Digital Camera Buyer's Guide

Beginner

If you do not know much about photography and you do not want to spend too much money on a camera, opt for a basic camera. These are ideal for your holiday or family photos. They are easy to use and these types of cameras should have an integrated flash and allow you to video capture. A few of them even have a zoom and can be plugged into your TV set. A compact camera will appeal to even the most demanding of beginners.

Basic cameras: For cheap photos! This is a practical and economical solution for someone who wants to take up photography or have a camera around for family gatherings or holidays. They are limited in their technical capabilities but will offer all basic functionalities of a digital camera (LCD screen, video capture...).

Intermediate

If you are looking for a camera you can carry with you and use wherever you are, then it's a compact camera you need. Like the entry level cameras, their automatic mode enables you to take pictures in all circumstances. Some cameras are as small as a credit card - only 20mm thick. Others can fit in your pocket but are not quite so tiny. The Compact SLR cameras are an option if you want progress a bit further.

Compact Cameras:
The compact digital camera category offers the widest choice. Most of them have a resolution of 6 or 7 megapixels. The have advanced functionalities, an automatic focus and can adapt the view finder and lighting themselves. Preset modes allow the user to take pictures without having to worry about the conditions like night, sport, outdoor, beach or snow snapshot options. It combines ease-of-use with a superior quality camera.

Compact Digital SLR Cameras:
Compact Digital SLRs are designed for those who don't want a more bulky SLR that comes with multiple lenses, auto focus, high quality optical zoom, Anti shake, etc... The high quality of functionalities enables the users to enjoy digital photography with ease without spending a fortune.

Advanced

If you enjoy photography as a technical activity or if you want to be able to control all the parameters when taking pictures, you will probably look at SLRs or Digital SLRs. SLRs offer the same advantages as their compact digital versions - a vast choice of interchangeable optical functions, excellent focus options and manual set ups etc... Compact SLRs are less cumbersome and are equipped with high quality optical zooms but you cannot find or replace the electronic visor that you would have with an SRL.

Digital SLRs:
They combine the advantages of both SLRs and digital cameras. Most SLR digital cameras are compatible with a wide range of lenses, flash and other accessories designed for regular SLRs. All their tools are created for informed amateurs or for professionals who want more control over the functions on their cameras. The emphasis has been put on functions and performance. The shutter speed reaches from 1/4000 per second on all cameras. The sensitivity goes up to 1600 ISO and sometimes even 3200. The wide range of interchangeable lenses makes them highly professional digital cameras. The higher costs of these types of camera makes them ideal for real photography lovers.

When choosing a digital camera: Points to remember

Sensor resolution:
It's on the sensor, which is composed of elements sensitive to sunlight, that the image is created. Each of these elements registers one of the points (called pixels) that create the picture. The more there are, the more you can blow up the picture and the higher the quality of the picture will be. This is what is also known as the resolution. 5 million pixels (5 megapixels) is now a minimum requirement.

To obtain optimal quality photo development, a definition of 300 pixels per linear inch or 12 pixels per mm is sufficient. Often - and true for photo development in labs and on inkjet - you only need 8 pixels per millimetre. A 5 megapixels picture (1200 x 1600 pixels) will suit a print in 11x15 format or even in 13 x17.

Because we rarely need bigger print formats, you could wonder about the need for 4, 5, 6 or 8 megapixel sensors.

Optical sensors:
There are two types of optical sensors: The Charge Coupled Device CCD (the most common one) and the Complimentary Metal Oxide Semi-conductor CMOS, the most recent energy saving ones.

The lens:
Zoom lenses usually vary between 35-105 mm. The smallest measurement is the maximum potential of the camera using the wide lens. The other corresponds to the telephoto lens. A lot of digital cameras are not well developed for wide angle lenses. For certain pictures, 28 mm is a big advantage. There are two types of zooms on digital cameras. An optical zoom, the most important one, which determines the quality of the image and the digital zoom that often goes up to x10. The main disadvantage of the former zoom is that it loses quality when it's used, so that when you try and enlarge the image the resulting image is of lower quality. It is to be used sparingly.

The types of cameras:
As explained before, each user has their own requirements when choosing a camera: Ultra compact for those who want very small cameras; the compact to combine the enjoyment of taking pictures with a wider choice; Compact Digital SLRs for informed amateurs or for professionals who do not want all the various lenses and finally the Digital SLRs for those who are passionate about photography. There is a camera to suit everyone's needs.

