If you’ve got a Nikon Coolpix P90 you’ve got the ability to grab some extra batteries so you don’t run low on juice.

Now available is the High Power replacement battery for the Nikon Cooplix P90.  At less than 9 bucks a piece you can grab a handful to have as spares.

The physical design of the camera is not everything. Admit it, consumers always fall for the physical aesthetics, I being one of them.  Just because a camera is small, sleek and eye-catching, doesn’t mean it will perform well.

Know your budget. If you are an average photographer with minimal interest in photography, then a $100-299 camera will probably do just fine for you. If you have a passion for photography and are very particular about your shots, then you should look for a $300-900 camera.   If you consider yourself a professional photographer, the price options are limitless.

How many megapixels? The quality of the photos is the number one query of most camera buyers. A 6 megapixel camera is sufficient for average users with a very slim budget.

What capacity memory card that will work best for you? To get a sense of the capacity you will need, ask yourself some questions about your lifestyle. How often do you take pictures, and how many pictures do you take when you do take pictures?  If you take a lot of pictures at a time, then you will want a higher capacity memory card.  When and where do you take pictures?  If you go on extended vacations then you will want higher capacity as well and you may want to consider back-up memory for your camera.

Keep yourself in track with sales and promotions. Almost all gadget stores have model year end sales when new models are about to come out. As with many electronic items you can strike the best deal when you are not rushing to make a purchase.

When buying discounted digital cameras, set a budget ceiling and stick to it. However, do not compromise quality and warranty for a cheaper deal.

Here are some additional points that you may want to consider:

If you are not a professional, but still want to have latest technology on digital cameras then ask yourself these questions to help you find the right one for you.

Does size matter? The size of the camera is an important factor for most buyers.  In most cases, preference is the smaller the camera, the better.

Do you want a camera with a good LCD monitor size? It’s always safe to get a camera with an average size of LCD monitor for this gives you a peek to the photos you have taken.

Does the camera feature digital zoom? Does the camera support manual focus?

How often do you take pictures? Do you store photos in your camera? Remember to check the size of the internal and external memory of the camera before buying. If the memory is not enough, you can purchase additional memory sticks or large capacity memory sticks.

Can you set your own shutter speed? Setting the shutter speed controls the exposure of the picture.  You may not be interested in this now but you may be later so this is a good feature to have.

Can you set you own aperture? The aperture setting controls the size of the shutter opening.  Like the shutter speed, this is an advanced feature, which you may want to experiment with down the road.

Does your camera have video features? Videos are great fun, and like most functionality, you might find you use it all the time once you have it!

How much does the camera weigh?   Look for a camera that is easy to handle and light.

Inject some practicality when spending your money. Hype is not everything. Just because a certain digital camera brand is getting all the attention in the media, does not mean you have to have it. Know what you want and what you need. It only takes a few hours to make a research and comparison of brands. Then you can get a cheaper digital camera brand that can reflect you and your personality.

Point and Shoot lovers can find an insane amount of value in the Nikon Coolpix P90.  The P90 has a host of features that rival much more expensive DSLR units, at a fraction of the price.  Learn more about the Nikon Coolpix P90.

The most important, and delicate, component of your digital camera is the camera lens. This serves as your window to the world, and once scratched it will require professional intervention to fix. For this reason, it is imperative that you protect the lens. First of all, when you are not taking photos your lens cap should always be on to keep the lens clean. Do not touch the lens directly with your finger. The oils left behind by your skin will be difficult to remove, making the view blurry at best. If your lens should get dusty or dirty, use a cleaner and cloth made specifically for cleaning camera lenses.

The body of your camera should also be kept clean and free of debris. Keep the camera in a case or pouch when not in use. If it should get dirty, wipe it down with a soft dry cloth. If you camera has an LCD panel, it is acceptable to breath lightly on it to add slight bit of moisture before wiping it down with a soft cloth.

Digital cameras should be kept dry. Most cameras are not waterproof, and should not be in situations where they could be submerged in liquid or even splashed. If your camera should get wet, it is a good idea to turn it off, remove the battery, and remove the memory card. Leave the camera out to air dry for one to two days. At that time if the camera is not functioning properly you will need to contact a professional repair company or the manufacturer for advice.

In general, your camera will do best if stored in mild, dry conditions. Extreme temperatures can be damaging so try not to leave your camera in your car or any super sunny locations. Another good idea is to save the silica gel packets that come with many purchases to prevent moisture damage, and place them in the drawer or container where your camera is stored. If you plan to store your camera for a long period of time without use, you should first remove the battery from the camera. This precaution will prevent damage in case the battery should leak.

Finally, if you are planning to take photos in a location where you believe there will be a higher risk of damage from water or soil or other conditions purchase a disposable camera and leave your digital at home. Better safe than sorry.

