With all the features refurbished digital cameras have these days, you may find keeping batteries a problem.  This could well be your biggest expense, but there are some things you can do to increase the length of time your batteries stay charged.  Let’s start with the three biggest sources of power drain.

The LCD screen takes up the most power.  It is possible to turn this feature off unless you really feel the need for it.  Using the camera’s viewfinder will conserve power.  Another big power drain is the flash.  Whenever you can, use natural lighting to take your photos and turn off the flash.  This will help save your battery for times when you absolutely need the flash.  A third drain on your battery is constantly using your zoom.  It takes more power zooming in and out than it does keeping your zoom at a steady place.  Try to find a setting you like and sticking with it as much as possible.

Some other things you can do to make your battery last longer are:

1. Make sure Power Saving mode is on, or simply switch off your camera when you’re not using it.
2. In cold weather, keep your camera and batteries warm in your jacket until you are ready to use them. The cold drains batteries very quickly.
3. Store batteries in a cool, dry location away from sunlight and other heat sources.
4. Avoid unnecessary playback of your already taken images.  Try to decide when you take the picture if it is a “keeper” or needs deleted and then refrain from reviewing until the pictures are downloaded to your computer.
5. Use the AC adapter. Most refurbished digital cameras have an adapter that allows you to plug directly into a power point.  If you don’t plan on moving around a lot and are near an outlet, the AC adapter will increase the life of your batteries.

Needing to buy more or recharge your battery is something you won’t be able to avoid completely, but with a few precautions this won’t be needed as often.

One of the confusing things in choosing kids digital cameras are deciding how many mega-pixels you should look for.  The answer depends on what you plan on doing with the finished pictures.

First, you need to understand what a pixel is.  In terms of digital prints, a pixel simply means a dot of color that makes up the image.  A mega-pixel is equal to one million pixels.  The more mega-pixels a camera has, the greater the amount of information it records.

The easiest way to decide what to look for especially for your child is to know what size prints you are likely to print from your kids digital cameras.  A one mega-pixel camera is fine for those who don’t plan on printing photos but rather just post them on the internet.  A small print, say 4 x 6, will print acceptably from this camera.

A 2 mega-pixel camera will enable you to produce good quality 5 x 7 prints and fair quality 8 x 10 prints.  When you reach 4 mega-pixels you can print out excellent quality 8 x 10 prints and acceptable 11 x 17 prints and a 5 mega pixel camera will allow you to print out high quality 11 x 17 prints.

Most families find a camera in the 3.2 Mega-pixel ranges to be the best choice for kids, there even less mega pixel available.  The quality of both 5 x 7 and 8 x 10 prints are very good yet the files on your computer are not so large. You need not worry about not having enough space.

Any camera over 5 mega-pixels is unnecessary for all; including your kid but professionals in photography; even then, only those who have need for poster-size prints find that many mega-pixels worth the money.  Most freelance photographers find 4 or 5 mega-pixels to be sufficient for excellent-quality prints.

The choice is yours.  Look to what your kid’s plan on doing with their photos and then decide.

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