Expect
to spend $250 to $800.
General Tips
Before
buying a digital camera, consider the following:
1. Set
your price range before you buy. If you are buying a camera
for general use, modern cameras are small and powerful. You
don't necessarily need a Digital SLR. Research your needs
before you make a purchase.
2.
Consider to budget for extra batteries and memory cards if
required.
3.
Media Types: Find out what media type your camera will
use, for example, CompactFlash and SecureMedia. If you are
trading up to a new camera, consider a camera that supports
your old media types as this might save you some money. Some
Camera Brands suggest you use their proprietary media format,
check to see if there are compatible media types that maybe
cheaper.
4.
Battery Type: To save money consider buying rechargeable
batteries. It is advisable to own at least one spare battery
because if you are shooting and your machine runs out of power
it would be ashame that you could not finish your
photographing.
5.
When buying digital cameras, concentrate on optical zoom, not
digital zoom.
6.
Before purchasing your digital camera check the following:
*
Compare prices using price comparison sites
* Check the shipping price. If you are buying it from abroad,
check if there are any import duties and other taxes
* Check the vendors return policy if you need the camera to be
replaced.
* Does the vendor list the item in stock?
* Does the vendor charge sales tax
* When using a review site or a comparison site, check the
review ratings of your selected product.
Digital Cameras use their own special terminology.
Burst Mode: Allows
you to take multiple rapid-fire shots with one touch of the
shutter button.
Compression: What the
camera does to make an image file smaller, hence faster to
download or send via email. Many cameras let you choose the
level of compression, often with abbreviations such as HQ
(High Quality or highly compressed) and SHQ high quality or
lightly compressed).
ISO-equivalent speed:
The higher the ISO, the more light-sensitive the camera will
be.
Megapixels: The
number of picture elements (pixels) the image sensor has. A
megapixel equals 1 million pixels.
Memory Card: The
digital equivalent of a roll of film. A card that can hold 128
megabytes (MB) of data is the minimum practical size these
days.
Resolution: The
amount of detail the image contains. Resolution of 2
megapixels provides enough detail for 4 x 6 prints or full
frame enlargements. 8 megapixels resolution provides four
times as much detail, allowing you to make sharp enlargements
of only a portion of the original image.
Digital Camera
Links
Dpreview.com:
Current digital photography
news, digital camera reviews, articles and discussion forums.
Dcviews.com:
International website for
digital photography. Up-to-date specifications of digital
cameras, latest news, online tutorials and digital
camera reviews.
Steves-digicams.com:
Digital camera
reviews - amateur to professional cameras, the latest industry
news, public discussion forums, photo-quality printers and
digital video.
Imaging-resource.com:
The Latest on Digital Cameras, Scanners, Printers and
more.
