Submitted by: Gunnar Sommerfeldt via Creative Reporter

Last year, I finally jumped on the technology wave and upgraded my main camera. I use several cameras, but the main one has always been a 35mm Nikon SLR - the most recent one was an F70, which has performed, and still performs, admirably under the worst of conditions. The one thing that has been bothering me is the sheer expense of it, and the difficulties in getting the pictures digitalized. Film, development and processing is not very cost-efficient in using 35mm, unless you do it all yourself.

The point is, I switched to a digital SLR, a D70, and since I know the F70, the switch was painless and simple, after a little fidgeting.

While I was searching for camera, and the equipment I needed to go with it, I was again amazed at what the manufacturers of such things will try to push on me. Endless gadgets (don't misunderstand me here; I love gadgets - when they're useful) with no obvious function to me personally, but I was constantly reassured that THIS was the thing I needed.

Well, I got kind of tired of it all, and decided to look at what it was that I really, really needed to be efficient with my new and wonderful camera. Any digital camera will fit into this, wether it's one of those nifty little compacts, or the more daunting SLRs.

Okay, so you've got your camera. Most of the time, there's a little cable you can use to connect it to your PC, be it USB or Firewire or optical - it's really all the same. The point is to get the pictures from the camera and into your computer - or somebody else's computer of course. What you should do before you leave the store, is check what kind of cable the manufacturer has put into the box, and make sure that your PC can handle it. If your PC doesn't have the necessary ports, make sure you get a cable it can use.

Next, you'll most definately need to upgrade the memory card in the camera. If you can stand to wait a week or so for the card, I recommend buying it online, as that will give you the most value - or storage - for your money. SanDisk have the best cards on the market as far as I'm concerned, with superior speed and accuracy. They also include recovery software, in case your card gets damaged or you accidentally delete your pictures. Images can even be retrieved after a formatting of the card.

How big, you say? Well, I went for the 1GB card when I upgraded. It's a bit too big for most users, but I'd say that you should consider picking up a 512 mb card at least. It'll give you enough space to not have to worry about it (from 150-250 images of good quality) and it's not too expensive either.

This is where my mind usually stops. What else do you really need? Well, nothing. If you've got the camera, the memory card and the cable, you've got the three things you need to get your pictures rolling in. I've assumed you have a PC all the way through here, if you don't then that's another article, I think.

A few little extras that are not exactly necessary, but could be of use;

- Watertight carry-case. Mundane, I know, but can be really handy if you get caught out by the weather. I have been, on many occasions.

- Lens cleaning cloth. Also pretty mundane, but it's usually not included, and you certainly don't want to be rubbing that lens with your sleeve. It won't be pretty.

-Software for your PC. As I said in another article, I use The Gimp. It's free, it's powerful, and anyone who's willing to invest a few hours in learning it (not too many of them needed, I swear) can use it. Edit, crop and play with your photos as much as your heart desires, and then ship them off for printing. Doesn't get any better than that.

Good luck!

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