Hardware, software, and other accessories

In addition to the camera itself, digital photography involves some peripheral hardware and software, not the least of which is a fairly powerful computer for viewing, storing, editing, and printing your images. You need a machine with a robust processor, at least 256MB of RAM, and a big hard drive with lots of empty storage space. The least you can expect to spend on such a system is about $400.

Getting your images from computer to paper requires an additional investment. If you have your pictures printed at a retail photofinishing lab, the cost per print is equal to or sometimes lower than what you pay for film prints. For do-it-yourself printing, printer costs range from about $80 to $700, but you don't need to buy at the high end of that spectrum to get good print quality. Most manufacturers use the same print engine in their low-priced photo printers as they do in their top-of-the-line products, so you can get really great results at a reasonable price. Higher-priced models offer faster output and additional features such as networking capabilities, the option to print directly from a camera memory card, a built-in monitor for previewing images, and the ability to output very large prints.

In addition, you need to factor in the cost of image-editing software, image storage and transfer devices, special paper for printing your photos, camera batteries, and other peripherals. If you're a real photography buff, you may also want to buy special lenses, lights, a tripod, and some other accessories.

Nope, a digital darkroom isn't cheap. Then again, neither is traditional film photography, if you're a serious photographer. And when you consider all the benefits of digital imagery, especially if you do business nationally or internationally, justifying the expense isn't all that difficult. But just in case you're getting queasy, look in Chapters 3, 4, and 9 for more details on the various components involved in digital photography - plus some tips on how to cut budgetary corners.