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“How To” article archive:
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- Protect Yourself Against Identity Theft
- When Is It Time to Buy a New PC?
- How to Defend Yourself
- How to Buy a New Car
- How to Buy a Digital Camera
How To Protect Yourself Against Identity Theft
by Alan Jacobson
During the course of his career as a novelist, Alan Jacobson has worked with the FBI for eight years on a variety of matters, from serial offenders to facility security and identity theft. He has edited several published research papers for the Bureau, and has worked with the ADL, local police, sheriff, and bomb squads on site security.
Identity theft is the fastest-growing crime. Last year alone, more than 9.9 million Americans fell victim, at a cost of roughly $5 billion. How mainstream has identity theft become? Social Security numbers ("SSN") have been auctioned on eBay, and an Internet search for “fake ID” yields dozens of offshore operations hawking holographic identification cards that look authentic.
Who is behind this? The usual cast of characters: crack addicts, methamphetamine users, organized crime, and nefarious individuals. Identity theft has become an international problem: rings of thieves based in countries such as Russia steal, then sell, your personal information in organized crime circles. Law enforcement recently busted a professionally organized syndicate that utilized a corporate executive structure and a web-based login system that allowed criminals to purchase blocks of stolen identity information for predetermined prices.
The problem is multi-faceted. First, a variety of personal information is exposed on the web by individuals, companies, and government agencies. Identity thieves find this data using search engines in a technique known as “Google hacking.” In one study, using Google for less than an hour, participants exposed sensitive information on nearly 25 million people. They unearthed names, birthdates, SSNs, and credit-card information. Google hacking has inspired the creation of how-to web sites and books, which outline the process of submitting targeted search queries with special commands to elicit sensitive information. One expert stated that it would take the average Joe only 30 minutes, following one of the step-by-step books, to master it.
Google isn’t to blame for Google hacking—they just provide the getaway car for the bank robbers. One thing they do have control over is protection of your privacy and personal info. But Google’s free “Gmail” email service has come under fire because Google searches everyone’s email messages for data they then sell to companies who want to market to you. (I personally cringe when I send email to someone with a Gmail account, and think twice about what I include in the message.) Further, Google’s Terms of Service reportedly state that Gmail messages may remain on its system for an indefinite period—even after an account has been deleted—increasing the likelihood this information—your personal information—could be compromised by identity thieves.
Clearly, there’s not a lot you can do about your personal data hanging out on the Internet. Refusing to use Gmail is but a small solution to a big problem. Here are 15 easy steps you can take to thwart thieves:
- Obtain a locking mailbox. Thieves troll neighborhoods looking for credit card statements, checks, credit card offers, and the like. An unlocked box is an invitation for years of headaches.
- Do not list your address or phone number on your checks. Your names are sufficient and banks will comply with this request. (Note: if you use online banking, the address of record on your account will likely be printed on the checks.)
- Do not list your home address on your drivers license or other ID in your wallet. Wallets are lost and stolen, and the last thing you want is for the thief to know where to find you should he want to return for more.
- Do not keep your home address or other personal information in your car. Cars are broken into and stolen. Check your insurance and registration cards; if your address is there, cut it out.
- Do not carry your SSN in your wallet. More on this later.
- Shred all mail labels that contain your name and address; did you know that your trash is sorted at state prisons? That means those pre-approved credit card solicitations you receive are passing through the hands of convicted criminals.
- Obtain a Private Mail Box ("PMB") for use when ordering materials online or over the phone. This prevents you from listing your home address on a company’s server—which may be hacked or otherwise compromised by shoddy security. (Change your credit card address to the PMB, because online orders will kick back your purchase if the shipping and billing addresses are different.)
- Your medical records are sometimes handled by an outsourced company—which could be in India, Ireland, or Pakistan. While you sign a privacy agreement with your physician, a transcriptionist in Pakistan could be typing up his reports. What’s in your medical records? Personal information. Only provide your doctor’s office with need-to-know data. They don’t need your SSN or drivers license number.
