Digital Camera buyers guide

Lifestyle Bazaar Talk
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phewww.. Every 2nd week we see thread asking for advice, so I thought should do something about it. so here I am and I will try to provide helpful information for anyone who is shopping around for a digital camera in an easy to use way.

Determine What You Need a Digital Camera For…

This first step, figuring out what you need the digital camera for, is far and away the most important decision you need to make. Once you determine what you need a camera for, it becomes much simpler to shop for the correct digital camera. Common uses of a digital camera include:

* Posting photographs on the Internet
* Viewing photographs on a computer screen
* Sending photographs by email to friends and family
* Printing photographs on a standard size piece of paper
* Printing photographs on oversized paper (such as legal size)
* Using photographs for professional graphics work

Different types of digital cameras handle these uses differently or not at all. By knowing what you want to use the camera for, you will be in a much better position to shop for a digital camera.

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Determining the Resolution of the Camera you need**

Once you know what you will use a digital camera for, the next step is to determine the resolution of the camera that you need for that particular use.
Digital cameras now come in five different resolutions, expressed in megapixels. The higher the resolution of the digital camera, the larger photographs it will be able to take. Remember, resolution means nothing in the terms of quality. Instead, it's all about the size of the image.

So, what digital camera resolution is right for you? It depends on what you will be doing, of course! Here's a breakdown on the uses of the different resolutions of digital cameras (expressed in megapixels) that are currently available.

*** * 1-megapixel digital cameras - ***Maximum picture size is 1024x768. This camera is fine for posting images to the internet, for viewing images on a computer screen and is perfect for emailing photos to friends and family. These cameras are fine for printing images up to 5 x 7 inches in size. As a side note, these cameras are really not being made anymore - having been replaced by higher megapixel cameras.

*** * 2-megapixel digital cameras - ***Maximum picture size is 1600x1200, which is greater than most resolutions on computer monitors. This camera is an excellent choice for an all around digital camera. It is perfect for posting pictures to the Internet, viewing images on a computer monitor and mailing pictures to friends and family. It can print images up to 8x10 inches size, which is the standard paper size most people print on. A 2-megapixel digital camera is also great for basic graphics work. All pictures on this web site were taken using a 2-megapixel digital camera - and I still use this camera today (2004). As a side note, 2-megapixel cameras seem to be going the way of 1-megapixel cameras and are destined to fade away in the near future.

*** * 3-megapixel to 4-megapixel ***digital cameras - These cameras are currently the most popular digital cameras in the market today - and the most widely available. The prices of these cameras have come down remarkably over the past year - and now sell for for significantly less than what a 2-megapixel camera cost last year. A 3-megapixel camera has a maximum image size of 2048x1536 and will print excellent pictures up to 11x14 inches. A 4-megapixel digital camera will have even larger images and print sizes. These cameras perform all the function of 2-megapixel cameras plus are perfectly suited for professional graphics work. For general all-around use, a 3-megapixel camera is probably the camera of choice - simply because few people will ever use or need the higher resolution found in 4-megapixel digital cameras. That said, the cost difference between a 3-megapixel and 4-megapixel camera isn't that much anymore - as such, it may not be a bad idea to lean toward a 4-megapixel camera if you can afford the slight extra cost so you "have the pixels" in case you later need them!

*** * 5+ megapixel digital cameras - ***There are many digital cameras currently out that have 5-megapixels and more. Unless you are doing professional photography or very high-end graphic work, there is little point in getting these professional level digital cameras. The reason? The photographs produced by these cameras is just so BIG due to their higher resolution that you will inevitably have to scale them down to use them - thus taking away most of the point of getting the camera in the first place. Basically, unless you plan on printing out your images with a size greater than 11x14 inches or are a professional photographer or need one of the specialized functions that come on these high-end cameras, this camera type is overkill for most purporses.

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**Features to look for on a Digital Camera

Optical Zoom v. Digital Zoom *

First off, forget about buying any digital camera that does not have an optical zoom lens. Why? Digital cameras without an optical zoom lens generally have very poor optics. They also lack the picture taking flexibility that a digital camera with a zoom lens has. Many of these cheap cameras without an optical zoom lens will tout their digital zoom feature instead. Don't be conned by the lofty claims these cameras make about digital zoom. Digital zoom works very poorly and only produces blocky and grainy images. After you use digital zoom once you will never use it again.

In short, you want a digital camera that has an optical zoom lens. The larger the optical zoom lens (this is measured in terms of 2x, 3x, 4x, etc…) the greater the picture taking flexibility you will have. Most quality digital cameras have an optical zoom of at least 2x (equivalent to 70mm in film cameras) and frequently 3x (equivalent to 105mm in film cameras). And remember, avoid digital zoom like you would avoid the plague!

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The LCD Screen on a Digital Camera
Any digital camera you buy absolutely positively must have an LCD screen - and a good one at that. A digital camera without an LCD screen misses out on one of the best benefits of using a digital camera - being able to see what the picture will look like before taking it and what it looks like after you just took it. Additionally, a digital camera without an LCD screen is not likely to be very fun to change settings or options on - unless, of course, the camera itself has no options. :halo:

In short, any digital camera you buy should have a nice, large LCD screen. Period…

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Amount of Memory you should get for a Digital Camera

So, how much memory should you have for your digital camera?...

my recommendation is ... Get at least one 128 MB memory card if you get a 2-megapixel digital camera or less. If you get a 3-megapixel camera or 4-megapixel camera, get at least one 256 MB memory card since the image sizes are much larger on these cameras (I would personally get the 512 MB card, since you'll be amazed at how fast you can fill up a card one you start shooting). If you plan on taking your camera on vacation and will have no way to download the images till you get back, I would highly recommend getting 2 or more memory cards instead..

