In deciding which camera to buy for your classroom, ask yourself the following questions:

1. What is my price range?

The first step in finding a camera is deciding how much money you can spend. For around $300 you can find a great camera with lots of bells and whistles: HP Photosmart 720 and the Kodak DX4330 are examples of higher-end cameras with 3x zoom, built-in flash, and LCD panels for previewing shots. However, for most school needs, cameras in the $100 to $200 range, like the Sony Mavica series, are quite adequate.

If you have only $30-$50 to spend, don't think you can't afford a camera. A low-priced model like the Argus 1550 camera is perfect for the classroom. While it doesn't have a zoom lens or an LCD screen, you do get a very sturdy camera that holds up to 80 low-resolution pictures or 8 seconds of video without an external memory card. In high quality mode, the Argus' photos are somewhat grainy when printed, but they still work well when used in multimedia presentations.

2. What features are important for my needs?

By matching your camera to your specific needs, you can make the most of your budget. For example, when I purchased digital cameras for my school, our budget allowed us to buy a single higher end camera. However, after reconsidering our needs, we decided to purchase one middle-of-the-line camera, and 10 low-end cameras. This way, we have both a nice camera to use for photographing school events, and enough general-purpose cameras to use with groups of students.

Here are some features to consider when determining your camera needs:

3. What storage media are required?

Most cameras today use one of three types of media to store photos: Sony Memory Sticks, SmartMedia cards, and the most common format, CompactFlash cards. The media type, however, shouldn't be as important a factor in your camera purchase as much as capacity, price, and overall convenience.

In general, the greater the capacity (i.e. number of photos that can be stored), the more a storage card will cost. Buying a single large capacity card may give you more memory for the dollar, but it may not be the most convenient solution for the class sharing a single camera. Consider instead buying several smaller cards and one or two media readers. This way, once a group finishes taking pictures, they can remove the media card and pass the camera on to the next group! Some cameras, like the Sony Mavica series, can even store photos on regular floppy disks or CD-ROMs, which allow students to load their own disks onto computers without the need for a media reader.

4. What kind of power supply is required?

Batteries may differ in size and price, but the most important consideration in comparing power supplies is battery life. Many cameras still use alkaline AA batteries, which are inexpensive and easy to find. However, digital cameras can be battery hogs, so rechargeable batteries may be a cost-effective alternative. The initial purchase of rechargeable batteries (plus an external charger if your camera doesn't come with one) might be expensive, but it will pay off in the long run. Additionally, it's a good idea to buy two sets of batteries, so that you can keep a charged set handy at all times.