- Don’t put personal information in emails. Email is NOT secure. Home addresses, bank or investment account numbers, social security numbers, and passwords are best exchanged via fax (alert the recipient of its impending arrival) or phone.
- Do not click on a link in an email you receive from your financial institution. In “Phishing,” thieves send emails that purport to be from your bank asking you to log in to your account to verify/update information or correct an error. They include a link to the page where you can access your account; but this link takes you to a look-alike website that’s logging every keystroke you make—and stealing your username and password. Protect yourself: go directly to the bank’s website yourself or use a Favorite you’ve bookmarked.
- Do not give out your SSN unless you’re dealing with the IRS or another government agency that demands it. For financial institutions that request it for identification, give them the last four digits. They’ll then ask for other identifiers they have in your record (birthdate, mother’s maiden name, etc.).
- Call your credit card company or bank if a new card or account statement is late. A missing card or bill may mean someone called the company using your name and changed the billing address to prevent you from catching their shopping spree.
- Order a free copy of your credit reports once a year to verify their accuracy: Equifax (http://www.equifax.com), Experian (http://www.experian.com), and TransUnion (http://www.transunion.com).
- If you suspect you’ve been victimized, immediately file a report with local police, or the police where the identity theft took place. Get a copy of the report (or report number), as you’ll need it when filing a theft affidavit. Your bank, credit card company, and soon-to-descend collection agencies will require this affidavit for each fraudulent transaction incurred.
- When choosing passwords, don’t use easily-obtained information like your birthdate or zip code. Do not use real words; include a symbol, a number, and a combination of capital and lowercase letters.
Have I crossed the line into paranoia? Consider this: six years ago, when identity theft was beginning to become a problem, we moved back to the Bay area. Our home builder erected a plain mailbox, and shortly thereafter our bank mailed several boxes of new checks to us. Only one box arrived.
The criminals used the checks at a variety of retailers including Safeway, Home Depot, Albertsons, and Wal-Mart, and printed more checks via mail-order check printers using our bank account number. They sold these checks to other criminals. Because of alert staff at Home Depot, a woman attempting to write a check was caught and arrested. She had a California Driver’s License containing her photo—and my wife’s name. She was a methamphetamine addict who lived in Pittsburg. It took a year and a half before credit agencies and debt collectors finally stopped harassing us.
The situation would have been far worse had they gotten hold of my social security number—in which case your credit is destroyed forever. In rare instances, the government has issued new SSNs, but your destroyed credit on your “old” number does not get eradicated. People with impeccable credit have been unable to buy homes, cars, and other large-ticket items.
It is our responsibility to take the necessary steps to protect our personal information. Just like we lock our doors when we leave home, we must lock the areas of entry into our personal information. Failure to do so could result in a great deal more loss than items from your home—it could cause years, if not a lifetime, of headaches, wasted time, and ruined credit.
When Is It Time To Buy A New PC?
by Harry Strout
Editor’s Note: Anshei member Harry Strout has 30 years of experience in the Information Technology field and now runs his own IT company in Walnut Creek called Computer Consulting Support.
When should one purchase a new computer? That is an open ended question that invites additional questions:
Do you need additional functionality that your current computer does not have, such as digital, video, and audio editing, video streaming, or high end gaming, just to name a few?
Is your computer not able to handle all the processes that it is being asked to handle, such as an Internet connection, anti-spyware software, anti-virus protection, and other everyday processes? Or does it run too slowly in general? Do you have an older operating system, such as Windows 98 and you want to upgrade to a newer operating system, such as the latest version of Windows XP? Does your computer not boot up, or re-boot intermittently and for no apparent reason? Or are programs you use regularly crashing often? Are you having problems connecting to the Internet?
The questions above can be summarized into the following categories:
- You need the latest versions of the software you use.
- You need to upgrade your current operating system.
- You need to add memory, a bigger hard disk, a newer video card, or other peripheral.
