How To Gain The Best Price Possible
When Retail Shopping For
Camera Based Products.
Retail camera sales can be a somewhat competitive retail area indeed. Profit margins can be quite low on individual cameras dependant mainly on the age of the stocked product itself. Older stock will be closer to cost, 5% - 10%, and newer stock will be mostly further above cost, 10% - 20%. And as always, as I am sure you have started to realize, the real profits for retail stores are in the accessory add-on items, profit margins of 50% - 1000% percent and a lot more apply to most of these type of products. Camera bags, memory cards, extra lenses and filters, cleaning equipment, cabling, batteries, chargers and warranties, this list can become virtually endless. So it is absolutely essential that you shop around for the best value on all the extra items you will need when you are planning to buy your camera. And once you have found your best value always again negotiate the price by asking for and getting further discounts.
A good salesman can have a real field day when it comes to cameras, because as with most technology based consumer products, the customer is just not fully educated in exactly what they are buying. A salesperson given this opportunity will sell you exactly the camera they want with all the add-ons they will say you need. So you really need to plan ahead.
Product knowledge as always should be a customers first priority.
So lets start...
The Things You Need to Know Before You Buy A Digital Camera.
Digital cameras come in a huge variety of sizes, colors, brands, zooms, resolutions, playbacks, etc. There are so many features and capabilities that are being built into cameras today that buyers, especially first timers, can become overwhelmed with the outstanding array of available choices.
So what are the features you need to look for if you want to buy a digital camera? To be able to answer this, there are 2 sets of information you really have to consider.
The first is defining what YOU need and want in a digital camera. To do this, you have to ask yourself the following questions:
- What pictures do you want to take with your digital camera? Before you buy a digital camera, it is important to simply determine what kind of pictures you want to take with it. For example if you are a digital photography enthusiast, any digital camera will just not do. You will have to look for a camera with the features that will support the zooming you need, the resolution, etc.
- How much is your budget? This is a very important question any person who intends to buy a digital camera should ask themselves. Because no matter what your needs and wants are for this type of device, your budget will play a huge part in dictating the type of digital camera you can afford.
- What are your financial resources? When you buy a digital camera, most times the spending will not just end there. You will need to consider camera bags, memory cards, extra lenses and filters, cleaning equipment, batteries and warranties. You may also even have to consider the capacity and power of the computer and the printer you will be connecting your camera into for your photo editing and printing.
After answering these 3 questions, the second set of information you need to consider before you buy a digital camera are the features that you will need.
These are:
- Resolution: Before you buy a digital camera, first check its capacity to produce high quality photo images. The number of pixels indicated determines the photos resolution. The higher number of pixels, the higher the resolution, which allows photos to be enlarged without losing any image quality and/or clarity.
- Memory: Digital cameras need additional memory cards for picture storage. And different camera brands take different memory card types and the price of the memory card itself can also change depending on what type it is. Most cameras have some volume of built-in memory included but it is always small and is only used as a backup memory or a test memory. For example you run out of space on your memory card you will be able to use the built-in memory to take those extra needed shots.
- Look and feel: It is essential for you to feel comfortable holding your digital camera while shooting. So, before you buy a digital camera, it is always good to test and check if you are comfortable holding it and using it. Carefully consider where all the buttons are located and how they are spaced out because you will always want easy and quick finger access.
- Battery Life and Type: Cheaper based cameras use AA batteries and more expensive cameras mostly use lithium-ion. (This is one of the features which most times defines a cameras retail store price.) Both these battery types have different life spans dependant on the camera they are used in. So it is important to know how many shots you will get before you will need to change or recharge your battery.
- The LCD Screen: This is the screen located on the back of a digital camera that allows you to preview the pictures you are about to take or have already taken. This feature really has to be considered when you buy a digital camera because the screen can use up a lot of battery power dependant mainly on the size of the screen itself. So if you like a camera with a really large screen do make sure that it also has a viewfinder, as you can turn the screen off with some models and then you can just use the viewfinder alone, thus really conserving your battery life.
- Certain Special features: These should be considered also, for example if you want your camera to have excellent zooming capabilities, you will need a camera with a high optical zoom lens. If you want the very best quality of photo you may have to consider a precision optical lens. If you regularly wear glasses a diopter adjustment on the digital cameras viewfinder will be beneficial. These are only a few examples of some of the special features that are available so do your research and always consider your own needs perfectly.
