Digital Camera Buying Guide
Shop for Digital Cameras
A Digital Camera is a device used to capture images, either as a still picture, or in moving images known as videos or movies. There are many different types of cameras available, depending on what one's personal needs require. Photography is very important in the lives of many and allows people to capture important moments in their lives and save them for years to come. The advantage of the new digital phase is that picture viewing has become instant, so if a bad picture is taken it can be deleted right away. This makes getting the perfect picture extremely easy as there is no need to wait until it has been developed, and at that time realize it did not turn out the way you would have liked. In today's marketplace digital cameras are a dime a dozen, OutdoorPros.com will help you weight out what features you need and which you do not.
A SLR (single-lens-reflex) digital camera, is a camera where the photographer sees exactly the same image as is exposed to the film, and is able to makes fine tuned adjustments by using different scroll wheels and settings in the camera itself to adjust the picture. These cameras are used by everyone from wedding photographers, to celebrity photographers, and all the way to the consumer who wants to dabble in higher end pictures. The disadvantage to SLR is that they normally are at least double to triple the price of a normal digital camera, and normally do not come with a lens (this can cost you another 300 to 600 dollars depending on the zoom length and other options).
A Point and Shoot Digital Camera is like a traditional film camera except that it records images digitally without the use of a roll of film. Since it is all digital, the images appear right away and you can instantly delete them if you are not happy with the way they turned out. This is very efficient for the aspiring photographer as it allows them to be able to get a different angle or retake a picture without waiting to develop it and then missing the moment. They come in all shapes and sizes, but owning one can be the difference between having a beautiful mural of the family reunion hanging on the wall, and trying to remember who was there.
Digital Camera Buying Guide
What is a Digital Camera?
A Digital Camera is a device used to capture images, either as a still picture, or in moving images known as videos or movies. There are many different types of cameras available, depending on what one's personal needs require. Photography is very important in the lives of many and allows people to capture important moments in their lives and save them for years to come. The advantage of the new digital phase is that picture viewing has become instant, so if a bad picture is taken it can be deleted right away. This makes getting the perfect picture extremely easy as there is no need to wait until it has been developed, and at that time realize it did not turn out the way you would have liked. In today's marketplace digital cameras are a dime a dozen, OutdoorPros.com will help you weight out what features you need and which you do not.
SLR Digital Camera vs. Point and Shoot Digital Cameras
A SLR (single-lens-reflex) digital camera, is a camera where the photographer sees exactly the same image as is exposed to the film, and is able to makes fine tuned adjustments by using different scroll wheels and settings in the camera itself to adjust the picture. These cameras are used by everyone from wedding photographers, to celebrity photographers, and all the way to the consumer who wants to dabble in higher end pictures. The disadvantage to SLR is that they normally are at least double to triple the price of a normal digital camera, and normally do not come with a lens (this can cost you another 300 to 600 dollars depending on the zoom length and other options).
A Point and Shoot Digital Camera is like a traditional film camera except that it records images digitally without the use of a roll of film. Since it is all digital, the images appear right away and you can instantly delete them if you are not happy with the way they turned out. This is very efficient for the aspiring photographer as it allows them to be able to get a different angle or retake a picture without waiting to develop it and then missing the moment. They come in all shapes and sizes, but owning one can be the difference between having a beautiful mural of the family reunion hanging on the wall, and trying to remember who was there.
Advantages of a Digital Cameras:
- Low photo cost: Once you purchase the camera and memory there is no additional costs to take a picture from your digital camera since it stores the photo internally.
- Large storage capacity: Depending on what type of memory card or internal memory your camera contains, you can store hundreds and sometimes even thousands of photos on your camera.
- Digital Zoom: Most digital cameras have optical zooming capabilities, but many also come with a digital zoom feature which allows the photographer to digitally zoom in even closer to far away objects they wish to capture.
