Before deciding on a digital camera to purchase, you first need to figure out which one fits your needs. A good practice is to make a list of the things you plan to do with the digital camera and the images you get from it. Do you want to make prints from your images - and how big? Do you prefer to have creative control or do you like the camera to automatically do the work for you? Do you like a camera that can fit in your pocket or do you favor one compatible with your 35mm lenses? Once you have these answers, you'll be that much closer to finding the digital camera that's right for you.
How important is the lens?
Of obvious significance is the lens that the digital camera uses. Many Optical Manufacturers use lens designed to meet the higher requirements of digital photography. It is important that the camera you buy has a lens that will deliver clear, sharp, and colorful images.
Many of the ultra-compact models have a 2x or 3x optical zoom, but you can find greater optical zooms on compact and digital SLRs (up to 10x). The optical zoom lets you get closer to your subject and using an optical zoom lens, provides the best resolution possible.
There are also "digital zooms" to consider, which let you zoom much farther than the optical capability provided. However, the digital zoom merely "blows up" the image in the viewfinder and crops it, thereby reducing the clarity and pixel resolution of the image.
Why should I care about pixels?
One of the most discussed elements in digital photography is pixel resolution. A digital camera's resolution is often measured in "pixels". Many people believe, "The more pixels a camera has, the sharper and smoother the images are". While this may have some truth to it, pixels really relate to the size you can print or display an image. If you only want photo-quality prints form 4" x 6" up to 8" x 10" size then a 5 megapixel camera is adequate. And with a 8-megapixel camera, you can print up to 11" x 14" prints.The actual image resolution (sharpness, smoothness and color fidelity) is a result of many factors including the pixel count, lens, focusing system image capture sensor size & type and the image processor used by the camera. It is "picture quality not pixels" that is important.
What's the right camera size for me?
There are pretty much three options here: a point & shoot, a compact zoom or a digital SLR. The point & shoot fits snugly in your pocket or bag and gives you the freedom to take it anywhere so you can shoot pictures virtually anytime. A compact zoom is a bit bigger in size as well as being a bit bigger in features. They're still easy to carry so they can accompany you on vacation or in the field, and they provide more advanced features so you can have more control over your images if so desired.
The size of the digital SLR varies depending on the camera itself. There are models now that are just as small as compact zoom cameras, or you can find ones a bit larger. Regardless of size, though, these cameras will give superior picture quality and the ultimate control possible
How does storage impact my picture-taking experience?
One of the greatest benefits of digital photography is the ability to store electronic files on removable media. Removable media enables your files to be portable, easily transferred to a computer, and to be erased so the media itself can be used over and over again.
The most common form of memory is flash memory, types include: Secure DigitalTM cards, CompactFlashTM cards, and Memory Stick DuoTM.
Are there any other features I should consider?
These are the basic things to look out for and decide upon. And of course there are many other things that can affect your decision now that technology has come so far. Many cameras offer movie capability so you can make your own mini movies. But as long as you can figure out the features of a camera that are important to your specific needs, you should have no problem deciding on a digital camera that's the right choice for you.
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