- Your computer is infected with a virus, spyware, both, or has a fragmented hard disk.
- There is either a hardware or software problem that needs resolution.
If your problem includes items one through three, and you can afford your new toy, gaiy gesunte heit (go in good health) and buy your new upgraded, improved, and updated computer system and have a ball playing with it.
Item 1 may entail additional purchases of software upgrades if that software is not included with a new computer system. On the other hand, software upgrades do not require purchase of a new computer system, but check to see that these upgrades will work with your current hardware, operating system, and amount of memory installed.
If you want to upgrade your operating system from Windows 98 to XP, all you need to purchase is Windows XP update software for somewhere around $100 and install it on your computer.
The only constraint you should be aware of is that your computer’s CPU (central processing unit or Intel Pentium / AMD chip) speed should be 500 megahertz, or better, and that you should have at least 256 megabytes of computer memory.
Item three may not require you to purchase a new computer system if your current computer can accept more memory or the new peripheral you want to add.
If you fall into items four or five, you can avoid purchase of a new computer. For somewhere around $300 or less, most of the above problems can be solved with relative ease. (Avoid local retail computer stores. Their rates are usually higher.)
Modern computer systems need several things done to improve their performance and resolve any computer problems they may have:
Increase your computer memory to 512 megabytes if you have Windows XP and 256 megabytes if you have Windows 98. That will provide you with better computer performance because you will not be overtaxing the amount of computer memory that you have.
Do a disk scan to make sure that your computer hard drive disk space is intact, functional, and not corrupted.
Do a disk de-fragmentation so that all computer data files are stored relatively close to the start of each file. That will improve the seek time for accessing data that is stored on your hard drive.
Perform a virus scan to make sure that there are no viruses present on your computer. The most common anti-virus programs are Symantec and McAfee. This type of software will get rid of any viruses that you may have and protect your computer from being infected in the future.
Do several anti-spyware scans using any of the common anti-spyware software that is available from the Internet such as Search and Destroy, Spy Sweeper, Pest Patrol, Ad-Aware, and Microsoft’s AntiSpyware.
This should be done so that you can clean up any unwanted spyware that may have been downloaded onto your computer without your knowledge. Any such spyware slows down your computer by utilizing computer resources and reports your web browsing habits to those who were responsible for their download.
In the worst case scenario, some of that software could be maliciously spying for vital information that may be present in your computer.
In rare instances, the computer’s hard drive may be filling up. You may need to either add another hard drive to your computer or replace the hard drive with a bigger one.
It may be time to upgrade your Internet connection to a higher speed line. Most telephone hook ups run anywhere between $5.95 and $15.95 per month. This provides you with a 56 kilobytes per second data transfer rate.
A DSL connection, which stands for digital subscriber line, runs around $30 to $35 per month and can provide data transfer rates at least ten times faster than a standard telephone line connection.
For those who really need, or want, speed, Comcast charges even more and provides data transfer rates somewhere around 1.5 megabytes per second. This type of connection is called broadband.
There are many reasons for not being able to connect to the Internet, from forgetting your password to telephone, cable, and Internet Service Provider problems. If you are connecting via a router, that adds another layer of complexity.
Whatever the problem, they are all relatively easy to solve. Try shutting off all of the devices that connect to the Internet or are connected to your home network, then restarting them one by one.
For those computers that have a software functionality problem (functional degradation or inability to boot up properly), the only recourse may be to back up your data, reinstall your operating system, and then restore your backed up data. Even there, all is not lost and you can restore your computer’s operation to the way it was. In some cases, all that you might need to do is either reinstall your software or update that software from the manufacturer’s website.
The only time when the above is not possible is when there is a hardware failure on your computer system. Some times, the hardware failure can be repaired. Sometimes it cannot. In that case, purchasing another computer is the only option that you may have.
If you have a manufacturer’s warranty, ship the computer to them for repair. That means having to wait for them to repair and return the computer to you. Expect anywhere from one week to two months of down time, depending on the type of support plan that you purchased at the time you bought your computer.
