Photography Tips For Digital Camera Buying

Digital cameras and camcorders are hot products this year, but if you make the wrong purchasing choices you can end up with an expensive camera that doesn�t meet your needs. The following �mistake� list outlines the most common mistakes buyers make and how to avoid them.

Mistake No. 1: Not knowing what you want
The most common mistake camera buyers make is to be unsure about exactly what they want from a camera. Regardless of whether you want a digital or film camera or a still or video camera, it�s important to research the market to home in on the type of camera that will be best for the pictures you plan to take.

Start by being quite clear about what types of shots you want - and how you plan to use your pictures. If you only want a camera for taking pictures to email, just about any digital camera will do (including a camcorder with stills capture to memory card). If you want to print your pictures, a 2-megapixel digicam is the lowest resolution you can use to obtain anything like photo quality for snapshot size prints.

Know what field of view meet your needs and make sure it�s covered by the camera at both ends of the zoom range. Check the size and performance of the LCD screen, both indoors and in bright lighting, to ensure it can provide a decent view. Assess the viewfinder�s usability: how bright it is, how much of the subject it shows and whether it provides a clear and comfortable view of the subject.

Mistake No. 2: Not doing enough research
The camera market becomes more complex every month as new models are added. While film cameras haven�t changed substantially for a decade or so, the digital camera market is evolving rapidly. Smart buyers will learn about the different types of cameras available, what their advantages and limitations are and how much they cost before stepping into a store.

There�s plenty of information available on the Internet and in magazines such as Photo Review Australia and the Photo Review pocket guides contain a useful checklist to help you home in on the features and functions you need. Learn the basic digital photo jargon so you understand what resolution and quality are and know how the number of megapixels in the sensor affects the camera�s picture quality and how large you can print your shots.

Understand the limitations of digital cameras. For some applications (such as photographing small, active children and pets), a film camera or digital camcorder can be a better option than a digital still camera . For creative photography, a film SLR gives you more versatility for your dollar than a high-resolution compact digicam or a digital SLR. The Photo Review pocket guides can help you to �talk the talk� when you go to the shops to make your selection.

Margaret Brown

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