10/18/09

How to Buy a Digital Camera

Are you buying your first digital camera? Now you need to be confused by the bewildering range of models out there. How do you know which model will suit your needs? To Worse, digital cameras do not come cheap. Choosing a bad camera will easily cost you a few hundred dollars.

In fact, buying a digital camera need not be a difficult task. I will highlight the main considerations to think through that you need to before making the purchase decision. Always, always remember to considerthese factors when buying a digital camera:


Battery Life
Number of Megapixels
Zoom lens
Exposure
UserControls

Battery Life

This has become one of the most overlooked features in digital cameras. I know many people who go for the latest and best digital cameras, in short the battery life department. If you want to make beautiful pictures, you have your camera powered on for long periods. I have found that cost and battery life not to gotogether - many cheap cameras have good battery life, while some high-end models of your battery drain very fast. Make sure you choose a camera that has good battery life.

Number of Megapixels

The megapixel rating of a digital camera determines how much fine detail you can capture your recordings. In general, the number of megapixels can range around from 2 megapixels to 8 megapixels. How do you decide how many megapixels you need? The rule of thumb, if you are only interestedin small snapshots to send via e-mail or for posting on the Web, you will need no more than 2-megapixels. If you need large prints of your beautiful photographs, then it makes sense to give 5-megapixel cameras and get more. You can refer to this manual for more information.

Zoom lens

You definitely want a camera with decent optical zoom. Now it is here) the keyword optical zoom (as opposed to digital zoom. Optical zoom physically moves the camera lensesZoom on a topic. Digital zoom, but digitally averages and magnifies the image in the microchip camera - resulting in poor image quality. Many manufacturers talk about digital ads instead of optical zoom - so be careful when choosing. I would recommend at least 3x Optical Zoom Buy a camera you to everyone.

Exposure

The ability to exposure settings such as shutter speed and aperture control is critical for the professionalPhotographers. Cheaper digital cameras, you can only photos in automatic mode to shoot - just press the shutter button, and voila, your picture is taken. More advanced users prefer to manipulate the shutter speed and aperture to capture fast moving objects or blur the image background. Choose a camera with good exposure control if you see this on photography as a serious hobby.

UserControls

If you get a point-and-shoot camera, make sure you find aThis is easy to use. User controls to set resolution, macro mode, flash and exposure should be easily accessible. Of course, if you have a serious photography buff, which is the time to optimize all types of manual settings, then this many not so critical will. I prefer to try before, the first camera in the store - play with the controls and familiarize yourself with them. Only then will you know whether it comfortable enough for you.

Conclusion

Well, I hope this article hasHelped you to understand, what to consider when buying a digital camera. A general piece of advice I can give is - if you're a total beginner, do not go for the latest digital SLR. It may be tempting to get that Nikon D70 right from the start, but I reckon the better start with a cheaper camera first. Learn, experiment and build your digital photography skills. If you are qualified, then go to a better camera upgrade. Good luck and have fun shopping!



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