A Handy Guide to Selecting the Right Digital Camera
by Rajendra Varma
Having the right digital camera is the most basic requirement for any photographer. There are cameras with many different levels of sophistication in today's market. While those with a little more experience will gravitate towards more the more advanced digital SLR cameras, for most of us a compact digital camera will be more than sufficient. There are also the so-called mid-range, "pro-sumer," digital cameras that bridge the gap between digital SLR cameras and the compact digital cameras. The choice comes down to the type of digital photos you plan to take and the amount of photographic experience you may have.
The first thing to focus on is the key features that you are most likely to use. Do not look for a camera that has everything, especially if you are a beginner or a casual photographer. Only go for digital SLR cameras if you take your photography seriously since the amount of tweaking and setting changes can be overwhelming for beginners. The features below are a guide to what to look for when choosing the right compact digital camera for you.
Megapixels
The resolution of the digital camera is a measure of the number of pixels that make up an image. Higher resolutions mean the camera can capture more detail and the digital photograph can be enlarged to a larger size for viewing or printing without losing sharpness and quality. Even though the number of megapixels is not as important today because most digital cameras have a higher resolution than what is really needed, it is the most advertised feature of digital cameras. The latest crop of compact digital cameras have 10 megapixels, or 10 million pixels. It is important to realize that a 3 megapixel digital photo is sufficient for printing a 8x10 photo. Click here to read more about megapixels in digital cameras.
However, being able to take digital photos at higher resolutions allows you the freedom to crop the images later and still maintain image quality. With a 5 megapixels digital camera, you can crop extensively and still have enough pixels to print a high quality 8x10 photo. It is this freedom to crop and edit that justifies buying a high resolution digital camera.
Optical Zoom vs. Digital Zoom
Zoom is another important feature to look at when choosing a digital camera. Zoom is a measure of how many times you can enlarge a scene, commonly called "zoom in." Optical zoom is achieved by changing the focal length of the digital camera by adjusting the physical zoom lens, and is the true zoom. Digital zoom is an emulated zoom that achieves a similar result to what happens when an image is magnified on your computer. Even though the image gets larger, the number of pixels in a given part of the image remains the same, and there is an associated loss in quality with digital zoom.
Therefore, it is worthwhile to look at the optical zoom of a compact digital camera, especially if you are planning to shoot, for example, animals or birds from a distance. Unlike digital SLR cameras, which support add-on lenses, most compact digital cameras only have the optical zoom that is built-in. A 10X optical zoom is more than sufficient for most applications, but you should not settle for anything less than 3X optical zoom.
Battery Type and Life
Almost all compact digital cameras come with either proprietary batteries or standard AA batteries. Proprietary batteries, which are most often Li-Ion battery packs, last longer than AA batteries and will have built in chargers. However, finding replacement batteries is harder, and can be especially frustrating if you run dry in the middle of nowhere. Compact digital cameras with standard AA batteries generally have a lower battery life but you can find them anywhere in the world. One more thing to realize is that compact cameras with proprietary batteries tend to be smaller than those with standard batteries.
Shutter Speed
Although shutter speed is an important digital camera feature, most novice users it is generally overlook it since most compact digital cameras automatically sets it. Faster shutter speeds are, however, needed for taking action shots with a lot of motion, such as sports events or a flock of flying birds. If you anticipate taking such shots, and would like to have the option of manually setting the shutter speed, a camera with fast shutter speeds like 1/2500 sec is essential. Taking action shots with a slow shutter speed will make the photo blurry, while a faster shutter speed allows the action to be frozen.
Aperture
The aperture, or f-stop, is an adjustable opening in a digital camera lens that controls the amount of light that reaches the image sensor. A larger opening allows more light to enter through the lens, but reduces the depth of field, meaning that only objects close to you will be in focus. The smaller the aperture size, the greater the depth of field and objects near and far will be in focus. The aperture is how you can blur out parts of the scene to focus attention on the subject. Having the ability to set the aperture size on your compact digital camera may be important depending on the type of photos you intend to take.
The shutter speed setting is connected to the aperture setting. A sufficient amount of light is required to produce a good digital photograph. Increasing the shutter speed means more light will enter through the lens, and therefore the aperture needs to be reduced to avoid too much light hitting the sensor, a problem called overexposure. Conversely, increasing the aperture requires the shutter speed to be reduced to compensate for the extra light.
Shooting Modes
Except for the low-end compact digital cameras, most will have a few shooting modes. The basic automatic mode will have the digital camera take care of all the settings, allowing you to simply point and click. There are, however, more advanced modes that allow you more control over your photography. Shutter priority mode lets you manually set the shutter speed, and the digital camera will adjust the aperture accordingly to allow enough light to enter the lens. Aperture priority mode lets you set the aperture while the camera takes care of the shutter speed. Full manual mode lets you adjust both aperture and shutter speed manually to achieve certain effects. Although more complicated, once mastered, the manual mode allows for the greatest freedom and flexibility in your digital photography. If you would like to have this option, look for a compact digital camera that allows manual modes.
Although there are a wide variety of compact digital cameras available today, by focusing on your needs and personal preferences, it is possible to narrow your options and make the right choice. Some research into the different compact digital cameras will let you be more informed when you are looking for one.
