Making Right Selection

There is a fantastic range of digital cameras available on market. Nonetheless manufacturers focus on their customers and target specific models at certain sectors of market. The table below summarises information, which we have discussed.

Basic camera

A fixed lens camera priced at less than £50 [Or $90 USD] which takes digital images of up to 1 MegaPixel - will be adequate for computer or television screen display.

Party Camera

A compact design camera with a fixed lens – cost up to £150 [Or $280 USD] - taking images of up to 2 MegaPixel - will generate good quality images suitable for printing up to 4 x 5 inches

Holiday Camera

Another compact design but with a 2 – 1 zoom lens and costing between £200 and £400 [$350 - $800 USD] taking images or between 3 and 5 MegaPixel which will be suitable for printing up to 10 x 8 inches

Serious Camera

A SLR style camera with a 5 – 1 zoom lens costing between £600 and £1000 [$1000 - $2000 USD] and producing images of up to 6 MegaPixel which will produce prints of up to 12 x 16 inches

Professional Camera

An SLR camera with interchangeable lenses and costing upwards of £1,500 [Or around $3000 USD], which will take images of up to 8 MegaPixel, which will print to poster size.

SLR stands for Single Lens Reflex. These are cameras, which do not have a separate viewfinder. Rather operator looks through lens of camera. Momentarily before shutter is opened a mirror flicks up and light passing through lens is allowed to hit sensitive surface of camera. In many cases lens at front of camera can be changed for another type. A variation on this presents image as seen by camera in a digital liquid crystal display either on back of camera or through a viewfinder.

Flash. Many of inexpensive cameras will have on board flash – remember that these will only work up to about 10 feet, and they might produce red eye. More expensive cameras will expect user to use an independent external flashgun.

Camera Accessories

Most digital cameras come with interface cables and PC software bundled. So if you have a PC at home or work you can ‘download’ images from your camera to your PC, do basic editing such as removing red eye and delete images you do not want! Your valued images you can store for future generations on CD Rom or another recording medium.

Digital Memory Media

Sometimes known as Smart Card, Compact Flash, Multi Media Card, Memory Stick. These are memory chips on which your images are stored – some people refer to them as digital film. The larger capacity of media, more images it can store. So buy one larger then you need – for now. Images can be deleted from media – but back them up on a CD Rom or DVD before you erase card.

Final Hint – Keep lots of batteries handy. Digital cameras use a lot of power!

2. You'll never have that feeling of pride that comes with truly mastering something.

3. You won't learn to confront your present technical limitations and overcome them. This will mean that you'll learn a lot of new things but your overall level of playing won't become elevated.

4. You'll know about 1007 bits of songs, but if someone asks you to play a song from start to finish, you can't.

Not a pretty picture is it? So what are some things that you can do about it? Here are a few ideas…

1.When learning a new lick or exercise, set a speed goal. Keep practicing lick/exercise until speed goal has been reached. Realise that this can sometimes take weeks, months (or even years!).

2. Learn to enjoy using your self-discipline. Feel proud about yourself every time you follow through and master something.

3. Use visualization. See yourself in your mind's eye becoming a guitar virtuoso. This will help keep you motivated and enthusiastic!

4. Make a commitment to completion. With everything you learn, refuse to quit. Keep working on it until it has been mastered.

I guarantee that if you learn to tap into your self-discipline your guitar playing will improve at an accelerated rate! Of course, if you want to sit on couch watching TV and eating bags of potato chips,dreaming about one day becoming an awesome guitarist, that's cool also!

Copyright 2005 by Craig Bassett. All Rights Reserved.

Craig Bassett (The Guitar Solutions Expert)is a professional guitarist, guitar tutor and author living in Auckland, New Zealand.