When buying a digital camera you will want to consider how you are going to use it, the features that are important to you, and the cost. Of course, seeking out unbiased ratings by current users on any particular digital camera is also very beneficial.
There are basically 5 categories of digital cameras of various sizes and capabilities. Size and weight are factors to consider based on how you want to use the camera, where, and how often you want to take it with you. Speed can effect your satisfaction as well; most people prefer a digital camera that starts up quickly and requires the minimum time between shots for processing. Zoom is a factor depending upon what types of shots you want to take and the ability to manually control focus etc. is important for individuals who have more skill.
1. Ultra compact: An ultra compact digital camera is the smallest; very portable, and stylish. Images are acceptable but lower in quality than the any other type of digital camera. They can be a good choice if you are primarily sharing pictures over the internet and/or just want a camera that you can easily take with you anywhere.
2. Compact: A compact digital camera is small enough to fit in a large pocket or purse. The pictures are quite reasonable with better optics that the Ultra Compact cameras. They offer a variety of features which makes them the most popular models on the market.
3. Enthusiast: An enthusiast camera is a bit larger and more expensive than the compact models. They generally offer more features as well as better images and allow the user to produce larger image prints without losing image quality. These models are less expensive than the D-SLR but offer a faster camera, are able to zoom in closer, offer higher resolution, and more manual controls than the compact digital cameras and are therefore suitable for an experienced user or enthusiast.
4. Superzoom: Superzooms are a full sized digital camera which offers 10x or greater zoom as well as image stabilization to help eliminate camera shake. These models tend to be less expensive than Enthusiast models.
5. D-SLR: A D-SLR digital camera is full-sized. They possess a lot of professional features and their performance is similar to that of a 35-mm film camera. Professionals and experienced, avid amateurs are best suited to these models which offer interchangeable lenses. A D-SLR digital camera is the most expensive on the market.
Lenses are an important consideration and again relate to how you will use your digital camera. When talking about lenses one of the primary considerations is zoom. You will hear digital zoom discussed. Digital zoom is a cropping type function in which the center of the image is the focus. Your primary interest however is optical zoom. Optical zoom allows the user to get better quality pictures of images taken at a distance. There are four types of camera lenses to consider:
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