Buying a Digital Camera

So you've decided to buy a digital camera.  Congratulations!  They are fun and easy to use and free you up from both the limitations of having to change your film roll after every 27 pictures and the expense of developing those pictures to even see if something turns out. (And don't laugh many people are still using 35mm and APS film. And being a classic camera collector I am one of them.)


But how much do you know about the subject of buying a digital camera?

Even after digital cameras have been on the market for as long as they have many people don't have the first idea what to look for when purchasing one.

First things first - Do you want a camera that runs on AA batteries or a Rechargeable Lithium Ion battery?

AA vs Lithium Ion

AA batteries at their best should last for as many pictures as a single charge of a Lithium Battery. That is to say 200+ pictures.  Of course neither Lithium nor AA will last as long if you often use the video option on your camera (more on that later.)

The Pros are no matter where you are in the world if your batteries run out someone within a certain mile radius will have AA batteries on hand.  Or you can carry extra spares in your bag or pocket.  (Yes, Energizer Lithium batteries do last longer than most regular AAs. And no this is not an ad for them, this is based on personal observation and feedback from customers and photographers.)

The Cons are you will always have to buy extra batteries and that will be an extra and continuing investment in your camera.  Carrying spares can become cumbersome.

Lithium batteries at their best should last for between 200 and 300 pictures per charge - again less if you often use the video option on your camera. And yes the camera will come with the charger for the battery.

The Pros are you don't have to worry about carrying spare batteries if you don't want to.  One battery should hold its charge fairly well for between 1-3 years. The convenience of it is after it wears down you simply plug it in to the wall and it charges for another 200-300 pictures. Charging should take about 2 hours to get a full charge back.

The Cons are should you forget to charge it or it wears out in the middle of nowhere you are stuck til you get somewhere you can charge it.  If you travel to foreign countries you will more than likely have to get a power adapter/converter to be able to charge the battery.  Extra batteries are available but are costly - ranging from around $25-$70 for a replacement.

note: Lithium Ion batteries do eventually lose their charge and will not take as many pictures as before.  This will slowly happen over the life of the battery.  I am on my second year with my Fuji J50 and have noticed a definite decline in how many pictures I can take before I have to charge the battery again.

So now you've decided which kind of battery you want.  Now for the fun stuff.

Megapixels:

The average camera these days is 10-14 megapixels.

What does this mean for you?

It means that technically ANY camera will take a good picture if all you want to do is email or print 4x6's (the basic size).  More megapixels is not necessarily better.  In a professional DSLR - yes. In a point and shoot - no.  Why?  It has to do with the sensor taking the picture.  But that's complicated.  Suffice it to say almost any casual point and shoot photographer will be happy with a camera 10-14 megapixels. Don't pay more for a 14 megapixel camera if you can get better features on a 10 megapixel camera for less.

Screen Size:

2.4", 2.7" and 3" are the most common.  You would be surprised at how small a 2.4" or even a 2.7" screen looks in comparison to a 3" screen.  That 0.3" really does make a difference.  Look at the back of several  cameras and compare the screen sizes.


Zoom:

This is actually one of the most important features on a camera.  I'm talking about optical zoom and not digital zoom.

Optical zoom is usually what is meant when a camera says 3x zoom (any good camera that is)  Optical zoom uses the traditional way of zooming - per se it uses the lens to bring the subject of your photo closer to you in the same way a 35mm camera did.

Digital zoom uses a cropping tool within the camera that is comparable to cropping your picture on the computer. 

3x optical zoom is standard, though 4x optical zoom is beginning to show up more.  This means that you can stand 3 feet away from a subject and zoom in as if you were standing in front of them.

The more zoom you get the larger the camera is likely to be.  Canon's SX120 has a 10x optical zoom but the camera is twice the size of say the Nikon s3000 (4x optical zoom).

So decide how much zoom you want vs what size of camera you want to carry in your purse or pocket.


Shutter Speed:

This is the delay you see between the camera taking the picture and your ability to take another picture.

There is no easy answer to this question.  The only cameras that can shoot instantaneously shot after shot are going to be the DSLRs.  Shutter speed is not specific to company or camera line and changes from model to model.  The easiest thing to do is to try the camera out.  But in general there will always be a delay.  There is a way to speed it up - I will explain how in a later article.

Video:

All cameras can now also record video - some can record video in HD 720p or 1080p - but VGA quality is still the standard. This means it will play as a small picture on your computer and is definitely not meant for a big screen TV

Now that you have narrowed down battery, megapixels, zoom, video and shutter speed there is one more thing.  Because alot of cameras fall into the category of say - 10 megapixels, with 4x zoom that run on either battery and have video and average shutter speed.

Now go by what you like.
Does the camera feel comfortable in your hand?
Does it feel too light or too heavy?
Is it too thin or too thick?
Maybe you are a Canon Afficiando or perhaps Kodak is all you've owned.
Is it a color you can live with (or live down perhaps...).

In the end this is the camera you will be using day in and day out for as long as it lasts.  So when all the technicalities are aside YOU have to like the camera you're holding.

So now you're set. You can buy a digital camera!


If you have any questions please feel free to leave them in the comments and I will answer them to the best of my ability.