Choose the Right Digital Camera for You

Get the best deal by following this digital camera review and pick the cheapest digital camera which meets all your needs.

To buy a digital camera you now have to do a lot of research.  Finding a cheap digital camera which meets your specific needs is hard because of the vast selection out there. 

You want to be happy with your purchase.  Don't buy the most expensive camera, thinking this is the easiest way to ensure quality and satisfaction.  Understand your unique photographic needs and then search for the best camera and deal. 

 Here are the things you have to consider before buying a digital camera.

First you need to have a clear understanding of how you plan to use your camera:

• Are you going to use your new digital camera for outdoor activities?  Do you want a small slim compact camera you can carry with you without feeling burdened down?  Is your typical photo taking just for special occasions or are you thinking of making photography a new hobby?
• How do you like to view your digital pictures?  Do you like to see prints or do you like to view pictures on a computer or an electronic digital picture viewer?
• What kind of quality do you really want in your pictures? 
• How are you planning to store your digital pictures?  Are you planning to just keep everything on some sort of camera memory card, or transfer your images to a hard drive? 

SHORTCUT CHECKLIST

Here is a quick list of essential features your new digital camera should have. 

1. Large  TFT-lcd rear preview screen.
2. High quality optical zoom lens, 3X minimum ,with a wide angle ( 28mm equivalent) feature.
3. Removable memory slot.
4. High capacity battery capacity ( lithium)
5. Program Presets to match your picture taking habits.
6. A minimum of 7 mega pixel capacity IF you plan on making a lot of prints.
7. Shoots in .jpg format (and .tiff if you want high quality digital pictures)   

 Scroll to the bottom of the page to find a great resource on finding the best digital camera at the best price. 

Now that you have a general idea of what kind of digital photography you plan to do, and what your needs are; you can sift through all the features offered by the different camera makers and their models:

Size: 

Size and quality are generally an inverse relationship.  To get a small size you have to sacrifice something.  Different small digital cameras sacrifice on different things.  The best example of extreme sacrifice of quality are the Key chain cameras, or even the Cell phone cameras.  These are devices built for convenience and spontaneous fun.  On the other hand, Sony's ELF is an example of an extremely small camera which tries to maintain as much quality as possible.

If you are looking for a small digital camera to slip into your pocket or purse, you have to be willing to give up on a good rear preview screen, and optical lens size.  But if your photography is mostly quick spontaneous snaps of you and your friends, then these features are not that important.  Remember, you can click off a few hundred digital pics and then just preview and choose which ones came out best.  It is not like the old days where you had to pay for developing and then toss away a bunch of photos you had already paid for.

Megapixel Capacity: 

 Don't get suckered into buying a digital camera based on Megapixels!  If you plan to view your digital pictures on your computer, or plan to share them with friends via email, or online using a service such as Picasa or Flickr, you don't need high resolution pictures.  Go into your computer settings and check your monitor resolution setting.  This is the highest resolution you will get looking at a digital pic. 

If you plan on getting your pictures printed, then yes, the greater the picture' s megapixel size, the better.  But here again, you should check what resolution your chosen processor works with.  If you use a commercial printer to process your digital images, call and ask what resolution their equipment prints in, at your regular rate.  I think you will find that the high mega pixel quality only shows in large prints.  If you are an artist, then this is important.  But if you just collect 4X6 shots, you may be wasting your money.

If you are using an inkjet printer to print your digital pics you need to keep the following things in mind.  First, you need to use special photo paper.  This paper must be used within a month of opening the package or your results will be unpredictable.  Also the inkjet cartridges must be changed every month to maintain proper ink flow. If you don't do these things, you will get the bleary fading photos your friends keep mailing to you.

A good solution for viewing your digital pictures and keeping them close to hand is the digital picture viewer.  This is a device which looks like a picture frame and can sit on a side table.  You can load your pictures into it and either select one to display, or have a rotating display.  And as I've mentioned, there are online solutions for sharing your digital pictures which are free.  Google's Picasa and Yahoo' s Flickr are two which come to mind.  I love Google's Picasa, both on my computer and online. It is available with the free Google Pack.

