Digital Camera Buying Guide

Buying a digital camera to get started in the world of digital photography or to replace your old camera? Read these tips on getting the best digital camera for your money.

Set a Budget before Buying

Before deciding on purchasing a digital camera, it is important that you set yourself a budget before going online or visiting an electronics shop. Like purchasing any other big-ticket item else such as a computer, car, or house, there are tons and tons of options, and you don't want to get stuck with more camera than you can afford. Yes, the high-end cameras offer the best zoom, more megapixels (which don't always mean better photos!), and the added features, but they can also take a huge bite out of your wallet if you are not careful.

When starting out in the world of digital photography, I would recommend not spending a huge amount of money on the high-end prosumer or digital SLR cameras. Look for cheaper, yet powerful, compact digital cameras that are easy to hold and don't add too much weight when you travel. Learn the basics with this digital camera and make sure you enjoy the hobby before spending the cash for higher-end digital cameras.

Ignore Digital Zoom

Although many salespeople would disagree, when choosing a digital camera to purchase, I would completely ignore advertised digital zoom magnifications and only look at cameras' optical zooms. Digital zooming performs an interpolation, or computer-based 'guesswork', of an image to try to increase the perceived zoom distance. These can result in "fuzzy" images or those with less than optimal clarity, especially if you blow them up into 8x10 or larger photos. However, optical zoom provides for a true zoom-in or zoom-out on your subject.

If you want an example of what a photograph may look like when taken with a digital zoom, take a photograph into a piece of photo-editing software and increase its size by 100% or 200%. Although the picture will look bigger on screen, you will start to see dots or imperfections in the image. That's what happens with digital zoom.

Higher optical zoom cameras can allow you to take a greater variety of pictures, but they do tend to cost more money, which is why lower-priced cameras tend to advertise their digital zoom capabilities a lot more. However, for many photographers, the enhanced image quality is well worth the higher price.

Two Considerations when Buying a New Camera

Planning on buying a new digital camera? Among the many choices you have to make including megapixels, image quality, and zoom capability, here are two more things you should consider:

Media Type: There are lots of media types available for cameras, such as CompactFlash, SecureMedia, etc. Because of my previous purchases of CompactFlash cards that I used in older cameras, if upgrading, I would not want to purchase a camera that used a different type of memory unless its other features far outweighed those of competing cameras. Memory prices are going down, but cards are still not cheap and I don't want to 'throw away' this media investment when upgrading.

Some cameras are realizing that not everyone wants to use their manufacturer's proprietary media format. For example, the upcoming (at the time of this tip's writing) Sony Cyber-shot DSC-F828 uses Sony's Memory Stick format, but this digital camera also supports CompactFlash and MicroDrives.

Battery Type: If you currently use rechargeable batteries, factor into your purchasing decision whether or not your 'dream' camera supports the same types of batteries. I own six or seven sets of AA NiMH rechargeable batteries and would be very weary of purchasing a camera that had its own custom battery type. Of course, if the digital camera offered double the megapixels, a wider zoom lens, and better quality photos, I might reconsider.

Small Doesn't Mean Underpowered

Purchasing a small digital camera definitely can have its advantages. They are easier to transport long distances, less bulky to carry with you on trips, and less conspicuous. Plus, nowadays don't expect all small digital cameras to be underpowered toys!

Small cameras may not have as many features as digital SLRs and high-end prosumer digital cameras, but their megapixel resolutions are matching, and sometimes beating, their higher-priced alternatives! Plus, smaller cameras are starting to come with larger and larger zooms.

While a high-priced large digital camera looks impressive to onlookers and usually comes with a wide variety of image manipulation features, don't overlook the value of small digital cameras. If you just want a digital camera to use for friend and family photos, travel a lot and need something that takes up less luggage room, or just don't want to deal with the bulk of a large digital camera, consider the lighter alternatives.

Be Careful When Buying Package Deals

It almost sounds too good to be true. A digital camera, plus memory, a tripod, a backup battery, extra lens, and more... for hundreds of dollars off the original price because it is a package deal!