Maintaining your equipment is part of the investment.  Simple cleaning and maintenance can make sure you get the most enjoyment and life from your digital camera.

The Nikon Coolpix P90 is a 12 Megapixel Inteliigent Digital Camera with features previously only found on more expensive, bulkier and more difficult to use Digital SLR cameras.

I have historically found point and shoot cameras, while easy to use, disappointing when it comes to features.

That is, until now.  The Coolpix P90 has changed my mind, with a feature set that seriously rivals a modest to high end DSLR, this point and shoot camera can easily replace most consumers SLRs and DSLRs.

One of the most revolutionary features is the smart portrait system, which detects your subjects face, smile, and can tell you if they blinked when you took the photo.

A sweet 3 inch LCD display is bright, vivid, and easy to see in any lighting conditions.  The electronic viewfinder also aids in taking great photos and positioning your shots.

One of the greatest features is the Nikon 4 way VR image stabilization, making fuzzy pictures pretty much a thing of the past.  Motion detection, High ISO capability, Best Shot Selection and the absolute wealth of image enhancement features make this camera a great choice for anyone who wants to get quality images without a lot of technical fuss.

Nikon Coolpix P90 Product Description

What the macro setting on your camera essentially does is focus on a very small area.  The background often appears unfocused to further bring out your intended subject.  Getting in close to capture all the detail of a small object is nearly impossible with the regular setting on a camera.  Anything closer than about three feet becomes blurred.  The macro setting changes the distance your camera will be able to focus and often allows you to take clear pictures from as close as two or three inches.

This camera mode allows for a lot of experimenting.  Try taking a picture of a bee sitting on a flower petal or a close-up of frost on the window.  You will be amazed at the details brought out.  You will be able to almost feel the furriness of the bee and the ice crystals are beautiful.

If you are planning to sell at online auctions, a macro setting on your camera will help with taking better pictures–and better pictures help with sales.  You can take close-up photos of such objects as stamps and coins, show the engraving on an object or allow a viewer to see that a piece of jewelry is flawless.

Don’t save your photo taking for big events exclusively.  Take a walk and notice the little things like the pattern on a tree trunk or an ant carrying a bread crumb twice his size.  There are interesting photos everywhere once you start to look, and the macro mode on your digital camera is the perfect tool for capturing them.

The white balance is a sensor that analyzes the lighting conditions and colors of a scene and adjusts so the white in the picture appears white.  This helps insure the other colors appear as natural as possible. This is one advantage digital photography has over tradition film.  With film, you buy with a certain lighting condition in mind.  If that changes, you need to either change your film or hope you can fix any errors in post-production.

Most digital cameras allow you to use either automatic white balance or choose between several preset conditions such as full sun, cloudy day and so forth.  Automatic white balance will work in most conditions.  There may be times, however when you want to “warm” up a picture to enhance the color, such as for portraits or sunsets.  The best way to do this is  set your camera’s white balance to “cloudy”.  This will deepen the colors and add a glowing quality to portraits.  It will take a beautiful sunset and enhance it to the point of incredible.

Practice taking the same photo with different white balance settings to get a feel for the changes each setting evokes. Keep notes until you have a good idea of what each setting does.  In time, you will come to automatically sense which setting is best for your particular situation.

White balance is a small setting that can make big changes in your finished photos.  Make it your friend and you will no longer have to worry about faded sunsets or blue snow.

You’ve seen the dreaded demon-eye effect that occurs when the camera flash bounces off the eye of a person or pet.  An otherwise wonderful picture can be ruined by this.  Technically, this is called red-eye and is caused when the pupil of your subject’s eye is wide open and the light from the camera’s flash reflects off the subjects retina.  In people, the color ends up red; in pets, the color is often green.

Many photo editing programs include a red-eye correction filter, but this may not allow your photograph subject to appear “normal.  These filters also do not work on the green effect produced in a pet’s eyes.  Photo stores sell pens that are used to clear up red-eye, but again they are not always natural-looking and do not work on the green.  The best thing is to prevent the demon-eye effect from the start.

It is rare to find a digital camera that does not come with a red-eye reduction feature.  This feature can be turned off or on.  It is best left on in all circumstances other than direct sunlight.  The red-eye reduction feature works by flashing a short burst of light at your subject before you snap the picture.  This burst of light causes the subject’s pupil to close and makes it less likely for the camera’s flash to reflect off the retina. This in turn reduces the chance of red-eye.

It also helps to direct the flash of your camera so it does not directly hit your subject’s eyes.  Bouncing the flash off a nearby wall or other object will soften its effect and reduce the chances of this unwanted malady.  Between bouncing the flash and using your digital camera’s red-eye reduction feature, your little angel, whether human or animal, will have eyes that don’t glow.

