By David Gewirtz
We're getting more and more letters. Some are easy to answer, while others take time. This week, we had a specific question about a specific camera that took quite some time to answer. We'll also talk about photography as a career and we'll come back once again to the ever-hoppin' topic of batteries.
When your camera can't hold the date or time
Dennis Fouse wrote:
My Fujifilm 3800 will not hold the date/time info when changing batteries even though the book says it should hold it for 6 hours. Is there an internal battery that needs changed?
Now, while I'd like to take credit for knowing everything (and I do take that credit, every chance I get, but for some reason no one really buys it!), no one here at Connected Photographer had any experience with this particular camera.
It took a few weeks, but with some help from the great PR guys at Text 100 (Fujifilm's public relations agency), we got the following official answer:
There is a battery on the circuit board that is supposed to maintain this info. If the info does not stay, it needs to be replaced. So the consumer would need to send it in for service...have them call 800-800-Fuji to get details for where they can send it in.
We passed this information along to Dennis, who seemed a bit resigned in his reply:
Thanks so much for the information. I thought there must be an internal battery but didn't expect to have to send it in for replacement. Oh well.
Stay tuned. We've got another battery-related question further down.
Becoming a professional
Young Nitesh wants to know about becoming a professional photographer:
I am 16 years old and am really excited about buying my first digital camera. My budget is 300 U.S. dollars. With your experience can you suggest a suitable brand and model? My ambition is to be a professional photographer. Hoping for an early reply.
Nitesh, first I want to tell you I'm glad you're going into photography. There's a lot of fun (and a good living to be had) in this area.
Now, let's talk about your budget. Most professional photographers are going to want to use an SLR. If you're not sure what an SLR is, read "What's an SLR?" at http://www.connectedphotographer.com/issues/issue200404/00001275001.html.
I did a quick search of eBay and found some digital SLRs under $700 (which, frankly, astounded me). But you're not going to need just the camera. With an SLR, you're going to need lenses and more, which will boost your cost quite measurably -- into the thousands of dollars, at minimum.
On the other hand, you can find some very nice consumer cameras at under $300 -- I tend to be partial to the Canon and Casio cameras.
So, really the question is just what you mean by professional photographer, what you're ready for now, and just how much money you can throw at this?
If you're just starting to take pictures, get a much more inexpensive non-SLR digital camera. Here's a good article that will help you choose:
http://www.connectedphotographer.com/issues/issue200410/00001417001.html.
Use that inexpensive camera to develop your skill with color, composition, light, and subject. Then, when you've got a really good portfolio (and, possibly, a few customers for simple shoots), you might want to try your hand at a more expensive camera.
One last idea that's very old-school: there are a lot of great, used film SLRs to be had for bargain-basement prices, along with lens collections. You might want to dig around your area or on eBay for those and learn to shoot like the old-timers. The only downside: film developing can cost serious bank.
Good luck!
What's the lifespan for digital batteries?
Reader Bonnie B's husband wants to know some battery basics as well:
Can you give me an idea on how long proprietary batteries for digital lasts? I mean what's their lifespan?
I'm using a Sony DSC-P3 for more than 3 years now that uses AA-size metal-hydride rechargeable batteries, but my wife thinks it is about time that we upgrade to one of those ultra compact digital cameras by Casio (Exilim series), Panasonic (Lumix) or Sony (T-series). However most of them use proprietary batteries and if the new unit lasts as long as my old Sony, will the battery last as long?
With rechargeable rechargeable AAs, I just buy new ones when needed.
That's not a simple question to answer. Each battery technology is different. NiCads, for example, lose time as they age. Lithium Ion batteries are somewhat better. A good rule of thumb, though, is that the newer the battery and the product it works with, the longer they'll last since battery technology has gotten much better over the last few years.
Another good approach is to read reviews of the camera you're thinking of buying. Even if two cameras use exactly the same battery, the circuitry inside one camera might use more juice than the other, so the reviews will be the best way for you to learn about which cameras are best.
Just speaking personally, the two digital cameras my wife and I use most often are quite good when it comes to holding a charge. She's got a Casio and I've got a Canon Digital Rebel.