Owners of a Sony camcorder and Sony VAIO computers with the "i.LINK" digital interface don't even need any extra equipment to capture digital images -- everything they need is already built in.

Mavica Makes it Easy

If you're ready for a pure digital experience then you're ready for a digital camera. The various models in Sony's Mavica line are the top selling digital cameras in the U.S.

Mavica cameras produce good, but not great images. Why, then, are they the top selling cameras? The answer: ease of use.

The Mavica's controls are fairly clear, and photos are stored to a standard floppy disk -- there's no need for cables or other complex transfer systems. Each floppy holds about 20 images in JPEG format (more images can be squeezed onto a disk if you sacrifice image quality).

When you fill up one disk, simply pop another into the camera to take more pictures. Inserting a new disk is as easy as sliding one into your laptop -- which means it's actually simpler than loading 35 mm film! Moving the images to your computer is easy, too. Simply put the disk into your computer's floppy drive and copy them to your hard drive the way you would any other data files.

Epson Delivers Better Images

If you want higher quality images and are willing to tolerate a more complex transfer process, reviewers generally agree that digital cameras from Epson and Kodak produce the best quality images -- with colors close to those of print pictures.

These cameras store photos on one form or another of memory chip. When the chip is full you can't take any more pictures until you download the existing shots to your computer. Some cameras now come with "digital film," which is really just a memory chip on a card that plugs into the camera. When the digital film card is full, simply plug in another card to take more shots.

You move images taken with a chip-storage camera to your computer via a cable connection from the camera to your PC. Special software you install on your computer controls the transfer process. If you can download a file from the Web you can download images from your camera to your computer.

Digital cameras are interesting and useful new tools (or toys, depending upon your perspective). Today the perfect digital camera -- one with the right mix of image quality, ease of use and convenience -- doesn't yet exist.

Given the growth potential for this market, though, someone is bound to come up with the right formula very soon. The market is young, and there's still a lot of innovation going on. If you think a digital camera doesn't fit your image today, just wait a while, there's probably one in your future.

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