The Nikon D40 Digital SLR Camera continues to be a solid value in the DSLR marketplace. With a range of features that blow away the competition, anyone can take great pictures with ease.  The price is also enticing, with most body and lens combos starting in the $400 price range.

Anyone who wants to move beyond the standard point and shoot experience will be more than impressed by the D40 and the great photos it takes.  Add a Nikkor zoom lens and a couple of filters and the Nikon D40 is the only camera you’ll need for years to come.

One of the most frequently asked questions I get is about the number of megapixels needed when purchasing a new camera.  The D40 is capable of taking pictures at a 6.1 megapixel, or 3008 x 2000 resolution, enough to print quality 14 x 19 inch photos.

Product Features

* 6.1-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 14 x 19-inch prints
* Kit includes 3x 18-55mm f3.5-5.6G ED II AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor lens
* 2.5-inch LCD with three display options; built-in flash and hot shoe
* Fast startup with instant shutter response; shoot at up to 2.5 frames per second
* Powered by one rechargeable Li-ion battery EN-EL9 (included); stores images on SD memory cards (memory card not included)

Technical Details

* Image Resolution: 3008×2000 pixels
* Image Resolution: 2,256 x 1,496
* Image Resolution: 1,504 x 1,000
* Storage Media: Secure Digital
* Storage Media: SDHC
* Compressed Format: DPOF
* Compressed Format: EXIF 2.21
* Compressed Format: Compliant DCF 2.0
* Focal Length: 1.5 times lens focal length
* Focus Mode: Single Area AF
* Focus Mode: Dynamic Area AF
* Focus Mode: Dynamic Area AF with Closest Subject Priority
* Optical Viewfinder: Fixed-eyelevel penta-Dach mirror type
* LCD Monitor: 2.5-inches

Nikon D40 Highlights

Extraordinary Nikon image quality The D40’s high-resolution image quality is made possible by Nikon’s high-performance 6.1 megapixel Nikon DX format CCD imaging sensor and exclusive Nikon image processing engine which assures stunning sharpness and color.

Easy operation with intuitive controls Intuitive controls make the D40 point-and-shoot simple, enabling even first-time SLR users to capture beautiful memories perfectly.

Nikon’s smallest digital SLR ever At just over 16 ounces, the beautifully styled and compact D40 makes high-performance digital SLR photography easier and more convenient than ever.

The D40 is capable of shooting 2.5 frames per second

Fast startup with instant shutter response: Fast startup combined with super-fast shutter response and rapid-action shooting at up to 2.5 frames per second makes it easy to freeze special moments instantly.

Includes 3x 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor lens Designed exclusively for use with Nikon DX-format digital SLRs, this ultra-compact 3x zoom offers Nikkor sharpness and versatility in a wide variety of shooting situations.

Shoot at up to 2.5 frames per second The D40 can fire continuously at a speed of up to 2.5 frames per second, capturing high-quality action sequences of children in sporting activities such as soccer, baseball and much more.

2.5-inch color LCD monitor with 3 colorful display options Playback images are easy to see, and function menus are easier to use with a larger and brighter color LCD monitor. The large 2.5-inch LCD monitor enables image preview at up to 19 times magnification and has large type fonts and easy-to-view menus as well as three all-new display options: Classic, Graphic and Wallpaper.

High-performance 6.1-megapixel Nikon DX format CCD imaging sensor Nikon’s DX format CCD image sensor delivers vivid color and sharp detail, great for making beautifully detailed enlargements of 16 x 20 inches and beyond. High resolution also provides room for creative cropping.

In-camera editing functions include red-eye removal

In-camera image editing Highly versatile in-camera editing features include Nikon D-Lighting, Red-Eye Correction, Image Trimming, Image Overlay, Monochrome (Black and White, Sepia and Cyanotype) along with Skylight, Warm Tone and Color Balance filter effects. These features provide greater creative freedom without the need for a computer, for those who prefer to send pictures directly to a printer.

New advanced HELP menu system with Assist Images The D40’s newly introduced “assist images” help you select the appropriate settings for many camera features by showing an example image typical of that setting as well as an advanced HELP Menu for the current item selected. The D40’s Question Mark icon (?) indicates that help is available for the currently selected item; just press the help button beside the LCD monitor to see a context sensitive help page.

Fast, accurate 3-area Autofocus The D40’s advanced 3-area AF system and the refined algorithms inherited from more advanced Nikon digital SLR cameras deliver fast, efficient and precise autofocus. AF refinements deliver greater precision with fast, more consistent subject acquisition and improved focus tracking for consistently sharper pictures.