When buying a digital camera, you're almost sure to be overwhelmed with such "Power Buys", "Closeout Package Specials", and the like. And sometimes, these deals can be real money-savers, especially if you need another camera bag, more memory, a backup battery, etc.

However, be careful before you spend your hard-earned money. While these deals may save you money, they may not save as much money as specified by the individual products' manufacturers' retail prices. And, sometimes, these deals are just ways for unscrupulous dealers to make a few extra dollars on the side, selling substandard or closeout equipment in combination lots that seem like huge bargains for the unwary.

Before you buy such a package deal, examine the contents. Check out what the prices of the individual items REALLY cost, and that may mean visiting other digital camera stores or websites. Then, only then, make a decision. Do you really need the products? Does the package deal really save money, even if not as much money as the seller claims?

I've saved money buying package deals when I really needed all the included equipment, but some people end up spending way more than originally intended on equipment they don't need. Don't let the latter happen to you.

Check What the Zoom Really Means

Be careful when reading a manufacturer's specifications on a digital camera's zoom factor.

Many digital cameras may mention that a camera has a 10x "Combined" or "Total" zoom. This *may* mean that a camera has a 5x optical zoom and a 2x digital zoom (5 X 2 = 10). As mentioned previously, you should only concern yourself with optical zoom as digital zoom just does a pixel interpolation when taking photos, resulting in photographs that may not be as sharp as you'd like. Read the specifications carefully, and if you have any questions, ask a camera salesman about the camera's optical zoom only.

Get a Camera with Magnified Photo Previews

Digital cameras have the ability to preview previously taken photos. This is the huge advantage over film cameras; see what photos you took and make sure they look good before you develop (print) the pictures!

However, even with the largest of LCD preview screens, it is impossible to view all the details in a particular photo. For most personal use, scanning for details is not a necessity, but professionals and those using digital cameras for commercial reasons may need to ensure their photos are of the highest quality. This is especially true if they are bracketing their photos, taking several copies of the same subject with slightly modified settings.

If this scenario sounds like what you need to do, before you purchase a digital camera, make sure it comes with magnified preview modes. This way, you can zoom in on your photos, ensuring their utmost quality. Digital cameras with this feature may have a button or dial next to a magnifying glass, signifying zoom-in capability.

Is There a Built-In Microphone?

One often-overlooked feature of digital cameras is a microphone. You may want to consider purchasing a digital camera with a microphone, as doing so (depending on the digital camera) may provide you with two interesting features:

Voice Memo or Voice Annotation: Some digital cameras let you describe your photographs either right before or after the shoot, allowing you to describe the location, environment, weather, or whatever for posterity. This can be very useful in managing photographs if you're like me and take hundreds of them on trips.

Movie Mode with Sound: Some digital cameras let you take small movies, complete with sound, and process them into AVI or QT (QuickTime) files. I've taken small movies of waterfalls, animals, fountains (Buckingham Fountain), downtown skylines, fireworks, and more. These aren't as impressive as movies taken with a video camera, but it beats lugging another device with you on trips!

Effective Pixels and Foveon X3

Be careful when comparing cameras containing the Foveon X3 three-layer sensor. You may think the resulting photos will come out larger in resolution than what the camera provides.

Most digital camera sensors can detect only red, blue, or green per pixel, using what is called the Bayer filter. A moiré effect sometimes appears in photos as digital cameras try to accurately reproduce colors via dithering effects. To reduce the moiré effects, digital cameras may use demosaicing effects that may result in "smearing" the photo, causing some loss of sharpness.

Foveon X3 digital cameras, however, have a sensor array, with three sensors for each pixel - one detecting red, one blue, and one green. The digital camera then merges the results together, supposedly resulting in sharper, warmer, and more pleasing photos.

Because of the extra detectors, a Foveon X3 digital camera that has, for example, 3.3 million detectors for red, green, and blue may advertise itself as being 10 megapixels (3.3 multiplied by 3 is approximately 10, though the resulting resolution of a photo will only be 3.3 megapixels). The actual quality of the photo, however, may differ depending on the digital camera's implementation, having approximately the same quality as a 5-8 megapixel photo taken with the Bayer filter.

