Shopping for digital camera for the first time can be a confusing and daunting experience. With so many models and features from which to select, first-time purchasers often rely upon the advice of a sales person as to which is the best digital camera. Someone who may not be all that knowledgeable about available products and features, or doesn't know what the main function of the camera will be. All of which are very important.
First-time purchasers also often make the mistake of purchasing a digital camera solely because of its appearance, brand name, or price; without knowing a thing about digital camera photo quality or camera memory.
There is a wiser method of determining which camera to buy. First and foremost, determine the purpose for the camera. Will it be for semi-regular personal use, to take photographs as a hobby, or for professional purposes? Only after determining primary camera use is it time to move on to what specific features are most desirable in a camera.
Digital camera resolution is very important. The resolution determines how many pixels make up a photo. The term 'Pixel' is short for 'picture element.' Each pixel refers to a single point in an image.
Pixels are usually measured in horizontal x vertical resolution. High picture resolution results in a shaper picture. For the most part, higher-end cameras are capable of a higher picture resolution; lower priced cameras usually have a lower resolution capacity.
Because a high resolution camera takes up more camera memory, most cameras allow you to change picture resolution. If you want to e-mail photos to friends, a low resolution such as 640 x 480 work's fine. If you want to print photos, a high picture resolution is necessary for a clear picture that isn't grainy.
Digital camera compression is another important aspect. It is the process that shrinks a photo's file size. Pictures saved as JPEG files take up less memory space. Compression also makes it faster to save and download photos; it makes it easier to send and download e-mail pictures. However, compression affects image quality.
Because compression causes a small amount of data loss, if you want to take pictures for professional purposes, you might want a camera that can take uncompressed photos.
Digital camera memory equals film to a conventional camera. It is storage space for pictures. If you plan to download pictures from your digital camera directly to a computer or other source, a high camera memory capacity might not be important. However, if you take many pictures at one time without downloading, you will want a camera that has a lot of internal memory or one with expandable memory so that you can purchase a large-capacity digital camera memory chip or memory card.
These important aspects, along with required power source and connection functions, and consideration of extra features such as an LCD viewfinder, self-timer, built-in flash, and capacity for audio recording - and the price - should all enter into the decision making process when it comes to purchasing the best digital camera for your purposes.
You only other consideration is buying the best quality digital camera you can, within your budget. Persons who will be using the digital camera mainly for e-mail purposes can get away with a used digital camera, or inexpensive model. Where as hobbyists and professionals will want to get the best, top digital camera they can afford.
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