Buying a Digital Camera

So as I worked in a camera store for three years I am pretty well versed in the digital camera department. While I am no expert, I am going to suggest factors you should consider when getting a new digital camera (whether you are a beginner or used to the digital scene). This is not meant to make anyone feel inferior, just a few opinions and thoughts typed out.

First, decide whether you want a point-and-shoot (the small, pocket size cameras, from here on known as PAS), or a digital SLR (single lens reflex). The difference is pretty self-explanatory here. If you are just into casual shooting, get a point-and-shoot. And I'll put it this way, if you don't know what a SLR does, don't buy one. One of my biggest pet peeves, is people who think that just because they have the money, they can buy the most expensive camera their fur coat wearing butts can buy. By all means, go ahead and spend $3000 on a camera, where you won't use any function past "automatic" and waste the $2800 you shouldn't have spent in the first place. Believe me, a real photographer can tell if you are just some novice, casual photographer with an expensive camera you don't know anything about. You aren't getting anything better when you use a great camera, like it's a PAS.

Second, it's important to know the facts behind mega pixels. This is different between PAS cameras and SLR's. For PAS, do not buy a camera with as many mega pixels as you can find. I recommend the maximum mega pixel amount is 7-8. Yes, you will see the occasional 9-12 mega pixel PAS, but you are wasting your money and photograph quality. The device that records the photo you take (the CCD chip) is only a certain size, and when you cram so many mega pixels on it, they fail to be as effective. So stick with 7-8 mega pixels. With SLR's, 8-12 mega pixels is a good range. Since SLR's are bigger, their CCD chip is bigger therefore allowing more room for pixels. This advice is mainly for amateur SLR's, aka the lower end SLR's (under $1000) sold at stores such as Best Buy and Circuit City.

Third factor to consider is brand. In the store I worked at, we took cameras in for repair, so I know pretty well what brands hold up the best. My favorite and personal brand is Canon (http://www.canonusa.com/). I hardly ever had people bring them in for repairs. I myself have used Canon cameras for 5 or so years, and I've never had a mechanical problem. Not to say that they never have issues, but you're chance of having one is less likely. Yes, they are slightly more money, but the money you'll save not having to pay for repairs is worth the extra $20-50. There isn't even a camera that comes in second to Canon, and I am very biased towards them, but trust me, it's worth it. The new Canon SD1100 is a great option (the blue camera pictured above, also comes in several other colors). A few more brands I like and are decent cameras, are Pentax, Casio, Olympus, and Fuji. Sony is ok, but not great. The newer Nikon's might seem cool and sleek, but the flash distance is pretty short, especially when using the zoom. The brand (at least in the digital division, they make nice darkroom stuff) I hate the most is Kodak. They are cheap, plastic and easily breakable. People assume that since it's a Kodak, it's going to be good, due to the reputation Kodak has in the FILM world. Don't be fooled! It might be a nice camera for a child to play around with, but most customers who had them weren't impressed. In terms of SLR's Canon (popular Canon XTi, above) again takes my vote, but Nikon does a great job in this category too. I'm a tad wary of Sony, since they've only been in the digital SLR market for a little over a year (they bought out Minolta). Olympus and Pentax are decent, but the big guys are still Canon and Nikon.

Lastly, there are a lot of little things to consider when buying a new camera. Screen size (the larger the screen the more battery it uses), the feel of the camera in your hand (easy to hold?), style, etc. Also, remember that optical zoom is BETTER than digital zoom. My first digital, the Canon A300 (pictured right) had only 5.1x digital zoom, and no optical. Typically, optical zoom these days is 3-4x. Most if not all cameras have about 4x digital zoom. Try to use digital zoom as little as you can. Another thing a consumer tends to not realize is that with the larger screen sizes, the manufacturer has gotten rid of the viewfinder. While this may not seem important to some, consider this: when taking a photo in the bright sunlight, it makes it extremely difficult, and almost impossible to see what you're taking a picture of, because the screen can't compete with the sun. With a viewfinder, you have another option if in case you cannot use the screen on the back. That's another thing about Canon, is that they haven't gotten caught up the whole "my screen is bigger than yours" thing. They usually stick to a 2.5" screen and still KEEP the viewfinder. In addition, consider the battery used. Most use a lithium-ion rechargeable battery, but more basic models sometimes use AA's. Both have their pros and con's. Lithium-ion batteries usually last longer and are rechargeable, but if the battery dies, they cost $40 to buy a new one. AA's on the other hand don't last as long, but if they run out of power, they are easily (and cheaply) replaced. Rechargeable AA's are the best bet if you have to use AA's at all. Don't forget to go to a store and actually play around with the camera. Try different ones. Use the different features. Educate yourself. If you find one you like, read consumer ratings on a site like http://www.cnet.com/ (which is the most widely known, and therefore more well-rounded reviews). That way you can see what flaws the camera might have that you would not have known otherwise.



So basically those are my two cents (or two dollars, as we must keep up with inflation) to keep the guess work out of buying a digital camera. If you follow this advice, you will have a camera that you will enjoy for years to come!!