RETAIL ROUNDUP:Point, shoot -- memories

Documenting your life continues to get easier as new technology makes digital cameras more simple.

Film cameras are out. Local camera store operators are seeing a steady trend downward in customers buying film cameras, although some still want film for their old ones.

But whether it’s digital or film, people are always going to want cameras.

“People like to capture their life — their life is important, and to be able to capture the essence of their life is important,” said camera salesman Aaron Regnier, who works at Ritz Camera in Fashion Island. “It helps them remember … those moments they hold dear that they may forget as it passes by them in daily life.”

But buying a camera that produces images with the best resolution — measured in megapixels — isn’t necessary for people who want it for family snapshots. Although the typical digital camera produces images with up to six or seven megapixels, some, including a new camera made by Sony, offer 12 megapixels or more.

“On average, the typical consumer only uses about four, maybe five, megapixels,” Regnier said.

That said, if you’re planning to print large copies of the photos, it could be wise to go with a camera with more megapixels.

Digital cameras are sold at a variety of retailers, including Longs Drugs, Circuit City and other stores, but specialty shops like Cal’s Cameras can be a godsend for anyone with technical questions.

The Costa Mesa shop has been family owned and operated since 1962, and the majority of people who work there have been in the business for 15 to 20 years, Stilley said. But the added expertise doesn’t necessarily tack on more to the price tags.

“We have a deeper selection, and we’re extremely knowledgeable,” Stilley said. “Plus we have all the accessories you need to go along with the camera. Our prices are competitive — in this crazy business you have to be.”

At Cal’s, the most popular cameras include the Canon Powershot digital cameras, which start at about $150 for the most basic camera. The most popular of the series can cost about $300.

If you’re looking for a little more camera, check out Nikon’s D40X, which costs about $800 at Cal’s Camera. Casio has also come out with a popular camera. Its super-thin designer series costs about $300.

At Ritz Cameras, the most popular models are the Canon SD1000, which is priced at $299, and the Canon Rebel XTI single-lens reflex camera, which costs about $900.

Be wary of a camera that is very inexpensive — it could be too good to be true, Regnier said.

“If you’re looking for the best price for what you’re going to get, that’s probably the Olympus 230 — it’s nice and small with seven megapixels,” Regnier said. The camera goes for about $200.

Size has become a major factor in camera purchases, Stilley said.

Customers like the cameras small and the liquid crystal display screens large, which means a camera case is essential.

“Every day I have people come in with broken LCD screens — always buy a case,” Stilley advised.

Other important extras include an second battery and memory card.

So you’ve taken as many photos as your memory card will hold, now what?

“Digital cameras are great, but most of the time you take 300 pictures and then they just sit in the computer,” Stilley said. “People are not printing pictures like they did with film.”

Sometimes that’s because of technical issues, others because of time, Regnier said. Many manufacturers sell photo-specific printers, but Regnier and Stilley suggested printing pictures at a store. Despite printer prices being relatively reasonable — Regnier said a printer can cost anywhere from $130 to $250 — the ancillary products can prove continually expensive.

“It’s a little bit easier to work with and we have all the good paper, ink and all the settings to make sure they’re correct,” Regnier said. “The printers, they’re being sold, but rarely…. One things you’ll notice is that the ink isn’t cheap … and printing pictures, you go through it fast.”

For those who don’t want to do it at home, there are five kiosks at Cal’s Camera for printing high-quality pictures.

Ritz Camera has a similar setup. If you don’t want to do it yourself, Stilley will take a customer’s memory card and print it on Kodak paper just as if it were a film camera. Each print costs 29 cents if you print yourself, 59 cents if the store does it.

The bottom line is to do your research. Regnier suggests looking at www.dpreview.com, an independent news and information source, for reliable camera reviews.