So you finally decided to join the bandwagon and buy yourself a Digital Camera. Before you rush down to the store, perhaps you would like to take a moment and ask yourself these few questions prior to that investment.

What do you plan to use the camera for ? What is your budget? Be realistic. It’s great that you are keen to reap the harvests of digital technology but burning your entire paycheck on it may be a little more than enthusiastic especially if it is your first time.

Do you intend to use the camera easy snapshots of friends, family or travel? Or are you a serious amateur looking for an automatic camera that allows more manual control? Or are you a Professional Photographer looking for a Digital SLR and is looking for a camera for Professional use ?

Digital Cameras have been significantly improved in the last couple of years and now offer image quality that rivals, and some say equals, film. Choosing a Digital Camera is pretty similar to that of choosing a film camera. You may wish to consider the following factors.

• What type of camera are you looking for ? A Viewfinder or Single Lens Reflex ?
• Is it convenient to use and carry around ?
• Do you want a Fixed focal length lens, or a zoom ?
• What features do you need? Do you want a totally automatic camera, or one that has manual controls so that you can choose the shutter speed and lens opening?

Most digital cameras like their film cameras counterpart fall into the “point-and shoot” category of viewfinder type cameras. These are ideal tools for family snapshots or to carry on vacation. If this type of camera suits your needs, buying one of the very small, compact and easy to carry 2-4 megapixel cameras may be just right for you.

Some cameras like the Canon line of Digital “Elf” cameras are stylish in design and can even be small enough to fit into a shirt pocket offering quick to use features with their fully automatic functions. However, a slight setback is that despite offering versatile zoom lenses, it is often of limited zoom range.

Now for the serious amateur looking for cameras with automatic or manual controls such as having a better management of depth-of-field or action rendering, then selecting a camera with both automatic and manual exposure modes would be best for you.

These tend to be larger viewfinder type cameras, about twice the size of their miniature and fully automatic cousins and often feature longer zoom ranges in addition to their manual controls. They are usually cameras with up to a 3-5 megapixel sensor in this type of camera.

Looking for a single-lens reflex type of camera? Then be prepared to roll put a lot more dough for these professional and semi-professional cameras. They generally feature 4-6 megapixel chips, through the lens viewing and interchangeable lenses. Most offer a variety of exposure options including programmed automation, aperture priority, shutter priority, or full manual control. All feature the ability to make custom white balance settings.

Now having done that, let’s talk Resolution. The digital camera buyer also needs to think about the resolution requirements of the final image. Resolution is often discussed in terms of megapixels. Current low-end digital cameras generally feature 1-2 megapixel imaging chips, higher end cameras have 3 or 4 megapixels, and some professional cameras capture images with 6-20 megapixel sensors.

A high number of pixels in a digital image translate into the ability to make larger prints without loss of clarity which is especially important for those who intend to enlarge their pictures for Professional Use.Take for instance, a 2 megapixel camera will make acceptable prints up to 8x10” in size, 4-5 megapixels will produce satisfactory prints up to 11x14” in size. So if you are a Professional Photographer intend to use camera for work, you may wish to invest in camera with a heftier resolution.

Digital cameras are evolving at a fast and furious pace. New models and vast improvements are the constantly being introduced by manufacturers. Whatever digital camera you buy will be technically succeeded in year. But this doesn’t mean that you should wait for the latest model before you make your purchase, go with your needs and preferences because different models can serve different purposes. Now armed with some knowledge on Digital Imaging, perhaps it’s time to hit the stores.

- May 2001, Aspire
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