How to Buy a Digital Camera

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Are you looking for a digital camera but confused by all the features, doodads and tech talk? Here's some help in sorting out what's the best one for you.

Steps

1. While brand names can help you make a decision based on reliability or quality of picture, remember that sometimes an inexpensive camera will satisfy your needs as well as a more expensive one.
   
2. Decide if you want a point and shoot or a digital SLR: Are you comfortable with wading through menus to change basic settings? Or would you rather just press a button? Point and shoot digital cameras may be easier to use, but digital SLR cameras provide you with much more creative control.
   
3. Get a grip: Even some larger cameras have uncomfortably small hand grips. The grip should just fill the inside curve of your fingers. Many small cameras have no grip at all. Will you get a major finger cramp just trying to hold on?
   
4. Don't get too hung up on the megapixels: The quality of the pixels is the main difference in image quality. A high quality 6 megapixel sensor will produce better quality photographs than a lesser quality 10 megapixel camera. Lens quality and camera responsiveness are far more important. A good 5 or 6 megapixel sensor is more than enough to create good quality 8x10 prints.Don't get to hung up on a 1 or 2 megapixel difference. The images will be virtually indistinguishable from one to the other. If you compare a 8 megapixel camera to a 10 megapixel camera with equal quality sensors the difference in resolution will not be significant.
   
5. Consider your need for speed: Many cheap cameras have a substantial time lag between pressing the button and actually taking the picture. If you're going to take photographs of your kids, or sports and action photos, this is something to think about. Also, consider the continuous frame rate. For action shots, a continuous frame rate of at least 5 frames per second is desirable. The camera should be capable of taking 5 frames per second, for at least four seconds before the internal memory buffer is filled. Cameras with slower continuous frame rates or smaller internal memory buffers will be frustrating, and make certain types of photography difficult, if not impossible.
   
6. Battery type is something to consider: Many cameras use proprietary batteries, rather than standard AA batteries. Consider that someday, the battery that comes with your camera will stop working or get lost, and you will need to obtain a replacement. Your batteries will generally die at the worst possible time. For example the first day of your vacation, or at your daughter's wedding. Proprietary batteries need to be fully charged and ready for use. It's a good idea to have a back up battery charged and ready to use at all times.
   
7. Weight quality vs. quantity: A Digital SLR will give you better quality pictures and can actually be easier to operate than a point and shoot digital camera. However, it will weigh more and cost more. But the end photo quality will be worth it in the long run.
   
8. Memory card format: SD or Secure Digital cards are the most popular card format in consumer cameras, they are available in capacities of up to 32GB. It should be noted that some older models are not SDHC complient, so they can not use SD cards larger than 2GB. Compact Flash cards are the standard in higher end SLRs, and are available in capacities up to 32GB as well. The Compact Flash card format has been in constant use since its inception in 1994, Compact Flash drives and related software drivers are compatible with nearly all operating systems.
   
9. Figure in the accessories: Most cameras don't come with a memory card or a card reader. Add them in when you're totalling cost. And don't forget batteries. Get an extra set and a charger. Choose a memory card with enough capacity to hold at least 400 images at the camera's highest JPEG resolution. This is equivalent to 11 rolls of 36-exposure film, and is adequate for most people.
   
10. Make room for zoom: With zoom you can switch between close up and a distant point. There is a very important thing to think about when buying a camera and that is the difference between optical and digital zoom. Optical zoom uses the lens it self to bring more distant objects closer. That means that you get better-quality pictures taken from a distance while digital zoom works by capturing only the central portion of the entire image received by the sensor. It basically means that the digital zoom is really only a cropping tool. Digital zooms only use a portion of the image sensor so the more you zoom the less image sensor you are using. This results in a much lower image quality. An optical zoom is much better and uses the entire image sensor resulting in, no loss of image quality. Don't get fooled with advertisements about digital zooms. It's the optical zoom you should be looking for.
    

Video

Tips

• Image Stabilization: With this feature, you can zoom in on your kids on stage 10 rows back (turn off the flash)and get a nice clear picture. Cameras without it will blur when you zoom or shake the camera while pressing the shutter.
  
• When buying a camera take a good look at memory card prices. Computer shops and office supply shops tend to be a lot cheaper than camera shops
  
• On cameras with a substantial internal buffer (most medium or high-end models) you won't notice much improvement in speed between normal and high speed cards unless you do action photography.
  
• Look at the lens on the front of the camera - generally a bigger the piece of glass in front will translate to more light gathering capability, which in turn means better performance in low light situations. This is not a hard and fast rule, more like a rule of thumb.
  

Warnings

• Do NOT trust websites which impartially test the model you're looking at. There are a lot of self-styled experts who are cheerleaders for one brand or another. Look for evidence, not opinion.
  

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