Digital cameras are used by different people for different reasons, ranging from people who just want to take photos of their families and friends to professional photographers who make a living from photography.
Basic digital camera terminology
Here’s some information on the common digital camera terminology that will help you buy the camera that suits your needs:
Image resolution and mega pixels: The resolution of your digital camera determines what you can do with your photos, such as post them online or make prints and enlargements. Resolution is made up of building blocks called pixels. A million pixels together are called a megapixel. Today's digital cameras have resolutions ranging from less than 3 megapixels to over 8 megapixels. The more the megapixels, the more picture detail is captured, resulting in larger-size prints that look sharper (depending on the type of lens and zoom setting you're using)
Lens: Basic point-and-shoot digital cameras have a fixed-focus lens. This means you won't be able to zoom in on your subject. Most other models have an optical zoom, a digital zoom or both. An optical zoom lens actually moves outward toward the subject to take sharp close-up photos. However, a digital zoom simply enlarges the center portion of the subject to fill the frame, producing a photo with less detail. Some models even feature a macro lens for close-ups of small, nearby objects, which is ideal for nature photography
Memory: Digital memory is the "film" of digital cameras. "Internal memory" is built into the camera and cannot be removed. To download photos from the internal memory to your computer, you must plug the camera into your computer or printer. Removable media, or external memory, consists of a memory card that can be removed from the camera so you can download later. If you have an extra memory card, you can fill one up with photos, replace it with the spare and keep on shooting. Digital memory cards may be filled with pictures, downloaded, and refilled thousands of times, which is one of their major advantages over standard photo film
Memory cards: The chart below will give you a general idea of how many photos a memory card can hold if a photo is taken at a certain resolution. Remember: if you simply plan on posting a photo on the Web (for an online auction, for example), you can shoot it at 1 MP or less and save memory. Many cameras let you select the MP level you wish to use. The following chart gives an estimate of the number of photos that can be stored: The chart below will give you a general idea of how many photos a memory card can hold if a photo is taken at a certain resolution. Remember: if you simply plan on posting a photo on the Web (for an online auction, for example), you can shoot it at 1 MP or less and save memory. Many cameras let you select the MP level you wish to use. The following chart gives an estimate of the number of photos that can be stored
| 1 MP | 2 MP | 3 MP | 4 MP | 5 MP | 6 MP | |
| 16 MB | 32 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 0 |
| 32 MB | 64 | 32 | 32 | 12 | 8 | 4 |
| 64 MB | 128 | 64 | 64 | 24 | 18 | 8 |
| 128 MB | 256 | 128 | 128 | 48 | 36 | 16 |
| 256 MB | 512 | 256 | 256 | 96 | 72 | 32 |
| 512 MB | 1024 | 512 | 512 | 192 | 144 | 64 |
| 1 GB | 2048 | 1024 | 1024 | 384 | 288 | 128 |
Every buyer has a different reason for buying a digital camera. Basically, the camera you should buy depends on which of the following categories you’re in.
Casual Camera Users
If you’re a casual camera user, what you want is a point-and-shoot kind of camera available at a reasonable price. These can be used to:
- Take photos of your family to store on their computer
- Email photos to friends and family
- Post photos for online auctions, etc
- Print photos on a home printer
- Make prints no larger than 4" x 6"
What to look for
- A 2 to 3 megapixel camera (3 megapixal will allow 8" x 10" photos)
- Memory of up to 128 MB (you can buy a memory card if you want more)
- A 1.5" LCD screen; a bigger screen will drain the battery faster
- 3X optical zoom
Amateur Photographer
If you like to take lots of photos and use your computer to tweak and crop the photos, you may want to go in for a slightly better model, with more features, but not too expensive. You can use it to:
- Capture important family events
- Use a computer to enhance your shots
- Crop and enlarge parts of photographs
- Zoom to pick your kid from the crowd
What to look for
- Cameras with 3 to 6 megapixels (MP) to let you print full-frame photos up to 8" x 10" with excellent quality
- One that allows you to do some cropping (selecting only part of an image, and then enlarging it)
- Memory of up to 256 MB (or memory card)
- Zoom of 4X or higher. The bigger the zoom, the further you can be from your subject and still have it fill the screen
- Optical zoom, which is best for getting close-up shots without compromising on image quality
- Digital zoom, which can come in handy, but reduces the quality of your image
Dedicated Photographer
If you’re a dedicated photographer and passionate about photography, you’ll need a full-featured camera that gives you creative control.
- You'll need a camera with auto and manual controls
- One that makes prints larger than 8" x 10"
- Are comfortable with using lenses and using accessories
- Have been using a digital camera before
What to look for
- A camera with 6 to 8 megapixels (MP). This allows you to make sharp prints larger than 8" x 10", as well as crop (select part of an image and enlarge it) with no loss of quality. A photo tip: to get the same quality as your 35mm-film camera, look for at least 7.0 MP
- Memory of at least 512 MB (or a memory card)
- Optical zoom as high as 12X, if the feature is important to you
- If you enjoy composing your shots carefully, we suggest a camera that uses interchangeable lenses. You'll be able to capture a greater variety of photos "in the camera" that won't need extensive computer work. Examples of special lenses are wide-angle, super zoom, and specialized macros
Camera Accessories
Camera bags: A bag helps you organize, carry and protect all your digital camera gear
Card readers: You can keep one of these devices connected to a USB port on your PC. When you want to download digital photos, just place your memory card in the reader. Using a card reader is the fastest way to transfer photos to your computer, where you can share and print them. Card readers will accept a variety of types of memory cards; be sure to choose one that’s compatible with the type of camera you’ve bought
Photo printers: Home/office photo printers come in two options: a 4" x 6" snapshot printer, or a full-sized ink jet printer
- A snapshot printer is compact and designed only to print 4" x 6" photos, which it does very well. It is also very easy to use, letting you print directly from the camera or a memory card. There's no need to even turn on your computer
- A full-sized ink jet printer may offer a range of features that ensure top results and ease of use, including: special inks (six or even eight ink colours) that provide more accurate photos; the ability to print borderless images and use specialty photo paper; a memory card slot or support direct-from-camera printing; and a LCD screen to preview and edit your shots
Tripods: Rely on a tripod to steady your camera in low-light situations, while shooting fireworks, etc. With a tripod, you can also get into the photo yourself if your camera has a self-timer. Forget the large tripods that come up to your waist. The popular ones are mini-tripods that are only 4" to 5" long and can slip into a backpack or purse. Use them to rest your camera on a table-top, counter, or shelf
