How to buy a digital cameraAre you ready to buy a digital camera? Confused about all the choices out there? This summary of available features and differences will help you narrow down your selection.Understanding how you'll be using your new purchase will help you decide on one that best meets your needs. Will you be shooting portraits, underwater, sports, or landscapes? Will you primarily shoot indoors or outside? Is ease of use important? Do you have a limited budget? How you answer these questions will determine what features to look for when you buy a digital camera. If you plan to print out your photos, especially if you're going to make enlargements (greater than 8x10), then both pixel count and quality of the image sensor are import. If you'll be sharing your photos online - either in websites or via e-mail, then you don't need to pay for many megapixels. Find out what accessories you may need for your type of photography, and make sure they're readily available for the camera you choose. Generally speaking, there are two types of digital cameras available: compact point-and-shoot models and digital SLR's - or DSLR's, with a new hybrid category, the micro four thirds sharing aspects of the other two. Point-and-Shoot CompactA point-and-shoot is going to be less expensive, easier to use, and smaller (thus easier to carry with you). They often have both a viewfinder and "live view" on the LCD screen. Most come with many pre-programmed modes for the various types of shooting that you'll encounter. Built-in flash is common, but ability to connect an external flash is not.Point-and-shoot cameras may have both a physical zoom as well as a digital zoom. Many can also take movies. Don't be fooled by number of pixels. The quality of the pixels is more important than the quantity, and the smaller sensors on these compact cameras leaves little room for high quality pixels. Depending on how you're using your photos, you might be happier with a four megapixel camera than one with ten megapixels. If you're posting your photos to the web, consider that the average computer screen size is a little over one megapixel. Producing a 5x7 inch print at 300 dots per inch (the standard resolution for many print media) requires only three megapixels.
Digital SLRA DSLR will take higher quality photos, be more versatile, give you more control over your photos, and accept a wide variety of lenses and filters.The larger sensor size on DSLRs means they produce much better quality photos. In addition to a range of programmed settings, DSLRs permit full or partial manual control. Their lenses have both autofocus and manual focus, and some have image stabilization (useful in low light or when your zoom in all the way). They'll have a wider range of shutter speeds and apertures, and support external flashes. Many of the newer DSLRs have "live view" on the LCD screen, just like the compacts, and some can shoot video in addition to taking still photos. All of my photos on this website were taken with a DSLR. I have a point-and-shoot that I sometimes take on vacation, especially some backpack trips where the size and weight of a DSLR is a consideration. Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Olympus, Sony, Panasonic, and Fujifilm are the big players in the DSLR market. Micro Four ThirdsA new entry to the digital photography field is the Micro Four Thirds camera. Positioned between compact point-and-shoots and DSLRs, the Micro Four Thirds offers interchangeable lenses and high quality sensors with camera bodies that are much smaller and lighter than DSLRs.With the trend in increasing performance and declining price, the Micro Four Thirds camera could make the point-and-shoot obsolete in a few years. Olympus and Panasonic have embraced the micro four thirds format, and offer a full line of these cameras.
Interchangeable Lens Camera (ILC)The newest, and increasingly popular, model of digital camera available is the Interchangeable Lens Camera, or ILC. Camera and electronics manufacturers originally built digital cameras that resembled film cameras, simply replacing the film with a digital sensor. Now they're rethinking the camera entirely, and the ILC is the most current evolution of that process. Like DSLRs, the ILC is able to accept different lenses. But instead of the bulky (and heavy) mirrors and prisms in a DSLR, the ILC uses a large display on the back of the camera to compose the photograph. Improvements in LCD technology make it possible to view the screen in all types of light. Many ILCs use the same size sensors as DSLRs, so they take photographs of equal quality. The reduced size and weight are making these very popular among photographers who want the best quality photos but prefer the convenience of compact cameras.Sony is becoming a dominant player in the ILC market, and their products are receiving great reviews. Learn how to use all those settings on your new camera Learn to improve your composition after you buy a digital camera Check out this week's specials in the Best Landscape Photography camera store! Return to Camera Equipment from How to buy a digital camera
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