Choosing The Right Digital Camera

Digital cameras offer considerable value and benefit for both the amateur and professional photographer. Every camera offers different features and options that cater to a different class of customer, and it is up to the buyer to determine what is right for them. Hopefully, this article can provide insight into what these features actually mean for the common user, and how they can impact the quality of your daily photography.

Smaller ‘point and shoot’ cameras are more for the occasional photographer, due to their inexpensive nature and lack of powerful features. Compared with higher end SLR cameras, which are more for the professional user, the ‘point and shoot’ cameras will have less noise reduction capabilities meaning the average picture will not be as sharp. Also, the more expensive models tend to offer more powerful interchangeable lenses, and additional higher end features such as auto-focusing, face detection, red-eye reduction and overall better image optimization technology.

It is best to select a camera with a strong optical zoom when making a serious purchasing decision. This is a popular and valuable feature that an amateur photographer can make use of to enlarge an image as it is being taken, without causing a decrease in picture quality. As you may be aware, optical zoom is the measure of magnification provided by the physical movement of the lens, similar to the zooming function found on a standard 35mm camera. Digital zoom is a competitive option that enlarges the same image, but causes blurriness as the camera recreates the picture artificially. As the camera has to determine for itself what the image should look like at a larger size, the built-in software fills in the blanks by smearing and blurring the space between pixels. While the end result is a proportionally accurate, enlarged picture, it loses a lot of the sharp detail in the transition.

Lastly, megapixel ratings are a popular standard by which cameras are judged, but are not nearly as important as advertised. A professional photographer can find great benefit with a higher end 12-15 megapixel camera, but an amateur user can do quite well with an entry-level 5-6 megapixel model. What this feature essentially determines is the eventual size that a photograph can be printed in sharp, photo quality. If an 8½ x 11 photograph is more than you will ever need from your camera, then a 5 megapixel camera will suit you just fine.

If you need additional advice or a second opinion, feel free to drop me a line.