When it comes to digital photography cameras, there are so many out there, when shopping for one, where do you begin? Though old models faze out and new ones take their place, most every digital camera has the same standard features. Of course you'll want to choose a camera that fits in your budget and is appropriate for your level of expertise and picture taking needs.
Digital cameras are categorized on the following criteria:
Pixels- Each image is composed of a grid of tiny square units known as pixels. Some cameras express pixel values in two numbers: total pixel count and effective pixels. Total pixel count resembles the number of pixels of the sensor size and effective pixels amount is the number of pixels remaining after the edges have been trimmed.
Megapixels (MP) - One megapixel equals one million pixels. The larger the number of pixels each image has, the more the picture can be enlarged without losing sharpness quality. Hence, cameras with higher than 5 MP are ideal for commercial purposes.
Optical vs Digital Zoom- Most cameras offer both types of zoom lenses. In an optical zoom lens the focal length and magnification increases as the zoom expands. In a digital zoom lens an image is cropped down to a smaller area within the picture while magnifying its appearance. As the magnification increases, the image loses quality and becomes blurry. This can be corrected with image editing software.
Memory - Removable memory modules come in several forms and storage capacities. The Compact Flash (CF) is used in most digital cameras and come in storage capacities of 1-2 gigabytes. All other cards including Secure Digital (SD), Multimedia, Smart Media, XD, and Sony memory sticks are smaller in physical size and more commonly used in digicams than CF's are. There is no major advantage in choosing one type over another, but each digital photography camera uses only one type.
When purchasing a camera, it is best to find one that suits your picture taking needs. Hence, if you're a novice who takes pictures only on holidays or vacations, a camera with manual adjustments or more than 5 MP would be overkill. If you're a professional photographer whom takes pictures for commercial use, a high-end DSLR camera may be perfect for you.
