Photography Information

How to Buy a Digital Camera


Are you buying your first digital camera? Well, you must be confused by the bewildering range of models out there. How do you know which model will suit your needs? To make things 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'll highlight the key considerations you need to think through before making that purchase decision. Always, always remember to consider these factors when buying a digital camera:

  • Battery Life
  • Number of Megapixels
  • Zoom Lens
  • Exposure Control
  • User Controls

Battery Life
This has got to be one of the most overlooked features in digital cameras. I know many people who go for the latest and greatest digital cameras which are short in the battery life department. If you want to take good photos, your camera needs to powered for extended periods of time. I've found that cost and battery life don't go together - many cheap cameras have good battery life, while some high-end models drain your battery really 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 in your shots. Typically, the number of megapixels can range around from 2 megapixels to 8 megapixels. How do you decide how many megapixels you need? As a rule of thumb, if you're only interested in taking small snapshots to send via email or for posting on the Web, you won't need more than 2-megapixels. If you want large print outs of your gorgeous photographs, then you'll probably want to get 5-megapixel cameras and above. You may want to refer to this guide for more information.

Zoom Lens
You'll definitely want a camera with decent optical zoom. Now the keyword here is optical zoom (as opposed to digital zoom). Optical zoom physically moves the camera lenses to zoom in on a subject. Digital zoom, however, digitally averages and magnifies the image within the camera's microchip - resulting in poor picture quality. Many manufacturers' advertisements talk about digital zoom instead of optical zoom - so do be careful when choosing. I'd recommend getting at least 3x optical zoom in any camera you buy.

Exposure Control
The ability to control exposure settings such as shutter speed and lens opening is critical to professional photographers. Cheaper digital cameras only allow you to shoot photos in automatic mode - just press the shutter release and voila, your picture is taken. More advanced users prefer to tweak the shutter speed and aperture to capture fast moving objects or blur the image background. Choose a camera with good exposure control if you foresee yourself taking on photography as a serious hobby.

User Controls
If you are getting a point-and-shoot camera, make sure you find one that's easy to use. User controls to set resolution, macro mode, flash and exposure should be within easy reach. Of course, if you're a serious photography buff who wants to take the time to tweak all sorts of manual settings, then this many not be so critical. I prefer to try out the camera first in the store - play with the controls and get comfortable with them. Only then will you know whether it's comfortable enough for you.

Conclusion
Well, I do hope this article has helped you understand what factors to consider when buying a digital camera. A general piece of advice I can give is - if you're a total newbie, don't go for the latest digital SLR. It may be tempting to get that Nikon D70 right from the start, but I'd reckon its much better to start off with a cheaper camera first. Learn, experiment and build up your digital photography skills. Once you're more skilled, then proceed to upgrade to a better camera. Good luck and happy shopping!



Gary Hendricks runs a hobby site on digital photography. Visit hiswebsite at Basic-Digital-Photography.com for tips andtricks on buying digital cameras, as well as shooting great photos.


MORE RESOURCES:

Still Life, Love Life: The Passion of the Camera
New York Times
So it is with “The Original Copy: Photography of Sculpture, 1839 to Today,” which opens at the museum on Sunday. A blockbuster the new show is not. ...
'New Photography 2010' Coming to MoMANew York Times

all 6 news articles »


Daily Mail

Ansel Adams Or Not? The Answer's Worth Millions
NPR
Norsigian enlisted a team of photography and handwriting experts to prove his claim. He even got a meteorologist who, looking at one of the negatives, ...
Is unknown photographer Earl Brooks behind mystery of '£128m Ansel Adams ...Daily Mail
If not Ansel Adams, then who took garage-sale photos?CNN
Photo News Of The Week July 30, 2010Adorama (press release)
Gawker -Independent -AOL News
all 40 news articles »


Photography business opens in Honeoye Falls
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
Milestone Mill is a full-service portrait studio and print gallery that also offers photography classes, a camera club and a used equipment co-op. ...

and more »


New York Times (blog)

When Photography and National Security Meet
New York Times (blog)
These stories are becoming increasingly common as authorities seek — often against their own stated regulations — to smother photography in public places ...

and more »


Steamboat briefs: CNCC offers photography, consumer issues classes
Steamboat Pilot
Steamboat Springs — Colorado Northwestern Community College is offering a digital photography class with instructor Greg Pieraccini from 6 to 7:30 pm ...

and more »


OregonLive.com (blog)

Dance Resources: Photography by Manny Minjarez
OregonLive.com (blog)
Manny talked about action photography and said, "You have to do repetitions. One after the other. You do it once and then, let's do it again. ...



Leonard Nimoy's Photography: Let Your Secret Nerd Rejoice!
NPR (blog)
For the past decade or so, Nimoy has been focusing his artistic efforts on photography. Although much of his previous work involves a lot of skin, ...
Actor has sitters pose as selves they wish to beBerkshire Eagle

all 3 news articles »


Blurb photography competition: Voting now open
NetworkWorld.com
Award winners' books will become part of the permanent collections at the International Centre for Photography, the Annenberg Space for Photography and the ...
Photography Book Now Opens People's Choice VotingPR Newswire (press release)

all 12 news articles »



New York Times

MASS MoCA presents first major museum exhibition of Leonard Nimoy's photography
Albany Times Union
Nimoy is 79, and the most public thing he does anymore is photography. Of all the things he has done, it was his first love. And he has done a lot: acted ...
'Star Trek' Actor Leonard Nimoy Debuts Photography ExhibitTheCelebrityCafe.com
Leonard Nimoy Photography Show Opens at MASS MoCA on August 1CultureMob (blog)
Leonard Nimoy on His Photography, Plus Fringe Producer Says He Wants Nimoy ...TrekWeb.com
Trek Today -New York Times
all 8 news articles »

Google News

Home | Site Map

Powered By: Free Work At Home Business Opportunity!

© 2006