So you’re buying a new digital camera! The choices out there are many, with all the types, options, prices available. To make your task less daunting, we’ll help you narrow down your search to what your actually needs are, your price range and other basic factors.

The Megapixels Wars are Over

Back in the day, the amount of megapixels a camera had was a large factor in the decision making process. A 1 or 2 megapixel increase was considered a big deal, and cameras went from a few megapixels to up to 15 megapixels today for some digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) cameras.

But do you need all that? Most point and shoot cameras have between 5 to 7 megapixels; if you’re only printing 3″x5″ or 4″x6″ prints this is more than adequate as a 5 megapixel digital camera can produce 8″x10″ prints without much loss of detail.

Today the question is how good is the sensor, or chip in the camera. Some allow very high shooting speeds, others have better color rendition. The larger the chip, the better. It is best to check some of the reviews out once you have selected a few models that you like.

What is your price range? DSLR vs. Point and Shoot?

Digital cameras run the gamut from $50 to over $3000. Again, it depends on what you are using the camera for? Family snapshots? Nature photography? Professional portraits? Sports photography?

Digital SLRs can take better pictures, have interchangeable lens, and allow more manual control of the picture taking process. But Levitra they are more expensive, bulkier, and potentially more complicated (unless you are a dedicated manual reader) than point and shoot cameras.

Point and shoot digital cameras are cheaper, lighter, have many of the features of their DSLR brethren, and are automated enough that a novice can take more than adequate pictures. Also a note on optical versus digital zooms on point and shoot digital cameras – optical zooms are what the actual glass lens elements can really zoom out to, digital zooms merely expand the pixels in an electronic matter, similar to zooming in on a still photo in PhotoShop. It increases the graininess, and decreases quality. So pay more attention to the optical zoom values and less so on the advertised digital zoom ability.

Another consideration: do you already have a film SLR camera? If you have a Canon EOS or Nikon film camera, the lens can be carried over to their new digital cameras. No small thing when you consider the cost of each lens and how hard it would be to repurchase all brand new ones.

What else to think about?

Storage – while digital cameras have their own internal storage, it can be limited, especially with the smaller point and shoot cameras. Fortunately, most can take a SD (secure digital) or SDHC (secure digital high capacity) memory cards. Besides increasing the amount of pictures you can take and store in your camera, these cards can easily be removed an inserted into your PC or laptop for easy downloading, or taken directly to your local pharmacy/photo shop for easy printing. While we are on storage, remember all your shots take up space – where do you want to store them? Taking pictures in the largest format available for your camera will ensure the best quality, but will also result in very large picture files. You may need to have an external drive or several thumb drives or SD disks to store your photos and not use up all your hard disk space on your computer.

Another thing also overlooked is the quality of the LCD display on the back of the camera. As most digital cameras don’t even have a viewfinder any more, this is all you’ll have to focus, frame and shoot your pictures. Any many are hard to see in very bright sunlight; here’s where going to the electronics store and picking up and viewing the screen for yourself comes in very handy as don’t want to find out later that the screen is un-viewable and hard to use. While the camera is in your hands you can also check if the buttons are easy to use and not too small, and possibly see if the menus are clear and intuitive.

Batteries – you may want to see if your camera comes with a rechargeable battery and charger (always a plus) or if not, do you want to use regular batteries or invest in rechargeable ones? Some cameras go through batteries quicker than others so you will want to keep plenty of spares or either type when you go out shooting.

This list is by no means all inclusive and one could write volumes about the different features and abilities of today’s modern digital cameras. Use it as a starting point, and go out and explore what’s out there. Good luck and good shooting.

Author Bio: Robert McKinney is an avid photographer. Read more about photography at http://www.digitalphotographybook1.com

Category: Computers and Technology
Keywords: digital photography, ebooks, digital cameras, buying digital cameras, how to use digital cameras