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FAQ:
How to buy a Digital Camera

by Simon Walker

>>This is part of the Cyberwalker FAQ: How to buy a digital camera

What will the camera be used for?

Of course it is not always easy to know how you will use a camera before you buy it. However, many people buy a camera with a specific event in mind. Maybe for an overseas trip, a special holiday, the arrival of a newborn, the start of a child’s little league career, or taking up a new hobby in photography. Some people buy a camera simply to use on special occasions and take pictures for the family album.

Another consideration is whether you will be using the camera in conjunction with a home computer.

To help you figure out what the reason is for buying a camera in the first place, you might look at some of the photographs you already have and decide if they fit into any of the above categories.

Each type of use will require a camera that emphasizes a different feature. Some of the features of a camera include: Resolution (mega pixels), zoom, flash memory type, form factor, battery technology, screen size and type, chassis construction and weight.

Here's a few rules of thumb:

Travel - Buy a physically small camera, with AA batteries and a large memory card (or buy an extra larger card). Unless you plan to upload your travel pictures, a 2 megapixel camera should be sufficient to print 4x6 snaps.

Family - If the camera is going to used to photograph the kids as they grow or for use around the house, then you might consider a slightly higher than normal resolution. 4 or 5 megapixels will give you the ability to print high quality 8x10s. You may want to keep the camera smaller and lighter (if mom is going to take the pix) and ensure there's a decent zoom so you can get close up.

Hobby - Hobbyists might consider a higher resolution camera so they can later manipulated the images for a photo editor on a computer. Decent manual settings and a healthy size and weight might also be a consideration. The ability to change lenses might also be a consideration.

Sharing - If you just want to email your pictures to friends on the intenret (and rarely print them out) then the megapixel rating may not be so important. Aim at a 3 MP camera (or lower).

Next >> Resolution - the mystery of megapixels
Index >> Digital Camera FAQ
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