1. Set a Budget Before Buying
Before deciding on purchasing a digital camera, it is important that you set yourself a budget before going online or visiting an electronics shop. Like purchasing any other big-ticket item else such as a computer, car, or house, there are tons and tons of options, and you don't want to get stuck with more camera than you can afford. Yes, the high-end cameras offer the best zoom, more megapixels (which don't always mean better photos!), and the added features, but they can also take a huge bite out of your wallet if you are not careful. When starting out in the world of digital photography, I would recommend not spending a huge amount of money on the high-end prosumer or digital SLR cameras. Look for cheaper, yet powerful, compact digital cameras that are easy to hold and don't add too much weight when you travel. Learn the basics with this digital camera and make sure you enjoy the hobby before spending the cash for higher-end digital cameras. If you're afraid that you will be stuck with several digital cameras by buying less-expensive ones and later upgrading, note that there are many uses for your old digital cameras
2. Ignore Digital Zoom
Although many salespeople would disagree, when choosing a digital camera to purchase, I would completely ignore advertised digital zoom magnifications and only look at cameras' optical zooms. Digital zooming performs an interpolation, or computer-based 'guesswork', of an image to try to increase the perceived zoom distance. These can result in "fuzzy" images or those with less than optimal clarity, especially if you blow them up into 8x10 or larger photos. However, optical zoom provides for a true zoom-in or zoom-out on your subject. If you want an example of what a photograph may look like when taken with a digital zoom, take a photograph into a piece of photo-editing software and increase its size by 100% or 200%. Although the picture will look bigger on screen, you will start to see dots or imperfections in the image. That's what happens with digital zoom. Higher optical zoom cameras can allow you to take a greater variety of pictures, but they do tend to cost more money, which is why lower-priced cameras tend to advertise their digital zoom capabilities a lot more. However, for many photographers, the enhanced image quality is well worth the higher price.
3. Two Considerations when Buying a New Camera
Planning on buying a new digital camera? Among the many choices you have to make including megapixels image quality, and zoom capability, here are two more things you should consider. Media Type: There are lots of media types available for cameras, such as CompactFlash, SecureMedia, etc. Because of my previous purchases of CompactFlash cards that I used in older cameras, if upgrading, I would not want to purchase a camera that used a different type of memory unless its other features far outweighed those of competing cameras. Memory prices are going down, but cards are still not cheap and I don't want to 'throw away' this media investment when upgrading. Some cameras are realizing that not everyone wants to use their manufacturer's proprietary media format. For example, the upcoming (at the time of this tip's writing) Sony Cyber-shot DSC-F828 uses Sony's Memory Stick format, but this digital camera also supports CompactFlash and MicroDrives. Battery Type: If you currently use rechargeable batteries, factor into your purchasing decision whether or not your 'dream' camera supports the same types of batteries. I own six or seven sets of AA NiMH rechargeable batteries and would be very weary of purchasing a camera that had its own custom battery type. Of course, if the digital camera offered double the megapixels, a wider zoom lens, and better quality photos, I might reconsider (grin).
4. Small Doesn't Mean Underpowered
Purchasing a small digital camera definitely can have its advantages. They are easier to transport long distances, less bulky to carry with you on trips, and less conspicuous. Plus, nowadays don't expect all small digital cameras to be underpowered toys! Small cameras may not have as many features as digital SLRs and high-end prosumer digital cameras, but their megapixel resolutions are matching, and sometimes beating, their higher-priced alternatives! Plus, smaller cameras are starting to come with larger and larger zooms. While a high-priced large digital camera looks impressive to onlookers and usually comes with a wide variety of image manipulation features, don't overlook the value of small digital cameras. If you just want a digital camera to use for friend and family photos, travel a lot and need something that takes up less luggage room, or just don't want to deal with the bulk of a large digital camera, consider the lighter alternatives.