Lens Quality:

A picture is only as good as the lens which captures it.  The best digital cameras are either made by companies with a strong history of lens manufacturing, image capture (photocopying), or lens selection.  The great German/Swiss lenses are out there, you just have to read the fine print in the specs to identify them.  This is a great opportunity for the bargain hunter.  Find a relatively unknown brand and see what parts they are putting in their cameras.  The Koreans are the ones to watch for this, followed by Taiwan brands.  Using lens quality as a main criteria makes choosing a digital camera a bit easier.  Think of all the great traditional cameras, Nikon, Minolta/Canon, Pentax, Olympus......  Did you like the pictures from their SLR cameras?  Then chances are you will enjoy the quality in their digital cameras.

Software Programs:

Preset Software settings are one of the best things about digital cameras.  You can change a spontaneous snap into a work of art with the twirl of a thumb.  Imagine being out for a walk and finding that you are in " the magical minute"....That brief moment artists and professional photographers spend their lives seeking...it happens just before sunset and just before sunrise.  Some poor photo fanatic has been setting up all day for this blink of miraculous light and you just happen to stumble in at the right time.  You give your camera a twirl with your thumb, and hit "landscape" and fire off a few shots at the intense contrasting view before you.  Then with another twirl you lock "sunset" in and fire away until the night falls......and walk away with pictures which will amaze people.  And if you want to, you can bring your digital memory card to a printer who has the special Epson Paint Printer, and have your favorite image printed as a textured painting to hang on your wall.  A lot better than that fuzzy inkjet on the 8X11 office standard paper!

Presets make your picture taking magical, but only if they are set for the kind of pictures you usually take.  A lot of digital cameras have face enhancing features.  This is fine if most of your shots are of people and you want to feature them in your shots.  But if you are more into flowers, or racing cars, or landscapes, then this feature will drive you nuts.  Don't grab a digital camera just because it advertises a certain feature and you are lead to believe that this is a sign of quality.  It is just the most convenient feature.  Some cameras have face features, other cameras have stability features (much more important in sports) etc.  Read the preset menu and see what appeals to you and how accessible these features are.  They will take your digital photo experience from frustrating to fantastic!

Photo Format:

Your digital image is just a bunch of data bits.  There are different ways for the computer to figure out what to do with them.  Each way has a name.  In graphics you will see  .jpg ( the most widely used), .gif ( mostly for graphics) and .tiff ( this one drives people nuts).

Let's get rid of one right now....sorry .gif !   This poor little guy is losing ground to standardization, but for most of the digital pics you take he is not necessary.

.jpg is the workhorse of digital photography and web page design.  Your digital camera is probably preset to record in jpg.  And in most cases this is all you need.

But!  The strength of .jpg is also its weakness.  It can be manipulated.  This is how you get the "redeye" out of a pic, or work artistic transformations on a picture; However it is also a standard which loses quality with each transformation.  All those little bits, which make up your photo, change and get diluted with each action you take on the picture.  In the grand scheme of things this is not all that critical.  But over time, your digital picture becomes eroded and corrupted.  This is also why more mega pixels in the original photo are better.  The gradual deterioration is not as noticeable. 

.tiff is different.  It locks in the data. It cannot be changed, which is why police forces and law courts use this format ( can't use Photoshop to fiddle with the evidence).  And for an artist this means that your great photographic piece is safe for all time.  It is like having a master copy.  So if you are taking digital photography seriously as either a vocation or artistic expression you should make sure your digital camera has this capacity.

Interchangeable Lenses:

Digital photography has finally come of age.  There are now digital cameras which have the same capacity as the old SLR cameras.  We can use high grade lenses and switch and swap them.  The price has finally come down as well.  A few years ago, a good digital camera with interchangeable lenses would cost around $14,000.  Now they are a fraction of the price.  However, are you willing to pay the "poundage price"?  These things shoot great pictures, but weigh about the same as the old SLR cameras.  We have been spoiled with the light compact nature of the current digital cameras.  Still, if you are serious about your photographic art, you may want to consider these cameras.  I am.  I love perfection and the intimacy of the SLR experience. 

So now you have a better criteria to help you make your choice in selecting a digital camera.  How do you find the best brand and model at the best price?

Luckily the internet is a great resource for you.  No matter where you live.  Once you have a good understanding of what you want you can shop the world. 

Have fun exploring and good luck in your final decision!

Here is a great place to start.  I have used and love Shopzilla!

Colin

I hope this digital camera review helps you.  Remember you can always get in touch and ask me to hunt out more info for you using my contact station on the contact page.  Happy hunting!