What you should know before buy digital cameras

This guide is designed to help you understand digital camera basics, and allow you to make informed purchase decisions when you choose your digital
camera and accessories.

Ok, let get started!

Fisrt - How many pixels do I need?

Choose a camera with the minimum number of megapixels that will yield the best results for the largest size you expect to view or print. Currently just about every digital camera features between 4 & 10 megapixel image sensors; this means you can get photo quality prints from just about any
camera you choose.

Second - File Formats

Digital cameras store images in computer usable files using various universally accepted standards so you can view and/or print these files just about anywhere. The most commonly used file standard at this time is JPEG. Images stored in this file format are highly compressed by removing redundant image information from the saved file with almost negligible image quality loss.

Because JPEG files are compressed, they allow you to store up to eight times as many images as uncompressed RAW or TIFF files. In most cameras, you can increase or decrease the JPEG file size in the camera by adjusting the compression ratio. Use maximum compression for non-critical images or for viewing on a video or PC screen. Use the minimum compression for producing the finest quality photo prints and enlargements.

Many advanced cameras also feature RAW file format. Raw files are very large, and allow for maximum image control and manipulation with special computer software, to produce superior quality prints. If you plan to make photography your hobby or profession, a camera with RAW file capability will provide maximum creative control of your images.

For general photography, you probably will not see any difference in quality between a properly exposed JPEG or RAW file.

It is important to remember that every successive copy of a JPEG file will continue to lose image data. Therefore, always save your original JPEG’s.

If you plan to shoot RAW, it is a good idea to get a portable hard drive to copy and store files as you shoot.The quality of your images will vary and will depend on many components of your camera, each capable of enhancing or detracting image quality.

Third - Lighting

Make sure you have ample light on your subject. If most of your shooting is in poorly illuminated areas, consider a model featuring higher ISO settings that result in lower noise. You can also use a slave flash in addition to built-in flash. This will help keep sensor noise to a minimum

Fourth - Optical zoom

Use your optical zoom. We do not recommend using digital zoom. Digital zoom merely crops your cameras sensor thereby reducing resolution. If you do a lot of sports or nature photography, consider models featuring extended optical zoom ranges (10x to 15x). Remember, you always have the option to crop your image later, if you wish.

fifth - Shutter speed and Shutter lag

Shutter speed
Shoot at the highest shutter speed possible to reduce blur due to camera shake or subject movement.

Shutter speed
First, depress the shutter release halfway to lock your auto focus and exposure settings. Then depress the shutter the rest of the way. This technique reduces the time delay of the actual exposure to an absolute minimum.

Sixth - Memory Cards

Now that you can capture hundreds of pictures on a single memory card and erase them once they are copied to your computer, feel free to shoot as many images as possible and try to capture the subtle changes in life as it happens. Thanks to inexpensive memory cards, you can be just like the professional photographer who captures hundreds of pictures of each scene, saves the best and deletes the balance. Unlike film, your card can be used over and over. Just transfer the images you want to keep and delete the balance.

Memory cards are your digital film; the current popular types are Compact Flash, Memory Stick, SD and XD. The camera you choose will accept one of these types. Memory card types are available in a wide choice of storage capacity and speed.

Choose high-speed cards for cameras with large sensors (5 megapixels and up). Once you transfer the images you want to save, delete the images from the card and reuse it as many times as you like. It is a good idea to have at least one or two spare cards handy in case of emergency. You never know
when your card becomes corrupted or lost