If you would like some further information about the topics that have just been discussed, here are 2 really informative website links.
And you can also download this free ebook which explains the complete
A-Z of Digital Photography. (Simply Right Click & Save On The Link Below.)
And What About Digital Video Cameras?
The Things You Need to Know Before You Buy A Digital Video Camera.
Digital Video Cameras.
These type of video cameras come in 3 different types. Tape, Disc and Hard Drive. Each has there own positives and negatives so again it is best to do your research thoroughly on which type will best suit your video shooting needs.
- MiniDV Cameras: These type of cameras use tape as there recording media and each camera tape will record from 60 to 90 minutes of video depending on the quality of recording mode you are using. And remember if you plan to download your shot video straight to your computer, make sure that you have a firewire connection available, because you won't be able to download any footage without it.
- DVD Camcorders: Records to an 8cm DVD and it will record approximately 30 minutes per DVD side on its best picture quality setting. DVD camcorders are a really good option if you don't plan to edit any of your footage, because if you do it may become a hassle when you go to extract the video footage from the DVD itself for editing.
You can download a free ebook provided by CNET which provides some really good information on MiniDV & DVD Camcorders. (Simply Right Click & Save On The Link Below.)
- Hard Drive Cameras: This camera type is the most popular and the most convenient. It has become very affordable recently due to more brand competition in the market which is great news for consumers. The storage space on these units can be massive. They are ultra lightweight and compact. And the features that are built-in to these units can also be amazing. It is the latest technology so it is clearly expected that the quality and the features included would be the best. And what I really love about hard drive cameras, is that when you want to download to your computer you can connect simply via USB. Plain, simple and very easy. They are a great convenient product for today's busy lifestyle.
The JVC Everio was the world's first hard disk drive camcorder, and now it's available in a wider variety to match your every need. JVC Everio G camcorders let you shoot DVD-quality video without a second thought.
You Can Visit The JVC Website & View A Digital Presentation Of JVC's Everio Hard Drive Products In Action..
Camcorder Value Tips:
Just Simply Ignore Digital Zoom
- Digital zoom is just the video cameras ability to magnify pixels in an image. You don't get a real time close up shot with digital zoom, all you get is just an enlarged version of an already existing image. Optical zoom is the feature that really counts because this is what allows you to manually control the zoom capabilities on the camera itself.
Megapixels Just Don't Matter In A Camcorder
- Megapixel ratings on a camcorder just do not matter because they only relate to the quality of the still photo images the camcorder can take. If you are really interested in gaining the best quality of video image, simply look for how many chips or types of sensors are located within the camcorder. For example a CCD which provides better color separation. And a CMOS which is an active pixel sensor.
Low Light Performance
- You should always find out how well a digital video camera will perform under lower light conditions. Because I am certain you won't be always using it in bright light conditions. A good video camera should always work well under both types of lighting conditions.
Be Sure The Video Camera Really Fits You As An Individual.
- It's essential to make sure the camera you are buying just simply fits YOU. Are you able to hold the camera steady while shooting? Does the video camera fit comfortably into your hand? Are the camera's control buttons well placed with quick and easy access for your fingers?
Image Stabilization
- Most digital video cameras contain some form of image stabilization. However the quality of this feature can vary from camera to camera. This image stabilization quality will become a key factor in the way your shots look when you shoot a video without using a tripod and also when you use the optical zoom to its higher capabilities because any little shakes will be magnified in the finished videos image on playback.
Definitely Buy a Tripod
- If you buy a digital video camera, you will also absolutely need to buy a tripod also. There is no other accessory, outside of a longer life battery, that will improve and enhance your video recording experience.
And If You Want Even More Information!
The Dpreview website provides a vast resource of camera information.
Would you like to know how to make your very own film?
And here is a Free eBook Download about Making Money with Photography. (Simply Right Click & Save On The Link Below)
* Did You Know These Absolute Facts?
- You will always get the best price when you shop online!
- There are no offline retail technology stores that can compete with online prices!
So Do You Want
The Best Value Online Digital Camera and Digital Video Camcorder Deals?
If you are in The USA, Australia, Canada, The UK, France, Germany or in just about any other country in the entire world and you just want the best technology prices online then I recommend you visit TigerDirect.
