can only share with you my aquired knowledge and experiences....  which I do gladly. Frankly, I feel that digital cameras are among some of the best "gadgets" invented. After the initial investment on the camera you have little further expense compared to film photography, and you can snap your heart away until you get that perfect shot (and considering that you see your pictures immediately it's easy to know when you DO get it!).

        I am on my second Sony digital camera... my first was a Mavica FD83 - that recorded images to floppy disks. I upgraded  to a Cybershot DSC85 - which when I purchased it was one model under the best professional model Sony made. I have loved the Sonys all along - both of them. In fact, I upgraded because of needing more power, not because there was anything wrong with the first camera. I had purchased it in 1998 and sold it to another owner when I got my new one, and it is still going strong. For an electronic "gadget" that is saying something. While my experience has been with Sony, as well as recommending them to other people that are equally as pleased, there are other good makes out there - Canon and Olympus also have good ratings.

        There are a few basics to look for in a digital camera. First of all - it should use rechargable batteries that are removable from the camera, so that you have a spare set to shoot with and not be tethered to a charging cord when you run out of juice. DO NOT think about one that is not rechargable or you will go to the poor house buying batteries.

        Most all cameras have a zoom feature built in. What is important is the OPTICAL zoom, not the total zoom. The optical zoom is what is provided by the mechanics of the camera and the lens itself. Total zoom then adds extra "oomph" to it by computer-generating information to make things "look" closer and clearer. This is a good thing, make no mistake, but when you are in digtal zoom mode the overal image will not be as clear to the purist as what you get in optical zoom alone. Most optical zooms now are in the 2 to 6x range - digital can add up to 10 or 12. Look for at least 2 if not 3 or more optical zoom power - granted the more optical zoom,  the higher the price but in the end it is worth it.

        The other important feature is Megapixels. This indicates how many "dots" will generated to make up the image - the more (and therefore tinier) dots used the clearer the image. Think of a digtal image as you "drawing" with the tip of a felt tip pen - only the tip, using the tip to make dots. You create the picture by making dot after dot to make up lines, shapes etc - obviously the more patient you are to make more dots, the better the picture would be. This is how a digital image essentially is created (and also how your inkjet printer works). Millions of dots are created to merge into the image. My first camera was 1MP (megapixel) which then was GOOD. My new one is over 4 - and there are cameras now with more, five or more being the current hitech target out there now. However - just like you hit a point where a faster computer is limited by a telephone modem since the phone lines can only send info up to a maxiumum speed - so too do you get limited here.  If you are a professional photographer that will be professionally processing your images then yes, go for broke. Most of us are not. Most of us are going to post our images on a website, send them in email or print them on our inkjet printers - all of which in the end are going to limit how good the image looks no matter how hotshot our camera is.

        Computer displays generally have a max resolution of 200 - the number of dots making up images and text. Inkjet printers do better - but they too have limits (based on brand and cost). There is another thing to remember with MPs - too - the more MPs the bigger the file - and I mean BIG.  Today's digital cameras produce an average image that will not even fit on a regular floppy disk.... which is one reason why floppies have pretty well died. And of course, the more MPs the more expensive the camera.

        That all being said - right now a good middle of the road camera for the average person would be one with about 3 - 3.5 MP, and a 2 or 3x optical zoom. This will give you a more than adequate image for great 4x6 prints, be ithem printed on your home printer or taken and printed professionally as a photo.  If you have more money to spend, invest it in more optical zoom than MPs. You'll get more output bang for your buck in photo quality given the limits of inkjet printers (even photo inkjet). Needless to say if you are not limited by budget then sure, get all you can - but if you are this is how to limit it.

        As far as the "features" that get dumped into the camera (and by that I mean electronically), generally they are the same - there will be a mix of special effects that you can use, and the digital equivalent of standard photo settings like you would get on a 35mm SLR camera. If you know how to use these now and do, then you will find them nice on a digital. If you don't - then you don't have to go for as many bells and whistles as you can find. The one thing you DO want though will be a Macro mode.... on a 35mm camera you would use special addon lenses to get good closeup shots - I mean like within inches of your subject - on a digital the camera will electronically "add" these for you when you set it for Macro. For Temari photos this is definitely a perk that you want. I have had one instance when I have had to use addon lenses for a macro shot to get what I needed - taking a picture of very fine print embossed in metal - all the other image of temari you have seen from me since 1999 have been with the macro built into either camera. That is not to say that I don't have addon lenses for my digital - I do (although not all digital cameras especially those designed for the hobbyist photographer, allow you to addon or change lenses) - and if you are into regular photography enough now to use lens or filter changeouts on your 35mm then you may be a person that wants to look for that option on a digital - which will mean you are looking at the higher end of the selection scale. For most people lens or filter extras are not needed. As I said, I have them but frankly rarely use them since the electronics in the camera suffice fine (although I used them regulalry in 35mm photography).

