A Revolution in Resolution

By Anita Hamilton and Greg Lindsay

E-mail baby pictures to Grandpa Jim. Edit those corny home movies on your PC. There are lots of reasons to go digital now, but the best one is price. Mattel's NickClick, an entry-level digital camera for kids, is just $70, and digital camcorders have slipped below $1,000. Shopping sites like mysimon.com show prices way under list. With digital imaging becoming so affordable, companies are making it practical too. Home photo printers are easy to use, and video cameras' high-speed FireWire ports move huge video files to your computer fast. The big picture is only getting better: prices keep falling as resolution soars.

--TIPS: MIND YOUR MEGAPIXELS

NUMBERS GAME Resolution is measured in thousands of pixels per inch. For best-quality still pictures, look for 2-megapixel cameras.

RAY OF LIGHT Video cameras with three prisms produce noticeably better colors than those with only a single prism--but they'll cost you.

FINE PRINT Most DV camcorders can capture still images. Make sure still resolution is at least vga (640-by-480 pixels).

--By Anita Hamilton and Greg Lindsay