5. Be Careful When Buying Package Deals
It almost sounds too good to be true. A digital camera, plus memory, a tripod, a backup battery, extra lens, and more... for hundreds of dollars off the original price because it is a package deal! When buying a digital camera, you're almost sure to be overwhelmed with such "Power Buys", "Closeout Package Specials", and the like. And sometimes, these deals can be real money-savers, especially if you need another camera bag, more memory, a backup battery, etc. However, be careful before you spend your hard-earned money. While these deals may save you money, they may not save as much money as specified by the individual products' manufacturers' retail prices. And, sometimes, these deals are just ways for unscrupulous dealers to make a few extra dollars on the side, selling substandard or closeout equipment in combination lots that seem like huge bargains for the unwary. Before you buy such a package deal, examine the contents. Check out what the prices of the individual items REALLY cost, and that may mean visiting other digital camera stores or websites. Then, only then, make a decision. Do you really need the products? Does the package deal really save money, even if not as much money as the seller claims? I've saved money buying package deals when I really needed all the included equipment, but some people end up spending way more than originally intended on equipment they don't need. Don't let the latter happen to you.
6. Check What the Zoom Really Means
Be careful when reading a manufacturer's specifications on a digital camera's zoom factor.
Many digital cameras may mention that a camera has a 10x "Combined" or "Total" zoom. This *may* mean that a camera has a 5x optical zoom and a 2x digital zoom (5 X 2 = 10). As mentioned previously in MalekTips, you should only concern yourself with optical zoom as digital zoom just does a pixel interpolation when taking photos, resulting in photographs that may not be as sharp as you'd like. Read the specifications carefully, and if you have any questions, ask a camera salesman about the camera's optical zoom only.
7. Don't Expect a Camera to Come with Enough Media
When you purchase a digital camera, unless it happens to be a package deal, don't expect the camera to come with enough media to handle your photography needs. Nowadays, most digital cameras, if they come with any media at all, will only be packaged with a 16 or 32 MB card. Though that used to be enough memory for a couple dozen pictures, high megapixel photos in fine, very fine, or raw detail can eat up that memory in just one or two photos. Prepare to spend money on at least one extra media card.
8. Effective Pixels and Foveon X3
Thanks to MalekTips reader kgelner for updating some of this information.
When comparing megapixel counts between digital cameras, be careful when comparing cameras containing the Foveon X3 three-layer sensor. You may think the resulting photos will come out larger in resolution than what the camera provides. Most digital camera sensors can detect only red, blue, or green per pixel, using what is called the Bayer filter. A moire effect sometimes appears in photos as digital cameras try to accurately reproduce colors via dithering effects. To reduce the moire effects, digital cameras may use demosaicing effects that may result in "smearing" the photo, causing some loss of sharpness. Foveon X3 digital cameras, however, have a sensor array, with three sensors for each pixel - one detecting red, one blue, and one green. The digital camera then merges the results together, supposedly resulting in sharper, warmer, and more pleasing photos. Because of the extra detectors, a Foveon X3 digital camera that has, for example, 3.3 million detectors for red, green, and blue may advertise itself as being 10 megapixels (3.3 multiplied by 3 is approximately 10, though the resulting resolution of a photo will only be 3.3 megapixels). The actual quality of the photo, however, may differ depending on the digital camera's implementation, having approximately the same quality as a 5-8 megapixel photo taken with the Bayer filter.
How Much Optical Zoom is Needed?
(Note that this tip was written for users of compact, intermediate, and prosumer digital cameras. Digital SLR users can purchase lenses with different zooming capabilities.) With the plethora of digital camera choices available, one question you may ask is how much optical zoom do you really need for the types of photos you want to take? Purchasing a digital camera with a greater optical zoom distance is more expensive than one with only a 2x or 3x zoom, so this decision can greatly affect your pocketbook. While there are no hard and fast rules, consider the following suggestions. Realize that even if you need a lesser zoom for most of your photos, there will always be times where a greater zoom may be useful.
* Are you primarily taking photos of friends and family, such as in parties or social situations? If so, a 2x or 3x zoom should be plenty. Just be sure to get up close if you need to record detail of a situation.
* Looking for photos of outdoor scenery, or interested in taking photos of architectural elements in a cityscape? A 5x+ zoom can help you take pictures from further away without sacrificing detail.
* Interested in taking photos of wildlife where you need to stand back to avoid scaring animals away, at sporting events where you may be situated in third level seating, from atop observation decks in large metropolises, or other situations where it will be difficult to get in close to your subject? That 7x+ zoom may be needed to get the photos you want
