Buying Your First Digital Camera

By Paul Alloca

The days of dropping off film to be developed, blowing up enlargements and then going to the post office to snail-mail your pictures to the relatives have gone the way of the 8-track and VCR.  Today, a digital camera is the way to instantly share pictures with friends and family anywhere in the world.  These tips will help you make the move into the 21st century.

Figure Out What You Need
After you’ve done some research, figure out exactly what you’ll be doing with your camera to determine the features of a camera you need.  A person making high-quality prints will require different features than someone who is mostly e-mailing and viewing photos online.

Create a Budget
Today’s cameras prices vary greatly depending on make, model, and features. Way too many people spend lots of money on options they never need or do not spend enough and end up with a camera that does not fit their needs. A good rule of thumb: expect to spend anywhere from $200 to $450 for a middle-of-the-road model with a nice array of basic features.

Megapixels vs. Lens Size
Megapixels are a measure of how much fine detail a digital camera can capture.  In general, with more megapixels, you can print larger photos with better image quality.  Most current models offer at least 5 megapixels, which is sufficient for making a sharp 11” x 14” print.  However, overzealous salesmen may tell you that megapixel size is everything, but that is not true.  Other issues like the quality of lens matter, too.

If you want a decent point-and-shoot camera, lens size is also important.  Tiny lenses are built only for convenience, not picture quality.  The main function of a lens is to capture light; small lenses are inferior to larger lenses.  Look for cameras with a larger lens and not just a high megapixel count.  For example, an old 3 megapixel camera with a 20mm lens can take far better photos than a new 5 megapixel camera with a 5mm lens.

Pick Optical Zoom
There’s nothing better than zooming in on one of those precious moments that has been captured.  However, the term zoom can often be misleading which is why it is important to know the difference between optical zoom and digital zoom. Digital zoom will make images look larger, but at the expense of quality. Optical zoom provides enlarged images that maintain a high quality.

How Many Pictures Do You Take?
The number of pictures you can take and store before you have to delete/transfer some pictures depends directly on a camera’s memory, measured in MB (megabytes). Most digital cameras will come with 8 to 16 megabytes of built-in memory, which is not a lot considering a 2 megapixel camera with 32 MB of memory will hold only about 35 photos.  Investing in an additional memory card (or several) with at least 128MB is recommended.

What Cameras Are Compatible With Your Computer?
Once you’ve narrowed your choice down to a few models, learn about their compatibility and memory information; make sure that the camera specifications match your computer’s capabilities.  If you can’t make sense of the info on the camera box, just ask the salesperson about its minimum system requirements.

Research Before You Shop
Getting to your local store and finding rows of cameras with price tags that range from $20 to over $1,000 can be overwhelming for the first-time buyer.  Read up on digital cameras from a photography or computer magazine or online.  There are hundreds of sites that offer free digital camera reviews, articles, and specifications such as cnet.com, pcworld.com, and dpreview.com.  Before you shop, familiarize yourself with the basic features and technology, including memory, optical zoom, and pixels.

Where to Shop
There are literally thousands of online stores that sell digital cameras in addition to the camera manufacturer’s website.  At craigslist.org, the world’s largest online local classifieds site, you may be able to find a great used camera at a fraction of the cost of a new camera.  eBay.com lets you shop both used and new cameras in the US as well as internationally.  However, for first-time buyers who have not narrowed down a specific make or model, it is recommended to visit your local electronics retailer, such as Best Buy, Target, or Wal-Mart, to get a feel for different cameras. This way, you can get a hands-on feel for the camera and compare different cameras side-by-side.

Try Before You Buy and Know What to Ask
Most stores have digital cameras on display to touch and check out up-close.  Use this opportunity to ask yourself some specific question: Are the camera’s controls responsive?  How about the LCD; is it clear?  When you view the camera at an angle does the image get distorted? Is the menu easy to read?  How does the camera feel in your hand?  Are the buttons easy to use? Is the camera heavy/clunky? Ask yourself questions like these and you’ll be on your way to finding the perfect digital camera.  If it doesn’t feel like a natural fit, try another model.

Beware of the Salesperson
It’s not uncommon to walk into a department store’s electronics department and have a salesperson tell you that there’s no difference between digital and optical zoom.  While there are many great salespeople out there, don’t rely on them: do some initial research before consulting a salesman for their opinion.

Invest In Some Extras That Are Worth It
Though you may not need to spend extra on a high-end carrying case or a tripod, you will most likely need some add-ons such as a larger-sized memory card (128 MB or 256 MB is recommended to start) or a wrist strap. Also remember that if you plan on printing pictures, their quality depends on your printer and paper; it may be worth a trip down the printer aisle as well.

Now that you have these great tips, you’re on your way to snapping lots of wonderful pictures and emailing them to your friends and family!