Enjoy easy in-camera optimization

Image Optimization Options The D40’s Image Optimize setting lets photographers adjust color, contrast and sharpening as well as other image settings according to the type of scene or output desired. Settings include: Normal, Softer, Vivid, More Vivid, Portrait, Custom and Black and White, each of which are automatically adjusted based on sophisticated Nikon algorithms or user-selected settings for optimum results.

Built-in Speedlight with i-TTL automatic flash control Nikon’s innovative i-TTL flash control evaluates flash exposure with incredible precision to achieve better automatic flash balance and deliver outstanding results. The built-in Speedlight is always at the ready and brings beautiful exposures in darkened conditions as well as adding sparkle for fill flash in outdoor situations for enhanced twilight shots or an added impact to daylight images.

Bright, accurate SLR viewfinder A large viewfinder makes composition easier, and overall viewfinder brightness makes focusing in low-light photography possible. Its bright and sharp viewfinder, with 0.8x magnification, ensures precise composition.

Automatic exposure with 8 Digital-Vari Program Modes Eight Digital Vari-Program Modes include: Auto Flash-OFF, Portrait, Landscape, Child, Sports, Close Up or Night Portrait, each of which adjusts automatically for optimal results under varied conditions.

Nikon 3D Color Matrix Metering II The D40’s 3D Color Matrix Metering II evaluates each scene for brightness, color, contrast, size and position of shadows and highlights, selected focus area and camera-to-subject distance, comparing that information against an onboard database of more than 30,000 actual photographic scenes.

The bottom line is that the Nikon D40 DSLR is a solid choice for consumers and pro-sumers alike.  The legendary Nikon quality shines through with every photo you take.  The wealth of accessories and ability to use Nikkor lenses and a range of filters make this a suitable camera for a wide range of uses.

Find Out More about the Nikon D40 Digital SLR Camera

When choosing the most logical size, take into account how many pictures you usually take at a time. Your needs if you are a world traveler will be different from those of a person who only uses a camera for holiday get-togethers. You also need to decide how big the files are of the pictures you take. Smaller files such as pictures for online will take less space and enable you to fit more on a card. Larger files for printing will need more room.

If you have a 2 mega-pixel camera, 128MB is usually enough. For a 3 or 4-megapixel
camera, a 128MB or 256MB memory card is usually plenty. For a 5-megapixel camera, start with a 256MB memory card.

Here’s a rough guideline of how many pictures a flash memory card can hold:

*A 128MB flash memory card can store about 21-41 large, uncompressed images or up to 100 small, compressed images. This is good enough for most photographic needs.

*A 256MB card will store about twice that, 42-82 large pictures and nearly 200 smaller ones. Important events like weddings and once in a lifetime events might warrant this size just to make sure you don’t miss that one special moment.

A 1GB card has room for nearly 4 times as much as a 256MB card, If you are planning a long vacation with a lot of picture taking, this might be best with the capacity to hold 168-328 large images and a total of close to 800 smaller images.

Whatever you decide, remember you can always use several smaller cards and just change them when they are full. It only takes a few seconds to switch memory cards, so don’t panic if you don’t have a large memory card.

Automatic Mode — A setting that sets the focus, exposure and white-balance automatically.

Burst Mode or Continuous Capture Mode — a series of pictures taken one after another at quickly timed intervals with one press of the shutter button.

Compression — The process of compacting digital data, images and text by deleting selected information.

Digital Zoom — Cropping and magnifying the center part of an image.

JPEG — The predominant format used for image compression in digital cameras

Lag Time — The pause between the time the shutter button is pressed and when the camera actually captures the image

LCD — (Liquid-Crystal Display) is a small screen on a digital camera for viewing images.

Lens — A circular and transparent glass or plastic piece that has the function of collecting light and focusing it on the sensor to capture the image.

Megabyte — (MB) Measures 1024 Kilobytes, and refers to the amount of information in a file, or how much information can be contained on a Memory Card, Hard Drive or Disk.

Pixels — Tiny units of color that make up digital pictures. Pixels also measure digital resolution. One million pixels adds up to one mega-pixel.

RGB — Refers to Red, Green, Blue colors used on computers to create all other colors.

Resolution — Camera resolution describes the number of pixels used to create the image, which determines the amount of detail a camera can capture. The more pixels a camera has, the more detail it can register and the larger the picture can be printed.

Storage Card — The removable storage device which holds images taken with the camera, comparable to film, but much smaller. Also called a digital camera memory card…

Viewfinder — The optical “window” to look through to compose the scene.

White Balance — White balancing adjusts the camera to compensate for the type of light (daylight, fluorescent, incandescent, etc.,) or lighting conditions in the scene so it will look normal to the human eye.