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Power Sources for Digital Cameras
Digital cameras will quickly drain the life out of traditional batteries, making it rather expensive to own over the long haul. Which is why rechargeable batteries are the power of choice for a digital camera.

Be careful when shopping for digital cameras. Many digital cameras come with a "special rechargeable battery" that only works for that camera. As a result, buying extra rechargeable batteries is very expensive.(I made this mistake so don't you make it) These special batteries are also almost impossible to find. Because of this, I strongly recommend staying away from any digital camera that does not use traditional AA or AAA batteries.

By getting a digital camera that uses AA batteries, you can use any of the NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride) rechargeable batteries on the market today. These batteries last twice as long as a standard alkaline battery and can be recharged more than 1000 times. These rechargeable batteries are also relatively inexpensive. And best of all, should your rechargeable batteries run out of power while on a trip, you can use normal alkaline batteries when in a pinch. If you do a lot of traveling, look for a NiMH battery/charger combination that can be charged while in your car - I use a RayoVac charger that will charge NiMH batteries while I'm driving. And it will charge these batteries in less than 1 hour.

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phewwwwwwww… any questions ?? :halo:

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u made a small mistake in da italics in ur 2nd post...:p

Xcellent guide, I hope this gets in2 da heads of many out there...!

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I will read it after I get out the class. Thanks for the post :k:

Edit: Ok. I read it. I learned something new about the megapixels :rotato: I thought they were something else but they are something else :eek:

Very useful info kami bhai :k: Thanks for posting. This should be a sticky.

Oh haan, can you please PM me your msn address so I could add you and show you some cameras and ask for advice live? :clown:

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thanks chick this really helped.

now what about a list of makes and where to buy them?

i want a small cute one which is easy to use.

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*wait till someone posts a ‘how to buy best lipstick’ thread :hehe:

Good going bro :k:

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ur welcome.

makes and models hmmm well.. it all depends on your budget. are you looking for something under £200?

Best place would be Jessops of course.

:hehe: @ nos reply

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well theres one in Dixons by Fugi? but i dont know…im a student so budget is key word for me

why jessops?

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Miss M, check these out:

http://digitalcameras.kelkoo.co.uk/b/a/c_124901_digital_cameras.html

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thanks love, i dont really buy off the net, but i think i know which one i want now...its not really attractive but it has all i need..i think

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Miss_Mohabbat: *

well theres one in Dixons by Fugi? but i dont know...im a student so budget is key word for me

why jessops?
[/QUOTE]
Jessops because they have wider range. yeah I saw an ad on TV, there is a half priced FUJI camera in Dixons.

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Kamran-Khan: *
Jessops because they have wider range. yeah I saw an ad on TV, there is a half priced FUJI camera in Dixons.
[/QUOTE]

iv seen it now...its too big and not at all handbag sized..

at this rate, im gona have to spend my digital camera money on shoes!!

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Good information. I just have a couple of additional comments on mega-pixel debate.

Its actually the quality of megapixels that is important, rather then their sheer numbers. I have a 2.2 MP Olympus (C-700UZ) and a 4.0 MP Casio (Z-4). While I bought the Casio primarily for its small size and convenience to fit in a pocket (which Olympus just never can), there is actually no comparison in the quality of pictures. Olympus is miles ahead, especially in low light situations. So, whenever you are researching a camera, check out review sites that compare picture quality by showing you sample pictures, and especially low light situations.

The second comment is on the use of megapixels. Though its true that 3MP or more pictures may not even fit in most computer monitors and very rarely do people want to print 11x14 or bigger photographs, having more megapixels will definitely help you when you use the crop feature. For the uninitiated, simply put, lets say you took a picture of a bunch of friends standing in a group. The picture came out lousy because someone had their eyes closed or their mouth open, but your own picture came out beautifully, so much so, that you will like to have just your face printed out. Now the fun in digital photography is that you can do a lot with that picture when it is in your computer and you can just cut your face out and print it. But to do that and to print it on a reasonable size, you will need a high resolution picture and thats where 3 MP r more cameras come into play.

And most digital photographers will tell you that cropping is one of the more frequent used features while printing digital pictures. And that is why it helps to invest in a good size memory card and take pictures in the maximum resolution, rather than being a miser upfront and then missing out on some nifty uses of your digital camera.

So, anyway.. just wanted to share these two additional bits. Have fun! :)

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Thanks Kamran, and thanks Faisal for the very helpful information.

I’m going to be buying a digicam in a week or so, and the one that I’ve narrowed down my choice to is the Fuji S3100 (http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/cameraDetail.php?cam=612) or a comparable model.

Thanks to Faizy, our in-house optical equipment expert, I tested this one out and compared it to the Minolta Z10, my original choice(http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/minolta/dimage_z10-review/index_pfv.shtml)

Just wanted your opinion on these as well.

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Faisal thanks for your input.

Umer i will reply to your post in lunch time.. now running late for the office.