Digital Cameras
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Digital cameras come in all shapes and sizes, some offering a lot more than others. So before you go shopping for digital cameras it's a good idea to know what you are looking for and what you need. In very basic terms, we can categorise digital cameras into four groups:
1. The basic type,
2. The mid-range type,
3. The high-end type, and
4. The single lens reflex type which professionals normally use.
The basic type will have everything that you need to take great photographs, but they are basically automatic 'point-and-press' units that you can't manipulate or set manually. They are the least expensive type and they really are very simple to use. You will normally get a built-in flash with the camera and it might have limited zoom lens. There will be a few different shooting modes from which to choose, including portrait and landscape. Resolution for the basic type is likely to be around three megapixels (3 MP).
Remember that the issue of megapixels in digital cameras is a critical one that will determine the quality of the photographs you will be able to take. Every sort is defined by the number of megapixels (1 MP) any single image will contain. The more it has, the more detail it can capture, and the higher the resolution (or quality) of the photograph will be. In addition, the more megapixels there are, the bigger you will be able to print your pictures. With a 3 MP camera you will be able to enlarge photographs to no more than an A4 sheet (210 mm x 297 mm). If your camera has more than 4 MP you will be able to print photographs double this size.
But there is another thing to remember about megapixels, and that is that the more pixels (there are one million pixels in a single megapixel) you use, the more memory you need. This is because each image will be made up from a larger number of pixels and so it will contain a lot more digital information.
The mid-range type will obviously be a lot cheaper than a basic one, but the resolution and lens quality will show you why. In particular, you can expect to get 7 to 8 MP and a really good, built-in zoom lens that will get you much closer to your subject. There will also be more manual controls and a lot more automatic options.
High-end is even better, and you can expect to get at least 8 MP if not 10. These are relatively expensive and come with a lot of manual controls, and even more automatic settings that the mid-range variety. Internal software will also be a lot better, which will mean you can work faster and process your pictures more quickly. This type has much better quality lenses and versatile flash set-ups that will enable you to use a separate flash and even studio flash equipment.
Single lens reflex (D-SLR) cameras are top of the range and therefore the most expensive of all - ranging from expensive to extremely expensive! This is the type the professional photographer will choose. Instead of viewing what you are going to photograph on a screen, the SLR lets you look through the lens via a reflex mirror. That's why photographers often joke that their pictures were taken with mirrors. The reflex mirror directs light from the lens onto the sensor of the camera, usually though a special prism inside the camera. So what he sees is exactly what he gets.
The other really big advantage with this type is that they have interchangeable lenses. This means you don't have the limitations of one fixed lens, but can use whichever one you need for that particular job. For example, a separate zoom lens will enable you to zoom in much further and a wide angle lens will produce a much greater (wider) vista or landscape. Resolution could be anything from 6 to 22 MP.
So first decide what you want and what you can afford, and only then go shopping for digital cameras.
Canon Digital Camera
Compact Digital Camera
Olympus Digital Camera
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