Whether you are buying your first digital camera or looking to replace an old one, you’ll have a positive shopping experience if you know what features you want and need and what price you can afford. With brands and features as prevalent as shampoos, this can be a daunting task. Once you’ve considered the following questions, you’ll be armed with enough information to get exactly the camera you want for a price you can afford.
Who and How Will Use the Camera?
The first thing to consider is: who will use the digital camera? Will a spouse also be using this camera? Or your teenager? If more than one person will be using the camera, you will need to look at the durability, ease of use, battery life in a slightly different way than if you will be the sole user of the digital camera.
The second thing to consider is: how will I/we use the digital camera? What are my/our photographic goals? Think about how you will share your photographs. Will you be printing large images? Will you be sending images via email or publishing them on the Web? Perhaps you or someone in your family is a scrapbooker and will be using actual prints. The answers to these questions will tell you how much resolution you need. Resolution is measured in MP (mega pixels). The higher the resolution, the better the prints.
How and who uses the camera will also factor into what digital camera accessories you will need.
How Much Storage Capacity Do I Need?
The amount of storage capacity you need depends on how many photos you take at a time and how often. Some digital cameras have only internal storage capacity, which means that once you reach the capacity, you must download the pictures before you can take more.
Another option is to purchase a digital camera that uses a removable media, such as a PC card or Smart Flash. With removable media you store more photos on an external device and your digital camera’s memory is expanded so it can hold more pictures.
What Kind of Lenses and Modes Do I Need?
The most common lenses are telephoto or zoom lenses and wide-angle lenses. Most digital camera users want some degree of zoom. Price usually determines how much zoom they purchase.
Some cameras have a macro mode which allows you to bring the camera very close to the subject and not lose clarity and resolution. If you love taking pictures of bugs on leaves, or just leaves themselves, this might be an important mode for you to have on your digital camera.
The last step, if price is an issue, is to prioritize your wants and needs. Now you are ready to go and make a satisfying purchase.