Your old digital camera is on its last leg.
You've carried it everywhere and it has served you well, but it's time for an upgrade. You've heard a lot about digital SLR cameras and decide to give them a look.
You're confronted with a variety of camera models and a huge range in price: you can pay anywhere from $500 to $5,000 for a new digital SLR.
You decide to stick to the cameras that cost less than $1,000 and you carefully budget out the amount you are willing to spend.
But here's the gotcha: the cost of your new digital SLR can exceed the price of camera and lens alone.
Welcome to the hidden costs of digital SLR cameras.
Memory Cards
Many compact digital cameras come packaged with a memory card to get you started - digital SLRs don't.
At the same time that you order your camera, you'll also have to order a memory card to store your photos.
The size and cost of the card that you need is directly proportional to the number of megapixels your camera has: the more megapixels, the more storage.
A 512 MegaByte card is the bare minimum for most digital SLRs, while 1 GigaByte will give you plenty of space, even for an extended vacation.
HIDDEN COST: $30 to $50
Batteries
Digital SLR cameras eat batteries like you wouldn't believe.
Every photo you take engages the camera's internal processor, writes the photo to the memory card and displays an image on the LCD.
While modern rechargeable batteries last through hundreds of shots, they also take hours to charge.
If you are having a party and your battery dies, everyone will be long gone by the time your camera is ready to take more photos.
A spare battery ensures that your digital SLR camera always has power, even if the primary battery runs out.
HIDDEN COST: $50
Hard Drives
A memory card is only temporary storage solution for your digital photos.
In order to be preserved, you need to copy photos from the camera to your computer's hard drive.
Again, the amount of space you need is directly proportional to the number of megapixels in your camera.
Take stock of just how much available space you have on your hard drive before you complete your digital SLR purchase.
If you've only got a few MegaBytes of unused space, you'll have to consider buying an external hard drive along with your camera.
HIDDEN COST: $150 to $300
Computer Upgrades
This is the stealthiest of the hidden costs associated with your new digital SLR camera.
While your digital SLR is shiny and new, your 5-year-old computer may not be up to the task of displaying all of the photos you take with it.
Beyond hard drive space, your computer also needs enough Random Access Memory (RAM) and computing power to handle the large file sizes created by modern digital SLRs.
While you can copy photos from camera to computer, you may find that viewing and editing them is painfully slow.
Some minor computer upgrades may help you get by, but sometimes the only solution is a brand new computer that is able handle your digital photos.
HIDDEN COST: $100 to $1,000
Chris Roberts dispenses practical plain-English advice and information about digital SLR cameras at the Digital SLR Guide. His 5-week ecourse in digital SLR technique helps beginners get the most out of their digital SLR cameras.
Written By: Chris Roberts
