How-To: Put Pix in Your Auction

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How-To: Put Pix in Your Auction

Chapter 1.

Get the picture into your computer in digital format.

In order to post images on the Web and use them in auctions, you must, of course, get them into your computer in electronic format. This is accomplished by either scanning an existing photo with a scanner, or using a digital camera or video capture to take a picture that will already be in digital format. Flat objects (such) as small paper items can also be captured by laying them on the scanner and scanning them directly.

Let's look at the different options for getting your images into the computer in electronic format. We'll discuss the pros and cons of each method, and what methods are best for different items. We'll also talk about the cost of each method, and give recommendations for what to buy and where, and lots of links to find more information on the Web.

Click on one of the choices below to learn more, or just scroll down as we cover each option in detail.

Scanners

In the last year, digital cameras have dropped in price, and improved in quality to the point that we would recommend a digital camera as your first choice if you are willing to invest $200 to $600. (Don't forget, this will be deductible from your selling profits as a business expense if you use it primarily for online sales -- check with your tax advisor).

If you need pictures of items that are not flat and small (scanner material), and you don't already have a video camera (that you could use with an inexpensive video capture device.) a digital camera will be your best bet. For all around versatility and ease of use, a digital camera is likely to be your best bet even if you already have a video camera.

How much you will need to spend will depend on the items you are photographing. If you are taking closeups of small items such as jewelry, watches or coins, you will need a camera with close-up capability, and these cost more.

Here are the four most important things to evaluate when looking for a digital camera.

Resolution: You don't need high resolution for images to be viewed on the Web. The average resolution of a computer screen is about 72 pixels (dots) per inch. A 640 by 480 image would take up an entire average computer screen, so you definitely don't need more resolution than this. You can pay extra to get a camera that will shoot at a higher resolution, which would be good for printing family snapshots, but if you want a camera for web pictures, all that resolution will just be wasted because you will need to reduce the size of your picture for effective web viewing.
File Type: Most digital cameras these days store images in industry standard "JPEG" format. This is the best format for web photographs, and can be read by almost all imaging software you are likely to use. Some cameras still use their own "proprietary" format, and we recommend that you stay away from those.
Storage Medium and Transfer to Computer: Make sure you understand how the camera will connect to your computer. You need to connect the camera to your computer in order to transfer the images. There are several ways to make this connection.
- Cameras can be connected through either the serial or the parallel port. A parallel interface transfers several bits of information concurrently. A serial interface sends one bit at a time.
- You can also connect the camera through a flash or PCMCIA interface. That is the small card that plugs into many computers, mostly laptops. If your computer is a desktop unit, or a laptop more than a few years old, you probably don't have a place to insert the PCMCIA card, so this type of interface is worthless. On the other hand, if your computer does have a place for a PCMCIA card, it can be very convenient.
- Digital cameras can also be connected via the SCSI port. "Small Computer System Interface", pronounced scuzzy, is a hardware interface that allows up to seven or 15 peripheral devices to be connected to a single expansion board. SCSI transfers data at a rate of 5MB per second, SCSI-2 at 10-20MB/second. This will probably require to install a special card in your computer.
- You can also transfer your digital images without actually connecting to the PC at all. Some digital cameras now come with 3.5-inch 1.44MB floppy drives. You download the images to the floppy in the digital camera and then pop the floppy in to your computer to transfer the images. In our opinion, this is the most convenient and least expensive storeage device, and this is the kind of camera we use. You don't have to worry about connecting cables, just put a diskette in your a: or b: drive, something you already know how to do. (Just think you can take your cameras to parties and hand people a diskette with their picture on it.) As far as we know, the Sony Mavicas are the only ones with this capability at present.
Close up Capability: If you need to get within less than three feet of the items you are selling to get a good picture, ask about the "minimum focusing distance" of the camera. If the minimum focusing distance is more farther out than what you take the picture at, you picture will be very blurry, since the camera won't focus that close.
Price: Prices vary widely for cameras. The best thing to do is to determine what capabilities you need then read the reviews we have linked below to get an idea of what you will need to spend. Once you have selected a few cameras, shop several outlets to determine the best price.
Return Privileges: We list this because some low priced outlets don't have very good return privileges. For example some charge a restocking fee of up to 20% on returns. If the camera you buy doesn't hook up properly, or the pictures aren't good enogh, you'll be stuck. On the other hand, if you have tried a friend's camera for example, you can afford to shop for the lowest price, knowing that you won't need to return it.

Here is a grid listing a number of digital cameras with links to reviews and recommendations

Here is PC Magazine Online's guide to digital cameras.

And here is another guide, How to Buy a Digital Camera from NetBuyer.

Where to buy: You can buy digital cameras a almost any camera store, the big computer stores such a Comp-USA, and many online and mail order sources, including the PC Zone and PC Connection

Video Capture: If you already have a standard video camera, you can buy devices that will capture a still image off the video. You can capture these images live, or from a tape. The big advantage here is cost, if you already have the video camera, it will only cost you about $100 for everything you need. The most popular, and we think the best video capture system is a Snappy. Their new version 3.0 includes cables and a device that you connect to your parallel (printer) port and all the software you need. Snappy 3.0 sells for about $99 which is much lower than older versions. All the major computer stores like those listed above sell the Snappy.

Scanners: You can buy a resonably priced flatbed color scanner for about $149. As with digital cameras, keep in mind that you don't need high resolution because you'll be displaying your images on low resolution computer monitors. A 300 dpi scanner, which is considered low resolution for a scanner, will be just fine and will be much less expensive than higher resolution models. In fact, you'll still need to either ask the scanner to scan at about 75 dpi, or reduce the size of the photograph after you scanned it to get it to a reasonable for the web.

A scanner is best if you would really rather take traditional photos, have them printed and then scan them. (But don't forget to take into account the cost of repeated film and developing costs - you might save money now, but a dozen rolls of film later, the digital camera would have paid for itself.) A scanner is also good for small flat items, including magazines, prints, books, and even coins and watches. Yes, you can put these small items right on the scanner glass and scan them as if they were paper.

For our money, we would tend to recommend the Microtek ScanMaker E3 or Microtek ScanMaker V310, both of which retail for about $149 at the PC Connection or PC Zone.

One thing to be sure to check on is how the scanner will connect to your computer. Some computers require to install an interface card in your computer. Others connect right through your parallel printer port, which will be a lot easier to set up. So if you don't consider yourself a computer technician, buy one with parallel port connection.

Other Options: If you're not quite ready to make an equipment investment, here are a few other options to consider:

Seattle Film Works: This is a service which will develop your film, and for a few extra bucks, put them in digital format, either on floppy or where you can download a file from the Web. They have free, easy to use software that you download and use to look at and save the pictures you have downloaded. They also include a new free roll of film with their prints! Get two free rolls of film by visiting their web site at http://www.filmworks.com

Kinko's: Not just for copies anymore, local Kinko's centers all over the country offer computers by the hour, scanning services, etc. and they are open 24 hours a day. Find a store in your area by visiting their web site at http://www.kinkos.com

Other things to try: If you ask around, you are likely to find a friend or relative that has either a digital camera or scanner. Most offices these days have scanners. Maybe you can use the one at work (on your lunch hour, of course!)

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