Don't Expect a Camera to Come with Enough Media

When you purchase a digital camera, unless it happens to be a package deal, don't expect the camera to come with enough media to handle your photography needs. Nowadays, most digital cameras, if they come with any media at all, will only be packaged with a 16 or 32 MB card. Though that used to be enough memory for a couple dozen pictures, high megapixel photos in fine, very fine, or raw detail can eat up that memory in just one or two photos. Prepare to spend money on at least one extra media card.

What to Look for to Take Night Photography

Are you planning on buying a digital camera for night photography, perhaps cityscapes or fireworks displays? If so, here are a few things to look for. Note that only the high-end cameras will have some of these features, so balance your desires against your wallet:

* Does your camera have a special night scene mode? This can help take photos in low-lit conditions "out of the box".

* Higher ISO settings allow you to take photos with quicker exposures at the expense of overall image quality. Can you adjust your ISO settings to 200, 400, or higher without causing your digital photos to become grainy?

* Does your camera allow for long exposures of a full second, 2 seconds, or longer? You may need this so enough light can reach your camera in low-lit situations. However, for such photos, a tripod or other stabilizing device is vital.

* Does your camera come built-in with image stabilization or vibration reduction features? This can compensate for the "camera shake" effect when trying to keep your digital camera still during long exposures.

Don't Get Caught Up in Megapixels

It's very easy when buying a digital camera to get caught up in the megapixel race. Fast-talking digital camera salesmen don't help as they usually tout that more megapixels are better, no matter what. Surely if a digital camera contains more megapixels, it must take better and clearer images than other digital cameras, right?

Here are two reasons why you should not get caught up in the megapixel race:

1. More megapixels do not always equal clearer photos. Not just the number of megapixels, but the quality of the megapixels matter as well. For example, most digital camera image sensor pixels can only detect just a particular area's redness, blueness, or greenness, but not all three. This is why you sometimes get a mosaic effect, and why you may often have to adjust the warmth of a photo - not enough redness may be captured. However, new technologies have emerged, such as the Foveon X3 three-layer sensor array where each pixel can detect redness, blueness, AND greenness, supposedly resulting in sharper, warmer, and more pleasing photos.

2. You should consider other digital camera features besides just its megapixels. How fast or slow you can set the camera shutter speed can determine the type of sports and night photography you can take. Does the camera support a manual white-balance control to aid photography in homes, offices, and museums? Does it have pre-programmed modes to aid in difficult lighting situations?

If you are interested in the Foveon X3 technology, here is a link to their website:

Foveon - http://www.foveon.com/

Consider the Total Cost of Ownership

When you purchase an automobile, you must consider the total cost of ownership (TCO). How much will it cost to gas up the car, as it may need higher-octane fuel? Does it require expensive tires? Does it require more maintenance with obscure parts?

The same should be considered when purchasing a digital camera. While a digital camera may be a certain price, consider the following accessories you will most likely consider buying to enhance your photography or protect your investment:

* Digital media to store photos

* Media card reader to transfer files to your computer

* Extra rechargeable batteries to prolong photo shoots

* UV Filter to remove UV light and protect your lens

* Protective camera bag

* Accessory lens, and for a digital SLR, you have to buy one lens to begin with

* Tripod to stabilize your photos

* Backup device if you don't have a CD burner

If you purchase the most expensive digital camera you can afford, make sure you don't break the budget when purchasing accessories. You may need to step down a notch in your digital camera's quality in order to pay for needed supplies.

Be Careful with Very Cheap Prices

Beware of the digital camera 'package deal' sales technique.

Be careful buying digital cameras with prices that seem too cheap to be true. While this certainly isn't the case of every low price retailer, some companies will bait you in with a low-priced camera, only to tantalize you with 'bargain' package deals that may contain substandard or closeout memory, batteries, camera cases, or the like.