If your hard drive fails, you really have some major problems. You then have lost your operating system, the software that you use daily, any Internet connectivity that you may have had, and your personal data. That is why it is always a good idea to back up your data on a regular basis.
Even in this situation there is hope. There are companies that specialize in recovering data on failed hard drives for anywhere between $500 and $1,000. If the data is important, it can be recovered, most of the time.
If the data cannot be recovered, you can still purchase another hard drive and reinstall all your computer software onto your new hard drive. That will bring back your computer’s functionality.
How To Defend Yourself
Self Defense is a State of Mind: No Innocent Bystanders
Editor’s Note: Anshei member Michael Bloom has studied martial arts for 31 years and has taught karate and self defense for 25 years. He holds a sixth degree black belt in karate and was granted the title of Shihan, or master instructor. Michael teaches classes on Mondays and Wednesdays at the Contra Costa JCC in Walnut Creek.
The first thing to understand about self defense is that there is no one to blame, no one to fault, for anything that happens to you. Your fate is in your hands, and it is up to you to determine the outcome. We often hear stories about “this poor person” who had “this terrible thing happen to them.” And indeed these are often sad stories, shames on society. But usually these people had a hand in their own tragic fates, and other better choices might have led to different less tragic results.
The first rule of self defense is don’t put yourself in dangerous situations. Don’t go into unlit empty parking garages by yourself, or at all. Don’t make it obvious that you are in an unfamiliar area alone. Don’t leave the door to the family home or office unlocked. Don’t flash cash and jewelry. Don’t be obnoxious or inflammatory, and certainly don’t be intoxicated in public. Females should not ride in elevators with strangers in relatively empty buildings, and should not walk alone at night (men should consider this as well). Don’t go anyplace with strangers. Ignoring these simple rules of prudence makes you a target, and continued behavior over time makes you a likely one.
The second rule is be aware of the potential for danger. When walking down the street avoid doorways or alley entrances where you cannot see who may be lurking there. Be aware of the presence of others at a distance. If you see someone ahead that you are uncomfortable with cross to the other side of the street, even if it’s out of your way. Be aware of people who are following you or walking toward you. Don’t assume that people not walking together are not in fact together.
The third rule is communication. This is particularly important for women and for our teenage kids as they start to go out on their own and in dating. People always should know where you are, and where you are going, and when to expect you. Also who you are with and with whom you are meeting. You and your loved ones should have access to a cell phone (it should be charged and on!) and should use it if the itinerary changes or if they are uncomfortable for any reason.
The fourth rule is be confident. Have the appearance of someone who is not an easy mark. Someone who will fight, and someone capable of putting up a good fight. Stand tall, make eye contact, and be aware.
The fifth rule is to be assertive. If someone is following you in a parking garage or down the street, look them in the eye and ask them, none-too-politely, just what the heck they think they are doing? Tell someone they may not join you on the elevator. “You should wait for the next.” “Thanks, but I cannot talk to you right now, I am busy.” “Please leave me alone and get away from me.” And loudly so that others can hear.
It is better that you be rude and wrong than polite and injured.
The sixth rule is to take action. Use your judgment, but fight if you have to. If someone wants your money and you only have $10, give it to them. But if the decision is to fight back, never give in, and let the potential offender know - by demeanor and deed rather than words - that you will never give in.
Stand your ground. Never travel with a perpetrator. Ever. If someone wants to move you they plan to injure you. Over 95% of the time someone is moved they are seriously injured or killed. It is better that a physical confrontation, if there is to be one, occurs on your ground and on your terms. For example, in the parking lot at Safeway rather than the hills behind San Pablo Reservoir, or in the lobby of the restaurant rather than the back room, or in front of that city bar instead of an alley, or in the driveway rather than inside your empty home.
Might you be injured? Certainly you might. But the consequences of traveling with a perpetrator, out of the eye of a potential witness or bystander, where the perpetrator has control of the situation and environment, are dire.
