Digital Photography Getting
Lots of Exposure
by Jill B. Hart
Digital photography is becoming a big business. Go to Best Buy, CompUSA or any store that sells electronic equipment and you'll find an assortment of digital imaging products. These include cameras, scanners, image editing software, video "capture" devices and "photo quality" printers.
According to Jupiter Communications, a market research group, analog photos still rule the market, but this will change in a few years. Right now, American consumers process more than 350 million rolls of film each year.
A recent Jupiter report on digital imaging, however, predicts that "as consumers move more of their social lives online, they are bringing their photographs with them."
Digital Photos Online
America Online and Kodak are preparing for this migration to digital photography through a joint project called "You've Got Pictures," which will debut on AOL later this year.
Once it launches, AOL members can have a participating photo shop e-mail digital versions of their photos to their AOL account. Once received, the digital photos can be stored in an online photo album, shared with other AOL members or sent as e-mail attachments to friends on the Internet.
Digital Photos From Video
Video capture units, like Play Inc.'s Snappy and the Connectix QuickClip also blend traditional photography with digital imaging. These devices allow you to use your camcorder as a digital camera.
First you record the image using the camcorder as you normally would, then you attach the video capture unit to your camcorder and your computer. Special software allows you to watch the video on your computer. When you see the image you want to keep as a still digital picture, simply click a button and the capture unit grabs that image and puts it on your computer.
The image can then be saved in a generic digital photo format such as GIF or JPG. The process can also be done using a VCR and any previously recorded video tape. Advanced capture units, such as the Snappy Deluxe even allow you to record moving video -- not just still images -- as AVI digital video files.
Video capture units are a good alternative to expensive digital cameras because they sell for a fraction of the cost. The standard Snappy retails for about $99, compare that to $400 or $800 for a digital camera. Their image quality is also superior to many digital cameras, though a poor camcorder image will affect your final image quality.
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