- Video: In addition to simply taking photos, many of today's digital cameras include video capabilities, which depending on how large one's memory card/internal memory is, can record short videos.
- Features: Digital cameras come with many editing options such as changing photo features to black and white, sepia, enhanced, and much more.
- Easy Transfer and Print options: Once you have taken pictures with a digital camera, it is relatively easy to plug your camera into your personal computer, transfer and save them to your hard drive, and print your pictures within minutes.
- LCD screens: With an LCD screen on virtually every digital camera, it makes it easy to shoot pictures from many different angles instead of having to keep your eye on the small viewfinder.
- Safer: It is much easier to store the pictures you take on your personal computer than to store hundreds or thousands of hard copies of photos.Pictures stored on the computer will not fade, tear, or wear in any ways and can be reprinted if you lose them, whereas hard copies of your pictures will age over time.
The Right Camera for You:
Depending on what level photographer you are, there is a right camera for you. For the younger kids or teenagers who would like to be able to capture images of their friends and family or any other random item, smaller cameras are the best choice. You would want to consider something that is cheap, in case it is dropped, but still has good image quality (somewhere around 6 to 10 mega pixels). A good choice in this range is the Canon Powershot A480 seen below.
For the average photographer, quality is still key. Whether trying to capture a family event or a child's soccer game, you will want a camera that will do the job without all the complicated and detailed camera features you do not need. It is good to look for a camera with 8 to 12 megapixel, which will give you quality pictures, usually at a far cheaper price than professional cameras. A camera such as the Canon SD1100 IS PowerShot Digital Camera is probably a great choice for you.
For the professional or more experienced photographer, you want the creme of the crop, a Digital SLR. Digital SLR's have many different features and styles that can be tailored to your needs. The size of the LCD screen can be an important factor if you are looking for a camera with a good picture review mode. It is also very important to pay attention to megapixel, which determine the clarity and quality of your image. The higher the megapixel, the crisper the picture will look, and the larger a picture can be blown up to when printing. A camera such as a Pentax K20D, which contains 14.6 Mega Pixels is high quality camera and a good choice for photographers looking to take their images to the next step.
Other Things to Consider When Buying a Digital Camera
Digital Camera Memory Cards: When purchasing a digital camera it is important to pay attention to the internal memory of the camera. Most digital camera come with a card that is around 256 megabytes; however, for a digital camera around 10 mega pixels or higher this card will only hold around 40 pictures.
Memory Cards are available in multiple sizes ranging from 256 megabytes, all the way to 16 gigabytes (16,000 megabytes) the one you choose normally depends on your needs. If you are planning on taking pictures occasionally and then immediately transferring the pictures to your computer, a smaller memory card would work for you. On the other hand, if you are planning on going on vacation and taking a vast amount of photos with little access to a computer, a larger memory card would be a better idea.
Accessories: Once you purchase your camera there are a variety of things that you may want to consider purchasing to accompany it. Photo Printers have become fairly inexpensive and are available in a range of features to suit your picture-printing needs. A printer such as the Canon MP480 PIXMA Photo All-In-One Printer is just one example of a great printer that can print out high quality pictures on the spot. All you have to do is take the memory card out of your camera and plug it into the printer to print. Make sure you also purchase some quality Photo Paper as it will allow you to produce professional looking photos that will last a lot longer then normal paper.
Sometimes printing pictures can be costly due to the printer ink and paper needs associated with it. In this case, it may be a great idea to purchase a Digital Picture Frame. A digital Picture frame will allow you to simply insert your memory card and view the pictures as a slide show right on the digital frame. A worthy investment that will leave your guests and buddies at work asking where you got it. To protect your camera from getting scratched or damaged it is a good idea to purchase a Camera Case or Bag. There are many different sizes and designs for a camera bag. Picking the best one for your camera is important and keep your camera looking brand new for quite some time. You can also browse our Camera Accessories for more cables, tripods, and underwater mounts for your Camera.