I am often asked what “techniques should I use in a physical confrontation? What weapons?” Well, it depends upon the circumstances, but your first and most effective weapon is always your voice. Yell loud and long. How long? Until it is over. And then some. Don’t stop yelling. The sound coming from you will give you confidence, will disturb your assailant, and attract needed attention and help.
As far as how to strike, grapple or throw, and where and when, this is the least important part. It is simply paramount that you strike hard and often and continue to do so until it is over. And then some. Use anything at your disposal - feet, hands, knees, elbows, head, teeth, keys, groceries, hand bags, laptops. And mean business. Do damage.
Now it seems silly to advocate hitting hard. “Of course I would hit hard” you say. But most people in fact do not. In my classes every student hits me every day. No pads of any sort. Seventy-five percent of them are unwilling to hit me hard (or even at all) even though I am asking them to do so because they are afraid of hurting me. Roughly the same statistics are true of confrontations with assailants. We are conditioned not to hit or hurt, and it is very difficult to change that. So when you determine that you need to defend yourself, you need to commit that you are going to injure your assailant. Not fend him off. Not scare him away. Hurt him. And by any means necessary. Because that is his (and it’s almost always a him) intention towards you.
There certainly are techniques and strategies to learn to more effectively defend yourself. I teach classes as do many other fine instructors in the region, and I advocate them for every member of our community. But the simple rules outlined above are those that will keep you safe, allow you to avoid harm, and if needed save your life in most situations that you encounter.
Be responsible for your own safety - you are not an innocent bystander.
How to Buy a New Car or Truck:
Some Do’s and Don’ts
by Steve Wolfert
Editor’s Note: Steve Wolfert, a former Anshei Isaiah board member, was a salesperson for Niello Infiniti for two years. He’s now a marketing executive with Willis of North America, an insurance company in New York.
I was an Infiniti salesperson for two years. What’s a Nice Jewish Boy doing selling automobiles? That’s a topic for another article but, right now, I’d like to tell you a few things about the process that could save you time, save you money, and result in a more pleasurable buying experience - regardless of whether you’re looking at a Ford or a Lexus.
The first thing you should realize is that most automobile salespeople – regardless of the brand or location – are paid on commission, usually as a percentage of the gross profit made on each sale. This means a couple of things.
- The salesperson is there to sell you a vehicle (preferably sooner rather than later). Be courteous of his/her time (for instance, don’t ask for ten test drives on a weekend, when they make most of their sales). Expect them to be friendly and knowledgeable about their product (if not, go to another salesperson or dealership). Most dealerships employ a rotation for salespeople greeting new customers, or “Ups.” It is common courtesy to mention the person who has helped you before at the dealership.
- The salesperson (and the dealership) want to sell you the car for the maximum price (profit) possible. Of course, your job is to buy the car for the lowest price possible. A $300 - $400 profit over “Invoice” is reasonable on most cars (don’t be afraid to ask to see the invoice or look it up on the Internet; more on this later); a $1,000-1,500 discount off “Sticker” or MSRP may be reasonable for popular cars or those in short supply; and a Sticker or close-to-Sticker price may be inevitable for a very “hot” model (such as the new Mustang).
There are approximately 1,300 automobile models currently available in the U.S., and multiple dealers in most areas selling the same product. Before you even enter the showroom, do your homework. That’s very easy today, thanks to the Internet, as well as “networking” to see what dealers have good reputations in your area (for sales as well as service).
Start by going on the websites of the manufacturers you’re interested in. You’ll learn a lot about the specifications, equipment and color options of the cars, and you may even be able to “build a car” to your specifications on the website and price it with the exact options you want (realize that this is just the MSRP or “sticker” price of the car). Some good sites even allow you to run comparisons with other cars in the same class (realize, however, that the manufacturer is trying to sell you their car, so be skeptical of any inflated claims – unless they reference an independent outside authority).
