How to Buy a New Digital Camera

Today’s photographers have many different options to choose from when buying a digital camera. Some digital cameras will only take photographs, while can be used to capture sound and video clips. Some digital cameras are rather bulky, while others can be very lightweight and small enough to fit in your pocket. However, the basic components of a quality digital camera remain the same.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Resolution is the first factor you’ll need to consider when selecting your new digital camera. A two mega pixel camera is suited for 5x7 or smaller prints. If you’d like to make 8x10 prints, a three mega pixel camera is the preferred choice. For prints that are 11x17 or larger, you’ll need to purchase a camera with at least four mega pixels. Mega pixels are the most talked about feature of digital photography, but they’re not the only thing to consider when buying a digital camera.

2. Having a zoom lens is important for most digital photographers. Don’t confuse optical zoom with digital zoom, which merely magnifies existing pixels. A camera with true optical zoom gives you the benefit of your camera’s maximum resolution as well as the ability to get closer to the subject of your photograph. The more inexpensive digital cameras are often lacking an optical zoom lens. An optical zoom of 3x is sufficient for most photographers. For nature or sports photography, you may want to consider buying a digital camera with optical zoom ratings of up to 10x.

3. Exposure settings are often overlooked by beginning photographers, but choosing a camera with aperture and shutter priority modes will give you the tools to take quality photographs. With aperture priority, you can create effects such as blurring the background of a photo while keeping the subject in focus. Shutter priority mode allows you to photograph fast moving subjects without the blurry results of your camera’s automatic mode.