Digital cameras and the basics you should look for when buying.
18 Aug 2007
If you are in the market for a digital camera there are some basic features you will need to consider before you buy. These are are often the features you will see first in the ads when you are looking at different brands and models such as the resolution or number of pixels, the lens or zoom, both optical and digital, the viewfinder or LCD screen size, maybe storage capacity or memory as well as battery life. There is a seemigly never ending list of possible features to consider and the list grows considerably as you move up the scale of price and quality. We are going to look at the most basic here first which is where you should start your research.
Lets start with the resolution. This is measured in the number of pixels vertically by horizontally in the image recorded by the camera and called mega pixels. Single mega pixel cameras are at the bottom of the scale and are almost obsolete. This is what you will find in cell phones or the still photos from a video camera. Two mega pixels is actually better resolution than most computer monitors have and is good for emailing or posting photos on the internet and for printing up to 8 x 10 images. Three megapixel cameras will print up to 11 x 14 images and allow you to do professional graphics work. As you get up to 4 or 5 megapixels and above even larger images and print sizes are possible.
The next thing to consider is the lens or zoom capabilities of the camera. You should look for the best optical zoom rather than digital zoom since the optical zoom is the actual physical lens focal length and produces the best results where the digital zoom is simply like cropping an already captured photo and will result in less pixels being used and lower final resolution.
When it comes to the LCD screen bigger is usually better since it allows easier viewing of your photo images both before and after capture and also makes editing easier with more visible access to camera features and functions. However the LCD screen is the biggest user of power on the camera and the larger screens will run your battery down that much faster.
That brings us to the battery life of the camera and is an important consideration since digital cameras use battery power rather quickly. It is usually a good idea to get a camera with a rechargeable battery and possibly a spare replacement for extended use situations instead of standard batteries that would have to be replaced often. As far as rechargeables, NIMH batteries can be recharged up to 1000 times while Lithium Ion batteries can also be charged 1000 times but last twice as long as NIMH. Of course AC adapters are also provided with some cameras or are available.
You want to make sure that your camera has adequate memory capacity for your intended use and is compatible with a readily available media type that will provide that. There are many types on the market and most cameras can use only one. The most common are CompactFlash and SmartMedia but some others are Memorystick, floppy disks, mini-cds, Mutimedia cards and IBM Microdrives.
This brief review is meant to serve only as a starting point for your research since there are so many things to consider when looking at digital cameras depending on the extent of need you will be looking to get from your new camera. As always do your homework and enjoy whatever purchase you decide to make.
