Digital Camera Buying Guide
Buying a Digital Camera? Understand the Basics and Find the Best Equipment
For Your Needs
by Dave Saunders
Article Summary: Discover the simple basics of digital cameras and smoothly
transition from film photography to digital photography with the digitcal camera
that is best for you.
It seems like everyone has a digital camera these days and digital cameras have
revived the art of photography as a hobby. As digital camera manufacturers
improve equipment in quality and price, more people are embracing the benefits
of digital photography and putting their film cameras on the shelf. If you’re
looking to make the move to a digital understanding the basics of a digital
camera can help guide you through understanding how the differences and
similarities with film cameras can provide you with a digital camera that fits
your needs.
My first digital camera has a 640 by 480 pixel resolution and saved images to
floppy disks. It was a little clunky, but it worked well and I was happy with
the results. Today, the quality of that camera would barely qualify as a web cam
for some people. The technology curve continues to move along for digital
cameras but today most digital cameras should be able to provide you with a
simple “point and click” experience and provide enough resolution to print 4 by
6 inch prints that you’ll be happy to archive in a scrapbook.
The resolution of most digital cameras is measured today in “mega pixels.” This
is a measure of the number of dots which are available to digitally describe the
image as a computer file. A digital camera with a 3.1 mega pixel resolution is
usually enough to produce pictures that look like a film print on a 4 by 6
print. Moving up to a digital camera with a 5.1 mega pixel resolution will
provide a sharper image at the same print size. Can everyone tell the
difference? No they can’t. When shopping for a camera, don’t be mesmerized by
claims that you must have the very highest resolution to be happy with your
digital pictures. Look at samples and select the camera that meets your price
range and quality desires.
Generally, digital cameras with a resolution lower than 1 mega pixel are good
for images you plan on emailing to people, or posting on the web, but the
resolution is not high enough for quality prints. If you plan on making
film-style prints of your pictures, you should make your minimum 3.1 mega
pixels.
The next issue with digital cameras is how it gets the electricity it needs to
function. Many cameras today use rechargeable batteries but some still use AA
size batteries. If you plan on taking lots of pictures, a camera that uses
disposable batteries can become a very expensive camera, but if the camera has a
rechargeable battery with a short life between charges, you might find yourself
without power when a great photo opportunity presents itself or you may be stuck
buying an extra, and often expensive, rechargeable battery which is custom
designed to only fit that specific camera. When you have made you short list of
digital cameras meeting your quality requirements, be sure to compare battery
life statistics from the manufacturer.
As with film cameras, most digital cameras have automatic settings that adjust
to provide a “point and shoot” experience. Some cameras also have manual
settings which mimic advanced film camera settings such as aperture and
exposure. Digital cameras often have additional features which allow for special
effects and even picture taking in very low light settings. These features may
or may not be important to you in a digital camera. How often did you load black
and white film in your film camera? Chances are these nice-to-have features are
not a high priority for most digital camera owners.
Most of the digital cameras feature an LCD view screen. This lets you shoot the
image perfectly and then to check it. and is probably one of the most
appreciated features of a digital camera over a film camera. The LCD does use up
electricity though and by turning your camera off when you are not shooting
pictures will preserve battery life.
Most digital cameras use a removable memory card on which pictures are stored.
If you have a computer with a built-in reader of a memory card, checking to see
if the digital camera uses a compatible type of memory card can make it much
easier for you to transfer images to your PC and reduce the expensive of a
separate memory card reader. If your digital camera comes with a data transfer
cable, keep in mind that the memory card readers are usually much faster and
provide greater flexibility. It’s best to keep the data transfer cable in the
box.
Overall, most digital camera manufacturers have done an excellent job in making
the transition from film cameras to digital cameras a painless one. By knowing
some small details about the minor differences, you should have no problem
finding a digital camera that you will enjoy and use frequently.
About the Author:
Dave Saunders is a nutritional educator and published author. He enjoys writing
on his many hobbies and passions.
You can find other news and articles on digital cameras at
http://aboutdigitalcameras.net/digital-cameras