Next, check the ratings for the cars you are interested in. Consumer Reports (consumerreports.com) and other publications offer detailed car reviews (although some may be slanted towards quality, performance, value or other issues). Edmunds.com is a very useful site for reviews (they give their own as well as consumers’ reviews), and for finding the Invoice and MSRP prices for particular cars (they break it down by individual options). Edmunds also has a very useful tool for negotiating prices (TMV or What People are Paying). Once you’re ready to buy, go to Carsdirect.com and you will be sent “best price” quotes from a number of dealers in your area (be prepared to give the exact model, equipment and colors you are seeking).
When you are ready to negotiate the price of the car you want (the salesperson may want to rush you to this point), tell them you are looking for the best price possible without spending a lot of time going back and forth to the hidden sales manager, who probably determines the actual price. Find out the role of the sales person or initial contact (some dealership employ “greeters” who just pass you along to a salesperson; some salespeople do preliminary fact finding and then pass you to a “closer”; while others will negotiate the entire deal for you with the sales manager before sending you to the Finance department to sign a purchase contract, loan or lease documents, DMV forms and option packages (be careful here since this person may be pitching extended warranties, car treatment products and other items – you may want these items, but these prices are negotiable too!).
Negotiate your best price on the car before discussing payment method (cash, financing or leasing), or trade-in of an existing vehicle. Be familiar with market rates on interest rates to make sure you are being offered a reasonable interest rate (some dealers may try to mark up loans). Ask about lease specials if this is of interest to you (things to be aware of here include length of lease, “drive off costs,” mileage allowance, and options at the end of the lease). In leasing, find out the selling cost, residual, and money factor (similar to interest rate).
Be prepared to go back & forth a few times in negotiating price and other details; and be prepared to “walk” if you don’t get the deal you want (remember there are probably other dealers in the area selling the same model). You seldom get the best price the first go-around; sometimes not until the eighth or tenth.
Trade-ins can confuse – and trap – many consumers. Find out the value of your trade-in ahead of time on Kelly Blue Book (kbb.com), or similar site. After entering information about the car, Kelly gives you 3 values: “Trade-In Value” (what a dealer should give you for the car); “Private Party Value” (what you may be able to get if you sell the car privately – remember you may still need to pay for advertising the car, necessary repairs, and be prepared to get phone calls and show the car any time of day or night); and “Retail Value” (what a private party or dealer would sell the car for from their home or lot). Salespeople may pooh-pooh the “trade-in” value you show them, but it is a good starting point, especially for mass market cars like a Ford Taurus or Chevy Impala (exotic or small volume cars like a Jaguar Vanden Plus or a Mercedes E55 AMG may require the dealer to go to “wholesale” reference sources to see what comparable cars are actually selling for at auction (which may raise or lower the actual offering price). Remember that you can negotiate used vehicle trade-in prices as well.
In fact, most dealers will build in a large margin for profit in selling your trade in. Keep in mind that PRICE ISN’T EVERYTHING. You should also consider anticipated resale value of the vehicle (Kelly Blue Book, Kiplinger’s and others report that, for instance, an Infiniti G35 will be worth 62% of original price after 3 years, while a Mercury Sable will be worth 31% of original cost – so much for that $2,500 rebate!) Then there’s reliability of vehicles. Consumer Reports each year lists the car brands with the most reliable records over 1, 3 and 5-year periods (least number of problems per vehicle). Japanese brands generally come out at the top of the list for reliability. You’d be amazed at some of the nameplates that populate the bottom of the list (including some very exclusive European luxury brands!).
Safety and fuel economy are other important factors, and can be determined from various government, insurance and consumer publication websites.
Next to buying a home, car buying can be one of the most expensive, time consuming and anxiety-provoking purchases. Doing it right can save you money, give you many years of driving pleasure, and leave you with the feeling that you obtained a “good deal.”
