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12 Megapixels! Super High Resolution! 12.5X Optical Zoom! When you go shopping for digital cameras, you are bombarded with specifications like these. The exclamation marks can make you feel like you just have to buy that model, even if you started off just looking for a cheap compact digital camera for taking "happy snaps" of the kids at play or your friends at parties.
What do those specifications mean? Do you really need all those megapixels? What's the difference between optical and digital zoom and should you care? Our Digital Cameras Buying Guide will help you navigate your way through the maze and find the right digital camera for your needs.
Key Digital Camera Features
These are the major features of digital cameras:
Megapixels
We'll start with megapixels (MP) because this is one of digital camera makers' biggest marketing tools. The word "pixel" was made from combining the words "picture" and "element." Pixels are the tiny little squares that together make up a digital image. Megapixels are even smaller little squares - "mega-small" if you like. How small is that? One megapixel equals one million pixels!
Today, even cheap compact digital cameras often have a resolution of over 10MP. This is more than enough to crop a face in a crowd and blow it up to a reasonable portrait. All you really need to know about megapixels is that anything over 4MP is going to give you great picture resolution. You won't gain anything by spending more on a 12 MP digital camera unless you're planning on printing up posters of your work.
Optical Zoom versus Digital Zoom
Optical zoom digital cameras include a telescopic lense that physically magnifies the subject being focused on. Digital zoom digitally crops and enlarges an image before you take it. Because of this, you lose resolution. Even many cheaper digital cameras come with as much as a 3X optical zoom lens. This is plenty for zooming in on a happy couple at a wedding or the children splashing in the pool. For taking shots of distant scenery, a 5X or more optical zoom lense would be better.
Autofocus
Virtually all digital cameras have the autofocus feature. This simply means that the camera automatically focuses for you. Usually, it picks out the object that is centred in the viewfinder. Ironically enough, the old manual focusing option is a costly extra feature in digital cameras.
Image Stabilizer
The image stabilizer helps overcome the problem of shaky hands or a shaky subject. It is a very handy feature to have, even if you have rock-steady hands. Fortunately, you can find this feature in most of today's digital cameras.
Built-in Flash
This feature probably needs no introduction. The camera has a flash built into the camera. However, if this is a feature you are particularly interested in having, the important thing to remember is that taking flash photos really soaks up battery power. There is nothing more disappointing than having your camera "die" in the middle of a dimly lit birthday party and not having a spare battery on hand. Forewarned is forearmed: if you are going to doing a lot of flash photography, buy a spare battery or batteries!
Screen Size
Most digital cameras come with a small LCD screen instead of or in combination with a standard viewfinder. Like a TV, the screen size is measured diagonally. It is nice to have the viewfinder option as well as the screen because in a strong light it is sometimes hard to see the LCD screen.
Special Features
Any camera with the above features included is going to serve you well, whether it's for casual snapping, vacation photos or even for printing up an 8X10 and hanging it on your wall. Now we'll look at some common features that add even more to your digital camera's usefulness:
Movie Function
This allows you to take short video clips with your digital camera. Don't expect it to be an adequate substitute for a digital movie camera, but it's a priceless feature for capturing a short clip. If the camera has a sound feature included with video, it too will be relatively low quality, but highly appreciated.
Special Image Modes
If you want to get more versatility out of your camera, look for digital cameras that feature special image modes. Some of these include settings for taking pictures at the beach or in the snow, as well as fireworks displays, high action sports and other unusual settings. Also look for a high sensitivity (ISO) feature. ISO is a measure of light sensitivity. A digital camera with a high sensitivity option allows you to take sharper photographs of moving subjects, especially indoors.
Transfer/Upload Features
The standard way to transfer digital photos is with a USB connection to your computer or a PictBridge connector for printers. If that's not enough for you, look for a camera that has a wireless transfer feature. Snap a photo and send it to a friend, upload it to your online photo gallery or even print your photos using a compatible printer.
Keeping It Simple
There are two types of digital cameras - compact and SLR. So far, we have talked about features common to both. SLR stands for Single Lens Reflex. This simply means that the camera comes with one standard 35mm lense that can be removed and replaced with another lens. These cameras cost more than compact cameras and are for serious and professional photographers only.
For casual photographers, digital cameras can be broken down into three categories: Fun, Travel and Enthusiast.
Fun: If you just want a fun camera that fits into your pocket and is ready to go, then simply choose your favourite looking one for under $200. It's hard to go wrong with these.
Travel: If you are a traveller, you will want something with at least a 5X zoom optical lense. The digital zoom feature will help, but you just won't get the quality you want when you are snapping a photograph of a distant Himalayan peak, for instance. Also, be sure your travel camera comes with a long lasting lithium battery and plenty of memory. When you are spending the day exploring Angkor Watt, you are going to be taking a lot of pictures. If you are planning on taking a 5 day Machu Picchu trek, then have extra batteries on hand and get a sturdy camera with a well-padded carrying case. Also consider buying an extra memory card or even two, just to be on the safe side.
Enthusiast: If you are a camera enthusiast, then look for a camera with a variety of customizable options, including the special modes mentioned in this guide. In the $500+ range, you can find a camera with so many special modes; it will come with a fairly hefty user's manual. Be ready for a learning curve. It will be worth it, though, when you take that once in a lifetime photo of a fireworks display off the Sydney Harbour Bridge!
Comparison enables an "apples with apples" comparison of Digital Cameras. First step is to narrow your search to a short list by filltering all our Digital Cameras by brand, price range or features that are important to you.
For example, find all digital cameras with a resolution of 7 megapixels; or find all digital cameras able to print photos directly using PictBridge; or find all Kodak digital cameras.
You can create a shortlist of Digital Camera models you are interested in, then look for local retailers and deals near you. |
