What is a Pay As You Go Camera?

Pay as you go camera may refer to several different things. One of these is a pay as you go camera phone, where people pay for phone service on a cellphone that comes equipped with a camera. Alternately, the more traditional routes of renting and leasing cameras are a possibility too, when it makes no sense to buy even temporary phone service.

With the pay as you go camera phone, people actually may need to purchase the phone, though there might be companies that will add costs of renting a phone to whatever fees are paid for phone use. Camera phones may produce quality photos, and they typically won’t serve the requirements of professionals, but it may be possible to take pictures and/or movies that are satisfactory to the average consumer.

With these contracts, taking a picture usually doesn’t cost anything, but sending the picture elsewhere via phone might count against minutes purchased. People will have to determine quality of photography they need and might end up paying a lot for a pay as you go camera phone and phone service. The photograph feature may work if the phone runs out of minutes, but people won’t be able to send photos to others without buying more minutes.

More traditional pay as you go camera examples exist in the form of people leasing or renting equipment. Those who are professional photographers or who are trying to make the jump from amateur to professional status might exercise this option. Extremely high quality cameras that can capture a perfect shot are exceptionally expensive and prices could be prohibitive for the beginner, making leasing worthwhile.

Some people choose to lease cameras for a time period while they develop their business, and may purchase them later. A lease isn’t an obligation to purchase, but it does have a set time period and ultimately expires. Without further negotiation, the camera must be returned.

A rental may work in the same manner, allowing people to use a camera for short time periods. Sometimes rental cameras are available in tourist locations because travelers don’t want to drag a lot of camera equipment around. Alternately, many camera stores may have this pay as you go camera type. Rentals are usually shorter than leases and might only last for a day. A single day of a camera rental is usually fairly economical, but cost can jump when days accumulate.

Another possible interpretation of pay as you go camera are the number of Internet sites that allow people to load pictures onto them, and then charge for reproduction of pictures. Many well-known film companies like Kodak® feature this service. Pictures of events can be shared with others and anyone wanting printed pictures can order them for very little money. This might be considered a pay as you go scenario, since people only pay for the pictures they order, though some sites may also charge a fee for uploading pictures and sharing them with friends.