The hottest, latest tech is always drool-worthy--but if you like to save money, don't miss looking at last year's model of your desired tech product. Its closeout price is almost always a generous discount from the original, and the slightly older model might do everything you require, on the cheap.
Read on to get the advice you need to determine whether an earlier but still available product might suit your needs and pocketbook.
We'll help you pinpoint important features you won't want to skip, and tell you how to stay away from marketing fodder that might lure you into paying for something you might not use.
In researching this story, we looked at five categories: digital cameras, video cameras, HDTVs, LCD monitors, and printers. We also highlight accessories and extras that you should buy from a third party to save dough.
Digital Cameras
Worth it: Wide-angle lens, good image quality, optical image stabilizer
Skip these to save: High-powered optical-zoom lenses, massive megapixels, novelty tricks
Buy from third parties: Flash memory, extra batteries, hardware accessories such as remotes
Example: The Canon PowerShot SD940 IS offers a wide-angle lens, good overall performance, and good stabilization. It currently sells for as low as $199, down from its introductory price of $300 earlier this year.
Current digital cameras come loaded with extraneous features. Do you really need a camera that fires the shutter automatically when subjects smile? If not, buy a digital camera with a wide-angle lens, good picture quality, speed, and an optical stabilizer.
Never let a digital-zoom rating influence your camera purchase. You can perfom the same operation as the digital zoom does, with image-editing software after you take the picture. Digital zoom simply crops the image and moves in digitally; you lose image resolution when you use the function. Optical-zoom ratings are more important, but most snapshot photographers don't really need a long-zoom lens. For more, read about the difference between the two zooms.
A high-optical-zoom lens is useful for wildlife and sports photos, but you can save money and get more benefit from a wide-angle lens. With such a lens, you can fit more people into group pictures indoors. And let's face it: You and your camera usually attend family and friend gatherings more often than you do safaris or professional sporting events, right?
Check your potential camera's specs for the widest-angle lens setting in 35mm-film terms. The lower the number, the wider-angle the lens; a wide-angle focal length of 30mm or lower will capture photos in most close situations.
Megapixels are an important consideration for big-sensored DSLR cameras, but for point-and-shoot cameras, those numbers are just fodder for marketing wars.
