[tags]digital camera, powershot, canon, sd800, sd700, digital photograpy[/tags]

I’ve been very happy with my digital camera, the Canon PowerShot SD700 IS. I’m so happy with this digicam, in fact, that I’m aiming to sell it. Why?! Because I’m ready to upgrade to the latest series model (the SD800), and I know that many people would love to own any kind of Canon camera. I had an SD550 and sold that to attain the SD700 IS - so this action is par for the course. If you don’t own a digital camera yet, you’ve really gotta upgrade your lifestyle - because once you see your own snapshots on the screen seconds after shutterbugging, you’ll never go back. Photo print labs are a dying breed, my friends - and I’m not just saying that because I’m trying to offload my compact companion.

One of the first things I do when I get a new digital camera is cover the screen with a transparent film (writeRIGHTs work well when cut to fit). If you don’t do this, you’re going to attract irreversible scratches and nicks. Without a clean LCD screen, the camera won’t be as much fun - and its resale value will decrease. To me, this isn’t an optional move - it’s mandatory. You’ve likely spent a few hundred bucks on the unit, so what’s another $10 for simple protection?

When you get a new camera, plan on upgrading your storage capacity at the same time. Removable media is getting faster and cheaper by the week. 1GB is barely enough anymore! Make sure you’re picking up high-speed media, too - it really does make a difference in certain cases (and certain cameras). I can tell you that my PowerShot only takes “rapid shot” high-quality photos with high-speed SD cards. Plus, if you use your digital camera to shoot video, you can never have enough space. Digital “film” is instantly renewable.

Read the manual. Believe me, it always helps. I realize you think you’re too good to do that - but most of your questions can be answered simply by flipping through a few pages. In some instances, the manuals will give you general digital photography tips - like mastering the rule of thirds. And if that doesn’t sound like much of a tip, you’ve either (a) never bothered to read a manual, or (b) never thought about geometry in respect to your photographs.

Try not to use your flash. This isn’t easy to do, but your photos may thank you for it in the end. There are times when a flash is necessary (like when you’re outdoors, trying to illumnate a person’s face against a bright backdrop) - but if you can hold your camera steady enough, by hand or with a monopod, the results will be amazing - even on the most basic of cameras.

I dunno… do y’all have any other interesting, simple digital camera tips to share?