What Should I Look for in a Digital Camera?

Digital cameras have changed the way photographs are taken and stored. With so many models of digital cameras on the market and in so many different price ranges, it can be difficult to know what to look for when buying one. Basically, there are three factors to consider: resolution, storage capacity, and special features for picture taking and storage.

The resolution of the photographs taken with a digital camera is measured in pixels. The greater number of pixels or dots per inch, the higher the resolution of the finished photograph will be. Digital cameras generally range from 2.0 megapixels to 5 and above. The next generation of digital cameras have higher and higher resolutions as consumers are looking for detail and color accuracy in their images. Older digital technology used under 2.0 megapixels.

Since film is not used in digital photography, the images are stored on internal disks in the camera. Most mid-priced digital cameras do not contain very much storage space and this requires users to download their pictures to their computer before snapping more shots.

More memory can be added to the interior of the camera, just like in a computer. A less expensive method is to add memory by using a small card that pops into the camera. These disks can be purchased with capacities between 64MB all the way up to 2 gigabytes. Larger disks can can hold hundreds of pictures at their highest quality!

Digital cameras come with an assortment of options and features. Some digital cameras can use wide-angle and telephoto lenses for added flexibility. Also when buying a digital camera, it is important to look at how easily the photos can be off loaded to a computer for storage or sharing and how easy they are to print. Some digital cameras come with docking systems that easily transfer the digital images to the computer. The images can then be modified using special editing software, stored to the hard drive or CD-ROM and even emailed.