How To Buy a Digital Camera
These ten guidelines will focus the issue and point the way
by Alan Jacobson
In most applications, digital cameras are now equal to film cameras in terms of quality, and have surpassed them in convenience and ease of use…so much so that film is heading for extinction.
But if you haven’t yet plunged into digital territory, the terms and technology can be intimidating. Here’s a primer on what to consider when making your purchase.
For purposes of this article, digital cameras fall into four categories: Pro, Prosumer, Consumer, and Compact. We’ll focus on the consumer and compact markets.
A consumer camera is designed to be point-and-shoot: pick up the camera, aim it, press the shutter, and end up with a decent photo. A compact camera is a subset of consumer: as the name suggests, the compact line is designed to be easily carried in a pocket or purse. The following 10 guidelines will largely be applicable to both consumer and compact cameras.
- LCD Screen. Reviewing your photo on the LCD screen is an enormous advantage because you can see whether it came out to your satisfaction. However, though your picture may look sharp on the small LCD screen, when you view it on your PC, it may be blurry because the auto focus feature was fooled; you get a blurred subject with a sharp background. A larger screen (see photo, below) helps you see such a focusing error. While you can often zoom the image to examine its focus, this is tedious. Tip: when selecting a camera, give an edge to the one with a larger screen. Also, if you’re taking a really important photo, take two, slightly changing the angle a bit the second time to decrease your odds of the autofocus being fooled twice.
LCD screen size differs greatly among cameras, evidenced by these two models, the Olympus C-60 (1.2” display), left, and the Casio Exilim EX-Z750 (2.5” screen), right.
- Resolution. A higher camera resolution translates directly into a higher price and a better quality photo. The resolution is expressed in terms of megapixels ("MP"). A 7 MP camera has a higher resolution than a 3 MP camera. How high a resolution should you buy? It all depends on what you intend to do with your photos. If you’re not going to be enlarging your photos beyond 8x10, you probably don’t need more than 4 MP. That said, two 4 MP cameras may not produce the same quality image because one manufacturer may use a larger image sensor, and the larger the sensor, the better the image quality. (In fact, a 4 MP camera with a large sensor can take better photos than a 5 MP camera with a small sensor.) But the size of the image sensor is not generally advertised, nor is it usually known by sales personnel. Ultimately, the best way to determine how the image quality of one camera compares to another is to ask a knowledgeable salesperson or, better yet, do your own research online (more on that later).
- Film. The “film” of a digital camera is a form of electronic storage called “flash memory” and it comes in two common formats: secure digital ("SD") and compact flash ("CF"), pictured below, respectively. [Other, less common types, are “XD” and Memory Stick ("MS"); these are proprietary formats, are more expensive,
and used only by three manufacturers: Sony (MS) and Olympus/Fuji (XD)]. This “digital film” consist of small, reusable cards that insert into a slot in the camera. The size of the card determines how many photos you can fit on it. For example, with a 6 MP camera, the size o f each photo will be about 3.5 megabytes ("MB"). With prices having plummeted, a 512 MB card can how be purchased for $20 - $50. With our 6 MP example, you can fit about 145 photos on a 512 MB flash card. Tip: the cards are reusable; after taking the photos, you transfer them to your PC and delete them from the card.
- Batteries. Digital cameras lunch on battery power. This is less true of the newer models, but consulting a comparative rating (such as the “CIPA Standards") will give you an idea of how many photos a camera will take on a given charge. If possible, choose a camera that uses Lithium Ion (Li-ion) batteries, as they provide much greater performance. It’s advisable to buy a spare Li-ion battery to carry with you. After-market Li-ion batteries can be purchased at online battery merchants for a fraction of the cost of the camera maker’s batteries—often about $20—and they perform just as well as the original equipment. Tip: your batteries will lose a small percentage of their charge sitting in your drawer waiting to be used. If they haven’t been used for a while, it’s best to charge them before going on a trip. Li-ion batteries do not have a “memory,” meaning that recharging them if they’re half-charged won’t ruin them.
