Digital Trends

You’ve decided to buy a digital camera—or upgrade to a newer, more powerful one. You’re not alone. According to industry experts close to 30 million digital cameras will be bought this year. And these hefty figures don’t include millions of camera phone owners who take zillions of snapshots every day. Although camera phones are fun and everyone loves sending images instantly to friends, if you want decent snapshots (4x6 or larger) a digital camera is the only way to go. And with prices dropping nearly every day, it’s time to take the plunge.

There are two basic types of digital cameras—point-and-shoot and D-SLRs (Digital Single Lens Reflex). Point and shoot digicams—or as we like to call them “aim and forget”—make up the vast majority of models sold (over 90 percent). The reason is simple: in a single gadget you have everything you need to take good photos. Just aim, zoom in on your subject, press the shutter and the camera does all the work. More sophisticated D-SLRs have interchangeable lenses that let you unleash your inner Annie Leibovitz—they offer higher quality, faster response time and more flexibility. They also are a lot heavier and cost much more. Your decision between the two is purely personal and totally dependent on your level of commitment to photography. No matter which way you go there are basics that hold true for all cameras. Learning them will help you make the right decision. 

The Megapixel Wars Continue

When you're researching different cameras, manufacturers will state the maximum file (or picture) size you can take. In the case of a 6 megapixel (MP) camera, it's 2816 horizontal pixels x 2112 vertical pixels, with 7MP it's 3072 x 2304 and so on. Simply multiply the numbers and you get the effective resolution of the imaging device. We suggest you avoid anything less than 6 or 7MP at this point unless you're looking for an inexpensive camera for the kids. 

Pros have access to 21-megapixel imagers in very expensive D-SLRs. You don't have to go this route or spend that much money for great everyday photos. However, 6MP should be your minimum and if you plan on making very large prints, such as 13x19s, or you feel you're going to experiment cropping photos with imaging software, consider 8- or more megapixels. There are no hard and fast rules since so much depends on your final end use.

Look Inside the Lens

Lens quality and zoom power are the next issue camera buyers must confront. We'll make life easy for you. Choose only models with optical zoom lenses rather than fixed focus models. Optical zooms let you take a variety of shots—close-ups, portraits, landscapes and telephoto images. It's really the only way to go. The most inexpensive cameras—sub $75 USD—typically have a single focal length and use electronic circuitry to digitally zoom into a subject. When this happens, photo quality actually degrades and you'll see the difference when you make larger prints. For emails and small prints, this is not much of an issue but if you're even thinking of making 8x10s, stick to the optical zoom. 

Camera makers offer a wide variety of optical zoom ratios on aim-and-forget models—up to 18x--but 3x is the most widely available. A 3x zoom typically equals 35-105mm in 35mm photography terms, the standard zoom found on most point-and-shoot film cameras. If your camera is just for casual events, 3x is fine. However, if you consider yourself a nature photographer or love taking tons of photos on vacations, a more powerful optical zoom should be on your shopping list.

The D-SLR Explosion

The vast majority of digital cameras do not have interchangeable lenses nor do they let you view subjects directly through the lens. Cameras that do—called Digital Single Lens Reflex editions (D-SLRs) are targeted to people who have an investment in 35mm lenses whether they're Canon, Nikon, Olympus…you name it. They're also for those who are serious about taking good photographs. We love them but they are expensive ($499 USD and up). If this price doesn't intimidate you, by all means check out models in this fast-growing category.

Pretty Monitors

When you pick up a digital camera, you can’t miss a large screen on the back. The LCD screen is one of the finest benefits of digital cameras. It's used as a larger viewfinder to frame your subject in much same way you used your film camera. However, once you've taken the shot you can review it on the screen to see if it came out properly. And it's great seeing digicam owners passing their cameras around, showing off their latest shots. LCD screens are measured diagonally and 2.5 inches is a common size. We prefer even larger ones, up to 3 inches. If your eyesight is a bit challenged, definitely look for a larger LCD. Screens are measured in pixels, just like image size. Again, the more pixels, the better the image you'll see on screen.

Go Manual

Most people really don't care how their cameras work—they just want good pictures. Digicam manufacturers know this well and all digital cameras offer point-and-shoot operation, usually called "Auto." All you do is set your camera to "Auto," frame your subject and the camera makes all the adjustments for focus, aperture opening, shutter speed and white balance. It's as simple as that.

Camera makers realize the vast majority of people don't want to make a variety of adjustments every time they want to take a snapshot. That's why most people leave their cameras in Auto and happily fire away. Almost as easy are Scene Modes. Usually found on a dial or an onscreen menu, you simply adjust it to the type of shot you're taking. If you want to take a portrait of the wife and kids, move to the Portrait icon and the camera will automatically bring your family into focus and blur the background. Want to take a shot of a son or daughter playing soccer, move the dial to High-Speed Shutter or Sports and you'll stop the action. There are a wide variety of settings available, depending on the company and it makes life so easy.

The coolest new “scene” setting is Face Detection and you’ll see this on many newer models. In this mode, the camera focuses on people’s faces and sets the proper exposure for great portraits. Some can focus on 10 or more faces at a time. This is a terrific real-world feature.

Mega Movies

Digital cameras can be used as mini camcorders although the quality is a shadow of what you can record on a $250 USD Mini DV model. Still it's fun to take a brief clip on vacation or a family reunion. Manufacturers are upping the quality so the results are more realistic. If video seems like a strong option for you, look for 640 x 480 pixel quality at 30 fps. Some cameras even offer high-def quality levels that take 1280 x 760 pixel videos.

Important Buying Tips

Once you've zeroed in on several cameras, it's very important to actually hold them in your hands. Ergonomics are critical since the idea of a tiny digicam may seem great in theory but if the buttons are difficult to find or press, the camera won't be used as much as it should be.

Also make sure you get a complete camera kit that typically includes the camera body, strap, starter memory card, battery/recharger, USB cable as well as PC drivers and editing software on a CD ROM. Then it's time to charge the battery and get out there and take photographs.

Buying Check List

Your new digital camera should have these key features:

• At least a 6MP imaging device for a D-SLR
• At least a 7MP imager for a point-and-shoot
• Optical zoom of 3x, not just a digital zoom
• The highest quality optics
• A large LCD screen; the more pixels, the better the quality
• The widest range for aperture (f/stops), shutter speed and ISO
• An AF Illuminator or AF Assist mode for best flash shots in dim light
• A variety of Scene Modes for more convenient shooting in a variety of
• situations
• Make sure you do your own ergonomic hands-on test

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