How To Buy Your First Digital Camera

By Gary Orlando

It can really be a daunting task, picking out your first digital camera. With so very many choices and everyone saying theirs is the best, what do you do? As far as price goes, I have seen prices from as low as $10 to thousands of dollars. The trick to getting a good starter camera is to really think about what you want to take pictures of. It is a good idea to not spend too much for your first digital camera, probably not more than a couple hundred dollars, as this will allow you to learn if this new fun hobby is right for you without going overboard. If you don’t care for digital photography, you have not wasted a lot of money and could possibly recoup some of your investment by selling the camera. And if price is a very important consideration, you can always buy something used for your first foray into digital cameras. There are many used cameras out there, because technology is advancing rapidly and there are many people who always have to have the latest and greatest, so they sell their camera (sometimes less than a year old) or trade it in for a nice shiny new one.

The main difference between a digital camera and a regular 35mm SLR film camera is that the digital camera is driven by technology. This means a digital camera is very closely related to a computer, because as technology advances, your camera and computer will grow more and more outdated. A 35mm SLR will always have film available for it, and most can easily accept lens changes. Some 35mm SLR cameras can last for decades and still be just as reliable and useful as they were when they were new, because the basic mechanics have not changed. A digital camera, on the other hand, can be outdated in less than a year, before you’ve even learned how to use all the features.

So, what to look for? You need only about 2 megapixels for your starter camera. The higher you go here, the more it will cost. For landscapes and people, 2 megapixels will work just fine and provide sharp, clear pictures. The next thing to look at is zoom capability. There are two types of zoom, optical and digital. Optical zoom involves physically moving the lens with a motor. Because this is the best type of zoom, naturally it costs more. Digital zoom is manipulated by the electronics that drive the CCD element, so it is not as expensive to manufacture, and therefore will cost you less. But although the technology is getting better, it still lags behind optical zoom in quality.

Interchangeable lens capability will also add to the cost of a digital camera, because it improves the camera’s usefulness in a variety of situations. Autofocus is a given with digital cameras, but the ability to switch it off could also raise the price of a camera. Most digital cameras should have some means to allow you to hook up to your computer so you can view and manipulate your pictures. Since a lot of different companies are getting involved in the digital camera business, it is best to stick with actual camera companies, such as Canon, Nikon, Minolta, or Olympus, just to name a few. If you search on the net you will find hundreds of sites dedicated to digital photography with all kinds of articles to help you decide which models will suit your needs. Then check out user review sites such as epinions.com and consumerreview.com, so you can read other people’s experiences with the cameras you’re interested in and find the best place to purchase your camera.