These dealers may lose money if they just sell the digital camera at their rock bottom price, but by selling a package deal they can profit. Thus, you may try ordering just the camera, they may apply a pressure sales tactic, and if you do not purchase the entire package or an extended warranty, suddenly the digital camera is on backorder and will be 'available at a later time'.

Always shop around and only buy equipment from trustworthy businesses that you know will be around later in case of problems with your purchase. And this tip is not to say that all package deals are bad - just make sure to purchase only what you need.

Pre-Programmed Scene Modes May Help

Scene modes make it easier to take digital camera photos in tough lighting conditions.

Especially if you are a beginner to digital photography, your purchasing decision should factor how many scene modes a digital camera has. Pre-programmed scene modes can, with a couple of button presses or knob twists, configure the digital camera's settings to assist in taking pictures under difficult situations. For example, some digital cameras may have scene modes to assist in:

* Night photography

* Sports scenes or other action sequences

* Portrait photography

* Inside lighting situations

* Firework displays

* and more.

While these modes will not result in professional-quality photos every time, they can assist you in taking better photos "out of the box" until you are able to familiarize yourself with f-stops, apertures, shutter speeds, white balance settings, and the like.

Does Flash Come with an SLR?

When considering the total cost of ownership when purchasing a digital SLR camera, note that many digital SLR cameras do not come with onboard flash units. While this may be beneficial in many situations in that external flash units may be more powerful and controllable than onboard flash units, this is something that you must note in the overall purchase cost.

Uses for your Old Digital Camera

Don't throw away your old digital camera - here are some ways to get some use out of it.

After purchasing a new digital camera, you may be considering what to do with your old camera that may have fewer megapixels, less zoom range, and fewer features than your current one. Here are a few suggestions:

- Give your old digital camera to your parents or friends to introduce them to the world of digital photography (be prepared to spend time showing them how everything works!)

- Keep your old digital camera as a backup in case your main digital camera fails.

- Donate your digital camera to charity or a school (this may be tax deductible - contact your accountant and/or charity for information).

- Sell your old digital camera, if it is in good condition, on an auction site such as eBay.

- Sell your old digital camera in your newspaper classifieds.

How Much Optical Zoom is Needed?

(Note that this tip was written for users of compact, intermediate, and prosumer digital cameras. Digital SLR users can purchase lenses with different zooming capabilities.)

With the plethora of digital camera choices available, one question you may ask is how much optical zoom do you really need for the types of photos you want to take? Purchasing a digital camera with a greater optical zoom distance is more expensive than one with only a 2x or 3x zoom, so this decision can greatly affect your pocketbook.

While there are no hard and fast rules, consider the following suggestions. Realize that even if you need a lesser zoom for most of your photos, there will always be times where a greater zoom may be useful.

* Are you primarily taking photos of friends and family, such as in parties or social situations? If so, a 2x or 3x zoom should be plenty. Just be sure to get up close if you need to record detail of a situation.

* Looking for photos of outdoor scenery, or interested in taking photos of architectural elements in a cityscape? A 5x+ zoom can help you take pictures from further away without sacrificing detail.

* Interested in taking photos of wildlife where you need to stand back to avoid scaring animals away, at sporting events where you may be situated in third level seating, from atop observation decks in large metropolises, or other situations where it will be difficult to get in close to your subject? That 7x+ zoom may be needed to get the photos you want.

Zoom magnifications differ between cameras. While this tip is written as a guide, if you need specifics, read the mm capabilities of a digital camera's lens. The higher the mm, the greater the telephoto capabilities (zooming in) of a particular lens.

Where is the Tripod Socket?

When purchasing a digital camera, if you plan on using a tripod, check the underside of the digital camera to see where the tripod socket is located. For best balance, the socket should be in the middle of the camera, though some manufacturers design sockets on the left or right side of a camera. A poorly designed socket placement may make it more difficult to steady the camera for crystal-clear photos using a tripod.

Use Comparative Shopping Search Engines

If you're looking for the absolute best price for a digital camera or high-end digital camera accessory, instead of manually going to several online vendor websites, you may wish to try using comparative shopping search engines. These websites allow you to type in or browse for a particular product, then show you prices listed on a variety of vendor websites.