        Many cameras will offer settings to adjust the image size - automatically reduce to something managable by email (you DO NOT want to email someone a file that would be used to print a 4x6 image unless you don't want to hear from them again.. the file will be HUGE for that) - some also have the ability to capture sound clips and short movie clips. Like I said - there are a lot of bells and whistles, so think about whether you are really going to use it. I admit that I have caught some short clips of my dogs with the movie option - but if I didn't have cute dogs, I would not be using it. 

        Cameras have gotten smaller, lighter and more compact over the last few years - sometimes too compact. My suggestion is to look around and go out to "feel" them - but then check online prices. You will generally do better than in a retail store. I shopped around and got my current one from one of the big NYC camera store's online shops- - for those of you in the northeast you may know that there is a section in New York City that is famous for cameras and electronics. There were many other online options also. I also recommend getting a copy or two of "Digital Photography"  magazine- I read several issues while deciding and price shopping. It will give you a good rundown of makes and models and prices. Don't think that if a brand was well known in the 35mm field that it automatically makes a good digital model. Not always true. With a digital camera the electronics are as important if not more so. The electronics companies have come out of the blocks with some of the better ones - but not a given there either. I've not heard much good about Panasonic, Toshiba or Hewlett Packard's digital cameras. Ditto I've not heard much about Pentax digitals - although my first 35mm SLR was Pentax, and I still have it. Over the years I've been invovled in digitals now, I keep hearing Sony, Olympus, and Canon, but not all models. I have generally heard that Canon and Nikon can be more complicated to use if you are not already familiar with photography. I know people - a good number of them - that love Kodak digitals. I have recommended Sony (as it was to me) all along and not had an unhappy person yet.

        The other things to bear in mind is that this technology has come a long long way. In the beginning transferring images from the camera to your computer was a beast - unless you are on a very old computer without a USB port, this is a thing of the past. You can connect the camera directly to the computer with a USB cable and download to the computer - an as well all media cards (the thing you use instead of film in digitals - also called flash cards) - can be removed from the camera and you can get inexensive card readers that you can just leave hooked up to the computer - pop the card in and off you go. Most people have at least two memory cards for the camera - though this is not necessary. You can just always download to your computer and then you are on a fresh clean "film". Some models - like Kodak - have docking stations - you just plunk the camera in the dock that is connected to your computer, push a button and the pictures download - but frankly with the technology now this is a perk that you don't really need.

        Be careful about falling for a direct photo printer - these are when you don't need a computer to print your images (the camera hooks up directly to the printer). If you don't have a computer then these can be great.... otherwise it's a waste. You will most likey edit any image before you print it  - which these direct printers don't allow for. All cameras come with some sort of image editing software  that allow you touch up and do funky things to the pictures. You can buy better programs - and I heartily recommend Paint Shop Photo Album. Programs like this also allow you to create and manage photo albums on your computer for your images and makes backing them up for safe storage a breeze.  A photo quality printer may sound like something you want or need - but in reality most midline inkjet printers have high quality print modes that with good quality glossy photo paper do just as good as a more expensive "photo" printer. Most will also offer archive quality paper and inks. For those super shots that you really want a professional quality print of - just take the image file to a photo shop that does regular print processing, or any of the standalong kiosks that are around in malls and stores all over now. You'll get back an image printed just like a "processed" film shot.

       Remember too - downloading photos to your computer is NOT the last step - just like any other data you must backup these files in case of a computer failure - or all of your memories are gone. Most computers now and for the last five years or more are equipped with onboard CD burners or a zip drive - be sure to regularly  copy or move your photo files to secure long term (off the computer) storage. CD is a very inexpensive way to do this and the CDs can be viewed on many home DVD players now.