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There are a staggering
amount of digital cameras on the market today. Deciding which
digital camera to get can quickly become confusing between
the huge array of choices, all the various features on these
cameras and the often confusing terminology that goes with
them.
So, we have created
a buyers guide to shopping for digital cameras. This guide
will provide helpful information for anyone who is shopping
around for a digital camera in an easy to use way.
If you are looking
for detailed information about digital cameras in general
and the terminology that goes with it, please visit our section
called How Digital Cameras
Work.
Buyers Guide to
Shopping for a Digital Camera
Despite all the
cameras on the market and their various features, shopping
for a digital camera can become much easier once you narrow
down your criteria. By following these simple steps in this
buyers guide, you should be well on your way to shopping for
the right digital camera for your needs.
Determine What
You Need a Digital Camera For
This first step,
figuring out what you need the digital camera for, is far
and away the most important decision you need to make. Once
you determine what you need a camera for, it becomes much
simpler to shop for the correct digital camera. Common uses
of a digital camera include:
- Posting photographs
on the Internet
- Viewing photographs
on a computer screen
- Sending photographs
by email to friends and family
- Printing photographs
on a standard size piece of paper
- Printing photographs
on oversized paper (such as legal size)
- Using photographs
for professional graphics work
Different types of
digital cameras handle these uses differently or not at all.
By knowing what you want to use the camera for, you will be
in a much better position to shop for a digital camera.
Determining the
Resolution of the Camera you need
Once you know what
you will use a digital camera for, the next step is to determine
the resolution of the camera that you need for that particular
use. To learn all the technical details about resolution,
please visit our How a Digital Camera Work section.
Digital cameras
now come in five different resolutions, expressed in megapixels.
The higher the resolution of the digital camera, the larger
photographs it will be able to take. Remember, resolution
means nothing in the terms of quality. Instead, it's all about
the size of the image.
So, what digital
camera resolution is right for you? It depends on what
you
will be doing, of course! Here's a breakdown on the uses
of the different resolutions of digital cameras (expressed
in megapixels) that are currently available.
- 1-megapixel
digital cameras - Maximum picture size is 1024x768.
This camera is fine for posting images to the internet,
for viewing images on a computer screen and is perfect
for emailing photos to friends and family. These
cameras are
fine for printing images up to 5 x 7 inches in size. As
a side note, these cameras are really not being made anymore
- having been replaced by higher megapixel cameras.
- 2-megapixel
digital cameras - Maximum picture size
is 1600x1200, which is greater than most resolutions
on computer
monitors.
This camera is an excellent choice for an all around digital
camera. It is perfect for posting pictures to the
Internet,
viewing images on a computer monitor and mailing pictures
to friends and family. It can print images up to
8x10 inches
size, which is the standard paper size most people print
on. A 2-megapixel digital camera is also great for
basic
graphics work. All pictures on this web site were taken
using a 2-megapixel digital camera - and I still
use this camera today (2004). As
a side note, 2-megapixel cameras seem to be going
the
way
of 1-megapixel
cameras and are destined to fade away in the near
future.
- 3-megapixel
to 4-megapixel digital cameras - These cameras
are currently the most popular digital cameras in the
market today - and the most widely available. The prices
of these cameras have come down remarkably over the
past
year
- and now sell for for significantly less than what
a 2-megapixel camera cost last year. A 3-megapixel
camera
has a maximum
image size of 2048x1536 and will
print
excellent pictures
up
to 11x14
inches.
A 4-megapixel
digital camera will have even larger
images
and print sizes. These cameras perform all the function
of 2-megapixel cameras plus are perfectly suited for
professional
graphics work. For general all-around use, a 3-megapixel
camera is probably the camera of choice -
simply because few people will ever use or need the
higher resolution
found in 4-megapixel digital cameras. That said, the
cost difference between a 3-megapixel and 4-megapixel
camera isn't that much anymore - as such, it may not
be a bad idea to lean toward a 4-megapixel camera if
you can afford the slight extra cost so you "have the
pixels" in case you later need them!
- 5+
megapixel digital cameras -
There are many digital cameras currently out that have
5-megapixels and more. Unless you are doing professional
photography or very high-end graphic work, there is little
point in getting these professional level digital cameras.
The reason? The photographs produced by these cameras
is just so BIG due to their higher resolution that you
will inevitably have to scale them down to use them -
thus
taking away most of the point of getting the camera in
the first place. Basically, unless you plan on printing
out your images with a size greater than 11x14 inches
or
are a
professional photographer or need one of the specialized
functions that come on these high-end cameras, this camera
type is overkill for most purporses.
Hopefully this
information about digital camera resolutions should help
you
choose the type of camera you need (2-megapixel, 3-megapixel
or greater). Now that you know what resolution camera you
need, the next step is to look at digital camera features.
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