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Digital Cameras Review Online reveals in this section all the information you NEED to know to make an informed decision to purchase the right digital camera for you.
This section will literally save you time and money.
How Many Megapixel Do I Need?Zoom Factor: Digital vs. OpticalKeep it Simple. Shooting and Scene ModesMemory: You will need a lot!Size Does MatterLCD ScreensBatteryQuality Camera = Quality PicturesWhat About Your Computer?The resolution is a measure of how sharp your image will be, the number of pixels is in an image.
A Pixel is one of the tiny points that make up an image. You may also see "ppi" which means Pixels/points per inch.
Megapixel are simply one million pixels, (the prefix "mega" signifies one million), and most units range from two to six megapixels.
The more pixels you have, the better quality the final prints will be.
Resolution determines how big you can print and how much you can crop your pictures. The higher the resolution, the greater the cost.
As a general rule, 2 megapixels is fine for creating good 6 x 4 inches prints and emails.
You will need 4 megapixels for quality 8 x 10 inches enlargements. You can use the following to guide you:
One advantage of 5 and 6 megapixel cameras is the ability to crop the images with photo editing software and still print them out full size. If you anticipate editing your pictures this way, then a higher resolution camera is worth the money.
Email: One of the best advantages of the digital camera is you can easily email your pictures to your family and friends, a high resolution digital camera is not needed to email pictures.
Unless you are printing large prints 2 or 3 mega pixels is more than enough. You won't see a difference on your computer screen between 2 and 4 megapixels camera.
Digital Cameras Review Online Verdict: Get a camera with enough resolution for the print sizes you'll want to make.
Image quality is largely a function of the camera you choose. Resolution is important, but so are the other camera features, don't buy something based on resolution alone.
The lenses are the heart of a camera. The lenses are a deciding factor for the image quality.
Consider the optical zoom first, as this is the true zoom range of the lens. For example, a 3x zoom will get you three times closer to your subject.
Below you can appreciate how great is a 10x optical zoom.
With a digital zoom, the camera is electronically cropping into the picture (like zooming on a computer).
Digital zoom are good but don?t be fooled by the longer range. Your images will loose sharpness and clarity.
The optical zoom is the real deal, giving you genuine close-ups.
Most digital cameras offer excellent quality lenses. Most of the cameras have a 3x optical zoom. This is plenty of range for most everyday photo opportunities.
A special warning applies for the zoom. Sometimes cameras stores advertise digital cameras with a 5x zoom without specifying if it's optical or digital. Make sure you verify which zoom they are talking about.
However, because you can't change lenses, you may find yourself limited. A few models offer bigger optical zoom ranges (up to 10x). You might not use the full range often but it's nice to have when you need it.
Choosing a digital camera with an optical zoom range higher than 3x does limit your option as there are only a handful of such models on the market.
But as technology is improving quickly, more digital cameras are available with an optical zoom higher than 3x at affordable price.
Digital Cameras Review Online Verdict: Get a camera with enough zoom range for your typical shooting habits. Most digital cameras are equipped with a 3x optical zoom which is most of the time what you need.
More and more digital cameras are offering a variety of shooting modes.
Specialized scene modes such as night exposure, landscapes, portraits and even movie mode.
The modes are great because you will take a lot of shots out of proper exposure and under difficult conditions, the specialized modes are doing all the thinking for you and will get terrific results.
Digital Cameras Review Online Verdict: For a camera that the whole family can enjoy, look for models that offer Programmed Scenes modes. Even if you are not a beginner, these programmed shooting and scenes modes are excellent.
Memory cards are used to store your camera's pictures. The storage capacity of the card is measured in megabytes (MB). The larger the capacity, the more photos can be stored.
Larger capacity memory card can be expensive. You may consider buying several smaller cards rather than one large one. That will provide you some sort of insurance in case your card is lost or stolen so you won't loose all your photos at once.
You can choose different size of memory card: 16 MB, 32 MB, 64 MB, 128 MB, 256 MB, 512 MB, 1G, 2G etc.
Most digital cameras come with a 16 or 32 MB memory card. As the megapixels counts grow, you need a higher capacity of storage.
It would be wise to budget for an additional memory card when you are shopping for your new digital camera.
If you look at the table below, you will realise that you will need to buy an extra memory card.
For example, if you buy a 3 megapixel Canon SD110, you get a 16MB memory card with the camera. With this card you will take approximately only 15 pictures before having to empty your memory card!
My own camera came equipped with a 32 Megabytes card, I bought a 128 MB two weeks later! I now have 1 gigabyte and two 256 megabytes card.
The following table will give you an approximate idea of how many images you can store with different memory card size.
A few older models are equipped with a fixed amount of memory and did not provide for any expansion. Please stay away from them!
There are five main types of memory card. The most popular is CompactFlash (CF) which will fit most Canon, Nikon, Minolta, HP, Casio and pre 2002 Kodak.
CompactFlash is inexpensive, easy to find and very small (matchbook size).
