Friday, March 13, 2009

How To Buy A Digital Camera

By Michael Thompson

A really good digital camera starts with knowing what your needs are. Imagine spending $150 and feeling great about the deal you got, but what if you find out you need to spend hundreds more to upgrade! Here are some of the things you need to know to get a good camera at a good price.

Camera manufacturers all talk about the megapixel (MP) as a rating of the quality of the picture, and how good a camera is, but the mega pixel as a measurement of the quality of the camera is actually not a good point of measure. With technology improvements, the mega pixels keep getting higher, but that may not be what you really need.

For most general users, you will never print a picture larger than 8x10. The 3.1 mega pixel prints a perfect 8x10, but the new standard is 7-8 mega pixels. Unless you are a pro photographer, then anything over 3.1 is great.

The next thing you wanted to is pick the right physical configuration of the camera. How many times have you purchase something with all kinds of bells and whistles, but never learn how to use them, or had a difficult time using them? Be honest with yourself. If you're just a point and shoot kind of person, and keep with the simple camera.

A DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) typically has a larger body and a detachable lens. The DSLR is usually a higher end camera, and has more features and better components. Pro's typically buy a DSLR. For many of you reading this article, the DSLR camera is more camera than you'll ever need.

Point-and-shoot cameras are smaller, the lens is usually attached, and the lens actually retracts back into the camera base. This is the camera that is directly marketed to the consumer market. Many of the cameras you see advertised and in electronic stores in the few hundred dollar range are compact cameras.

The pros with a point and shoot camera. The prices are much cheaper and affordable. The down side is that the cameras will break sooner. It is usually cheaper just to replace the camera instead of fixing it.

Think for a few minutes about what kind of camera you need. Knowing that the mega pixel range these days is more than the average person needs. Talk with others that own cameras, and be honest with yourself about the realities of what you are going to do with the camera. - 15437

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