If the camera you want takes AA batteries, buy rechargeable AA batteries with a rapid charger. These work quite well for a large number of charge cycles. An alternative would be Duracell Ultras, which have performed well in digital cameras, or, if you’re a Costco member, their Kirkland Signature AA batteries are an exceptional value and perform very well. They come conveniently packaged in a flat 4-pack. You can (and should!) throw a shrink-wrapped 4-pack in your pocket as a backup, even if you use rechargeables. The rechargeable AAs are Nickel Metal Hydride, so they are not as powerful as Li-ions; their life can be shortened if not periodically discharged and recharged all the way.
- Zoom. Optical vs. Digital zoom: sometimes you can’t get close to the object you’re shooting. An optical zoom will help. A digital zoom will not. An optical zoom actually brings the image closer to you when you take the photo. A digital zoom merely magnifies what’s on the screen. Digital zoom is a marketing ploy on the part of the camera manufacturers; ignore it. Most optical zooms are 3x, meaning they bring the object three times closer.
- Lens quality & body materials. The lens is as important as the image sensor. A glass lens is always preferable to plastic because the optics are better. Ask which type the camera has, as this could be a deciding factor. Likewise, a higher quality camera will have an aluminum alloy or stainless steel body, which is sturdier than a plastic composite. More cameras are being made of these metals, so it should be easy to find one.
- Start-up time. If you see something precious you want to shoot—your child or dog or even a sunset—you don’t want to wait for your camera to “boot up.” Some cameras are nearly instant on, while some take 3 - 5 seconds to be ready. That might not sound like a lot, but it can make the difference in getting that special shot or missing it.
- Menu. Every digital camera comes with an operating system. You use it by pressing a button on the camera body and navigating through various menus that offer various options for setting the camera (see example pictured at right). Play with the menu to see how easy it is to use before you buy the camera. Some are intuitive and very easy to use; others are torturous. Common items you might need to set using the menu would be red-eye flash vs. regular flash; setting the date/time or language of your camera; and making the self-timer active for a particular photo.
- Presets. Many cameras have “dummy” presets that choose the proper F-stop and shutter speed for a particular type of photo; e.g., if you’re taking photos of your kid’s soccer game, it’ll automatically adjust the settings so it’ll capture movement with minimal blurring. For portraits, it’ll blur the background and use a fill-in flash for the subject. These presets can be remarkably useful.
- Movie feature. Many cameras now have the ability to shoot movie footage, much like a camcorder. If you can get a camera that films in 30 frames per second (fps), the quality will rival that of a camcorder, although the lack of “image stabilization,” which is found in quality camcorders, will result in a bumpier image when you pan or move the camera when following your subject. Still, it’s a nice feature to have if you want to shoot some footage at an event and you don’t have a camcorder with you. Tip: some cheaper or older cameras have a time limit to each video clip of 15 or 30 seconds. Better: movie length that’s limited only by the size of your memory card. Movie files are large and take up a lot of room on the card, so if you’re going to use the camera for this, it’s best to have an extra card with you.
Finally, a word about price: if an off-brand camera is priced ridiculously cheap, there is probably a good reason for it. The picture quality will probably be commensurate with its price. Likewise, paying a lot more for one camera than others in its class might not be smart, either: buying a Sony, for example, will often cost more than other comparably equipped cameras because you’re paying an unnecessary premium for the brand name.
An excellent website resource for digital cameras is steves-digicams.com; he looks under the hood and evaluates each camera. I strongly urge a trip to his website before going to a store. If you do a little homework first, you’ll be a knowledgeable consumer who, in many cases, will know more than the hired help. After perusing this site and others, go to a store, feel and “play” with the cameras to see which you like best. The proof of a good camera in the end is the quality of the photos it takes. Take a few pictures in the store with different cameras and see how they look. You soon may find yourself bitten by the shutter bug.
If you’re interested in learning more about digital photography and would like to see Anshei run a program on this topic, please send an email to Terry at .
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