Selecting a Digital Camera

Whether you are simply upgrading your existing digital camera, or you are ready to jump into the 21st century and dump your old film camera, the choices are astronomical out there in the marketplace, so let's help you narrow those choices down.  Selecting a digital camera does not need to be a hard task.

Several things need to be taken into account as you ready yourself for a digital camera purchase.  These include resolution, lens aperture, quality and zoom range, in-camera software, and LCD screen.  What you need to know about yourself is:  what do you plan on doing with the camera, what type of photographs will be taken and in what environment, how much experience do you have, and what type of final product are you looking for?  Let's narrow down what all of this means in terms of acquiring that perfect camera for all your needs.

≈ Resolution will dictate what size print you can produce well from your camera.  Megapixels is the term used to determine resolution in digital cameras.  The more pixels, the more detailed the image will be.  So, if you plan on just shooting pictures for your personal enjoyment and you are only going to print small photos, the 1.3-2 megapixel range will be good for you.  E-mailing, home, and family web pages, auction, and real estate sites will only require 3-4 megapixels.  You can print decent 11x14s with this range.   Professional quality websites, designs, presswork, and online photo albums will require 5-10 megapixels.  Professional photographers prefer the largest number.  You can print wall portraits with the later resolution with clarity.
≈ Lens Aperture refers to how much light comes in through the lens.  The bigger the aperture, the more light is gathered and the dimmer your surroundings can be.  The f/ (#) is what indicates this feature.  The best range to look for would be f/2.8 through f/3.5 so that you may use your camera in any lighting situation and still come out with perfect prints.
≈ Zoom Range talks about magnification.  Pay attention to only the optical zoom number on the camera because the digital zoom only refers to how close you can crop the image in-camera.  When using telephoto super zooms at 300mm make sure you accompany your camera with a tripod to escape blurriness. Shorter focal lengths are good for expanding vistas, while close-ups require long focal lengths.  The digital SLRs are the best in this category and perfect for the professional photographer.
≈ Lens quality is extremely important.  If your camera has a shoddy lens, your images will always be horrible.
≈ In-camera software dictates color compensation, allows you to correct red-eye and allows you to see the image before it is saved.  If your experience level is low, the more features the camera has to figure things out for you, the better.
≈ LCD screens should be able to work in any amount of lighting.  You should not use it as a viewfinder; it doesn't allow you to see enough of the scene in front of you to know accurately how it will come out.  Use optical viewfinders for best results, as you will see what the camera sees.

Some of the best pros when you purchase and select digital cameras are the savings from having to purchase film and get it processed.  The digital SLRs are the closet to having a good old-fashioned film camera.  In-camera software can allow for easy manipulation so you don't need to produce extra effects through processing procedures.  Always have in mind what you want to do with the camera, what you want the outcome to be, and you should have no problem in selecting your own digital camera.