Depending on the shopping search engine, other items may be listed along with the product's price at each vendor:

* Shipping price
* Does the vendor list the item "in stock" (you may still want to check the vendor's website just in case)
* Does the vendor charge sales tax
* A "rating" of the vendor by the shopping engine's users - whether or not they deliver as promised

Use shopping search engines as a starting point. Listed prices may not reflect the actual prices on each vendor's website (they may be higher OR lower). Be sure to read other peoples' opinions and be careful when purchasing items from a vendor you have never heard of before. Plus, be careful with prices that seem too low to believe - some vendors may aggressively try to sell "package deals" that may or not be a good deal for you.

Here is a list of just a few comparative shopping search engines, provided for informational purposes only:

* BizRate - http://www.bizrate.com/

* CNET Shopper - http://shopper.cnet.com/

* Froogle - http://froogle.google.com/

* mySimon - http://www.mysimon.com

* PriceGrabber - http://www.pricegrabber.com/

* PriceSCAN - http://www.pricescan.com/

* Shopping.com - http://www.shopping.com

Digital Camera Reviews

You may wish to visit other websites offering reviews on specific digital cameras on the market.

Well, you're in luck. Here are five sites you can visit offering a variety of digital camera reviews, some including sample photos taken from a variety of digital cameras:

* Digital Photography Review - http://www.dpreview.com/

* Imaging Resource - http://www.imaging-resource.com/

* megapixel.net - http://www.megapixel.net/

* photo.net - http://www.photo.net/

* Steve's Digicams - http://www.steves-digicams.com/

More Megapixels Means Greater Cropping Ability

Although when buying a digital camera you shouldn't get completely caught up in megapixels, digital camera with 5+ or more megapixels do offer advantages over smaller-megapixel cameras, including the ability to crop out information.

Not every digital photo will come out perfect. Someone will get in the way, or a sign will be placed right next to a monument or landmark. There will be times that no matter how well you compose your photo, elements need to be removed before printing.

If you have a 5+ megapixel camera, with the right image editing software, you will be able to remove small elements from the picture. Assuming you don't have to crop out too much, you can still print out 8x10 prints without seeing a degradation of quality. 3 megapixel cameras barely have enough information for 8x10 prints; if you crop photos taken by such cameras and try to blow them up to 8x10 size, you most likely will see some pixilation in the final printout.

More Control May Cost You

While less-expensive digital cameras are great for beginners and even for experienced users, you may have to pay a little more to get full control over your photos. By "full control", I mean the ability to modify both your shutter and aperture speeds at the same time, also while being able to adjust ISO sensitivity.

Cheaper digital cameras may only let you modify the shutter speed or aperture, not both at once. Granted, with most photography these priority modes should work fine, but in very difficult lighting situations you may need the ability to override your digital camera's calculations.

Consider a Weatherproof Camera

Will your digital photography needs often require taking photos out in the rain, snow, or other inclement or at least not-ideal weather (be careful!)? Although lens shades and rain/snow covers may help, if you have the money, you may wish to invest in an extra weatherproof digital camera just for these instances.

Several digital camera manufacturers create weatherproof (sometimes called underwater) cameras, some able to withstand being dunked in 100 feet or more of water without short-circuiting. There are also waterproof housings you can buy for select digital cameras that add ruggedness to your current investment.

Your local digital camera store or online outlet should have information about which specific digital cameras are weatherproof.

Look for ISO 50 Support

While most digital cameras have ISO 100 as their lowest ISO setting, if you are looking for even crisper, clearer photos when you have lots of outdoor or artificial light, consider purchasing a digital camera that supports ISO 50.

Pictures with this setting have even less grain (noise) than ISO 100 photos, but they will require lots of light otherwise the image will be underexposed. Also, due to the extended exposure times, you will mostly likely need to use a tripod or other stabilizing device.

Reprinted frpm Malek Tips http://www.malektips.com