Having the right digital camera is the most basic requirement for any photographer. There are cameras with many different levels of sophistication in today's market. While those with a little more experience will gravitate towards more the more advanced digital SLR cameras, for most of us a compact digital camera will be more than sufficient. There are also the so-called mid-range, "pro-sumer," digital cameras that bridge the gap between digital SLR cameras and the compact digital cameras. The choice comes down to the type of digital photos you plan to take and the amount of photographic experience you may have.
The first thing to focus on is the key features that you are most likely to use. Do not look for a camera that has everything, especially if you are a beginner or a casual photographer. Only go for digital SLR cameras if you take your photography seriously since the amount of tweaking and setting changes can be overwhelming for beginners. The features below are a guide to what to look for when choosing the right compact digital camera for you.
Megapixels
The resolution of the digital camera is a measure of the number of pixels that make up an image. Higher resolutions mean the camera can capture more detail and the digital photograph can be enlarged to a larger size for viewing or printing without losing sharpness and quality. Even though the number of megapixels is not as important today because most digital cameras have a higher resolution than what is really needed, it is the most advertised feature of digital cameras. The latest crop of compact digital cameras have 10 megapixels, or 10 million pixels. It is important to realize that a 3 megapixel digital photo is sufficient for printing a 8x10 photo. Click here to read more about megapixels in digital cameras.
However, being able to take digital photos at higher resolutions allows you the freedom to crop the images later and still maintain image quality. With a 5 megapixels digital camera, you can crop extensively and still have enough pixels to print a high quality 8x10 photo. It is this freedom to crop and edit that justifies buying a high resolution digital camera.
Optical Zoom vs. Digital Zoom
Zoom is another important feature to look at when choosing a digital camera. Zoom is a measure of how many times you can enlarge a scene, commonly called "zoom in." Optical zoom is achieved by changing the focal length of the digital camera by adjusting the physical zoom lens, and is the true zoom. Digital zoom is an emulated zoom that achieves a similar result to what happens when an image is magnified on your computer. Even though the image gets larger, the number of pixels in a given part of the image remains the same, and there is an associated loss in quality with digital zoom.
Therefore, it is worthwhile to look at the optical zoom of a compact digital camera, especially if you are planning to shoot, for example, animals or birds from a distance. Unlike digital SLR cameras, which support add-on lenses, most compact digital cameras only have the optical zoom that is built-in. A 10X optical zoom is more than sufficient for most applications, but you should not settle for anything less than 3X optical zoom.
Battery Type and Life
Almost all compact digital cameras come with either proprietary batteries or standard AA batteries. Proprietary batteries, which are most often Li-Ion battery packs, last longer than AA batteries and will have built in chargers. However, finding replacement batteries is harder, and can be especially frustrating if you run dry in the middle of nowhere. Compact digital cameras with standard AA batteries generally have a lower battery life but you can find them anywhere in the world. One more thing to realize is that compact cameras with proprietary batteries tend to be smaller than those with standard batteries.
Shutter Speed
Although shutter speed is an important digital camera feature, most novice users it is generally overlook it since most compact digital cameras automatically sets it. Faster shutter speeds are, however, needed for taking action shots with a lot of motion, such as sports events or a flock of flying birds. If you anticipate taking such shots, and would like to have the option of manually setting the shutter speed, a camera with fast shutter speeds like 1/2500 sec is essential. Taking action shots with a slow shutter speed will make the photo blurry, while a faster shutter speed allows the action to be frozen.
Aperture
The aperture, or f-stop, is an adjustable opening in a digital camera lens that controls the amount of light that reaches the image sensor. A larger opening allows more light to enter through the lens, but reduces the depth of field, meaning that only objects close to you will be in focus. The smaller the aperture size, the greater the depth of field and objects near and far will be in focus. The aperture is how you can blur out parts of the scene to focus attention on the subject. Having the ability to set the aperture size on your compact digital camera may be important depending on the type of photos you intend to take.
The shutter speed setting is connected to the aperture setting. A sufficient amount of light is required to produce a good digital photograph. Increasing the shutter speed means more light will enter through the lens, and therefore the aperture needs to be reduced to avoid too much light hitting the sensor, a problem called overexposure. Conversely, increasing the aperture requires the shutter speed to be reduced to compensate for the extra light.
Shooting Modes
Except for the low-end compact digital cameras, most will have a few shooting modes. The basic automatic mode will have the digital camera take care of all the settings, allowing you to simply point and click. There are, however, more advanced modes that allow you more control over your photography. Shutter priority mode lets you manually set the shutter speed, and the digital camera will adjust the aperture accordingly to allow enough light to enter the lens. Aperture priority mode lets you set the aperture while the camera takes care of the shutter speed. Full manual mode lets you adjust both aperture and shutter speed manually to achieve certain effects. Although more complicated, once mastered, the manual mode allows for the greatest freedom and flexibility in your digital photography. If you would like to have this option, look for a compact digital camera that allows manual modes.
Although there are a wide variety of compact digital cameras available today, by focusing on your needs and personal preferences, it is possible to narrow your options and make the right choice. Some research into the different compact digital cameras will let you be more informed when you are looking for one.
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