How to Buy a Digital Camera when You Know Nothing About Them

With hundreds and thousands of options out there, it's no wonder that buying a digital camera is a nerve wracking decision, especially when you don't know much about them. In a market where there are dozens of brands, dozens of sizes, dozens of accessories, and lots of lingo, it can often be confusing and intimidating when the price often ranges from $75-$600 for an entry level camera.

There are just a few basic things that a person should know before walking into a store to purchase a digital camera. What you really need and what the salesperson might try to talk you into are two very different things. The big things to look at when buying a digital camera are megapixels, zoom, size, and brand.

The number of megapixels (usually abbreviated MP) a camera has determines how big the picture can be and still print out a photo quality picture. The higher the megapixel, the larger photo quality picture you can get. For example, a 3 megapixel camera will allow you to print great quality 5x7s and a 5 megapixel will allow you to print great 11x14s. Since many people will never print a photo over an 8x10, there are also a few other considerations to look at for your MP size. The larger the MP rating, the more you can blow up one portion of a picture and still retain photo quality. For example, if you take a picture of your son and his two best friends playing and it's a GREAT picture of your son, but his two friends are just being silly, you can crop (cut) the picture so it is JUST a picture of your son and blow it up to a bigger size to send it to grandma. The bigger the megapixel, the more option you have to do this without losing quality. This feature is also nice when you take a picture when there is a lot of unwanted stuff in your picture off to the side or on the top - you can crop that right out and blow up what you DO want without losing the quality of the picture. Cameras on the market range anywhere from 2 MP to 10+ MP. For your average new digital camera user, a camera that is 5-7 megapixels is definitely going to get the job done for any project. Don't be talked into buying something that is 9 or 10 megapixels unless you REALLY anticipate making very large pictures (larger than posters) or working with very tiny intricate details in pictures. E-mailing pictures to Grandma and posting items on eBay really only require a 3 MP camera, so don't let someone sweet talk you into buying a Cadillac when you really need a Buick.

Next up is the zoom. As I'm sure you know, the zoom on a camera allows you to bring stuff that is further away closer into your frame for a better picture. There are two types of zoom on a digital camera - optical zoom and digital zoom. You want to IGNORE the digital zoom numbers. Digital zoom is simply a process of blowing the frame up, it's not bringing it any closer and it greatly degrades the quality of the picture. The only type of zoom that matters is the optical zoom. The optical zoom lets you get that picture of Bobby across the court and look like you were only a few feet away from him. The optical zoom brings the object closer and keeps that quality. Most digital cameras have a 3x optical zoom. Meaning they can bring an object 3 times closer than the naked eye. This is fine for most users - group pictures, family gatherings, the kids playing in the living room. If you're looking to take pictures of things like the deer across the field or your nephew on the other side of the basketball court, a larger zoom is a good option. Many cameras have 10x or 12x optical zoom. You're definitely going to pay more for this option and your camera gains a lot in size, so try to decide if this is something you'll really use. If it is, go for it because it's better to have it and not use it much than not have it and really wish you did! A lot of cameras boast something like a 24x zoom. Ignore this number because a majority of the time, it's the manufacturer trying to trick you by combining the optical zoom (3x) by the digital zoom (8x) 3x8=24. BUT, as I said earlier, digital zoom degrades your picture, so the only number you want to be concerned with is the optical (true) zoom, which in this example would be 3x.

The size of the camera is also important. That might sound silly to some, but it really does make a difference. First, think about what you want to use the camera for. Is it going to be something you want to grab and go and have with you at all times? In that case, you would want to get a smaller option - something that would fit in your pocket or purse. On the other hand, if you have larger hands, you may find a small camera very hard to use - you might often fumble with it or press buttons you don't want to, causing all sorts of frustration. Many people like a larger camera - not only do they have more options for a larger zoom like I mentioned above, but they like something that they find easier to hold onto and harder to lose. Really think about your lifestyle - don't buy a huge camera and then realize you never take it out of the house because you hate lugging it around. On the other hand, don't buy a tiny camera that you can barely see the buttons and struggle with because it's just too small.

My last big thing to think about is the brand of the camera. There are dozens of cameras manufacturers out there. The first rule of thumb is DO NOT buy a camera that isn't a brand name. There are times that buying store brand is a great deal, but with digital cameras, this isn't the case. Buy from a company that makes digital cameras as a main part of the business, not from a company that makes cameras to sell for $75. Big names in cameras include Canon, Nikon, Fuji, Olympus, Panasonic, Kodak, Sony, Casio, and HP, as well as a few others that I'm sure I've never heard of. If you've never heard of it and the store only has 1-2 models of that brand and it's super cheap, it's probably junk!! Don't spend $100 to get a good deal, only to buy a crappy camera you hate, when you could have spent $50 more to get something backed by a real camera company with real tech support and a real warranty. Everyone has their own brand name alliances and nearly every person you'll talk to will recommend a different brand. Personally, I prefer Kodaks and Canons for new camera users because they have very nicely labeled buttons and easy to use controls. You don't have to get out the user manuals just to figure out how to turn the thing on. I find Olympus cameras the most confusing to use and the least new user friendly, but just like anything that is sold with a name, some people wouldn't agree with me.

Either way, please go to the store with a somewhat background idea of what you are looking for. Have a good idea of what you will actually take pictures of and use these few simple rules to match what you want to spend with the camera that will fit your needs. Don't spend too much on a camera that does a bunch of stuff you'll never use or be fooled by incredibly large MP numbers or digital zoom numbers, because those things are both not what you need to take great pictures to cherish forever!