Shopping For a Digital Camera

If you're looking for a camera, there are literally hundreds and hundreds of choices. So how do you decide on which camera to purchase? First, lets define some of the terms used when you're looking at cameras.

Point & Shoot: Point and shoot cameras are beginner level cameras. This type of camera eliminates the need for you to make any decisions on the camera settings. The camera decides on whether flash is needed and shutter speed. Depending on the camera, you may have options for a few things like whether you're taking a night picture, outdoor picture, fireworks, etc. You should also have a button to set the zoom level. If you're an amateur photographer, there are lots of great options in point and shoot cameras.

SLR or DSLR: SLR stands for "Single-lens reflex". These are aimed at the serious or professional photographers. These types have interchangeable lenses, lots of manual controls, external flash units and a viewfinder that shows the image through the lens. A DSLR camera is much like a professional 35mm camera.

Optical Zoom: Optical zoom is when an image is magnified by the physical lens. In a point and shoot camera, the lens will move out from the camera to zoom in on the subject. Optical zoom doesn't effect image quality like digital zoom.

Digital Zoom: When a camera uses digital zoom, it's using software inside the camera to zoom in on the subject. Much like if you were to zoom in on an image on your desktop computer, cameras work the same way. When looking at zoom on a camera, optical zoom is always preferred.

Image Stabilization: When you're taking a picture and the camera's shaking, image stabilization will kick in to help reduce the blur in the picture.

LCD: Liquid Crystal Display. The LCD is the digital display on the back of almost every point and shoot camera. These are used as the viewfinder and to review photos. Look at the number of pixels in the camera specifications to determine the quality of the LCD display. The higher the number of pixels, the better the display.

Pixel: A pixel is a single dot and the smallest element in a picture. When millions of these pixels are put together, it forms the picture. A pixel is so small, it couldn't be seen with the human eye.

Megapixels: A megapixel(mp) is very simply, one million pixels. Digital cameras usually define the image quality of the pictures. A 5 mp camera is made of 5 million pixels. A camera with a higher number of megapixels will take higher quality pictures.

SD Memory Card: A secure digital (SD) memory card is the memory card that goes in the camera to store your pictures. SD defines the technology that's used to physically store the image on the memory card. There are different types of SD cards that fit in different types of cameras like a micro SD or mini SD card. Your camera typically comes with a small capacity memory card. You will want to get a new one when you purchase your camera if you want to store a lot of pictures on it. Make sure to check the specs on the camera before you purchase an extra one.

xD Memory Card: Like an SD memory card, xD (extreme digital) cards are used to store your cameras pictures. xD cards are only used in Olympus or Fuji cameras. There are also several variations on the xD card. Check your camera specs before purchasing an extra card.

Geotagging: With the profiliation of GPS devices, cameras are now coming with GPS's built-in to them. A camera with geotagging capabilities can tag your photograph with the location and altitude where it was taken.

So given all the information above, the most important point to remember when you're shopping for a new digital camera is to find one that fits your lifestyle. If you like to carry a camera around with you to take impromptu pictures of your family, a DSLR camera is not going to work for you. However, if you like to make all the adjustments yourself and you aspire to be a professional photographer, you don't want a point and shoot camera. Most importantly, find one you will actually use. If it's too complicated and you end up not wanting to mess with it, it's going to sit at home and it's never going to get used.

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