Digital Camera 101

It's finally time for you to join the digital photo revolution…but where do you get started? The best place to start is to know what you're up against.

Digital cameras are primarily categorized by the resolution of the pictures they will be able to take, or the cameras megapixel. Unlike your old pictures, digital pictures are made up of thousands of tiny dots called pixels. One megapixel is equal to one thousand dots. The more dots you have, the better the resolution of your picture, and larger photograph you'll be able to print out without the photo starting to look grainy, because you can see the dots.

Here's a chart to give you an idea:

1 megapixel = good enough for the web but not much more
2 megapixel = 4x6
3 megapixel = 8x10
4 megapixel = 11x14

If you think you may want to crop out piece of your photographs, and then blow that particular section up, you may want to purchase a higher megapixel camera than you think you will need for just regular photographs.

The higher the resolution of your photos, the larger the file on your computers memory card will be, and the more memory you will need. A memory card serves as the film in your digital camera. You can purchase additional memory cards for your camera and switch them out just as you would rolls of film. Memory cards however can also be purchased in varying sizes, some large enough to hold hundreds of photos. Make sure when you purchase a memory card you are getting one that is going to be large enough to hold all of the pictures you will take before you will be able to get back to your computer. Like your old camera, where you could just run out and pick up a roll of film, memory cards are much more expensive, and much harder to find while out on a family vacation.

Once you find that perfect camera, you can then start looking at ways to print your photos out. There are a variety of photo printers on the market. Try and find one that specializes in printing only photos, and has a resolution that is similar to that of your camera. Photos taken with the best camera in the world can only look so good on a crappy printer.

Manufacturers are releasing new digital cameras, and new photo technology every day. Keep track of what's going on around you, and make a visit to a few camera stores before making a purchase. Try the cameras out, and get a feel for them to make sure that you are able to get the best camera possible for you.