The xD Picture Cards about half the size of a CompactFlash. Will fit most current Fuji and Olympus digital cameras.The Memory Stick was developed by Sony and is only compatible with Sony digital cameras.SmartMedia (SM) is used by most Olympus and Fuji. The SmartMedia is being phased out but it should be available for quite some time. It's now very cheap, so if you buy a camera that uses that type of memory, it's probably a good idea to stock up. This card is available in capacities up to 128 Megabytes.Secure Digital (SD) or Multimedia (MMC) is very small memory card (postage stamp size). Fits most Kodak digital cameras produced after 2001. Canon is now using SD memory card for their newest models.Digital Cameras Review Online Verdict: Digital camera memory is important but don't let the memory type be a big factor in your choice, consider the difference in cost and size.
A good move would be to budget to buy an extra memory card while buying your digital camera.
But also remember you can always buy additional memory cards later and they are now very affordable and easy to find.
Click here for more information on memory cards.
How big (or small) should your camera be? This is a personal preference but deserving serious consideration. If you are buying a digital camera primarily for vacation or for special occasion, a small camera that you can easily fit in your pocket is ideal.
There are a number of very small digital cameras available that offer a good set of controls and adequate resolution.
Even the digital cameras that not considered ultra-compact are still relatively small. Bigger digital cameras deliver top resolution and high performance features. They also have a bigger control interfaces easier to handle if you have large hands.
Digital Cameras Review Online Verdict: Look for a digital camera that fits your lifestyle. If your camera fits easily in your pocket, you?re apt to take it along more often.
More serious photographers may opt for a longer zoom ranges, close focusing capabilities and system accessories.
The LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) screen is probably one of the biggest plus of digital photography. Being able to review your photos as you shoot is fantastic!
A 1.5 inch color LCD screen is standard, anything larger is a bonus.
Some are stationary and other swivel, rotate and flip to give you a clear view even when the camera is pointed up, down, sideways.
Some are easy to view in bright sunlight and others require you to be in indoor environment or in the shade to view clearly.
LCD also makes menus more readable which is great.
The swiveling, rotating and flipping LCD is a really terrific feature that you will adopt very quickly!
The only downside I can see about the LCD is there using power and as you can imagine, the larger screen use more power. The best digital cameras have an additional small monochrome LCD that displays basic shooting info when you need to save power.
Digital Cameras Review Online Verdict: When it come to LCD, bigger is better and flip-out LCD's greatly enhance your ability to see the image clearly in a variety of shooting situation.
A digital camera's memory card, flash, zoom and LCD screen will use a lot of energy so you need a good digital camera battery.
The best cameras come with a lithium-ion (Li-ion) rechargeable battery. The charger is usually supplied.
Sometimes you don?t even need a charger as you can recharge your battery while the battery is in the camera. Very handy feature.
Other cameras works on AA batteries, if so, you should opt for a long lasting Ni-MH rechargeable batteries, they will cost you more up front but you will save money in the long run.
Digital Cameras Review Online Verdict: Whatever types of battery your digital camera takes, having a back up is a good idea. It's never a pleasant experience when your LCD screen goes blank halfway through a day out!
Pictures speak a thousand words and image last forever. Bells and whistles will not help you make a sharp, well exposed image.
Look carefully at features such as lens quality, durability, ease of use and the brand?s photographic expertise.
Personally I like the big players in the photo industry especially Canon and Nikon.
Digital Cameras Review Online Verdict: Most professionals are using Canon and Nikon products such as lenses and cameras. But don?t get me wrong, other brands are also offering excellent products but I like to use what professionals are using!
The reason I am asking about your computer is because it will play an important role for you to enjoy your new digital camera. First your computer needs to be equipped with an USB port and preferably a minimum of 128 MB + of RAM.
It's even better if you have a cd burner, it's very handy to save your photo album on a cd for future reference.
Regarding the image-editing software, when you purchase a digital camera from one of the major brands, they include in the price of the camera pretty good software package such as Adobe Photoshop or Photo Stitch.
You will also need a good bubble jet printer to print your pictures. The printers are very affordable and they can produce prints of an amazing quality assuming you are using the proper paper.
You don't need a computer to buy a digital camera, but it will make the experience much better. Without a computer you can't edit your picture, you have to go to a photo studio to develop your pictures etc.
Digital Cameras Review Online Verdict: The main requirement for you computer is 128 MB of RAM and an USB port and having one will make appreciate your digital camera so much more!
In this section Digital Cameras Review Online show you where to find the Best Deals Online.
Buying online is becoming more and more popular and it's no different than buying offline, it's good to shop around to get the best possible deals.
Before recommending any store on this site, I have done lots of research saving YOU the trouble!
Price was an important factor in my decision in my selection and these retailers offer very competitive prices (if not the best!)
A proven track record of customer satisfaction and an excellent reputation and ethical business practice were among the factors to select the best online retailers.
Click here to visit my Digital Cameras Review Where to Buy Online section
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Budget: From the beginning of the budget, setting the target immediately to the templates that are affordable for you. You do not need to be a fixed budget, but at least the budget range is very useful to choose the right digital camera. By setting up a budget for it from the beginning makes it much easier, you select the correct digital camera. Why do you see the digital camera? Whether or not to travel? Take a picture of the next Safari is it? It is the family pictures? Your child must take the same shots when they are playing their favorite sport? Do you need a Shooting landscapes?
Tripods are very useful in the following situations: Self PortraitPhotographing landscapesClose-upsUsing zoom, tele converters, or lensesLow, the light of the situation, the telephoto that require a slow Shutter speed (night shot)