You’re in a rush to get to the wedding, party or graduation. You leave your camera or camcorder on the kitchen table. You might not have time to run home, but you can probably stop at a local drugstore.
Here are three ways that drugstores can help save the day:
One-time use digital camera. Run into any drugstore and you’ll find inexpensive throwaway cameras. But those cameras use film, so you can’t delete bad shots. And there’s no preview screen, so you don’t know which shots you’d want to redo.
Pure Digital Technologies (www.puredigitalinc.com) makes a one-time-use digital camera. The camera takes 25 pictures and retails for $20. It is carried by CVS, Longs, Rite Aid and Ritz Camera/Wolf Camera.
The camera is basic. Line up the subject in the viewfinder and press the shutter button. The camera has automatic flash and exposure.
It also has a 1.4-inch LCD screen. That lets you view the most recent picture. If you don’t like it, delete it. However, you can delete only the most recent picture.
The camera doesn’t have a zoom. But it does have a 10-second self-timer function that lets you get into the shot.
You’ll have to return the camera to the store for processing. That is not included in the sales price. You’ll receive 4-by-6-inch prints and a CD of your pictures. You’ll also get a contact sheet with an index of your prints.
You may find other so-called one-time-use digital cameras. But they don’t include a preview screen. Nor can you delete unwanted pictures. For example, there’s the Kodak Plus Digital One-Time-Use Camera. It’s really just a one-time-use film camera. It comes with a free picture CD.
One-time use digital camcorder. Pure Digital Technologies also makes a throwaway digital camcorder. It goes for $30 at CVS and Rite Aid drugstores.
The camcorder holds 20 minutes of video with sound. It’s smaller than a paperback and weighs less than 5 ounces. And it’s straightforward: Four buttons control power, record, playback and delete.
Point the camera at your subject and hit record. There is a 1.4-inch color LCD to help frame your subjects. You can review footage with sound playback. If you don’t like a segment, delete it.
The camcorder takes decent video and audio in good lighting. Don’t expect to get much in dark rooms. Also, there’s no image stabilization, so you need steady hands or a steady perch.
You’ll have to return the camcorder to the store for processing. That’s not included in the sales price. In about an hour, you’ll receive a DVD that’s playable on most DVD players or your computer.
Batteries and memory. There’s nothing more gut-wrenching than a dead camera. Or finding that you have room for only six more pictures.
You probably charge your batteries in the camera, never removing them. In many cases, they are AA batteries, so in a pinch, any garden-variety AA batteries will work. Your drugstore has tons of them.
If you’re short on memory, drugstores carry memory cards. However, the prices generally are higher than those online. Instead, have the drugstore offload your pictures onto a CD. Format the card, and you’re ready to go.
