Choosing a digital camera

The digital camera you need is . . . . .

Well actually, I'm not going to tell you! You see each one of us is unique, and we all have different requirements when it comes to choosing a digital camera, so a model that is perfect for me may not be at all what you are looking for.

What I will do, is give you some information about digital cameras that may help if you are planning on buying a digital camera.

Whether it's your first camera or a replacement for an existing one. If you have previously used a film camera you have a treat in store!

Digital cameras tend to be split into four main types; point and shoot or compacts, camera phones, digital camcorders that can take still photos, and cameras for digital SLR photography. (SLR stands for single lens reflex, but more about that later.)

Camera phones are improving all the time, and are certainly handy to carry with you, but tend not to have much in the way of controls. On the other hand, although digital camcorders often have a still photography option, the quality is not as good as a dedicated camera. So we will concentrate on the point and shoot and digital SLR cameras.

So what is the difference?

Point and shoot digital cameras

Modern day point and shoot digital cameras have plenty of megapixels, a digital photography term that gives a clue to the picture quality you can expect. A megapixel rating of around 5 allows you to print out photos suitable for your album or digital photo scrapbook. If you wish to frame larger prints then 6 or more megapixels would be useful. Check out my table to help you decide how many megapixels you need. This type of camera tends to be small, light and easy to carry around, ready for the opportunistic shot. Focusing is handled by the camera as is exposure, with program modes for subjects such as digital portrait photography, landscapes or action shots, so the pictures have every chance of coming out just right with minimal effort on your part.

These cameras are often equipped with a zoom lens that allows you to get closer to your subject. Optical zoom is the one to go for here, as digital zoom tends to give inferior pictures.

When choosing a digital camera of this genre check whether it has a shutter lag, or delay, in taking the picture after you have pressed the button. They can be prone to this problem, causing you to maybe miss the action of that once in a lifetime shot.

Another point to keep in mind is the type of batteries that the camera takes. My first digital camera had to be plugged in to charge up overnight, whereas the two I currently own can use rechargeable AA batteries. Battery life can vary tremendously between brands and models. Asking how many photographs you can expect from the batteries when out choosing a digital camera is a good idea.

You may find that a camera of this type has both an electronic viewfinder and a LCD panel on the back for viewing a scene before taking the shot. Because of the way they are made, the viewfinder will give a slightly different framing to the shot than will actually be recorded on the sensor, so you may prefer to use the LCD for close up photographs to avoid cutting anything important out of the picture. The slight difference in viewpoint is less important in photos of scenery or distant views.

To sum up, if you are looking for an automatic camera that will make the decisions for you, and therefore be easy to use, then a point and shoot digital camera could be the perfect choice.

If, on the other hand, you want to be in charge of how your pictures are created you may want to look at an SLR when choosing a digital camera.

Remember I said that SLR stood for single lens reflex? In these cameras you view the scene through an optical viewfinder that gives you exactly what the lens is "seeing" with no possibility of mis-framing your shot.

Digital SLR photography gives you the option of using additional lenses (read about how to choose the best digital camera lens for the job) and separate flashguns, much like the film SLR's you may have used in the past.

On top of a digital SLR camera you may see an area, or hotshoe, where you can fit an external flash gun. My Olympus E20 (not a new model by any means!) actually has a built in flash and a hotshoe. Using an external flash allows more creativity when it comes to lighting indoor shots and later we will talk about bounced flash (no that doesn't mean dropping the flash gun on the floor and hoping it acts like a rubber ball!).

Although they can still have automatic settings, you normally have the option of choosing aperture priority, shutter priority or manual settings on an SLR camera. This digital photography terminology may sound like a foreign language, but being able to choose will give you much greater control over how your picture comes out. You will get to try out these settings in assignments on this site later, so that you can see the effect they have on your photographs. In the meantime you can always start with the auto settings until you get used to the camera and want to move on.

One of the best features of digital SLR's is that they generally have a larger sensor than the point and shoot versions giving sharper, higher quality pictures.

There are, of course, drawbacks to SLR cameras, sorry. As a rule they tend to be bulkier and heavier than the point and shoot varieties, which, in my case anyway, can mean that they don't always go wherever you go! If I am out on a photographic mission I take my SLR, but my smaller compact is easier to pop in a pocket and have with me anywhere, in case I want to use it.

I hope this introduction will help you when you come to choosing a digital camera that is just right for you.