The weight and size:
At one extreme there are compact cameras weighing 115 grams, the size of a credit card and at the other the Digital SLRs that together with their lenses, weigh more than a kilo. It all depends on what you intend to use it for. The smaller ones are great to impress everyone but the more bulky ones are more stable when taking the picture.

The screen size: diagonals measured in inches:
As well as the visor on a normal SLR, the Digital cameras have a liquid crystal display (LCD) that allows you to pre-view and centre the picture you are about to take. From one digital camera to another, the size of the colour screen varies and the comparisons aren't easy. The screen size is stated in inches.

Here are the standard sizes of the screens of the miniature monitors. The bigger the screen, the more easily you'll be able to centre the picture you are going to take or view the pictures or the short films you have taken. Please note that it is difficult to use when exposed to direct sunlight as it becomes too dark.

Dimensions of the monitors
Diagonal (in inches)	1,5"	1,8"	2,2"	2,5"
Width and height in mm	30 x 23	37 x 28	40 x 30	51 x 38

Video Capture:
Most digital cameras now have a video capture facility (although SRLs don't), meaning you can create short film sequences. The quality isn't always very good (mainly dependent on the megapixel sensors) some cameras don't have a sound recorder . But it's still handy to capture good moments on video.

The ease of use:
You have to get used to a new gadget - finding out what all the buttons are for and getting used to the menus all requires a bit of practice. Testing the camera and it's functionalities out before buying it can be useful to check if you like it's look and feel.

Batteries (alkaline) versus rechargeable batteries:
The makers of entry type cameras - probably in an effort to sell them at a competitively low prices - designed them to be battery operated (AA type). The advantage of this is that they are very common, you can buy them anywhere and if you are going away it's easy to keep a stock so you don't run out. Having said that, when used for Digital Cameras, their lifespan can be quite short, so rechargeable batteries are a lot more reliable. Although they can be pricey to start with, it's worth it in the end as replacing traditional batteries ends up being quite expensive.

All the accessories for your digital camera

Memory card:
When you take a picture with a digital camera they are stored on a memory card, a type of "hard disk". Most makers only provide you with a low storage media card. Since it won't take you long to fill it, you will probably want to buy an additional memory card (512Mb, 1Gb, 2GB...) to increase your storage capacity. There are several types (SD Cards, Compact Flash, Memory Stick...), check which one corresponds to your camera.

Once you have uploaded your photos to your computer or copied them onto a CD you can delete them and re-use the card.

Print development:
No more films! Simply take your camera or just your memory card to any photo lab. You will have to pay for the photo development and often your pictures will be digitally burnt onto a CD. It will probably cost you the same as "regular" photos as they use the same system as when developing from a film. On the internet it's also possible to have your pictures printed, you send your folder by email and it will be sent back together with the photos and CD by post.

A computer:
Can be very useful and will allow you to centre, airbrush, resize and stock your photos, but it's not essential even if you decide to print your pictures yourself.

A photo printer:
Most of the big makes (Canon, Epson. HP, Kodak...) offer printers which you can connect directly to your digital camera. You just need to check that it's compatible with the printer. The Pictbridge standard, used by a lot of the makers, is making connections easier.

Using ink, superior quality paper and photo printers allow you have prints that will resemble regular photo development and will cost you about the same and you can have your pictures as soon as you want.

The Batteries:
To avoid a power failure, you can purchase a secondary battery, unless your camera takes AA batteries, then in that case you will find those in a number of shops.

Other ways to take pictures...without a digital camera

Webcams:
Although the quality isn't always fantastic and that you need to stay connected to your computer (some allow you to "move around"), webcams can take a few pictures.

Camcorders:
All Digital Camcorders, even the cheapest ones take 0.3 megapixel pictures that are recorded on a DV tape. But some models go one better - they come with a 1,33 megapixel sensor and use a removable memory card. If you are really demanding, you will want to purchase a camcorder with a 2 megapixel sensor in order to get the best results.

Mobile phones:
Called picture phones, these can be used for pictures to view on your PC or to print as icons. Discreet and always in your pocket, it allows you to send pictures directly from your mobile phone to an email account. Three minutes after the birth of your first child, at 5000 or 10000 miles away, the grand parents can admire him. For a better quality, you will have to wait for the number of megapixels to increase.