Before You Buy...a Digital Camera
June 5, 2008 — Jay Cormier
So you’re in the market for a digital camera and once you start to look at what’s available you realize that there are a lot of similar cameras out there. Which one should you get? Read on to learn about some key features you should look for.
Many people think that the first thing you have to decide is how many megapixels you want. Nowadays this is becoming less and less relevant as cameras costing less than $120 have over 8 megapixels. The actual first thing you need to decide is how much control you want to have over your photos. Do you want to be able to set the aperture, ISO and focal length – or do you have no idea what I just said means? If you want the camera to do all the thinking for you so that all you have to do is point and shoot, then you’re looking for a smaller “point and shoot” camera. If you want more control then you’re looking for either a larger point and shoot or one of those DSLR cameras that have those attachable lenses and tons of manual controls.
We’ll save DSLRs for another day, but if you’re in the point and shoot category then we really haven’t narrowed down our selection that much. So what are the differences between the sub $200 and the more expensive ones? Here are some key features to look for:
|
Faster processor: ever wanted to take a picture but the camera just takes too long to turn on and get ready? More expensive cameras have faster processors to reduce start up time. This is more important than you might think if you’ve never used a digital camera. If you have used a digital camera before then you probably know exactly what I’m talking about. Higher ISO: Have you ever taken pictures of a party and it turned out too dark? Increase the ISO and it allows more light in so you can get more details. You get a bit of noise or particles throughout the picture if the ISO is too high, but it’s often better than a photo that is too dark. Faster shutter speeds: Have you taken a picture of your kids playing soccer only to have every photo turn out blurry? Cameras with higher shutter speeds have a better chance at grabbing that perfect shot with no or minimal blur. |
Photo taken with low ISO
|
|
|
Face Detection: This feature will find all the faces in the picture and ensure that these areas have the best detail and are in focus. How’s that for pointing and shooting? Smile Detection: Now this is cool. The camera will not take the photo until your subject is smiling! How does it know? You should at least demo a camera with this feature when you’re in a store as it’s pretty interesting. LCD Screen: Larger screens are better for showing others the photos you just took. Anti-glare screens make it easier to show these photos in any lighting situation. Touch screens make it easy to navigate through your photos. In-camera editing: If you’re not too comfortable using a computer to edit photos then this might interest you. Find a camera with red-eye reduction built in and with the touch of a button you can reduce or even eliminate those nasty red eyes from your photos. |
Photo taken with high ISO
|
|
I would never condone shopping based on price point. You should identify what your needs are and how you’re going to use the camera and then find a camera with those features. If you shop by price first then you will always be disappointed in the long run as you dream of the camera (and features) that you could have had if you waited. It’s better to be in the know and understand any compromises that you are making if price is an issue. Whichever camera you decide to purchase just know that it won’t be your last one as new ones are always coming out with newer and better features that you’re going to want to take advantage of someday!
- Jay Cormier's blog
- Login or register to post comments
Comments
digital camera
I agree with everything mentioned. However, there is one important feature that I looked for when buying my current camera. Because I suffer from major shaking, I opted for a camera that also features digital optical stabilization. This feature help me to get very good pictures even though I may be experiencing a shaking episode.
digital vs. optical
I agree with your comment! One thing I'd recommend is checking to see if the camera has digital or optical stabilization (or both!).
Optical Image Stabilization is preferred as the lens actually moves around to compensate for shaky hands. This usually costs more money though.
Digital however, uses a larger image area on the CCD (the area where the picture is recorded onto) than is needed. Then it slides the image around depending on the shake. By turning on digital image stabilization you would be losing pixels. Plus you could get tiny noise particles if the camera also changes the ISO setting when Digital Image Stabilization is activated.
Some manufacturer's call it anti-blur or anti-shake...they're pretty much all Digital unless it comes right out and says Optical Image Stabilization.
So, just check on that before you buy!
What I do before I buy a Digital Camera....
The thing I do before I buy a camera is go to a store such as Future Shop and Test it out. I do this for about 2-3 weeks prier to buying the camera, and if you don't end up liking it, ask the sales person for items that are like it.
Optical zoom & Mega pixial
What is the min.optical zoom and mega pixels one would need? Say to print 8 X 10's or for taking photos from a distance...
You can get a great looking
You can get a great looking 8x10 with any digital camera that's for sale today. A few years ago it would have been iffy to make an 8x10 with a 3 megapixel camera.
Now if you plan on doing a lot of cropping - like say you take a picture of a landscape - but when you go to print it out you really just want the lighthouse - then that will require more megapixels. It's impossible to say how much you'd need as it depends on how much cropping and enlarging you plan on doing - and you never really know until you do it anyway! As far as megapixels go - try to get as many as you can afford!