With the advent of digital camera technology, photography has been placed within reach of everybody, and photography has never been more exciting. Nowadays, there is a large variety of digital cameras to choose from. From the most inexpensive point-and-shoot camera to the most elaborate DSLR, each has its own features and capabilities. That is why its getting harder to choose the right camera.
When choosing your camera, the first step is to decide how you will primarily use it. If you just want a small lightweight camera to carry in a pocket or purse for occasional shooting, then you have a large selection to choose from. Many of today's compact cameras are capable of producing very nice results. If you want to take pictures which are worthy of a professional, or if you are a professional photographer, then of course you will need higher-grade equipment.
There are two major types of digital cameras in use - P&S or Point-And-Shoot, and DSLR or Digital Single Lens Reflex.
Now you'll need to determine which type of camera to buy. Do you need a point-and-shoot only camera or a DSLR?. Let me explain a bit about both. Generally, a so-called point-and-shoot camera is one which does not have interchangeable lenses, and does not offer true through-the-lens viewfinding. These cameras usually allow (and sometimes force) the user to rely on automatic & pre-programmed settings for image quality, exposure, flash, etc. but that can be their advantage because the user can often snap very nice quality images with no more effort than simply pressing the shutter button. Most mid-to-high end P&S cameras these days allow for manual settings too.
The DSLR or Digital Single Lens Reflex camera is simply a modern digital adaption of the film type SLR camera. DSLR cameras usually offer through-the-lens viewfinding - that is to say that what you see in the viewfinder is exactly what the lens sees. They also offer the ability to change lenses in order to accommodate different shooting conditions. For example, say you want to take pictures of family members during various activities. For most of these types of images you would use perhaps a 25-50mm lens which would produce good results. Now you've decided that you want to take wildlife shots too. Well for this, you need a good telephoto lens.
With a DSLR camera, you can use either type of lens with the same camera, whereas with a point-and-shoot model, you generally cannot. Many people also consider DSLRs to deliver superior image quality. I should mention here though that the line between P&S cameras and DSLRs is getting increasingly thinner in terms of both image quality and usability.
Most if not all DSLR cameras also offer full manual control of nearly all of their settings.
So which do you buy, Point-And-Shoot or DSLR?. Depends on your anticipated shooting needs. If you need ultimate flexibility, the DSLR is probably for you. If you just want a good all-around camera for everything from vacations to soccer games to simple portraits then go with a good Point-And-Shoot.
Next, determine how much money you are willing to spend. The really neat thing about this part is that you can buy a lot of camera for a reasonable amount of money these days. Within the last few years, camera prices have become quite attractive in many cases. For example, $400USD can buy you a nice DSLR camera complete with zoom lens, battery, charger, lens hood, etc. at the time of this writing. That same amount of money can also buy a very nice, full-featured semi-professional non-DSLR camera.
Another consideration is overall quality. After all, you probably don't want to buy a camera only to find that it doesn't live up to the claims of its makers or quits working after a short period of time. The key here is research before buying. It is easier than ever to get opinions from current and past users of the product you want thanks to the internet, and there are a lot of websites which offer unbiased and in-depth reviews of a given camera. Many large online retailers such as Amazon.com offer user opinions right on the purchase page.
A great way to research a particular model is simply to type the make & model of the unit in question into your favorite internet search engine, followed by the word(s) "review" or "user opinions" or both. then you can choose your reading from the results.
Okay, so let's review. You've decided what you want a camera for. You've figured out which type to get, done some research, and found what looks to be the perfect unit. And you've got money to buy said camera. Well, that pretty much meets all of the prerequisites so what are you waiting for? find out who has your camera for a good price and buy it!
Are you into photography as a hobby or profession? Perhaps you want some hints on how to take a certain type of picture? Maybe you want to know how to take great photos for your eBay listings? Visit Digital Photography Guide for useful information & resources on these subjects and more!
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