Here's our annual guide to buying a digital camera. Everything you need to make a decision and start shopping for the holiday season is
covered below.
Camera Size
Great digital cameras come small enough to fit in your shirt pocket, big enough to make you look professional, and every size in between.
Digital cameras are generally categorized as pocket cameras, point-and-shoot cameras and high-end cameras.
Pocket cameras are so stylishly slim, boast impressive LCD screens, zoom lenses and the ability to take very good quality photos.
Point-and-shoot cameras are simple to turn on and use, and they work well for both basic and sophisticated users who don't mind carrying
a camera case.
High end cameras are designed with the serious photographer in mind and are larger and costlier.
Digital SLRs are finally available at reasonable prices. An SLR (single-lens reflex camera) usually consists of a body and one or more
detachable lenses.
It's called single-lens reflex because its viewfinder uses a 45°-angled mirror to see through the lens. The mirror lifts out of sight
briefly when you press the shutter button.
What size camera to choose?
- If you are on the go a lot or need to carry a lot of other stuff, look for a pocket camera.
- If you like a camera that's got some weight behind it, choose a point-and-shoot camera.
- If you're looking at large optical zooms or multiple lenses, choose an SLR or high-end camera.
Megapixels/Resolution
A pixel is short for "picture element." One megapixels equals one million pixels. The more megapixels a camera has, the higher its
maximum resolution and the better its picture quality potential. Digital cameras are measured in megapixels. A 3MP camera takes
photos that can make sharp, full-frame 8 x 10 prints. An 8MP camera lets you crop an image then enlarge that chosen area with no
loss of quality.
Resolution is expressed by the number of horizontal pixels multiplied by the number of vertical pixels in a square
inch. For example, the most basic cameras have a resolution of 640 x 480 pixels per square inch (about 0.3 megapixels). Some advanced
models can go up to 8 megapixels and beyond! A camera up to 4 MP will produce a sharp, full-frame print of 8 x 10. If you want to
crop, then enlarge a portion of the image with no loss in quality, 5MP and up is your best choice.
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Print Size
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11" x 14"
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8" x 10"
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5" x 7"
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4" x 6"
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3" x 4"
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1MP
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2MP
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3MP
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4MP
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5MP
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Megapixels
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If you plan on making huge prints of 11x14 or larger or if you plan to do heavy editing and cropping of your photos, then it makes
sense to buy a camera with more than 5 megapixels.
Optical Zoom
Optical zoom is the only real zoom. An optical zoom lens actually moves in and out to get wide-angle, telephoto and macro (close-up)
shots. And unlike a digital zoom, an optical zoom will not reduce the resolution of your photos. Don't buy a camera with less than
3x optical zoom.
Digital Zoom
Digital zoom is software inside the camera that crops (selects part of) a photo and enlarges that portion. The digital zoom is handy but
it reduces the resolution (sharpness) of your photo. Ignore the digital zoom capability when shopping.
Total Zoom
Total zoom or overall zoom is a gimmick camera companies used to trick consumers. A camera advertised as having 8x zoom might really
be a 2x optical zoom multiplied by a 4x digital zoom. Ignore this number when shopping.
PictBridge
PictBridge is an international direct-print standard recently adopted by most major manufacturers of digital cameras and photo
printers. With PictBridge, you can connect a compatible camera to a PictBridge photo printer via a USB cable, for easy direct
printing without the use of a computer. The gear doesn’t have to be the same brand — it just has to be PictBridge-capable.
Optical Viewfinder/LCD Screen
A viewfinder is the small square on the back of a camera that the photographer holds up to his eye.
Look through the optical viewfinder to compose your shot; what you see framed there is what the camera will capture.
Optical viewfinders are required for two reasons.
- LCD screens are hard to see in bright light
- Using the optical viewfinder (and turning off the LCD screen) will make your batteries last considerably longer
A large LCD screen allow users to review photos without squinting or holding the camera close to see captured pictures.
But it also drain your batteries.
Be sure your camera has both an optical viewfinder and an LCD viewing screen.
Memory Cards
Digital cameras use one of six memory card types.
- SecureDigital® (SD)
- CompactFlash™ (CF)
- Smart Media
- xD cards
- Multimedia (MMC) cards
- Memory Stick module(Sony cameras only)
It's amazing how fast you can fill up the low-capacity card included with some cameras.
Buy at least a 256-megabyte card so you don't have to constantly unload your photos from the camera.
There are many ways to move the digital photos from your camera to your computer or printer. Most directly, you can connect the
camera to a printer or computer by using the supplied USB cord. A simpler method is to pop out the memory card and insert it
directly into a printer or a memory-card reader attached to, or built into, your PC. Finally, some cameras come with a cradle
where you can recharge your camera and transfer images onto the PC.
How many photos can the memory card store?
The larger the memory, the more pictures you save. Use the table below as a rule of thumb when buying memory cards or using them in your photography.
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Card Size
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Digital Camera
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3MP
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4MP
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5MP
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6MP
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32MB
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26
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16
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12
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10
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64MB
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52
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32
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24
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20
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128MB
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104
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64
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48
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40
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256MB
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208
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128
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96
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80
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512MB
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408
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256
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192
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160
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1GB
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816
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512
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384
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320
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Developing Your Photos
The simplest way to develop your digital photos is to upload them from your computer to the web site of a photo developing service like Ritz Camera, Wolf Camera, Walmart, or SnapFish.
We highly recommend Ritz/Wolf and Walmart because you can order your digital prints online and pick them up at your local store within one hour (4"x6" prints; large orders may take longer).
The Memory Store - Shop for the best memory deals here!
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