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Digital Cameras - A Guide to Buying

Sales of digital cameras seem to be exploding. This is not surprising as the quality of images from digital cameras improves and they become more affordable. In addition, consumers are becoming more comfortable with the idea of digital photography. There are so many different types of digital cameras available choosing one which is best for your needs can become a very confusing decision. There are several things to consider when choosing a digital camera.

Types of digital cameras

There are three basic types of cameras and this is the same whether you are shooting film or digital media. These three types are: point and shoot cameras, prosumer cameras and professional quality SLR cameras.

1. Point and shoot cameras operate automatically. They do everything for you except for framing the subject. Exposure is decided by the camera as well as whether a flash is needed or not. All you need to do is to point and shoot.

2. Prosumer Cameras. This camera is a step up from your typical point and shoot because it allows the photographer not only to shoot in a fully automatic mode but also to have control over various aspects of the exposure. They typically have various modes including portrait mode, a close-up mode, action mode, and landscape mode.

Resolution

Regardless of what type of camera you decide to get you will also have to make the decision about the resolution of the camera. If you have shopped at one of those electronics superstores you will be lead to believe that the most important thing to consider when purchasing digital cameras is the number of pixels. Although it is important there is much more to deciding on a digital camera than pixels. Pixels are tiny squares, and in new models other shapes, that make up the image. Obviously the more pixels the sharper the image. The more pixels there are the more detailed the image. Almost all of the digital cameras on the market today produce images with at least 4 million pixels. With this resolution you can print images up to 8x10 which will look very good. Since most people do not print images larger than this a camera with 4 million pixels or more should meet all of your needs.

Try Different Cameras Before you Buy

There is a wide selection of digital cameras on the market with various image qualities even though they may have the same number of pixels. There are different kinds and sizes of image sensors, which is the chip that actually records the picture. It is recommended that you take a memory card into the store with you so that you can put it in each camera and take sample photographs that you can then take home to view on your computer to compare. The technology is constantly improving and digital cameras will be constantly changing. Dont be surprised if several months after you purchase one there is one that is new and better with more pixels. If you take the time to choose a good quality digital camera which makes good photographs you'll be able to enjoy digital photography for a long time in the future. If you do make the move into digital photography remember this. Many people using digital cameras simply put their photos on their computers and never actually make prints anymore. It is easy for these photos to get lost and therefore it's recommended that you print special photographs for generations to enjoy.

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Digital Cameras - A Guide to Buying